Scheduling Step 2 CS

So how Step 2 CS scheduling works is similar to Step 1. You are given a window period to take it but instead of a 3 month period, you are given 1 year and the year starts after you are approved. So if you are approved in May 2015 then you have until May 2016 to take the exam. UMHS does not have any requirements before you can take the exam. I am taking it at the end of my 3rd year but others choose to take it later, it all depends on what makes you feel comfortable. I will have had all my cores finished except Surgery and Psych which are not extremely important before CS anyways. I would recommend taking it at least by mid-July before you apply that September. This will ensure your score will be back before you submit your application for residencies. You can see score reporting periods below.

Unlike Step 1, you can only take Step CS at 1 of 5 different locations across the US. Spots fill up quickly, as all medical students are competing for the same spots. The locations are: Los Angeles, Houston, Atlanta, Chicago and Philadelphia. If you want to look at the availability of the different locations you can go here: https://secure2.ecfmg.org/emain.asp?app=csess You must have a ECFMG number to look though. As of right now it looks like spots are booked about 4 months in advance so this is something you need to plan ahead for, otherwise you may have to wait.

Go to ECFMG website and sign into the IWA. On the main page it says "Start a New Application" and that's all you do. Then at the end of all the questions you pay $1,505! I will now be eating Ramen for the next 2 years :) It takes anywhere between 2-4 wks to get your application approved and to receive your scheduling permit. Apply at least 5 months before you plan on taking the exam.

I would recommend setting a date even if you aren't sure when you want to take it. You have up to 2 weeks or so before the exam to cancel or reschedule without fees. There is a nice service that you can have ecfmg email you when a spot opens up on the dates you want but make sure you log in right when you get the email because most likely it will be filled again. You can find this on the page that says "Schedule a testing appointment", scroll all the way down and find "Add/Edit Scheduling Email Notifications."

I set my date....October 19th in Atlanta before I leave.. :)

When you get your score

Taken from: http://www.ecfmg.org/news/2015/04/16/2015-and-2016-schedules-for-reporting-step-2-cs-results/#sthash.KsS51rT5.dpbs

Family Medicine

I am almost done with this rotation and have yet to post anything about it. This rotation has been busy! I am still in Augusta, GA. I did my family medicine rotation with Dr. Overstreet-Wright and she is fabulous. Very kind and willing to answer any/all of your questions. The clinic she works in also has a physican assistant and nurse practitioner which are also very friendly. The staff are fabulous too. So basically I loved this rotation :) We see around 25 patients a day usually depending on the day. The clinic has a women's health office upstairs, a dental office and a pharmacy. Due to the women's clinic being upstairs we don't deal with any gyn issues as we just send them there. The patient population is older but we did see an occasional child. You become very good at the treatment of hypertension and diabetes!

In my clinic, we would go in prior to the doctor and interview the patient and complete a limited physical exam necessary and then discuss the patient with the dr, then go in together. She would ask additional questions, that I forgot to ask but it was a great learning process because the next time I got a patient I remembered to ask those questions I forgot the first time.

Family medicine is a lot of the same things over and over but you have variety as well. My pharmacology knowledge greatly increased because previously I did an OBGYN rotation and as expected we don't deal with a lot of pharm. It challenges your differential diagnosis skills. 

With each rotation, I think that this is the one that I want to do. I loved OB and I really liked family too. I'm just blessed to be able to soak in all the knowledge from these preceptors. Throughly enjoy each rotation you are given!

Preparing for the shelf:

I read Case Files Family Medicine. I really enjoy this series, it's better than a textbook and easier to get through. Family Medicine is very broad so you have topics from rashes to hypertension to thyroid disorders. 

USMLE uWorld doesn't have a specific set of questions set aside for family medicine so I did AAFP questions. If you go to their website and sign up for a membership, it's $35 dollars for the board style questions. They are helpful. 

My shelf is April 20th. Ekkk nervous, 1 week then I'm 2 rotations down :)
Update on the shelf: It was hard! Kinda felt like Step 1 all over again...

Walden MHA + UMHS

Now that UMHS is approved for loans through Sallie Mae, this may not be as big of deal as it was before. Prior to the approval of private loans, the school only offered a small institutional loan so those that could not pay out of pocket for school needed to get money from elsewhere. Many turned to getting their Masters either through Walden University or Davenport University. UMHS partnered with these universities and they agreed to give us a 20% discount off our Masters tuition if we were enrolled with UMHS.

Walden University offers many programs but most students are in either the Masters in Healthcare Adminitration (MHA) program or Masters in Public Health (MPH). Davenport offers Masters in Buisness Administration (MBA). The MHA program consists of 8 weeks classes and I believe the MPH is 12 week classes. This is one reason I chose the MHA program because the semesters aligned up with UMHS' schedule so well.

I'm going to talk about the MHA program because that is the one I am currently enrolled in. I am a "part-time" student with walden which means I take 1 class a semester (every 16 weeks). UMHS' semesters are also 16 weeks so it means I take 8 weeks on and 8 weeks off for a total of 3 classes a year. I always chose to take the class the first 8 weeks of the semester because towards the end of the UMHS semester I wouldn't have to worry about dual studying during finals.

With 3 classes per year and a total of 12 classes, it places me at completing in 4 years, about the same time I graduate from UMHS.

A little note of advice, when I was planning out how long it would take me, I knew UMHS was a 10 semester program (or 11 but I did the med program). I thought it would be an excellent idea to take 2 classes the semester before I got to the island because then it would align prefectly. Well, I didn't take into account that everyone takes a semester off in between Maine and rotations to studying for Step 1 and move to an new location etc. I also didn't take into consideration that rotations naturally aren't going to be back to back. Sometimes you have 2 weeks here, 2 weeks there, time you take to study for Step 2 etc. So currently I have 3 more classes to complete which places me graduating with my MHA in June 2016 but probably won't receive my doctorate until the earliest of Sept 2016 or Dec 2016.

I work probably 10 hours per week on Walden sometimes 15 depending on what is due. For the most part you have things due on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Can't believe I'm almost done, 3/4 of the way finished, only 3 classes to go!

Electives in Atlanta, GA

Here are the electives available in Atlanta through DeKalb:

Start dates: 09/07/15, 10/05/15, 11/02/15, 11/30/15, 12/28/15, 01/25/16, 02/22/16, 03/21/16, 04/18/16, 05/16/16, 06/13/16

Four week electives:
Family Medicine
Family Medicine Sub-I
Occupational medicine
Pain management
Physical medicine and rehabilitation
Sports medicine
Urgent care

Internal Medicine
Cardiology
Clinical research
Dermatology
Emergency Medicine
Endocrinology
Gastroenterology
Geriatric Medicine
Hematology/oncology
Internal Medicine Sub-Internship
Infectious Disease
Interventional radiation
Nephrology
Neurology
Opthamalogy
Otolaryngology
Pathology
Pulmonology
Radiology
Radiation Medicine
Rheumatology
Urology

OBGYN
Gynecology oncology
Gynecology Surgery
OBGYN Sub-I

Pediatrics
Pediatrics Sub-I

Psych
Addictive psych
Forensic psych
Geriatric psych
Psych Sub-I

Surgery
Colorectal surgery
Orthopedic surgery
Plastic surgery
Surgery Sub-I inpatient and outpatient
Vascular surgery

Flexible Electives (can start any Monday of any month, 2-6 weeks in length):
Family Medicine Sub-Internship
Occupational Medicine
Pain Management
Urgent Care