Step 1 during UK foundation year

[dlformiga1]

Hello all,

I'm a graduate from a UK medical school about to start foundation year 1. My plan is to apply for residency in the US next year, to hopefully start after foundation year 2.

The problem is, I still have all steps to take. I intended on taking at least the step 1 during medical school, but found that the curriculum at my school was so different from the step 1, that I couldn't really do both. I didn't want to spend my time studying for step 1 and risk doing poorly on my school's exams. More specifically, I find that the level of pathology in step 1 (and presumably in the US curriculum) is way more advanced than what we are taught in the UK.

So now I'm left with doing both steps over the next year, while doing FY1. I was wondering if anyone has ever attempted this feat? The plan would be to have step 1 out of the way by Feb at the latest, then step 2 by June (which I'm much more comfortable with). I don't think the hours for FY1 are that bad (max 56 hours per week, apparently), but I won't get a solid month or two to just study. I'm willing to give up any other aspect of my life for the next year or so. For any of you who have been in the same situation, do you think this is at all possible? Any suggestions/advice?

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[franceschino]

Hey,

Good to see another British graduate on this forum. Could I ask what Uni did you go to and what specialty do you want to go for?

I am about to finish F1 and contemplating to sit the Steps in 1 year. Truthfully I think that you will find it a struggle. F1 is not that bad but you'll need time to get used to how things works. Furthermore, you'll get home that you will be exhausted and you might be able to fit max 3 hours of work.
I know someone who is still studying for Step 1 and it has been 5/6 months now.

Hope this gives you an idea of what to expect.

P.S. what jobs have you got lined up and where? If you have supranumery jobs and you are in a DGH it might be a little more feasible, but still HARD.

 

[dlformiga1]

Thanks for the reply and the heads up. I guess I just have to do my best and take the exams IF I'm ready. I figure it's worse to take them and not do so well than doing them a little later.

So did you mean that you are going to start taking the steps in a year's time or are you going to try to do them all in the span of one year like me? Have you been studying during F1?

I'm from Leicester. I found that way too much emphasis was placed on communication skills, and "reflecting", than on actual basic sciences in our curriculum. How one can go on in medicine without a solid understanding of pathology is beyond me. I should mention that I did try to supplement my learning with as much basic sciences, especially pathology, as I went through. It did mean I had to work harder than other students, but hopefully it pays off when I take step 1.

I'll be in Hull for F1 (so I won't be missing much if I just stay at home studying!) First job cardiology, then general surgery, then psych. The last one will hopefully give me more time, but by then I'll hopefully be working toward step II.

 

[sineapse]

Hey, UK med student here. Two weeks left of 4th year.

Also at a "comms. skills" type medical school. From what it seems, this is a disease that is spreading throughout medicine in the UK in general, can't believe some of the stuff you have to do for foundation competencies.

I'm finding it an absolute mare to revise for step 1 alongside going to firms + trying to learn the 12 specialities this year for exams. The way I have been doing it is is reading through first aid on weekends, evenings and bank holidays (first readthrough was a disaster, you know absolutely nothing but it does improve...slowly), now on my second readthrough. Been listening to Goljan audio on the Tube in the mornings (have an hour commute each way to hospital so can get about three lectures in sped up each day depending on traffic) which has been a bonus.

I have a month off in the summer so straight after I sit Part 4's I'm going home to bosh out 12 hour days for four weeks and hopefully sit Step 1 in our intro week to Final year. Have the scheduling permit from ECFMG.

Going to start World as well next month on a two month subscription. Hopefully this will be enough for me, as I want to sit Step 2 after Finals. As you mentioned in your post, it seems bloody tough to get it all done when working, so whilst it is a slog now as as student, I am sure it is worse when working.

Have you considered taking a year out to do all the Steps and CS? You will effectively 'lose' two years this way (one year for studying, one year for Match) but it might be easier.

 

[bbydoc]

I found that way too much emphasis was placed on communication skills, and "reflecting", than on actual basic sciences in our curriculum. How one can go on in medicine without a solid understanding of pathology is beyond me. I should mention that I did try to supplement my learning with as much basic sciences, especially pathology, as I went through. It did mean I had to work harder than other students, but hopefully it pays off when I take step 1.

you are writing what I think almost everyday in medschool!

Also at a "comms. skills" type medical school. From what it seems, this is a disease that is spreading throughout medicine in the UK in general, can't believe some of the stuff you have to do for foundation competencies.

I don't understand how this has happened and next to lifestyle this is one of the major reason why I don't want to stay in England...I want to use my brain.
And to avoid the problems OP and franceschino are having, I started in second year with Step1 stuff.

 

[sineapse]

I don't understand how this has happened and next to lifestyle this is one of the major reason why I don't want to stay in England...I want to use my brain.
And to avoid the problems OP and franceschino are having, I started in second year with Step1 stuff.

