{"id":1128,"date":"2017-10-14T14:27:27","date_gmt":"2017-10-14T14:27:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/fmgportal.com\/?p=1128"},"modified":"2019-07-31T09:04:34","modified_gmt":"2019-07-31T09:04:34","slug":"getting-ready-for-the-usmle-step-2-ck-a-general-overview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fmgportal.com\/dev\/getting-ready-for-the-usmle-step-2-ck-a-general-overview\/","title":{"rendered":"Getting Ready for the USMLE Step 2 CK: A General Overview"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Over the last few weeks, we\u2019ve been talking about the <\/span>USMLE Step 1<\/span><\/a> and Step 2. As an aspiring medical resident, you have to pass both of these exams before you can move on to USMLE Step 3. Success on all three USMLE exams is a prerequisite for <\/span>ECFMG certification<\/span><\/a>. Therefore, if you\u2019re a foreign medical graduate looking to get matched to a residency program in the United States, passing these exams should be one of your top priorities.<\/span><\/p>\n

The USMLE Step 2 consists of two parts. As we discussed in two previous posts, the <\/span>USMLE Step 2 – CS<\/span><\/a> tests your clinical skills during real-life <\/span>patient encounters<\/span><\/a>. The second part of Step 2 is the Clinical Knowledge (CK) section. Like the USMLE Step 1, the USMLE Step 2 – CK is a written test that requires you to demonstrate your expertise in the field of medicine. Read on to learn more about the content of the test and the format of the questions.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Content of the USMLE Step 2 – CK: What To Expect<\/b><\/p>\n

Put simply, the USMLE Step 2 – CK tests your knowledge of the concepts of clinical science that the USMLE committee members have decided are the most important for medical residents to possess. The specific material can vary slightly from year to year, but the general content tends to remain the same. There are two ways that the the content of the exam can be broken down: in terms of Scientific Topics and in terms of Physician Tasks and Competencies.<\/span><\/p>\n

Scientific Topics<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

When approached from the perspective of Scientific Topics, the USMLE Step 2 – CK can be broken down into three categories, each accounting for a certain proportion of the exam. The first category, General Principles of Foundational Science, typically takes up 1 to 3 percent of the exam. The second category includes Biostatistics, Epidemiology, Population Health, and Interpretation of the Medical Literature. These topics typically take up 1 to 5 percent of the exam. That means that the vast majority of the USMLE Step 2 – CK is dedicated to the third category, which encompasses body systems and tissues. This category accounts for 85 to 95 percent of the exam. The topics that fall within this category include:<\/span><\/p>\n