How I Scored 283 on USMLE Step 2 CK (100th percentile)
[[For tutoring inquiries:
assem12963@gmail.com]]
Hi everyone! In this video, I will go over How I Scored 283 on USMLE Step 2 CK. We will explore general tips and available resources for Step 2 CK like UWorld, Amboss, CMS Forms, Anking Anki Deck, along with the Practices Tests currently available from NBMES to UWSAS.
🙋🏻♂️ Who am I?
My name is Assem Al Refaei, an MD from Syria and an active researcher with 14 publications. I am truly honored to teach and learn from medical students and graduates around the world. This channel is dedicated to people everywhere. I appreciate your visit and sincerely hope to earn your subscription, and interest.
My best wishes,
Assem Al Refaei
0:00 Intro
1:07 General Advice
6:19 Resources
11:48 Tips for Young Students
14:30 Acknowledgments
Пікірлер: 275
Wow Alf Mabrouk Assem! I am a US MD taking Step 2 in 3 weeks and this video was a helpful look into how to get a fantastic score. You will make a great physician inshAllah!
@alrefaeiMD
2 ай бұрын
Wishing you the best on your exam! Inshallah you have it easy and accomplish a great score.
I’ve recently passed my step 1, and I was looking for some overall guide for step 2. I’ve watched many videos and I must say, this is the best one. MashAllah great score. I am instantly so inspired by your humbleness. IA you’re going to be a great physician. May Allah be with you.
@alrefaeiMD
13 күн бұрын
Glad I could help! I am very grateful for your words and wish you nothing but the best brother.
i am imagining when he will watch this video years later on…dont overthink then believe me this is so natural and amazing video plus ur english accent is awesome man👌🏻 MashaAllah congratulations 🎉
@alrefaeiMD
2 ай бұрын
Thank you for your kind words!
Congratulations on your amazing achievement! I’m excited to hear about the next steps in your journey!
@alrefaeiMD
2 ай бұрын
Thank you Khaled! Wish you all the best in your journey.
Congrats brother, proud to witness this achievement from a dear friend like you. ما شاء الله عليك
@alrefaeiMD
Ай бұрын
Thank you Shurafa! You will always have a place in my heart❤️
Congratulations assem , inspiring experience , good luck in the next steps
@alrefaeiMD
Ай бұрын
Thank you 🙌 wishing you all the best!
Congratulations🎉 Happy to see our IMG colleagues from Jordan shining! salute from Sudan.
@alrefaeiMD
2 ай бұрын
Thank you so much. Prayers for Sudan!
الف مليون مبروك ما شاء الله درجه خرافيه ربنا يوفقك فى كل اللى جى ان شاء الله ❤❤❤
@alrefaeiMD
2 ай бұрын
ربنا يبارك فيك ويوفقك ان شاء الله 🙏🏼
Came across this amazing video.Am proud of you MashaAllah.May you shine bright always!
@alrefaeiMD
Ай бұрын
Thank you and welcome!
Some curiosity. Such a good score absolutely reflect a good background medical knowledge in you school. Any one can do uworld and some flash card but starting point is much variable during your learning that will affect the required resources bypass many resources having a strong basic and also shortens your preparation making it couple months to get such as brilliant score in average 6 months
@alrefaeiMD
2 ай бұрын
I totally agree. Everyone has to find their pace and be comfortable with it!
Thank you! That was very helpful! Alf Mabrook for you 🎉
@alrefaeiMD
2 ай бұрын
Thank you so much! Wishing you all the best.
Congrats man 🎉 I love how articulate and thoughtful you are! Could you please give us an idea about your background before step 2 prep? Your basic science foundation, med school performance and step 1 prep.. Thanks for this amazing video!
@alrefaeiMD
Ай бұрын
Thank you! Sure thing! I was good at medical school and left with a solid background on topics. I think this helped me begin with 2 blocks and that’s why I mentioned finding your own pace. I did not do Step1 yet!
Congratulations brother. That is an amazing score. Good luck for every step ahead.🎉🎉
@alrefaeiMD
2 ай бұрын
Thank you!
نصائح مختصرة و مفيدة جدا مبارك يا دكتور و شكرا جزيلا على ما قدمت ❤
@alrefaeiMD
Ай бұрын
العفو، جزاك الله خيراً
congrats, really happy for you and i wish you the very best. You deserve it
@alrefaeiMD
2 ай бұрын
Thank you so much!
