It is the dream of every medical student to practice medicine in the US and USMLE is the primary route to it. It filters the best doctors for dedicating service to the US society.
The mission statement of USMLE on its official website cites the following –
“ To assure fairness and equity to physicians through the highest professional testing standards.”
This statement unveils the utmost priority of USMLE being to extract the best doctors, based on the standard parameters.
Being one of the most competitive medical exams, it requires constant rigor, persistent pursuit, and reliable resources to get through it.
The exam consists of 3 steps, with all steps structured to access the understanding of different subjects and topics. Out of them, Step 2, conducted to test the aptitude in basic clinical science, is the intermediate stage of the entire exam process. The USMLE step 2 preparation can be simplified using the most recommended resources.
These quintessential resources help give a push to your preparation, aligning the preparation with the standard of the actual exam and scoring the maximum in the exam.
It is commonly said that ‘the right resources supplemented with the right approach, bring the expected results’.
Apart from the elementary medical books from the respective medical course, there are certain other reference books, question banks, and digital resources to metamorphosis the student into exam exam-ready state. Here is the detailed list of the best resources for USMLE step 2 preparation.
Every exam is always a two-way process. The input of knowledge and information through the books and study material; and the output i.e. application of the grasped knowledge by practicing the questions. Here comes the need to attempt practice papers to gauge the level of preparation, identify the section you are weak in, practice attempting the test in exam-like conditions, and learn the knack for attempting questions to make the grade. Here are some highly recommended practice tests for USMLE Step 2 :
Apart from the above-mentioned resource, the veterans have also suggested Sketchy for step 2 preparation to enhance the preparation.
These resources are to be supplemented with the foundational books of medical courses to get the maximum out of them.
The aforementioned resources will in developing a holistic understanding of the USMLE Step 2 exam. These resources will supplement the basic books and will help in absorbing the concepts and details comprehensively.
As it is very hard to revise bulky books, it brings the dire need to extract succinct notes out of the fundamental books, the reference material, and practice tests to simplify last-minute revision. Going with digital mediums to take short notes with images and diagrams embedded in them, can also be preferred.
Always remember to have periodic revisions during your preparation to keep the new information and the accumulated knowledge integrated and intact. Declutter your resources to untangle the learning and streamline the preparation.