Study for Step 1 the Summer after M1?

[adaptation1]

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This question has been asked a million times and answered in a singular voice: "Don't even bother!!!!"

But let me give you some context.

I thought during med school I would change my undergrad ways of tireless cramming 2-3 days before the exam, that I would fine-tune my study habits to allow long-term retention, that my powers of acquisition would also sharpen as the year progressed.

BS. You can't teach a new dog old...wait, what was that idiom again? Whatever. The point is, I crammed my way through M1, did slightly above average, but honest to God, I don't remember or know anything. I simply don't have the confidence.

And my consistently low shelf scores reflect this situation. We were only given 2-3 days to study for our shelves following onslaught of exams, so I didn't even bother to flip open a book -- too tired, too useless. That still doesn't account for my disastrous scores. 40%? 18% 33%?

Now I heard that the shelf questions are actually retired step 1 questions, I'm a bit worried.

Given my situation, any advice would be appreciated. I planned on going home to relax. But I'll still have a lot of time, notwithstanding. What would be the best strategy?

Would it be worth it to go over first aid 1st year material? Go through BRS physiology? I'm asking this question in light of the fact that I doubt a lot of this "review" will actually be review, unfortunately.

 

[lrkoehle]

Sounds like you already know the answer you're probably going to get here. As a fellow 1st year, I do understand where you're coming from though. I don't think its unreasonable to review the information from first year to keep it somewhat fresh in your brain, so that when you go to study for step-I you're more filling in the details rather than feeling like you're seeing stuff for the first time. Also, it doesn't sound like you're doing research this summer, so reviewing seems better than doing nothing all summer. I would just suggest doing it at a leisurely pace, so you don't come to second year already burnt out from the summer. Good luck.

 

[adaptation1]

Thanks for your reply. Yeah, I'm not doing research or anything medical related. In a panel of M4 students, they kept drilling the point that M1 material should and will be reviewed and crammed during the last few weeks of the Step 1 race. But I'm just worried that I'll be in the horrible position of learning rather than reviewing the material at that point. To be honest, it's pretty easy to cram for tests at my school without knowing a thing -- it's just the way our classes are taught.

Sounds like you already know the answer you're probably going to get here. As a fellow 1st year, I do understand where you're coming from though. I don't think its unreasonable to review the information from first year to keep it somewhat fresh in your brain, so that when you go to study for step-I you're more filling in the details rather than feeling like you're seeing stuff for the first time. Also, it doesn't sound like you're doing research this summer, so reviewing seems better than doing nothing all summer. I would just suggest doing it at a leisurely pace, so you don't come to second year already burnt out from the summer. Good luck.

 

[lrkoehle]

Thanks for your reply. Yeah, I'm not doing research or anything medical related. In a panel of M4 students, they kept drilling the point that M1 material should and will be reviewed and crammed during the last few weeks of the Step 1 race. But I'm just worried that I'll be in the horrible position of learning rather than reviewing the material at that point. To be honest, it's pretty easy to cram for tests at my school without knowing a thing -- it's just the way our classes are taught.

Sounds like in your case, it's less you reviewing for Step-I this summer and more you trying to learn things you may not have learned or retained from MS-I, which hopefully no one would consider to be a bad thing.

 

[adaptation1]

Exactly. I guess this questions been run circles around, so I'll just do what I can.

Sounds like in your case, it's less you reviewing for Step-I this summer and more you trying to learn things you may not have learned or retained from MS-I, which hopefully no one would consider to be a bad thing.

 

[Yope]

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[2012mdc]

Sounds like in your case, it's less you reviewing for Step-I this summer and more you trying to learn things you may not have learned or retained from MS-I, which hopefully no one would consider to be a bad thing.

+1. If you feel there are important subjects like physio that you don't understand well some light studying dispersed throughout the summer would be helpful. Don't bother if it's something like biochem though

 

[adaptation1]

What would you consider "important" subjects? I took embryo, anatomy, histology/cellbiology, physiology, neuroscience, and biochemistry.

I do not remember anything from embryo, anatomy, histology, physiology, neuroscience, and biochemistry.

