Rising Second-Year Seeks Advice for Step 1

[Mortal_Lessons]

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Hi all,

I've spent the last few days reading through these Step 1 threads and am very thankful that many of you have posted your experiences studying for and taking this test.

Reading through your posts, I've been able to identify high-yield books and subjects to pay attention to as I begin my second-year studies. I have also gotten a good idea of what a short-term solid study schedule looks like. Thank you for this. My solicitation for advice relates to long-term study tactics that I'd like to use as I begin my second year.

I was wondering if some of you could comment on my general approach towards long-term studying for this test. I also understand that the best long-term preparation is to do well in your second-year coursework. This is definitely a large part of my plan. I begin by mentioning that our second year is taught in blocks, where we cover organ system pathophysiology and pharmacology in each block. My current plan starts at the beginning of M2. I will first read the relevant topics in BRS Pathology, Rapid Review Pathology, BRS Physiology, in addition to the lecture material and assigned reading for each block. My plan is to then transcribe important information into First Aid. In terms of questions pertinent to each block, I plan to use the online Webpath from Utah, as well as Robbins Review of Pathology. I believe that these activities will be very synergistic with the course material for which I'll be responsible during the year.

However, subjects such as anatomy (embryology, histology, and cell & molecular biology included) and biochemistry have no "apparent" synergy during second year. I will study neuroanatomy during our neurology block. And I will review microbiology & immunology during our infectious disease block. So, for these other subjects that aren't as synergistic, I plan to start reviewing them over winter break second year, most likely devoting one weekend day per week to only this material.

Does this general outline of reading Review books pertinent to block-material and then incorporating them into FA, while at the same time answering questions in Robbins and Utah Webpath during second year but before my hardcore studying sound solid? Any other suggestions for long term approaches are much appreciated Thanks.

 

[BrisketAttack]

sweet jesus, you're a verbose little rascal. best prep for step 1 is to not overanalyze (so stop it) and work hard during 2nd year. then at the end of second year, hit the books hard (FA, goljan, BRS phys, etc), throw in a little UW for good measure and you're 250+ bound. good luck.

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

I plan to do something similar (I'm also a rising 2nd year student) -- in addition to listening to those goljan lectures.

I may do WebPath on weekends, as I don't think I'll have time during the weekdays.

 

[ChickFingaz]

I like this plan, although I wonder how feasible it really will be as the year progresses. I'm a 2nd year myself (we start in 2 weeks, so I'm not going to say 'rising'.) I think I would benefit from a long term approach although I'm not sure how long (6 months, etc). We are P-F so if necessary, I can sacrifice course performance for the greater goal of Step I (but tell this to my brain which isn't wired to not shoot for the top). I didn't do too hot on the MCAT, and I think it may have been due to the fact that I needed more time to prepare because I didn't learn the core sciences properly as a student. I did alright first year (above the median in a few classes, right at the median in some, but never under). I'm hoping that fact will turn my Step I performance around.

When is the earliest permissible time to start with Q-Banks?

 

[Noeljan]

hey guys
another soon to be 2nd year (yuck 2 weeks🙁 anyway, what is WebPrep? Maybe we could start an early support post🙂 I also want to start a little at a time as not to feel overwhelmed.

 

[Noeljan]

One thing I am going to do: listen to goljan very early on while working out (I do the crosstrainer or treadmill), so I can get my workout and use that time wisely. What do you think?

 

[Mortal_Lessons]

Thanks to everyone for replying.

Noeljan, I think an early support thread is a great idea. So is listening to Goljan while working out, which I forgot to include in my original post. In fact, I listened to him this morning on my way to lab. I think it's good to familiarize yourself with him early on-that way, when you re-listen to him, you will really cue in on the important subtleties and hear things you didn't at first.

