Choosing your USMLE date?

[Shwinster]

I was just wondering when people usually book their Step 1 exam in the summer. From what I have read, people usually write their exam 4-7 weeks after their 2nd year is over. Why would people not want to write their exam sometime in late August and get 3 1/2 months of studying? Do some people actually do this and wouldn't this potentially improve scores? Are they time limits in which you can write your exam after 2nd year?

Also I was wondering how many people actually take a course to prepare for the exam? If you do take a course did you find that a structured learning environment and classmates helps to keep you on track and motivated respectively? I found this was true for the MCAT.

Thanks for your replies.

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[smq123]

From what I have read, people usually write their exam 4-7 weeks after their 2nd year is over. Why would people not want to write their exam sometime in late August and get 3 1/2 months of studying?

Burn out.

Most people in the US take it before they start third year. Third year is very demanding and time-consuming - most people would like SOME rest and vacation between Step 1 and third year.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

Burn out.

Most people in the US take it before they start third year. Third year is very demanding and time-consuming - most people would like SOME rest and vacation between Step 1 and third year.

This is what I've heard, too. My school only gives us about 6 weeks total to prepare, and the 3rd years I've heard from who took the whole period wished they took their tests sooner.

 

[ubun21]

I would love to study till August, but my rotations are starting in June, and I don't think I can get much studying done during rotations.

 

[MikeyLu2010]

our rotations start june 30th..with hospital orientations the week prior...so its not feasible to have to study during rotations.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

My school requires us to take it by June 30, and then we start rotations July 7. I kind of thought that was the norm, but it looks like lots of schools give more flexibility. Not like I'd want it, but it's interesting.

 

[PeepshowJohnny]

Our school requires you take Step 1 before starting third year. I took it about a week before the cut off date to give me a little time off.

I've said it before and been disagreed with, but I really don't see much benefit studying longer than six weeks, maybe stretching it out to two months. At that point you're losing information at the same rate you're gaining it and just wasting your time.

 

[njbmd]

Our school requires you take Step 1 before starting third year. I took it about a week before the cut off date to give me a little time off.

I've said it before and been disagreed with, but I really don't see much benefit studying longer than six weeks, maybe stretching it out to two months. At that point you're losing information at the same rate you're gaining it and just wasting your time.

My school required a passing score on USMLE Step I before beginning third-year rotations. Since our third year started August 1st, we could not take Step I later than the second week of July so as to be no more than a week late starting rotations. They would let you start your first rotation if you had taken the exam by the second week of July but if you failed, you were pulled from your rotations and enrolled in a review course (school's choice).

If you had a paid/honors fellowship, you were required to take Step I by the third week of May in order to report for your fellowship. I fell into this category and took Step I the Monday of the second week in May after our classes had ended on April 28th. This meant that I reviewed about two weeks for Step I. By the end of those two weeks, I was thoroughly saturated and could not have looked at another Q-Bank question.

Most of the people in my class took Step I the second or third week of June so that if they failed, they had another shot before rotations started or they would be able to retake and only miss one rotation.