motivation level - - down!

[PreMedAdAG]

ugh - so step 1 is June 22 - and while my studying went well during Jan - Feb - I haven't studied in like 4 weeks b/c we have a hard block - I just feel like I'm screwing myself over - it's seemingly impossible to make time to study yet my classmates (mainly gunners) are able to do it - how?! are they taking drugs!! ha - anyway - I've got approx 7 weeks to study - if I do 10 hours a day and I'm an average student - will I be okay - i'm just trying to learn GI and nephro well so I don't have to study it again - but i feel like things such as mol bio, biochem, immuno are suffering!! b/c I don't remember anything from those classes.

All I'm doing is listening to Goljan sporadically and making sure I use review books while I study - any other suggestions to incorporate into my daily schedule so I don't go insane?

thanks

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[TX_Longhorn]

lol...you the words outta my mouth.

 

[automan2]

At the begining of every block, i create a "USMLE schedule" of the stuff I want to cover. I think I have followed it once, so I stopped doing it. It is too hard to study for classes AND Step1 at the same time if you aren't studying the same thing for Step1 as you are in class. (ex: We are doing Endocrine, and I tried to go back and study biochem, it didn't happen)

We have a systems based curriculum, so I read FA, I read Goljan, I listen to Goljan, and I dabble in the HY yield books for the first week of a 2-3 week block, then I pretty much put the board stuff away (except Goljan, he is my only path source) and just study class stuff.

I don't see how doing any more would be worth while. Just learn the stuff you are taking in school over these last few months, and that will be fresh in your mind ready for the boards.

Take this advice with a grain of salt, I'm not a top halfer by any means.

 

[Medikit]

At the begining of every block, i create a "USMLE schedule" of the stuff I want to cover. I think I have followed it once, so I stopped doing it. It is too hard to study for classes AND Step1 at the same time if you aren't studying the same thing for Step1 as you are in class. (ex: We are doing Endocrine, and I tried to go back and study biochem, it didn't happen)

We have a systems based curriculum, so I read FA, I read Goljan, I listen to Goljan, and I dabble in the HY yield books for the first week of a 2-3 week block, then I pretty much put the board stuff away (except Goljan, he is my only path source) and just study class stuff.

I don't see how doing any more would be worth while. Just learn the stuff you are taking in school over these last few months, and that will be fresh in your mind ready for the boards.

Take this advice with a grain of salt, I'm not a top halfer by any means.

Yeah, I wanted to study for the USMLE, I just couldn't as I was barely staying at the average score as it was. I had 7 weeks to study and I thought that was a good amount. Honestly if I would have studied more it would have just been much more of a bummer for me to go in there and get blasted by that test like I did yesterday.

 

[1medicalstudent]

Yeah I am in the same damn boat. It is not a great feeling.

I am seeking help from Providence for inner strength

 

[Roy7]

At the begining of every block, i create a "USMLE schedule" of the stuff I want to cover. I think I have followed it once, so I stopped doing it. It is too hard to study for classes AND Step1 at the same time if you aren't studying the same thing for Step1 as you are in class. (ex: We are doing Endocrine, and I tried to go back and study biochem, it didn't happen)

We have a systems based curriculum, so I read FA, I read Goljan, I listen to Goljan, and I dabble in the HY yield books for the first week of a 2-3 week block, then I pretty much put the board stuff away (except Goljan, he is my only path source) and just study class stuff.

I don't see how doing any more would be worth while. Just learn the stuff you are taking in school over these last few months, and that will be fresh in your mind ready for the boards.

Take this advice with a grain of salt, I'm not a top halfer by any means.

Now, everyones definitely different - but I had forgotten all my biochem/micro (we're also on a systems based schedule) by the time december came around, so starting in like january I just reviewed all the organ systems we had already done to make sure I got the rough points and reviewed biochem. It helped a lot as now most of it is organized and more familiar than it was then.. But, havent taken the test yet and I'm not doing that well on my practices so I'll hold off on givin any advice at all.

