USMLE Class Attitudes about Starting Step 1 Study

[hockeyguy20]

---

Members don't see this ad.

I'm about to be an MS2 in the fall. I am curious about peoples' opinions and experiences regarding the perception of Step 1 in first year, and the best way to go about preparing for it.

Some background: I'm in the WWAMI program at U. Washington. It's necessary for me to give myself away because I need to provide some context to this post. Our first year site is only 20 people even if the whole class size is around the 240 range. We all got to know each other really well. Starting in about October, some of the more aggressive people began beating their chests about studying for Step 1 during the school year (approximately 20 months in advance), though no one actually did it. Near the end of the year, many of the same people were really aggressive about saying they were going to study for the exam starting this summer. I have no idea if anyone followed through since we all went separate ways for summer projects.

Now I'm no education expert, but it seems to me that studying for an exam of that magnitude (at least half of the material we haven't seen yet) this early seems like a good way to burn out, forget things, and just sounds totally unreasonable. Then again, maybe I'm way off base.

What have other folks heard about when to prepare for Step 1, and is something really wrong with my class or is this kind of posturing normal?

Edit: we have been getting blown up by Firecracker since last Fall which I think has put the pressure on us more to "start studying" now.

 

[Brain Bucket]

Perfectly normal. The really quiet ones usually do best.

Go over the experience threads and you'll get a good feel for what's needed. The best way to prepare for anything and prevent burnout (I don't believe in this concept) is to plan well and often.

 

[001100010010011]

Don't let the marketing teams for FC, DIT (this one, especially), or Kaplan guide your study plan. Read the experience thread for 2014 and create a study plan that works for you. If you want to start studying in the summer then only go over topics that were covered during M1 and were difficult for you.

Anything beyond that is going to be overkill unless it's FC review of previously covered topics. Also, start putting together a list of study materials (or buying books) that are highly rated by students here. Make sure you don't get every single book, just ones tailored to what you need.

One more thing: PM people if you're curious about their plan/experience. Generally, people are helpful and eager to give advice/share their experiences.

 

[Psai]

Tell those people to shove it. Pay attention in class, do pathoma and usmlerx questions during second year and you'll be fine

 

[Missorleans]

That thing happens everywhere. Focus on doing really well in your classes and understanding everything well as you go through it the first time. Read first aid as you go through systems in class. I wouldn't take more than 6 weeks to study intensely for step.

 

[J ROD]

I would use Pathoma through second yr and 2nd semester start looking over FA and doing some Rx. I really did not do that and it would have helped. We had so much clinical crap to do that I had to worry about classes more than prep.

 

[Apoplexy__]

I agree with the above posters. The people who were more quiet about their prep in my class completely outperformed some of those chest-beaters. There's this one guy in my class that would be reading FA during lectures starting around the 5th freakin week of medical school. Well, let's just say maybe he should have been paying more attention to the lectures he was in.

If you're really anxious or insecure about not prepping already, you're far better off reviewing board-pertinent things you learned already (watch the Pathoma of what you've covered, read the FA, or start going through Goljan lectures during drives) than to learn anything new.

 

[hockeyguy20]

I appreciate everyone's feedback so far. Thank you. What you guys have said seems to fly with what the UW website has said about how students have prepared for/done well on the exam in the past. Nowhere have they suggested starting to study 18 months out.

 

[Etorphine]

in m1-m2, there were a lot of people that were quick to say what was a good or bad strategy with little evidence to back them up.

pay close attention to the step 1 experience thread, especially to the people that just finished. take everyone's advice with a grain of salt, including my own. even if it is accurate, have to ask yourself if it is truly the best advice.

 

[Modeselektor]

You shouldn't sacrifice your grades for step 1. Once you're hitting the required scores there are diminishing returns to the score's utility and other factors will get you a leg up instead. You can look at the NRMP match data to see that each residency has their threshold level of a required score, and after that other factors become more important. We all like to chase 270, but the truth of the matter is required scores + honors + extra participation/involvement will get you pretty much anything.

Like others have said, pathoma (vids), FA and UsmleRX are your friend before you get to dedicated prep time. You have a huge amount of time to get through Rx, use it. At the most, make sure by the time your dedicated prep time has started, you understand everything in FA (not memorized but understood).

Step 1 isn't as bad as everyone makes it out to be. You understand the book, reread it until all the concepts are in your head, memorize some bull**** (2nd messengers of hormones, cell markers, etc) , practice applying it with questions until you've reached the predicted score you want, write the test, freak out for 4 weeks, sacrifice a virgin to cthulhu, and then you get the score you were predicted to get.