Not sure what Webprep is, but Webpath is this online pathology site run by a pathologist at the U of Utah. Not only are there tutorials on general and systemic pathology but there are also many test questions which can serve as a Q-bank for you during the year but before you begin your hardcore studying. Here is the link: http://library.med.utah.edu/WebPath/EXAM/EXAMIDX.html

I don't think there's an official earliest permissible time to start with the Q-banks, but the longer you have your subscription to one of these purchasable Q-banks, the more it'll cost you. I'd like to differentiate between Q-banks that one would use in their hardcore studying versus a source of questions for you to answer while going through your second year. It seems like Kaplan Q-bank and USMLEWorld are definitely the types of Q-banks you'd use in your hardcore studying, while Utah Webpath and Robbins Review of Pathology are sources of questions to answer as you go through your second year (and can definitely revisit while studying hardcore if need be).

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

One thing I am going to do: listen to goljan very early on while working out (I do the crosstrainer or treadmill), so I can get my workout and use that time wisely. What do you think?

Good idea. I think that is when it would be good to listen to his lectures, and not when doing hardcore studying due to the time pinch.

I plan to listen to Goljan when taking study breaks or on weekends b/c I dont have an ipod or mp3 player. I may need to consider burning a CD so I can play it in the car rides though.

Mortal did a good job on the WepPath description. I think WebPrep is something that Kaplan has for board prep? I don't have it but I have heard that name thrown around ...

I do wonder when a good idea would be to begin the online QBanks??

I purchased a FA Q/A book, along with an e-copy of Kaplan QBook and I think on weekends I will be using those to supplement learning. What do you guys think about all this?

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

Thanks to everyone for replying.

Noeljan, I think an early support thread is a great idea. So is listening to Goljan while working out, which I forgot to include in my original post. In fact, I listened to him this morning on my way to lab. I think it's good to familiarize yourself with him early on-that way, when you re-listen to him, you will really cue in on the important subtleties and hear things you didn't at first.

Not sure what Webprep is, but Webpath is this online pathology site run by a pathologist at the U of Utah. Not only are there tutorials on general and systemic pathology but there are also many test questions which can serve as a Q-bank for you during the year but before you begin your hardcore studying. Here is the link: http://library.med.utah.edu/WebPath/EXAM/EXAMIDX.html

I don't think there's an official earliest permissible time to start with the Q-banks, but the longer you have your subscription to one of these purchasable Q-banks, the more it'll cost you. I'd like to differentiate between Q-banks that one would use in their hardcore studying versus a source of questions for you to answer while going through your second year. It seems like Kaplan Q-bank and USMLEWorld are definitely the types of Q-banks you'd use in your hardcore studying, while Utah Webpath and Robbins Review of Pathology are sources of questions to answer as you go through your second year (and can definitely revisit while studying hardcore if need be).

Also, if you purchase a new RR Path, I think there is some online questions you can use as well when you register online. I think that would be a real good supplement, as well, since Goljan is the author of RR Path. I may peruse that on weekends too, b/c I won't have time during the weekdays especially since I will also be a TA for anatomy.

Also, what do you guys think about USMLERx? Do you guys think I should suscribe to that if I already have First Aid Q/A Book? Hopefully the seasoned 3rd and 4th years can answer this particular question. I ask b/c I hear USMLERx is a good supplement to learn FA content; however, with a QBook from the same author, is it really needed?

 

[Noeljan]

thanks for the replies guys🙂 Thanks for the web info too!
I think that besides listening to goljan, I am going to try and set one day a week aside for some board review. I am going to start the semester and see how it is going though before I decide which day. The day aside will be for reviewing old material (from last year) and maybe some questions. I have Q bank already because they encouraged us to buy it last year at orientation. So maybe doing it according to subject. I have also heard the Kaplan videos are really helpful, so I may watch one of those on my study day. I think the Robbins idea is a good one too
On another note, is anyone thinking about a review course? I am a little confused because I looked at the falcon webpage and it's a 7 week course that goes year round. Obv we will be in school during the year, but even to take the 7 week course when school ends doesn't seem to leave much time for just questions, etc. I wonder if there are any shorter programs out there. Is anyone thinking of doing one?

