recovering from bad 1st year for step1

[globallmedicine]

anyone out there have a poor 1st year and able to achieve a good board score (ie 230)?

how did you do it?

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[basupran]

IMHO, year 1 isn't that important for step 1. Most of biochem and histo will be gone over again in path. Anatomy and embryo will be mostly clinical so you might be able to pick up on what you need elsewhere. Don't feel doomed, year 2 is much more important for the boards. It isn't like 50% year 1, 50% year 2. I would probably say it is closer to 20:80, but you have to realize that year 1 was designed to be the foundation on which year 2 builds.

 

[dr.weiner]

Work harder for step 1. Read all these threads and come up with what you think would work best for you.

 

[AmoryBlaine]

Yeah, year 1 isn't terribly important for Step1. I actually almost totally ignored Anatomy and Biochem b/c they were so low-yield and I did great.

Keep in mind that the average at US MD schools is around 215 w/ a std dev of around 20, so a 230 is a score that many, many med students will achieve. It's hardly the impossible dream.

 

[ertugrul]

Yeah, year 1 isn't terribly important for Step1. I actually almost totally ignored Anatomy and Biochem b/c they were so low-yield and I did great.

Keep in mind that the average at US MD schools is around 215 w/ a std dev of around 20, so a 230 is a score that many, many med students will achieve. It's hardly the impossible dream.

I don't think that biochemistry is low yield, it may not be high yield but it's probably medium-yield.

 

[fakin' the funk]

anyone out there have a poor 1st year and able to achieve a good board score (ie 230)?

2nd year will come more easily than you think. Why? Because by learning about disease you are reviewing normal function. Because pathophysiology is more interesting than physiology. Because a lot of the crap they made you learn in 1st year is not on Step 1 because it has no clinical application.

 

[AmoryBlaine]

I don't think that biochemistry is low yield, it may not be high yield but it's probably medium-yield.

that's fair. my thing was that my hatred for biochem was sufficient to make me just work that much harder on path.

 

[medhacker]

Did any of you have pathology, or a substantial amount of, during MS1?

 

[bones4u]

I had a poor first year (really not motivated, questioning if I made the right decision, etc) - lots of Ps, an MP as well.

In 2nd year though, learn the material well, in depth. And don't cram it. The best way to study for step is doing well in 2nd year. Lay a strong foundation to build on for your step studying next year.

best of luck