I don't feel like I have enough time to study for boards?

[cryhavoc]

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I sort of have a weird "all or nothing" style of studying. I either know it well or not at all. Once I do so many passes, I tend to always get a B or B+. But if I do any less passes than normal (usually 4-5 is normal), I risk almost failing (whenever I try like 3 passes, I just barely skate by and I'm worried I might fail if I miss a few more questions). It is like the information either sticks at a B level or I risk failing.

With the current amount of time I study for classes and all the mandatory things I have to go to, I feel like I have no extra time to study for boards.

And I took a practice board exam in the fall and bombed it. I recognized all the questions and vaguely remember learning about it, but couldn't remember the fine details.

I'm sort of worried I'm going to not have enough time to study and fail.

Any advice to free up more time? Should I sleep less? I feel like I work so much slower when I'm majorly sleep-deprived that it isn't worth it.

Stop exercising for an hour every other day? I feel like the stress relief keeps me sane. I stopped cooking and my diet is terrible because I feel like I don't have time to do anything.

I just don't know what to do. Can I really study everything in what little time they give us before the test? How can I free up more time in my schedule?

I was told to do FA, pathoma, sketchy and question banks. Should I just do question banks in the weird bits of time I get here and there? And do them all more systematically when we actually get time off?

 

[Carbon090]

TBH, you make the time.

Class or boards? Sleep or spend an extra hour studying?

Meditation and mindset IMO are key to slaying this beast. I'm also heavily into fitness and still lift 3-5 days a week.

 

[cryhavoc]

I'm considering throwing away all my club activities and volunteering. I really enjoy them but don't want to fail boards.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

I'm considering throwing away all my club activities and volunteering. I really enjoy them but don't want to fail boards.

Do it, those activities are massive time sinks that have marginal benefit at best.

 

[Carbon090]

I'm considering throwing away all my club activities and volunteering. I really enjoy them but don't want to fail boards.

Definitely drop them.

 

[W19]

I'm considering throwing away all my club activities and volunteering. I really enjoy them but don't want to fail boards.

These club activities mean squat to PD... I was shocked when 1 PD told me that he only got to see my application after I got the invite.

My follow up questions were:

Me: Who got to decide to extend invite to applicants?
PD: The coordinator

Me: What are the metrics she uses?
PD: She probably uses numbers; she has been doing it for so long.

He told me 'I don't have the time to look at ~1000 applications'

 

[Goro]

I sort of have a weird "all or nothing" style of studying. I either know it well or not at all. Once I do so many passes, I tend to always get a B or B+. But if I do any less passes than normal (usually 4-5 is normal), I risk almost failing (whenever I try like 3 passes, I just barely skate by and I'm worried I might fail if I miss a few more questions). It is like the information either sticks at a B level or I risk failing.

With the current amount of time I study for classes and all the mandatory things I have to go to, I feel like I have no extra time to study for boards.

And I took a practice board exam in the fall and bombed it. I recognized all the questions and vaguely remember learning about it, but couldn't remember the fine details.

I'm sort of worried I'm going to not have enough time to study and fail.

Any advice to free up more time? Should I sleep less? I feel like I work so much slower when I'm majorly sleep-deprived that it isn't worth it.

Stop exercising for an hour every other day? I feel like the stress relief keeps me sane. I stopped cooking and my diet is terrible because I feel like I don't have time to do anything.

I just don't know what to do. Can I really study everything in what little time they give us before the test? How can I free up more time in my schedule?

I was told to do FA, pathoma, sketchy and question banks. Should I just do question banks in the weird bits of time I get here and there? And do them all more systematically when we actually get time off?

You can also see if you can delay taking COMLEX. Can you do an elective in June/July and use that time for study?

 

[68PGunner]

These club activities mean squat to PD... I was shocked when 1 PD told me that he only got to see my application after I got the invite.

My follow up questions were:

Me: Who got to decide to extend invite to applicants?
PD: The coordinator

Me: What are the metrics she uses?
PD: She probably uses numbers; she has been doing it for so long.

