Ex USMLE I Candidates ..

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S

SYD

Hi there

I have got a specific problm with Kaaplan notes when I have just 6 wks for Step I. :)

I dunno if it is the size of those 3 huge volumes or what..

What I want to know is If I use my own past notes for eg my own Pharm notes from my Med school in Australia and try and do the questions at the end of the Kaplan notes( for each subject ), and probably the Kaplan Q Book will I be doing the right thing. ( I am going to start Q Bank in a week or two after I do a bit of revision)

Any piece of advice is greately appreciated. :p
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Do not use your class notes. They will not focus on what is most important for the USMLE. For Pharm - any resource is fine, although Lippincott's Pharm is the one most widely used and respected.

Class notes are generally a no-no for the USMLE - they are too detailed and do not focus on high yield material.
 
Have a look at First Aid for the USMLE Step 1-- it focuses exclusively on high-yield info for the Step 1. Its an absolute lifesaver.
 
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Stormreaver... ahhh Step 1 advise... the good 'ole days :wink: ...

IMHO... there are 3 subjects that can be virtually mastered for Step 1 purposes using First-Aid alone... they are Pharm, Biochem, and Micro. Memorize these and do tons of mcqs on 'em (about 3 weeks work), and you'll get 95% of these questions right on the exam. Good luck.
 
Yeah, those were fun times over at medschool... Remember the thread about where you had disappeared to after your exam?
 
Yes, First Aid is my Bible uuntil JULY 30 th.

With th Questions I like Qbook, Appleton Lange to Qbank atleast to start with 'cos I can write down a bit with difficult Qs, come back to it and do anything because I know It is going to be on my desk all the time..

But recently I heard Q BAnk is way better.

Anybody has any ideas ??
 
•••quote:•••Originally posted by Stormreaver:
•Yeah, those were fun times over at medschool... Remember the thread about where you had disappeared to after your exam?•••••LOL sure do! There were all kinds of theories... my personal favorite was the one about me being in asylum somewhere crying <img border="0" alt="[Laughy]" title="" src="graemlins/laughy.gif" /> !

I just PMed you...
 
•••quote:•••Originally posted by Dr. Cuts:
•LOL sure do! There were all kinds of theories... my personal favorite was the one about me being in asylum somewhere crying <img border="0" alt="[Laughy]" title="" src="graemlins/laughy.gif" /> !

I just PMed you...•••••I remember that one! It started off something like... the guy who'd done the most MCQs in the history of the USMLE is probably in an asylum etc. etc. There was considerable concern about your whereabouts for nearly 2 weeks! <img border="0" alt="[Laughy]" title="" src="graemlins/laughy.gif" />

SYD:
LOL= Lauging Out Loud
PM= Private Message
 
•••quote:•••Originally posted by Stormreaver:
• •••quote:•••I just PMed you...•••••I remember that one! It started off something like... the guy who'd done the most MCQs in the history of the USMLE is probably in an asylum etc. etc. There was considerable concern about your whereabouts for nearly 2 weeks! <img border="0" alt="[Laughy]" title="" src="graemlins/laughy.gif" />
[/QB]••••ROTFLMAO!

SYD = Rolling On The Floor Laughing MY *ss Off!
 
I dunno what is happening, but 2 messages I posted like 3 hrs ago are missing on the forum ,
Does anybody know why ?

How could they possibly dissapear ?
 
•••quote:•••Originally posted by Dr. Cuts:
•
IMHO... there are 3 subjects that can be virtually mastered for Step 1 purposes using First-Aid alone... they are Pharm, Biochem, and Micro. Memorize these and do tons of mcqs on 'em (about 3 weeks work), and you'll get 95% of these questions right on the exam. Good luck.•••••Is that true, Cuts? Are you basing that on your own test or is that what most people think? I have only talked to one person who took step 1 and his only words of advice were "study pharmacology hard". He said there were tons of molecular structures on his test (!! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="eek.gif" /> ).

I know, I know. Every test is different. But how would you rank the subjects? I've seen similar rankings from many different threads and I'd say the consensus is something like this:

Pathology
Physiology
Microbiology
Pharmacology
Anatomy
Biochem
Behavioral Sciences

I guess you wouldn't agree. Could you rank the subjects according to weight on test and time one should put into the various subjects (relatively)?

I know that's a lot of work but you seem like someone who doesn't mind giving advice.

Thanks.
 
•••quote:•••Originally posted by BellKicker:
•
Pathology
Physiology
Microbiology
Pharmacology
Anatomy
Biochem
Behavioral Sciences
•••••My exam was something like this:

Pathology
Physiology
Pharmacology
Microbiology
Behavioral Sciences
Biochem
Anatomy

And Cuts was pointing out that Pharm micro and Biochem can be almost totally covered from First Aid, while the other can't. I'd agree fully.

