Some advice to calm people about step I

[invitro]

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Okay-

Seeing how much stress step I caused me, and looking at all the stressed out posters, I felt I should post what I think would be the best thing for ms I/II thinking about boards.

-1- Pick up the book Step One Secrets. It's a VERY GOOD book that goes into a lot detail for the exam. Study it during your courses. 1st aid is also pretty good, but the facts are hard to memorize, will take you a significant amt of time.
You could also use pathophys for the boards and wards....also a VERY GOOD book for step I. Essentially, look for something that is easy to learn from.

-2- DON'T STRESS OUT about tons of small details.....I was so scared about embryo/anat....trust me knowing the BASICS is good enough, probably step one secrets would be enough. While looking through the book you might worry about how skimpy the pharm stuff is....that's because pharm on step I was REALLY BASIC!!!!

-3- Questions are very impt. I didn't use qbank, but I felt NMS review for step I was VERY GOOD....esp for the molecular bio portion. WATCH OUT, many of the step I ? are just as picky as NMS!!!!

I didn't like the rapid review series question source (goljan's rapid review for the usmle step 1). The CD was terrible, and the questions weren't that great.

Combining NMS Review for Step I and the Appleton and Lange Step I qbook would be a good idea...the questions are VERY GOOD!

BSS is also good, but remember, many questions are too hard/not relevant to what will be tested. Probably for every 2 questions that are useful in the series, you have 1 that is too picky/not useful.

Make sure to do a lot of questions....try finishing both books (NMS/A&L) !

See how you like qbank....it may be pretty good. I didn't like it, b/c I though it was too picky. Some people loved it. Get a free trial and see what you think.

-4- Spend about 1 month-6 weeks to study. It would be a good idea to review your main source (STEP 1 secrets/1st aid) along with coursework, so that when you are ready to study for the exam, you have already reviewed your main source a couple of times. Try to take the exam earlier....I took the exam in early july, try taking it in june....there may be a slight curve. (maybe this is just wishful thinking on my part, but I know many students in my class who did well (>235), and took it in early june).

-5- REMEMBER, PATH/Phys is MUCH MORE HIGH-YIELD than anat/embryo....

-6- So, get a comp review book (1st aid/step 1 secrets/pathophys for boards/wards or even step-up) and study it well during 1st/2nd year. Next, do lots of questions (try the two books NMS/A & L....if you like you can try qbank or BSS).

-7- Finally, when I say something is very good, it means the material was high yield/I saw similar questions on the exam.

I scored a 225/91. I know it's not as high as the superstars on this site, but it's good enough for what I want to do (anesthesia). I am sure however, if I studied one source well, and did MANY MANY questions, I probably would have done better.

Good luck, 🙂

invitro

 

[omarsaleh66]

Thanks alot for the great advice

PEace

Omar

 

[mjl1717]

Thx for the heart felt somewhat meticulously thought out advice!
{Also the opening for your thread was cute} 👍

 

[azzarah]

Thanks for the advice! 🙂 👍 👍

 

[doc05]

some more advice: your choice of residency and hence your entire professional future largely depends on the outcome of this exam. so don't screw up.

 

[Jamezuva]

some more advice: your choice of residency and hence your entire professional future largely depends on the outcome of this exam. so don't screw up.

yeah....so no pressure or anything... 😉

 

[invitro]

Hmm....step I is impt, but all you really need is a ~220, maybe a 230 if you are applying to a super hard residency. (this is if you are a US allo Med student) My dean told me this specifically, that you can match into most specialities with around a ~225 (lucky for me), maybe not at the BEST programs, but at least at a middle-tier program.

For derm/rads/plastic/neurosurgery etc, this may not be as true, but I know of individuals who matched with scores of 220-230 in these fields....just NOT at the top 10 programs. But hey, they matched, and that's all that really matters.

So just shoot for around a 230..if you do better great, if a little worse, it is not the end of the world. Just remember, you still have to do well 3rd yr. In fact another thing my dean told me was it's better to have a 220 and GREAT recs/all H 3rd year, than a 250 and mostly P's/mediocre recs. Then again, the few people I know who got a 250, also got straight H's 3rd yr....go figure. 😉

Bottom line....use one main source, study it during ms I/MS II, and do a lot of questions. You should do fine on step I. Good luck!

 

[Spang]

Then again, the few people I know who got a 250, also got straight H's 3rd yr....go figure.

I think this raises a point that is often overlooked or not stated plainly on this site and that is that everyone works within their own zone of ability, for lack of a better term. If you scored below the mean on every exam in your first two years of medical school it is unlikely you will get a 275 on Step 1, in my opinion. I also believe it is unlikely you will honor every clerkship in the third year. I think it's important to realize your abilities AND weaknesses and work to improve the weak areas and maximize the areas in which you are competent, again for lack of a better term.

I scored within .5 to 1.5 std deviations above the mean on every exam I took in medical school. I did not go into Step 1 thinking I would or could get a 275. I studied hard for Step 1, and studied much in the same manner I had in school, and scored right around the mean, 220. I wasn't suprised or disapointed. There are kids in my class who are super smart, those who majored in one of the science disciplines (I did not) and who I am certain did better than me on Step 1. You know what else? They're the same ones getting honors in our 3rd year clerkships. Is that suprising?

Now I'm not saying outlyers don't exist and I'm not suggesting you shouldn't bust your arse studying for Step 1 because it is important. I'm just saying I think you'll "succeed" if you know what "success" really is. I consider my score a success.

All that crap said, if I had to do it all over again I would concentrate on First Aid and really, really know and try to understand, as much of that as possible. I mean you gotta know there's going to be atleast a couple of questions on say brachial plexus injuries. If you don't know that cold and miss those straightforward questions, what good is it to try to memorize the British classifications of leukemias, or whatever that crap is. See what I mean? In other words, know what you know well enough to be certain you'll get questions about those subject right, or what hope do you have of getting a good overall score. In school I tried to make sure I knew 100% of about 80% of the material, if that makes sense.

Anyway, that's my long-winded .02 on the thing.

Spang