distressed, studying for step 1

[HiddenTruth]

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Hey all, so I've been trying to study for boards, but's going SO slow. I don't take it until the end of may/begn of june, but I had a weak path knowledge so im studyign path these days but it's going so ridicolously slow. I had aimed to get the stars book (goljan) and brs done in 2 wks, but it will be 3 wks before i get done. I don't know how im gonna remember and KNOW everything even with the time i have. Theres jus' so much detail. I am hoping the second time around through these books will be a lot quicker and will stick a lot better. I really have high goals for my score, but i feel like it's almost impossible to know everything (even in those review books) and do really well (props to all of u who have torn it up). I usuaually can "feel it" when i know everything that im studying (meaning, after going thru it usually 3 or 4 times), but there is jus' so much. I have all day too without any commitments with school (except once/wk clinic), but i still am running behind my sched. Any advice? Any comments would be really appreciated, esp from those who have done really well and had an advanced start. Thanks so much.

 

[trouta]

My major point of advice would be know First Aid COLD. Before you bother with other books make sure you know that book. I know it sounds impossible, but it is true. That book has so much info tucked in there that if you know all of that you will be doing really well. Too many other books is just distracting and overwhelming. This test is only partially about minutae. Dont get bogged down. Start with a very basic overview (First Aid) and only go to the other sources if there is something you dont understand (biochem) or you feel is really deficient (anatomy, behavioral sci).

The last thing is... dont stress about it. You will do fine if you put your mind to it.

 

[Mike59]

Hiddentruth,

I feel equally overwhelmed and am also learning alot of this for the first time (at least it seems like it)..One thing that I'm doing is focusing on practice questions and then going backwards to the text if I don't know the answer.
That puts things in a clinical context (much like the questions will be) and makes things more memorable. But I second trouta to memorize FA...Many people seem to be dissing it but if you truly examine each section there's a ton crammed into that book, even in the biochem/anatomy/physiology sections, it just takes time and some organizing in your head...

Best of luck!

 

[Long Dong]

I feel your pain, it just seems like so much info that you can never really master it. With trying to keep up for class there is like almost no time to study for boards, and when I do study for boards I forget the next week what I studied for class or vice versa. 🙁

 

[PTOSIS]

i feel like 80 % of info i am learning like it's new because i either forgot it or it was not presented to me in a lgical way. god bless goljan! he is helping me put things together!

 

[carrigallen]

I barely passed anatomy and embryology, so I will have a lot of trouble with those subjects.

 

[IOE]

hey all...i am on the same boat as all of u...there is just no time to do well in school and study for the boards efficiently at the same time!!!! i'm sitting for it by end of june/beg of july...i tried the first aid approach for a while but it just seemed soo...i dunno how to put but it felt so inadequate....i went by memorizing 2 pages a day for a month but then i quit. My senior advisors told me to study for it using other sources and then hit the FA hard in the last two or three weeks before the exam just to make sure i got all the basics down. Their arguement was tht if u know FA very very WELL u are guaranteed to pass but it'll be very difficult to score high...to get a decent score u need the extra info thts not included in FA. To all of u out there who did well please advise!

Oh by the way right now i using kaplan material (the online lecture series + the books), BRS path & physio, Lippincott for pharm, and micro made redic. simple.

all the best to all of u

Peace