USMLE Step 2 Clinical Skills examination.

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The USMLE Step 2 CS exam is a different challenge compared to the other USMLE exams as it assesses the ability of examinees to apply medical knowledge, clinical skills, understanding of clinical science essential for the provision of patient care under supervision including emphasis on health promotion and disease prevention, to type patient notes and how your behavior with the patients using standardized patients. Step 2 ensures that due attention is devoted to the principles of clinical sciences and necessary patient-centered skills that provide the foundation for the safe and competent practice of medicine. The exam can only be taken at Clinical Skills Evaluation Collaboration (CSEC) test centers located in
  1. Atlanta, Georgia,
  2. Chicago, Illinois,
  3. Houston, Texas,
  4. Los Angeles, California, and
  5. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
It is best to take the exam while you are in the US for your clinical electives/rotations as this will be an excellent time to practice at the hospital and will also save you the extra trip to return to the US just for the exam. I would recommend anywhere between 2-4 wks to prepare for it, anything less than that can make it difficult for you and wouldn't be worth risking. It is also the most expensive USMLE examination costing $1,580 with a rescheduling fee from $0 – $1,290 (depending on the date of cancellation), so it is best to be well prepared to take the exam. This exam is relatively easy to prepare for compared to the other USMLE exams, and the best source available for this would be First Aid for the USMLE Step 2 CS,  it provided a list of mini cases to practice your differentials and has 44 cases that you can practice with a partner. Practice each case at least twice or till you are able to come up with at least 3 ddx and plan a focused physical exam from reading just the doorway information as this is pertinent to your time management, chasing a wrong ddx or spending time doing unnecessary physical exams can really hemorrhage your time and cost you a patient encounter.

I recommend using the following material to study for the exam:
  1. First Aid for the USMLE Step 2 CS
  2. Flashcards -
    https://quizlet.com/140601023/usmle-step-2-cs-mnemonics-flash-cards/ and
    https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn%3Aaaid%3Ascds%3AUS%3A12523571-7415-420b-95e7-a4a087b05cdd
  3. My YouTube Step 2 CS videos playlist -
    https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLv_h_3sBKWfcv358n8W9EJRED3tDPR6nB
  4. Tips that will prevent you from failing your Step 2 CS exam -https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn%3Aaaid%3Ascds%3AUS%3A46bf34ca-a5ba-49f7-989b-337506592bdc
  5. Link to my Notes (Step 2 CS Notes by Syed Saad Mujtahedi, MBBS) -
    https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn%3Aaaid%3Ascds%3AUS%3A82d2f63f-115f-493d-befd-9d414170c590
  6. NYCSPrep Step 2 CS course details -
    https://www.nycsprep.com/courses/usmle-step-2-cs/
    Download the NYCSPrep Step 2 CS timer app:
  7. Links to notes available online (I did not use these notes, just uploading the links for those who might find it useful)
I took about 2 weeks to prepare for my exam in May 2019, reading FA and practicing via skype with my friends. NYCSPrep is a great training center for this exam, and I highly recommend it to those preparing for the exam, especially if you do not feel confident about your patient encounters and PNs. It is headed by Dr. Somas, who takes great interest and commits his time training all students and making sure you are ready to take the exam, I attended the course about 1 week before my exam, but it would be ideal to attend it at least 2 weeks prior to your exam having studied mini cases from FA, so that you have enough time to practice your cases and improve on the feedback provided by the SPs and Dr. Somas at the center. Dr. Somas' exceptional teaching is something that has helped me not just during my exam, but to understand and take more focused histories, particularly when it comes to forming ddx while taking the history and to ask relevant questions to support your diagnosis and rule out other ddx.

Links to information available on the USMEL Step 2 CS website:
USMLE Step 2 CS 2018 performance data:


Please let me know if you have any questions in the comments section below.

Good luck examinees

Update: Got my result. I passed.



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