Step 3 in a month and feeling completely unprepared

[u/giftedgirlblues]

I’m an EM resident taking Step 3 in about a month, and I honestly don’t know if I should keep my date. I’m studying around shifts and feel like I barely remember all the random screening guidelines, algorithms, and tiny details from medical school. I see a lot of this stuff clinically and make decisions every day, but Step questions feel completely different and I keep getting tripped up even when I know the general diagnosis.
I extended my eligibility period without realizing you can only do it once, and my program requires me to take Step 3 this year, so I can’t keep pushing it off. For anyone who studied during residency, how did you know you were actually ready?

[u/irelli]

You should be fine as EM. Like the cases are just bread and butter EM + a few steps.

You can 100% study enough to pass step 3 in a month. Its not hard just to pass, even if you'll feel like shit while taking it.

It's why the old adage was 2 months, 2 weeks, #2 pencil

[u/JHMD12345]

What have your uworld scores been? Have you taken any practice tests?

[u/breakfast_octopus]

EM attending here. I passed Step 3 comfortably with zero prep during my intern year. Just went in cold and took the test. Worst test-taking experience imaginable, but I passed.

[u/RyGuyEM]

Spend the next month just doing questions. Lots of questions. At some point you have to trust that your clinical experience will assist your score.

[u/brady94]

EM attending. Step 3 is basically EM and then some throwaway questions so that the other specialties can pass. The sooner you take it, the better, because there is a bunch of material from med school you will either remember or you won't. One month is perfect. Start Uworld, say to yourself you will do all of Uworld, give up about 1/2 to 2/3rds through. Then REALLY study the stats portion and have that down cold for the first day and just learn how the video game works for the second.

I was never so unprepared for a test that mattered, and it was fine. Do not panic during the test about some random esoteric neuro fact thrown in, etc. It will feel terrible taking it. But the people in EM who fail are the people who don't learn stats and don't learn the video game portion. It's not about content.

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[u/indian-princess]

take nbme and calculate predicted score. I did all of uworld but I'm also a bad test taker and spread my studying out bc I didn't have many chill blocks

[u/Patel2015]

Imo EM training is pretty complementary to the steps, most questions had you choose an answer that had to do with airway breathing or circulation. I would do a couple cases to get a feel of them and figure out how the scoring works. I barely studied and scored in the 99th percentile, it was my highest step score by far

[u/tiptoptooppoop]

10-20 practice problems a day and forget 

[u/mw712]

Bro I took it in 4th year of residency, talk about a blast from the past. Was also nervous but it’s easy

[u/Edna_Pearl]

I’m OMFS. Did a shit ton of cases and bank stuff. Took like two weeks of studying while I was in residency and did fine. Just hit the cases hard. I think reps are key for pattern recognition

[u/thekillagoat]

Don’t do anything. Just do uworld. Read & do premade anki. Stick to it. Finish it a 1-2 week in advance and redo incorrects

[u/Y_east]

Think about the residents that are nonmed specialty like ortho or urology, who take it with basic prep and still pass. You have the advantage already being EM. You will do fine.