Step 1 and classes

[lm1120]

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Is anyone else having trouble trying to balance class work and step 1 prep. My strength is comprehension but my memory is not the best so I know i'll need time for board memorization. Everytime I try to focus on boards for a little bit I find myself behind in class. I know that I cant even take the board if I dont pass my classes but at the same time whats the point in doing well in class if I dont do well on the boards. Does anyone have any advice or a schedule on how to keep up with both?

 

[DreamingTheLive]

Focus on classes! Know the material as well as you can the first time and refreshing it later will be a breeze.

 

[bobow98]

I feel you man.

 

[FIREitUP]

it wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for all the mandatory (i.e., useless) sessions...

 

[Stellar Clouds]

Try to focus your step prep on the same topics you are learning in class.

 

[olemissbabydoc]

I echo stellar clouds. Also dependent on your attendance policy you may do better to not go to class as much - all our classes were podcast, I could double time them as still fit in step study in the same number of hours.

At the very least, use Uworld to study for your shelf exams.

 

[docnotsopc]

Focus on classes! Know the material as well as you can the first time and refreshing it later will be a breeze.

This only applies if you attend a school that has a board relevant curriculum. Many schools teach clinical stuff beyond Step 1 etc.

 

[lm1120]

This only applies if you attend a school that has a board relevant curriculum. Many schools teach clinical stuff beyond Step 1 etc.

Yep that's the case at my school. They don't cater to the boards at all, The stuff they teach is not board focused and clinically way beyond what we need to know. Sometimes I feel like our school wants us to do mediocre on the boards so that we can stay within their afflicted hospitals for residency.

 

[DreamingTheLive]

This only applies if you attend a school that has a board relevant curriculum. Many schools teach clinical stuff beyond Step 1 etc.

All M2s feel this way to some degree during 2nd year. I know I did, there will always be superfluous information that is taught, sure. You have to know what to focus on. All I'm saying is that you should learn the phys, pathophys, etc. really well the first time. Use, *gasp*, textbooks if you have to. You need to build a strong base. Sure, if you want focus maybe 45 min. a night on FA or something, but right now, learn the basics well!

 

[NickNaylor]

My boards studying has consisted of doing a block of qbank questions each day (or close to each day) using the topics we've done thus far (basically all basic science stuff + the systems we've completed), going over the answers, and annotating FA. It's not time intensive yet extremely helpful - you get used to boards questions, you review material, and you start getting your FA nice and annotated so that it's a better resource once dedicated study time rolls around.

If I'm dedicated I can do this in 2-3 hours (an hour to do the questions and 1-2 to go through the answers and annotate), which really isn't bad. Usually I split my day up such that I do a block in the morning and study for class for a few hours in the afternoon. However I don't go to class unless it's necessary, plus we're P/F so I learn the material we're covering only at a FA/Pathoma level of detail, leaving more time for boards studying (or, more often than not, doing nothing).

If you've bought a qbank and want to start studying, try this approach for a few days and see what you think.

 

[startswithb]

My boards studying has consisted of doing a block of qbank questions each day (or close to each day) using the topics we've done thus far (basically all basic science stuff + the systems we've completed), going over the answers, and annotating FA. It's not time intensive yet extremely helpful - you get used to boards questions, you review material, and you start getting your FA nice and annotated so that it's a better resource once dedicated study time rolls around.

If I'm dedicated I can do this in 2-3 hours (an hour to do the questions and 1-2 to go through the answers and annotate), which really isn't bad. Usually I split my day up such that I do a block in the morning and study for class for a few hours in the afternoon. However I don't go to class unless it's necessary, plus we're P/F so I learn the material we're covering only at a FA/Pathoma level of detail, leaving more time for boards studying (or, more often than not, doing nothing).

If you've bought a qbank and want to start studying, try this approach for a few days and see what you think.

Exactly what I've been doing and it works quite well.

 

[JShephard]

Yep that's the case at my school. They don't cater to the boards at all, The stuff they teach is not board focused and clinically way beyond what we need to know. Sometimes I feel like our school wants us to do mediocre on the boards so that we can stay within their afflicted hospitals for residency.

My school seems to have a similar philosophy. I don't see why teaching to the boards is bad. Some of my best medical understanding has come from excellently organized board review material.