Thank you Asem for your valuable advices! Wish you all the best
@alrefaeiMD
2 ай бұрын
Thank you Abdulrahman! Best wishes for you too.
I took many years studying for step 1 and 2 because of the kids and so many responsibilities/ job and my illness It was insane journey but I will never give up ❤
@alrefaeiMD
13 күн бұрын
Keep it up! I wish you all the best on your journey.
Congratulations Dr. Assem on a great score! And thanks for making such a detailed video on what helped you achieve it Had read in the comments somewhere that you are yet to take your STEP 1. Is it ok to take STEP 2 first? Thanks a lot
Congratulations on your amazing score! Thank you for the honest video. What is the best way to go through UWorld 3-4 times? Did you go through incorrects or marked questions since there is only one reset option? What do you think is the best approach? Also, do you have any suggestions for using UWorld during shelf exams, which I need to do subject-wise as well?
@alrefaeiMD
13 күн бұрын
Thank you for your comment! I went through every question up to the second read. After that, it was really mixed but definitely passed over all incorrects. This is the approach I suggest. Lastly, always do UW subject-wise.
283 is a wild score bro 💯🔥😂
الف مبروووك يا دكتور انا في سنه تانيه طب حاليا ، طلع الي الفيديو بتاع حضرتك بجد ملهم جدااا ليا ❤❤ مفسي لما اكبر احقق الإنجاز ده تنصحني في ايه في فتره الجامعه ؟
@alrefaeiMD
13 күн бұрын
شكرا على كلماتك اللطيفة، موضوع طويل جداً، بوعدك أعمل شيء مفصل أكثر لكن استثمار الوقت، اختيار صحبة حسنة، وتقليل دور الهاتف ووسائل التواصل الإجتماعي بحياتك.
this video is sooo helpful bro, thank you so much brother
@alrefaeiMD
2 ай бұрын
My pleasure
Congratulations!!🙌
@alrefaeiMD
13 күн бұрын
Thank you!!
congratulations on passing with such a high score🎉
@alrefaeiMD
2 ай бұрын
Thank you so much!
Congratulations and thank you so much,, please make a video for step 1 also ,it will be very helpful
@alrefaeiMD
Ай бұрын
Sure I will. Thank you!
Alf mabrook! Mashallah great score
@alrefaeiMD
2 ай бұрын
Thank you so much
Congratulations assem 🎉😊 thank u for advice 😊
@alrefaeiMD
2 ай бұрын
Most welcome
Amazing video congratulations on your score
@alrefaeiMD
2 ай бұрын
Thanks so much!
Congrats bro! 🙌✨
@alrefaeiMD
Ай бұрын
Thank you 🙌
ماشاءالله تبارك الله مبرووك 🎉🎉
@alrefaeiMD
2 ай бұрын
الله يبارك بعمرك
Congrats bro Masha Alah keep it up
@alrefaeiMD
2 ай бұрын
Thank you Usman! Best wishes.
congratulations 👏
@alrefaeiMD
13 күн бұрын
Thank you!
Really congratulations ❤️❤️❤️
@alrefaeiMD
13 күн бұрын
Thank you!
Congratulation mashaaalah. Can you tell you resources for proration for us lie step1. And also resources in each subject during preparation of medical school that you you recommended to build strong basis videos books platforms question resources. We wait for you to matching inshaallah الف مبروك يا دكتور مشرف العرب ما شاء الله
@alrefaeiMD
2 ай бұрын
Thank you! I did not take Step 1 yet and this is going to be what I will explain in my next video .
Congratulations Dr. Which anki cards would you recommend? How many cards did you have in total? Also what nbmes and cms forms do you recommend going through, and how many passes for each? Thanks
That’s a Great achievement
@alrefaeiMD
Ай бұрын
Thank you!
Congratulations ❤️❤️❤️
@alrefaeiMD
Ай бұрын
Thank you!
Congrats 👏
@alrefaeiMD
13 күн бұрын
Thank you!
Ma Sha Allah bhai❤
@alrefaeiMD
13 күн бұрын
Thank you!
