Preparing for Step 1 Throughout MS2

[BillrothI]

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Hey Everybody,

I just received my schedule for the first few months of MS2 and I'm struggling to figure out how to integrate Step 1 studying into the curriculum.

I figure I'll only have about an hour per day to study Step 1-specific material. That being the case, should I devote that time exclusively to Firecracker and FA? Or would it be worth investing in SketchyMicro and/or Pathoma? I feel like I have a pretty good handle on how to prepare for Step during the dedicated study period, but I have no idea how to go about reviewing high-yield material throughout the year.

Thank you for any advice!

-Bill

 

[Redpancreas]

You should have more than 1 hour day...

Do sketchy during micro
Do Pathoma during systems/pathology or however it's taught
Keep FA handy as a reference while studying for classes while reading it.
Start UWorld once you've finished Micro and start with 20 questions and work your way up to 40. Go in tutor mode and go according the systems. Once you hit two systems, start doing mixed blocks (aka no need to deplete all systems questions during that class block) . Also, lastly and most importantly, take notes in UWorld. You can look briefly at FA while doing UWolrd but annotating takes a **** ton of time and most the stuff is in there anyways.

 

[mcloaf]

Probably best to spend some time reading in the step 1 forum to see the different approaches people take and figure out what might work best for you.

 

[Stagg737]

If you have no other time, I think doing an hours worth of Qbank questions per night with whatever system/subject you're on is the most bang for your buck. Start with whatever system is first, so a couple nights of just that system to help build a foundation, then towards the end do cumulative blocks including every system/subject you've covered so far. That way it helps you nail the foundation down and do some spaced repetition in question format throughout the year.

 

[JamaicanHerb]

Focus on your MS2, thats the best Step 1 prep.

 

[Crayola227]

Focus on your MS2, thats the best Step 1 prep.

Ditto this. If I could go back, I would have done more to follow in FA and add useful charts and summaries from MS2 material that matched into FA. You can get the older version now and just follow along adding that stuff, but don't do too much work with what will soon be the old copy of FA.

I recommend when you can get the most recent FA that will be your bible for the real deal, take it to FedEx Kinko's or whatever where they can unbind it for you. 3 Ring hole punch it. Then you can add in those sheets and summaries pearl sheets to the pertinent section and start consolidating for the more dedicated period.

I would focus on MS2, it's fine to do some Qbank that's related to help you with your current material (ie you're doing heme/onc for 2 weeks, so you do heme/onc questions) but I HIGHLY recommend that you hoard UWORLD for closer to the real deal. Don't blow it now. Do some other throwaway Qbank.

 

[yoyohomieg5432]

I know most people say focus on M2 classwork as step 1 prep but I kind of disagree.. but i felt my school tended to focus a lot on nitty gritty details and not on the bigger picture things. I can't really see how your class schedule would be so bad that you can't keep up with the pathoma and FA chapter with whatever organ system you are covering in class... for example: cardio unit in class.. do cardio FA and cardio pathoma. I made step 1 the priority because personally I didn't want the first time i started to read through the chapters of FA to be in like march or something when you're only a couple months out from test day. It won't all stick this early in the game but it will come back to you quicker if you've already seen it once or twice

 

[sliceofbread136]

Read through FA along with classes for the sole purpose of being familiar with the book come dedicated time. Doing usmleRx questions casually is also helpful

if you really know your way around FA come test day you will get atleast a 240.

 

[Crayola227]

I know most people say focus on M2 classwork as step 1 prep but I kind of disagree.. but i felt my school tended to focus a lot on nitty gritty details and not on the bigger picture things. I can't really see how your class schedule would be so bad that you can't keep up with the pathoma and FA chapter with whatever organ system you are covering in class... for example: cardio unit in class.. do cardio FA and cardio pathoma. I made step 1 the priority because personally I didn't want the first time i started to read through the chapters of FA to be in like march or something when you're only a couple months out from test day. It won't all stick this early in the game but it will come back to you quicker if you've already seen it once or twice

Change your status from premed since you're talking about being a med student.

I see what you're saying, but one reason to focus on MS2 coursework isn't just for Step 1, but you're preclinical grades too. I know they're not the most imparotntat and not compared to step 1, but it would be ironic to study so much for Step 1 that one fails/does poorly in an MS2 course. This has happened before you laugh too hard.

