4 Best Step II CS Anki Decks – willpeachMD (2024)

The USMLE Step 2 offers a section to test your fundamental clinical skills through patient interactions.

This phase is necessary for effective and safe patient care under supervision.

You must complete clinical examinations and history-taking for each patient as the examinee. Also, you’ll need to write the patient note describing the finding, differential diagnoses, and initial tests.

These digital flashcards can help you better prepare and help you ace this portion of the test.

4 Best Step II CS Anki Decks

Each deck is formatted and structured differently, which suits various learning styles. They also will vary in size, meaning some are more comprehensive than others.

We recommend looking at each and seeing which deck helps you learn the material best.

1. Visitor’s CS (Unedited)

The Visitor’s CS card utilizes a cloze formatting, meaning they’ll blank out specific pieces of information. The blank information becomes the portion that you need to recall. The information or data presented around the blank helps guide you to the answer.

This deck takes study material and patient cases from UWorld, AMBOSS, and the latest First Aid for CS book to provide a comprehensive list of cards.

Each card offers a small patient presentation. Then you’ll need to identify the most likely diagnosis and give a differential. You’ll have to work up tests to rule out or rule in various outcomes.

With a variety of mini-cases, you’ll be well-prepared for the CS portion of the exam.

2. Hoop’s DDX (Visitor’s edited)

Created by the Redditor u/originalhoopsta, you’ll find a bunch of clinical cases to practice.

This deck is focused on presenting patient cases and offering differential diagnoses.

Before taking Step CS, differential diagnoses are the most important skill to practice, which is why this deck is necessary.

Additionally, this deck focuses on the phrasing of answers and reviewing systems. This technique is a skill that needs to be mastered to help you elicit the medical history from a patient.

When writing your prescribed note, you’ll need to include the system and the patient’s perceived symptoms.

For example, symptoms of faintness and chest pain correlate to the cardiovascular system.

3. Grooveranaculum’s Clinical Rapid Review

Made by the Redditor u/Groovernaculum, this deck copies exactly from the Clinical Skills section of the FA book. Additional images, history, and important facts were added.

These cards are color-coded with various background colors and colorized words to help topics stick.

Most of the deck is a rapid review style, providing basic prompts. Then you must complete the details. Rapid reviews are perfect for oral exams since you’ll need to find answers based on the scenario presented quickly.

Many of the cards you find will require you to provide the appropriate treatment based on the diagnosis.

4. USMLE Step 2 CS – Mini Cases

The USMLE Step 2 CS – Mini Cases deck is found on the AnkiWeb. All of the cards are separated by differential and workup. You’ll receive the stem of the mini-case, and you’ll be asked about either of the two parameters.

For example, you’ll be given a patient scenario that explains the situation and symptoms. Then you’ll need to provide the differential diagnoses.

With 360 mini cases to go through, you’ll quickly master the skill of providing differentials for the USMLE Step 2 CS.

Additional Step II CS Resources

Students take about a week or two to study for Step 2 CS fully.

You’ve already taken clinical skills classes in medical school, so these materials should serve as a refresher.

If four Anki decks aren’t enough for you, we’ve put together a few other resources you can check out.

AMBOSS

AMBOSS is an online program that covers the entire scope of CS material. You get access to 40 cases and video training.

Also, you can compare your patient notes with samples of physicians. There are plenty of bonuses they provide, such as differential diagnosis tables.

With the detailed checklists provided, your study partner can fill them out as you complete each case.

AMBOSS is perfect for U.S. medical students and international medical graduates (IMG) by giving them a feel for the real exam.

First Aid for USMLE Step 2 CS 6th Edition

The First Aid for the USMLE Step 2 CS is a book that gives 44 full-length practice cases to simulate the exam.

Hundreds of high-yield mini-cases and step-by-step strategies for interacting with standardized patients exist.

We recommend spending a week or two reading this textbook thoroughly and going over each case.

Kaplan Clinical Skills Courses

Kaplan is a credible education platform that offers full-length courses on every topic imaginable.

While it does cost a hefty amount for their courses, they are well worth it.

You’re getting taught in real-time by their world-class faculty.

The course includes over 15 hours of live online lectures and access to a physician in class to answer your questions. You’ll also have on-demand video training that can be accessed anytime.

There are ebook lecture notes with over 30 clinical cases and differential diagnosis tables.

UWorld Medical Step 2 CS

UWorld is a test prep company that helps you with all types of exams. For medical students, it can help with the USMLE, COMLEX, ABFM, ABIM, and PA.

Their USMLE Step 2 CS test prep provides over 70 high-yield clinical cases for you to practice. In addition, they share videos teaching you physical examination and detailed history techniques.

You also learn how to respond to patients’ challenging questions and how to write patient notes.