I am a fourth-year medical student at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, currently completing my MD and applying to residency. Despite scoring at the average for my matriculating class on the MCAT, I went on to score a 278 on Step 2 CK, placing me at the 100th percentile nationally, and earned clinical honors in four of my six core clerkships, and passed Step 1 without issue. Because I took Step 2 only months ago, I am very familiar with the current exam's format, question style,...
I am a fourth-year medical student at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, currently completing my MD and applying to residency. Despite scoring at the average for my matriculating class on the MCAT, I went on to score a 278 on Step 2 CK, placing me at the 100th percentile nationally, and earned clinical honors in four of my six core clerkships, and passed Step 1 without issue. Because I took Step 2 only months ago, I am very familiar with the current exam's format, question style, and highest-yield resources. I have also helped multiple classmates prepare for Step 2 and achieve scores of 260 or higher.
I have multiple years of teaching experience, having regularly volunteered teaching English as a Second Language throughout undergraduate and founding a student organization to teach medical Spanish to my peers in medical school. These experiences have taught me how to explain difficult concepts in multiple ways, identify what is preventing a student from progressing, and adapt my approach to the individual rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all curriculum.
My philosophy regarding USMLE Step 2 is that what differentiates mediocre and excellent scores is test-taking strategies and learning how the USMLE wants test-takers to think. Despite performing strong throughout pre-clinical years and on shelf exams, a month into dedicated I still found myself limited to scoring 250 on practice tests. I was only able to elevate my practice test scores (and ultimately real test performance) to the 270s after critically re-evaluating the way I was approaching each question. If you choose to work together, I will focus first on diagnosing where your knowledge gaps are, and from there, tailor a study plan that incorporates your own question bank alongside selected resources, and is responsive to your learning style. Most importantly, I will share broad test-taking strategies that are necessary to score in the upper echelon of USMLE Step 2 performers, no matter how strong your knowledge base.
