I´m a bit frustrated about my studying progress

[MaxMoonMD]

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Hello everyone,

as some of you may already know I´m an IMG from Germany, still in Medical School and right now using my free time between semesters to study for Step1.
As you may guess it needs more effort for an IMG to prepare for Step1, due to many different reasons (different curriculum, which means here in Germany I had Biochemistry over 2 years ago, the question-style of Step1 which is more clinical (and in my opinion a better concept than our Staatsexamen), sometime language issues etc...)

To make a long story short, right now I invested about 4 Weeks into studying, by going completely through RR Pathology, most of FA (except Neurology, Psychiatry and Embryology), read some parts of BRS Physiology, CMMRS and HY Mol. Bio.
I went through the material without memorizing much stuff, which I thought was a waste of time because my exam will be in early October.

So, I did take the NBME1 on Tuesday with the goal getting a score which would let me pass, regardless how good, so I would get a kind of moral-boost 👍 and also get an overview of my weaknesses.
I scored 410 (195), which was ok for me I think, though I know that NBME1 is supposed to be the easiest one it told me I´m on the right way, showing weak points in Micro, Pharma and MSK.

Now I started doing UW while trying to read the rest of FA, before going through the material a second time.

But UW is really frustrating, I did 3 Blocks a 50 questions and scored 54,48,48 %...ok, most time I got the Pharmacology and Microbiology questions wrong, but still it get´s me a bit down 🙁 .

Right now I´m visiting my parents and won´t be able to continue serious studying after sunday, but I´m a bit afraid of losing my study concept, don´t know how to effectively distribute my time esp. memoryzing certain topics.

Maybe I just need to take some times off and recuperate a bit, but, well, just needed to write my worries down. 😳

 

[MaxMoonMD]

Oh well, maybe I AM a morning person...did 50 UW Questions this morning (compared to 22pm the last days) and got 68% right. (ok, it´s possible they played into my "strengths")

👍

 

[Terpskins99]

Studying for boards is like learning how to play baseball.

In the beginning you'll be wildly inconsistent, often going 0-5 and slipping into hitting slumps. But every now and then, you'll blast a homer or have a 5-5 game. After a while, you settle down and start getting into a solid groove. And before you know it, you've finished the season with a .300 batting average.

Its a marathon, not a sprint. 👍

 

[MaxMoonMD]

Studying for boards is like learning how to play baseball.

In the beginning you'll be wildly inconsistent, often going 0-5 and slipping into hitting slumps. But every now and then, you'll blast a homer or have a 5-5 game. After a while, you settle down and start getting into a solid groove. And before you know it, you've finished the season with a .300 batting average.

Its a marathon, not a sprint. 👍

Thanks man, I guess sometimes you just need to be reminded about that. 🙂

 

[lunartune]

Hi MaxMoon,

I am also a German IMS studying for the boards. I made NBME 1 after 7 weeks of studying and got a 204, I took NBME 2 last sunday after 12 weeks of studying and got a 234. My exam will be in 3 weeks after 16 weeks of studying. During my free weeks I studied 10 - 12 hours daily. Unfortunately my PJ started 3 weeks ago so I had to cut it down to about 7 hours daily.

The secret to raise your points is to study patho THOROUGHLY. At least it worked for me. I used BRS Patho. For the other subjects the USMLE Roadmap series. And of course FA.

Right now I go thru the whole FA again and will make UW the last week.

You should keep studying, man, even if you visit your parents. You have time till mid october (I guess that's your plan) or even end october. Solving questions helps a lot to progress. I use LWW Board Simulator, a 4000 qs program with a helluva lot of explanations, got it from a friend. Made my way half thru it. UW can be very frustrating. Don't look so much at the % but learn from the explanations. USMLE knowledge is like a big puzzle, when you study long and hard enough, it comes all together and integrates at the end!

Don't stop to study, it will bring you nowhere, go on. The preparation is way worse than for the Physikum. I don't know which score you are aiming for but I can tell you that you can reach it. Study hard. Maybe >250 is very hard to reach for an IMG but we can make a 99% if we want to.

Push it, the weeks to come for you are hard, but if you seriously want to practice medicine in the US as an IMG you have to put effort into it, don't stop studying but KEEP GOING! DISCIPLINE!

For the US med student reader: I know it sounds insane for you that many IMGs study 3-6 months for step 1 (and don't even make it to a 260) but (at least for me) it was impossible to score a 99% in a NBME form after 7 weeks. The circumstances for an IMG are very different.

Okay, my break is over and I am still hungry 😀
Aaaand - my temporary girlfriend FA is waaaaiting for me 😛

Take care, lt

 

[pdz]

Hi MaxMoon,

I am also a German IMS studying for the boards. I made NBME 1 after 7 weeks of studying and got a 204, I took NBME 2 last sunday after 12 weeks of studying and got a 234. My exam will be in 3 weeks after 16 weeks of studying. During my free weeks I studied 10 - 12 hours daily. Unfortunately my PJ started 3 weeks ago so I had to cut it down to about 7 hours daily.

The secret to raise your points is to study patho THOROUGHLY. At least it worked for me. I used BRS Patho. For the other subjects the USMLE Roadmap series. And of course FA.

Right now I go thru the whole FA again and will make UW the last week.

You should keep studying, man, even if you visit your parents. You have time till mid october (I guess that's your plan) or even end october. Solving questions helps a lot to progress. I use LWW Board Simulator, a 4000 qs program with a helluva lot of explanations, got it from a friend. Made my way half thru it. UW can be very frustrating. Don't look so much at the % but learn from the explanations. USMLE knowledge is like a big puzzle, when you study long and hard enough, it comes all together and integrates at the end!

Don't stop to study, it will bring you nowhere, go on. The preparation is way worse than for the Physikum. I don't know which score you are aiming for but I can tell you that you can reach it. Study hard. Maybe >250 is very hard to reach for an IMG but we can make a 99% if we want to.

Push it, the weeks to come for you are hard, but if you seriously want to practice medicine in the US as an IMG you have to put effort into it, don't stop studying but KEEP GOING! DISCIPLINE!

For the US med student reader: I know it sounds insane for you that many IMGs study 3-6 months for step 1 (and don't even make it to a 260) but (at least for me) it was impossible to score a 99% in a NBME form after 7 weeks. The circumstances for an IMG are very different.

Okay, my break is over and I am still hungry 😀
Aaaand - my temporary girlfriend FA is waaaaiting for me 😛

Take care, lt

I think it really varies. I know IMGs who've studied 3 weeks and have scored >260, and others who've studied 6 weeks and have scored 240. Everyone's just different, I wouldn't generalize.

 

[lunartune]

Yes, pdz, you are right. If you study for your national state exam and then take the steps right afterwards - that might save you a lot of time.
Besides, in my reply I wasn't so much concerned about the US or Canadian IMGs studying at a 4 year program outside North America but rather about the non-US/Canadian med student attending a med school in his home country.
I don't doubt that US IMGs studying at a 4 year program can achieve a very nice score within 6 weeks of preparation since their curriculum should be US med school orientated.

lt

 

[dandandan]

Depends on the IMG curricullum,some courses mimic US courses.
Nations like France,UK,Israel,India,Germany have a didderent, yet successful approach to US.
This makes the IMG from these nations having study twice, once for School and once for USMLE.