 

[Redpancreas]

Ditto this. If I could go back, I would have done more to follow in FA and add useful charts and summaries from MS2 material that matched into FA. You can get the older version now and just follow along adding that stuff, but don't do too much work with what will soon be the old copy of FA.

I recommend when you can get the most recent FA that will be your bible for the real deal, take it to FedEx Kinko's or whatever where they can unbind it for you. 3 Ring hole punch it. Then you can add in those sheets and summaries pearl sheets to the pertinent section and start consolidating for the more dedicated period.

I would focus on MS2, it's fine to do some Qbank that's related to help you with your current material (ie you're doing heme/onc for 2 weeks, so you do heme/onc questions) but I HIGHLY recommend that you hoard UWORLD for closer to the real deal. Don't blow it now. Do some other throwaway Qbank.

LMAO, I'm always so interested with how split SDN is on this. It's literally 50-50. It's not like the highest scorers/talented students do your method whereas the hard workers start Uworld ASAP either. I've seen 270s on both sides of this debate. Take all this (mine as as well as other's) advice with a grain of salt.

 

[Redpancreas]

Change your status from premed since you're talking about being a med student.

I see what you're saying, but one reason to focus on MS2 coursework isn't just for Step 1, but you're preclinical grades too. I know they're not the most imparotntat and not compared to step 1, but it would be ironic to study so much for Step 1 that one fails/does poorly in an MS2 course. This has happened before you laugh too hard.

Agree. I tried to study too much for Step over the school year. Never failed a course but you pick up the understanding/tougher details from classes, not by reading commercial flashcards, first aid.

 

[BillrothI]

Thank you all for the advice! I really appreciate it.

@Backtothebasics8 -- I indeed hope to have more than one hour per day to study for Step in addition to school work. However, the most challenging blocks of MS1 left me with only about an hour per day of free time, so I'm assuming that the more rigorous MS2 blocks will be similar.

@Crayola227 -- I agree that it is important to make the class/lecture material a priority throughout MS2. Failing a class would be far worse than getting a few points lower on Step 1.

Based on your recommendations, I have some idea of how to prepare for Step throughout MS2:

- Focus on lecture material while following along with the corresponding passages in FA
- Do 10 USMLE-Rx practice questions per night (ideally related to lecture material)
- Watch the short SketchyMicro/SketchyPharm videos after microbiology and pharmacology lectures
- Review the Pathoma material at the end of each block

I feel like the above plan should be manageable. However, should I also continue doing FireCracker questions or would the time be better spent elsewhere?

Thanks again!

-Bill

 

[Crayola227]

I like it so far!!

 

[yoyohomieg5432]

my last 2 cents then you do whatever you do.

every day i always focused on lecture first.. watch the days lecture and make sure i understand what's going on in the lecture... then switch over to step mode the rest of the night and read FA/watch pathoma to help clear things up, etc... most of my time was spent on step stuff until like 5 days before the class exam then i'd swtich back to reveiwing powerpoints and memorizing silly things needed for class.

i also used the last few days befor the test to do the kaplan questions relevant to whatever block because i felt that's when i had the best understanding of that blocks material and when i was ready to be tested on it at boards level.. i feel like that would be better than doing 10/day.. at least early in a block when you arent going to understand anything because you havent covered half of the diseases,etc yet

 

[jqueb29]

Different things will work for different people. Based off my experience, I would just focus on mastering the material in your classes.

 

[BillrothI]

Thank you all once again for the suggestions!

I'm sure that figuring out what works best will require some trial and error, but I'm grateful to have a starting point and a list of must-have resources: First Aid, Pathoma, Sketchy, and USMLE-Rx (and later UWorld).

@yoyohomieg5432 -- very good point with respect to the USMLE-Rx questions. As per your recommendation, I'll probably focus on FA, Pathoma, and Sketchy throughout the block and then start to integrate USMLE-Rx questions toward the end (once I feel relatively comfortable with the material).

Thanks again!

-Bill

 

[Señor S]

I think you've gotten some good advice. If I were you I wouldn't start doing questions until just end of first semester/beginning of second; by that point you'll have covered more material and it can be review rather than seeing some isolated factoid in the context of a subject you don't know. And you could still do 10 questions a day + more over spring break and be done with a bank before you start studying for real (you could do 20 a day and be done with 2 banks).