الف مبروم يا دكتور ما شاء الله علي اصرارك وعزيمتك عندي طلب ممكن توضح طريقة عمل انكي كارد للاسئلة اللي بتحلي غلط اشكرك علي الفيديو فادني كتير مع اني لسه بدرس ستيب ١
@alrefaeiMD
2 ай бұрын
اهلاً دكتور هشام، أبشر ❤️ وان شاء الله موفق بمسيرتك.
very well explained, to the point .
@alrefaeiMD
Ай бұрын
Thank you so much
Congrats doc❤️🎉 Can you make a step 1 experience video please
@alrefaeiMD
2 ай бұрын
Thank you! I did not take Step1.
congratulations☺👏
@alrefaeiMD
13 күн бұрын
Thank you!
Alf Mabrook Dr Assem MashAllah that is a great score :) . Wish you all the best on your journey to the US. So you don't advise making Anki cards from the first read?
@alrefaeiMD
2 ай бұрын
Thank you so much. Yes, only after first read!
Congratulations on your amazing score!! Can you please share what did you use to prepare for research, ethics, quality improvement and drug ads?
Hi! Thank you and congratulations on your score. Do you prefer a 3rd round of uworld or amboss qbank? Please reply, I’m on a time crunch, thank you 🙏
@alrefaeiMD
13 күн бұрын
Thank you for your comment! Always UW. Best of luck.
wow! god bless you
@alrefaeiMD
13 күн бұрын
Thank you!
well done doc 🙏🙏
@alrefaeiMD
Ай бұрын
Thank you!
First of all congratulations on your GOAT score!!! I want to have a opinion from your side, Ill be giving my real deal in a few months. And plz response to this comment kindly. I have made a anki deck that has summarized uworld qs on front and explanations on back. almost 4500 cards. After my first pass im doing it for 2.5 months, 60 anki has been completed and im doing it system wise. Havent given a assessment yet. What I want to ask is that i keep on forgetting tables and explanations from topics I have read a month back. How should I approach my third read after finishing anki (almost a second pass of uworld). Thanks alot!!!!
@pratikparajuli6167
2 ай бұрын
Hello doctor ! Are you willing to share your anki cards ?
@alrefaeiMD
2 ай бұрын
Hi there, Thank you for your words. This is really fantastic. You are doing a great job. Continue what you are doing and start doing assessments. You will not remember everything even after a month so the goal is not to memorize everything. See how your assessment works and fill the deficits after.
Thank you for this informative video, can you please share the Anki link that you've used in both Step 1&2
Thanx dr assem for your helpful feedback. Could you please share a video with us on how to use anki for USMLE
@alrefaeiMD
2 ай бұрын
Thank you for your words. I will do soon!
Congratulations doctor! Can you go over your schedule exactly? Thank you😄
@alrefaeiMD
2 ай бұрын
Thank you! I will share it soon.
that's amazing doc
@alrefaeiMD
2 ай бұрын
Thank you!
Hey, congratulations on the exceptional score! I heard the ethics section has gotten a lot tougher recently, was ethics in the final exam doable with Uworld alone?
@alrefaeiMD
Ай бұрын
It was hard. Not UW-alike, but I argue that you should not over-prepare because I do not think that helps either. Repeat ethics from UW in your last week
Hello! Thank you for the great advice. I have a question and a request. My question is how important is the knowledge you gain from step 1 and how much does it contribute to your score on step 2? since step 1 is pass/fail, I am struggling to plan the right amount of time and the amount of attention to detail I should give it. Should I take step 1 as soon as I am able to pass or should I make sure I can score a high grade in step 1 before moving on to step 2 if I want a high score for step 2? My request is - could you please make a video on how to start with research from scratch? for a person who has never done any research or who knows nothing about it and doesn't know where to start. Thank you in advance Assem!
@alrefaeiMD
2 ай бұрын
Hi there! I actually did not do step1 and was warned by many that this will be detrimental to my Step2, and it was not. You do not need either one to do the other. It would make some parts of your experience easier but it is not necessary. It depends on your situation and current stage. If you are an early year medical student you might focus on getting rid of Step1 first, while if you had an already good clinical exposure, Step2 might be your most reasonable target. I will also be posting more content on research soon. It is completely for beginners so tune in!
Congrats dr. Assem
@alrefaeiMD
Ай бұрын
Thank you so much. I detailed my anki experience in another video.
