How to **** STEP 1

[NSKyau]

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Golden Triad:
UW
FA
RR PAth

Get an iPad. Get good reader app. DL FA & RR path pdfs upload em. Errata them using the notes function in good reader. Buy UW for X amt of time. Play around with windows 7 snipper. make sure you have full battery in the morning and you kill it before midnight.

2ndary books
MMRS(dlable), Katzung&Trevor Board Pharm(if u search online hard enough), HY -biostats, emb, neuroanat

BRS fadem if you want.
Dejareview micro is pretty cool. deja usmle is kinda cool.

BJ from DIT is cool but **** my mind goes numb after 1.5-2 eps.
I heard KAPLAN PATH vids BLOW(ppl failed). C. Fischer is a gosu. Iono abt raymon...

Consolidate triad into each other on pdfs or txtbks or notes.
If you know how to use the googel you can get 60% of the above resources free.

Collect PDFs not books.

 

[jfgavina]

why do you recommend tablet vs book reading?

Is it possible to use UW in a android tablet?

 

[cf817]

UW doesn't have a an app yet but Qbank does. As for pdf's, I used to think that was the way to go but I just can't look at a screen for that long and something about the organic experience of using an actual book, being able to flip back and forth, handwrite my own notes, highlight etc is much better than having to scroll back and forth, zoom in and out, find the right reader for everything. IMO:
DIT
FA
kaplan pharm Raymond is god
Kaplan biochem, physio, neuro
No RR, Pathoma is Boss
UWorld and Qbank all the way through

 

[jfgavina]

in my last month I will use only FA+UW

 

[SlaveOfTCMC]

the key to 260+ is Step 2


how is this possible?


I counted numerous "wtf is this" type of questions on my Step 1 examination that was purely clinical in nature that was covered in step 2 notes.



Again, diminishing returns... pick your poison

 

[phd89]

so what step 2 source do you recommend we use for step 1 so all our bases are covered? Step 2 UW qbank or step to medicine etc?

 

[AlexMorph]

so what step 2 source do you recommend we use for step 1 so all our bases are covered? Step 2 UW qbank or step to medicine etc?

lol, just stick to the basics. leave the step 2 stuff for later or your brain will explode

 

[SlaveOfTCMC]

lol, just stick to the basics. leave the step 2 stuff for later or your brain will explode

hmm one's head may explode running into "Noonan syndrome," "Leiner's Disease" on the actual Step 1 (when it is covered by Step 2 Peds)

or possibly running into trying to differentiate between a cephalohematoma and caput succedaneum on the actual Step 1 (when it is covered by Step 2 peds)

just to name a few examples...

 

[jfgavina]

Is this actually happening a lot?

 

[medicine0509]

hmm one's head may explode running into "Noonan syndrome," "Leiner's Disease" on the actual Step 1 (when it is covered by Step 2 Peds)

or possibly running into trying to differentiate between a cephalohematoma and caput succedaneum on the actual Step 1 (when it is covered by Step 2 peds)

just to name a few examples...

I couldn't help myself:
This is ridiculous. People, do not take this advice.

I recently scored a 257 from UsmleWorld (one time thru avg 75%ish I don't remember, annotated First aid but didn't get back to reading all annotations; FYI most of UWorld is too detailed anyways), First aid, Goljan (audio only x 2-3 times thru), HY Behavioral science, and BRS Physio. I'm not a great test taker either (29 on MCAT).

Do not spread yourself so thin with even Step 1 resources, let alone Step 2 resources!

 

[jfgavina]

hmm one's head may explode running into "Noonan syndrome," "Leiner's Disease" on the actual Step 1 (when it is covered by Step 2 Peds)

or possibly running into trying to differentiate between a cephalohematoma and caput succedaneum on the actual Step 1 (when it is covered by Step 2 peds)

just to name a few examples...

maybe you could just figure those out by correlating step 1 knowledge with the presented facts. what was your uwsa and nbmes and how much did you get in the actual test?

 

[NSKyau]

why do you recommend tablet vs book reading?

Is it possible to use UW in a android tablet?

read my post carefully. If you know what win7 snipper is, or someone who does/did know how to use it, then you can have pictures of anything you want. Why do I recommend a tablet?
1. I, spending most of my time in front of a screen, am not a book person. Using a computer or tablet much more is interactive & (efficient). ex/ If I don't know a syndrome or definition, then I can alt-tab, tab, type in what I want to search. Blitz through the wiki article, alt-tab, & return to your reading material. (W=FΔx)

2. With the Good Reader app I can annotate my PDFs.
3. Books are too heavy & inconvenient.
4. I can have all my pdfs(books) on my ipad. ex/ harrisons, fa, rr, costanzo's, etc.
5. Your test will be in front of a SCREEN for how many hours??