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

thanks for the replies guys🙂 Thanks for the web info too!
I think that besides listening to goljan, I am going to try and set one day a week aside for some board review. I am going to start the semester and see how it is going though before I decide which day. The day aside will be for reviewing old material (from last year) and maybe some questions. I have Q bank already because they encouraged us to buy it last year at orientation. So maybe doing it according to subject. I have also heard the Kaplan videos are really helpful, so I may watch one of those on my study day. I think the Robbins idea is a good one too
On another note, is anyone thinking about a review course? I am a little confused because I looked at the falcon webpage and it's a 7 week course that goes year round. Obv we will be in school during the year, but even to take the 7 week course when school ends doesn't seem to leave much time for just questions, etc. I wonder if there are any shorter programs out there. Is anyone thinking of doing one?

I will if my school sets us up with one. I'm hoping they opt for Kaplan since most of the basic sci professors taught at a Kaplan.

I am using this Pass Program Notes that my friend got when he did the Pass Program Course. It looks good, and I can use that to supplement learning with review books I have.

I definitely think setting a weekend aside for board prep is a good idea. I will be doing the same too. 7 weeks of Cardio is gonna be killer though 👎

BTW, did you purchase Kaplan videos from Kaplan?

 

[Mortal_Lessons]

At my school, we have 4 weeks of dedicated Boards studying time (read: no classes) at the end of the year. I think this is when I'll purchase a one month subscription to USMLEWorld . I've read on here that USMLEWorld is hands-down the best of the online Q-banks. I've also read that the Kaplan Q-bank is good, too. But I simply don't think I'll have the time in 4 weeks to complete two online mega-Q-banks. So I'll probably just stick to USMLEWorld. The first week I'll begin easy on the questions and hard on the books. I'll change the balance in favor of the questions as the exam date nears.

Prior to this 4 weeks of dedicated time, I'll probably begin doing the Kaplan Q-book around Winter Break with each non-synergistic subject that I tackle. As I mentioned in my first post, these non-syngergistic subjects are those that won't be covered explicitly in the blocks during second year-namely, anatomy, biochemistry and behavioral sciences. This type of studying will most likely be jagged and non-uniform since I'll have to squeeze it in between the block material.

I don't know anything about USMLERx. And I simply won't have the time to enroll in a course. However, reading the responses on the Official 2008 thread, I don't think a course is necessary, especially after reading posts from students who made up their own schedules and scored high.

 

[UditNarayan]

this is how i chose to do it:

I did nothing for boards during the summer before 2nd yr...i did some light research and just relaxed. then, during the year, towards about Nov - Dec time i started looking at this website, reading thru a few posts each time just to get a sense of how i should attack this beast. at the end of my path/pharm integrated course (towards Feb), i started following along in RR Path and FA with my course. I didn't use any Goljan audio, Kaplan videos, etc bc i knew that i could easily get bogged down with too many resources.

Brisket is right about not overanalyzing...relax and get yourself mentally prepared to have to take this thing at the end of your 2nd yr. its good to have a set of review and question sources by the time you get to your board study time, and if you can follow along with one of your sources during your path class it will just make the board time review that much quicker and easier. during classes, i did not read any textbooks, and certainly did not open robbins. go with what has been working for you and don't change much just because you know that this is an important test...PM if you have any questions!

 

[crazy_cavalier]

Plan looks fine... only advice I'd give is try not to overwhelm yourself. Focus mostly on the 2nd year material. The first-year stuff (physio, neuroanatomy) will come back to you in due time.

 

[McMD]

So, I took Step 1 this summer and I'll give you what I would've done differently. First off, I would've relaxed!!! Starting 2nd year, I was so nervous about Step 1 because I hate standardized tests, it's the one time that I always do worse than what I know I'm capable of (and for people reading this who also know they suck at standardized tests...I wouldn't even worry about this, it wasn't even an issue for me in the end). I had this grandiose plan of how I was going to read during winter break and continue studying until I took Step 1.....HA!!! I kept putting it off and oftentimes it came down to studying for classes or for step1...CHOOSE CLASSES!!!

My advice: Start studying Spring break! You can get so much accomplished during that week when you don't have to worry about school getting in your way and when you go back to school and only half your classmates have started studying, you'll be more relaxed because you won't feel behind! If you want your vacation time, that's fine, start the week immediately after spring break, but know that you might feel stressed bc your classmates have started.

