u/usmleboybr

Hey guys! I’m getting close to finishing my first pass of UWorld for Step 2 (88% completed, ~70% correct). I’ve been doing random, timed blocks, and so far I haven’t done any CMS forms or NBMEs because I planned to finish UWorld first.

My goal is 260+ and to take the exam around February or March, and I’m trying to figure out the best transition after finishing the bank.

Would you recommend:

• Taking an NBME first to get a true baseline and identify my current weaknesses, then using CMS forms to target them?
• Or doing some CMS forms first and then taking an NBME?

If you recommend an NBME first, which form would you use as a baseline? I’d rather save the newest/highest-yield ones for later in dedicated if possible.

Also, after finishing UWorld, would you prioritize CMS + UWorld incorrects/marked, or actually reset UWorld and start a full second pass?

I'm selling my old uworld step 1 account including the UWSA 3. It expires on January 5th in 2027. It has 78% qbank usage, cannot be reseted, and access to the medical library + flashcards.

If anyone is interested, even though the bold info highlighted, DM is open.

Hey everyone,

I could use some advice on my Step 2 prep.

I started studying about a month ago, and I initially assumed it would be similar to how I prepared for Step 1. For Step 1, I basically relied on UWorld and Anki, without watching lectures or using many additional resources until dedicated, and that approach worked very well for me.

With Step 2, though, I'm starting to wonder if that strategy is enough. It feels like there may be gaps in my knowledge, and I'm not sure whether I should be using some sort of study guide, videos, or other resources alongside UWorld.

I've been struggling particularly with OB/GYN and Pediatrics. Some people have advised me to start with subject-specific UWorld blocks (Medicine, OB/GYN, Surgery, etc.) in tut0r mode and then transition to random timed blocks later. That's what I've been doing so far, but I've only completed about 17% of the question bank, which is less progress than I expected at this stage because I've spent a lot of time second-guessing my study approach.

For those who have already taken Step 2, would you recommend simply trusting the process and continuing with UWorld + Anki, or do you think additional resources are necessary? If so, which ones were most helpful for you?

I'd appreciate any advice. Thanks!

Hi everyone! I took the exam on May 4th and got my result this week. I wanted to make a quick write-up because while I was preparing, I read a ton of these posts and sometimes ended up more anxious after reading them.

The biggest thing I want to say is: trust your NBME scores and trust your preparation. The real exam felt very similar to the NBMEs overall. Yes, there are definitely some questions that feel ridiculously hard, but remember there are 80 experimental questions. Keeping that in mind helped me a lot during the test. Overall, I’d say the experience felt like a mix of the NBMEs and the new Free 120. (many people here will disagree, but tbh, it won't help u if you buy people's anxiety and personal opinions)

I’m currently in clinical rotations, so time was pretty limited. My preparation took a little over a year overall, plus around 60 days of dedicated with NBMEs.

I’m not really a risk taker, so one thing that helped me a lot was recreating test day as closely as possible during self-assessments. And I mean really recreating it: same breaks, same clothes, same snacks, same timing, everything. It made me feel much more comfortable and confident on the actual exam day.

During dedicated, I think the thing that helped me most was sticking to my strategy and not overwhelming myself with too many resources. My main resources were basically UWorld + Anki.

For Anki, one thing that helped a lot was suspending cards without the “High Yield” tag in AnKing. Over time I had accumulated way too many cards, and my scores honestly improved once I started prioritizing what actually mattered for the exam.

I know people say Mehlman PDFs can inflate scores, but personally I never really bought into that. I read the HY Arrows PDF at the beginning of dedicated and it genuinely helped me understand how the exam wants you to think, so I definitely recommend it.

I also used some Sketchy Micro and Dirty Medicine for topics I still wasn’t understanding from questions alone, but I was careful not to overload myself with extra resources. I stayed pretty loyal to UWorld and Anki and honestly think those are the only real must-haves.

I know a lot of people love First Aid, but I respectfully ignored it during my prep because I just don’t like the format. Pathoma chapters 1–3 are absolutely worth doing though.

My scores:

NBME 26: 63% — Feb 14
NBME 27: 71% — Mar 8
UWSA 2: EPC 75% — Mar 15
NBME 28: 75% — Mar 21
NBME 29: 75% — Apr 4
NBME 30: 80% — Apr 12
NBME 32: 77% — Apr 19
NBME 33: 79% — Apr 26
Free 120: 80% — Apr 30

I know this was a lot of self-assessments, but like I said, I’m not a risk taker. Making sure I was consistently in a safe range was important for my peace of mind and helped me avoid unnecessary anxiety on test day.

Anyway, good luck everyone — you got this!