Does anyone know how exams are structured? Are they written in a format similar to USMLE?
Besides the time off for USMLE step 1 studying, is there any other ways that UF helps to prepare for step 1?
Thanks!
Hopefully one of the third years on here will give you more info since they have already taken the Step----as a second year step is coiming up in a few months here and we will be done with classes in May so this is definitely on our minds right now..
So, first off i dont know how it is working for the current first years, but we take all of the NBME subject exams after each subject (say histology, or microbiology) and these exams are by the same people that write the Step 1---i have never studied for any of these exams (but i work hard in my classes obviously) and I have always done well above national average for these and feel like i was very well prepared for them from classes---alot of people freak out and feel you need a certain review book, etc. to do well on these exams but i have not found that to be true (not to say that there arent review books that are helpful, i used some alongside some of my classes)...
UF's average is also usually well above national average for the Step 1, so this helps give me confidence that they must be preparing us well in our classes----however, this could just be a selection bias from them selecting high-performing students in the first place....
but, like i said, having finished almost all of my classes i think that the large majority of our professors are excellent and that the classes give you a great foundation to do well on the step----also, personally i have had great experiences with our professors---most are very willing to spend extra time with you to answer questions after class, via email, etc...first year we had professors do weekend reviews for histology, our anatomy prof. had early morning lab sessions every day for the 2 weeks leading up to anatomy practical exams to give those of us who wanted extra practice (in practical exam format).......Also, for Pathology( (the main course for 2nd year), for each unit of the body the people that teach you are academic pathologists with specializations in that particular area of pathology aka they are experts (say cardiac, nueropathology, etc..) so even if you dont always go to lecture you at least have them as a resource during labs to ask questions about things.....
As far as exams, most of the questions are clinical vignette form but not for all classes (like biochem, etc..).....in particular Dr. Winter who runs our path. course does an excellent job of making very difficult clinical vignette test questions---also, most of the time we have our tests all in one day so they are LONG testing days on the computer----this definitely helps prepare you for the step 1 as it will be a long, computer based test...
And i dont know for current first years in the new curriculum, but we will have 1 month off to prepare for the step as well
So yes i feel like we are extremely well prepared for Step 1 here just from our classes and great professors....but, as just about everyone will tell you, its VERY individual and even though you are in classes alot in med school (if you choose to attend all the lectures) alot of the learning is individual as well (though you should be used to this from undergrad)...
Also, dont worry about the step now---and please dont pre-study the summer before coming to med school----you will learn to study SO MUCH MORE EFFICIENTLY once you are here that any studying beforehand will pretty much be a complete waste IMO
but not terribly hopeful at this point...
