How to study for the USMLE Step 2 CK

The preparation strategy for the Clinical Knowledge (CK) exam is more straightforward compared to the Step 1 exam.

Materials you need:

1.  Kaplan Video DVDs
2. Kaplan Lecture Notes
3. Kaplan QBook

Best study timeline

Phase 1 : Books + Videos (1-3 months)

In this phase, you should use the videos to pace your study, understand how the CK exam questions are posed, and receive tips on how to tackle exam questions. I will break down the study strategy for each discipline below:

• Internal Medicine
• You should start the CK preparation with internal medicine first, before moving to other disciplines. Reason is because Conrad Fischer (internal medicine Kaplan lecturer) is really good in giving you strategies to answer exams in CK. You can then apply the same strategy to all the other disciplines.
• It is important to know that the CK exam composes of a huge proportion of internal medicine questions, as compared to other specialties. Therefore, you should aim to go through this section well.

• Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Surgery
• For OBGYN and surgery, it is adequate to go through at a moderate speed. Use the videos and the lecture notes simultaneously. OBGYN video lectures are really good.

• Psychiatry
• If you are doing Step 2 CK as your first exam, you need to go through the video lectures along with the lecture notes. The videos cover epidemiology as well.

•  Pediatric
• The pediatric video lectures are not as good as the videos for the other disciplines. For pediatrics, I would advice that you just go through the lecture notes without the video lectures.

Phase 2 – Kaplan QBook (2-3 weeks)

Complete the Kaplan QBook for CK. This will help prepare you before you go for the USMLE World. While you are going through the questions in the Qbook, you should also take the time to review your Kaplan lecture notes, especially in disciplines which you are weak at.

Phase 3 – USMLE World (1 month)

The USMLE World is the best question bank for CK. Completing this question bank will help you train for the actual exam.

Phase 4 – Final weeks before exam

As you are done with about 50% of the USMLE World question bank, start doing NBMEs. There are 4 forms in total. Complete forms 1-3 offline, and do form 4 online. NBME Form 4 will predict your Step 2 CK score, and will give you confidence/assurance when you sit for your exam.

Optional: you can opt to add a Phase 1.5, where you consolidate your facts into a quick review book. In the Step 2 CK, the First Aid is a terrible book to use. If you were to choose a book to consolidate your facts into, you should you Master the Boards for the Step 2 CK. This phase is really optional only. I bought Master the Boards but did not use it, and did pretty well. So you can definitely opt to ignore this consolidation phase. However, you need to highlight the important facts in your Kaplan lecture notes well, preferably with a yellow color pencil instead of a bright highlighter. This will make important facts stand out and make your final review faster, but will not overshadow the other texts in the lecture notes.