 

[NSKyau]

lol, just stick to the basics. leave the step 2 stuff for later or your brain will explode

True that. I guess if you are scoring above 250-260 & have balls, then go through the step 2 stuff. I've heard people say that in a way it is the same exam, but...

opportunity comes once in a lifetime, betta never let it go.

Mr MORPH,
I am mr KYAU.
A&b, andain, svd, tatw, asot, avb,gareth emery, s8&tab are euphoric. I shook avb's hand post- 😎

 

[Chirurg]

maybe you could just figure those out by correlating step 1 knowledge with the presented facts. what was your uwsa and nbmes and how much did you get in the actual test?

+1
either these step2 related materials were experimental or they were hiding step1 concepts in fancy names.
that's apparently what they do a lot on lab experiments, a scientist found this and that questions also.
personally, I think it would be crazy to go after step2 material for your step1 prep as step1 is hard enough.
just my 2 cents though and I haven't taken step1 yet.

 

[franceschino]

Hi guys,
Just wanted to say that I to have converted to iPad only studying.
I have studied for my first year master exams on it and it has been exceptional! I think it takes 1 week of getting used to and if you have only one month to revise I am not sure I would advise to change your study method.
However, if you start earlier I def advise it! The biggest benefit I found was how fast it is to jump from one reference to another. Having bookmarks on screen is so much faster. The underlining and note taking is so much better. For example you ca copy from your qbank a sentence and copy it on your first aid as a little expandlable note.

I use iAnnotate PDF and dropbox to sinc all my books. I must admit that having to study on some of my old books (where I had underlined all the material) is now a bit of a pain. I was even contemplating of scanning all the books into PDFs!

Good luck with revision!

 

[Flapjacks]

I dont know how you guys annotate of Iannotate and Good Reader, I have a stylus and everything I write is like jagged lines, too big and just clutters up slides more.

 

[SlaveOfTCMC]

maybe you could just figure those out by correlating step 1 knowledge with the presented facts. what was your uwsa and nbmes and how much did you get in the actual test?

263 on the real deal.

Didnt do the UWSAs

Consistently 250s+ on the NBMEs


and no it was not possible to just "reason it out."

Often i could eliminate down to 2 choices out of 5, and then there was just something missing... the missing variable.

Then while I was doing Step 2 OBGYN, Peds, and Orthopedics review in the surgery section, i suddenly saw those "missing variables."


Perhaps they were experimental anyway.

 

[Chirurg]

263 on the real deal.

Didnt do the UWSAs

Consistently 250s+ on the NBMEs


and no it was not possible to just "reason it out."

Often i could eliminate down to 2 choices out of 5, and then there was just something missing... the missing variable.

Then while I was doing Step 2 OBGYN, Peds, and Orthopedics review in the surgery section, i suddenly saw those "missing variables."


Perhaps they were experimental anyway.

you are right, nobody can no for sure but it is fact that there are step1 questions in the step2 test and step2 questions in step1. the former to see how much clinical knowledge step1 students have and the latter to check how much basic science is forgotten once you are on the wards (read this in a NBME pdf).

 

[Vertices]

you are right, nobody can no for sure but it is fact that there are step1 questions in the step2 test and step2 questions in step1. the former to see how much clinical knowledge step1 students have and the latter to check how much basic science is forgotten once you are on the wards (read this in a NBME pdf).

Latter / former...but this idea definitely seems logical.

In theme with the OP's post, I'd like to get some more feedback from the iPad users on how they use those apps for their pdf books (goodreader, iannotate). Do you mostly highlight, write/draw, or type-in expandable sticky notes on the text? And can you have more than one book on pdf open at the same time and easily switch between them? I like the idea of having all of my resources in a convenient package like that, but how can I be sure that I can get the books in a pdf file?...like FA 2012, for example...

 

[Ty Webb]

OP, what made you want to author a thread on how to do well on step 1? Did you do very well?

 

[CatFactorial]

OP, what made you want to author a thread on how to do well on step 1? Did you do very well?

I think he just likes to abbreviate.

 

[Flapjacks]

Seriously, I tried for week to write with Ipad on IAnnotate and Good Reader, and I still suck at using it efficiently.

 

[Alvarez13]

Seriously, I tried for week to write with Ipad on IAnnotate and Good Reader, and I still suck at using it efficiently.

Throw anything Apple related in the trash if you want to be able to write on the screen. You need something running windows with a wacom/n-trig pen designed for that system. Then add note taking software like OneNote or EverNote and you should be set.

This comes out in a few weeks: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/31/samsungs-series-7-slate-pc-hands-on/

 

[Val7]

Does anyone here have experience with studying using the Kindle?