 

[Ironheme]

My boards studying has consisted of doing a block of qbank questions each day (or close to each day) using the topics we've done thus far (basically all basic science stuff + the systems we've completed), going over the answers, and annotating FA. It's not time intensive yet extremely helpful - you get used to boards questions, you review material, and you start getting your FA nice and annotated so that it's a better resource once dedicated study time rolls around.

If I'm dedicated I can do this in 2-3 hours (an hour to do the questions and 1-2 to go through the answers and annotate), which really isn't bad. Usually I split my day up such that I do a block in the morning and study for class for a few hours in the afternoon. However I don't go to class unless it's necessary, plus we're P/F so I learn the material we're covering only at a FA/Pathoma level of detail, leaving more time for boards studying (or, more often than not, doing nothing).

If you've bought a qbank and want to start studying, try this approach for a few days and see what you think.

I feel like such a slacker compared to you. We have about 4-5 hours of class + mandatory PBL/lab/seminar per day. Add that to travel time (2 hours roundtrip, plus another hour to get to wherever they decide to put the seminar), I'm only barely managing to keep up with class. If I'm lucky, I can spend a day per week studying for Step 1. I'm gonna need to push the class stuff off and prioritize the boards. And studying for our classes isn't very relevant board material. We usually have lots of guest lecturers that like to go into detail on their specific topic.

It sounds like you're going to do amazing on boards. I'm a little jealous of your schedule atm.

 

[Hemichordate]

I feel like such a slacker compared to you. We have about 4-5 hours of class + mandatory PBL/lab/seminar per day. Add that to travel time (2 hours roundtrip, plus another hour to get to wherever they decide to put the seminar), I'm only barely managing to keep up with class. If I'm lucky, I can spend a day per week studying for Step 1. I'm gonna need to push the class stuff off and prioritize the boards. And studying for our classes isn't very relevant board material. We usually have lots of guest lecturers that like to go into detail on their specific topic.

It sounds like you're going to do amazing on boards. I'm a little jealous of your schedule atm.

Move closer to the school?
Don't know how it's going to work for you during your rotations.

 

[Ironheme]

Nah, it's pretty typical for the class actually. Average commute is around there. Usually I walk and listen to lectures at the same time, so it's not a complete waste of time.

 

[sazerac]

Nah, it's pretty typical for the class actually. Average commute is around there. Usually I walk and listen to lectures at the same time, so it's not a complete waste of time.

You walk for an hour each way to and from school? Have you considered buying a bicycle or older automobile?

 

[NickNaylor]

It sounds like you're going to do amazing on boards. I'm a little jealous of your schedule atm.

Hah, I wish I shared your confidence.

 

[JJMrK]

Started focusing mostly on step 1 the last half of M2 year. Was fortunate enough to not have mandatory lecture.

 

[BeastInfection]

I'm having a hard time too, you're definitely not alone. It also seems like--inexplicably--my school has decided to kick up the intensity considerably the second half of M2. More lectures every day, long, boring, mandatory sessions almost every day, courses have become desynchronized so have gone from block exams to exams ~every other week. When I have a little bit of remaining time, can't find the energy to start Step1 studying.

Going to have to figure something out because it doesn't look like our schedule is getting lighter any time soon.

 

[SpecterGT260]

Is anyone else having trouble trying to balance class work and step 1 prep. My strength is comprehension but my memory is not the best so I know i'll need time for board memorization. Everytime I try to focus on boards for a little bit I find myself behind in class. I know that I cant even take the board if I dont pass my classes but at the same time whats the point in doing well in class if I dont do well on the boards. Does anyone have any advice or a schedule on how to keep up with both?

NickNaylor said something in a prior thread that I honestly think is fantastic advice - go through FirstAid with each course. That way you are familiar with the book when it comes time to cram.

I also have USMLErx which not only gives full explanations but also ties explanations to specific pages in firstaid 2012 (not sure when they are updating Rx to reference 2013.....). I do quizzes based on what we are doing in class at the time to double dip my studying a little. Gunna save uworld until I exhaust Rx. I personally highly recommend this as it makes annotating FA much faster (tried a few Uworld sets while annotating with a brand new book and.... spent half of my time finding the relevant pages in the book. Way too inefficient).

