Step 1 study schedule for three weeks?

[indigoblue22]

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Hi - I was wondering if maybe I could get some advice on my study schedule. I just started studying for Step 1, and I have about two and a half weeks before the exam. In the past few days I've gone over anatomy and biochem, but I'm scoring in the 40's with QBank on both subjects. I don't know if it's just that I don't remember material from first year well, or what....but it's making me pretty nervous! I've tried doing some random blocks and my score is the same.

My schedule is currently to spend 2-3 days per subject, reading First Aid, one other review book (High Yield or BRS) and doing that subject's Qbank questions. I'm also reading StepUp.

I'm just worried because I'm not really retaining that much of what I'm learning so far - would it make sense to try to just focus on the clinical stuff (i.e. diseases in the biochem section instead of memorizing the Krebs cycle) Is there anything else I should be doing?

Sorry this was long-winded - thanks for any advice 🙂

 

[babinski bob]

I totally agree... focus your energy (in biochem) on clinically oriented disease processes. You should also focus on key regulated enzymes in all the metabolic pathways and well as pos/neg allosteric effectors. For example, in the Krebs cycle, you should know the net rxn and the three regulated enzymes and their effectors... Anything else would be gravy but probably wasted time.... First aid is pretty good if you totally know all the material already, but otherwise I find it sort of disorganized since there's not much continuity.

 

[indigoblue22]

thanks babinski bob! I've tried to do that - using only FA and some of the High Yield book (which doesn't seem that great for biochem, maybe for other subjects they are better) I hope I'm picking up enough of the important points....

Is anyone else mainly using Qbank and First Aid to study, with just a random review book (like High Yield) for each subject? I've heard this was fine to do, but since I'm not scoring well I'm still trying to figure out if I am missing something.... if I had more time I'd take a Kaplan course or something but with only 2.5 weeks left I'm trying to figure out how to cram the important material...

thanks again for any advice 🙂

 

[drchris33]

Here's my current schedule:
8-9 am: Meet with study partner and quiz over the stuff from the day before.
9-1 pm: Study
2-6 pm: Study
6-8 pm: RELAX
9-11: Practice questions

I am using USMLEasy website, COMLEX Qbank, and USMLE Qbank. I am trying to do each subject over three days. I read thru either BRS or High Yield series with my main focus on First Aid. I plan to go thru Step Up once as well before the exam. So by the beginning of June (D-day is on June 8 and 9), I will just read First Aid and do questions all day, also doing a few simulated exams. I have been writing in my First Aid since last year, so I have almost double the info in it than it came with.

I am scoring ok on the questions but not as good as I would like.

For path, Robbins question book is the bomb!!! Also I have USMLE Step 1 Secrets...it is pretty cool too. Ties various things together. Also Integrated Vingettes are good to tie things in as well.

I think going thru questions with a partner is the best way to do questions, at least right now. By a week out, I will do a lot of them on my own!

hope that helps

Chris