September 17, 2007

Hello Dr Swartz!

I did take my exam on July 12....I thought I did ok....I got my
results last week...I passed.

I would like to thank each one of your team for their wonderful
help...and especially you Dr Swartz. You made the real exam look 
ridiculous...and I believe it was because of the excellent strategy
that you have implemented on your course...you are a great teacher...

Thank you again!

Eduard Behaj, M.D.
Native of Albania

August 30, 2006

Dear Dr. Swartz, Anna, Ginny, and all the SPs,

YES, I PASSED. I got the results on Aug. 18, and I apologize for not e-mailing you earlier, but I took my Step 2 CK on Aug. 24, so I was cramming. Getting the result the week before my Step 2 CK of course boosted my confidence.

I would like to thank you all so much for all the invaluable and wonderful advice that you gave during the workshop. Not only did it help me to pass the exam, but I truly believe that it will help me in the years to come, during my residency, and my practice. All the information you provided was, I feel, ground rules for the foreign graduates that aspire to practice medicine in the US. We come from different countries and grew up in different cultures, so it is always imperative to understand at best the most proper way to approach the American patient. In this aspect, I can firmly say that your insights and advice were absolutely invaluable.

I took Step 2 CS on June 28th, in Philadelphia. I have never been more confused or unsure in my life as I was after that exam. For almost two months, I kept thinking of the cases I was faced with and of all the things that I should have done and I did not. However, all those weeks but especially during the day of the exam, I kept telling myself over and over again what Dr. Swartz repeated so many times during the three days of the workshop "This exam is all about the communication with the patient". Of course it is true, it is all about that.

I found the exam to be demanding and challenging, mentally and physically also. I guess it also had to do with the fact that they were having some trouble with the computers that day so the starting of the exam was postponed for another hour or so... just to "prolong the agony" of the 28 people waiting impatiently.

The cases however, were not as challenging as the ones that we practiced during the C3NY workshop. The SPs in the exam were generally nice and professional but not nearly as good as your SPs. You workshop helped me a great deal in focusing in the right direction during the studying process and especially during the exam. I wish the workshop would have been longer because it was so interesting and so much fun at the same time. I am so glad that I heard about it and participated. I would strongly recommend it to anybody that will ask my advice when it comes to preparing for Step 2 CS.

Once again thank you very much for all your help.

Sincerely,

Denisa Slova, M.D.
Native of Albania