Please review my plan

[Perrotfish]

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Alright, as of this Friday I have 13 weeks left before I take the test, 7 of which are free for studying and 6 of which are class time (though 2 of those weeks are very easy). I have purchased the USMLERx Qbank, the USMLE World Qbank, and a 6 week subscription to Doctors in Training 2009 program (in 2 3 week blocks) My current Plan

This Sunday: NMBE exam #1

Week 1 (easy classes): Doctors in training 4 hrs/day on weekdays (first run though, which I am using as my first run through of First AID as well), 5 hours/day USMLERx Qbank (focus on 1st year topics) on weekends

Week 2: (easy classes): Ditto

Week 3: (normal classes): Ditto, NMBE exam on Saturday, Pharm review on Sunday (flash cards and USMLEx questions)

Week 4: (Spring Break): 2 Day review of Pharm (flash cards and USMLEx questions), 3 days break time, 2 day Review of Micro (flash cards and USMLERx questions)

Week 5: (normal classes): 4 hr/Goljan Audio Path (using Goljan text when necessary as a reference) review M,W,F. 4 hr/day USMLERx T,R,Sa (focusing on topics reviewd the previous day) Sunday off

Week 6 (normal classes): ditto (this shuld take me through Goljan path

Week 7 (normal classes): Physio BRS MWF, Physio questions in USMLERx T/R/Sa, Sundays off

Week 8 (preshelf break): Mornings: M/W/F/Sun Pharm review and relevant parts of USMLERx, T/R/Sat Path review using goljan path book and relevant pars of USMLERx. Afternoons: Random USMLEWorld Questions in 48 question blocks

Week 9 (shelf week): Monday: Pharm shelf. Tuesday - Thrusday: USMLERx path questions all day. Friday: Path shelf. Sat and Sun: Study for Clinical Diagnosis shelf.

Week 10 (easter week): Monday: Clinical diagnosis shelf, afternoon off. Tuesday: Full simulated text using USMLE World, Wednesday and Thursday: Ethics, Genetics, and Embryo Review in morning, relevant USMLE Rx Quesions at night. Friday: off for good Friday. Saturday: NMBE exam in the morning, USMLEWorld Questions in the afternoon. Sunday: Off for Easter.

Week 11 (dedicated study time): DIT 2nd run through all morning, USMLEWorld random questions all night. Full simulated exam on Sunday using USMLE world

Week 12 (dedicated study time): Ditto, except and NMBE exam instead of a full one.

Week 13 (dedicated study time): Monday: Finish DIT. Tuesday-Thurday: Review Pharm, micro, and biochem in mornings, Random USMLE World tuesday and wednesday night. Thursday afternoon: find the exam center, then relax. Friday: Exam. After than I have one whole weekend off before rotations start (FML), maybe I'll take 2 weeks of vacation here?.

Anyway, it was sort of scary to write it all out like that. For anyone who bothered to read that, please give me feedback! I'm still considering scapping the second DIT run through and using Kaplan Webprep, but that would seriously impact my budget so I'm sort of hoping to avoid it if at all possible.

 

[virusgirl]

Some random week: take your girlfriend sailing!

 

[Perrotfish]

Yes dear

 

[Torquer]

Friday: Exam. After than I have one whole weekend off before rotations start (FML), maybe I'll take 2 weeks of vacation here?.

lol you have other reading up to do?
your plan seems solid! you think you'll be able to stick to it diligently?

looking forward to your score!

 

[alesa]

Hope it all works out, Good Luck in ur studies.

 

[rishi718]

Combining FIRST AID source rankings with Kaplan rankings LETS TALK
Desperate for some input.

Haven't really touched material since august
Need to take step by June

Was originally thinking March, but more Mayish now

Goal: was 290, to make up for incredibly defunct resume of mine, but realistically with an untouched first aid at this point, can I even pass?! I barely passed in med school. Kind of freaking out now. Please help.

We all know the source rankings first aid has in the end, but I wanted to combine those with texts and Kaplan lecture notes or homestudy note books. I have a student file that attempted this, I will summarize below for your opinions and future kids

I need to finalize a rank ASAP, cus I spend all my time accumulating resources instead of just using the ones I have and it's taking so much time to just decide! Get It over with! And start studying. I feel like a chef trying to make the best bread in the world with the fanciest tools and kitchen, but not dough.

I haven't taken a legit nbme comp yet, pretty sure I'm going to bomb it, I guess been scared of my score, and wasting one, but with 7 of them I SHOULD DO THIS RIGHT? I'm even too scared to go straight to review books as I may need actual texts.

1.When I say Kaplan here, I am referring to the Kaplan lecture notes, but I would like to know if you guys know the lecture notes content vs. the home series?? Are they the same authors? Is it word for word? b/c I have both and I need to figure out what's better for my situation

2.I'm about the only person in my class without scheduled date. Is that required to make plan, bc once u have test date, u can work backwards right?

QBANK
A year ago, I would have laughed if you told me there was a chance I wouldn't do every question in rx, world, and qbank. Thrice. I have Rx until June along with world. Got rx with school deal one day only so got it. World I just bought last night bc after 3 weeks of sitting here, I need to DO SOMETHING. Entered the raffle for qbank. Keep fingers crossed. Original plan was to use qbank to test myself after studying various subjects. Then toward closer to the exam start switching to world to consolidate?? What about poor rx?