+1. If you feel there are important subjects like physio that you don't understand well some light studying dispersed throughout the summer would be helpful. Don't bother if it's something like biochem though

 

[Alvarez13]

I'll be doing step studying this summer as well.

I'm basically going to read First Aid and the review books that correspond to my MS-1 classes again and again and again.

To be honest, if you can just get to know FA inside and out, that would be a heck of an accomplishment. However, you won't be able to do a good deal of the path, pharm, or micro yet, but you can really get familiar with the old stuff.

Really focus on physio and not so much biochem or histo. Physio will help you in MS-2 and the boards.

 

[projectlogic]

I'll be doing step studying this summer as well.

I'm basically going to read First Aid and the review books that correspond to my MS-1 classes again and again and again.

To be honest, if you can just get to know FA inside and out, that would be a heck of an accomplishment. However, you won't be able to do a good deal of the path, pharm, or micro yet, but you can really get familiar with the old stuff.

Really focus on physio and not so much biochem or histo. Physio will help you in MS-2 and the boards.

Just curious, why not focus on biochem?

 

[CaptainSSO]

Don't see how it could possibly hurt--you would only gain.

 

[ucsfstudents]

It can't hurt. Don't forget to enjoy your last summer vacation.

 

[Gheorgia]

This question has been asked a million times and answered in a singular voice: "Don't even bother!!!!"

But let me give you some context.

I thought during med school I would change my undergrad ways of tireless cramming 2-3 days before the exam, that I would fine-tune my study habits to allow long-term retention, that my powers of acquisition would also sharpen as the year progressed.

BS. You can't teach a new dog old...wait, what was that idiom again? Whatever. The point is, I crammed my way through M1, did slightly above average, but honest to God, I don't remember or know anything. I simply don't have the confidence.

And my consistently low shelf scores reflect this situation. We were only given 2-3 days to study for our shelves following onslaught of exams, so I didn't even bother to flip open a book -- too tired, too useless. That still doesn't account for my disastrous scores. 40%? 18% 33%?

Now I heard that the shelf questions are actually retired step 1 questions, I'm a bit worried.

Given my situation, any advice would be appreciated. I planned on going home to relax. But I'll still have a lot of time, notwithstanding. What would be the best strategy?

Would it be worth it to go over first aid 1st year material? Go through BRS physiology? I'm asking this question in light of the fact that I doubt a lot of this "review" will actually be review, unfortunately.

The problem is that the high yield material like pathology, pharmacology, and microbiology isn't usually taught until MS2. You could start studying what you've learned in MS1 but it's incomplete and you probably won't be able to retain it for more than a year from now: It'll be like studying for the MCAT again. Can you honestly look back and remember anything from that exam now that you haven't taken it in 3 years?

 

[2012mdc]

What would you consider "important" subjects? I took embryo, anatomy, histology/cellbiology, physiology, neuroscience, and biochemistry.

I do not remember anything from embryo, anatomy, histology, physiology, neuroscience, and biochemistry.

It can vary by curriculum but physio, histo, and neuro are the M1 subjects that are reinforced M2.

Subjects like embryo and biochem aren't really reinforced and can be crammed when studying for step 1

 

[XRanger]

What would you consider "important" subjects? I took embryo, anatomy, histology/cellbiology, physiology, neuroscience, and biochemistry.

I do not remember anything from embryo, anatomy, histology, physiology, neuroscience, and biochemistry.

I wouldn't bother studying...just enjoy your summer. You won't remember whatever you study a year from now. The bulk of whats important for board is in 2nd year (micro, path, pharm).
Out of the subjects that you listed, the most high yield subject would probably be biochem, but do you really wanna memorize the krebs cycle, glycolysis, urea cycle, FA synthesis/breakdown (all the steps, enzymes, regulations), and expect to remember them a year from now.
You have plenty of time to study first year subjects during winter/spring break

If you must study, I recommend just getting familiar with first aid..know where everything is in first aid, so when you start doing qbank 2nd year and you get a question on like celiac dz, you know where that topic is in first aid and can annotate accordingly

 

[James Sacket]

Just a question: How much time did you spend reviewing for Step 1?