Mashallah, congrats man .. what a goat 🐐
@alrefaeiMD
2 ай бұрын
Appreciate it
❤❤❤❤❤. Congratulations
@alrefaeiMD
2 ай бұрын
Thank you!!
Congratulations,God is good
@alrefaeiMD
2 ай бұрын
Thank you 🙏🏼
Congratulations! 🎉Thank you so much for such a helpful video! 🙏🏼How did you time your self-assessments when your exam got pushed back? Did you repeat them?
@alrefaeiMD
2 ай бұрын
Thank you for your words! I did not repeat any assessments. I had made anki cards for the mistakes I made and these were repeated frequently before my exam. I made a video of anki, I think it might be helpful!
@fernandafernandes3658
2 ай бұрын
@@alrefaeiMD I just watched it, thank you so much 😁
All my congraduations Doctor ! Thank you a lot for all the sharing! Questions for you, Doctor: how much time/hours did you spend on anki? and how many cards/day? if the number of review cards exceeds like 700, should i suspend the old one? how did you use uworld (timed, tutorial ect, multiple subjects)? what is the ideal time to spend on the preparation of step 1 ?
@alrefaeiMD
Ай бұрын
Thank you! So i spent maybe 2 hours per day on Anki, the number of cards varied. On most days I didn’t achieve the perfect zero. I never suspended old cards. My uworld was always in tutored mode. And there is no ideal time for everyone, it really depends on your baseline knowledge and current situation.
Hi, can you please tell if you were working during your preparation period? If yes, how did you manage your schedule?
@alrefaeiMD
13 күн бұрын
I was working but not for lengthy hours and also had breaks. There was not a schedule. It was continuous studying.
ماشاء الله اللهم بارك الف مبروك
@alrefaeiMD
Ай бұрын
الله يبارك فيك صديقي
Please make a video on step 1 too
@alrefaeiMD
Ай бұрын
Sure I will. Thank you!
Congratulations! That’s an amazing score 🎉 Just had a question- on UWorld, there are 2 parts- shelf review questions and the CK review questions, each having around 4000 questions , both together would be over 8000 questions right? Did you do all 8000 questions? Were they helpful?
@Awab_Hamid
2 ай бұрын
They are almost the same questions. He would have done just the 4000 CK questions only.
@alrefaeiMD
2 ай бұрын
I only did the CK review questions. They share the majority of questions btw.
Congratulations, Asem! What an incredible score and fantastic advice. If I may ask, how important is the first-round percentage? Does it matter significantly? For someone who recently started using UWorld and hasn't done any other question banks like AMBOSS for Step 2, is it normal to have fluctuating and sometimes low block scores?
@alrefaeiMD
2 ай бұрын
Hi there! Thank you for your words. I can't recall my first-round percentage that well. I do not think it is important, you should expect yourself to make mistakes but put an effort in learning from them. After that, all of your scores matter.
@lightrain6211
2 ай бұрын
@@alrefaeiMD Oh, ok, I got it. If I may also ask, on average, how long does a block take you to finish? And what is your strategy for doing so? Like, do you do the whole block in one setting, solving and studying? Thank you again for your efforts.
@alrefaeiMD
2 ай бұрын
@@lightrain6211 I think it might have taken me 3 hours during my first read. I would answer a question and study its explanation immediately. In the other reads, it was within one hour to align with the exam structure.
@lightrain6211
2 ай бұрын
@@alrefaeiMD Ok, looks like I might switch to this method Thank you so much Asem 🙏🙏❤️❤️
Hello Asem, I hope you're doing well. I have another question for you! 😊 I recently started preparing for Step 2 and began using UWorld from scratch, and I just can't retain information without using Anki. I've tried both a pre-made deck and creating my own deck (focusing on my wrong answers and things I don't know). I found making my own cards to be more effective, but it takes more time. Do you recommend continuing with this approach? Is it sustainable in the long term, or should I stick to the pre-made decks? Thank you so much Asem
@alrefaeiMD
2 ай бұрын
Hi, Great question and study approach. You should try to not make Anki kill your UW time. Try using pre-made decks to get material on your mistakes. Like you made a mistake on tularemia, search it in the browse feature of anki, and transfer it from the pre-made deck to yours. I will published a detailed video tomorrow on my anki use.
