Free USMLE guides
Step 2 CK
Plans, habits, NBMEs and resources for a 250+. 15 guides.
By Dr. Marish Asudani · Published · Updated
How do I prepare for Step 2 CK?
Start with Step 2 CK — Everything I Used to Score 254: Main free Step 2 CK guide: the 6 resources (notes, Mehlman, Divine PDF, AJmonics, Dr High Yield, Action Potential) and how to start, with the NBME/CMS order. Then 6 Steps to Get More Than 250 on Step 2 CK and 10 Habits That Helped Me Get a 254 on Step 2 CK.
Start here · Resources
Step 2 CK — Everything I Used to Score 254
Main free Step 2 CK guide: the 6 resources (notes, Mehlman, Divine PDF, AJmonics, Dr High Yield, Action Potential) and how to start, with the NBME/CMS order
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Full plan
6 Steps to Get More Than 250 on Step 2 CK
Step 2 CK consolidated into 6 ordered steps for 250+: pick notes, Tzanki+UWorld base, CMS forms with MCQ protocol, Mehlman/AJmonics, Dr High Yield, final week
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Real schedule · 20 weeks
10 Habits That Helped Me Get a 254 on Step 2 CK
Marish's 10 daily habits behind his 254 on Step 2 CK (1 notes set, notes cycle before NBMEs, MCQ protocol, same-day review), with his NBME trend
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Resources
10 YouTube Videos Instead of Brainrot: Step 2 CK
10 free YouTube videos and 10 playlists for Step 2 CK (AJmonics, Mehlman, Divine, Dr High Yield, Action Potential), each tagged to its prep phase
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Resources
Divine Intervention Podcast: The Episodes Worth Your Time
Which Divine Intervention episodes to use: Step 1 PDF of 127 episodes by system (when UWorld stuck ~60%) and Step 2 CK last-month PDF
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Inside the Vault · 1-2 weeks
The NBME Booster Anki: Step 1 and Step 2 CK
The NBME Booster Anki for Step 1 (NBME 20-34 + Free 120) and Step 2 CK (NBME 9-16 + both Free 120s): what's in each deck, and how to revise every NBME before the next
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Method
NBME MCQ Protocol
4-phase method for answering every NBME question: which images/labs to look at, reading the stem, decoding last line, whispering answer; plus SIRS bonus
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NBME strategy · 1 week
The Week Before Your NBME
Week-before plan for every NBME form (26-29, 30/31, 32, 33, 34) with score-based branches, plus Step 2 CK NBME ladder and notes-cycle rule
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NBME strategy
NBMEs Offline: The Complete System
The complete offline NBME system for Step 1 and Step 2 CK: why offline, how to take it, your first form, the 26-33 order, solving, same-day review and what to do after
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Method
NBME Review Protocol
Same-day NBME review system: score check before answers, stem-only re-attempt, practice gap vs knowledge deficit, system-wise 1-liner notebook, checklist
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NBME strategy · 24 hours
24 Hours After a Bad NBME
24-hour protocol after a bad NBME: same-day review of incorrects, sort misses by system and error type, score-based next road, 5-day habit drill
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Day-by-day plan · 1 week
The Week Before Step 2 CK
Final-week Step 2 CK plan: 6 things (NBME deck, active-recall book, Divine PDF, Mehlman/AJmonics if skipped, 3 revision resources, 1 final note)
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Resources · 1 week
Last-Minute Step 2 CK
Final-week Step 2 CK: 5 resources only (AJmonics, Divine must-do PDF, Step 2 CK NBME deck, Mehlman weak systems, Dr. High Yield) and how to use each
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Day-by-day plan · 24 hours
24 Hours Before Step 2 CK
Hour-by-hour eve routine for Step 2 CK: short night, study only your 1 final note, books shut 5 pm, lights out 9 pm, what to pack
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Mindset
Stop Focusing on a 270 on Step 2 CK
Why chasing 270 on Step 2 CK is a mistake: after 250 scores look the same and research, CV, interviews matter; a year costs $300,000
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Every guide here runs on one app
First Aid guide, Anki, NBME booster and assessments, in USMLE Vault.
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