Step 2 is a certainly a marathon, not a sprint. It requires consistent dedication not only to your clerkships and shelf exams, but also in building community, mentors, and self confidence to carry you through the finish line. Everyone has their own goals and expectations, but I believe the ideal mindset is simply to strive to do your best on test day, knowing that the knowledge you gain for a 316 question multiple choice test really is building the foundation for taking excellent care of your future patients.

By the time you begin studying for Step 2 towards the middle of your third year of med school, you’ve probably begun to figure out what study methods and resources work best for you. And you’ve probably figured out what doesn’t work well for you too! I prepared for my shelf exams using Anki, UWorld, AMBOSS, and First Aid for Step 2, and would watch review videos on YouTube like Emma Holliday and Dr. High Yield. After taking a few shelf exams, I realized that this was working for me so far, so I stuck with it, and trusted those resources when I started studying for Step 2 as well. Pretty shortly into my dedicated period, though, I started to get really burnt out on all of the Anki cards I was trying to review on top of my practice questions and tests, and realized that what was best for me was to focus on practice questions instead of reviewing hundreds of Anki cards. I started to make great progress on the NBME forms, but was pretty discouraged after taking one of the UWorld self assessments, then got one of my lowest practice test scores on the last NBME form I took before my test date.

I realized that even if I might be ready to take the test, my confidence just wasn’t where it needed to be, and I made the tough decision to move my test back a few weeks, take several days off from studying to refocus, and start working again with a renewed mindset. I also signed up for a few tutoring sessions to talk over my test taking strategies, come up with a study plan for my remaining time, and identify weaker areas. When my test date came, I sat down knowing that I had given it everything I could without sacrificing the things that are more important, like my family, community, mental health, and faith, and I decided that I would be proud of my performance no matter what the score was.

During this time I read a quote from Tolstoy that says “A man on a thousand-mile walk has to forget his ultimate goal and say to himself every morning, ‘Today I’m going to cover twenty-five miles and then rest up and sleep.'” This mindset gave me the energy I needed to do what I could each day then rest well to recharge for tomorrow. However, it’s important to remember that your three digit score on Step 2 does not define you! In a couple years when we’re in residency, that score will be the last thing that matters as we work towards providing the best care we can for each of our patients. If you are looking for mentorship or tutoring during your Step 2 or med school journey, I would be happy to help!