Best Early Study Method?

[mb6094]

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I want to begin preparation for Step I by studying for about 45min-1hr/day (so that I don't sacrifice my regular classes). Do you think it would be more effective to read review books (currently reading BRS Path @ 1 chapter/day) or to do questions? Also which question source would you use? I recently bought the Robbins Question Book and was thinking about maybe buying Kaplan QBook. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[quideam]

One thing i'm doing concurrently with classes (i'm in the middle of path now, and take the boards late may) is reading BRS Behavioral Sciences a few times a week in the evenings - it's an easy read, with good questions, but there is a lot of information, so i like reading it a little at a time over the next few months. Additionally, as I go through my path, i'm doing all the path, physio, pharm, and any relevant microbio, biochem, and anatomy/embryo in FA and BRS physiology. Besides that, I'm doing Kaplan QBank questions throughout (my goal is an average of about 100 questions per week, but so far i'm only doing about 50).

As for the Robbins Question Book, i think it's great - very in-depth review. Have you tried WebPath yet? Great images, great quizzes, including some questions with path slides.

 

[DOCTORSAIB]

One thing i'm doing concurrently with classes (i'm in the middle of path now, and take the boards late may) is reading BRS Behavioral Sciences a few times a week in the evenings - it's an easy read, with good questions, but there is a lot of information, so i like reading it a little at a time over the next few months. Additionally, as I go through my path, i'm doing all the path, physio, pharm, and any relevant microbio, biochem, and anatomy/embryo in FA and BRS physiology. Besides that, I'm doing Kaplan QBank questions throughout (my goal is an average of about 100 questions per week, but so far i'm only doing about 50).

As for the Robbins Question Book, i think it's great - very in-depth review. Have you tried WebPath yet? Great images, great quizzes, including some questions with path slides.

This is good advice.

To the OP, I'd HIGHLY advise you to sign-up for Kaplan's Qbank (or even Qreview, which is Qbank and IV Qbank). Qbank is probably your best question bank and the one that most students do before taking the exam, so I'd actually save that till the end of your studying. In the meantime, you could always do questions from

1) Robbins question book (these are hard and take time, so do them early), 2) Appleton & Lange
3) NMS (kind of nit-picky)
4) Board Simulator Series (older question set but good learning tool, best if used early)
5) Kaplan's Qbook (availabe everywhere, almost as good as Qbank)
5) Kaplan's IV-Qbank (Integrated Vignettes questions that are good but not great like Qbank). Comes individually or together with Qbank (package called Qreview).

Hope that helps. G'luck.

 

[JulianCrane]

Why don't you like IV Q Bank?

This is good advice.

To the OP, I'd HIGHLY advise you to sign-up for Kaplan's Qbank (or even Qreview, which is Qbank and IV Qbank). Qbank is probably your best question bank and the one that most students do before taking the exam, so I'd actually save that till the end of your studying. In the meantime, you could always do questions from

1) Robbins question book (these are hard and take time, so do them early), 2) Appleton & Lange
3) NMS (kind of nit-picky)
4) Board Simulator Series (older question set but good learning tool, best if used early)
5) Kaplan's Qbook (availabe everywhere, almost as good as Qbank)
5) Kaplan's IV-Qbank (Integrated Vignettes questions that are good but not great like Qbank). Comes individually or together with Qbank (package called Qreview).

Hope that helps. G'luck.

 

[DOCTORSAIB]

Why don't you like IV Q Bank?

I do like IV Qbank and think it's worthwhile. I wouldn't have signed up for it if I didn't. However, based on my research, the questions are too easy sometimes and other times not representative of the way the USMLE asks questions (asking several questions based on the same scenario).

It's still worth doing. It's just not as good as regular Qbank.