Hi everyone,
I just got my passing Step 3 score last week and so I thought I'd share my exam prep and experience.
Prep:
-I couldn't find a lot of Step 3 material out there, so I ended up using Master the Boards Step 3 and Uworld as my main sources.
-Overall prep time was about 2 months, give or take. My studying was interrupted by other things I was doing at the time, mostly related to residency.
-I have no idea which practice exam is more accurate (NBME vs. Uworld) because I didn't take one.
Exam Experience:
-It's a 2 day exam
-The first day is 8 blocks of approximately 45-46 questions per block. Before you begin each block, it will tell you whether the questions will be taking place in the ED/Floor or in the Clinic/Office. Uworld also gives you these options when you're making your practice blocks.
-The second day is 4 blocks of approximately 36 questions/block, same style as Day 1. Then, that's followed by 12 CCS cases (Uworld is your best friend for these cases. If you can do the Uworld CCS cases with little to no actions in the "suboptimal" range, you will be fine)
-I was pressed for time on almost every block. The questions are long and are not very direct. A lot of questions focus on "next step in management", diagnostic and/or confirmatory testing, and "further steps in management". Very rarely you'll get a question that asks you "what is the most likely diagnosis?". I think that out of the 400+ questions over 2 days, I had about 3 questions like that lol.
General Advice:
-It's a Step exam, so regardless of how hard you study, it will still be difficult because it's designed to be
-It's 2 days, so make sure you keep your endurance up. Do whatever you have to do during breaks (bathroom, snacks, etc.)
-If you have the time to study for this test, then use it! Take your time with the material. Go slowly with the Qbank, possibly do it subject-wise on Tutor Mode, if you want. Also, the CCS cases are broken down by subject, so you can do that too.
-If you don't have the time to study, then try to aim for doing 1 block of Uworld/night. There's only 1400 questions, so you'll finish the entire bank in 1 month. Also try to do a few CCS cases, after a while, you'll get the hang of them.
Final Disclaimer:
Everyone has a different studying and testing experience. What I've described above is mine. If it works for you, then great! If it doesn't, then I'm sure there are other posts on this forum as well as others that are probably more detailed than mine has been, and may be tailored towards more of what you're looking for.
If you have any further questions, don't hesitate to message me privately and I'll do what I can to help. Take care and best of luck!!
I just got my passing Step 3 score last week and so I thought I'd share my exam prep and experience.
Prep:
-I couldn't find a lot of Step 3 material out there, so I ended up using Master the Boards Step 3 and Uworld as my main sources.
-Overall prep time was about 2 months, give or take. My studying was interrupted by other things I was doing at the time, mostly related to residency.
-I have no idea which practice exam is more accurate (NBME vs. Uworld) because I didn't take one.
Exam Experience:
-It's a 2 day exam
-The first day is 8 blocks of approximately 45-46 questions per block. Before you begin each block, it will tell you whether the questions will be taking place in the ED/Floor or in the Clinic/Office. Uworld also gives you these options when you're making your practice blocks.
-The second day is 4 blocks of approximately 36 questions/block, same style as Day 1. Then, that's followed by 12 CCS cases (Uworld is your best friend for these cases. If you can do the Uworld CCS cases with little to no actions in the "suboptimal" range, you will be fine)
-I was pressed for time on almost every block. The questions are long and are not very direct. A lot of questions focus on "next step in management", diagnostic and/or confirmatory testing, and "further steps in management". Very rarely you'll get a question that asks you "what is the most likely diagnosis?". I think that out of the 400+ questions over 2 days, I had about 3 questions like that lol.
General Advice:
-It's a Step exam, so regardless of how hard you study, it will still be difficult because it's designed to be
-It's 2 days, so make sure you keep your endurance up. Do whatever you have to do during breaks (bathroom, snacks, etc.)
-If you have the time to study for this test, then use it! Take your time with the material. Go slowly with the Qbank, possibly do it subject-wise on Tutor Mode, if you want. Also, the CCS cases are broken down by subject, so you can do that too.
-If you don't have the time to study, then try to aim for doing 1 block of Uworld/night. There's only 1400 questions, so you'll finish the entire bank in 1 month. Also try to do a few CCS cases, after a while, you'll get the hang of them.
Final Disclaimer:
Everyone has a different studying and testing experience. What I've described above is mine. If it works for you, then great! If it doesn't, then I'm sure there are other posts on this forum as well as others that are probably more detailed than mine has been, and may be tailored towards more of what you're looking for.
If you have any further questions, don't hesitate to message me privately and I'll do what I can to help. Take care and best of luck!!