Is Boardvitals enough?

[FutureDPM123]

I'm planning to only do boardvitals practice questions to study for the part 1 APMLE. No other resources. Has anyone else studied this way and passed? I feel like answering each question and looking at my notes for things I don't understand seems like a better way to test myself than to passively read my notes and prep books.

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[ftdoc11]

I'd say probably not, unless you actually remember the majority of the material you learned in first year classes. Boardvitals helps guide you towards concepts that are important, but I wouldn't depend on it as my only study source. I'd run through Boardvitals once to get a sense of where you're strong and weak. Then study using a few other resources, specifically I'd recommend your lower anatomy notes, since thats 25% of the exam, and FirstAid for USMLE if you need a brush up on physiology, pathology, and even the biochem section in there wasn't terrible.

I think APMLE part 2 can realistically be passed with just running through boardvitals, but again, most of my classmates and I used at least 1-2 other sources for a more complete review.

 

[Podstar]

I pretty much did this aside from sketchy micro and passed, but YMMV.

 

[DexterMorganSK]

I'm planning to only do boardvitals practice questions to study for the part 1 APMLE. No other resources. Has anyone else studied this way and passed? I feel like answering each question and looking at my notes for things I don't understand seems like a better way to test myself than to passively read my notes and prep books.

You can finish the Qbank, then take a sample exam and see where you stand, and make any changes required.
To the very least, I would add sketchy stuff and first aid.

 

[OblivionDPM]

In my honest opinion, board vitals gives you a rough idea of where you stand on each subject, except for LEA. But for non-LEA subjects, it's limited supply of questions for those subjects doesn't really reflect where you really are.

Doing what @DexterMorganSK is suggesting is what I agree most with as a minimum if you really want to go this route.

 

[FutureDPM123]

You can finish the Qbank, then take a sample exam and see where you stand, and make any changes required.
To the very least, I would add sketchy stuff and first aid.

How did you use first aid to study? Personally, I never read textbooks to study, so I'm not sure how to use it

 

[DexterMorganSK]

How did you use first aid to study? Personally, I never read textbooks to study, so I'm not sure how to use it

I used it on/off during the first two years, along with classes. If you don't like reading but learn from videos, check the Usmle Rx videos, they go over the entire first aid, section by section (link below). You can follow along/add notes. There are also various FA Anki decks you can use if you're into flashcards. Remember to skip the topics that are not tested on Part 1 but are in FA, such as behavioral sciences, public health stuff, psychiatry.

USMLE Step 1 Videos | Step 1 Express Videos | USMLE-Rx

Step 1 Express Videos Learn faster by watching veteran students explain each First Aid fact so you can understand it quickly and easily. Start My Free Trial Plans & Pricing Master the Step 1 material quicker with 1,300 bite-sized, expert-reviewed videos-one for each fact in First Aid. Struggling...

www.usmle-rx.com

Also, this is for anyone else taking the exam soon; if you need more in-depth prep for the basic sciences classes, then do check out the contents from Boards and Beyond. It covers everything extensively (except for lower extremities anat).

Welcome to Boards and Beyond

boardsbeyond.com

 

[HarmonicConvergence]

I'm planning to only do boardvitals practice questions to study for the part 1 APMLE. No other resources. Has anyone else studied this way and passed? I feel like answering each question and looking at my notes for things I don't understand seems like a better way to test myself than to passively read my notes and prep books.

Personally I don't think its enough. I ran through board vitals multiple times and thought the exam was much harder, specially the lea questions on board vitals are crazy easy and I had some tough ones. I'd say the two Prometric practice test are more indicative to the real thing. I'd add sketchy into your mix. And maybe another resource for LEA. I used the LEA flash cards. I also used BRS phys. I only really relied on board vitals for general anatomy and pathology sections completely.

 

[AdrenalineJockie]

I was about to make a new thread for my question but I guess I can ask it here. For everyone who used sketchy materials, how do you guys remember all the stuffs without confusing and mixing it up? I used sketchy micro during micro class and I had some of them mixed up. Any ideas/recommendations when I'm doing sketchy for boards? I'm planning to do sketchy micro and pharm!

 

[DexterMorganSK]

I was about to make a new thread for my question but I guess I can ask it here. For everyone who used sketchy materials, how do you guys remember all the stuffs without confusing and mixing it up? I used sketchy micro during micro class and I had some of them mixed up. Any ideas/recommendations when I'm doing sketchy for boards? I'm planning to do sketchy micro and pharm!

Repetition is key. I used the Anki cards you can find on google made for sketchy and would do them after going over the pdf notes.
If you have the time, you can make your own flashcards, but going over the material every day is key, along with practice questions (BVs, BRS, etc).
Micro/pharm in first aid is also very good.

 

[Weirdy]

I was about to make a new thread for my question but I guess I can ask it here. For everyone who used sketchy materials, how do you guys remember all the stuffs without confusing and mixing it up? I used sketchy micro during micro class and I had some of them mixed up. Any ideas/recommendations when I'm doing sketchy for boards? I'm planning to do sketchy micro and pharm!

What Dexter said.

And remember, you don't have to remember everything- you just have to remember enough.

Start small and slow with big things to remember- then branch out to more minutiae.

You are playing a high yield game.