I found that a lot of fourth year was very helpful to step 1 and doing it earlier would have been a problem for me...things like psych, o&g, paeds etc. Definitely worth studying all the micro, cell and molecular, biochem early on though.

 

[jfgavina]

thank god I don't give a f... about my grades so I can put 90% of my study in step 1

 

[franceschino]

thank god I don't give a f... about my grades so I can put 90% of my study in step 1

Don't we have to send our transcripts though? Or can you opt not to?

 

[jtlc2345]

I think you would have a good chance of revising for Step 1 during FY1 - plenty of my friends have done MRCS part A this year and passed.

To be honest, when I did Step 1 (2 years ago), as all the questions were framed around a clinical scenario, I didn't find that there was that much pathology in the actual exam so I wouldn't stress too much about this aspect. Due to this, it felt there was a lot of overlap between Step 1 and 2CK so revising for them together would make sense.

As for Step 2CS, arranging a date which fits with your annual leave will probably be the most challenging aspect!

Do let me know if you have any other questions.

Jonathan

 

[jfgavina]

Don't we have to send our transcripts though? Or can you opt not to?

I don't really think that the PDs are giving much attention to your transcripts.. It is not a standardized thing and it reveals little about your real value.

 

[sineapse]

I'm interested to know what PDs think of UK graduates as a whole.

 

[jfgavina]

For what I have learned they really don't care if you are from the best n fancy university in england or come from an african butcher shop as long as you get your 99 in step 1.

 

[Vanquish]

LOL @ African butcher shop!!!
I think I broke some ribs laughing at that. Too funny and probably true!

 

[dlformiga1]

I don't think your transcript matters much as long as you don't fail/have to resit anything. At my uni, there were some very strange exams, very cryptic. To this day I don't know what their criteria are for passing/failing people, and I've now been through everything they've thrown at me, including finals! But it did mean I had to study my ass off to make sure there were no unpleasant surprises.

Johnathan, how did you prepare for the Step 2CS and roughly how long should it take (the preparation)? Is it similar to our OSCEs in the UK? The reason I ask is because I will be cutting it very close to get that done in time for ECFMG certification and applications in September/October. And from what I heard, as an IMG, it's imperative you get your application in early.

Thanks!

 

[jtlc2345]

Jonathan, how did you prepare for the Step 2CS and roughly how long should it take (the preparation)? Is it similar to our OSCEs in the UK?

It's similar in that the cases are common and that there is a variety e.g. psych, acute medicine/surgery, paeds but different in that in each case you have to take a history, examine then record your findings.

I did CS straight after finals so was revising for it as I went along - if studying for it independently I don't think it would take too long as you just need to revise common cases for various specialties. All the rest is generic communication skills/being polite to the patient.

Jonathan

 

[dlformiga1]

Common cases?? My cases in finals included noonen's syndrome (is that even how you spell it?) and Marfan's.

All the rest is generic communication skills/being polite to the patient.

Jonathan

Hopefully F1 won't corrupt me in this regard!

Thanks a lot for the info Jonathan.

 

[combat]

Hello all,

I'm a graduate from a UK medical school about to start foundation year 1. My plan is to apply for residency in the US next year, to hopefully start after foundation year 2.

The problem is, I still have all steps to take. I intended on taking at least the step 1 during medical school, but found that the curriculum at my school was so different from the step 1, that I couldn't really do both. I didn't want to spend my time studying for step 1 and risk doing poorly on my school's exams. More specifically, I find that the level of pathology in step 1 (and presumably in the US curriculum) is way more advanced than what we are taught in the UK.

So now I'm left with doing both steps over the next year, while doing FY1. I was wondering if anyone has ever attempted this feat? The plan would be to have step 1 out of the way by Feb at the latest, then step 2 by June (which I'm much more comfortable with). I don't think the hours for FY1 are that bad (max 56 hours per week, apparently), but I won't get a solid month or two to just study. I'm willing to give up any other aspect of my life for the next year or so. For any of you who have been in the same situation, do you think this is at all possible? Any suggestions/advice?

Just curious why you want to work in US, is it jobs in UK ??

 

[dlformiga1]

I'm a Canadian citizen (family in the US), without permanent residency in the UK. That means that while I'm eligible to do 2 years of post-grad here, after that I can only be considered for training positions if they are not filled by someone from the European Union.

Having said that, even if I were English, born and bred, with centuries of ancestry in England, I would still try to leave the UK for medicine. Life as a doctor here is just not great. You spend years and years in training, until you finally get a consultant position in some remote part of the country. Post-graduate training is much the same as medical school: signature-chasing and tick box exercises. As someone above mentioned, I want to be somewhere where there is opportunity and where I actually get to use my brain to practice medicine.

 

[combat]

wao this is interesting