Best Way to Study for Step I After 1st Year?

[Doctora Foxy]

How can I get started this summer?

(and yes, trust me, I really need to start now...)

I bought those used gold standard CDs where a guy lectures you and you just listen, so I can passively study while I'm cleaning, etc...

Should I just go over stuff I didn't do so well on during first year?

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[mikegoal]

i would say dont bother just because you are going to forget everything anyway. If anything study the more concept based things like physiology. The best thing to do is during 2nd year just review the 1st year stuff when you are doing that topic in 2nd year( renal physiology and anatomy when doing renal path and diuretics)

 

[ajl102]

going over board review books with each block works well, if you have time. it might actually SAVE you some time with your more detailed reading by giving you a basic vocabulary to work with, a more broad framework. a lot of questions second year are "what is the most common cause of...." - this is also big on the boards and will be stressed in board review books.

 

[Jalby]

Originally posted by mikegoal
i would say dont bother just because you are going to forget everything anyway. If anything study the more concept based things like physiology. The best thing to do is during 2nd year just review the 1st year stuff when you are doing that topic in 2nd year( renal physiology and anatomy when doing renal path and diuretics)

Costanza (The person who wrote BRS Physio) wrote a more in depth version where you can understand everything. I'd buy that and read it a few times.

 

[DrQuinn]

I agree with Mikegoal,
study basic physiology (especially cardio), that is pretty high yield, and actually in 2nd year you'll be ahead of the game (especiall with digitalis, CHF, etc). Good luck! Enjoy yoru summer off.

Q

 

[pathstudent]

if you are shooting for a 260.,,

Study every day from 8am-11pm with only two 45 minute breaks.

Memorize path BRS and do all questions from Robbins text.
Memorize Lange Review of Micro and Immuno
Memorize Lange review of Pharm (or lippencot)
Memorize Lippencot Review of Biochem'
Memorize HY Anatomy, Embryo, Histo and Neuro,
Memorize BRS Physio (this is actually the weak link but it is still the best reveiew)

Then the last three days go over all of first aid.

Do 2 hours of Kaplan per day the previous few weeks.

Hopefully you have retained some minutia from the past two years.

You will rock the test with a 250 or higher as I did.

 

[Iron Horse]

Originally posted by Jalby
Costanza (The person who wrote BRS Physio) wrote a more in depth version where you can understand everything. I'd buy that and read it a few times.

While I haven't taken Step 1 yet, Costanzo's Physiology paperback text is excellent and I can see why Jalby recommends it so highly. It's very clearly and concisely written, has excellent diagrams, and has some helpful clinical perspective, even though it's a first year text.

 

[Clip]

One of the best things you could probably do to improve your second year and step 1 performance is to have a good summer. Killing yourself studying right now will lead to burn out later.

Instead do something interesting -- if you want to do something medical, how about research or a preceptorship or go on a trip somewhere you have always wanted to go or read those non-medical books that you haven't gotten around to yet.

If you insist on studying, a review of physiology will probably be your best option. I second the opinion that BRS physiology is good for this -- I'm winding up my M3 year and I still pull this out to review every now and then. The BRS physiology case book is also a good investment.

 

[doc05]

If you are hard-set on having NO FUN during your last free summer EVER, I'd still say you shouldn't study.

Even so, the best thing to do is to go over things you didn't learn so well during 1st year (e.g. many schools don't do embryo so well). That's about it.

Trying to do a focussed review for step 1 prior to 2nd year is foolish. And don't study any physiology over the summer. During 2nd year, you will end up reviewing everything you need to know when you go over all the PATHO-physiology.

As someone else has already said, you should take it easy this summer. That way you'll be all fired up by the time your MS2 year begins, and that will go a long way toward preparing you for the boards.

 

[felicia2001uk]