Tips to Prepare for USMLE Step 3
Written by Alison Yarp, MD MPH
Congratulations! If you are reading this, you have likely decided to start studying for USMLE Step 3. USMLE Steps 1 and 2 are behind you, and now you have just one more! However, it still takes time to prepare and study, so it’s good to understand how it works.
Let’s start with the obvious. USMLE Step 3 consists of two days of testing, partly because of the Clinical Case Simulations on Day 2. They are both long days, so honestly, I would recommend at least a day or two between them if you can schedule it that way. They do not need to be consecutive, and adding the days in between can help you recharge for Day 2.
The two test days differ in content and structure, so here is a visual overview of each one. For the complete content breakdowns, check out the USMLE site here. A notable content difference is some topics, like biostatistics/epidemiology and ethics/professionalism, are only covered on Day 1 and do not appear on Day 2.
Now that you know the test day and content breakdown, it’s time to figure out your study schedule. Most people taking Step 3 are employed full-time, whether in residency, research, or other jobs, so it’s essential to create a structure to help stay on top of studying.
Here are some tricks I used when creating my study schedule.
Decide how many questions and cases you want to complete before test day.
Figure out how many days per week you wish to study.
Find the average number of questions you need to do per week or day.
Plan to do a set number of questions on your study days. Base this number on your work schedule and what you can reasonably expect to complete.
Keep track of what you complete every day and make adjustments as needed.
Don’t want to spend time figuring out the math? Check out the spreadsheet linked below to help you out! Go to File → Make a Copy and follow the included instructions.
Step 3 Study Planning Google Sheet
When picking your resources, don’t overwhelm yourself with too many. I used a question bank, an ebook to add context and keep track of notes, and a practice case website. When it came to subjects that I felt weak on, I looked up videos for particular topics. Ultimately, these methods helped me reach my goals for Step 3. However, every person is different, so use what works best for you.
Creating structure will help you study and do your best on both test days. Remember, though, that it is okay to deviate from your original plan as things come up and life happens. Take care of yourself, and don’t force yourself to do more than you can on a given day. Finally, don’t forget to reach out for help if you need it! I’m always happy to discuss study planning with people.
In the end, you’ll get through this test, and once you complete USMLE Step 3, there is thankfully no Step 4! Good luck!
