Step I Prep on a budget?

[TexasTriathlete]

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My MS1 year is coming to a close, and this summer will be my last chance to make money. I have virtually no financial support from my family, and I also have a car payment. I have very little left over from my loans in any given term as it is, so this summer is when I plan to buy all my step 1 study ****. I'm picking up one or two research gigs with the EM docs at Emory, which I will be paid (meagerly) for, and I am also authoring a review with one of my professors, which I am not sure if I will be paid for or not. But I've got about two months to work my ass off and buy whatever test prep materials I need.

I also will be taking two exams, since I am at an osteopathic school. But there is no way I will put my fate into the hands of COMLEX alone, without knowing exactly where I plan to apply for residency. I intend to study for COMLEX by studying USMLE materials, and then hitting OMM over the week or so that I plan to leave between the tests. If this idea is ******ed, someone please say so now.

So what is the key here? I did pretty well on my MCAT, and I found that working questions, rather than studying material, was how I really started to improve my performance. I am told that this is pretty similar.

I am also a good test-taker. I don't get flustered or get stuck on questions. I am fast and decisive, and I can usually tell if I'm going to know the answer to a question or if I'm going to have to guess wtihin about 2 seconds of reading it. So maybe I should focus more on content?

Anyway, what all do I need to buy, and how much should I expect to spend? Ranking in order of importance would be beautiful, but any help at all is appreciated.

 

[TexasTriathlete]

By the way, I've already got a **** ton of board-type books:

BRS:
Gross Anatomy
Physiology
Embryo

Rapid Review:
Path

Clinical _____________ Made Ridiculously Simple:
Neuro
Micro

High Yield:
Neuro

I think that's it. Oh, and first aid, of course.

 

[SouthernSurgeon]

My MS1 year is coming to a close, and this summer will be my last chance to make money. I have virtually no financial support from my family, and I also have a car payment. I have very little left over from my loans in any given term as it is, so this summer is when I plan to buy all my step 1 study ****. I'm picking up one or two research gigs with the EM docs at Emory, which I will be paid (meagerly) for, and I am also authoring a review with one of my professors, which I am not sure if I will be paid for or not. But I've got about two months to work my ass off and buy whatever test prep materials I need.

I also will be taking two exams, since I am at an osteopathic school. But there is no way I will put my fate into the hands of COMLEX alone, without knowing exactly where I plan to apply for residency. I intend to study for COMLEX by studying USMLE materials, and then hitting OMM over the week or so that I plan to leave between the tests. If this idea is ******ed, someone please say so now.

So what is the key here? I did pretty well on my MCAT, and I found that working questions, rather than studying material, was how I really started to improve my performance. I am told that this is pretty similar.

I am also a good test-taker. I don't get flustered or get stuck on questions. I am fast and decisive, and I can usually tell if I'm going to know the answer to a question or if I'm going to have to guess wtihin about 2 seconds of reading it. So maybe I should focus more on content?

Anyway, what all do I need to buy, and how much should I expect to spend? Ranking in order of importance would be beautiful, but any help at all is appreciated.

Step 1 on a budget:

Test registration (~500)
USMLE World for 1 or 2 months (100 or 135)
First Aid (40)
Rapid Review Pathology (35)

Then just be on the lookout for used book sale opportunities from upperclassmen at your school and snatch up whatever you can

 

[MDpride]

START on LOOKING on EBAY.

As the board results come in july/june, people will start selling books.


You maybe surprised to get excellent deal especially on KAPLAN stuff.

 

[MDpride]

By the way, I've already got a **** ton of board-type books:

BRS:
Gross Anatomy
Physiology
Embryo

Rapid Review:
Path

Clinical _____________ Made Ridiculously Simple:
Neuro
Micro

High Yield:
NeuroI think that's it. Oh, and first aid, of course .

What else you need to study for boards?


you NEED QUESTION BANK to practice.

 

[nogolfinsnow]

START on LOOKING on EBAY.

As the board results come in july/june, people will start selling books.


You maybe surprised to get excellent deal especially on KAPLAN stuff.

Try half.com also. I've got some awesome book prices from there.

 

[SouthernSurgeon]

What else you need to study for boards?


you NEED QUESTION BANK to practice.

Very true...all the OP needs now is question banks.

 

[TexasTriathlete]

Yeah I'm definitely getting a qbank. The general consensus is that UW is the best one?

Also what about something like doctorsintraining? Our school has been bringing in Goljan to give his class, so I'm assuming they'll do that for us too, although I don't know for sure, so I don't know that I'd do falcon.

I want to do well, and I can make enough money this summer to buy anything within reason. I just need to plan ahead.

 

[211519]

Look in this order: Abebooks.com, Thriftbooks.com, Betterworldbooks.com, Amazon.com, Ebay.com

I got most of my Step 1 review books from Abebooks. They ranged from $4-6, and I have received them all with no issues.

FYI, search by ISBN.