Post by Admin on May 2, 2014 3:05:27 GMT -5
CS experience in LA
If you're reading this, you will be taking your exam soon, which means every second counts. So, I'm going to keep this as brief as possible.
I took my exam in LA in May 2012. Since the exam format has been changed starting second half of 2012, you should tailor your study plan to suit those changes. There are some basics, however, that I could help you with.
1) Logistics
Plan your stay as early as possible, preferably as soon as you book your exam. It'll save you a lot of money and unnecessary stress.
-Flight tickets are quiet easy just bear in mind that you should arrive at least 3 days prior to your exam date to be well rested, that's the minimum. I arrived only 2 days early and it had its toll on me. The flight is almost 24 hours to LA counting transit time and all so, you could take some reading material with you on the plane; FA is perfect. Also, don't go back home the next day after your exam. Do some fun stuff before you leave, maybe another 3 days, you deserve it!
-Hotel: LA is expensive and the test center is located in a rather expensive neighborhood so book as early as possible. What's good about the area is that it's quiet safe and very near to the airport. I stayed at the Hacienda hotel. There are a few others in the area; one Travelodge (had bad reviews on Trip Advisor), a Courtyard by Marriot and a Hilton brand hotel. Check them all out and decide for yourself, however, bear in mind that the Hacienda is the only one within walking distance to the test center, maybe the Hilton is but the other 2 definitely not. You don't want to count on public transport in LA, it sucks!
Let me point out some details about the Hacienda:
1-Price: I booked rather late so I got my room for 67$/night, bed only. You could get the same room for as low as 50$, I think, if you book well in advance (3 months+).
2-Facilities: Room was good enough for a business stay; quiet, clean and big enough. It's not luxurious so, no plasma screens, mini bar, cool view or other fancy vacation facilities. The hotel has a free airport shuttle that you can let the info desk at the airport call for you as soon as you land. They also have a free shuttle to a nearby mall, should you want some entertainment after your exam. The Mariposa Restaurant, inside the hotel, serves breakfast, lunch and dinner for very reasonable prices. You can also order room service for an extra 2$ and you can order breakfast items for lunch saving you some money (they have Steak dishes on the breakfast menu)
3-Location: It's a ten minute walk from the test center. There's a Ralph's (supermarket) right across the street and a lot of restaurants all within walking distance (Sizzler's, Five Guys burger, Malibu, Starbuck's, etc)
2) Study Plan:
Here's what I did:
I started a little more than 4 weeks in advance.
First, I found a study partner through EAMTAR's facebook group for CS. We made sure our study styles are compatible (very important). I found a few other Skype study partners through various forums.
Then, I set a plan with my live study partner to practice every other day so that we can finish FA 2 full times and start a third revision (about 6 hours per session). On the free days, I did some reading and practiced on Skype.
I used FA mainly. I always study from different sources so, I also used UWorld and online forums.
I practiced all cases once as the Dr. and once as the patient, I read FA once, I recommend reading it twice, though. And I read a lot of forums and blogs, that pointed out a lot of valuable stuff.
What's important is to develop your own system and stick to it, you shouldn't attempt to memorize the cases just know how to proceed. Mnemonics are very helpful for some and confusing for others, it's your choice. I recommend using at least a few common mnemonics.
Four weeks are enough if and only if you dedicate yourself to CS full time. That means no job, no college, nothing but CS. If you need some more time that's okay but don't stretch it too much because then you'll lose your enthusiasm.
Always time your practice, even if you run out of time, it'll help you learn to manage your time better and get accustomed to the real exam.
Practice with physical examination, even if you're not actually examining each other, pretend that you are in order to measure the time correctly. Watch some physical examination videos, they help with interpersonal skills, too.
Practice the PN specially if you're not a fast typer. You'll be surprised how easy it is to make mistakes on that part, all of which avoidable with just a little practice.
If you have problems with English, work on that before even starting to practice. It's not a good idea to have to worry about language and exam content.
Focus on interpersonal skills the American way! If you already have USCE, that should help. If not, focus on that with your study partners. Basically, you should be a gentleman in your interaction with the patients. Say: please, thank you and sorry a lot!
Finally, have faith and go get them!