Secondly, study for 2nd year!!!...you will be surprised how much you'll retain when your real Step 1 studying comes around. If I could do anything differently, I'd probably listen to Goljan and read RR path along with my classes (ie. if we're studying respiratory, I'd read that section)....and honestly, that's IT!!!...If you do more, you will get burnt out, then when you should be studying hardcore, you'll be so tired of seeing the material.

Step1 has a good bit of minutia that you aren't going to remember if you saw it months prior to the exam. If you study later, but study hard, you'll remember even the minutia because it'll be fresher in your head.

Good luck!

 

[Acabee]

We are P-F so if necessary, I can sacrifice course performance for the greater goal of Step I (but tell this to my brain which isn't wired to not shoot for the top)...
When is the earliest permissible time to start with Q-Banks?

I go to a school that is P/F for the first 2 yrs. Till the last month of second yr, I studied course material very intensely, leaving myself hardly any time for step I prep. And the whole way along, I said to myself, "Why am I doing this? What a waste of time. I should slack off on coursework and study for Step I instead. Too bad I'm too compulsive to do that."
Anyway, end result was that I did very well on step I (high 260s) and am very glad I focused on coursework. Not only did I have the foundations down pat by the time I had to start step I studying, but I came upon questions in practice NBMEs (not sure about during the actual exam- I was too stressed out to think about it) that I only knew because of what I had learned during my courses and that were not covered in review books.
Granted I've just taken a long time to reiterate what's already been said x 1000, but I just wanted to reassure those who may feel like they're missing the boat when they find themselves, come January, trying to learn lecture material while most of their classmates are studying First Aid instead.

 

[Instatewaiter]

Doing well in your courses is the best way to do well on step 1. Sounds strange, I know, but there are things you learn over the year you just cant pick up in the month of studying.

But there are some things you should do if you have time after studying for class:
1) Before each organ system, read BRS phys.
2) After you have finished an organ system (ie before a test) read goljian or BRS path and understand his points and the structure of the book.
3) Go through FA and feel out the strengths and weaknesses


I feel like 1&2 are the most crucial but if you have time get to 3.

 

[spospo]

i guess i fall in the same category, but my question isn't quite on topic. i'll ask anyway. we have infectious diseases as our first class 2nd year (starting in a few weeks), and i am looking to purchase CMMRS. is there much difference between the 3rd and 4th edition does anyone know? thanks!

 

[TRKATK]

i guess i fall in the same category, but my question isn't quite on topic. i'll ask anyway. we have infectious diseases as our first class 2nd year (starting in a few weeks), and i am looking to purchase CMMRS. is there much difference between the 3rd and 4th edition does anyone know? thanks!

I've heard the only difference between them is the images/table are bigger but essentially they are the same 😕

 

[spospo]

I've heard the only difference between them is the images/table are bigger but essentially they are the same 😕

thanks for the advice! anyone else know anything? i can get the 3rd edition way cheaper, so i am thinking about just going for it.

 

[TRKATK]

thanks for the advice! anyone else know anything? i can get the 3rd edition way cheaper, so i am thinking about just going for it.

You're welcome. Many people I know use the 3rd edition, and they haven't complained yet. 🙂

 

[Powel6016]

Found a few threads comparing the 3rd to 4th Editions.
I used the 3rd and it was good. Funny pics, still remember them,

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=513614
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/sho...linical+microbiology+made+ridiculously+simple
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/sho...linical+microbiology+made+ridiculously+simple

basically the 4th has bigger text and tables, stick with the 3rd, save some money.

 

[78222]

studying for your M2 classes IS board prep. If you do Goljan with your studies and flip through FA on each section to make sure your courses aren't neglecting anything, you will be ahead of the curve. Also review pertinent physiology/anatomy for each organ system. I really wouldn't worry too much right now. It's too early to do much in preparation for the boards.

 

[babel]

This may seem like a silly question, but where is everyone getting the Goljan audio lectures from? I can't seem to find anything on Amazon (I just see the book), and when I Google it, I get a bunch of results from people who are "sharing" theirs. Is there an official copy that can be purchased, or are the bootleg versions the standard way to go? Thanks!!

