MD Attending a research conference during Step 1 dedicated study period?

[Foot Fetish]

So I know the general wisdom is to avoid research during dedicated, but I think my situation might be an exception to the rule. I am taking my exam in mid June (~4 months out from today), and I have already matured all of Zanki (27,000+ cards) and completed both Kaplan and UWorld q-banks with averages in the 80's. So, I am feeling PRETTY good about my preparation at this point. Research, in contrast, is my Achilles heel. I am gunning for derm, and so far I only have 1 poster presentation and 1 submitted (not accepted) paper under my belt. I am wondering if I should try to submit an abstract to / present at a national dermatology conference that will be held in mid May (~1 month before my exam). I would have to fly there. Personally, I am leaning towards doing it if I can, but I just wanted to hear some devil's advocacy from SDN in case I am being stupid. Thanks in advance!

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[DNC127]

So I know the general wisdom is to avoid research during dedicated, but I think my situation might be an exception to the rule. I am taking my exam in mid June (~4 months out from today), and I have already matured all of Zanki (27,000+ cards) and completed both Kaplan and UWorld q-banks with averages in the 80's. So, I am feeling PRETTY good about my preparation at this point. Research, in contrast, is my Achilles heel. I am gunning for derm, and so far I only have 1 poster presentation and 1 submitted (not accepted) paper under my belt. I am wondering if I should try to submit an abstract to / present at a national dermatology conference that will be held in mid May (~1 month before my exam). I would have to fly there. Personally, I am leaning towards doing it if I can, but I just wanted to hear some devil's advocacy from SDN in case I am being stupid. Thanks in advance!

If that was your first pass percentage on U world just go take the test now lol. The correlations of a 80% + on Uworld that I have seen on here (I forget how to find the table I just have a screen shot) would put you at 260+... no sense in waiting IMO. Take some NBME's and if you are where you want to be go take it.

 

[TTPpentad]

I vote go to the conference. It will only take a few days (max) so you can treat it as a much needed break, and you’re still a month out from your exam. Good luck!

 

[WingedOx]

You should chill and relax a bit.

 

[ortnakas]

I feel obligated to point out you think you're the exception to every rule...

In reality, though, I think this would be fine. I traveled to be in a wedding a month or so before Step 1 and didn't regret it.

Plus, if your UWorld average is already in the 80s, you could probably knock the exam out before the conference so you could travel there and have fun/learn derm-y things without feeling guilty or stressed you should be studying.

 

[gapyearguppy]

Goooo.
I think I went to a concert or two during dedicated.
One of my friends went out of the country for a week.
We did extremely well. You won't forget everything if you've been working hard.

 

[sallyhasanidea]

What is your study strategy for the remaining four months before your exam? Another pass through UWorld, continue doing Zanki, read first aid?

I'm interested in OPs answer to this question too.

Also, how did you fit in all of Uworld into second year before dedicated?

 

[theonlytycrane]

OP is a beast. I expect 300 so I can change this line from the USMLE score wikipedia page:

"The three-digit score is based on a theoretical maximum of 300, but this has not been documented by the NBME / FSMB."

 

[Foot Fetish]

What is your study strategy for the remaining four months before your exam? Another pass through UWorld, continue doing Zanki, read first aid?

Keep up with my Zanki reviews everyday, finish USMLE Rx, finish all the NBME exams, and then do a second pass of UW during dedicated. Maybe a read through FA if time permits.

 

[theonlytycrane]

@Foot Fetish how do you like Rx compared to Kaplan? I'm deciding on which one to work through systems with.

 

[CherryRedDracul]

You seem well-prepared. Definitely go.

 

[Foot Fetish]

@Foot Fetish how do you like Rx compared to Kaplan? I'm deciding on which one to work through systems with.

I definitely prefer RX. Kaplan is harder , but a lot of that is because of unnecessarily esoteric questions. RX is a better reflection of the high yield content you should know.

 

[UWIdahoan]

I did it. Tons of my classmates did it. You can do it.

 

[Fission Chips]

If I were you, I would push up that exam date (to march if possible). If you have completed both Kaplan and Uworld in the 80's on timed random, then you're in good shape to hit well above 260. If you did them by block, then that's a totally different story, and I would probably find another Qbank to do on timed random to see where you really stand (I say this because I did half of Rx by block and got in the mid-80's, then fell to the mid-60's when doing it by random. My scores eventually improved and I finished the whole thing with mid-70s).