@lightrain6211
2 ай бұрын
@@alrefaeiMD Got it, that makes sense. Using the search and unsuspend method sounds like a smart move. One last question for the next video. Which deck would you recommend: Janki, Tzanki, Ankingv11, or Anking V12? Thanks a lot for your effort. I'll be eagerly awaiting your next video.
pls pls pls can you make a tutorial for anki it would be really helpful. For me it's so confusing the settings and everything pls
@alrefaeiMD
2 ай бұрын
I will do that soon!
Congratulations
@alrefaeiMD
Ай бұрын
Thank you
Mabruk MashaAllah
@alrefaeiMD
2 ай бұрын
Thank you so much
Wow congratulations
@alrefaeiMD
13 күн бұрын
Thank you!
فخر ماشاء الله عليك دكتور
@alrefaeiMD
2 ай бұрын
Thank you!
Was your studying only through uworld? You didn't try studying materials, videos, etc. before jumping into doing blocks?
@alrefaeiMD
2 ай бұрын
Only UWORLD and ANKI. Explanations are enough for the exam. However, if I didn’t understand something or felt a gap, I would google it.
Hello, its absolutely new to hear someone repeating UW 3-4 times. Would you mind sharing how didnyou make notes out of it ? And how did you revise them regularly ?
@alrefaeiMD
Ай бұрын
Hi, I did do that in a recent video.
I have a question. I am entering Med school next year. And as I was watching this, I realized that there are a few terms that I am not aware of such as: Blocks; CMS/NBME. Could you clarify? Also, a question: I studied for the MCAT in 2months and got a 509. Ik I have to work harder for the Step exams. So, I wanted to ask you: How long did you spend time studying for it every day? Tbh, I dislike Anki because I hate the making of cards. So, I might be using UWorld alone.
@alrefaeiMD
2 ай бұрын
Congrats on going to med school and your on MCAT performance! Here are the terms defined: Blocks: Chunk of questions in a Qbank (40 is typical, you have 8 on exam day (hour for each)). CMS/NBMEs: assessment exams that are often used to assess your readiness, thus after the first read. For the second question, you can definitely take the exam without anki. Many of the things I said relate to style and what you are comfortable with. I studied 6-8 hours most days!
Congrats Doc! Anking consists of STEP1 Deck and STEP2 Deck, which one did you do? If you did STEP 2 Deck, how many total cards did it have? please elaborate...
@alrefaeiMD
2 ай бұрын
Thank you for your words. I did STEP2 deck. It was around 9K to 10K cards.
Congrats
@alrefaeiMD
2 ай бұрын
Thank you!
Congratulations Dr. Asim🎉🎉🎉 may i ask you what were your scores in nbme exam and UWAS? Were they predictable for your real deal?
@alrefaeiMD
Ай бұрын
Thank you! My scores were in the 260-270 territory and I took them during my second read.
Congrats and thanks alot for this, it has been great! I just have difficulty in understanding how to use Anki so may you plz guide me?
@alrefaeiMD
Ай бұрын
Thank you. Sure thing! I made a detailed Anki video in my channel.
Congrats brother , that was great . Question is that is it really hard to do a +260 in step 2 ?
@alrefaeiMD
2 ай бұрын
I don’t think it is hard. If you give it sufficient time consistently, you will be able to score it.
شكرا على الفيديو دكتور، ممكن أسألك إذا درست خلال روتيشنات الجامعة دراسة ستيب ٢؟ وكيف؟ نفس الطريقة المذكورة في الفيديو؟
@alrefaeiMD
2 ай бұрын
Ahlan. I only studied the university material during my school but made sure to study well.
ماشاءالله مبروك
@alrefaeiMD
Ай бұрын
الله يبارك فيك يارب
Thank you Doctor ! Alf mabrouk ^^.
@alrefaeiMD
2 ай бұрын
Thank you! 😃
MashAllah bro, congrats keep it up 🎉🎉 How many hours were you studying daily? And how many Anki cards you were doing per day, average?
@alrefaeiMD
2 ай бұрын
Thank you so much! 6-8 hours typically. 200-300 cards per day.
hello Dr Assem; i am a British IMG and have recently decided to ditch the PLABs to pursue the USMLE path for my medical career. I just took the step 1 and passed, currently going over my step 2 readthrough. I wanted to ask you if you think that only using u world is enough to get a 260+ or do I have to use another resource to get a high mark? I should also mention that I use U world extremely religiously and I go over the right and wrong answers very well.
