Step 2 prep is often treated as a separate task from clerkships, something to fit in around rotations rather than something rotations feed into. But the two are more connected than they might seem. Clinical reasoning, the process of gathering information, narrowing a differential, and choosing a next step, is tested directly on Step 2 and practiced daily on the wards. Studying with that connection in mind can make prep more efficient and more useful long after the exam.