Summer options

[Buckeye1992]

I just finished first year and am not sure what I should do with my summer. Should I start studying for boards? Should I try to find shadowing/research?

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[dfib slim]

I just finished first year and am not sure what I should do with my summer. Should I start studying for boards? Should I try to find shadowing/research?

Don't you dare study for boards.

 

[DrKershaw]

Boards. No doubt. Unless you really have no preference as to what you do for the rest of your career or where you do it. It's not like the MCAT where you can take it a few times, over the course of a few years, and still wind up in medical school with every specialty available to you. Then again, I like to keep all my doors open, so whether I decide to ultimately shoot for Neurosurg, Neurology or Psych, I don't want my board scores dictate my future.

My plan is to review everything I learned from first year and try to put it into long-term memory. I may not remember it perfectly come board season, but at least I won't be looking at it as if it were klingon. Especially foundation stuff like biochem pathways, microbio and pharm, I'd like to get to the point where I won't need to spend much time reviewing those subjects and can focus on the systems we go over in 2nd year. Plus, if I don't keep my brain fresh over the summer, it's gonna be a mean transition back to the classroom.

Aside from that, I'm definitely fitting in shadowing and maybe research if the opportunity presents itself.

 

[Buckeye1992]

At this point interested in Emergency Med, but who really knows before third year? So I really only need average board scores. Shooting for 3 year residencies though(ACGME) so need to do well on usmle. Should I focus mostly on that? I have always been a good standardized test taker so hoping that holds true for boards as well.

 

[DrEnderW]

Research! That will impact your career most.

If you want to do light review, id re-look at some BRS chapters. Don't study ahead. Try a free trial of firecracker and see if you like it. Lots of people start that summer M1.

 

[DrKershaw]

At this point interested in Emergency Med, but who really knows before third year? So I really only need average board scores. Shooting for 3 year residencies though(ACGME) so need to do well on usmle. Should I focus mostly on that? I have always been a good standardized test taker so hoping that holds true for boards as well.

Yea, focus more on the Non-OMT stuff if you don't plan on going to a (previously)AOA affiliated program. But like DrEnderW said, if you want an ACGME/Big Name/University-affiliated residency, research becomes a big component. In your case I'd do some light review of stuff you may not have had a great grasp on throughout the year (definitely don't study ahead), and do focus most of your energy on finding research opportunities.

 

[dfib slim]

Grab a copy of Goljan RR path and either UsmleRx or Kaplan Qbank to go through during classes. Study exclusively for the usmle and take it first. Take like 4-5 days in between to read Savarese then take comlex.

 

[Dharma]

Summer options: beaches, mountains, rivers, streams, back yards.... beer, bbq's... concerts... sleeping late... surfing... reading... LIVING

NO BOARDS... unless they're surf boards or walking the boards.

 

[Dharma]

oh and skate boards too! and Broads.

REMEMBER: this is a marathon not a sprint. pace yo'self!

 

[JimmyB123]

Boards. No doubt. Unless you really have no preference as to what you do for the rest of your career or where you do it. It's not like the MCAT where you can take it a few times, over the course of a few years, and still wind up in medical school with every specialty available to you. Then again, I like to keep all my doors open, so whether I decide to ultimately shoot for Neurosurg, Neurology or Psych, I don't want my board scores dictate my future.

My plan is to review everything I learned from first year and try to put it into long-term memory. I may not remember it perfectly come board season, but at least I won't be looking at it as if it were klingon. Especially foundation stuff like biochem pathways, microbio and pharm, I'd like to get to the point where I won't need to spend much time reviewing those subjects and can focus on the systems we go over in 2nd year. Plus, if I don't keep my brain fresh over the summer, it's gonna be a mean transition back to the classroom.

Aside from that, I'm definitely fitting in shadowing and maybe research if the opportunity presents itself.

Aren't you overloading yourself? You're reviewing M1 stuff, trying to shadow, and do a research gig (which can be really time consuming)

 

[JimmyB123]

At this point interested in Emergency Med, but who really knows before third year? So I really only need average board scores. Shooting for 3 year residencies though(ACGME) so need to do well on usmle. Should I focus mostly on that? I have always been a good standardized test taker so hoping that holds true for boards as well.

I heard you should aim for 240 as a DO for acgme EM...which is above average?

 

[TwinsFan]

240 is a pretty high score, typically only a handful or two of people from each DO school score that high on step 1.

 

[SD3321]

Just had a question to add to this, but what is everyone's opinion on research? Specifically a volunteer research where your basically doing bench work. I'm only asking because I've been given to opportunity to help out in someones lab and I'm pretty positive it won't lead to any pubs/presentations especially since I have only a 10 wk summer. Is it worth my time to just volunteer in a research lab like this?

 

[hallowmann]

I heard you should aim for 240 as a DO for acgme EM...which is above average?

240s would be on the level of ophtho or something like that. For ACGME EM, 230s is fine. I mean aim as high as you can, but don't freak out it you get a 236, be really excited.

 

[dfib slim]

240s would be on the level of ophtho or something like that. For ACGME EM, 230s is fine. I mean aim as high as you can, but don't freak out it you get a 236, be really excited.

What does a 260 get you?

 

[hallowmann]

What does a 260 get you?

http://www.nrmp.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Charting-Outcomes-2014-Final.pdf

 

[NurWollen]

I know it might not be like this at schools with systems-based curricula, but at my school, we had biochem first year, and that's the thing I'm having to re-learn the most as I study for boards (especially for usmle). So if you insist on studying over the summer, I would study that, or whatever you think you'll need to review the most for boards. That said, I'm still glad I did a little research and a lot of relaxation.

 

[DrKershaw]

Aren't you overloading yourself? You're reviewing M1 stuff, trying to shadow, and do a research gig (which can be really time consuming)

Time management broseph.

Shadow 1-3 times a week, review material for a few hours each day, fit in research when you can.

Research is only as time consuming as you let it be. You can do a synthesis project where you compile other research and extract data from it to draw conclusions, or you can do an observational clinical study which can be just as easy since it's mostly pulling charts and finding patterns; but if you're trying to do heavy benchwork stuff or a trial of some sort, yea, you probably won't have time for that.

 

[Buckeye1992]

How important is research to EM? From what I have heard it isn't very important.

 

[JimmyB123]

How important is research to EM? From what I have heard it isn't very important.

Probably depends if you're aiming for community vs academic programs?

 

[SurgeDO]

Shadow. Make connections. Study for boards.