I'm obviously a different person than you (lol), but to give you some perspective, I've also matured Zanki and finished a little over 50% of Uworld (timed random) with my average in the low 70's thus far. I'm getting in the 250's on the NBME's that I've taken, and I've got about 6 weeks left. You'll probably be hitting well into the 260's on the NBME's, maybe higher having done what you have done.

I'd take all the NBME's over the next 2 weeks, review them, and then take step. Then use your dedicated to write a bunch of case reports up (I would personally go to Europe or Asia or something, but I'm not gunning for Derm). You'll still probably end up with a 270, and you could pump out a ton of first author case reports (like, seriously, a ton. You can sit down and write one in a day). You can also submit those to the conference for presentation (depending on the conference... you'll have to check), adding to your CV.

I don't think any PD in the country is going to care whether you got a 270 or a 275, and that's probably the difference you're looking at by studying for the next 3 months. Take the test next month, get your 270, and then go get 5 pubs over the next few months. As long as you can interview well, you'll be a shoe-in for any program in the country.

 

[Foot Fetish]

If I were you, I would push up that exam date (to march if possible). If you have completed both Kaplan and Uworld in the 80's on timed random, then you're in good shape to hit well above 260. If you did them by block, then that's a totally different story, and I would probably find another Qbank to do on timed random to see where you really stand (I say this because I did half of Rx by block and got in the mid-80's, then fell to the mid-60's when doing it by random. My scores eventually improved and I finished the whole thing with mid-70s).

I'm obviously a different person than you (lol), but to give you some perspective, I've also matured Zanki and finished a little over 50% of Uworld (timed random) with my average in the low 70's thus far. I'm getting in the 250's on the NBME's that I've taken, and I've got about 6 weeks left. You'll probably be hitting well into the 260's on the NBME's, maybe higher having done what you have done.

I'd take all the NBME's over the next 2 weeks, review them, and then take step. Then use your dedicated to write a bunch of case reports up (I would personally go to Europe or Asia or something, but I'm not gunning for Derm). You'll still probably end up with a 270, and you could pump out a ton of first author case reports (like, seriously, a ton. You can sit down and write one in a day). You can also submit those to the conference for presentation (depending on the conference... you'll have to check), adding to your CV.

I don't think any PD in the country is going to care whether you got a 270 or a 275, and that's probably the difference you're looking at by studying for the next 3 months. Take the test next month, get your 270, and then go get 5 pubs over the next few months. As long as you can interview well, you'll be a shoe-in for any program in the country.

Wow, thanks for your reply. I hadn't thought about it from that perspective. I am going through RX right now with a 90% average on timed, random (~halfway done)... Maybe I will move up my date.
How would you suggest I go about getting on case reports? Do I just cold e-mail dermatologists and ask?

 

[Fission Chips]

Wow, thanks for your reply. I hadn't thought about it from that perspective. I am going through RX right now with a 90% average on timed, random (~halfway done)... Maybe I will move up my date.
How would you suggest I go about getting on case reports? Do I just cold e-mail dermatologists and ask?

You're gonna destroy step 1, there's no doubt about it. I'm looking forward to hearing about how it goes for you.

If you are in contact with the derm residents at your school, I would ask them about who is the most prolific in their department and email that person. I got my first case report this way. If not, then try to check out some of the attending's CVs online and see if they have put out any case reports in the last 5 years. You generally just access epic and write about what happened and why it's important. It took me 2 days of writing and 2 days of editing to knock out my first one... you'll probably be a little faster. I'd imagine several faculty will bite... it's basically a free publication for them. They aren't as prestigious as a big project, but if you want to get above that 15+ "research experiences" for ERAS, I think it's a pretty easy way. Look into whether that conference accepts case reports too (though it might be too late to apply if it is in May). I didn't do that for the national conference I attended in January, and I definitely regret it.

 

[libertyyne]

what has been your study schedule so far that you are this prepared 4 months in advance?

 

[operaman]

You sound very much like where I was before dedicated study. Go to your meeting (I did this during my dedicated too). I also took some vacation after step just for sanity, also highly recommended.

