How can I get 100% on USMLE Step 1? I have 6 months to study. (I’m an IMG)

[RN1]

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Hi,
I want to get 100% correct answers on USMLE step 1. I have 6 months to study (3 months with classes and 3 months free). I am an IMG.

During the 3 months where I have classes I will be able to study for the USMLE at least 3 hours every day. My plan is to read Kaplan USMLE Step 1 lecture notes (7 books) (does anyone know where to buy it?) but instead of reading their pathology book I will read RR Pathology (Goljan). Do I have enough time to do this?

After this I will take NBME (which one should I take?).

When the next 3 months start, I can study 12 hours or more every day. I will use these books:

I’m sure that I will use these books:
FA
RR Path
BRS Phys
CMMRS (clinical micro made ridiculously simple)

I’m uncertain about these books:
HY Cell and molecular biology (I have the new version - I know you use the old version, so should I skip certain parts that are not USMLE relevant in the new version?)
USMLE Roadmap Pharm
HY Neuroanatomy (I will probably get this)
I still need a book for biostats, behavioural, immuno, anatomy, biochem and embryo. Which ones are recommended? Have I missed something?

Question banks:
USMLEWORLD – I will use this
Kaplan Qbank – is it worth it?
What are other good question sources? In old topics, people talk about question books that they used. Which ones are the best?

How I will study:
I will use the “Taus Method” but should I modify it because I’m studying for such a long time (3 months)? Using this method, you only read our review books one time and then only use FA. Have I understood this correctly and should I do it?

I also want to ask you what “mistake” you made while studying so you didn’t get 100% correct (or the highest possible score).

Are there any other suggestions? I’m open to change every aspect of my plan.

Thanks

 

[Pollux]

I guess I answered the question wrong for this crowd, but my answer remains correct. You can't review your way out of lazy habits.
Review is just that-- a review. The better you know the material, the better your review will be. Those people who score well learned the material very well initially. And reviewed effectively.

I bought Guyton and maybe used it 5 times in the first two years of med school, mostly for looking up random physiology minutiae from PBL discussions. I read Robbins Basic Pathology in MS2 and it was the biggest waste of time; I wish I had never done it in retrospect. I relied almost exclusively on review books and did very well on the step 1. Just wanted to point out that it's possible to ace the boards without ever cracking open a textbook.

 

[ofoshoukno]

if you get 100% correct it would be like bowling a 300. Balloons would fall from the ceiling of the test center.

hahhahahahahahahahhahahah

 

[ofoshoukno]

That's weird, I know a Pakistani IMG who got a 276/99 2 years ago. I wonder if it's the same guy. He is at Stanford Neurosurgery since July.

Jeez, the guy could have at least picked a easier and laid back lifestyle instead of spending a decade of his life in residency.

 

[Captopril]

Jeez, the guy could have at least picked a easier and laid back lifestyle instead of spending a decade of his life in residency.

Sometimes, it's for the love of the game.

 

[Guyton Killah]

Hi,
I want to get 100% correct answers on USMLE step 1. I have 6 months to study (3 months with classes and 3 months free). I am an IMG.

During the 3 months where I have classes I will be able to study for the USMLE at least 3 hours every day. My plan is to read Kaplan USMLE Step 1 lecture notes (7 books) (does anyone know where to buy it?) but instead of reading their pathology book I will read RR Pathology (Goljan). Do I have enough time to do this?

After this I will take NBME (which one should I take?).

When the next 3 months start, I can study 12 hours or more every day. I will use these books:

I’m sure that I will use these books:
FA
RR Path
BRS Phys
CMMRS (clinical micro made ridiculously simple)

I’m uncertain about these books:
HY Cell and molecular biology (I have the new version - I know you use the old version, so should I skip certain parts that are not USMLE relevant in the new version?)
USMLE Roadmap Pharm
HY Neuroanatomy (I will probably get this)
I still need a book for biostats, behavioural, immuno, anatomy, biochem and embryo. Which ones are recommended? Have I missed something?

Question banks:
USMLEWORLD – I will use this
Kaplan Qbank – is it worth it?
What are other good question sources? In old topics, people talk about question books that they used. Which ones are the best?

How I will study:
I will use the “Taus Method” but should I modify it because I’m studying for such a long time (3 months)? Using this method, you only read our review books one time and then only use FA. Have I understood this correctly and should I do it?

I also want to ask you what “mistake” you made while studying so you didn’t get 100% correct (or the highest possible score).

Are there any other suggestions? I’m open to change every aspect of my plan.

Thanks

Way to go buddy👍. how is it going (prep)?

 

[absolutjag9]

What I mean is, my professors at AUC had no insight on USMLE content compared to US professors.
My experience in medschool was to learn as much as I could about a subject. For instance, micro, test came right out of the class notes.
My teacher was not that great so I studied the hell out of the book, reviewed my classnotes once the night before a test, late at night and got low 90's in the class, however I came out of the class knowing more micro than anyone else there.
What I meant to say is study the classic texts during med school, use review books to review.
I did well because I had studied Robbins so much during med school.
I literally read the chapters over and over. I remember being up at 2am studying salivary gland pathology. My first day in clinicals, I go to clinic and there is a patient with sarcoidosis with parotid gland involvement which I correctly IDd as Mikulizs(sp?) syndrome. Robbins helped me get off to a great start in Clinicals too, to say the least, because after that I was golden.
To summarize my advice. I'm an IMG. The key for an IMG to do well on the USMLE is to spend 2 years preparing and that starts by knowing Robbins and Guyton inside out. Whether you can apply it on the test will be a matter of your intelligence.

thanks for your insight. im at uag in mexico and ppl think i am crazy for reading the actual textbooks instead of utilizing the review books (i'm in my first semester here). at auc, did you guys have to take a kaplan prep course?

 

[Captopril]

thanks for your insight. im at uag in mexico and ppl think i am crazy for reading the actual textbooks instead of utilizing the review books (i'm in my first semester here). at auc, did you guys have to take a kaplan prep course?

UAG is a stop codon. I'm just sayin.

 

[absolutjag9]

UAG is a stop codon. I'm just sayin.

as are uaa and uga, homes... 😛

i go to universidad autonoma de guadalajara

 

[Captopril]

as are uaa and uga, homes... 😛

i go to universidad autonoma de guadalajara

Ya believe it or not my biochem instructor taught us stop codons by associating them with the following institutions:
UGA: univ of Georgia
UAA: univ of Alaska, anchorage
UAG: univ autonoma de Guadalajara

 

[future_dr_house]

Ya believe it or not my biochem instructor taught us stop codons by associating them with the following institutions:
UGA: univ of Georgia
UAA: univ of Alaska, anchorage
UAG: univ autonoma de Guadalajara

Speaking of stop codons, can we please stop w/ the stop codon nonsense (sorry had to throw in the pun)

 

[DeeJay2728]

I start UAG in July!!! Nice to see you here absolutjag9 *high five*. It's NYC2UAG from VMD!!!

 

[ucsfstudents]

Good luck. Just stay focused and keep a positive attitude. 🙂