 

[SpecterGT260]

Oh.... but be careful you dont highlight everything in first aid......

 

[Frazier]

Oh.... but be careful you dont highlight everything in first aid......

 

[KinasePro]

Haven't received my score yet, only tested a week or so ago. But I'd say your hierarchy should be coursework > text (medium robbins, or Goljan RR) >>> FA > Q banks.

coursework, coursework, coursework... Should be your #1 priority, you should aim for >2 SDs above class mean on your exams. This is absolutely critical to making your dedicated study time efficient. You can get though all of first aid in 3-4 weeks, and have a ton if it stick if you've worked hard during MS 2, regardless of how closely your school teaches to the boards.

Speaking of not teaching to the boards, my school has some bizarre objection to acknowledging that the boards even exist. We had more reading assignments from NEJM than robbins or any other high yield primary text out there. It was annoying and frustrating at the time, but somehow it actually worked... What's more, I had a 8-10 questions on my exam that came exclusively from overtly clinical coursework (that I initially thought was completely irrelevant to step 1)... things that weren't in either Q bank or first aid. Point being: even if your school doesn't teach to the boards, you should still do your best to learn that **** cold. It may show up again and even if it doesn't, it contextualizes the material in FA and helps it stick during your study period.

That being said, if you had to go through FA along side courses, I'd argue its worth reviewing the basic science garbage. Immuno, micro, genetics, biochem, embryo, CLINICAL anatomy (eg blue boxes in Moores)... things which would dovetail nicely with the organ systems you're covering in lecture and PBL, but require some relatively focused studying/review.

Don't overdo it though, focus on your coursework first and foremost.

 

[NickNaylor]

Haven't received my score yet, only tested a week or so ago. But I'd say your hierarchy should be coursework > text (medium robbins, or Goljan RR) >>> FA > Q banks.

coursework, coursework, coursework... Should be your #1 priority, you should aim for >2 SDs above class mean on your exams. This is absolutely critical to making your dedicated study time efficient. You can get though all of first aid in 3-4 weeks, and have a ton if it stick if you've worked hard during MS 2, regardless of how closely your school teaches to the boards.

Speaking of not teaching to the boards, my school has some bizarre objection to acknowledging that the boards even exist. We had more reading assignments from NEJM than robbins or any other high yield primary text out there. It was annoying and frustrating at the time, but somehow it actually worked... What's more, I had a 8-10 questions on my exam that came exclusively from overtly clinical coursework (that I initially thought was completely irrelevant to step 1)... things that weren't in either Q bank or first aid. Point being: even if your school doesn't teach to the boards, you should still do your best to learn that **** cold. It may show up again and even if it doesn't, it contextualizes the material in FA and helps it stick during your study period.

That being said, if you had to go through FA along side courses, I'd argue its worth reviewing the basic science garbage. Immuno, micro, genetics, biochem, embryo, CLINICAL anatomy (eg blue boxes in Moores)... things which would dovetail nicely with the organ systems you're covering in lecture and PBL, but require some relatively focused studying/review.

Don't overdo it though, focus on your coursework first and foremost.

Lol, I'll take my chances. The 2 SD point is pretty arbitrary and amusing though. I just think it's impossible to say that classwork is the best way to prepare when every curriculum - hell every professor - is different. There's no way any of this can be remotely close to universally true.

(sent from my phone)

 

[SpecterGT260]

Lol, I'll take my chances.

(sent from my phone)

I'll put a good word in for you with our rural FM program


Srsly though, I think it is school and individual specific. Most upper classmen I talked to just did FA and qbanks out the wazoo and our averages have been well above the national average for quite awhile (just like everyone's school, right?)

Sent from my DROID RAZR using SDN Mobile

 

[Wordead]

Lol 2 SD...you crazy goat that's over the 99th percentile. Literally nobody else can do better than you unless you have over like 200 people in your class.

 

[KinasePro]

2 SD is totally arbitrary, and I personally never reached it. I always aimed for it though and having a high standard for my preclinical performance paid off during dedicated prep.

