Is Doctors in Training worth it for Step 1?

SDN Members don't see this ad. (About Ads)

If I want to score 240ish on Step 1 is DIT worth it? I have 800 bucks and it's not a big deal but I want to know if I should get it or not?

****I would mainly like to know opinions from individuals that took DIT and how it effected their score?****

Will it get me in the mid 230s?

I scored a 195 on NBME 7 three-four weeks before I took my test (always wondered if it was a fluke bc never scored below 230 on another practice test...). Then did DIT, UWorld, First Aid for ~12 hr/day along with several NBME's, scored in the 240's on the real thing. Obviously I think DIT really helped me. I think it was useful for several reasons: kept me on track/gave structure to my days, gave me a more thorough understanding of important concepts, and clued me into little things in First Aid that I probably would've glazed over on my own. So if that's what you're looking for, then I highly recommend it!

Originally Posted by LRAccord624

I scored a 195 on NBME 7 three-four weeks before I took my test (always wondered if it was a fluke bc never scored below 230 on another practice test...). Then did DIT, UWorld, First Aid for ~12 hr/day along with several NBME's, scored in the 240's on the real thing. Obviously I think DIT really helped me. I think it was useful for several reasons: kept me on track/gave structure to my days, gave me a more thorough understanding of important concepts, and clued me into little things in First Aid that I probably would've glazed over on my own. So if that's what you're looking for, then I highly recommend it!

That's great. Congrats on a great score.

Are Kaplan videos better than DIT or vice versa?

Originally Posted by RockinRoll

If I want to score 240ish on Step 1 is DIT worth it? I have 800 bucks and it's not a big deal but I want to know if I should get it or not?

****I would mainly like to know opinions from individuals that took DIT and how it effected their score?****

Will it get me in the mid 230s?

I didn't use it but most of friends did. They got 220s and 230s.

Here is what is comes down to....if you are very self disciplined then def don't do DIT...its a complete waste of money. If you can't create/stick to your own schedule DIT is likely worth the $800.

Note....their videos are essentially them reading first aid to you + some supplemental material. But the only real value is keeping you on a schedule.

Yes, the only real value is keeping you on schedule. I did extensive reading of FA, Pathoma, and Usmlerx questions before my "final 4-week push" which would consist of DIT and UW. So right before I started DIT my nbme was in the 240s. 30% into DIT my nbme was in the 240s. 60% into DIT my nbme was in the 240s. At this point I was completely sick of DIT and abandoned it and went back to first aid. I mean, my scores had not improved one iota and these videos were going to make me puke. Anyway I just finished out with one final FA run through and the rest of Uworld. Real test was in the 240s. So I guess it doesn't matter what you do, just do something, but be aware that there is such thing as peaking if you start really early and you can waste a lot of time in the final weeks.

I think its so and so.

IMO the only good part in it was the biochem pathways. I was having trouble grasping those and it turned it into a strength for me. But otherwise, I couldn't stand listening to the dude just read First Aid.

Apparently they are not using FA anymore. And there are more teachers...

Also, there are other alternatives such as RX and falcon.

Originally Posted by Guyton Killah

Apparently they are not using FA anymore. And there are more teachers...

Also, there are other alternatives such as RX and falcon.

I assume not using FA is considered a negative? (Bear with me -- M1 here!)

Originally Posted by music2doc

I assume not using FA is considered a negative? (Bear with me -- M1 here!)

I would highly advice using FA. It's the best single book ever published for step 1. Undebatable.

Originally Posted by link2swim06

I would highly advice using FA. It's the best single book ever published for step 1. Undebatable.

Agreed. I am yet to meet someone who hasn't used FA for step 1.

Originally Posted by Guyton Killah

Apparently they are not using FA anymore. And there are more teachers...

Also, there are other alternatives such as RX and falcon.

they still us FA, they just added in the STEP up to USMLE step 1 series

Similar to another p oster but even more of a DIT endorsement--I failed the diagnostic I took something awful.

I was really pleased with my actual step 1 score.

DIT is exhausting, but boards studying is supposed to be, and I wouldn't make myself do it without their daily structure. You're studying, so it sucks--but seeing the same 3-4 professors daily makes you feel like someone's on your side. I'd spend 6-8 hours a day watching videos 4-5 hours doing World questions.

They emphasize all the right things, you'll see them again and again as you go through their questions, world questions, and then on Step 1 day, you're seeing most concepts for the umpteenth time.

Originally Posted by jm192

Similar to another p oster but even more of a DIT endorsement--I failed the diagnostic I took something awful.

I was really pleased with my actual step 1 score.

DIT is exhausting, but boards studying is supposed to be, and I wouldn't make myself do it without their daily structure. You're studying, so it sucks--but seeing the same 3-4 professors daily makes you feel like someone's on your side. I'd spend 6-8 hours a day watching videos 4-5 hours doing World questions.

They emphasize all the right things, you'll see them again and again as you go through their questions, world questions, and then on Step 1 day, you're seeing most concepts for the umpteenth time.

would you mind sharing how much your score went up?

Originally Posted by tobi44

would you mind sharing how much your score went up?

I went up about 70 points. Most people go up pretty substantially from that initial diagnostic though. It's hard to care about those, and you haven't really studied at all.

But, I did Kaplan for the MCAT and didn't as well as I'd have liked
I did a princeton review book(no course) for the ACT, and wasn't thrilled with that.
Step 1 I was pretty proud of.

