Boards Step 1

[Stillwater45]

---

Members don't see this ad.

For those who have taken Step 1...I was wondering how it compares to the MCAT vs. a typical test that you study for (memorizing facts). Is your score dependent on test taking skills, like the MCAT, or is it primarily rote memorization like any test that you would take in college/medschool.

I struggled with the MCAT b/c it was primarliy passage interpretation. I noticed that the Step was stand alone questions which leads me to believe that your score is more determined by the amount of memorization you put into it as apposed to your critical reading skills. Is this off base?

 

[phoenixsupra]

The step 1 exam is a fairly grueling experience. The questions are "stand alone" like you say but many if not most are fairly long. It's definately a headwrecking ordeal. When you get out of there at the end of the day you'll feel like you just went ten rounds with Mike Tyson. You'll have to do plenty of timed practice so that you'll be trained and ready for that endurance task.

That being said NONE of the questions are purely reason based. They all depend on you knowing facts, buzzwords and various minutia. You need to know the material as well as you possibly can. Without a solid factual grounding you're dead in the water. Study, study and more study is what you need. Balanced with training for the actual event as mentioned above.

As for how long to spend studying. Most people talk about, the standard four weeks preparation. Some may actually do this and do well. But most of the people I know who did well, studied for the boards well in advance of the "four weeks". Those four weeks were more or less a revision and final prep for them. Really, the earlier you start, the better. And if you think you might need more time than that, then take more time than that.

Bear in mind that this is just my take on the Step 1. I'm not interested in "defending" this as the only approach. Work hard and prepare well. Good luck. 🙂

 

[automaton]

you need to first know a million facts. then think about how to rephrase what you know in different ways of saying. then think about what's related. then put it all together, or do what i do on qbank - just pick C.

so like let's say person has strep pneumonia. instead of "lobar infiltrate" they'll say the rads monkeys noticed a solid area of opacity on chest x-ray. instead of productive cough they'll say the gomer spit up some yellow stuff. so at this point you're thinking "strep pneumo" but they'll actually ask some stupid crap like how do you make a vaccine against this thing and the answer is something about the 23 capsule types. whoever writes these questions are a**holes.

 

[LAZYGUY]

how do you make a vaccine against this thing and the answer is something about the 23 capsule types. whoever writes these questions are a**holes.

are you referring to a polyvalent vaccine providing protection against 23 different serotypes of strep. pneumo? (pneumovax?)

thats really picky, is that kaplan q-bank? Some people have commented that the real thing is no where close to that picky.

 

[automaton]

yeah i guess so

 

[Loopo Henle]

I studied for that monster intensively for three weeks, and did all of Q-bank. When I left the test, I felt that I could have studied another three weeks and not done a lick better. The amount of material that they could test you on is beyond the reach of any mortal mind so memorization is not going to help too much. Paying attention the first two years and being able to dredge seemingly useless crap up is probably your best prep. Some of the questions are extremely easy, and some are impossible. Don't get hung up too much on any one question. Time is of essence with this test as it was with the MCAT. It is an exhausting experience. Bring some lunch and take a few breaks between test blocks. I think as a medical student you are better prepared for step one than you are prepared for the MCAT as an undergraduate. You have probably seen all of the stuff on step one at one point or another. I felt like my entire verbal comprehension section of the MCAT was written by an economics professor. Hope this helps, and good luck.

 

[LAZYGUY]

I studied for that monster intensively for three weeks, and did all of Q-bank. When I left the test, I felt that I could have studied another three weeks and not done a lick better. The amount of material that they could test you on is beyond the reach of any mortal mind so memorization is not going to help too much. Paying attention the first two years and being able to dredge seemingly useless crap up is probably your best prep. Some of the questions are extremely easy, and some are impossible. Don't get hung up too much on any one question. Time is of essence with this test as it was with the MCAT. It is an exhausting experience. Bring some lunch and take a few breaks between test blocks. I think as a medical student you are better prepared for step one than you are prepared for the MCAT as an undergraduate. You have probably seen all of the stuff on step one at one point or another. I felt like my entire verbal comprehension section of the MCAT was written by an economics professor. Hope this helps, and good luck.

damn

 

[Winged Scapula]

Moving to USMLE Forum...