Possible to do well despite bad MS 1 year?

[esposo]

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I averaged C's in physiology and biochem. I feel pretty weak in both of these subjects. I have not started second year but I fear that I might be deficient in physiology and that I should study it this summer if I want to do really well on Step I.

Has anyone's Step I score been the opposite of their grades?

 

[BDylan]

I wouldn't spend the summer studying. That's me.

Even if you've had a subpar first year, it's still absolutely possible to do very well on step 1.

Prepare to bust your ass in a year. Until then, learn pathology.

 

[missbonnie]

My suggestion - review relevant physio during ur path course 2nd yr, i.e. review cardio phys when learning cardio path. I think reviewing anything ur weak in once before the hard core boards studying is a good idea, that way you'll see it twice.

bonnie

 

[mikedc813]

I averaged C's in physiology and biochem. I feel pretty weak in both of these subjects. I have not started second year but I fear that I might be deficient in physiology and that I should study it this summer if I want to do really well on Step I.

Has anyone's Step I score been the opposite of their grades?

I know someone who did not do that well 1st year, but did well on Step1. Remember that Step1 focuses mostly on 2nd year material, particularly path and pathophys. You can still do well on Step1 without doing well 1st year, but you should make the extra effort to study physiology and biochem. Anatomy is a wate of time to study for more than maybe a day because there are barely any pure anatomy questions on the exam.

 

[novacek88]

It depends on how well you want to do. When I think of well, I'm thinking 230+. You're not going to get that if you bombed 1st year. Physiology is a huge component of Step I and you need a very good understanding of neuro and biochem. I agree that anatomy is a waste of time and won't be tested much.

I tell it like it is. The reason more people didn't reply is they didn't want to hurt your feelings. Unless, you grind this summer, you won't have a good chance of scoring well. So consider my advice and prepare to sacrafice a little of your summer. The people like Idiopathic and the rest were top students in their class. Working hard during medical school gives you an advantage when studying for Step I. Sorry but sometimes it's not easy to compensate if you slacked off during first year. If you want to score over a 230+ then start this summer.

 

[missbonnie]

Woah, i don't think it's gonna be that bad - why be so negative? Sure, he/she will definitely need to do some work ...

Like others have said, 2nd yr is the meat of Step 1, so to the OP, be prepared to bust ur ass 2nd yr and review the stuff u need to.

We don't even learn biochem at our school and we still do fine (they just changed that FINALLY...)

bonnie

 

[woowoo]

It depends on how well you want to do. When I think of well, I'm thinking 230+. You're not going to get that if you bombed 1st year. Physiology is a huge component of Step I and you need a very good understanding of neuro and biochem. I agree that anatomy is a waste of time and won't be tested much.

I tell it like it is. The reason more people didn't reply is they didn't want to hurt your feelings. Unless, you grind this summer, you won't have a good chance of scoring well. So consider my advice and prepare to sacrafice a little of your summer. The people like Idiopathic and the rest were top students in their class. Working hard during medical school gives you an advantage when studying for Step I. Sorry but sometimes it's not easy to compensate if you slacked off during first year. If you want to score over a 230+ then start this summer.

i hope that none of the ms'1's reading this thread are going to take this advice seriously. while true that you need a good understanding of phys, and of neuro, a lot of it will start to make much more sense during 2nd year.

everyone is different, but there are many accounts of people who didn't fare well at all first year, busted their tail 2nd year, and did very, very well on the Step.

 

[njbmd]

I averaged C's in physiology and biochem. I feel pretty weak in both of these subjects. I have not started second year but I fear that I might be deficient in physiology and that I should study it this summer if I want to do really well on Step I.

Has anyone's Step I score been the opposite of their grades?

Hi there,
Fortunately, most Year I subjects are not well tested on USMLE Step I. The best represented subjects are in order of importance: Pathology, Physiology and Pharmacology. Behind the three "Ps" are Biochemistry, Micro/Viro, and the anatomies.

Physio is going to be Cardio, Respiratory or Renal (the others are not tested that much). Pharm is going to be Autonomic or CNS (antibiotics not well tested). Put your study and money on learning everything that you can in Path. Path and Pharm will also review your biochemistry for you.

If you are weak in Physio, review it over the summer and hit cardio, renal and respiratory well. After that, be prepared to rock in path and pharm next year. Do a good review(after you have finished your second-year coursework) and do not look back at first year).

You should be fine. The nice thing about second year is that it really reviews first year if you are on a classical curriculum. If your school is integrated or systems based, do a relaxed review over the summer. In any event, study hard next year for your course exams and do your USMLE review when your coursework is done. Do not obsess because you will do fine.

njbmd 🙂

 

[novacek88]

i hope that none of the ms'1's reading this thread are going to take this advice seriously. while true that you need a good understanding of phys, and of neuro, a lot of it will start to make much more sense during 2nd year.

everyone is different, but there are many accounts of people who didn't fare well at all first year, busted their tail 2nd year, and did very, very well on the Step.

