how do you guys fit in boards study with 2nd year?

[crys20]

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i was curious as to how people budgeted their time between studying for their current year 2 classes and doing boards-directed study. I have struggled with this (ie not done it) up to this point, but with 6 months til the boards and half of year 2 to go, I am determined to start devoting some time to boards. What is the best way to do this? I have gotten the hang, finally, of annotating review books and doing practice questions along with the material I'm studying in class, but want to start to devoting some time to stuff I haven't done anything with (boards review wise) - primarily first year stuff (anatomy, biochem, micro, immuno). How many hours per day/week should I allow for doing these subjects? I'm also trying to do reeeally well in class, so it's such a struggle to give up time when I want to be studying the material for class harder, but I know boards is more important.

 

[Law2Doc]

i was curious as to how people budgeted their time between studying for their current year 2 classes and doing boards-directed study. I have struggled with this (ie not done it) up to this point, but with 6 months til the boards and half of year 2 to go, I am determined to start devoting some time to boards. What is the best way to do this? I have gotten the hang, finally, of annotating review books and doing practice questions along with the material I'm studying in class, but want to start to devoting some time to stuff I haven't done anything with (boards review wise) - primarily first year stuff (anatomy, biochem, micro, immuno). How many hours per day/week should I allow for doing these subjects? I'm also trying to do reeeally well in class, so it's such a struggle to give up time when I want to be studying the material for class harder, but I know boards is more important.

Doing well in your courses is the best form of studying for the boards. Then at the end of second year, you will want to spend 4-6 intense weeks of doing more board specific review. If you really locked in a lot of the info during the classes, it will actually be review. Some people squeeze in some FA and rely partly on board review type books earlier along the way. But it's less important to do board specific studying than to do class specific studying -- the amount of overlap will be huge.

 

[DOCTORSAIB]

i was curious as to how people budgeted their time between studying for their current year 2 classes and doing boards-directed study. I have struggled with this (ie not done it) up to this point, but with 6 months til the boards and half of year 2 to go, I am determined to start devoting some time to boards. What is the best way to do this? I have gotten the hang, finally, of annotating review books and doing practice questions along with the material I'm studying in class, but want to start to devoting some time to stuff I haven't done anything with (boards review wise) - primarily first year stuff (anatomy, biochem, micro, immuno). How many hours per day/week should I allow for doing these subjects? I'm also trying to do reeeally well in class, so it's such a struggle to give up time when I want to be studying the material for class harder, but I know boards is more important.

Are you going to every lecture? If so, skipping lecture is a excellent way to free up more time. You can do a few hours of boards review as well as study for class (and sleep 7.5 hours).

 

[UCLAstudent]

Yes, Law2Doc is right. Focus on doing really well in your courses for now --- that is the number 1 best preparation. I didn't touch a boards review book until 6 weeks before my test.

 

[SoCuteMD]

I did not study for the boards AT ALL until my 2nd year finals were over. I was thrilled with my board score and thrilled with my end-of-year grades.

If you don't believe me, then believe UCLAstudent!

 

[mudphudwannabe]

I'll join the choir. I didn't do any dedicated boards studying during classes, although I did have a "boards study group" that met for about 1-1.5 hours every week after spring break to go through the 150 questions. I didn't do any preparation for that though. I studied for 3 weeks after exams, and very much exceeded my expectations score-wise. I think a little bit of boards studying during 2nd year is ok, as long as it isn't distracting you from your classes. Think of your 2nd year classes as building a foundation. They may not teach you everything you need to know for the boards, but it will give you the conceptual framework for your review later.

 

[lord_jeebus]

I started slow and early and that worked for me.

However, the key was not going to class so I had time for both. I didn't spend less time studying for ongoing classes, I just worked harder.

 

[PeepshowJohnny]

Yes, Law2Doc is right. Focus on doing really well in your courses for now --- that is the number 1 best preparation. I didn't touch a boards review book until 6 weeks before my test.

I thought board prep books are great for early studying of second year topics, to give you a framework for a subject, before you get more intense. However, I definitely agree. Your studying for boards is doing well second year.

 

[lankysudanese]

I second everything that has been said in this thread so far.
I concentrated on studying for class during MS2, and only worried about board prep after I got my MS2 grades. I also felt that focusing on class material had a positive impact on my Step 1 score.

