Taking Step 1 after MS3

[Breads]

I am currently an M1 at a US MD school that takes Step 1 after third year. There are only approximately 5.5 weeks between 3rd and 4th year rotations dedicated to USMLE study and taking the exam.

I know it's very early, but I'm already worrying about Step 1 since my school has this uncommon arrangement (and because it is a rather new school). I'm having a hard time figuring out how to apply the usual advice that I've read on SDN. For example, I have interest in enrolling in some online services (e.g. Firecracker, Picmonic, one of the lesser Qbanks) to augment my studies, but none of them really have subscription plans geared towards taking Step 1 after third year. I'm not sure if I should just bite the bullet and subscribe now (and pay for an extra year of service), or if I should wait until M2 or even M3 year begins. I feel that something with spaced-repetition is even more important in this situation, as I'm scared I'll let myself forget biochemistry and such once rotations begin.

For those wondering, I don't think trying to take it after M2 is a very reasonable option, as I don't think anyone's ever done it at my school, and our schedules just aren't set up to accommodate it.

Any advice, especially from other students at schools using similar systems is very much appreciated! If you're on the traditional system, how would your strategy change if your school moved Step 1 to after third year?

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[crimsonkid85]

I know several people who took Step 1 after year 3. Challenges include difficulty remembering basic mechanisms after a year learning clinically relevant issues and having to study for shelf exams. But still, do-able.

 

[sakata8242]

That sounds like an awful arrangement. What is the rationale behind it? The biggest problem I see is that by the end of 3rd year you tend to forget a lot of the basic science from the first two years. However I think 5.5 weeks will be plenty of time to study for Step I. By that point most of it should be review anyway.

 

[Breads]

That sounds like an awful arrangement. What is the rationale behind it? The biggest problem I see is that by the end of 3rd year you tend to forget a lot of the basic science from the first two years. However I think 5.5 weeks will be plenty of time to study for Step I. By that point most of it should be review anyway.

I think there are a couple bigger name schools that do this or experiment with it, and my school is trying to copy them in an attempt at greatness. I wish they at least gave us a choice.

 

[Winged Scapula]

I think there are a couple bigger name schools that do this or experiment with it, and my school is trying to copy them in an attempt at greatness. I wish they at least gave us a choice.

My school did that too, "they do this at Harvard!"

I felt like someone forgot basic statistics and the confounding variable of the caliber of students and how those results might not be transferable.

I don't have any good suggestions for you but just wanted to offer my sympathies because I think it's difficult to take step one after your third year.

 

[Nasrudin]

Wow. That's crazy. What's to stop you from taking it after 2nd year? Besides the agony of not having dedicated time for it. And then using the 5.5 weeks to take the the step 2's.

 

[POW16]

I am currently an M1 at a US MD school that takes Step 1 after third year. There are only approximately 5.5 weeks between 3rd and 4th year rotations dedicated to USMLE study and taking the exam.

I know it's very early, but I'm already worrying about Step 1 since my school has this uncommon arrangement (and because it is a rather new school). I'm having a hard time figuring out how to apply the usual advice that I've read on SDN. For example, I have interest in enrolling in some online services (e.g. Firecracker, Picmonic, one of the lesser Qbanks) to augment my studies, but none of them really have subscription plans geared towards taking Step 1 after third year. I'm not sure if I should just bite the bullet and subscribe now (and pay for an extra year of service), or if I should wait until M2 or even M3 year begins. I feel that something with spaced-repetition is even more important in this situation, as I'm scared I'll let myself forget biochemistry and such once rotations begin.

For those wondering, I don't think trying to take it after M2 is a very reasonable option, as I don't think anyone's ever done it at my school, and our schedules just aren't set up to accommodate it.

Any advice, especially from other students at schools using similar systems is very much appreciated! If you're on the traditional system, how would your strategy change if your school moved Step 1 to after third year?

I took step 1 after 3rd year. Honestly it was not an issue at all. Averages at my school have been above the national one. It helps more than you think. Just learn the basic science well and have a good study plan for the 3-4 months before the test.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using Tapatalk

 

[SunsFun]

Which schools do it?

 

[throw away]

Wait, then when do you take Step 2? Or do you take Step 1 and Step 2 at the same time? That's pretty intense!

 

[Breads]

Wait, then when do you take Step 2? Or do you take Step 1 and Step 2 at the same time? That's pretty intense!

Good question. I hadn't thought about that yet. After trawling through the student handbook, I found this:

"Students must also take the USMLE Step 2 CK (Clinical Knowledge) and USMLE Step 2 CS (Clinical Skills) exams prior to graduation, although passing these exams is not a requirement for graduation."

No mention of when we take them, or if any time is even set aside for it. I assume most student take it at the end of third year?

 

[Nasrudin]

Good question. I hadn't thought about that yet. After trawling through the student handbook, I found this:

"Students must also take the USMLE Step 2 CK (Clinical Knowledge) and USMLE Step 2 CS (Clinical Skills) exams prior to graduation, although passing these exams is not a requirement for graduation."

No mention of when we take them, or if any time is even set aside for it. I assume most student take it at the end of third year?

Yes they do. The importance of having them varies by field. There are arguments for and against taking them before the residency application season is underway. I'm in the take them early and get them done camp. Which is I why I asked you about what you might could do with 5.5 weeks--the ideal amount of time to focus on and complete the step 2's.

I can see some usefulness to the curriculum about rehashing the specifics of pathology after you know more of the clinical aspects. But as with most things in a medical curriculum something done is at the expense of something else. There is only just so much time to learn it all and take the tests.

 

[Kaustikos]

By the time MS2 ended, we only had 1-2 weeks to take step 1 which was more than enough time after taking the finals for Path/Pharm/Clin Med. If you have a week after MS2 ends, I'd honestly consider just taking it then or even trying to get a lax first block for MS3 and take Step 1 during Psych or FamMed. It doesn't seem like a good idea at all to wait it out. Two weeks after MS2 is all you honestly need to review/study before Step 1.

 

[ulikedaggers]

What's stopping you from taking it after MS2?

 

[Transformers]

Do residencies even honestly care when you take step 1? According to me dean, they just list the step 1 score in the deans letter and that is about it with no backdrop, I.e. it just becomes a number

 

[Anastomoses]

I have to say that I love the idea of taking Step 1 after third year though it's not an option I have. Any time I get a couple of weeks to do any clinic time I use my evenings to review all the things I saw that day and the mechanisms stick even better because now you vividly saw the distressed patient with pterygium - encroaching on her cornea...you didn't just read it. I think the secret is using your third year to give your basic sciences a better foundation and depth, as backward as that may sound?

Of course, this is all my untested perspective but that's how it works for me.

 

[evilbooyaa]

I have to say that I love the idea of taking Step 1 after third year though it's not an option I have. Any time I get a couple of weeks to do any clinic time I use my evenings to review all the things I saw that day and the mechanisms stick even better because now you vividly saw the distressed patient with pterygium - encroaching on her cornea...you didn't just read it. I think the secret is using your third year to give your basic sciences a better foundation and depth, as backward as that may sound?

Of course, this is all my untested perspective but that's how it works for me.

The thing is, anything you don't directly see in clinic, you will forget about the intricate minutiae required for Step 1. Which will be a LOT of the diseases covered in step 1. As a MS3 you will also learn a lot about management (the basis of Step 2). While some of this MAY help with a few step 1 questions, I believe the general consensus is that it will distract you from possibly knowing the molecular mechanism of the disease. I know I had 'Step 1-like' questions on Step 2 CK, and they were subjectively the hardest questions I had b/c I hadn't been studying that during my prep.