To the person who said none of this can be universally relevant, I'd argue it's pretty hard for your medical school to royally **** up the pre-clinical curriculum. If you jump through the hoops at most schools, you'll be covering 80% of the relevant material thats in FA + the q-banks. The remaining 20% is easily added on if your foundation is strong. You can try to learn that extra 20% on your own while taking courses, but IMO it's more efficiently learned when your actually responsible for it (eg in your dedicated time).

But thats just my $0.02, as someone coming from a school that is allergic to the boards.

 

[SpecterGT260]

Lol 2 SD...you crazy goat that's over the 99th percentile. Literally nobody else can do better than you unless you have over like 200 people in your class.

"You should try to be the best"

😱 why for it took so long with nobody say this to me before?!!???

Sent from my DROID RAZR using SDN Mobile

 

[SpecterGT260]

2 SD is totally arbitrary, and I personally never reached it. I always aimed for it though and having a high standard for my preclinical performance paid off during dedicated prep.

To the person who said none of this can be universally relevant, I'd argue it's pretty hard for your medical school to royally **** up the pre-clinical curriculum. If you jump through the hoops at most schools, you'll be covering 80% of the relevant material thats in FA + the q-banks. The remaining 20% is easily added on if your foundation is strong. You can try to learn that extra 20% on your own while taking courses, but IMO it's more efficiently learned when your actually responsible for it (eg in your dedicated time).

But thats just my $0.02, as someone coming from a school that is allergic to the boards.

Who argued that?

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[KinasePro]

Who argued that?

The scroll bar is your friend.

There's no way any of this can be remotely close to universally true.

 

[SpecterGT260]

The scroll bar is your friend.

Who argued that?

Sent from my DROID RAZR using SDN Mobile

What scroll bar?


I will agree that you should do coursework to the point such that nothing in FA is a surprise to you. But honestly simply passing will do this. Once you are there, IMO (based on many convos with upper classmen) questions are the best bet. But again, everyone is different. I have classmates who refuse to do practice questions until they feel they have mastered something. I think this is a terrible idea as questions will put facts in a context that will drive them home faster, and shouldnt only be used to affirm your presupposed level of comfort. They are a very powerful teaching tool when done right.

 

[calvnandhobbs68]

KinasePro is probably the only person ever to put Medium Robbins above Qbank questions...

 

[235009]

If I'm dedicated I can do this in 2-3 hours (an hour to do the questions and 1-2 to go through the answers and annotate), which really isn't bad.

i hope you're doing the questions in tutor mode. that is the most conducive to actually learning the material because you see the answer when your thought process is still fresh in your mind so you can see where you went wrong.

~3 hours per question set sounds about right

 

[JShephard]

KinasePro is probably the only person ever to put Medium Robbins above Qbank questions...

I don't think there is a right answer here. Probably both methods being argued work well.

2 SD is totally arbitrary, and I personally never reached it. I always aimed for it though and having a high standard for my preclinical performance paid off during dedicated prep.

To the person who said none of this can be universally relevant, I'd argue it's pretty hard for your medical school to royally **** up the pre-clinical curriculum. If you jump through the hoops at most schools, you'll be covering 80% of the relevant material thats in FA + the q-banks. The remaining 20% is easily added on if your foundation is strong. You can try to learn that extra 20% on your own while taking courses, but IMO it's more efficiently learned when your actually responsible for it (eg in your dedicated time).

But thats just my $0.02, as someone coming from a school that is allergic to the boards.

It appears your approach worked well for you. I'm sure that Nick's approach can work well also.

Lol, I'll take my chances. The 2 SD point is pretty arbitrary and amusing though. I just think it's impossible to say that classwork is the best way to prepare when every curriculum - hell every professor - is different. There's no way any of this can be remotely close to universally true.

(sent from my phone)

I agree. It's difficult to apply one experience to over 100 medical schools.

 

[235009]

robbins or any other high yield primary text out there.

robbins is definitely not a high yield text. you have to get through a lot of text to get to "high yield" information ...much of it is very low yield stuff that's the realm of pathologists and sub-specialists.

What's more, I had a 8-10 questions on my exam that came exclusively from overtly clinical coursework (that I initially thought was completely irrelevant to step 1)... things that weren't in either Q bank or first aid. Point being: even if your school doesn't teach to the boards, you should still do your best to learn that **** cold. It may show up again and even if it doesn't, it contextualizes the material in FA and helps it stick during your study period.

yes!!! i was shocked by how many times while taking step 1 i knew an answer because of lecture or small group or some other non-board-studying experience. definitely do not discount what you learn in class. everything is fair game on step 1, even things that aren't in FA or any qbank.

