Outside Resources for Pre-clinical years and Board Study

[Newhorizons21]

I was at a Second Look this weekend and outside resources used for studying were mentioned several times. I have a general idea of what people use but I wanted to lay out a timeline of when to start using the resources that people mentioned and get feedback from everyone here.

1st Day of Classes:
First Aid
Pathoma

1st Day of Microbe/Pharm block:
Sketchymicro

Beginning of Second Year:
USMLE World qbank
1 or 2 NMBE exams

Dedicated Study Time:
Rest of NMBE exams
UWorld Exams

Thoughts?

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[ifnotnowwren]

1st Day of Classes:
First Aid
Pathoma

I also have a question about pathoma, when I've looked it up I see that there is a book and a website. Are people referring to the book or the website generally when they say they use pathoma?

 

[mcloaf]

At least wait until you start M1 before you begin planning your boards studying. Sheesh.

 

[Newhorizons21]

At least wait until you start M1 before you begin planning your boards studying. Sheesh.

I guess, but I know more than one person on the panels said they wished they would having starting using stuff earlier. Also I want to work these subscriptions into my med school budget. I can understand criticizing someone for studying prematurely but I don't think I'm premature in planning for classes that start in three months and a test that I know the exact date I will take.

 

[ifnotnowwren]

I guess, but I know more than one person on the panels said they wished they would having starting using stuff earlier. Also I want to work these subscriptions into my med school budget. I can understand criticizing someone for studying prematurely but I don't think I'm premature in planning for classes that start in three months and a test that I know the exact date I will take.

Exactly. And I have to move for school so I'm trying to get everything that I can squared away early. I'm completely with you on being as prepared as possible as early as possible.

 

[mcloaf]

I guess, but I know more than one person on the panels said they wished they would having starting using stuff earlier. Also I want to work these subscriptions into my med school budget. I can understand criticizing someone for studying prematurely but I don't think I'm premature in planning for classes that start in three months and a test that I know the exact date I will take.

Generally the people that say "I wish had started earlier" are referring to getting things ramped up earlier in M2, not wishing they had been studying for boards on day one of M1 year. I'm not against starting early in theory, but to plan out what resources you're going to use and make a schedule for using them before you even get the hang of how you're handling your curriculum and where it might make sense to weave in outside materials is just a fool's errand.

If you really want to be thinking about this before you start school then maybe skim the Step 1 subforum to get a general idea of the different approaches folks take to studying for boards, but there's no reason to be running out to buy pathoma and first aid to begin M1.

 

[ifnotnowwren]

I don't really get the pushback here, buying the book allows you to see how you may or may not be able to weave it in? If you have it in your possession, you can browse through it as and see if it lines up with your curriculum. Worse comes to worst you don't use it until later (but then you don't have to buy it at that later date at least), or worst of all you sell it in mint condition because you never used it. I don't think OP is being as neurotic as you are implying. The general timeline they are talking about is the one that they posted - what they should be doing every year. I think it's smart to take the wisdom from those who came before you, and there are posts in the med student forums about how people achieved success studying for USMLE by starting with those outside books in year one.

 

[BryceHarper]

Would definitely like to hear some feedback on this too....