@alrefaeiMD
Ай бұрын
As I mentioned in the video, I only used UW and anki to achieve this score and many people I know did the same and achieved +260 scores.
الف الف مبروك حكيم عاصم❤ حكيم عاصم هل استخدمت لابتوب ولا ايباد وهل كتبت نوتات ولا لا❤؟
@alrefaeiMD
2 ай бұрын
اهلا حكيم، استخدمت اللابتوب والنوتات كانت اسئلة.. قريباً هشارك كيف عملت هيك بفيديو موضح.
@3z-shorts213
2 ай бұрын
اتمنى والله ❤ وننتظر منك كل جديد
MashaAllah brother
@alrefaeiMD
Ай бұрын
Thank you!
Congratulation 🎉
@alrefaeiMD
2 ай бұрын
Thank you!
Thank you, please answer my question, I don't understand that how your main source is only uworld? It's only questions so how you read and know topics before you read it in main sources or textbooks?
@alrefaeiMD
2 ай бұрын
The explanations in Uworld can make up a textbook. Study them as if they were a textbook. I will soon share a video on how to solve and study questions.
@okk2101
2 ай бұрын
@@alrefaeiMD thank you very much, we will wait for your next vedio! thanks
Congrats. What were the resources/decks you used for anki please. Can you please share
@alrefaeiMD
2 ай бұрын
Thank you! I used anking and cards for my incorrects.
Congratulations bro, How many hours did you study per day over 9 months ?? What is your daily routine during these months?
@alrefaeiMD
2 ай бұрын
I will touch on the daily routine soon. The hours ranged from 6 to 8.
ازاى نعمل basic كويس فترة دراسة الكلية .. ممكن نصائحك ومصادرك دكتور
@alrefaeiMD
Ай бұрын
ابشر ان شاء الله هعمل فيديو عن الموضوع قريباً
@DeragyptischeAdlige32
Ай бұрын
@@alrefaeiMD بشرك بالخير دكتور بالانتظار إن شاء الله ❤️
Congratulations on such a fantastic score! I have question if you don’t mind, would you say these tips apply also to step 1 ? That is going for multiple reads of Uworld (not necessarily 3 or 4 times but more than one read? Also did you unsuspend Anking cards randomly or using a certain resource? If so what was it?
@alrefaeiMD
2 ай бұрын
Hi Ahmad! Thank you for your kind words. I did not do the USMLE Step 1 but I think you should not go beyond a second read in it, and I used Anking cards in a random order.
Where did you get the anking deck resources. Would be very helpful if you replied. Thank you for the advice!
@alrefaeiMD
2 ай бұрын
There are available on Ankihub. I will post a detailed anki guide from A to Z tomorrow!
Mashallah, congrats bro, How many hours did you study per day?
@alrefaeiMD
Ай бұрын
thank you so much. Between 6 and 8 hours.
Doctor what about biostatistics questions and behavioral any tips
@alrefaeiMD
13 күн бұрын
Just UW. I think it is sufficient and if something in the exam is weird you will probably not find it in other resources as well.
Hello sir Congrats 🎉 Can you please tell me that u answer step 2 before graduation or after?? graduation??
@alrefaeiMD
2 ай бұрын
Hello, yes after graduation!
Congrats Brother Assem, what an achievement Mashallah! I want to ask you about what specific cards were you unsuspending from Anking? Is by subject or you were searching them up by the Uworld Question ID ?
@alrefaeiMD
2 ай бұрын
Thank you for your words! I used cards with Step 2 tag.
Congratulations, dr Asem! Do u have step 1 experience?
@alrefaeiMD
2 ай бұрын
Thank you. I did not take Step 1 and I will touch on soon on when I think Step2 is best taken first.
@marwajalalali2564
2 ай бұрын
@@alrefaeiMD We look forward to hearing from you about this topic dr!
congratulations brother,I'll be following you for more info, please I also wonder how was your step 1 journey, your resources, and what was the period from your step 1 to the step 2 exam?
@alrefaeiMD
2 ай бұрын
Hi there, I did not do Step1. I will soon share when I think this is the best approach.