 

[SpecterGT260]

i hope you're doing the questions in tutor mode. that is the most conducive to actually learning the material because you see the answer when your thought process is still fresh in your mind so you can see where you went wrong.

~3 hours per question set sounds about right

This^^

Not worth trying to figure it out for yourself if you didnt know it. Let them tell you the answer and why, and then put the why into FA

 

[NickNaylor]

This^^

Not worth trying to figure it out for yourself if you didnt know it. Let them tell you the answer and why, and then put the why into FA

I actually really hate tutor mode. It distracts me because I find myself thinking about the last question rather than the one I'm currently doing, so as a result I'm never really focused when I'm doing the questions. I'm pretty weird in that as soon as I see a question again I remember exactly what I was thinking and how I got to the answer that I did (unless I had to straight up guess 😎), so I find the constant starting and stopping unnecessary. My general test taking strategy causes me to see and think about questions at least twice and more than that for the more difficult ones, so my approach to a particular question is pretty fresh when I go back to review them, which I do right after I finish a block.

I definitely seem to be the odd man out though because everyone I've talked to that's doing questions uses tutor mode.

 

[SpecterGT260]

I actually really hate tutor mode. It distracts me because I find myself thinking about the last question rather than the one I'm currently doing, so as a result I'm never really focused when I'm doing the questions. I'm pretty weird in that as soon as I see a question again I remember exactly what I was thinking and how I got to the answer that I did (unless I had to straight up guess 😎), so I find the constant starting and stopping unnecessary. My general test taking strategy causes me to see and think about questions at least twice and more than that for the more difficult ones, so my approach to a particular question is pretty fresh when I go back to review them, which I do right after I finish a block.

I definitely seem to be the odd man out though because everyone I've talked to that's doing questions uses tutor mode.

So do you go back after and look at explanations, or are you fishing for the answers in FA in untimed mode?

The former is probably a pretty good plan, and something I will likely start around midterm once I have covered more material. The latter.....

 

[NickNaylor]

So do you go back after and look at explanations, or are you fishing for the answers in FA in untimed mode?

The former is probably a pretty good plan, and something I will likely start around midterm once I have covered more material. The latter.....

Yup, I basically read the explanation for every question (including those I got correct), find the corresponding page in FA, and add any other info that's in the explanations but not FA. It's been working pretty well so far.

 

[235009]

I actually really hate tutor mode. It distracts me because I find myself thinking about the last question rather than the one I'm currently doing, so as a result I'm never really focused when I'm doing the questions. I'm pretty weird in that as soon as I see a question again I remember exactly what I was thinking and how I got to the answer that I did (unless I had to straight up guess 😎), so I find the constant starting and stopping unnecessary. My general test taking strategy causes me to see and think about questions at least twice and more than that for the more difficult ones, so my approach to a particular question is pretty fresh when I go back to review them, which I do right after I finish a block.

I definitely seem to be the odd man out though because everyone I've talked to that's doing questions uses tutor mode.

if this works for you then great, keep doing it. typically though you are more likely to fixate on a question if you don't see the answer immediately and after doing 46 questions it's hard to remember exactly what you were thinking when you picked a particular answer. this is especially true when you end up picking the right answer for the wrong reason.

Yup, I basically read the explanation for every question (including those I got correct), find the corresponding page in FA, and add any other info that's in the explanations but not FA. It's been working pretty well so far.

this is excellent strategy

 

[Leonidis I]

Yup, I basically read the explanation for every question (including those I got correct), find the corresponding page in FA, and add any other info that's in the explanations but not FA. It's been working pretty well so far.

which qbank(s) are you doing this with? just uworld or rx/kaplan/others as well?

 

[NickNaylor]

which qbank(s) are you doing this with? just uworld or rx/kaplan/others as well?

Kaplan for now. I bought a 3 month subscription to UWorld and since my test date is 5/3 I could start that soon, but I'm not sure how much of it I'll actually use. I kinda wanna save it for dedicated study time.

