My Step 3

The night of June 2 I was thinking of my Step 3 result. I wasn't really sure when my score would be available but when I looked at the calendar I realized that June 3 would be the 3rd Wednesday after my exams which means my score COULD be available. The score is usually ready at midnight but I decided to just wait til the morning to check my email.

At 5:30 I woke up and my heart started pounding. What if I failed this darn exam? I thought I did well during the exam. I was calm the entire time which actually worried me a bit coz in the past a little bit of anxiety boosted my performance. This time I was very nonchalant and impatient to get this exam over with. But I felt good about my answers so that's all that matters. I did all I could and now it's all in God's hands.

So I turned on my laptop and checked the Step 3 candidate website and there it was: Print Score Report. I clicked on it and it started to download. For some reason my laptop decided to act up on that day. It was downloading the file ever sooooo slowly! But finally I saw 3 sets of figures that made my jaw drop to the floor...

I was in utter disbelief. My preparation was not as good as my previous ones. Plus I only spent 2 hours a day studying due to so many distractions like my pregnancy, residency, etc. I was even only aiming for a 75. But hey! This was a huge blessing from God and I accept it with all my heart. Thank you Lord! And I think my baby gave me good luck ;)

So how did I prepare....

My materials:

* Kaplan qbank: Not so good so I didn't finish it. Only completed 60% with a cumulative score of 65%

*USMLEWorld qbank: Very good! First round I got 64% correct and 2nd round of incorrect and marked items my score went up to 73%.

*USMLEWorld CCS: Very good! I did the interactive cases 2x and read the PDF files 2x as well.

*Master The Boards: Average. Good for quick review but felt there were incorrect concepts.

*Kaplan CK lecture notes: Only did a fast reading of IM and OB.

*Practice test on the USMLE website: 84%

The key to my preparation is my good CK knowledge and attitude. I thoroughly enjoyed studying for the exam coz I know learning all the principles will make me a better doctor. I didn't look at step 3 as just another exam, a hurdle in my path, but a way of improving myself. I learned a lot while studying and now I feel like I am ready to tackle any case in front of me ;)

Good bye USMLEs! Thank you for the challenge :)