Advice on preparing for Step 1

[Aconitase]

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I posted this in the wrong forum, so now I am posting it here hoping for some feedback. Thank you to the people who kindly responded to me despite my error 🙂

My original post:

Hi everyone!

I am new to this forum, so please forgive me if this is posted in the wrong area! I have begun my board studying now. I am in my last term of 2nd year and plan on taking the test in mid or late October. The date will be decided based on how I score on the comprehensive exam my school offers at the end of the term. I am doing one block of Kaplan Qbank a day, 46 questions, random, timed, not on tutor mode. So far I have done 3 blocks of Qs and my scores have been erratic. I scored 43% on one day, 60% the next, and 43% again today. The diagnostic I took before all of this gave me a score of 67%. In addition to all of this, I am doing 2 hours of DIT a day, but I am moving very slowly through it (only on day 2, finishing the second hour). Anyways, after doing 3 blocks so far, I just wanted to know if I am approaching the Kaplan Qbank effectively as a study tool. I chose to do the questions at random and on a timed mode because that is how they will be offered on the real test. I review the answers the following day after I have taken a block and spend a good chunk of time going over both correct and incorrect answers. Anyways, I didn't want to continue doing Qbank questions the wrong way and end up wasting this resource. Any suggestions on how I should structure my studying would be helpful. Thank you for taking the time to read this 🙂

 

[shadowfox87]

You should spend more than 2 hours a day on DIT. Then, depending on what areas you learned, you should do questions on that. I suggest that as you are starting, tutor mode is just fine because it helps you read the explanations right after the answer and strengthens your concepts. You can always do full-length timed tests later and do Qbank timed when you actually know something. Doing random questions right now, you will keep getting %s like that. Know that you can reset Qbanks and do the whole thing again under timed conditions. Don't worry about time right now, get the knowledge down first.

 

[Aconitase]

Thank you for your reply. I wish I could spend more than 2 hours a day on DIT, however, I have classes till 4 every day and so I try to do as much as I can. I guess I could start waking up earlier. I haven't used the tutor mode before, but I will definitely try now that you have suggested it. My goal is to finish qbank before the end of the term (August 16th) and then just do USMLE world Qs, read over first aide again and take practice NBME exams. I am also trying to incorporate Rapid Review Pathology and BRS phys into my schedule.

 

[shadowfox87]

Well don't overload on resources. If you are already taking a course other than DIT, I think that is sufficient. As for goljan, good luck with that. Your plan is almost the same as mine, but I plan to do UWx2. I use BRS and pathoma to supplement, but my FA is annotated enough now that I really dont need to. I have other sources too like goljan, but I honestly don't have time to do it.

 

[Aconitase]

Rapid Review Path and BRS Physio are pretty standard resources used by people when preparing for Step 1. Thanks for your input though. Advice from others would be appreciated as well, thanks everyone 🙂

 

[jatt12]

I posted this in the wrong forum, so now I am posting it here hoping for some feedback. Thank you to the people who kindly responded to me despite my error 🙂

My original post:

Hi everyone!

I am new to this forum, so please forgive me if this is posted in the wrong area! I have begun my board studying now. I am in my last term of 2nd year and plan on taking the test in mid or late October. The date will be decided based on how I score on the comprehensive exam my school offers at the end of the term. I am doing one block of Kaplan Qbank a day, 46 questions, random, timed, not on tutor mode. So far I have done 3 blocks of Qs and my scores have been erratic. I scored 43% on one day, 60% the next, and 43% again today. The diagnostic I took before all of this gave me a score of 67%. In addition to all of this, I am doing 2 hours of DIT a day, but I am moving very slowly through it (only on day 2, finishing the second hour). Anyways, after doing 3 blocks so far, I just wanted to know if I am approaching the Kaplan Qbank effectively as a study tool. I chose to do the questions at random and on a timed mode because that is how they will be offered on the real test. I review the answers the following day after I have taken a block and spend a good chunk of time going over both correct and incorrect answers. Anyways, I didn't want to continue doing Qbank questions the wrong way and end up wasting this resource. Any suggestions on how I should structure my studying would be helpful. Thank you for taking the time to read this 🙂

All you need is

RR PATH + FA + UWORLD 👍