 

[ArcGurren]

As someone who is currently studying for the Step 1 right now, I can tell you that trying to study for step 1, especially when you haven't learnt what is probably 80% of the material on the exam (Path, Pathophys, Pharm, Micro, Immuno) is a waste of time. Anatomy is very low yield and the questions are usually the ones you'd expect (one of my friends last year had a crutch palsy/lower trunk/axillary and radial nerve question... extreme high yield!), biochem is crammable (yes, believe it or not, I've been doing that the past 2 days and I'm almost done with it) and physiology is best learnt by system along with path, in my opinion since you're rarely going to be tested on straight up physiology; rather it'll be in the context of pathology.

If you want to help yourself out this summer, I would spend it mentally preparing. You can "prepare" by doing well throughout M2 and maybe doing some long term boards review, but trying to do it the summer before when you haven't learnt the bulk of the material is ridiculous.

 

[Frozen]

As someone who is currently studying for the Step 1 right now, I can tell you that trying to study for step 1, especially when you haven't learnt what is probably 80% of the material on the exam (Path, Pathophys, Pharm, Micro, Immuno) is a waste of time. Anatomy is very low yield and the questions are usuall....

The order of classes is school specific. For instance we did cover micro, most pharm and general pathology my first year (integrated systems curriculum).

I have no advice on the subject myself, but I will pass on some advice an upperclassman told me when i was beginning my 2nd year.

"Do you what you have to do to know the material, and when other people say they haven't been studying, they are probably lying"

 

[TobiasFunkeMDFACS]

As someone who is currently studying for the Step 1 right now, I can tell you that trying to study for step 1, especially when you haven't learnt what is probably 80% of the material on the exam (Path, Pathophys, Pharm, Micro, Immuno) is a waste of time. Anatomy is very low yield and the questions are usually the ones you'd expect (one of my friends last year had a crutch palsy/lower trunk/axillary and radial nerve question... extreme high yield!), biochem is crammable (yes, believe it or not, I've been doing that the past 2 days and I'm almost done with it) and physiology is best learnt by system along with path, in my opinion since you're rarely going to be tested on straight up physiology; rather it'll be in the context of pathology.

If you want to help yourself out this summer, I would spend it mentally preparing. You can "prepare" by doing well throughout M2 and maybe doing some long term boards review, but trying to do it the summer before when you haven't learnt the bulk of the material is ridiculous.

How do you mentally prepare? In my case, it's for M1 year.

 

[Shadowmoses]

As someone who is currently studying for the Step 1 right now, I can tell you that trying to study for step 1, especially when you haven't learnt what is probably 80% of the material on the exam (Path, Pathophys, Pharm, Micro, Immuno) is a waste of time.

What if you are aiming for a 240+ score? Every little bit counts right? Even if you don't hit whatever goal you were reaching for, maybe taking the time to thoroughly understand the other 20% will give you a few extra points on the exam.

I don't know I'm not arguing with you at all per say, you know more about the process then I do...my exam is so far out I havent really looked into it too hard yet. I guess personally I'm gonna suck it up and try to learn and constantly review as much as I can now so down the road when the test is looming I can focus on other things..and personally I feel I'll have to re-learn stuff like embryo/biochem if I put it off instead of reviewing them. To each their own.

 

[RememberWhen]

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I'm going to second the gunnertraining idea. You'll learn what's high yield and WON'T forget it (and won't waste time memorizing things that aren't going to show up on the exam.)

Or if you really feel the need to read text books, at least only look at topics covered in First Aid. Using the summer to go over a class syllabus doesn't seem like a good way to spend valuable free time

 

[UAAWolf]

Use Gunner Training and buy Kaplan TestCenter vids.

 

[ArcGurren]

What if you are aiming for a 240+ score? Every little bit counts right? Even if you don't hit whatever goal you were reaching for, maybe taking the time to thoroughly understand the other 20% will give you a few extra points on the exam.

I don't know I'm not arguing with you at all per say, you know more about the process then I do...my exam is so far out I havent really looked into it too hard yet. I guess personally I'm gonna suck it up and try to learn and constantly review as much as I can now so down the road when the test is looming I can focus on other things..and personally I feel I'll have to re-learn stuff like embryo/biochem if I put it off instead of reviewing them. To each their own.

I'm aiming for as high a score as possible... and yeah whatever to each their own.

