Must-Listen Episodes at a Glance
Scan this table to find exactly what you need. Priority ratings are based on community consensus and high-scorer reports.
Episode Priority Guide
| Episode(s) | Topic | Priority | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| 37, 97, 184 | Risk Factors & Preventive Medicine | ★★★ | The "Holy Trinity" — equivalent to Pathoma Ch 1-3. Covers screening, risk factors, causes of death. |
| 143, 197 | Biostatistics & Bias | ★★★ | Conceptual biostats mastery. Study design, p-values, confidence intervals, bias types. |
| 123, 276 | Ethics & Professionalism | ★★★ | Informed consent, confidentiality, end-of-life, professional conduct scenarios. |
| 230, 234, 275 | Quality & Safety | ★★★ | Root cause analysis, medication errors, diagnostic errors, sentinel events. |
| 250 | Vaccines (Ultra HY) | ★★★ | Complete immunization schedules, special populations, contraindications. |
| 325 | Screening Guidelines | ★★★ | Updated USPSTF screening criteria — colonoscopy, mammogram, Pap, AAA, etc. |
| Free 120 | Free 120 Walkthrough | ★★★ | Essential final phase listening — understand official question logic. |
| 132 | Social Sciences / Healthcare | ★★☆ | Insurance, social determinants, health policy basics. |
| 277 | Infection Control | ★★☆ | Isolation precautions, sterilization, hospital infection protocols. |
| 337 | Drug Ads / Pharma Questions | ★★☆ | Interpreting drug advertisement studies — newer exam format. |
| 363, 364 | Confounding vs Effect Modification | ★★☆ | Critical epidemiology concepts explained clearly. |
| 137 | Next Best Step Series | ★★☆ | Clinical decision-making and management sequencing. |
| 228, 268 | Palliative Care | ★★☆ | Hospice vs palliative, advanced directives, end-of-life conversations. |
| 29-32 | Medicine Shelf Review (~9 hrs) | ★☆☆ | Comprehensive IM review — 50-60% of Step 2 content. Optional if short on time. |
| 36 | Ophthalmology | ★☆☆ | High-yield neuro/ophtho integration. Review if weak on eye findings. |
| 204, 231, 236 | Military/VA Medicine | ★☆☆ | TBI, PTSD, military-specific scenarios — increasingly tested. |
Foundation Building
Early prep or if you have 8+ weeks. Build your broad knowledge base with comprehensive reviews.
Foundation Building (Optional)
If you're starting early or have ample time, DI's shelf review episodes provide comprehensive subject coverage. These are long (~2 hours each) but give you the "big picture" foundation.
What to Listen To
Comprehensive Internal Medicine coverage — this makes up 50-60% of Step 2 CK. Your highest-yield foundation investment.
Similarly comprehensive surgical basics. Surgery is a smaller portion of the exam, so prioritize Medicine first.
Skip This Phase If:
- You're already mid-prep and scoring well on UWorld
- You have less than 6 weeks until your exam
- You're confident in your IM/Surgery foundations
Daily Integration (Core Prep)
Throughout your dedicated study period. Reinforce concepts alongside UWorld with 1-2 episodes daily.
Core High-Yield Episodes
★ The "Holy Trinity" — Start Here
These are to Step 2 CK what Pathoma Chapters 1-3 are to Step 1. They cover screening guidelines, risk factors, and "most common causes of death." One 268 scorer reported 10-15 extra questions correct from these three episodes alone. Listen early, plan to re-listen before your exam.
Core Episodes to Complete
Divine's conceptual approach makes biostats click. After ~1.5 hours, you'll solve questions without brute-force formulas.
"Free points" if you know the scenarios. Informed consent, confidentiality, end-of-life, professional conduct.
Increasingly tested. Root cause analysis, medication errors, diagnostic errors, sentinel events vs near-misses.
Insurance basics, social determinants, health policy — prevents silly mistakes.
Isolation precautions, sterilization, hospital protocols. Know airborne vs droplet vs contact cold.
Targeted Add-Ons Based on Weak Areas
High-yield if you're getting destroyed by neuro/ophtho questions on UWorld.
Master the newer exam format for interpreting drug advertisement studies.
Brief episodes that save you from classic biostats trap answers.
Sharpen your clinical decision-making for "What's the next best step?" questions.
Final Stretch (Last 2-3 Weeks)
Cement high-yield facts fresh for test day. Many students report significant score boosts from this phase.
Must-Do Final Week Playlist
Re-Listen & Reinforce
Yes, re-listen. High scorers listen 2-3x over dedicated, with a final pass the day before the exam.
The "Ultra HY Vaccine Podcast" — don't confuse age cutoffs or special population rules under pressure.
Updated USPSTF criteria. Know colonoscopy, mammogram, Pap, AAA screening start ages and intervals cold.
Refresh ethical scenarios plus hospice vs palliative distinctions, advanced directives, breaking bad news.
Rapid conceptual refresh for any graphs or abstracts you'll see on exam.
Essential. Divine's review of official NBME questions — understand why answers are right or wrong.
Maximize Your Efficiency
Battle-tested strategies from high scorers who've used DI podcasts effectively.
Active Listening > Background Noise
Download Divine's slides (available on his website) and highlight along with the audio. Makes review 10x faster.
Use Dead Time Strategically
Commute, gym, chores, cooking. Perfect for when you're too fried for questions but still want to learn.
2x Speed is Your Friend
Once you've heard an episode, re-listens at 1.5-2x speed save time while cementing concepts.
Quality Over Quantity
Don't half-listen to 50 episodes. It's better to truly absorb the core high-yield episodes than to skim dozens.
Repetition is the Secret Weapon
High scorers listen to Risk Factors 3-4 times. Spaced repetition works for audio too.
Let Data Guide You
UWorld and NBMEs reveal your weak areas. Getting destroyed by ophtho? Queue up Ep 36.
The "I Have No Time" Minimum Playlist
If you can only listen to a handful, make it these ~6-8 hours of audio:
Final Word
Divine Intervention podcasts won't replace question practice — but they're the perfect complement. They fill knowledge gaps, reinforce concepts, and deliver those "aha" moments that make tricky questions click.
Students have reported 15-20 point score jumps from strategic DI listening in the final weeks. The key is focused, repeated exposure to the highest-yield episodes — not trying to listen to everything.
Your Step 2 CK success is closer than you think. 🎯
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