Step 1 in hindsight...What would you have done differently?

[OneStrongBro]

I know many of us are racing against time.

So the question begs to ask, if you could magically do the whole year over i.e 2nd year of medical school. What would you have done differently to prepare for Step 1. Anything that comes to mind would be great for future Step 1 testtakers.

Even if you haven't taken the exam yet, I bet there are things that you wished you had done differently so you would not be in the situation that you are in right now.

This question is also for the M3s and M4s, what would you have done differently to get a higher score.

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[daisygirl]

I would have looked at first aid throughout my second year and made notes in it so the book would have been ready to study from when I started my prep for step I. I'm really right now. I just started to study for Step I and I'm using BRS and then making notes in first aid. I could have saved so much time when it came down to crunchtime if I only had made notes in that book

 

[musicman1991]

I would have done nothing differently study wise because I did great on the test. 30 days 8 hour days.

Psychologically I would have been less stressed and prepared for the after-effects of the test (I was down for 2 weeks after the test because I thought I failed and I would have no shot at radiology).

 

[dancelover]

I feel the same as daisygirl. It's taking me so long just to read the other sources (BRS, HY) and annotate First Aid with the important stuff (or whatever i'm guessing that i might need to know). If i had started this part earlier, then i would have the next 3 weeks to memorize and do questions instead of trying to fit it all in.

 

[AlexRusso]

Annotate FA as you go through second year. Can't stress this enough. Kicking myself in the a--, I mean gluteal region, for not doing it.

 

[Solace]

I think I would have attended lectures. Not all of them, just some. I feel that somehow maybe hearing the info and looking at lecture slides while doing so would have helped me to retain much more of the info. My Qbank scores started to increase significantly when I went to look at some of the online streaming lecture videos from second year reviews. I used them to annotate First Aid and they really helped. I even was able to answer a few questiosn on Step 1 becuase I remebered hearing about it in the lecture videos.

I thought there was just too much info to cover during second year for me to drive and sit through lectures every day but it probably would have been worth it.

 

[OneStrongBro]

Just started Studying for Step 1.

What is the best way to annotate on FA. I thought the book was pretty exhaustive. Then again, I am somewhat naive in academics.

What do you mean by annotations? Please give examples of some annotations that you put in FA, and why you decided to add it on there.

thanks

 

[AlexRusso]

Hey guys, give me an example of things that you annotate on FA. I thought the book was pretty exhaustive. Then again, I am somewhat naive in academics.

What do you mean by annotations? Please give examples of some annotations that you put in FA, and why you decided to add it on there.

thanks

Like for biochem on the las page they have a summary of pathways. It doesnt include the names of enzymes so I stuck key ones in there and also some cofactors for each. Also drew in some other pathways that were left out but that help me bridge stuff together.

In the Physio section I drew in some Osm vs. Vol. Diagrams b/c I saw a lot of them on qbank. Put in some equations that weren't in there like the resp. exchange equation. Stuff like that. As you review a topic from other sources you'll find stuff that you might think is important but not in FA..jot it down.

When I go over qbank I jot down stuff I got wrong and is not in FA. i.e. Just did a question about Taussing-bing malformation. 1st time i've heard of that..its not in FA..so I wrote it down in the congenital heart defects section.

 

[askoogi]

i'll be an MSII in august. since FA 2005 comes out in november, the only way to annotate FA throughout second year is to get the 2004 edition. i don't plan on getting 2 copies of this book. would you suggest buying 2004 then, or wait to get the more up-to-date 2005?

 

[AlexRusso]

i'll be an MSII in august. since FA 2005 comes out in november, the only way to annotate FA throughout second year is to get the 2004 edition. i don't plan on getting 2 copies of this book. would you suggest buying 2004 then, or wait to get the more up-to-date 2005?

I'd buy the 2004 in august. Start early..you'll appreciate it later. FA changes some from year to year but being 1 year back will not hurt you much especially if you annotate b/c you'll put in any stuff the new edition adds on your own.