Give yourself 10-14 days of actual study and you’ll be fine. Do a little here and there for the rest of the time. Take an nbme to guage your actual progress. Crush the real thing.

 

[Foot Fetish]

what has been your study schedule so far that you are this prepared 4 months in advance?

Basically I've treated it like a sprint, not a marathon. I skip all non-mandatory lectures to maximize time and cram the school material enough to pass in the last 1-2 weeks before finals. Since Day 1 of M2, I've done 3-5 hours of Anki followed by three timed 40-question blocks per day.

 

[kb1900]

Basically I've treated it like a sprint, not a marathon. I skip all non-mandatory lectures to maximize time and cram the school material enough to pass in the last 1-2 weeks before finals. Since Day 1 of M2, I've done 3-5 hours of Anki followed by three timed 40-question blocks per day.

3-5 hours of anki? is that just to keep up with zanki reviews or do u have ur own cards in addition?

thanks in advance

 

[theonlytycrane]

Basically I've treated it like a sprint, not a marathon. I skip all non-mandatory lectures to maximize time and cram the school material enough to pass in the last 1-2 weeks before finals. Since Day 1 of M2, I've done 3-5 hours of Anki followed by three timed 40-question blocks per day.

are you above average / comfortably pass school exams with this method?

 

[68PGunner]

So I know the general wisdom is to avoid research during dedicated, but I think my situation might be an exception to the rule. I am taking my exam in mid June (~4 months out from today), and I have already matured all of Zanki (27,000+ cards) and completed both Kaplan and UWorld q-banks with averages in the 80's. So, I am feeling PRETTY good about my preparation at this point. Research, in contrast, is my Achilles heel. I am gunning for derm, and so far I only have 1 poster presentation and 1 submitted (not accepted) paper under my belt. I am wondering if I should try to submit an abstract to / present at a national dermatology conference that will be held in mid May (~1 month before my exam). I would have to fly there. Personally, I am leaning towards doing it if I can, but I just wanted to hear some devil's advocacy from SDN in case I am being stupid. Thanks in advance!

Congrats on your progress. You’re an inspiration.

If I’m in your position, I would do a few NBMEs and move up that test date.

 

[libertyyne]

Why wouldn't you move up your test date ? There is only a risk of knowledge attrition.

 

[Foot Fetish]

3-5 hours of anki? is that just to keep up with zanki reviews or do u have ur own cards in addition?

thanks in advance

The 3-5 hours is just a rough average that includes the days before I finished the deck, i.e. when I was learning new cards. I would often spend a full 8 hours plowing through cards back then. I have also added a lot of cards to the base Zanki deck, mostly additional cloze deletions on existing cards and tidbits picked up from q banks. Nowadays I am spending significantly less time on Anki, as the algorithm has me doing around 600 cards per day, which only takes about 2 hours max.

Congrats on your progress. You’re an inspiration.

If I’m in your position, I would do a few NBMEs and move up that test date.

Why wouldn't you move up your test date ? There is only a risk of knowledge attrition.

Thanks, guys. I am leaning towards keeping my current exam date because I still have quite a bit planned in my preparation schedule that I want to get done. Finishing RX, all of the NBMEs, a second round of UWorld, and a page by page pass of FA2018 should take me right to June, especially since that time will necessarily be interrupted by bursts of cramming for school. Personally, I am not a huge believer in the concept of knowledge attrition. I'm not saying it's not a real consideration, but my brand of risk aversion tells me to overprepare and leave nothing to chance. I don't think I have even "peaked" yet, actually. I am learning new nuances all the time.

 

[Nucleophile1]

The 3-5 hours is just a rough average that includes the days before I finished the deck, i.e. when I was learning new cards. I would often spend a full 8 hours plowing through cards back then. I have also added a lot of cards to the base Zanki deck, mostly additional cloze deletions on existing cards and tidbits picked up from q banks. Nowadays I am spending significantly less time on Anki, as the algorithm has me doing around 600 cards per day, which only takes about 2 hours max.

Do you mind sharing what your percent retention is for your reviewed cards?

 

[ERDOC555]

Just wanted to say congratulations on your progress up to this point! I'm sure you'll easily be in the 265+ range by the time you take your test and I wouldn't be shocked to see you approaching high 270s. You're making me feel like a slacker! You'll have to let us know what you score!

