Part 2 The Student Perspective Stephanie Stephens, OMS IV

The Student Perspective Approach to the unknown – First exam of this nature – Students know it can be weighted heavily in residency selection Time commitment – Studying while in class – Keeping up with coursework Other factors – Long exam – Cost of prep materials – What works for student A won’t necessarily for student B – What resources to use and what is available to them

Level 1 Survey Designed by prior COSGP members Open for responses October 2012-January 2013

Level 1 Survey 511 responses from 20 schools COMLEX range – Average 558 – National average 500 USMLE Step 1: 268 takers – Range – Average 228 – National average approx 225

Study/Preparation Time School allotted preparation time Personal study time Student responsibility during exam

Methods of Preparation 90% of students reported using more than one type of method – Independent study – Commercial review course – Commercial question bank – School sponsored non-commercial review course – Informal group study

Resources Used #1 Most Helpful #2 Most Helpful #3 Most Helpful Least Helpful

Level 2 CE Survey Open January-Feb responses from 15 schools COMLEX Range – Average 557 – National average 500 – Reported Level 1 average 550 USMLE Step 2 CK: 140 takers – Range – Average 239 – National average ~235 – Reported Step 1 average 230

Preparation Time Number of weeks studying for Level 2 CENumber of weeks studied for shelf exams

Resources 88% reported using more than one technique/resource to study Most helpful resource Other resources frequently mentioned: Boards Boot Camp, Master the Boards, Kaplan, Falcon Review

Tips for success from high scorers Level 1 Focus on only a few resources-don’t get bogged down by too many Do practice questions Do well in the OMS I & II years “Don’t worry so much”

Tips for success from high scorers Level 2 CE “I did not feel as well prepared…I wish my school had used the NBOME or NBME shelf exams during third year.” “Your score highly reflects the number of hours you put in to studying using different resources.” “There is no substitute for continuous study.”

Other data we collected Requirements prior to taking the exam Specialty choice Student employment Lecture attendance Type of shelf exams For more info: