Attention dear Americal Medical students

[timmy3]

Hello fellow American Medics,

Greetings to you!

First of all, I am going to be an International Medical student. Hopefully I will be attending Charles University, Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Kralove,

The reason I am posting this thread is that I need your help studying for the USMLE step 1 examination. I have read a lot of threads about study guides and all but we will get to that later,

The medical curriculum in Charles University is much different and rather more memory oriented, However, as far as I am concerned, studying for the USMLE requires a different curriculum and you people in Americal Medical Schools, so far I have seen, follow and effective one that makes Medical studies worthwhile.

I am planning to study for the USMLE step I from starting of my medical school but I feel if I follow the curriculum of my school I may not score high. I am not good at cramming nor do I think I will be able to study in six months or so after my medical graduation like many IMGs does. So I have planned to study from the start and and sit for my exam after my 3rd year at Charles University.

Here where I need your help. I will try to explain the type of curriculum that I am going to follow: the lectures are going to solely explain one field and will not guide students to make connections with other fields of medicine, like studying in modules unlike Americal medical curriculum that follow a linear method. I would need to know how you study and what syllabus do you follow. I just need your guidance.

Let me try to give an example. Suppose you have studied the respiratory system. You have studied the anatomical aspects, physiological aspects, pharmacological aspects etc.
It shows me that the medical curriculum you follow integrates various aspects of medicine. This where I will need your guidance as a novice medical student, I may not know what to study or even how to and your invaluable guidance will help me get through the process. Urrgggh, now I feel annoyed at the medical curriculum followed by Charles, I don't have any idea why arent they changing it

Anyways, no use being sad. Please I need your help. I will post in this thread regularly.

First, I need to buy some good books. I am very much lilely to sit for my exam in the end 2016 or mid of 2017. It may sound early but I really need help. I want to better prepare myself for the exam. Hopefully you will understand.

Oh and if any one of you would like to get in touch with me personally, please PM me your email address. I will get back to you soon.

If you need clarification, you are welcome to ask any questions you like.

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[medpack87]

How many years to obtain your medical degree in Czech Republic?

 

[jekyllish]

How many years to obtain your medical degree in Czech Republic?

If my understanding of MBBS is correct, less than America. You would go to med school right out of high school and complete it in 6 years.

 

[JP2740]

Can you explain their curriculum? It might not be as bad as you say.

 

[timmy3]

How many years to obtain your medical degree in Czech Republic?

It will take six years if everything goes right!

 

[timmy3]

Can you explain their curriculum? It might not be as bad as you say.

I sure will !!! Do you want the gist?
It is basically lecture based learning. You finish one thing, you move to the next. If you like I can PM you the website.

 

[NickNaylor]

I sure will !!! Do you want the gist?
It is basically lecture based learning. You finish one thing, you move to the next. If you like I can PM you the website.

This sounds like every school ever.

Sent from my SGH-M919

 

[medpack87]

6 years? Im from Peru, and it takes 7 years here.

So, I im not sure if i can help you here, because im not a US medical graduate. But as far as I know, IMG's need to take a little bit more than US graduates, but I think its exaggerated to try to start studying for STEP1 from your 1st year at medical faculty in Czech Rep. And here is why:

US medical graduates start their medical career with some previous degree in something, biology, pharmacy, whatever, and their medical career is 4 years (correct me if im wrong here). So your medical career as well as mine is 6 to 7 years. And it is longer because our first 3-4 years are basic sciences, the part which the US medical graduates already did before entering medical faculty.

Also, if you plan to start studying for STEP1 now, you are just going to hit the wall real hard. STEP1, even though its basic sciences, its VERY oriented towards medicine, there are cases, there are a lot of diseases, there is a lot of putting together concepts from different medical and science fields (as you said in your initial post), there is a lot of cramming to do, the whole test and USMLE oriented books are a huge summary of everything that you are supposed to learn during your first medical years. You are going to start studying with your own curriculum over there and get things pretty mixed up.

Over here, and over many other countries, students consider a very early start for USMLE, 3rd or 4th medical year (out of 7). To do that, they really have to sacrifice their faculty scores, but at least they already have a general understanding of the sciences, some clinical knowledge, they can start to connect dots much easier than when they were at 1st year. And the majority of international USMLE applicants over here start to prepare AFTER they finish their medical career, simply because our curriculum, just as yours, doesnt match the US one.

So my advice on this matter is to start studying hard on your own faculty (despite the different curricula or forms of teaching, they are going to be teaching you the basics of medicine), and after you have completed 3 yrs, then you should consider USMLE.

 

[sharklasers]

this sounds like every school ever.

Sent from my sgh-m919

lolllllll

 

[timmy3]

6 years? Im from Peru, and it takes 7 years here.

So, I im not sure if i can help you here, because im not a US medical graduate. But as far as I know, IMG's need to take a little bit more than US graduates, but I think its exaggerated to try to start studying for STEP1 from your 1st year at medical faculty in Czech Rep. And here is why:

US medical graduates start their medical career with some previous degree in something, biology, pharmacy, whatever, and their medical career is 4 years (correct me if im wrong here). So your medical career as well as mine is 6 to 7 years. And it is longer because our first 3-4 years are basic sciences, the part which the US medical graduates already did before entering medical faculty.

Also, if you plan to start studying for STEP1 now, you are just going to hit the wall real hard. STEP1, even though its basic sciences, its VERY oriented towards medicine, there are cases, there are a lot of diseases, there is a lot of putting together concepts from different medical and science fields (as you said in your initial post), there is a lot of cramming to do, the whole test and USMLE oriented books are a huge summary of everything that you are supposed to learn during your first medical years. You are going to start studying with your own curriculum over there and get things pretty mixed up.

Over here, and over many other countries, students consider a very early start for USMLE, 3rd or 4th medical year (out of 7). To do that, they really have to sacrifice their faculty scores, but at least they already have a general understanding of the sciences, some clinical knowledge, they can start to connect dots much easier than when they were at 1st year. And the majority of international USMLE applicants over here start to prepare AFTER they finish their medical career, simply because our curriculum, just as yours, doesnt match the US one.

So my advice on this matter is to start studying hard on your own faculty (despite the different curricula or forms of teaching, they are going to be teaching you the basics of medicine), and after you have completed 3 yrs, then you should consider USMLE.

Thank you for you response.
I am well aware of that . Thats why I am not going to study for the USMLE step 1 with so much extra concentration from the first year. It's going to be divided in the three years and guidance will be needed from American medical student. Obviously my priority will be to do good in my medical exams, however, stuyding lightly for the USMLE wont hurt would it ?
Most of the american students study using an integrative curriculum that seems quite interesting to me. Read one of my post above. In order to follow up the integration I need their assistance i,e to connect between the different fields of medicine and I feel an early contact wouldn't really hurt.

 

[Anastomoses]

I think you're doing yourself a disservice. I've been remarkably surprised at how good a lot of medical curriculums are from foreign schools. You should learn what your school is teaching you. Make sure they are teaching you from good books and that's it.

 

[timmy3]

I am not saying the medical school I am going to is bad. I just feel I wont be active enough. I wish to know hoe you guys study and prepare myself as well. Thats why I am asking for you help from the start. Hope that explained my motives. I also feel that the medical curriculum may be a bit boring. I might be wrong. I will be really happy if it turns out to be exciting as well. However I think it might also help if you guys can provide assistance as well. May be we can know about each other's school. Hope that's not bad thing.

 

[medpack87]

Well yeah, I think I understand what you are trying to do, the problem is that trying to integrate the systems or sciences is going to take you to know a little about everything. So you really will have to go through your basic sciences courses at your faculty before you can start to integrate things.

