STEP 3 - What is this exam? How it is important ? What should be game plan for it?: An nsight nto the !rst "esident exam-step 3
b#: Wa$as %awa& '(
n this post ) will tr# to explain fa*ts related to step 3 + 'ost of people don,t now about step 3 at the start of step .ourne# + t is a step exam that is mandator# to pass while doing residen*# not for appl#ing it+ /ut re*entl# it has gained unpre*edented importan*e among '0s be*ause of in*reasing *ompetition for residen*# 1- it is 2 da# exam - one da# of *lini*al exam similar to and se*ond da# of exam *ontaining simulated *ases in whi*h u beha4e as a ph#si*ian ) order labs and treatment on *omputer ) get nstant results and #ou are tested how #ou pro*eed with a *ase stra#ing from histor# till management -it,s not li4e intera*tion with patients as in *s rather it is *omputer based *ases 2- step 3 *an onl# be taen in 5SA and *an onl# be taen if #ou are an '(- means after u ha4e passed step 1 ) step 2 and s 3- one *an appl# for residen*# mat*h after 'd without step 3 + The# ha4e to pass step 3 before *ompleting residen*# + /ut people who are done with step 3 before appl#ing mat*h are preferred o4er those who ha4e not + This is be*ause most programs want that their residents should be done with step 3 before starting so that the# *an gi4e full attention to patients not to exam during residen*# 6- it taes 2-3 months to prepare for step 3- e4en less for people who re*entl# too step 2 * as most if nowledge is same ex*ept that * tests diagnosis more while step 3 tests #our abilit# manage the *ases 7- another thing that maes step 3 reall# important is it,s relation with H1b 4isa + People who are '( are eligible onl# for .1 4isa that is sponsored b# E8'0 + 9n the other hand ) if a resident wants H1b 4isa ) he must ha4e passed step 3 before mat*h da# + H1b is sponsored b# respe*ti4e hospital + t is *omplex dis*ussion that how h1 b is better than .1 espe*iall# for Paistanis + We will ha4e separate dis*ussion on it + Summar# is that h1b is relati4el# /ette than . 1 as it is ne4er re.e*ted and one is not bound to do wai4er How one should prepare for step 3 and what is it,s s*heme - will dis*uss in next post in few da#s
USMLE STEP 3 EXAM PREP SCHEM: (uration: 3months 7; da#s <1st read= >37 da#s <2nd read= >1; (AS <3rd read= 1 da#s <%/'E= 1 (A <(erm %et=> 1 da#
'aterials %eeded: aplan series 'T/ STEP3 5-W9"B( SE"ES derm+net and drug adds S *ourse 27 dollar *ourse for biostats a4ailable on 5S'BE+ oC*ial %/'E website S9"ES: 5nlie step 1 and step 2) it is reall# tough to ha4e DD <22F= in step 3+ An# s*ore 227 is *onsidered 4er# good in step 3+ So don,t get disappointed 8"ST "EA(: 7; da#s
1=-3 da#s of aplan and 1 da# of 'T/ 0astroenterolog# and Hepatolog# 6 da#s <3>1= Pulmonolog# 3 da#s <2>1= nfe*tious (isease 3 da#s <2>1= %ephrolog# Ele*trol#tes 3 da#s <2 >1= Endo*rinolog# 2 da#s <1>1= "heumatolog# 3 da#s <2>1= Hematolog# @9n*olog# 2 da#s <1>1= %eurolog# 6 da#s <3>1= Emergen*# 'edi*ine 3da#s <2 >1= Pre4enti4e 'edi*ine 1 da# (ermatolog#-1 da# 9pthalmolog#-1 da# "daiolog#-1 da# Surger#: 7 (AS <3 >2 da#s= Pediatri*s: 6 da#s <3 da#s >1= 0#ne*olog#> 9bstetri*s: 7 da#s <2>2 da#s of aplan >1 da# of 'T/= Ps#*hiatr#@ /eha4ioral s*ien*es 1 da#s of aplan
> 1 da# of 'T/ >1 da# of drug adds-#ou *an !nd these drug adds on usmle forums +At least 6 adds are ased in exam+ SE9%( "EA(: 37 da#s n se*ond read) (9 %9T "EISE APBA%S as was ad4ised in + "ather 2nd read should be fo*used on 5 W9"B(S A%( STA"T P"EPA"%0 S -2nd part of step 3 exam+ 5 world is 4er# imp in step 3 almost as imp as text boos+ E4er# da# ) reser4e 1-2 hours for 2 *ases of S-there are total 67 *ases G if #ou do 2 *ases ea*h da# G #ou will !nish S 1st read in this read+ S is 4er# interesting partG pla#ing around *omputer G will upload S instru*tions in few da#s Git is S that maes diJeren*e in step 3 s*ores+ 'T/ step 3 should also be read with respe*ti4e unit in this read+ e+gG if reading *ardiolog# u worldG also re4ise *ardiolog# unit of 'T/ that will tae .ust few hours+ > S 1-2 *ase e4er# da# that taes 1-2 hours 'edi*ine: about 23 da#s ardiolog# 3da#s 0astroenterolog# and Hepatolog# 3 da#s Pulmonolog# 2 da#s nfe*tious (isease 2 da#s %ephrolog# Ele*trol#tes 2 da#s Endo*rinolog# 1 "heumatolog# 2 da#s Hematolog# @9n*olog# 1 da# %eurolog# 2 da#s Emergen*# 'edi*ine 3 da#s Pre4enti4e 'edi*ine @radiolog# 1 da# (ermatolog#- 9pthalmolog#-1 da# Surger#: 3(AS Pediatri*s: 3da#s 0#n@9/S: 6 da#s<2>2= Ps#*hiatr#@ /eha4ioral s*ien*es
'E(%E 5W9"B(S: 6 (AS S5"0E" 5 W9"B(: 1 (A 0%@9/S 5 W9"B(: 1(A PE(S>PSH>/EHAI9"ABSE%E 5 W9"B(:1 (A After *ompleting u worldsG gi4e 3-6 da#s to S *ases+ 9ne *an easil# do 1; *ases of S in this read in one da# G so !nish 67 *ases in 6-7 da#s <S is 4er# te*hni*al thing+ Will post a separate arti*le on how to sol4e S-this is onl# exam in whi*h residents perform better than non residents= 'T/3 After 3rd read) one should read 'T/ 3 *ontinuousl# that will tae 3 da#s + After that Tae %/'E that will test #our step 3 but not S+ <%/'E of Step 3 does not predi*t the exam s*ore reall# = (E"' %ET: eep one da# for derma net- this si a web site that has pi*tures of sin manifestations of all s#stemi* diseases+ Highl# useful G will tae .ust K hours to go through but will reall# help in exam as lot of diagrammati* $uestions *ome+www+dermnet+*om %ow one *an tae exam+ S part *omes on 2nd da# G so after 1st da# of exam ) one *an re4ise **s *ases and *an appear on 2nd da# for **s+ There is option G one *an ha4e 1-2 da#s in between 2 da#s of exam as well+ 'eans exam then 2 da#s brea then 2nd da# of exam+ /ut it is not re*ommended as it breas tampo+
This scheme can be variable ; but summary : st rea!: "a#lan $ MT%3 &'( rea!: U)*rl! $MT% $CCS 3R( REA(: U)*rl! $ CCS "egistration of Step 3: This is important to mention here that Step 3 is not E8'0 exam unlie step 1) step 2+ t is 8S'/ exam- for registration G please go to 8S'/ website+