P.S. I wonder if I should even get it myself at all, because I am definitely NOT an auditory learner. Not only do I not go to lecture, I don't even watch the recorded lectures later (assuming the professor has provided anything more substantial than PowerPoint for notes). I feel compelled to check out the Goljan audio though because it seems like everyone says it sooo great....... any thoughts?

 

[Mortal_Lessons]

This may seem like a silly question, but where is everyone getting the Goljan audio lectures from? I can't seem to find anything on Amazon (I just see the book), and when I Google it, I get a bunch of results from people who are "sharing" theirs. Is there an official copy that can be purchased, or are the bootleg versions the standard way to go? Thanks!!

P.S. I wonder if I should even get it myself at all, because I am definitely NOT an auditory learner. Not only do I not go to lecture, I don't even watch the recorded lectures later (assuming the professor has provided anything more substantial than PowerPoint for notes). I feel compelled to check out the Goljan audio though because it seems like everyone says it sooo great....... any thoughts?

To the best of my knowledge, the Goljan audio lectures were recorded by someone in one of his USMLE review courses and were later uploaded onto the internet. For this reason, you can't purchase these lectures commercially but must find them online (e.g. bittorrent, etc.).

 

[babel]

To the best of my knowledge, the Goljan audio lectures were recorded by someone in one of his USMLE review courses and were later uploaded onto the internet. For this reason, you can't purchase these lectures commercially but must find them online (e.g. bittorrent, etc.).

Great, thanks for the clarification! 👍

 

[Lamborghini1315]

Hi all,

I've spent the last few days reading through these Step 1 threads and am very thankful that many of you have posted your experiences studying for and taking this test.

Reading through your posts, I've been able to identify high-yield books and subjects to pay attention to as I begin my second-year studies. I have also gotten a good idea of what a short-term solid study schedule looks like. Thank you for this. My solicitation for advice relates to long-term study tactics that I'd like to use as I begin my second year.

I was wondering if some of you could comment on my general approach towards long-term studying for this test. I also understand that the best long-term preparation is to do well in your second-year coursework. This is definitely a large part of my plan. I begin by mentioning that our second year is taught in blocks, where we cover organ system pathophysiology and pharmacology in each block. My current plan starts at the beginning of M2. I will first read the relevant topics in BRS Pathology, Rapid Review Pathology, BRS Physiology, in addition to the lecture material and assigned reading for each block. My plan is to then transcribe important information into First Aid. In terms of questions pertinent to each block, I plan to use the online Webpath from Utah, as well as Robbins Review of Pathology. I believe that these activities will be very synergistic with the course material for which I'll be responsible during the year.

However, subjects such as anatomy (embryology, histology, and cell & molecular biology included) and biochemistry have no "apparent" synergy during second year. I will study neuroanatomy during our neurology block. And I will review microbiology & immunology during our infectious disease block. So, for these other subjects that aren't as synergistic, I plan to start reviewing them over winter break second year, most likely devoting one weekend day per week to only this material.

Does this general outline of reading Review books pertinent to block-material and then incorporating them into FA, while at the same time answering questions in Robbins and Utah Webpath during second year but before my hardcore studying sound solid? Any other suggestions for long term approaches are much appreciated Thanks.

First your study plan seems quite time consuming and certainly screams "a stellar score" if you can manage to get through everything mentioned above. Second its more important to find your comfort zone before board prep than being ready for the boards itself. I am in the same boat trying to go head on to tackle this beast, but i am in no rush to kill myself. PM me if you guys want to know my strategy...my only suggestion is to try finding efficient resources rather than looking for billion perspectives on the same topic. Gotta learn how to walk before you start running...

 

[lina123321]

to the mods and sdn'ers giving advice,

it seems like you guys are all suggesting to tackle Step 1-studying right after winter break. How much time did you guys spend per week, and what focus/approach did u use (ie: a little of each subject at a time, or one subject at a time, review of info learned in first year vs. more recent info, etc)?

if any of you folks who already took Step 1 used the year-long study approach, how did that work out for you?