Another friend of mine though just spend the weekends organizing all of her materials (charts, tables, books), reading thorugh it again to refresh her memory. Seems to be working pretty well...

Lots of ways to skin a cat I guess (is it me or is that a really sick saying? Who skins cats?)

 

[Pinkertinkle]

The prospect of a crappy residency should be plenty motivation.

 

[godschosenone]

The prospect of a crappy residency should be plenty motivation.

don't you worry gunner, i am here, ready to grab up all of the scraps that fall to the floor. i'm more than happy to take the low-level, non-competitive residency slots.

 

[Buckeye(OH)]

Now, everyones definitely different - but I had forgotten all my biochem/micro (we're also on a systems based schedule) by the time december came around, so starting in like january I just reviewed all the organ systems we had already done to make sure I got the rough points and reviewed biochem. It helped a lot as now most of it is organized and more familiar than it was then.. But, havent taken the test yet and I'm not doing that well on my practices so I'll hold off on givin any advice at all.

Another friend of mine though just spend the weekends organizing all of her materials (charts, tables, books), reading thorugh it again to refresh her memory. Seems to be working pretty well...

Lots of ways to skin a cat I guess (is it me or is that a really sick saying? Who skins cats?)

The same people that skin rabbits and get tularemia perhaps?

 

[SoCuteMD]

ACK! Are people SERIOUSLY already studying for Step 1? I mean, between reading Robbins and trying to pass pharm I pretty much have EVERYTHING I can handle on my plate...

 

[Terpskins99]

ACK! Are people SERIOUSLY already studying for Step 1? I mean, between reading Robbins and trying to pass pharm I pretty much have EVERYTHING I can handle on my plate...

Not to rub it in, but this is precisely the reason why I am INFINITELY glad I'm in a systems-based curriculum. We JUST finished our last section (reproductive... which was loaded with completely non-board relevant clinical lectures, blegh) on thursday and we're now all clear to study boards.

Anyhow... honestly, if your school is still teaching new material, I think you're better off completely focused on studying lecture material. ESPECIALLY if you're working through as high yield a subject as pharm. Learn it cold the first time, so that... a) you won't have to study it as much once you get into full board-review mode and... b) you'll get a palatable grade too.

The alternative pretty much sucks... cuz if you try to mix too much board review you probably won't get very effective studying time in for either boards or lecture... and you'll end up with a lousy grade for whatever class you're in. Its a lose lose situation, imo.

Believe it or not, you'll have plenty of time to review for just boards AFTER your regular class lectures are complete. There are a TON of people on SDN that can testify to that.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[SoCuteMD]

Not to rub it in, but this is precisely the reason why I am INFINITELY glad I'm in a systems-based curriculum. We JUST finished our last section (reproductive... which was loaded with completely non-board relevant clinical lectures, blegh) on thursday and we're now all clear to study boards.

Anyhow... honestly, if your school is still teaching new material, I think you're better off completely focused on studying lecture material. ESPECIALLY if you're working through as high yield a subject as pharm. Learn it cold the first time, so that... a) you won't have to study it as much once you get into full board-review mode and... b) you'll get a palatable grade too.

The alternative pretty much sucks... cuz if you try to mix too much board review you probably won't get very effective studying time in for either boards or lecture... and you'll end up with a lousy grade for whatever class you're in. Its a lose lose situation, imo.

Believe it or not, you'll have plenty of time to review for just boards AFTER your regular class lectures are complete. There are a TON of people on SDN that can testify to that.

Just my 2 cents.

Well, in the next month I have what works out to 1hr/day of pharm lecture to cover. In path/pathophys I have endocrine, GU, gyn, and derm left. From everything I can gather those are fairly low-yield subjects with the exception of endocrine. Then we have almost two weeks of finals/study time - which really could translate almost to two weeks of board study time, since it's time to study pharm and path and we have cumulative finals.

I was just surprised to hear that there are people trying to mix board studying in with regular classes. I just sort of figured that I would do my best to master the current material for each unit, and wouldn't touch anything boards-related until after finals.