Some people just did First AID and UWorld. And they did fine. Some probably did better than I did. I liked the structure DIT gave me.

Edit: I almost hate to share b/c I've ID'd byself on here in the past lol. But, to the OP's question, I was low 230's

I did not use Doctors In training and I got 250+.
My friend did use it, and she got 250+.
Do I know people who used it and got 220s? yes
Do I know people who did not use it and got 220s? yes

The trick about Step 1 is to pick a few reliable, up-to-date resources, and stick with them. Don't spread out too thin over too many question banks and books. DIT is not magic but is one of the useful resources to choose from. Now is the money worth it.... that's up to you.

I will also echo the sentiment that the real value in DIT is keeping you on a schedule.

Studying for Step 1 is tough, it really really sucks.

I used DIT and made a master schedule at the beginning of studying (4.5 weeks of intense studying), doing DIT at the beginning to ensure that I got through my first intensive real pass through of First Aid in exactly 2 weeks. I can't tell you how many nights it was literally midnight and I had been studying since 7am and I really really wanted to go to bed, but my drive and neuroticism wouldn't let me get behind on my schedule so I kept going. I know if I had been just reading First Aid on my own, I would have just been passively staring at the pages at that point which is a waste of time and/or would have just gone to bed. But having those DIT videos to hold my hand and make me keep going, and the little questions you do throughout the videos in the "workbook" to keep me engaged and make sure I was still actively learning, was invaluable in my opinion.

Granted we all only take step 1 once, so we can't compare our scores to what we could have gotten if we did things differently, but I used DIT + 3 total passes of first Aid (including the first with DIT) + first ~5 chapters of Pathoma to study and got a 259 on the real deal. I think the DIT really helped in my case.

You kinda just gotta figure out what kind of studier you are and whether you will benefit from that kind of structure in your study schedule or whether it wouldn't do anything for you.

Almost used DIT but then my school advisors told me not because they said they just read FA to you. Very glad I listened to them.

Just used FA, UWorld, Pathoma, and BRS Physiology over 5 weeks. Did Goljian audio a few months earlier in the semester. ~240 Step 1. Works for me.

I know people who used it and surprised themselves by scoring in the 240s+. I know people who didn't use it and surprised themselves by score in the 240s+. As mentioned above, it will all come down to what you need to do to be successful.

I didn't use it, I only used a few of the high yield series of books, FA, and USMLEWorld. I am satisfied with my score. It wasn't my goal, but I wasn't far off.

Let's get this party poppin

If you pay me 1/2 of what you pay DIT, I will make a video in which I read First Aid for you too.



Wonder if the DIT people pay royalties to First Aid.

Why would you pay someone to do what you can do on your own. Here's the schedule

5 weeks of prep
21 days to do 2100 questions. That's 100/day at a minimum.
Use first aid and annotate from UWorld into first aid
7 days to review uworld questions and read first aid + NBME 11
Final 7 days to continue reviewing uworld questions, brush up on statistics, and get ready for the test. +NBME 12

Simple as that.
257 for me via this schedule, although I used 40 days instead of 35. Used 21 days for step 2 with a 270+ using nothing but Uworld and SU2S2.

I heard you a gangsta.

Originally Posted by fahimaz7

Why would you pay someone to do what you can do on your own. Here's the schedule

5 weeks of prep
21 days to do 2100 questions. That's 100/day at a minimum.
Use first aid and annotate from UWorld into first aid
7 days to review uworld questions and read first aid + NBME 11
Final 7 days to continue reviewing uworld questions, brush up on statistics, and get ready for the test. +NBME 12

Simple as that.
257 for me via this schedule, although I used 40 days instead of 25. Used 21 days for step 2 with a 270+ using nothing but Uworld and SU2S2.

Originally Posted by RockinRoll

I heard you a gangsta.

You're an MD/PHD student with a 35 on the MCAT. The last thing you need to do is pay someone $800 to tell you to complete uworld and use first aid. I know it's hard to believe, but this isn't the MCAT and the material on the test is already organized for you in First Aid. Combine that with 2000+ fantastic questions with excellent discussions and you get success. DIT doesn't improve scores by itself.. It's the 2000+ questions and first aid that does it.

Originally Posted by fahimaz7

Used 21 days for step 2 with a 270+ using nothing but Uworld and SU2S2.

Hope you took it before interviews. Because that is way too much effort for step 2. 2 weeks tops for step 2, nothing but uworld, don't even need to finish it all and you will get at least around the mean. And a lot of programs don't care about step 2 if you already have a hot step 1.

Now of course if you took it before you sent out your ERAS with the score as part of your app, smart move. Mad props.

Originally Posted by badasshairday

Hope you took it before interviews. Because that is way too much effort for step 2. 2 weeks tops for step 2, nothing but uworld, don't even need to finish it all and you will get at least around the mean. And a lot of programs don't care about step 2 if you already have a hot step 1.

Now of course if you took it before you sent out your ERAS with the score as part of your app, smart move. Mad props.

I took it in August and didn't want to go down. If I took it and scored the mean (237), I would have gotten hammered during the interviews and most likely wouldn't have scored quite a few of the ones that I did, as no one wants to see a 20 point drop from step 1 on an application. Either way though, 21 days is a reasonable amount of time to spend if you're trying to stay above a 250 and have the month to burn. Also helped me connect dots with quite a bit of the material. After all, we are here to learn... right?

/wink