Cuts: back to the good ole' days! <img border="0" alt="[Laughy]" title="" src="graemlins/laughy.gif" />
 
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Stormreaver

I tried to do Biochem from First Aid, but found a few dislocated pathways here and there..

How did you overcome this ?

I was thinking if a high yield or something like that in about 100 pages woould be solution ??
 
If you can get someone's copy of Kaplan biochem, there are summaries of the pathways, those are good. I made my own summaries while doing biochem, and I used those in the end to integrate all the pathways.
 
•••quote:•••Originally posted by BellKicker:
He said there were tons of molecular structures on his test (!! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="eek.gif" /> ).
[/QB]••••What? I don't recall a SINGLE molecular structure on Step 1. MCAT yes...but not on the USMLE. Did anyone else have any of these?
 
I know it sounds a bit silly, but I have got the whole Kaplan Notes with me. The size of those volumes just scare me to death. So I don't touch them :)

But I am doing reasonably OK with Path/Miro etc.

Only time I use Kaplan is for BS statistics, I just tore the pages off :p
 
•••quote:•••I don't recall a SINGLE molecular structure on Step 1. MCAT yes...but not on the USMLE. Did anyone else have any of these?••••None for me or anybody I know.

•••quote:••• have got the whole Kaplan Notes with me. ••••Have a look at the biochem section to try to find those metabolism summaries.
 
I will tomorrow, 'cos its already 2.30 Am, though I am having tomorrow off, I think I am nearly done for today.

Will let you know tomorrow if you are going to be around.
 
Good thing about molecular structures :) . I wouldn't know what to do with them. However, that's what I was told.

Stormreaver, you have to explain this to me: The micro and pharm in FA is so simple. What is it? 20 pages with huge print? If those 2 subjects are ranked 3rd and 4th in question representation...... Something doesn't add up, do you know what I mean? And you must admit FA is pretty shallow on those subjects.

It just freaks me out that one person will tell you to read all of Jawetz (Micro) and Katzung (pharm) and another will tell you just to read FA.

I don't know. I'm very nervous about this whole step 1 thing; I'm taking mine in August. I mean, that'll be THE most important test in my whole life. That's gotta make me a little nervous. Woooooh, I need to idle down and think about something else.
 
I posted a long, detailed reply and then lost my internet connection just before I could submit it :mad: !

O.k... I'll try and summarize my opinion...
1) Know your Path.
2) Don't try and predict the compostion of your exam. Know Path, and then study the rest of the subjects equally in proportion to their individual masses, not according to how many questions you think will appear from them on your exam.
3) Do not neglect seemingly "easy" subjects like Behavioral Sciences... remember, a Behavioral question counts just as much as a Path question... and it's probably much easier to study for to get correct.
4) Study the more crammable subjects (Micro, Pharm, Biochem) later from First-Aid. That and mcqs and you'll have them down pat.
5) Pick ONE source for each subject. Use First-Aid alone for your comprehensive review.
6) Do as many mcqs as you have time for... the more the better.

Hope this helps. Good luck.

Stormreaver: The good 'ole days indeed <img border="0" alt="[Laughy]" title="" src="graemlins/laughy.gif" /> !
 
•••quote:•••Originally posted by BellKicker:
•
Stormreaver, you have to explain this to me: The micro and pharm in FA is so simple. What is it? 20 pages with huge print? If those 2 subjects are ranked 3rd and 4th in question representation...... Something doesn't add up, do you know what I mean? And you must admit FA is pretty shallow on those subjects.

It just freaks me out that one person will tell you to read all of Jawetz (Micro) and Katzung (pharm) and another will tell you just to read FA.

I don't know. I'm very nervous about this whole step 1 thing; I'm taking mine in August. I mean, that'll be THE most important test in my whole life. That's gotta make me a little nervous. Woooooh, I need to idle down and think about something else.•••••Well, its all due to time constraints. Initially I did do PharmCards and Jawetz Review to set up a basic background of Pharm and micro, but when push came to shove, I stuck to First Aid. The reason is that while background concepts are fairly important, in the end what slips your mind is teh crammables, and those are exqusitely covered in First Aid. Katzung and the Jawetz textbook are certainly overkill, though.
 
•••quote:•••Originally posted by BellKicker:
•
I mean, that'll be THE most important test in my whole life. That's gotta make me a little nervous. Woooooh, I need to idle down and think about something else.•••••A little bit of perspective...if you decide to stay in the US for residency training and/or become Board Certified, the USMLE will NOT be the most important test in your whole life. You have forgotten about your Board Specialty and licensing exams. Seems to me that these are a little bit more important (and don't even get me started about my fears over the Oral Boards! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="eek.gif" /> )
 
Hmmm... I dunno Kimberly... I'd have to say that for an IMG, Step 1 is indeed the most important test they'll ever take. How one scores on Step 1 will be the strongest factor determining what resideny position/field he'll be eligible for, and IMHO, the field you do your residency in is not the most important thing in life... it IS life. Specialty boards are more of an afterthought (passing is assumed)... just my 2 cents...
 