 

[ArcGurren]

The order of classes is school specific. For instance we did cover micro, most pharm and general pathology my first year (integrated systems curriculum).

I have no advice on the subject myself, but I will pass on some advice an upperclassman told me when i was beginning my 2nd year.

"Do you what you have to do to know the material, and when other people say they haven't been studying, they are probably lying"

Fair enough, but I was being perfectly honest. I tried during the M1 summer, found it pointless. Did it throughout second year, found that it has worked well so far.

 

[Pseudopseudonym]

NO. Most likely, you probably won't put in the effort that you really need to in order to retain it.

Have fun this summer. Just start studying for boards earlier in the year during MS2.

This question has been asked a million times and answered in a singular voice: "Don't even bother!!!!"

But let me give you some context.

I thought during med school I would change my undergrad ways of tireless cramming 2-3 days before the exam, that I would fine-tune my study habits to allow long-term retention, that my powers of acquisition would also sharpen as the year progressed.

BS. You can't teach a new dog old...wait, what was that idiom again? Whatever. The point is, I crammed my way through M1, did slightly above average, but honest to God, I don't remember or know anything. I simply don't have the confidence.

And my consistently low shelf scores reflect this situation. We were only given 2-3 days to study for our shelves following onslaught of exams, so I didn't even bother to flip open a book -- too tired, too useless. That still doesn't account for my disastrous scores. 40%? 18% 33%?

Now I heard that the shelf questions are actually retired step 1 questions, I'm a bit worried.

Given my situation, any advice would be appreciated. I planned on going home to relax. But I'll still have a lot of time, notwithstanding. What would be the best strategy?

Would it be worth it to go over first aid 1st year material? Go through BRS physiology? I'm asking this question in light of the fact that I doubt a lot of this "review" will actually be review, unfortunately.

 

[Alvarez13]

I'm going to second the gunnertraining idea. You'll learn what's high yield and WON'T forget it (and won't waste time memorizing things that aren't going to show up on the exam.)

Or if you really feel the need to read text books, at least only look at topics covered in First Aid. Using the summer to go over a class syllabus doesn't seem like a good way to spend valuable free time

The bolded part...get familiar with First Aid. I scanned it into my computer and exported it to Microsoft OneNote. I also did this with my review books. As I go through my MS1 classes, I take screen clippings and pictures from my notes and put them into the appropriate sections in these review sources. It's actually helped me during my classes. A big part of my summer will just be getting my MS1 info into these books for when the real studying begins. First Aid doesn't have enough pictures for me 😀

I mentioned not to worry about Biochem as much since it's lower yield and crammable. Something like 80% of material on that test is Path, so you really just have to own MS2.

But yah, I would 1) review the stuff you learned in MS1 using FA as your road map and 2) do lots of physio problems and know that subject well. Physio will help you a lot in MS2 and make path easier.

I'm only MS1, so take my advice with a grain of salt.

 

[ProtossCarrier]

The bolded part...get familiar with First Aid. I scanned it into my computer and exported it to Microsoft OneNote. I also did this with my review books. As I go through my MS1 classes, I take screen clippings and pictures from my notes and put them into the appropriate sections in these review sources. It's actually helped me during my classes. A big part of my summer will just be getting my MS1 info into these books for when the real studying begins. First Aid doesn't have enough pictures for me 😀

I mentioned not to worry about Biochem as much since it's lower yield and crammable. Something like 80% of material on that test is Path, so you really just have to own MS2.

But yah, I would 1) review the stuff you learned in MS1 using FA as your road map and 2) do lots of physio problems and know that subject well. Physio will help you a lot in MS2 and make path easier.

I'm only MS1, so take my advice with a grain of salt.

Don't use first AID in M1. You want to use the most detailed text book and LEARN (not memorize, learn) the material, so M1 can be the foundation you build on M2.

I am a M2 currently studying for step 1. The stuff they ask you on qbank are either

1. You learned it from M1
2. So obscure that you have to cram.

Remember, learn how to walk before you run. You are running with first AID. There can be such thing as too high yield.

