How to go above and beyond the "standard" Step 1 resources ?

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I realize that this won't apply to 99% of medical student, but let's assume you've managed to MASTER all of the "traditional" Step 1 study resources with time to spare (i.e. UFAP, Kaplan, USMLE-Rx, Sketchy, and NBME's)... What resources would you then turn to in order to maximize your chances of knowing those "low yield" / "WTF" questions that will invariably comprise ~5% of your actual Step 1 exam? Given the increasing clinical focus of the exam, would it make sense to skim through a Step 2 resource? Or perhaps a primer on Emergency Medicine or the most common surgeries (e.g. Pestana's) ? Or would it be better to use that time to go through more basic pathology texts like Robbins or Goljan ?

For the record, I am FAR from reaching that point. I'm just curious. It's always good to plan ahead 🙂

@Phloston

 

[Phloston]

I realize that this won't apply to 99% of medical student, but let's assume you've managed to MASTER all of the "traditional" Step 1 study resources with time to spare (i.e. UFAP, Kaplan, USMLE-Rx, Sketchy, and NBME's)... What resources would you then turn to in order to maximize your chances of knowing those "low yield" / "WTF" questions that will invariably comprise ~5% of your actual Step 1 exam? Given the increasing clinical focus of the exam, would it make sense to skim through a Step 2 resource? Or perhaps a primer on Emergency Medicine or the most common surgeries (e.g. Pestana's) ? Or would it be better to use that time to go through more basic pathology texts like Robbins or Goljan ?

For the record, I am FAR from reaching that point. I'm just curious. It's always good to plan ahead 🙂

@Phloston

Humbled you tagged me here, thanks.

If you've genuinely gone through all of the Step 1 resources, no, I would not advise venturing into 2CK territory. It's a whole new ball game and will take you off track.

I would recommend doing the offline, older NBMEs, i.e. 1-7, 11-13 (correct, 8-10 and 14 don't exist) and reviewing those. In essence, that's 2000 questions that are old/retired from the USMLE, which is basically doing an extra Qbank. I had two repeats from the old NBMEs, in addition to a repeat image attached to a different vignette.

That advice is, once again, if you've tackled the gold standard Step 1 resources and want to gain an edge.

 

[LyMed]

Do well in your classes. Things not taught in the resources may be found in your class notes. That way you don't have to get new resources, and you also have the extra benefit of getting good grades!

 

[ortnakas]

Caveat: I did okay on Step 1, but I'm not the person you're talking about. Had I had more time or had I been a gunner, I would have spent more time with the Goljan book, not just the audio. His Rapid Review for pathology is excellent... just not actually rapid.

Studying for Step/Level 2 right now, and I agree that venturing into those resources wouldn't be a great use of your time. Partly because there's so many of them and there's not one golden resource for CK like there is for Step/Level 1, and partly because while Step/Level 1 may be "more clinical" than it used to be, it's still very different than Step/Level 2.

 

[TheOther]

I'd venture to guess that if you had UFAPS down pat, Robbins would fill in tons of low yield info if you don't mind all the reading and if time allows.

 

[Phloston]

I wouldn't recommend spending any time on Robbins for Step 1. In fact, I think that would take one wildly off track into the LY. Robbins is a med school tome only; it is not a score booster. If u want a big score, you need to spend your time doing questions. Book-wise, just read FA again....and again....and again.