 

[ortnakas]

Whether you believe in them or not, nuance attrition and burnout are real things that happen to people. You're doing incredible right now. I'd take the test as soon as your school will let you and spend the rest of the time working on research instead of trying to do both at once (or binging netflix and/or drinking tropical drinks on a beach somewhere... but since you're hardcore gunning for derm, probably research).

At any rate, even if you don't take the test ASAP, I think taking it the day before the conference so you can enjoy/learn without that stress looming over your head would be a good idea.

 

[Elessar]

Whether you believe in them or not, nuance attrition and burnout are real things that happen to people. You're doing incredible right now. I'd take the test as soon as your school will let you and spend the rest of the time working on research instead of trying to do both at once (or binging netflix and/or drinking tropical drinks on a beach somewhere... but since you're hardcore gunning for derm, probably research).

People also told him he would burn out like a year ago when he outlined his Step 1 study plan. I think he'll be fine, he's shown that he has the dedication to succeed.

 

[ortnakas]

People also told him he would burn out like a year ago when he outlined his Step 1 study plan. I think he'll be fine, he's shown that he has the dedication to succeed.

I was one of those people, and so far, I'm very glad to be proven wrong. But four more months is a long time, and if @Foot Fetish does become mortal, I don't want his dreams to come crashing down after a mind-boggling amount of work and dedication. I think taking the test a little bit sooner mitigates that risk. He's ready for a baller score if he were to take the test right this minute, so I think he has more to risk losing than gaining by putting it off until the last possible moment. He could spend the last few weeks enjoying the conference and getting a case report or two instead of a point or two.

@Foot Fetish I really am rooting for you and I think you're aspirational... I'm just concerned you're not invincible.

 

[Medin2017]

Basically I've treated it like a sprint, not a marathon. I skip all non-mandatory lectures to maximize time and cram the school material enough to pass in the last 1-2 weeks before finals. Since Day 1 of M2, I've done 3-5 hours of Anki followed by three timed 40-question blocks per day.

What was your plan of attack when you first started studying for this beast? Were you just reading FA and then zankiing corresponding questions?

 

[libertyyne]

The 3-5 hours is just a rough average that includes the days before I finished the deck, i.e. when I was learning new cards. I would often spend a full 8 hours plowing through cards back then. I have also added a lot of cards to the base Zanki deck, mostly additional cloze deletions on existing cards and tidbits picked up from q banks. Nowadays I am spending significantly less time on Anki, as the algorithm has me doing around 600 cards per day, which only takes about 2 hours max.

When you were doing the Anki cards for the first time for things you hadn't covered in class did you use any outside material to augment understanding? It can be jarring reading a card where you have no context or idea since you havent gone through a class on that or been exposed to the material otherwise.

 

[I Like Naps]

So I know the general wisdom is to avoid research during dedicated, but I think my situation might be an exception to the rule. I am taking my exam in mid June (~4 months out from today), and I have already matured all of Zanki (27,000+ cards) and completed both Kaplan and UWorld q-banks with averages in the 80's. So, I am feeling PRETTY good about my preparation at this point. Research, in contrast, is my Achilles heel. I am gunning for derm, and so far I only have 1 poster presentation and 1 submitted (not accepted) paper under my belt. I am wondering if I should try to submit an abstract to / present at a national dermatology conference that will be held in mid May (~1 month before my exam). I would have to fly there. Personally, I am leaning towards doing it if I can, but I just wanted to hear some devil's advocacy from SDN in case I am being stupid. Thanks in advance!

Just a bit curious myself, as a fellow derm wannabe at the moment, how did you manage finish Zanki, Kaplan, and UWorld all by February? What was your general timeline? I'm looking to do something similar (attending the national conference in May) and also taking Step towards the end of May/beginning of June. Throughout my first year I was knocking out some Zanki cards and did Firecracker and I'm starting USMLE Rx. However, once as school begins again, I'm just not sure how I'll be able to manage to keep all 3 up. Thanks dude and I hope Step went well for you!

 

[Gurby]

Just a bit curious myself, as a fellow derm wannabe at the moment, how did you manage finish Zanki, Kaplan, and UWorld all by February?

By not spending any time doing research