He told me 'I don't have the time to look at ~1000 applications'

I’m actually surprised that people think PDs give a crap about their other ECs in the initial screening. The process goes like this:

Program X has 1,000 applications and only has 100 interview slots. Program X PD adjusts the metrics, incorporating the Step 1 and Step 2 scores to titrate the # of applications down to 150-200 applications. These applications get placed in the hold pile. Those applications will now be read. Whenever an application sounds interesting or seems like a fit, it gets II, until all 100 slots are filled. Whenever people cancel interviews and the people on the leftover hold pile still contact the program expressing their interest, II will be sent to those people.

 

[surfguy84]

I sort of have a weird "all or nothing" style of studying. I either know it well or not at all. Once I do so many passes, I tend to always get a B or B+. But if I do any less passes than normal (usually 4-5 is normal), I risk almost failing (whenever I try like 3 passes, I just barely skate by and I'm worried I might fail if I miss a few more questions). It is like the information either sticks at a B level or I risk failing.

With the current amount of time I study for classes and all the mandatory things I have to go to, I feel like I have no extra time to study for boards.

And I took a practice board exam in the fall and bombed it. I recognized all the questions and vaguely remember learning about it, but couldn't remember the fine details.

I'm sort of worried I'm going to not have enough time to study and fail.

Any advice to free up more time? Should I sleep less? I feel like I work so much slower when I'm majorly sleep-deprived that it isn't worth it.

Stop exercising for an hour every other day? I feel like the stress relief keeps me sane. I stopped cooking and my diet is terrible because I feel like I don't have time to do anything.

I just don't know what to do. Can I really study everything in what little time they give us before the test? How can I free up more time in my schedule?

I was told to do FA, pathoma, sketchy and question banks. Should I just do question banks in the weird bits of time I get here and there? And do them all more systematically when we actually get time off?

Wake up earlier. I woke up at 4am spring semester and studied for 4 hours before class, then another 3 hours after class but before bed. Did school stuff in between. This is why second year (second semester in particular) is the worst year of medical school. Suck it up for the next 5 months and then be done with it forever. You can do it.

 

[Postictal Raiden]

These club activities mean squat to PD... I was shocked when 1 PD told me that he only got to see my application after I got the invite.

My follow up questions were:

Me: Who got to decide to extend invite to applicants?
PD: The coordinator

Me: What are the metrics she uses?
PD: She probably uses numbers; she has been doing it for so long.

He told me 'I don't have the time to look at ~1000 applications'

Very true. On some of my interviews, the interviewers were completely clueless about my application. I had a PD spending at least half of the interview time flipping back and forth in my application. Most had a sheet in front them with information about me. Guess what the top two facts are on that list. Step1 and Step2.

Unless your EC's invlove doing some meaningful research project or an extraordinary life experience, no one cares. At least not until you get to talk about them with your interviewer.

Do yourself a favor. Drop all that nonesense and focus on passing your classes and acing the boards.

 

[IslandStyle808]

Wake up earlier. I woke up at 4am spring semester and studied for 4 hours before class, then another 3 hours after class but before bed. Did school stuff in between. This is why second year (second semester in particular) is the worst year of medical school. Suck it up for the next 5 months and then be done with it forever. You can do it.

When I actually did go to class, there is no way in hell I could wake up 4 hours before. This only works if your classes get out at 12-2pm. There is no way it works for classes that end 3-5pm.

 

[surfguy84]

When I actually did go to class, there is no way in hell I could wake up 4 hours before. This only works if your classes get out at 12-2pm. There is no way it works for classes that end 3-5pm.

It was absolutely brutal, but my schedule was 4-7:30, get to class by 8. Get home by 3, chill til 5, 5 to 8.

 

[IslandStyle808]

It was absolutely brutal, but my schedule was 4-7:30, get to class by 8. Get home by 3, chill til 5, 5 to 8.

To be able to pay attention in class is impressive, I would not be able to do it. My schedule wake up 8am, 8-11pm board prep, 11-1pm listen to recording, chill to 2pm, 2-6pm listen to lecture (for classes that go 3-4pm), chill till 7pm, 7-11pm class stuff, bed by 1am.

 

[Giovanotto]

To be able to pay attention in class is impressive, I would not be able to do it. My schedule wake up 8am, 8-11pm board prep, 11-1pm listen to recording, chill to 2pm, 2-6pm listen to lecture (for classes that go 3-4pm), chill till 7pm, 7-11pm class stuff, bed by 1am.

