how to ROCK your boards

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drmota

drmota

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since that "how to be #1 thread" went to ****, any advice on doing real well on the boards for people about to start? i know that i have to study my ass off etc, i've taken the mcats. but im looking for more specifics. my brother's an M4 right now and he threw all his USMLE step 1 books at me and told me to use them to study for each class during my first two years, and that how well i do in the class really won't matter as much in the long run as how well i do on the boards. do you guys concur? any other tips? lets not turn this into a law2doc world war 2. thanks.
-mota
 
I've heard how well you do in your classes often forecasts how well you will do on the boards. So I guess study study study would work!

As for those study guides, I guess it couldn't hurt to look them over while studying for classes. If nothing else, it will provide you with a set of questions to tackle or a new perspective on the material.
 
drmota said:
my brother's an M4 right now and he threw all his USMLE step 1 books at me and told me to use them to study for each class during my first two years, and that how well i do in the class really won't matter as much in the long run as how well i do on the boards. do you guys concur? any other tips?
Click to expand...
Your brother is right. I'm also an M4 and I would say the same thing. Realize that many of your exams in first and second year will be on crap that will never appear on the boards. Start focusing on boards material from the beginning - meaning look at boards review books and use them while you are going through your med school courses. I didn't do this and I regret it. Looking back, I really should have spent less time memorizing the stupid details that were on exams and spent more time memorizing the details that were on step 1. And yes, your step 1 score is more important than those 1st and 2nd year grades.
 
I've also found that the review books can help simplify/clarify some of the stuff for your med school exams too.

So in other words, get the review books instead of the textbooks your professors tell you to buy that have way too much detail and go in far greater depth than you need. And cost way too much money.
 
When do students take step 1? Step 2? (How many steps are there?)
 
Rafa said:
When do students take step 1? Step 2? (How many steps are there?)
Click to expand...
Most people take step 1 right after completing the second year of med school and before going to the wards.
Step 2 is more variable, with some taking it at the end of third year/beginning of fourth, especially if they didn't do well on step 1 and want to improve their scores for residency applications. Others take it later during fourth year, especially if they did really well on step 1 and don't want to risk doing worse. You just need to have step 2 done before you graduate and/or start residency.
Step 3 (the last one) is taken during residency if you are a US med student. If you are a foreign medical grad, you will have to complete step 3 before residency.
 
robotsonic said:
Most people take step 1 right after completing the second year of med school and before going to the wards.
Step 2 is more variable, with some taking it at the end of third year/beginning of fourth, especially if they didn't do well on step 1 and want to improve their scores for residency applications. Others take it later during fourth year, especially if they did really well on step 1 and don't want to risk doing worse. You just need to have step 2 done before you graduate and/or start residency.
Step 3 (the last one) is taken during residency if you are a US med student. If you are a foreign medical grad, you will have to complete step 3 before residency.
Click to expand...

Ah, thank you.
 
drmota said:
since that "how to be #1 thread" went to ****, any advice on doing real well on the boards for people about to start? i know that i have to study my ass off etc, i've taken the mcats. but im looking for more specifics. my brother's an M4 right now and he threw all his USMLE step 1 books at me and told me to use them to study for each class during my first two years, and that how well i do in the class really won't matter as much in the long run as how well i do on the boards. do you guys concur? any other tips? lets not turn this into a law2doc world war 2. thanks.
-mota
Click to expand...
How to rock the boards? Strive to be the "Number One ranked student in your class."

Please refer to the previous thread.

😉
 
robotsonic said:
Start focusing on boards material from the beginning - meaning look at boards review books and use them while you are going through your med school courses. I didn't do this and I regret it.
Click to expand...

Any suggestions on which review book(s) to use during the first two years of school?
 
I disagree with "doing well in 1st and 2nd years" having that much to do with doing well on the boards. Certainly, if you're failing, that's a red flag. And in terms of work ethic, certainly how hard you were willing to work during MS1 and 2 will probably carry over to boards studying. But in terms of sheer knowledge and understanding, who are we kidding? The exams in the first two years are often filled with annoying minutia that some of us are loathe to memorize, thereby lowering our averages. For instance, we just had our dermatology unit exam, and we had 3 or 4 lectures that were tested that had crazy mutations that we needed to know about, complete with chromosomes, gene names/numbers, etc. That stuff is absolutely nowhere to be found - in fact the derm stuff in FA and BRS Path (and the Robbins review book) combined covered maybe 10% of what we learned for class. So the difference between someone who gets, say a 95% or and 85% on our derm test wouldn't really be reflected on the boards, since those extra few questions right are most likely the crazy ones that some decided to study for and some didn't.

Anyway, my point is that while knowing crazy minutia for class might correlate with doing well on the boards (since people who memorize that stuff will likely go nuts and memorize every detail for boards as well), whereas not knowing all the minutia does not correlate with doing poorly on the boards (since you're free to begin memorizing board-specific minutia whenever).

Q
 
thanks q. your explanation seems to make plenty of sense.

so, any consensus on which series of books to use? First Aid, NMS, Crush, Kaplan? anybody use any of them and do well? or not do well? i'm sure you're sick of us newbies hounding y'all with questions but i speak for all of us when i say that we do appreciate it. and will buy you sushi one day. or something
-mota
 
drmota

I have laughed out loud several times in public places (like the library) upon seeing your avatar.

Just did. It was awkward, but not as awkward as spelling awkward.

I will never get sick of your avatar. Cherish it. Keep it. Please, for my sake...
 
I know, what's with all these little kitten avatars? I am seeing cats all over the place on these boards now. I think I saw a dog somewhere, but I don't remember. Super cute kitties!!