Experience regarding Step 2 CS thanks remona87
If you're reading this, you will be taking your exam soon, which means every second counts. So, I'm going to keep this as brief as possible.
I took my exam in LA in May 2012. Since the exam format has been changed starting second half of 2012, you should tailor your study plan to suit those changes. There are some basics, however, that I could help you with.
1) Logistics
Plan your stay as early as possible, preferably as soon as you book your exam. It'll save you a lot of money and unnecessary stress.
-Flight tickets are quiet easy just bear in mind that you should arrive at least 3 days prior to your exam date to be well rested, that's the minimum. I arrived only 2 days early and it had its toll on me. The flight is almost 24 hours to LA counting transit time and all so, you could take some reading material with you on the plane; FA is perfect. Also, don't go back home the next day after your exam. Do some fun stuff before you leave, maybe another 3 days, you deserve it!
-Hotel: LA is expensive and the test center is located in a rather expensive neighborhood so book as early as possible. What's good about the area is that it's quiet safe and very near to the airport. I stayed at the Hacienda hotel. There are a few others in the area; one Travelodge (had bad reviews on Trip Advisor), a Courtyard by Marriot and a Hilton brand hotel. Check them all out and decide for yourself, however, bear in mind that the Hacienda is the only one within walking distance to the test center, maybe the Hilton is but the other 2 definitely not. You don't want to count on public transport in LA, it sucks!
Let me point out some details about the Hacienda:
1-Price: I booked rather late so I got my room for 67$/night, bed only. You could get the same room for as low as 50$, I think, if you book well in advance (3 months+).
2-Facilities: Room was good enough for a business stay; quiet, clean and big enough. It's not luxurious so, no plasma screens, mini bar, cool view or other fancy vacation facilities. The hotel has a free airport shuttle that you can let the info desk at the airport call for you as soon as you land. They also have a free shuttle to a nearby mall, should you want some entertainment after your exam. The Mariposa Restaurant, inside the hotel, serves breakfast, lunch and dinner for very reasonable prices. You can also order room service for an extra 2$ and you can order breakfast items for lunch saving you some money (they have Steak dishes on the breakfast menu)
3-Location: It's a ten minute walk from the test center. There's a Ralph's (supermarket) right across the street and a lot of restaurants all within walking distance (Sizzler's, Five Guys burger, Malibu, Starbuck's, etc)
2) Study Plan:
Here's what I did:
I started a little more than 4 weeks in advance.
First, I found a study partner through EAMTAR's facebook group for CS. We made sure our study styles are compatible (very important). I found a few other Skype study partners through various forums.
Then, I set a plan with my live study partner to practice every other day so that we can finish FA 2 full times and start a third revision (about 6 hours per session). On the free days, I did some reading and practiced on Skype.
I used FA mainly. I always study from different sources so, I also used UWorld and online forums.
I practiced all cases once as the Dr. and once as the patient, I read FA once, I recommend reading it twice, though. And I read a lot of forums and blogs, that pointed out a lot of valuable stuff.
What's important is to develop your own system and stick to it, you shouldn't attempt to memorize the cases just know how to proceed. Mnemonics are very helpful for some and confusing for others, it's your choice. I recommend using at least a few common mnemonics.
Four weeks are enough if and only if you dedicate yourself to CS full time. That means no job, no college, nothing but CS. If you need some more time that's okay but don't stretch it too much because then you'll lose your enthusiasm.
Always time your practice, even if you run out of time, it'll help you learn to manage your time better and get accustomed to the real exam.
Practice with physical examination, even if you're not actually examining each other, pretend that you are in order to measure the time correctly. Watch some physical examination videos, they help with interpersonal skills, too.
Practice the PN specially if you're not a fast typer. You'll be surprised how easy it is to make mistakes on that part, all of which avoidable with just a little practice.
If you have problems with English, work on that before even starting to practice. It's not a good idea to have to worry about language and exam content.
Focus on interpersonal skills the American way! If you already have USCE, that should help. If not, focus on that with your study partners. Basically, you should be a gentleman in your interaction with the patients. Say: please, thank you and sorry a lot!
Finally, have faith and go get them!
Experience regarding Step 2 CS thanks remona87