Questions on Step 2 CK seemed to be more hard knowledge-based than Step 1 questions. I took too much time, over 6 months specifically, studying in a non-organized manner and my score reflects this! My Step 2 CK score lags considerably behind my Step 1 score, meaning that I overall did worse on this so-called “easier” exam. To my own personal shame, I did not prepare for Step 2 CK as intensely as for Step 1.

While a lot of knowledge can be inferred from your basic science subjects, if you don’t know the diagnosis and management guidelines, you simply don’t know them! While I dislike comparing two completely different exams, I need to note this right away – do not believe anyone who tells you it’s easy it is not! I made that mistake in believing that I had covered most of the important topics in Step 1 and could definitely get a better score on Step 2.

Step 1: Is Step 2 Easier?Įveryone seems to like pitting Step 2 CK against Step 1 in a contest of difficulty. The question stems also seemed longer to me, even though this might have been a quirk of my particular exam. Step 2 CK took a lot of endurance! At a full 9 hours, it is only an hour longer than Step 1, but that difference was enough for me to feel considerably more tired afterwards. To put it simply, Step 2 CK is an exam which tests your knowledge about diagnosis and management while Step 1 tests your knowledge about how the body works and why diseases develop. If I had to describe it in my own words, Step 1 was all about “How?”-s and “Why”-s, while Step 2 CK is all about “What do you do?”-s. While this description is accurate, it really gives you no information about just how different the two exams are. Tbilisi State Medical University What’s the Main Difference Between Step 1 and Step 2 CK?Īs the name implies, Step 2 CK is an exam used to test a medical student’s clinical knowledge.

Students: Educators’ Pro Tips for Tough Topics.

Maternity Nursing and Care of the Childbearing Family.

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