75% of Step 1 = 3 subjects!?!?

[Kevbot]

I read on a website that 3 subjects (microbiology, pharmacology, and pathology) make up 75% of the USMLE step 1. How/why is that possible?

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[north2southOMFS]

I read on a website that 3 subjects (microbiology, pharmacology, and pathology) make up 75% of the USMLE step 1. How/why is that possible?

******ed website. They forgot about phys.

 

[electra]

That sounds about right. When you think about it, all of those subjects interrelate, though. If you understand physiology, you understand how pharmacology affects it. Let's face it, pharm isn't changing structure in most cases. It's changing function.

Phys is important for the Boards, especially cardiac and renal from my experience. Those table style phys questions oooh! so frustrating!

If I could study nothing else in the last two days before the test, I would get a good handle on pathology. Look through the path in First Aid and get that down cold.

I thought the micro and pharm were fairly easy. You remember that the questions are multiple choice, so if you can eliminate the wrong answer, you are increasing your chances of answering correctly. Many, many questions would ask about something bacterial and then give an antiviral/antifungal selection in the answers, allowing you to cross out a couple of answers.

And remember, always. Common things are common. Don't read too much into the questions.

 

[berkeleyboy]

That does sound just about right. Path, pharm, phys, and micro should incorporate about 70-75% of the exam but this DOES NOT mean you should neglect the other subjects. Some exams have a slant to them, mine in particular had a heavy emphasis in neuro and molecular bio. Out of those two subjects, I probably had about 70 or so Qs....enough to make you choke if you didn't study those babies at all.

GL to all taking the exam soon,
bErk

 

[GiJoe]

That does sound just about right. Path, pharm, phys, and micro should incorporate about 70-75% of the exam but this DOES NOT mean you should neglect the other subjects. Some exams have a slant to them, mine in particular had a heavy emphasis in neuro and molecular bio. Out of those two subjects, I probably had about 70 or so Qs....enough to make you choke if you didn't study those babies at all.

GL to all taking the exam soon,
bErk

dont forget those folks who's tests consisted of nearly 30-40 % anatomy/neuro (like mine). a classmate of mine had TONS of genetic BS on it. I don't care what you read on any website, make sure you don't neglect the other subjects.

 

[bigfrank]

I read on a website that 3 subjects (microbiology, pharmacology, and pathology) make up 75% of the USMLE step 1. How/why is that possible?

This is horrible information, as everybody's test is very different. I had no more than 100-125 questions from the above 3 subjects on my exam (~33% at most). Believe me, only focusing on those three will get you a baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad Step I score.

 

[berkeleyboy]

This is horrible information, as everybody's test is very different. I had no more than 100-125 questions from the above 3 subjects on my exam (~33% at most). Believe me, only focusing on those three will get you a baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad Step I score.

I was so thankful to have a test that covered all the basic sciences in fairly equal proportions. There are those however that aren't so lucky. That being said, my path was mostly cardio and renal, while my friends path was mostly endocrine. I almost had no physio Qs whatsoever. I maybe had 2-3Q total that were straight physio. I had quite a bit of immuno too, I'd say the ammount of immuno I got equalled the amount of micro I got.
STUDY ALL THE SUBJECTS, hit a heavy emphasis in path and pharm, but by no means neglect any subject!!

Berk