Step 2 CS

Dear Fellas,

I know everybody feels very uncertain about this exams. First of all, money matters. 1200 dollars!! And the stake of having to need it again if in case we dont make it. Then low level of confidence, being in the new world and trying to adapt with the american styles. And then having the creepy feelings of 'My english aint good' in some corner of our mind. Everything has its toll at the same time. And so when you are preparing or actually appearing in the CS exam, you feel like very vulnurable creature uncertain about many things. But guys we can do it.

First of all, I personally think its more of your smile and your persona' thats measured there. We IMGs fail mostly in this regard. We try to focus more on history and physical exams, and in the course of it forget to think about the rapport and the bond you are trying to make in that very 15 mins. Our english!! Well nothing much can we do about it. Its been like that for ages. So you just practice the things, and you see that you dont have many extra materials to speak out there, apart from the normal things. Same questions, LIQORAAA, PAMHUGFUSS and practicing physical exam would do it more or less I think. Well saying all this, we shouldnt underestimate the value of practicing data gathering and writing patient notes. We have seen people failing in that too. So what we can do it PREPARE WELL.

Preparation time: Well We think 21 days, thats around 3 weeks with 10 days to 2 weeks of intensive practice would do it.

Materials: What we would like to say is that USMLE world is good to make a note of it.
We would like to say what we did during our preparation. There were three of us. So we went through USMLE world pattern of history taking, and physical questions, keeping in mind all the transitional sentences; and smiles and 'Sorry & Thank you' at our tip of the tongue. Learn to take history in your own pattern, so that it will make everything flowing and you wont be jumbled up in webs of what have i asked and what i havent. For the simulated case practice, we followed The First Aid to CS. It helps a lot guys. If you have some one who had already appeared in CS, it would be great because they know exactly how they had gone through the exam time. If you find someone like that before you even fly to america, just ask to simulate for you the fifteen minutes of the exam. You will have the images all set in mind. If you can find two or three of the persons like this, then it would be ggggggggggreat. So catch them wherever u can. Then if they agree, ask them to be your patient and have a go at them. Just practice, and they will tell it what you really need to improve. Practice the last 27 Cases in the First Aid thoroughly. Around 70 to 80 % of the cases are Dittoo. And when you practice those, you are all set for whatever the examiners throw at you.

Good luck!!