You have a pretty rough schedule. I'm waking up at 8am, board studying from 9-10:30, and the rest of the day is all class stuff till 6:30/7 pm. Bed by 12. I'm thinking about waking up at 7:30 am and getting that extra 30 mins of board studying a day, but damn do I love my sleep....this is hard, y'all.

Also, exercise is a huge catch-22 right now. Invest 30 mins every few days working out to have more energy in general, or use those 30 minutes to study more.

OP, I can completely relate to everything you're saying. It really is difficult to do it. I'm still trying to tweak things as best as possible. Say, working out a bit less, so instead of doing weights, only do cardio (takes less time), so save 20 minutes there. Wake up 20 mins earlier, now you're at 40+ minutes. Go from there. That's what I'm doing anyways. I think the key is consistency. You probably won't be able to do more than a couple hours of board studying right now unless you're a genius or want to end up suicidal or already are. I'm hoping it should all come together during dedicated.

 

[bankaix808]

What got me through my dedicated time for step 1, and so far through my third-year clerkships, is something that was said to me before starting med school - "Suffer now, or suffer later." Like what was said many times above, compromise is key, since during third-year, you'll have even less time to study. Of course, after your exams, step one, and shelf exams, you can party all you want. Good luck!

 

[aimingforthat45]

what helped for me was carving out some AM time. I front loaded my day with boards so that if I had a ton of classwork to catch up on, wasn't feeling well, etc., I could just go to bed early. My classes usually were from 8AM-4PM usually, and my school unfortunately requires attendance (don't even get me started). I'd still skip class on the days that were absolutely pointless. But I'd wake up at 4:15 and study from about 4:30-7:30 AM everyday, just boards. On the weekend, I'd do it longer (from like 6AM-noon). Come back from class at 4 PM==> study school stuff to about 7ish PM, LIFT, EAT, and pass out at 9 PM sharp and rest, rinse, and repeat. It takes a militaristic discipline to do it, but boy is it all that hardwork worth it. Good luck.

 

[hallowmann]

I'm considering throwing away all my club activities and volunteering. I really enjoy them but don't want to fail boards.

Absolutely do this. Yes. Now. Stop all those other ECs. Boards is your new EC. It'll suck, but its only one semester.

Whats the most disheartening in all of this is that someone who has no idea what it's like to be a physician is the one deciding who is invited for a interview or not.

Yeah, that's basically the rest of your medical career for you.

PCs are basically the ones to decide who is filtered. On a rare occasion (like when its a very small program or the PC is new), it might be a PD or aPD sifting through, but most of the time they either see your app to decide to invite, see your app after you're invited, or see your app when you show up on interview day.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

I’m actually surprised that people think PDs give a crap about their other ECs in the initial screening. The process goes like this:

Yeah the only benefit I have ever heard from ECs is that it can make interview fodder and give them something to ask you about. And yet many of my classmates are running around trying to “pad the CV” and I’m just over here studying and racking up the poster presentations wth hopefully a few pubs on the way.

 

[W19]

Yeah the only benefit I have ever heard from ECs is that it can make interview fodder and give them something to ask you about. And yet many of my classmates are running around trying to “pad the CV” and I’m just over here studying and racking up the poster presentations wth hopefully a few pubs on the way.

You are doing the right thing.

I did not believe it when an upper class-man told me ECs mean squat to PDs. But he was right. No one and I mean no one brought up my ECs during these interviews, and I talked to a few of my classmates who apply to different specialties (EM, Peds, Radiology) and they said the same thing happened to them. On the other hand. I had a couple of PDs that brought up the 2 research papers that I was part of (just to pad my CV).

 

[cryhavoc]

All right, I can do this. I like the idea of waking up and doing a couple of hours every morning no matter what and addressing lectures in the evenings.

I think what I might do is two, maybe three days before a huge exam I'll just focus on the big exam. But the week after a big exam I'll try to get 3-4 hours of concentrated board prep and on the weekends with no exams, hammer it for like 12-14 hours.

12-14 hours a day will be my routine once lectures die down.

No more volunteering and rare club activities.

No hobbies beyond exercise and ten minute breaks.

I can do this. It is necessary so I must. It'll all be over before I know it.

 

[Giovanotto]

All right, I can do this. I like the idea of waking up and doing a couple of hours every morning no matter what and addressing lectures in the evenings.

