Sacrificing Grades to Prep for the Step 1

[SAF12]

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I plan on PREPARING for the USMLE Step 1 in my second term at SGU. I plan to read through First Aid 2013 as well as all the relevant step 1 material (BRS Physio, HY Neuro, Pathoma RR Path etc) while taking the corresponding classes (plus term 1 stuff in first aid this term). I was a High A student in term 1 but I would like to switch my focus in term 2 now. Doing all the step 1 prep will take away time from my class material which will probably make the difference from a High B to a high A (at my school a good 5 - 10% of the test is stuff the prof. emphasizes that may or may not be step relevant). I say PREPARATION in all caps because Im not studying, Ill be compiling the books and annotating First Aid with them so when it comes time to study I have it all in my own words in one place. I see so many people on this forum saying not to worry about it until the six weeks before the exam but to me that seems like a recipe for mediocrity at best even if you did very well in your classes because you've never seen the material presented in that way before (IE you may know path but if you've never seen it in the way RR presents it there may be a learning curve which you don't have time for in the end). Just like to hear some constructive opinions from fellow doctors. Please responses from medical students , no premeds, and preferably people who have already taken their step.

 

[DocDO2B]

I'd be interested to see a response from those who have been there done that in this scenario also. I am in the same boat as you with the step in about 5 months and have more or less put school studying on the back burner this spring to focus on usmle studying.

 

[MonsterAddict]

Study for the step. It matters way more than your preclinical grades

 

[tednfs]

I spent a 5 months studying for Step 1 (IMG) and it happened to clash directly with my academic schedule. Most days after classes I came back and did UW. The days I had tests coming up from my school curriculum, I just used a day or two (total, but maybe split in between my breaks from step 1 prep) to read the material in detail for the task at hand. After that, I would go back to my prep. It's about time management. I took my step in December, but over here, I'm still doing my end of semester exams (European system is different). But If I had to say anything, your step 1 grade is more important than pre-clinical, but don't let it destroy your average significantly.

 

[ash wings]

I'm curently doing my second year mbbs course in india, is it compulsary to give USMLE test for doing my post graduation in US ?
and if it is then when should i apply for it? i heard it is a 3 step process ,but im not pretty sure, could you help me on this...?
thank u

 

[Pruthvi]

am a 3rd year MBBS student from India !Yup ! USMLE is a 3 step process 🙂

step 1 u can give after ur 2nd year is over..portions include anatomy, physiology , biochem , molecular biology , pathology , pharmacology , microbiology and behavioural sciences ..

step 2 is ur clinical knowledge (CK) and clinical skills (CS)..u can give this after ur MBBS is over..

 

[Phloston]

Study for the step. It matters way more than your preclinical grades

This.

That doesn't mean do poorly in MS1/2, but I wouldn't be surprised that some PDs (depends on the program obviously) would completely disregard mediocre preclinical grades if a strong Step had been achieved.

That's because the Step is the only objective measure they have. Some schools might have cake-easy grading scales, while others not so. I'd say the stronger your step, the less important your grades become. If you get a 276/92 (like that kid who just posted in the scores thread), your grades wouldn't matter at all. If you get a 250 though, although solid, yes, grades would still be a factor.

 

[FIREitUP]

This.

That doesn't mean do poorly in MS1/2, but I wouldn't be surprised that some PDs (depends on the program obviously) would completely disregard mediocre preclinical grades if a strong Step had been achieved.

That's because the Step is the only objective measure they have. Some schools might have cake-easy grading scales, while others not so. I'd say the stronger your step, the less important your grades become. If you get a 276/92 (like that kid who just posted in the scores thread), your grades wouldn't matter at all. If you get a 250 though, although solid, yes, grades would still be a factor.

Grades would be a small factor if you hit 250, IMO, since it's well above average. Plus, at my school at least, our clinical grades count for 2x more than preclinical grades. Honestly, there are so many factors going at play in this process that I wouldn't expect preclinical grades to play much of a role, unless it helps you get AOA.

 

[KinasePro]

If you get a 276/92 (like that kid who just posted in the scores thread), your grades wouldn't matter at all. If you get a 250 though, although solid, yes, grades would still be a factor.

I'd disagree with this somewhat based on what I've heard from PD's/residents. From what I've gathered, Step 1 scores are most commonly used as cut-offs and help place students into "buckets." The highest cut-off I've heard that is used for residency interviews is 250 (hospital for special surgery, ortho). Once you hit that cut off, the rest of your application is what determines whether you'll get interviewed. A urology PD once told me that after a given cut-off, the additional 10-15 points on the step aren't very meaningful. There's a common (but erroneous IMO) belief amongst PDs that anything >250 is due to luck and/or trivial knowledge.

At any rate, I'd agree with FIREitUP that 250 is sufficient to validate your preclinical knowledge (with the AOA caveat). But I'd also argue that grades are tightly linked to step performance for many individuals. Anecdotally, I had ~a dozen questions on my exam that I only knew from class and hadn't seen in UW, kaplan, goljan, FA, or BRS, but YMMV.

 

[SAF12]

My plan isnt to sacrifice grades its to pull back on grades to incorporate more Step 1 material into my study. In my medical school for example they have lecture, then lecture slides, then essential lecture notes for most classes. People really gunning for high As read all three (what I would have done if it was still last term) but this term ill probably read more First Aid, BRS and pick the one that resource that is highest yield for the class. If my grades ever slipped below a B Id go back to my old methods. I think a B is solid enough , any lower and your missing core concepts which are essential for a top step score.

 

[SAF12]

With all this said is there anyone who has actually done something similar and had success ( a score of 250+). If this method does net a higher step score then how much higher would it be in your opinion?

 

[ijn]

Your preclinical grades matter if you think you're still in the running for junior AOA. I don't think you have to sacrifice making honors or high pass to study for Step 1. There's more than enough time in the day for both if you make it a priority. A semester of hard work now will make your final two years much less stressful.

 

[FIREitUP]

Your preclinical grades matter if you think you're still in the running for junior AOA. I don't think you have to sacrifice making honors or high pass to study for Step 1. There's more than enough time in the day for both if you make it a priority. A semester of hard work now will make your final two years much less stressful.

this is very dependent on the amount of required things you have. at my school we have a required thing almost every day. Our scheduled oftentimes gets fragmented which makes studying much less efficient. Not to mention what a time drain it is to go to required sessions.

 

[JoshSt]

I'm in the same boat. I'm a few months out from the exam and not "giving up" on grades but trading higher A's for low A's/high B's in order to spend focused board review time. This has put me out of the running for junior AOA but hopefully the dedication to board prep will pan out for Step 1.

No advice or outcome, just wanted to let you know that you're not alone.

 

[SAF12]

I should say that I am at SGU. AOA is not an option for me. There is an Honor society here of which I am already a member but I dont think residency directors care much about SGU's honor society ,IEA. I should be able to maintain the minimum requirement to stay in which is an 88% overall because I did so well in first term. The fact that AOA is such a big deal makes me wish i learnt Spanish and went to a Puerto Rican Medical School which has lower entry standards than SGU and has AOA.