 

[Bojack Horseman]

Kaplan for now. I bought a 3 month subscription to UWorld and since my test date is 5/3 I could start that soon, but I'm not sure how much of it I'll actually use. I kinda wanna save it for dedicated study time.

How much time are you going to spend on dedicated study?

 

[calvnandhobbs68]

Kaplan for now. I bought a 3 month subscription to UWorld and since my test date is 5/3 I could start that soon, but I'm not sure how much of it I'll actually use. I kinda wanna save it for dedicated study time.

I'm about to switch over to doing the high yield Kaplan questions because the non-high yield ones are just starting to piss me off...

 

[KinasePro]

KinasePro is probably the only person ever to put Medium Robbins above Qbank questions...

I'm referring only to your pre-clinical coursework tho... I didn't go anywhere near medium Robbins in my study period. For dedicated study, q banks + FA >>>>>>>>>>> any reference text.

robbins is definitely not a high yield text. you have to get through a lot of text to get to "high yield" information ...much of it is very low yield stuff that's the realm of pathologists and sub-specialists.

True, but it's far higher yield than plodding trough NEJM articles on statins.

 

[JJMrK]

Haven't received my score yet, only tested a week or so ago. But I'd say your hierarchy should be coursework > text (medium robbins, or Goljan RR) >>> FA > Q banks.

coursework, coursework, coursework... Should be your #1 priority, you should aim for >2 SDs above class mean on your exams. This is absolutely critical to making your dedicated study time efficient. You can get though all of first aid in 3-4 weeks, and have a ton if it stick if you've worked hard during MS 2, regardless of how closely your school teaches to the boards.

Eh. This may have worked for you, but it's a blanket statement across all curricula and probably not good advice for everyone. Starting prep in January along with coursework and getting through UW x 2 and FA x 3-4 is what traditionally leads to very high scores.

 

[KinasePro]

Eh. This may have worked for you, but it's a blanket statement across all curricula and probably not good advice for everyone. Starting prep in January along with coursework and getting through UW x 2 and FA x 3-4 is what traditionally leads to very high scores.

I tried to clarify that this isn't a blanket statement, it's my $0.02 coming from a school that is light on pathophys and heavy on clinical minutiae in M2.

Also, I never said you shouldn't do UW x2 or FA x3-4 in your 6-8 weeks of dedicated study, I think that's an excellent plan. I'm just saying that your last 2-3 blocks of M2 are equally important as your first 2-3 blocks of M2, and putting in serious effort now will provide you with a solid foundation for future review. Clearly my opinions aren't popular in this thread, but others have shared similar perspectives elsewhere on these forums.

Be careful when providing formulas for achieving "very high scores" on step 1... Nothing can replace a solid knowledge base and deep understanding of the material, and there are many ways to skin that cat.

 

[JShephard]

Kinase,

We are given only 4 weeks of dedicated time - so doing UW x2 or FA x3-4 and covering that "remaining 20%" of First Aid not covered in our curriculum would be difficult. Being 2 SD above the mean of my coursework would give little time to do much else.

I think if I followed your strategy, I would not perform as well. Yet, it worked for you which is great. I wish we had 6 weeks of dedicated time - it would change my approach.

Great job and thanks for your feedback.

 

[235009]

Be careful when providing formulas for achieving "very high scores" on step 1... Nothing can replace a solid knowledge base and deep understanding of the material, and there are many ways to skin that cat.

👍

on the same note i get really annoyed when people insist that UWorld and FA are all you need to get a great step 1 score as if anyone can pick up those two resources and blow it out of the water. if you honored everything then you can get away with it but it wasn't because UW and FA are all you need, it was because you had a very solid foundation going in. if you are an average or slightly above avg student like i was you're going to need a lot more than just those two resources to get the step 1 score you want!

 

[SpecterGT260]

👍

on the same note i get really annoyed when people insist that UWorld and FA are all you need to get a great step 1 score as if anyone can pick up those two resources and blow it out of the water. if you honored everything then you can get away with it but it wasn't because UW and FA are all you need, it was because you had a very solid foundation going in. if you are an average or slightly above avg student like i was you're going to need a lot more than just those two resources to get the step 1 score you want!

It is also how you use them.

style is everything here.