I think what I might do is two, maybe three days before a huge exam I'll just focus on the big exam. But the week after a big exam I'll try to get 3-4 hours of concentrated board prep and on the weekends with no exams, hammer it for like 12-14 hours.

12-14 hours a day will be my routine once lectures die down.

No more volunteering and rare club activities.

No hobbies beyond exercise and ten minute breaks.

I can do this. It is necessary so I must. It'll all be over before I know it.

Talk about an overcorrection, lol. Take it easy bud.

 

[surfguy84]

All right, I can do this. I like the idea of waking up and doing a couple of hours every morning no matter what and addressing lectures in the evenings.

I think what I might do is two, maybe three days before a huge exam I'll just focus on the big exam. But the week after a big exam I'll try to get 3-4 hours of concentrated board prep and on the weekends with no exams, hammer it for like 12-14 hours.

12-14 hours a day will be my routine once lectures die down.

No more volunteering and rare club activities.

No hobbies beyond exercise and ten minute breaks.

I can do this. It is necessary so I must. It'll all be over before I know it.

This is a good decision and you will thank yourself sometime in June or July when your scores come back. Honestly, you do this, I don't see how you score less than a 240.

 

[cryhavoc]

Talk about an overcorrection, lol. Take it easy bud.

Not good at half measures. Plus I really don't want to fail this test.

 

[ortnakas]

Talk about an overcorrection, lol. Take it easy bud.

Agreed. Your heart’s in the right place, but burnout is also a real thing. Studying should be your main activity, but if working out somewhat regularly, taking time to make/obtain healthy meals, a (short) Netflix break or occasional break for dinner and beer with friends preserves your sanity, that’s actually a good thing.

 

[hallowmann]

You are doing the right thing.

I did not believe it when an upper class-man told me ECs mean squat to PDs. But he was right. No one and I mean no one brought up my ECs during these interviews, and I talked to a few of my classmates who apply to different specialties (EM, Peds, Radiology) and they said the same thing happened to them. On the other hand. I had a couple of PDs that brought up the 2 research papers that I was part of (just to pad my CV).

I had maybe 2 programs ask me about some of my ECs (I think one was the one I matched in - but we talked about a lot at that interview), and I would say 1/2 or 2/3 of programs explicitly asked me about research, but I had a lot on my app from before med school.

 

[Giovanotto]

I had maybe 2 programs ask me about some of my ECs (I think one was the one I matched in - but we talked about a lot at that interview), and I would say 1/2 or 2/3 of programs explicitly asked me about research, but I had a lot on my app from before med school.

Sounds like there will be a lot of bird chirping and cricket singing at my residency interviews, what with my absolute lack of ECs and research. Can I talk about my girlfriend instead? Maybe even bring some pictures? How do they feel about pies? Maybe a nice pecan?

 

[hallowmann]

Sounds like there will be a lot of bird chirping and cricket singing at my residency interviews, what with my intentionally absolute lack of ECs and research. Can I talk about my girlfriend instead? Maybe even bring some pictures? How do they feel about pies? Maybe a nice pecan?

Everybody loves pies, and if they don't you have to ask yourself if that program is really right for you.

So I will say that 90% of the conversations were always about me, what I'm looking for in the program, what my goals are, what the program has to offer, etc.

 

[Cath Up]

You have a pretty rough schedule. I'm waking up at 8am, board studying from 9-10:30, and the rest of the day is all class stuff till 6:30/7 pm. Bed by 12. I'm thinking about waking up at 7:30 am and getting that extra 30 mins of board studying a day, but damn do I love my sleep....this is hard, y'all.

Also, exercise is a huge catch-22 right now. Invest 30 mins every few days working out to have more energy in general, or use those 30 minutes to study more.

OP, I can completely relate to everything you're saying. It really is difficult to do it. I'm still trying to tweak things as best as possible. Say, working out a bit less, so instead of doing weights, only do cardio (takes less time), so save 20 minutes there. Wake up 20 mins earlier, now you're at 40+ minutes. Go from there. That's what I'm doing anyways. I think the key is consistency. You probably won't be able to do more than a couple hours of board studying right now unless you're a genius or want to end up suicidal or already are. I'm hoping it should all come together during dedicated.

My primary care physician told me today that your neurons are better at retaining information after you have exercised so one should not cut out exercise in a heavy study schedule. So there's one vote for the exercise camp.