Time needed for IMGs to prepare for Step 2 CS

95314 Views 25 Replies 24 Participants Last post by lurker225, Jul 1, 2017

Sabio

Discussion Starter · Sep 8, 2009

In addition to voting in the poll above please post your reply with details so that we get a grasp of the real situation.

Please follow this format (which is a true example of my Step 2 CS experience)

Time needed: 3 Weeks
Average study hours per day: Four
Mother language: non-English (set as English if it applies)
Result: Passed first attempt (u can leave blank if you don't want to tell)
Years since graduation at time of test: 3 years (u can write medical student if it applies)

Also check these links for the other steps:
Time needed for Step 1 Preparation
Time needed for Step 2 CK Preparation
Time needed for Step 3 Preparation

Reactions: 5

1 - 20 of 26 Posts

khanar

· #2 · Sep 8, 2009

Time needed: 5 days!
Average study hours per day: Five
Mother language: English
Result: Passed first attempt
Years since graduation at time of test: Medical Student

Reactions: 5

khanar

· #3 · Sep 9, 2009

Time needed: 6 weeks
Average study hours per day: 7
Mother language: Non English
Result: Passed first attempt
Years since graduation at time of test: 3 years

Reactions: 5

khanar

· #4 · Sep 30, 2009

CS is not difficult

Time needed: 2 Months
Average study hours per day: 5
Mother language: Non English
Result: Passed first attempt
Years since graduation at time of test: 2 years

By the way CS is not so difficult, it is just we stress about it but it's not difficult

Reactions: 5

indian

· #5 · Dec 2, 2009

Time needed: 2 Weeks
Average study hours per day: 6
Mother language: Non English
Result: Passed first attempt
Years since graduation at time of test: 6years

Reactions: 5

yulaik1

· #6 · Dec 7, 2010

very easy, but practice is needed...practice and practice

Time needed: 2 weeks

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Average study hours per day: 8
Mother language: Non English, Spanish
Result: Passed first attempt
Years since graduation at time of test: 5 years

Reactions: 5

tzbs

· #7 · Jun 20, 2011

time needed-4 weeks
average study hour /day- 6-7 hr
mother language-non-english
result-passed with first attempt
years since graduation- 8 years [2003]

comment- practiced medicine in english speaking country until 2010

Reactions: 4

b.abid

· #8 · Jun 20, 2011

Time needed: 3 Weeks
Average study hours per day: 1-2 Hours
Mother language: non-English
Result: Passed first attempt
Years since graduation at time of test: Student

Did it after 1 month clerkship in an American hospital, Did not have a study partner

Reactions: 5

QueenB

· #9 · Sep 7, 2011

The Risque Way

Time needed: <1 Week
Average study hours per day: 5hrs
Mother language: English
Result: Passed first attempt
Years since graduation at time of test: 1.5
Test Centre: LA

This post is for those last minute types- I did it in less than a week. I'd just finished my step 2 ck.. BUT english is my first language and I've had a fair bit of patient interaction back home.
my point is not to mislead anyone/brag but its meant to de-stress anyone tht thinks they're going to fail due to lack of time. I will make a couple of recommendations though (cuz some of my frends Dr.AA, Dr.GG, Dr.GS were super sweet in helping me--specially Dr.AA)
Here's what I did
1. Study the First Aid cases: the Differentials, the history taking, and then the cases (you should do all 40+ but I did about 34?32?)
2. Practice- if you don't have a study partner thats a medico its ok- practice with a non medico so u can get your timing and examination down right (TIME URSELF) BUT practice one of each type of case even ovr the phone/skype/gtalk with a friend thats taken the exam (my super sweet ones helped me)- i also practiced with kid cousins and my my frends mum!
3. Again my friend GG insisted i sign up for the Kaplan Mock exam- it was worth it..try and take it--just the practice exam.
4. OR atleast watch the USMLE examination videos on youtube or i beliv u can buy em on uworld?
calm down-sleep well-eat well and look good on the final day!
good luck!

See less See more

Reactions: 5

glykon

· #10 · May 4, 2012

Time needed:6 weeks
Hrs/day: at first 2-4 then went up to 8-10 at the end of my prep period
Native language: non-English
Graduated: 1 year ago
Passed within the first attempt

Note: it takes more time to study for CS if this is the first Step you take, you come from a medical school where they don't prepare you for the Steps, your medical system is different from that of U.S. and English is not your first language.

Reactions: 5

Dr urbane

· #11 · Aug 16, 2012

Time needed: 2 Weeks
Average study hours per day: 5
Mother language: English (UK medical school)
Result: Passed first attempt
Years since graduation at time of test: 4 years

Reactions: 4

sisirakkineni

· #12 · Mar 29, 2013

Time needed: 3 Weeks
Average study hours per day: 3
Mother language: non-English, but fluent in English
Result: Passed first attempt
Years since graduation at time of test: Med student(when i took the test.)

Reactions: 3

Torm1

· #13 · Sep 19, 2014

Study partner and PN practice is the key.

Time needed: 6 Weeks
Average study hours per day: 3 to 4
Mother language: non-English, but fluent in English
Result: Passed first attempt
Years since graduation at time of test: 7 years, I did residency in my home country, so I have a good experience with patients and this helped me a lot.

Reactions: 1

nojai

· #14 · Oct 12, 2014

Time needed: 2 Weeks
Average study hours per day: 8
Mother language: Non-English
Result: Passed first attempt
Years since graduation at time of test: 6 years

Reactions: 1

Msami10

· #15 · Mar 23, 2016

Thanks for that

draybala

· #16 · Sep 7, 2016

Thanks for these information

maen90

· #17 · Sep 29, 2016

three to four weeks. first aid takes couple of weeks to master, and training about 2 weeks as well

aamr

· #18 · Oct 7, 2016

Time needed: 3-4 weeks
Resources: step 2 ck FA and a good partner

shaguy

· #19 · Feb 24, 2017

thanks y all

Ma 90

· #20 · Mar 27, 2017

This is the best thread I found in this forum so far

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