Can someone help me make a game plan?

[artist27]

So after having a mini breakdown I'm realizing I don't know what the hell I am doing and need some help preparing for step. I am most likely taking end of May early June but who knows at this point. Ever since the lockdown my schedule is just all over the place and now I'm at a lost point where I don't know what to focus on.
This is where I stand-
Zanki + lolnotacop: 88% complete, 35% mature, 10,000 overdue cards
UWorld: A little more than half way done with an average of 60%. I haven't done any other test banks or practice tests yet.
So basically how screwed am I and how should I proceed in unscrewing myself? I currently am doing 50 UWorld a day, 200 new anki cards, and an hours worth of reviews each day. I am aiming to go through my incorrects in Uworld again. Any advice appreciated.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[longhaul3]

Have you taken any baseline exams? You should do an NBME practice exam ASAP under timed, closed-book conditions to figure out where you are. From there you can figure out how badly you need to panic and what you should be focusing on. I think it's most productive to use UWorld to study by subject, 20-40 questions per block, however many blocks a day you need to get to your test date. Spend an hour reviewing the First Aid chapter on whatever system you're working on, then do questions on that system. Review the answers carefully. For big chapters, break the blocks down into pathology, pharmacology, whatever. Rinse and repeat until you get to the next system. Set a schedule, wake up at 8, work from 9-12, take lunch, work from 1-4, take a break, work from 7-10 or whatever. Make a content calendar so that you know in advance what topics you're going to be doing for your morning, afternoon, evening blocks.

If you have, say, 6 weeks before your exam, take another NBME practice exam every 10 days or so. Take one of the UWorld self-assessments when you finish the question bank. Then review your incorrect questions using the same process, and take the other self-assessment once you finish. Do the free practice test from NBME some time near your exam date.

I never used Anki so I can't comment on that. Most important thing is to figure out where you stand at this moment, as objectively as possible, then make an organized study plan, and track your progress.

 

[CyrusHabs7695]

Have you taken any baseline exams? You should do an NBME practice exam ASAP under timed, closed-book conditions to figure out where you are. From there you can figure out how badly you need to panic and what you should be focusing on. I think it's most productive to use UWorld to study by subject, 20-40 questions per block, however many blocks a day you need to get to your test date. Spend an hour reviewing the First Aid chapter on whatever system you're working on, then do questions on that system. Review the answers carefully. For big chapters, break the blocks down into pathology, pharmacology, whatever. Rinse and repeat until you get to the next system. Set a schedule, wake up at 8, work from 9-12, take lunch, work from 1-4, take a break, work from 7-10 or whatever. Make a content calendar so that you know in advance what topics you're going to be doing for your morning, afternoon, evening blocks.

If you have, say, 6 weeks before your exam, take another NBME practice exam every 10 days or so. Take one of the UWorld self-assessments when you finish the question bank. Then review your incorrect questions using the same process, and take the other self-assessment once you finish. Do the free practice test from NBME some time near your exam date.

I never used Anki so I can't comment on that. Most important thing is to figure out where you stand at this moment, as objectively as possible, then make an organized study plan, and track your progress.

Most people disagree with this, since the real thing is not broken down into sections like that. Maybe use Rx or something to go by section

 

[longhaul3]

Most people disagree with this, since the real thing is not broken down into sections like that. Maybe use Rx or something to go by section

That's reasonable. IMO the benefits of being organized and primed to go in depth on one subject outweigh that, and you're still taking 6+ whole practice exams to work on the random format and simulate exam conditions. I think there's a difference between studying and practicing, and it's important to do both.

I used your approach when I took Step 2 and didn't care anymore, and it did work out just fine too.

Most importantly, though, OP needs to take a practice exam and get organized stat.

 

[hungrydoc710]

It sounds like you are cramming Zanki and that's the opposite point of Anki in general.

Forget trying to do new Zanki.
Keep up with micro and pharm part of AnKing, continue with other parts of Zanki you like (for me it was bchem and msk).
If you really want a path deck, do Duke's - I love it.

Do more UW - learn from it. Watch BnB, read FA.
You should be spending 2.5 hrs per block, which should be random and timed other % is meaningless.

Rinse, repeat.

Maybe push exam to July - although 60% is fine (if done on random timed)...
Just keek ggoing and see where you are come end of the month.