Integrating micro throughout board studying?

[ms1990]

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Hello!

I'm creating my Step 1 schedule, and wanted some advice on scheduling in micro

Most schedules I've seen have a few days blocked off specifically for micro - I don't think I'd learn well this way because I'd just be reading lists of bacteria/viruses/etc. and have a feeling it won't stick. I wanted to integrate micro throughout my board studying, so that for example, when N meningitidis comes up in neuro, I'd look it up in MMRS, watch the corresponding sketchymicro video, and basically learn everything I need to for that one bacteria. I think this contextualizes each bug better and would allow me to remember it more.

Do people already do this, and is there any advantage/disadvantage to this method? Just curious bc everyone seems to study micro by itself as its own block.

Thank you!

 

[joker2400]

Hello!

I'm creating my Step 1 schedule, and wanted some advice on scheduling in micro

Most schedules I've seen have a few days blocked off specifically for micro - I don't think I'd learn well this way because I'd just be reading lists of bacteria/viruses/etc. and have a feeling it won't stick. I wanted to integrate micro throughout my board studying, so that for example, when N meningitidis comes up in neuro, I'd look it up in MMRS, watch the corresponding sketchymicro video, and basically learn everything I need to for that one bacteria. I think this contextualizes each bug better and would allow me to remember it more.

Do people already do this, and is there any advantage/disadvantage to this method? Just curious bc everyone seems to study micro by itself as its own block.

Thank you!

I plan to do both. Repetition is key with a subject like micro. What I will probably do is either 1-2 days of dedicated Micro followed with review of each bug as it applies to the organ systems or the reverse.

 

[aspiringmd1015]

5 bugs/drugs a day

 

[seminoma]

Hello!

I'm creating my Step 1 schedule, and wanted some advice on scheduling in micro

Most schedules I've seen have a few days blocked off specifically for micro - I don't think I'd learn well this way because I'd just be reading lists of bacteria/viruses/etc. and have a feeling it won't stick. I wanted to integrate micro throughout my board studying, so that for example, when N meningitidis comes up in neuro, I'd look it up in MMRS, watch the corresponding sketchymicro video, and basically learn everything I need to for that one bacteria. I think this contextualizes each bug better and would allow me to remember it more.

Do people already do this, and is there any advantage/disadvantage to this method? Just curious bc everyone seems to study micro by itself as its own block.

Thank you!

The day or two blocked off for micro in the week leading up to your test is to memorize some of the hard-to-memorize minutiae. The major stuff should show up in qbanks enough that it is integrated into your schedule. There are things you want to spend time having a good understanding of and then there are things that you want to cram in the last week because it's not easy to store away in long term memory. For me specifically I know I'm going to have to cram the virus structure stuff (capsid, envelope, etc) at the last minute because I've tried to learn them several times, but always find myself forgetting most of it.