What advantages does USMLE Step 2 give you in PGY years (w/o step 1)???

[Arrowx7]

Is there any benefit at all in doing USMLE step 2?

 

I heard some Canadians wrote it (without writing Step 1), what advantage does it give you?

[Laika]

Alone, without Step 1, it gives you nothing.

 

You're likely talking about students who write it at the same time as the MCCQE 1 at the end of med school. There's a great deal of overlap between Step 2 CK and the MCCQE1, so you can write the USMLE without much (or any) additional studying. It makes a lot of sense to write these at the same time.

 

Many people in my class didn't write Step 1 before 2 (for those who don't know, the USMLEs don't need to be written 'in order'). They didn't have either the time or inclination to write Step 1 during med school, and will likely do it in residency.

 

For anyone considering a fellowship or eventually practicing in the states, I'd recommend writing the USMLEs. Doing Step 2 with MCCQE1 makes it as painless as possible.

[aKGDH]

people who actively study generally know more and it stands out. the best residents Ive met are those who have an excellent knowledge base. studying for the step 2 will certainly contribute to your clinical knowledge and likely make you a better doctor

[thebouque]

You don't need to study much for step 2 ck, just do practice questions from Uworld and take it close to the mccqe1. I found step 2 way easier than the mccqe.

[Madz25]

Is there any benefit at all in doing USMLE step 2?

 

I heard some Canadians wrote it (without writing Step 1), what advantage does it give you?

 

Only point to writing the USMLEs is if you're planning on going to the US, and to those states that don't accept the LMCC. It also helps in getting certain types of visas.

 

No point in doing USMLE step 2 CK/CS on it's own. Why spend the money? If you want to learn the material then just learn it using review books (many that can be downloaded online). Step 2 CK/CS were a joke compared to the Canadian exams anyway.