Anywho, I agree with Quid's post about the ridiculous garbage on some of the first two years' exams. We had about 12 pages of incredibly in depth genetic cr@p in our endo lecture notes and I was like, wha? Most of us just tried to get the main points down and forget the rest. Two points on some stupid genetics question is not going to kill me.

For board review, I have a pile of decent books for step one and I use them while I study through our organ system courses. I do my best to do ok on the exams but I actually feel like I am really studying for the boards. I am just not the sort of person who can waste life's precious moments memorizing unreasonable minutiae from obscure research work, I would rather put my time into the clinical applications for the boards. Way more important.
 
Honestly, now that I have started studying for step I (taking it this month) I feel much more overwhelmed with memorizing minutia than I ever did during class. There is so much more that you are expected to memorize for step I than any single block you will have during the 1st 2 years. (and I did pretty well in the preclinical)
 
drmota said:
thanks q. your explanation seems to make plenty of sense.

so, any consensus on which series of books to use? First Aid, NMS, Crush, Kaplan? anybody use any of them and do well? or not do well? i'm sure you're sick of us newbies hounding y'all with questions but i speak for all of us when i say that we do appreciate it. and will buy you sushi one day. or something
-mota
Click to expand...
spend some time in the boards forum and you'll find more info then you've ever wanted to know about how to kick a$$ on them
 
Taus said:
spend some time in the boards forum and you'll find more info then you've ever wanted to know about how to kick a$$ on them
Click to expand...

sweet. didn't even know there was one. thank you.

and to the f*cker that wrote this on my mdapps profile:

"have fun in what's left of new orleans. good pick, *****"

your penis is small (you already know that) and will be mutilated in a freak accident. mark my words.
-mota
 
I'm also an MS4 and can say that Step 1 is one if the largest factors on your application that will get you interviews and into residency. Every interview I had asked me about my scores, never about grades. Year 1 and 2 grades are fine and do what you can but give everything you've got into studying for Step 1. It's that important.

Anyway, about the books. My school puts a very large emphasis on Step 1. They talk about it from orientation until we take the test. So, because of that we all study hard for it and overall the school does very well year after year. Here is the receipe that most of the students use at my school. I believe that if you use this system you're almost guaranteed 240+.

Books: First Aid (most recent edition), BRS Path, BRS Phys, Micro Made Riduculously simple, Q bank.

System: Memorize ALL of First Aid, I mean every detail from cover to cover. While going through First Aid use the other books as you're going through the corresponding sections in First Aid. Example: use BRS Phys Pulmonary section when going through First Aid Pulm section, and so on. Write in details in your First Aid that will help you remember the info. About 2 months from the test start Q Bank. Do Q bank questions in blocks of 50, timed, random. This is how you will get them on the real exam instead of just Pharm, Phys, etc.

If you are still in your first or second year, I would derfinately look through First Aid, BRS books as you learn the material. Even take notes in First Aid to help you remember later. Just know, you must get the MOST RECENT First Aid before taking your test. (The book is written based on the most recent board questions). I know that was long and winded but it is a system that has worked year after year at my school and our scores definately reflect it. Hope this helps.
 
burntcrispy said:
Just know, you must get the MOST RECENT First Aid before taking your test. (The book is written based on the most recent board questions).
Click to expand...

I'm a little bit skeptical about this. By the time FA 2006 rolled out, I had already taken copious notes in the margin of my FA 2005 (I'll be taking the test this June). In my case, do you really think it would be worth getting the new edition, given that I have filled the margins of my old book already?
 
THP said:
Honestly, now that I have started studying for step I (taking it this month) I feel much more overwhelmed with memorizing minutia than I ever did during class. There is so much more that you are expected to memorize for step I than any single block you will have during the 1st 2 years. (and I did pretty well in the preclinical)
Click to expand...
Why are you taking it in March?
 
gschl1234 said:
Why are you taking it in March?
Click to expand...

I'm actually taking it on March 31st. My school requires it to be taken by April 7th. We begin 3rd year on april 10th. I wanted some time off.
 
Those skits above rock ROFLCOPTER! 😀

Anyhoo, I was asked to post my strategy for a high score on step 1 (260+), but I realize that burntcrispy pretty much wrote 100% of what I'd do, so here's his/her response with my own mods. Long story short, just memorize (yes, memorize) FA, BRS path, and BRS phys, and you're golden.

burntcrispy said:
Books: First Aid (most recent edition), BRS Path, BRS Phys, Micro Made Riduculously simple, Q bank.

System: Memorize ALL of First Aid, I mean every detail from cover to cover. While going through First Aid use the other books as you're going through the corresponding sections in First Aid. Example: use BRS Phys Pulmonary section when going through First Aid Pulm section, and so on. Write in details in your First Aid that will help you remember the info. About 2 months from the test start Q Bank. Do Q bank questions in blocks of 50, timed, random. This is how you will get them on the real exam instead of just Pharm, Phys, etc.

If you are still in your first or second year, I would derfinately look through First Aid, BRS books as you learn the material. Even take notes in First Aid to help you remember later. Just know, you must get the MOST RECENT First Aid before taking your test. (The book is written based on the most recent board questions). I know that was long and winded but it is a system that has worked year after year at my school and our scores definately reflect it. Hope this helps.
Click to expand...
 
Ruban said:
Those skits above rock ROFLCOPTER! 😀

Anyhoo, I was asked to post my strategy for a high score on step 1 (260+), but I realize that burntcrispy pretty much wrote 100% of what I'd do, so here's his/her response with my own mods. Long story short, just memorize (yes, memorize) FA, BRS path, and BRS phys, and you're golden.
Click to expand...

For those who nailed the boards, can you tell us what you got on your MCAT?
 
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