If you have passed USMLE Step 2 CS and graduated then there is a job for you in Illinois. The job is posted by USMLE Success Academy in Schaumburg, IL. The starting salary is is $55,000. The following is what was posted:

The USMLE Success Academy is seeking a full-time instructor for its USMLE Step 2 CS Live Preparation Program. The successful applicant(s) must hold a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree or equivalent and must have passed the following USMLE examinations: Step 1, Step 2 CK, and Step 2 CS.

Job duties include:

- Organizing and executing a live, in-class educational program

- Educating students on the foundations of successfully navigating the Step 2 CS

- Exploring a variety of clinical encounters, while also acting as patient and discussing each encounter

- Providing feedback to students based on strengths and weaknesses

The ideal candidate must demonstrate the following:

- Leadership skills and the ability to work independently

- An outgoing personality

- A passion to work with students

- Is self-motivated

- Ability to follow directions and take/use constructive feedback for self-improvement

This is a perfect opportunity for those who have graduated medical school and waiting for residency.

Their website is USMLESuccess.net.  They are located at 1821 Walden Office Square, Suite 555, Schaumburg, Illinois 60173. You can contact them through their online form.

One of the senior SJSM students is offering Step 2 CS tutoring via online video conference for those who are seeking guidance for the test.  This student has extensive knowledge of what to do and what not to do.  He has passed all his USMLE tests on first-attempt so he is he go-to guy for tutoring.  I highly recommend him.

If you are interested then please contact me regarding his contact information and pricing.

The following is a guest post.  It's a contribution article from a graduated Saint James School of Medicine student.

Well the time has come, I am ECFMG certified. Thank you Almighty for such a great success. It's such a relief and I can't believe it's done. It was a long journey and accomplishing it is a great feeling. Of course the journey is not over yet; now I have to work on getting into residency but I'll put that worry to the side and enjoy this moment and just reminisce on all the work that was put into it.

The process of getting the ECFMG certificate is a very simple process and SJSM did a great job in helping me get it. They were very supportive in getting my papers done fast and getting my credentials verified so the certificate would arrive at my house.

I passed the USMLE Step 2 CS a while back but I just got around to write this post. The Step 2 CS is not a walk in the park, if you were told that.  May be it was easy before the latest changes but now you have to have a bit of more knowledge than just knowing English. Step 2 CS is made up of three parts, ICE, SEP, and CIS.  Most people do very bad on the ICE part and sadly, a small handful of people fail due to that part.  In order to pass Step 2 CS you have to pass all three parts.

SEP (Spoken English Proficiency) is the section of weather you can speak English or not; it's a tough section for the non-English speaking people who have accents.  Be very clear with your accents, if you have one, they are listening to how you pronounce your words.

CIS (Communication Interpersonal Skills) deal with how good you can communicate with the patient. It'll test you on how well you can ask questions to the patients and how well you can establish a rapport with the patient.  This section also grades on your professionalism.

ICE (Integrated Clinical Encounter) section deals with data gathering from the questions you asked and the physical exam you conducted.  ICE also includes your patient note, in which you have to give 3 differential diagnosis and 2-3 reasons per diagnosis if applicable.  ICE is where it gets tough; however, if you completed all of your core rotations then ICE shouldn't be as challenging.

The test is composed of 12 cases, with 25 minutes per case.  Each case is divided with 15 minutes for history and physical, then you have 10 minutes to type up your notes.  After the first 5 cases you get a 30 minutes break, then you do 4 cases, then you get a 15 minutes break, then you do the last 3 cases and you are done.

When to Take Step 2 CS

I recommend you schedule Step 2 CS 6 months before you take, because it takes at least two months or more for the scores to come out.  Also, if you can schedule it correctly, I recommend you take your Step 2 CK first before you take your Step 2 CS.  Step 2 CS will test on your "basic" clinical knowledge so it would be alot easier for you to study if you took it after CK.

Studying with a Partner

I highly recommend you partner up with someone who is taking the test at the same time as you. That way both of you will be at the same pace and both you will motivate each other because studying for CS is painfully boring.

What Resources to Use

I recommend you just stick with the lastest version of the First Aid for Step 2 CS.  It's basic and it is a proper guide.  It may not have all the cases you will encounter in the real test but it's enough.  You can also add Kaplan's Step 2 CS book to solidify your studying.

How to Practice

Simulate the test when you practice, as in one partner is sitting down in a room, while the other partner is next to the door.  Start your timer at 15 min and practice, practice, practice from the CS books.  Know how to do every physical and what is stands for if it's positive and what to rule out if it's negative.  Remember physical counts part of ICE.  After that 15 minutes, take 10 minutes and type up the notes you wrote from your history & physical in your encounter.  PRACTICE TYPING; 10 minutes is not enough, and you have manage your time to get every detailed typed up. Your handwritten notes will not count until you put the information in your computer notes.  Your digital notes also counts toward ICE.

At the end of the day, few of your diagnosis could be wrong, but if you ask relevant questions, and if you are CONFIDENT, then you are good to go. The key to passing this test is showing confidence toward the patients, that's why I mention to practice as much as possible.

For those who need tutoring for all three tests, the USMLE Step 1, Step 2 CK, and Step 2 CS, you're in luck because help is available.  Dr. M Rahman is offering tutoring for those who need help.  I mentioned earlier about Dr. F Ahmed's services for Step 2 CS, which is no longer available since he is in his residency currently so he is busy. 

Dr. M Rahman passed all his USMLE tests in the "first-attempt," therefore he is go-to guy for help. He will give you insight on what to do and what not to do.  He has accomplished what most of us are still striving for so be aware of that.

He will provide his prices for his tutoring service.  Dr. Rahman, is still conducting rotations so he knows what you are going through in terms of time, stress, and money.  If you are interested then please use the contact form.

As you know the USMLE Step 2 CS has gotten harder.  Before the candidate just has to list 5 differential diagnosis and 5 diagnostic workup. Now with the new change, candidates must now list 3 differential diagnosis and give the reason of why those differential diagnosis were chosen.  Due to this change even American medical students are failing. 

Here is a Cheap Solution

One of the SJSM students, who is living in Hyde Park, is offereing hands on teaching for students who need help studying and practicing for the USMLE Step 2 CS. He said the first hour is free and it's $20 per case to practice. He will be the SP and he will go through each case thoroughly with the students.

He passed USMLE Step 1, USMLE Step 2 CK, and USMLE Step 2 CS; therefore, he is fully ECFMG certified. He is finishing up his 4th year. Instead of paying $1000+ to Kaplan and other institutions, get hands on experience from a fellow student will help the teaching a lot better because he was in the same position as us. He did all his core rotations in Chicago and he is currently finishing up his electives. Remember this is open to ALL MEDICAL STUDENTS, regardless of which school you are from. He can also Skype with you if you are not living in Chicago.

If you are interested then please contact us, and you'll get a reply back with his contact information.