r/usmle

Hey guys, finally done with Step 2 and ended up with a 267 as a non-US IMG! Prepping during my internship was pretty rough, but here's what actually moved the needle for me.

Honestly, ditch the Step 1 mindset. It's not about memorizing facts anymore; it's about seeing the pattern. Whenever I reviewed a block, I tried to figure out exactly what one word in the vignette needed to change to make the wrong answers correct.

UWorld is great for learning, but CMS forms and NBMEs are the real deal. They teach you how the test writers actually think. I found the giant Anki decks way too overwhelming, so I just made my own custom 1400-card deck strictly from NBME/CMS logic and drilled that instead.

The actual exam felt like a mix of vague NBME concepts with UWorld-length stems. Just trust your gut, don't overthink the straightforward ones, and get some sleep before test day. You got this!

I always see medical students say they study 8-12 hours per day for step 1 but howww is that possible ? I only get about 4-5 max (focused hours ) on a good day when I measure with the pomodoro app even though I’m at the library “locking in “ for 8hrs.

Edit .. just to clarify , I would be studying for 8+ hrs but little breaks add up really quickly and so when I truly time it, it’s only about 4-5

Should a 2020 graduate start the Step 1 pathway? Spent 3 years in the army and then did PLAB. PLAB wasted a year + and have applied for IMC now (Ireland). What other option do i have? Should i start the USMLE pathway alongside? Have a job in a small town that pays well so not sitting idle.

Have a brother who’s in NY right now surgery resident but he said it’s too late for me now.

I dropped from a 71 on NBME 33 to a 68 on NBME 34, and my exam is in 11 days. Should I postpone it? Here are my scores:

NBME 25: 64
26: 74
Bootcamp SA: 70
27: 73
28: 70
29: 67
30: 72
31: 76
32: 75
33: 71
34: 68

I’m not sure if this is just accumulated fatigue and the 3-point drop is simply noise, but I’m really worried right now. (the nbme platform says I have a 93% probability of passing within a week)

I’d really appreciate hearing from people who have already taken Step 1. What do you think? Any advice? Would you recommend taking another older form (e.g., NBME 24) to see where I stand? I’m planning on doing that next week on Saturday and then on Sunday doing the free120

my last 2 nbmes -

28:62%
30:66%
nbmes before these were <60
have 4 nbmes and free 120 left,exam on 28 october.
CAN I Do it? Any advices,PLEASE?

so I passed step 1 july 2025 and step 2 may 2025 with a 254 and graduated 2026 march and now I'm a teaching assistant in clinical toxicology and addiction treatment in my faculty of medicine as a non US img .

now I have obligatory military service as a military officer peds physician may be for a 1 or 2 years my q is after 2 years if I apply in 2029 for 2030 match as a 2.5 or 3 y old graduate and a toxo teacher with a master degree in it applying for peds and I will do observations and step 3 before applying in Sept.

what are my chances I feel lost

I am Indian IMG preparing for step 2. I failed my step 2 on first attempt by great marks i only scored 197. How can i improve and what things should i try to improve my scores ?? Is it possible to reach 250 realistically ?? Please help !!!