 

[ProtossCarrier]

let me give you a better example, say a Uworld style question would goes like this

A kid was playing with his puppy and started having diarrhea, his diarrhea lead to an outbreak of diarrhea to his daycare, what are other ways he could have acquired his diarrhea?

A. Honey
B. Reheated rice
C. Pork
D. licking turtle

So basically you gotta figure out what the pathogen is, and recall that this pathogen is transmitted by puppy feces, milk and pork

Do you think you can productively remember feces, milk and pork for a pathogen a year out? (we had micro on M1)

 

[gravitywave]

what about for those of us in a systems-based curriculum that only lasts 1.5 years? by the time summer rolls around we will have had micro/immuno, neuro, and maybe 40-50% of physio/path/pharm. agree that trying to study anatomy/histo/biochem/embryo would be dumb so far out. i have eight weeks this summer and i'd like to do something to keep stuff fresh.

can anyone speak to this? for what it's worth I'm pulling all solid B's. we don't do any shelfs pre-clinical here, so i'm at sea until it's Qbank time sometime this fall.

 

[katarina90]

I like BRS physio and "Cracking the Boards"; I do agree that anything more than 'getting familiar' with FA seems distantly improbable at this point in the game (finishing OMS-1).

I will be reviewing anatomy this summer but not by choice, other than that lightly looking at physio only because I really, really, really need to (not for boards but for next year).

But other than that I'm swimming, doing yoga, reading non-medical books for pure enjoyment, going to Cali and trying to remember what it was like having a life.

 

[dienekes88]

Thanks for your reply. Yeah, I'm not doing research or anything medical related. In a panel of M4 students, they kept drilling the point that M1 material should and will be reviewed and crammed during the last few weeks of the Step 1 race. But I'm just worried that I'll be in the horrible position of learning rather than reviewing the material at that point. To be honest, it's pretty easy to cram for tests at my school without knowing a thing -- it's just the way our classes are taught.

Disagree. The last weeks of the Step 1 race should be review of high yield facts and cramming random facts that will be key for "know it or don't know it" question.

M1 material is important for understanding M2 material, which is what the test is based on. You don't build a house without a foundation.

Start studying. BRS Physio: read it a couple times. First Aid. HY: Biochemistry. HY: Neuroanatomy. HY: Anatomy. HY: Embryology.

Immunology is pretty freaking confusing (to me at least), so Sompayrac's immuno book might be a good read.

I'd leave RR Goljan for studying in tandem with 2nd year stuff. Also, I think most people have microbio 2nd year, so read microbio made ridic simple then.

Repetition is the key to success. Repetition. Repetition. Repetition.

Find a few classmates who are also highly motivated.

 

[UAAWolf]

If you feel you need to, sure. It's up to you. Maybe review high yield M1 stuff?

I would say try and have some fun in there, cause it might be your last "open" summer.

 

[CatFactorial]

Step One? Step fun! Nom nom nom nom nom.

 

[ManBroDude]

Disagree. The last weeks of the Step 1 race should be review of high yield facts and cramming random facts that will be key for "know it or don't know it" question.

M1 material is important for understanding M2 material, which is what the test is based on. You don't build a house without a foundation.

Start studying. BRS Physio: read it a couple times. First Aid. HY: Biochemistry. HY: Neuroanatomy. HY: Anatomy. HY: Embryology.

Immunology is pretty freaking confusing (to me at least), so Sompayrac's immuno book might be a good read.

I'd leave RR Goljan for studying in tandem with 2nd year stuff. Also, I think most people have microbio 2nd year, so read microbio made ridic simple then.

Repetition is the key to success. Repetition. Repetition. Repetition.

Find a few classmates who are also highly motivated.

Bamp. I want to stay on top of the material I learned this M1 year, but I'm tempted to just watch Najeeb instead (I'm far more motivated to watch him than crack open a dense review book). What say?

 

[NickNaylor]

Bamp. I want to stay on top of the material I learned this M1 year, but I'm tempted to just watch Najeeb instead (I'm far more motivated to watch him than crack open a dense review book). What say?

Sure, do what you want. It's ultimately your time that you're wasting.

Sent from my Nexus 7

 

[da8s0859q]

Sure, do what you want. It's ultimately your time that you're wasting.

Sent from my Nexus 7

This.