I AM STATING THE OLD EBOOK VERSIONS OF BOOKS IHAVE. If you believe I should use the newer text please let me know! Please send me if u have. If not I will buy. Money is not HUGE deal, have been saving for this test with loan money for a LONG LONG LONG time.

NUEROANATOMY
Nuero: apparently Kaplan is better for neuroanatamy? Than the FA choice:
HY NEURO second edition? Too old? FA is weak in neuro, yes?
I have the Kaplan vids, so is it better to use that with the above lecture notes?

EMBRYO: HY embryo dudek second edition?? Skip this? FA is strong in embryo, yes?

GROSS ANATOMY:
As for anatomy itself, FA loves UCV anatomy (I have 3E, old?) and mle roadmap gross anatomy, but don't more students like HY gross anatomy (I have 2E, old?)
But I should prolly just study FA anatomy?

BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE
FA is strong here?
But the FA choice of HY behavioral (I have 2E, old?) is a second to Kaplan behavioral?
Should I use HY biostatistics too? (I have 2001Ed, old?) Isn't this info in the above two sources?
Or is my best option again, use the kap vids with the above lecture notes?

BIOCHEMISTRY
FA is weak here?
The Kaplan book here is first?? And the FA choice of Lipincott (I have 3Ed) is second?
Better to watch Kaplan vids with above book?
Or use much shorter DÉJÀ VU (don't have this one, anybody?) the FA ties five texts for biochem, but this is by far the shortest

CELL BIO AND HISTOLOGY
That's easy! I have the 1999 HY book! We worship that book don't we? Lol

MICRO
I have the newest CMMRS and I love it, haven't read it cover to cover yet. That is kind of the plan. Then print out charts from old version pdf and put them somewhere important.
FA is strong here?
FA ties a LOT of texts here as top, anybody? Pdfs?
I'm thinking about the harpavat flash cards? Anybody have eversion?

IMMUNO
Was going to skip because of yield, but apparently that was dumb. "DON'T SKIP ANYTHING, u must at least do highest yield and then skip low yield WITHIN subjects."
Kaplan is the stronger one here compared to FA choice of DEJA REVIEW MICRO AND IMMUNO (I don't have, anybody?), or HY IMMUNO?? (I have 1999Ed, old?)
FA is weak here?

PATHOLOGY
How to study this. I have no idea. I have goljan rr. His audio. Brs path also. And then there's FA, which is supposed to be good for path too?
BRS PATH IS 1?
And goljan material is 2?
3? DIT course recommends gunners to read ch 1-7 of ROBBINS. Since I know nothing, I thought this would be amazing for me to set strong path foundation, no? anybody have eversion of robbins? Only problem is they don't say if its big robbins? Or little robins?
I'm also thinking about pathophysiology made ridiculously simple, only cus I've heard good things? But im going to far maybe?

PHARM
1.FA is best?
2.Then Kaplan?
3.Then Lippincott?
I don't know what to do here, I have an old Katzung, but its not the review one, its actual text, does anybody have the review one?
Good flashcards maybe?

PHYSIO
FA is weak here?
1.Top is BRS. I have 3E, too old? I don't know why everybody loves BULLET POINT books so much.
2.Because of my lacking knowledge and old ed brs, I was gonna complement with newest ed of conztanzo's textbook. Good idea? Does anybody have this, I cant find anywhere?
3.And third best is Kaplan source?

REVIEW COURSES

I was singed up for Jan falcon course, and bailed last minute.
Couldn't stand the idea of losing 6 weeks in case I wasn't learning sitting in classroom
Turns out was dumb mistake. Cus id be half done with program now, instead of wasting past 3 weeks. Plus woulda been good for my super low medschool gpa. And ending feb 19th, still woulda had plenty of time for consolidation.
Somebody please tell me goljan in class was same as on tape so I can feel better?

I have the kap vid's which is basically the course too right, but do I have time for all that? Is it worth it?

I could get the pass videos too with pass notes? But they are very old no? and don't the notes have many many errors??

I purchased the DIT course for 2010 beginning in March. But from what I can tell, this is just a read through of first aid. There is a 2009 copy floating around. If I use this, I can still get $550 back as a refund. My question is, since I have a 2010 FIRST AID, and this course is BASED ON FIRST AID, is it worth it to pay the extra 550 to use the 2010 course with my 2010 book??

AS YOU CAN SEE, I HAVE A LOT OF HOLES TO FILL. I am open to any suggestions. I was hoping this could be good for future kids as well, to compare across materials, since FA doesn't weigh Kaplan into their rankings.

I sincerely apologize for my rambling and the length.

Originally (yes you may have noticed a sad little them here), I was going to pick one book each subject, 2 for path phys and pharm, and just memorize it all. But then the Kaplan books and vids came in to complicate it all. And now realistically, I'm going to just use these as reference??


Should I stop being stupid and just do FA, WORLD, path rr, goljan au, qbank, and rx, and just take the test?? I'm just worried I need more info to consolidate what im reading in FA.??

 

[Perrotfish]

PHARM
1.FA is best?
2.Then Kaplan?
3.Then Lippincott?
I don’t know what to do here, I have an old Katzung, but its not the review one, its actual text, does anybody have the review one?
Good flashcards maybe?

Lange flashcards are really good for both pharm and path, but pharm in particular. I'm planning to use them as my only non-FA pharm review, actually.