The way I see it, a bad Step 1 score could shut doors in my face permanently. I can't think of another test where a bad PASSING score could seriously mess up your life. I mean, you can't even re-take it.

Kimberley, I'm WAY too worried about Step 1, Step 2 (oh, and actually graduating from med school), CSA, interviews, visas, moving........Woooooh, once again I need to idle down (where's my Lithium when I need it? :wink: )

Anyway, for me to even consider worriying about specialty licensing would be slightly premature.

Cuts and Stormreaver, that's good advice. I got the point about questions, questions, questions. I'm actually considering signing up for both kaplan qBank and MedRevu. Questions really motivate me.

Now I'm thinking do you even take lithium for panic attacks? Maybe alprazolam, eh? How can I not know that? I went over that **** like 2 days ago!! :mad:

Later.
 
For my money: QBank is waaay, waaay better than Medrevu.

And Kimberly: Cuts is right; a poor performance for an IMG on the Step 1 can mean bye-bye to your dreams of a competitive specialty. One of my classfellows just got a 182 in Step 1 and is wondering what to do with it.
 
•••quote:•••Originally posted by BellKicker:
•

I'm actually considering signing up for both kaplan qBank and MedRevu. Questions really motivate me.

Later.•••••Don't forget about WebPath... there are like 2000 Path mcqs there... not exactly USMLE format... they're somewhat shorter and more to the point, hence can be done at a significantly quicker pace. I did these in conjuntion with memorizing Dr. Goljan's review, and I felt really strong with Path going into the exam.

I think one reason that WebPath is neglected by people is b/c it's free. The ironies of life... I'll bet if they started charging for it, more people would actually use it :p ...

Good luck.
 
Statement retracted. While I would not downplay the importance of specialty boards (everyone does not pass them on the first try), I see that USMLE Step 1 does weigh very heavily in the minds of most, especially IMGs, and in their applications for US residencies.

Please accept my apologies for not thinking this through before I posted.
 
•••quote:•••Originally posted by Dr. Cuts:
Don't forget about WebPath... there are like 2000 Path mcqs there... not exactly USMLE format... they're somewhat shorter and more to the point, hence can be done at a significantly quicker pace. I did these in conjuntion with memorizing Dr. Goljan's review, and I felt really strong with Path going into the exam.

I think one reason that WebPath is neglected by people is b/c it's free. The ironies of life... I'll bet if they started charging for it, more people would actually use it :p ...

Good luck.[/QB]••••Yeah, Webpath is good. Everytime I go there I pray he didn't start charging money. Maybe he just likes the thought of tons of students all over the world being influenced by his wisdom.

Stormreaver, I know that medRevu is weaker than Kaplan; but I think it's better than nothing. I don't think 2000 q's will last me all summer. Especially now with Denmark being knocked out (and Italy today, what's up with that?).

Kimberley, I'm deep into saturation kinetics with stress management. Oral boards worrying will have to wait.

But I do feel your pain! I don't know about Australia but we actually take a lot of our exams orally. I'm not kidding, 50% of all the students are on either caffeine pills or metoprolol (or both).

"Take our exams orally"??! Sounds like a pill or something!
 
•••quote:•••Originally posted by BellKicker:
I don't know about Australia but we actually take a lot of our exams orally. I'm not kidding, 50% of all the students are on either caffeine pills or metoprolol (or both).

"Take our exams orally"??! Sounds like a pill or something![/QB]••••:D We also took many of our exams as orals, so I know what I'm getting into - although I'm told the Surgery oral boards are a bit more aggressive and unpleasant.
 
Kimberly,
And you are in PGY2 now, I think you have planned very well and lied your foot steps very wisely..
Good on you..

So did you do your step I when you were in med school ?? You must have done really well to get into a surgical program :wink:
 
•••quote:•••Originally posted by SYD:
•Kimberly,
And you are in PGY2 now, I think you have planned very well and lied your foot steps very wisely..
Good on you..

So did you do your step I when you were in med school ?? You must have done really well to get into a surgical program :wink: •••••I did Step 1 and 2 during my final year. MY scores were average and slightly above average, respectively. I believe my application had a lot more going for it than just the average scores, coupled with the decrease in popularity in General Surgery.
 
•••quote:•••Originally posted by Kimberli Cox:
•Please accept my apologies for not thinking this through before I posted.•••••Hey, it's alright Kim. :) :) :)

Sweet! That's why you're the Queen!
 
Wing/s

I gathered she is more than just the SDN Queen...

Somebody, who is versatile..

Of course.. :)
 
What is the web site for web path?? Thank you very much for the information. I did not even know it existed.
 
Here it is ..

<a href="http://medlib.med.utah.edu/WebPath/webpath.html" target="_blank">http://medlib.med.utah.edu/WebPath/webpath.html</a>

It should work.
 
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