How hard is it?
When considering the difficulty of the STEP 1 and STEP 2 CK exams, STEP 2 CS doesn’t sound so hard. I mean, all it is is acting like your a doctor right? Ironically, the STEP 2 CS is an easy exam to fail. In fact nearly 1/3 of US candidates fail the USMLE on their first try. Let’s take a look at the pass rates for 2008 as provided by USMLE.org.
•87.5% of US and Canadian students passed the STEP 1 on their first try compared to only 75% of IMG students.
•91.5 % of US and Canadian students pass the STEP 2 CK on their first try compared to only 81% of IMG students.
•92% of US and Canadian Students pass the STEP 2 CS on their first try compared to only 72% of IMG students.
The numbers don’t lie, STEP 2 CS is as hard as STEP 2 CK, especially for IMG Students, and there is no way to know how many took a prep course. Looking at the numbers, it would seem that IMG students have a harder time with STEP 2 CS than US Students!
Why are so many failing the STEP 2 CS?
There are specific things you must do to pass the STEP 2 CS such as properly greeting the patient.
•The greeting must be said in the correct order and must be said clearly. Tip number 4 on www.usmlestep2csa.com explains what must be said.
•You must act like you are performing a real exam, not just say the right words.
•You must show empathy
•Stay calm and remember what to do, many candidates get nervous and forget important aspects
There are many more things you must do. You can view tips and suggestions like the ones at usmlestep2csa.com and read the manual provide by USMLE.org, but how do you know you are being empathetic, your tone and pace are good, or your pronunciation is acceptable? Without participating in a prep course that provides individual hands-on experience with live SP’s (standardized patients are trained to play the role of patient accurately.)
There are only a few institutions that provide an authentic, exam-like practice environment. Most institutions offer courses with SP encounters in a group environment. This is where one person interview the patient while the class watches and then the encounter is discussed. Some institutions have a video taped SP that students take notes on and then the encounter is discussed. IMPAC Medical is the only course I know that offers an exam-like environment with 10 rooms and 10 SP’s where each student visits each SP in a timed simulation that is very similar to that of the USMLE examination. If you know of one similarly timed, feel free to let us know about it.
How do you defeat anxiety?
Learn about test-taking anxiety and what you can do to diminish it and practice. If you look up the term “test-taking anxiety” in Google you will see the number 1 suggestion is to practice! I have found only one course that teaches one how to deal with this anxiety, and that IMPAC Medical’s 5- day course. Their course teaches all the techniquels like other courses do, but also includes lessons in dealing with anxiety. An important lesson that you will need for the test and for many aspects of your life. Their 5-day course also includes a practice exam.
A Special Note For IMG’s
IMG’s have a much harder time passing the STEP 2 CS because they must meet certain standards of pronunciation and speech clarity. I highly recommend IMG students take a course that focuses the skills necessary to pass the STEP 2, but also on Spoken English Proficiency (SEP.) IMPAC Medical, offers a 5 day course that includes extra emphasis on SEP and includes a practice exam.
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