That being said, check out Pinkertinkle's post on how he focused on board prep during 2nd year, and made it a priority over class material:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?p=6033669#post6033669

 

[crys20]

Oh man I think you guys are probably wayyy smarter than me, I feel like I know nothing from previous classes despite doing pretty well in them, for the most part, thru med school....But thanks for all the advice 🙂

 

[Law2Doc]

Oh man I think you guys are probably wayyy smarter than me, I feel like I know nothing from previous classes despite doing pretty well in them, for the most part, thru med school....But thanks for all the advice 🙂

You will find you remember more than you think, once you start refreshing your memory.

 

[gluon999]

I am thinking of doing about an hour of board review everyday till classes end. And after that, spending approx. 7 weeks on intense board prep. And I plan to attend most classes (depending on how good the professor is).

I think that should be enough to get a nice score (235+).

 

[Law2Doc]

I think that should be enough to get a nice score (235+).

I wouldn't start putting a number to it until you see how you do on NBMEs, qbank/World problems and the like. At this stage it's sort of like jogging a few miles a day and declaring yourself competitive for the NY Marathon.

 

[gluon999]

I wouldn't start putting a number to it until you see how you do on NBMEs, qbank/World problems and the like. At this stage it's sort of like jogging a few miles a day and declaring yourself competitive for the NY Marathon.

Haha, forgot to add that I have been doing Kaplan Qbank questions since last semester and seeing progress. So there you go, I think I am ready for the NY Marathon

 

[Law2Doc]

Haha, forgot to add that I have been doing Kaplan Qbank questions since last semester and seeing progress. So there you go, I think I am ready for the NY Marathon

Keep up the good work, but don't count those chickens until they are hatched, dismembered and fried up with the Colonel's original recipe. 👍

 

[mm3781]

I'll second UCLAstudent and others by agreeing that knowing your 2nd year material is the best way. I would take our class notes from renal for example and then read my Lippincott and Lange pharm books and big Robbins to read about things not covered in class, and then I would annotate my BRS pathology book as well as made my own set of notes with everything combined from big Robbins, pharm books, and class notes (it takes a LOT of time, but these notes are like gold to me- anytime I have a question I can go right to my notes and find what I need). As far as for Qbank, I would say do NOT do it by organ system or whatever, only do blocks of 50 random questions (if you are trying to simulate the real situation). Honestly though, if you learn the material really well and in depth the first time around, it will be mostly a review of 2nd year stuff along with adding in the biochem and microbiology you forgot.

 

[Long Dong]

That being said, check out Pinkertinkle's post on how he focused on board prep during 2nd year, and made it a priority over class material:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?p=6033669#post6033669

I did this as well and started board studying 6 months before the exam. The others who didn't study until after class got out are just super smart and probably would of done well no matter what. But if you have lots of brain farts like I do then begining earlier would be a wiser choice if you want to do really well.

 

[crys20]

Well, LD I think I'm planning on emulating you for the step, after reading of many of your posts....And I think that was the lamest thing I've ever said! Got the BSS and everything. 🙂

Did you find it was detrimental to your MSII grades to study 2 hrs/day 5 days a week though? We have a rank, and I am a total lame wad and am trying to cruise up to perhaps have a chance at AOA someday (started out school verrrry poorly so am very psyched to be around 30 at this point)...I have a hard enough time getting the grades I like to get studying full time you know...But then again, I do sleep until noon every day, so maybe I can change that 🙂

 

[njbmd]

You study for your coursework and REVIEW for USMLE. You can't review what you haven't learned in the first place. I didn't touch any Step I materials until my second year classes ended and then I used Q-Bank. Took Step I the third week in May (my classes ended on the last day of April) and scored very well but I had done extremely well in my coursework. In short, I knew it well.

 

[Terpskins99]

Are you going to every lecture? If so, skipping lecture is a excellent way to free up more time. You can do a few hours of boards review as well as study for class (and sleep 7.5 hours).

If you're already skipping lecture and doing well in class, this is fine. But if you haven't... I don't recommend starting.

I'm going to echo a couple of other people's responses in recommending that you keep studying your class material and not let board prep take away from that (if anything, incorporate it). Second semester MS2 material is STILL board relevant, so studying hard for class will help prepare you for boards (frankly, this is the most tried and true method that works for the vast majority of medical students). Use review books to REALLY hammer down the important points of the class material you're studying now. This way, you learn it right the first time... get a great grade for class... plus you won't have to study that material much once you get into full board prep mode. I took this approach for neuro, endocrine and renal (which were all MS2 subjects), and I felt it lifted a small weight off my shoulders. Especially with regard to the neuro. Went from being a topic I was a little intimidated of, to a strength (and a field that I discovered I'm very interested in pursuing).