3 Preparation Tips For The Step 2 CS Exam
As a medical student, the USMLE Step 2 Clinical Skills Exam may make you nervous. It can be difficult to interact with a test patient, diagnose conditions, write patient notes and complete the rest of the exam--especially if you are testing while feeling high levels of anxiety. However, the Step 2 CS exam, as it's more commonly known, can be easier if you prepare properly beforehand. Here are a few tips to use while preparing for this clinical skills test.
Don't Assume You Know the Diagnosis
When you take the Step 2 CS exam, you will have to interact with a Standardized Patient, or SP. This person will be given a checklist to score you with; after all, this is a test of your skills as a doctor in the field. You will need to diagnose their condition, and this can be tricky. One of the worst things to do is to assume you know what their diagnosis is right away.
Why? You may think you know the diagnosis right away, but it is critical that the patient know that you have done a thorough assessment and exam to arrive at that diagnosis. That way, they can complete the checklist in a manner that is complimentary to your skills. Not only that, but there may be more than one diagnosis. Make sure to ask enough questions so you can reveal what is really going on with the patient.
Come Up with a System for the Physical Exam
For the Step 2 CS exam, you will need to complete a full physical examination of the patient. It can be hard to remember every body system you need to check, but if you can come up with your own system and memorize it, you will remember what you need to.
You can do this before your exam by putting this system into place during school clinical rotations with real patients. For instance, if you start the physical exam by monitoring the cardiac and respiratory systems, then move to skin integrity and neurological tests, you can do that for every patient you ever have will not leave anything out when talking to the standardized patient during the Step 2 CS test.
Get Enough Sleep Beforehand
Because the Step 2 CS exam is only offered in a few locations nationally, you likely had to travel some distance to arrive near the testing facility. Traveling and studying nonstop is a very easy way to become exhausted and burned out. If you can, arrive a day early and ensure you get a good night's sleep before you take the exam. When you are well rested, you are going to be more likely to perform better on your test.
If you use the tips in this article, you are more likely to do well on the Step 2 CS exam. Make sure to prepare properly, so that you are comfortable as you take the exam and happy with your results.
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