I'm not speaking in reference to the "Good Will Hunting" of the class that experienced a death in the family and bombed a semester but then aced all their classes. Let's apply a little common sense. We are talking about the typical med student who fared poorly in class aka didn't study enough. Those students will struggle on Step I if they did bad first year.

 

[woowoo]

I'm not speaking in reference to the "Good Will Hunting" of the class that experienced a death in the family and bombed a semester but then aced all their classes. Let's apply a little common sense. We are talking about the typical med student who fared poorly in class aka didn't study enough. Those students will struggle on Step I if they did bad first year.

don't know where the written rule is that says if you bomb first year no matter what, then you will not do good on step. i know of several people who didn't do well first year, didn't study over the summer, did better 2nd year, and made a 230+. the majority of step material is from 2nd year, hence performance 1st year doesn't affect your score as much as the 2nd year performance (assuming a traditional curriculum).

you are trying to make something an absolute that is not an absolute. their is no written rule that if you do bad 1st year, then you will "struggle on step I second year."

 

[novacek88]

don't know where the written rule is that says if you bomb first year no matter what, then you will not do good on step. i know of several people who didn't do well first year, didn't study over the summer, did better 2nd year, and made a 230+. the majority of step material is from 2nd year, hence performance 1st year doesn't affect your score as much as the 2nd year performance (assuming a traditional curriculum).

you are trying to make something an absolute that is not an absolute. their is no written rule that if you do bad 1st year, then you will "struggle on step I second year."

A lot of questions are integrated. The path questions are never direct. They involve a firm understanding of phys, biochem, immuno etc. Most questions are 4th order questions in which you have to know something to know something to know something and thus the less you know from first year, the harder it will be for you to do well on Step I. And I have a hard time believing you know several people who didn't do well first year and made a 230+. A 230+ is tough to find in general but then to account for people who did bad first year and then scored over a 230 is pretty remote. Why have no people on SDN come forth and say "Hi, I did piss poor first year but I scored a 245 on Step I, Yeah!" There is a reason you aren't getting feedback like that.

 

[VincentAdultman]

A lot of questions are integrated. The path questions are never direct. They involve a firm understanding of phys, biochem, immuno etc. Most questions are 4th order questions in which you have to know something to know something to know something and thus the less you know from first year, the harder it will be for you to do well on Step I. And I have a hard time believing you know several people who didn't do well first year and made a 230+. A 230+ is tough to find in general but then to account for people who did bad first year and then scored over a 230 is pretty remote. Why have no people on SDN come forth and say "Hi, I did piss poor first year but I scored a 245 on Step I, Yeah!" There is a reason you aren't getting feedback like that.

"Hi, I did piss poor first year but I scored a 245 on Step I, Yeah!"

 

[woowoo]

A lot of questions are integrated. The path questions are never direct. They involve a firm understanding of phys, biochem, immuno etc. Most questions are 4th order questions in which you have to know something to know something to know something and thus the less you know from first year, the harder it will be for you to do well on Step I. And I have a hard time believing you know several people who didn't do well first year and made a 230+. A 230+ is tough to find in general but then to account for people who did bad first year and then scored over a 230 is pretty remote. Why have no people on SDN come forth and say "Hi, I did piss poor first year but I scored a 245 on Step I, Yeah!" There is a reason you aren't getting feedback like that.

i am well aware of how the step questions are asked. thanks for pointing that out though. the bottom line, is that 2nd year material trumps 1st year material by a long shot. my only point was that you cannot make a blanket statement that if you didn't do well first year, then you are doomed for the step. this is simply not true. and from last year, i can think of at least 3 people that didn't "do well." last year, and made a 230 plus. and yes, there is a big difference in 230 and 240.

 

[lotanna]

A lot of questions are integrated. The path questions are never direct. They involve a firm understanding of phys, biochem, immuno etc. Most questions are 4th order questions in which you have to know something to know something to know something and thus the less you know from first year, the harder it will be for you to do well on Step I. And I have a hard time believing you know several people who didn't do well first year and made a 230+. A 230+ is tough to find in general but then to account for people who did bad first year and then scored over a 230 is pretty remote. Why have no people on SDN come forth and say "Hi, I did piss poor first year but I scored a 245 on Step I, Yeah!" There is a reason you aren't getting feedback like that.

I actually have at least 4 personal (not word of mouth) friends who werent stellar 1st yr med schl that got between 230-240+. I know it took reviewing old stuff really well but they did it. Not everyone posts on SDN, just like MCAT forum where u only see 30+ yet there are many who get 24+ that do get in.