If you plan to use USMLE STEP 1 resources to integrate everything, you are going to get lost because those are mainly summarized, and they expect you to have previously studied that subject in depth, not in an integrative manner.

My advice would be to check the STEP 1 mos tested subjects after finishing a certain course in your faculty. So for example, you finish pulmonary physiology, and you check which things they ask the most in the STEP1, but you are still going to be lacking knowledge from the other areas.

 

[timmy3]

Well yeah, I think I understand what you are trying to do, the problem is that trying to integrate the systems or sciences is going to take you to know a little about everything. So you really will have to go through your basic sciences courses at your faculty before you can start to integrate things.

If you plan to use USMLE STEP 1 resources to integrate everything, you are going to get lost because those are mainly summarized, and they expect you to have previously studied that subject in depth, not in an integrative manner.

My advice would be to check the STEP 1 mos tested subjects after finishing a certain course in your faculty. So for example, you finish pulmonary physiology, and you check which things they ask the most in the STEP1, but you are still going to be lacking knowledge from the other areas.

Yes, I do agree with you. My first priority would be to finish my medical school examinations, pass them with flying colors and have good foundation knowledge. But the integration is very important for the STEP I exam. Thank you very much for your advice. I shall try to follow it and it is a good one.
I shall post soon hopefully. Please kindly do visit this forum whenever you have the time.

 

[Anastomoses]

Because you have longer - I think your schools don't rush through information as quickly. This is a big bonus to the smart foreign students. Learn your topics in so much depth and you will fall ahead.

 

[honeyrose]

hello.everyone..sorry timmy3 for my enterance but am a med student also with the same coriculum as yours the diffrence is mine is self study not lecture they just give u the topic and u go and read about it...
i need ur help in my prepration for USMLE step 1.and am in the end of the 4th yr..please somebody help me..if anyone interested just PM me to.ask him/her some question to clarify some things for me..
i will.be thankful..
thank you..

 

[HoboCommander]

American med schools don't follow the USMLE cirriculum either, at least not at my school. Half of First Aid looked like new material. You are in the same boat as everyone else.

 

[timmy3]

American med schools don't follow the USMLE cirriculum either, at least not at my school. Half of First Aid looked like new material. You are in the same boat as everyone else.

Oh Dear!
Then I feel that we should help each other if we can...I am willing to make strong bonds of friendship if anyone wants to. We can chat via Skype or talk over Viber if we can make the time. A good study session might be useful as well! The Ovoo Software may even help.

 

[jozeppy26]

After your first year, buy First Aid and Goljan RR Path. annotate the hell out of them with lectures. Although you're in a 6 year program? So I have no clue how that lines up with the basic sciences in the US med schools. :-/ Ok, when you start pathology, make sure you have Goljan and FA.

 

[Anastomoses]

American med schools don't follow the USMLE cirriculum either, at least not at my school. Half of First Aid looked like new material. You are in the same boat as everyone else.

Wait, why is your status premedical?

 

[HoboCommander]

Wait, why is your status premedical?

lol... i joined a long time ago i'm back on this forum because my exams are coming up soon.

 

[timmy3]

Ok So I need good books for Anatomy, Histology and Embryology.
Yes I am in the six year programme. can you guys recommend me excellent books?

 

[timmy3]

HEloooo!!!
Anyone? Please

 

[HoboCommander]

Why do you wwant to practice medicine in aamerica

 

[Brain Bucket]

Ok So I need good books for Anatomy, Histology and Embryology.
Yes I am in the six year programme. can you guys recommend me excellent books?

Whatever your school recommends should work. We used Moore/BRS/Thieme for Anatomy with Lip Q&A - it was overkill but I stuck with this recommendation and did quite will on the shelf, Moore for Embryo (I only used FA for embryo as it's a Pass/Fail course at our school), and the school recommended Junqueira and Wheaters for Histo, but I used BRS and Paulsen (Just the Qs) along with class notes (and killed the shelf).