 

[78222]

to the mods and sdn'ers giving advice,

it seems like you guys are all suggesting to tackle Step 1-studying right after winter break. How much time did you guys spend per week, and what focus/approach did u use (ie: a little of each subject at a time, or one subject at a time, review of info learned in first year vs. more recent info, etc)?

if any of you folks who already took Step 1 used the year-long study approach, how did that work out for you?

I'm not advocating starting right after winter break. I honestly don't think that will put you at much of an advantage. What you should be doing is reading the review books and listening to Goljan to hone in on the board relevent material that is getting overlooked in your classes. The more times you see these board relevent factoids, the better you'll remember them. At some point after winter break, you might consider starting a question bank along with your classes. I wouldn't do UW though, you need to save those questions for your actual board prep time (I started QBank around January, but only finished around 40% total).

 

[UditNarayan]

i didnt start my "board prep" until 8 weeks before the test. some of my friends started at like the beginning of 2nd yr (which initially freaked me out) but i ended up doing much better than them. its not necessary to go nuts about this test too early or else you'll forget what's most important: study hard for your classes and learn the material as best as you can. with this attitude, i took the CBSE mock board exam and had a baseline of 240 (86 raw score) which gave me a lot of confidence going into my board prep. the only review books i used during the year were goljan and FA for the last couple months of 2nd yr, which i used to follow my path and pharm class modules. good luck!

 

[Blesbok]

sweet jesus, you're a verbose little rascal. best prep for step 1 is to not overanalyze (so stop it) and work hard during 2nd year. then at the end of second year, hit the books hard (FA, goljan, BRS phys, etc), throw in a little UW for good measure and you're 250+ bound. good luck.

I loled

I also didn't read the entire first post, but my advice is like you said, do well in second year. If you study rheumatology, read the rheumatology section in goljan, BRS, and robbins (either big or little). Also, read up on the pathophys of it in boards and wards. Just because something was not mentioned in class, do not skip over it while studying. Those extra hours going a little further than required is what is going to make the difference.

As far as boards directed study, just relax for the first semester. Second semester you might start doing some practice questions to get your timing and general strategy down, but don't study less for class in order to study for boards. Continue to work hard at classes until the last day and then once that is over just follow some of the study schedules around here. If you did well in your classes and worked hard, you will do well on teh boards.

 

[JeffLebowski]

to the mods and sdn'ers giving advice,

it seems like you guys are all suggesting to tackle Step 1-studying right after winter break. How much time did you guys spend per week, and what focus/approach did u use (ie: a little of each subject at a time, or one subject at a time, review of info learned in first year vs. more recent info, etc)?

if any of you folks who already took Step 1 used the year-long study approach, how did that work out for you?

I think starting after you get back from winter break is a good idea. Just work on getting FA, your BRS or RR path, and BRS physio highlighted the way you like it (if that's your bag). The first time through (for me) is almost always just putting the text into a format I can actually consume & digest the second time through. So diseases highlighted in one color jump out at me as "DISEASE" in my head. Drugs jump out at me as "DRUGS" in my head. So the next time you go through it, you're familiar with the text (as you've gone through it in an active way), and have a color-coding scheme that makes it easier to compartmentalize information. That's my approach, others may disagree. So while I agree 100% that your priority should still be classes, I think you should get your first run-through of your "major" review books (the ones you should go through numerous times) done relatively early.

Also - surebreC was right, don't deplete your UW questions too early. Get a schedule down that has you finishing UW within a week of your test date (I didn't finish until like 2 days before my test). My recommendation is to do the BRS path & BRS physio & whatever else random questions you'd like (Kaplan, Robbins, etc.) for the first month or two, then switch to 1-2 blocks of 50 questions (w/explanations) every day. You should count on doing a block of 50 every day (or 48, or whatever the hell they're doing now). Just get into the habit of it. Make a plan. You can post your plan here for comments if you'd like. My only other recommendation is to restate that you should not neglect your coursework, that's a common mistake. While you should have separate dedicated "Step 1 review" time set aside each day, Step 1 review and M2 review are not separate entities.