Advantages

What is so unique about TheUsmle.com Step 3 CCS course…

If you are a medical graduate with little or no clinical experience, it might be burdensome to go through the never-ending medical literature and undefined resource materials. Preparation for Computer based Case Simulations requires an extensive effort and enormous devotion. The first difficulty you may experience is with familiarizing with the Primum® software. Next, it may be difficult to juggle between the concept of real time and simulated time. Last, but not the least, compiling all the resources to come up with consolidated and accurate preparatory material is exhausting. Our experiences with exam taking have been varied and often demanding and challenging.

If you are a resident, please recognize that expertise in your specialty may not be adequate to manage diverse case presentations in the CCS. Fundamentally, we all are trained to take care of diverse clinical presentations. Unfortunately, at all times we need to polish and update our knowledge. Also, our understanding of other fields gets constricted. Additionally, as residents, we appreciate the time crunch and our survival on energy bars. Between the jostling schedules and beeping pagers, it is extra ordinarily difficult to find time to explore and organize the resources for examination.

Of all the examinations in the USMLE™ a la carte, Step 3 CCS is what judges your patient management in real life, the closest. You have to follow the following paradigm: Evaluate -> Assess -> Intervene -> Follow -> Modify - Understand and re evaluate. The cycle goes on.

The subscription gives you an edge and as a subscriber, you will have the following privileges:

• Access to 65 Computer based Case Simulations. Only relevant and commonly asked case simulations are offered. If based on the feedback, a particular case simulation ‘retires’ or is not commonly asked, we will archive it. We do not intend to burden the examinee with more number of cases.

• We have executed the cases as best as we could, on Primum® software to assess the applicability.

• A typical case presentation extremely closely resembles the real exam. As a sample, the user may try executing the first sample case. This can be tried on the first case of the sample item given by the USMLE™. You may also try to execute the second sample case on the second software case.

• Like in the exam, the contents of TheUsmle.com have Patient updates, Interval Examination, Order entries, Results and Follow-ups. The cases in TheUsmle.com are dynamic, as they advance in time and reflect the near best nature of the exam.

• Like in the exam, adequate specialty consultations and appropriate follow-ups have been done.

• Within the cases, at times, we want to tell the reader how to come up with differentials and analyze a situation. This has been given as italicized section in every case. This is like having a dialogue with you.

• In any given case, the examinee needs to ask himself or herself “What exactly is the intent of asking a given case?” In the end of every case, Goal of Management is given. This will help you to be focused.

• Medicine is just not passing the exam. You also need to know the rationale behind any intervention. After the case comes to an end, Pertinent Management Principles are highlighted. When reading for the first time, you may skip this. Also this is the section where the core medical knowledge about the topic is discussed. This section will help you in understanding the management principles.

The cases are an outcome of solicited inputs from multiple exam takers who have taken the USMLE™ Step 3 examination. We choose this opportunity to thank sixty-three residents and fellows for their valued inputs.
Wishing you the best and hoping that the Case Simulations do not prevent you from Acing the exam.