study plan for usmle

[sanj238]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Hey folks, I just finished my first year. yes yes i should enjoy the summer.

anyway, I started looking at goljan rapid review and basically plan to master the entire book. My goal is to finish 200 pages this summer and then the rest throughout the school year-supplementing it with what I learn in school.

That said, what other material would supplement this book?

People say that rapid review is overkill and has more than needed for the exam. How much of rapid review is overkill? 10%? 5%? Just curious.

Thanks

I also plan to do practice q from robbins qbank.

 

[iCY]

Hey folks, I just finished my first year. yes yes i should enjoy the summer.

anyway, I started looking at goljan rapid review and basically plan to master the entire book. My goal is to finish 200 pages this summer and then the rest throughout the school year-supplementing it with what I learn in school.

That said, what other material would supplement this book?

People say that rapid review is overkill and has more than needed for the exam. How much of rapid review is overkill? 10%? 5%? Just curious.

Thanks

I also plan to do practice q from robbins qbank.

lol the % is probably closer to 40-50%.

 

[Chaoticsheath]

If i were you, i wouldn't spread myself so thin. I would just pick one subject and know it like the back of your hand. Micro might be a good choice. Or renal? or biochem? DONT choose anatomy. you won't even know what is emphasized boards wise. That'll be one less thing you'll need to study when the time comes. If you try to study everything, you'll mostlikely forget all of it. If you hammer home and become an EXPERT in one thing, that knowledge will last and you go into the test prep already have one thing scratched off the list, which is HUGE btw.

 

[HelpPleaseMD]

If i were you, i wouldn't spread myself so thin. I would just pick one subject and know it like the back of your hand. Micro might be a good choice. Or renal? or biochem? DONT choose anatomy. you won't even know what is emphasized boards wise. That'll be one less thing you'll need to study when the time comes. If you try to study everything, you'll mostlikely forget all of it. If you hammer home and become an EXPERT in one thing, that knowledge will last and you go into the test prep already have one thing scratched off the list, which is HUGE btw.

That is good advice. I finished most of Path studying before the dedicated USMLE studying time using Pathoma

 

[sanj238]

I was hoping rapid review would offer this as well? Are you sure its that much overkill?

I was thinking if I do RR I can finish path....I'm only doing material we've covered in school, and honestly rr has all of that material and very little that is new. Although that doesnt mean its all tested on USMLE.

What qbanks do you recommend besides UWorld and Kaplan and robbins?

 

[DearScience]

scrap RR and replace it with Pathoma. Watch the videos 1.4x speed every day until school starts for 3-5 hrs/day. Not only does it review pathology, but a good amount of Biochem. You'll be ahead of the game come 2nd year.

 

[Aclamity]

I think starting RR wouldn't be a bad idea. I'd only recommend the first 6 or 7 chapters. after that, it's pretty futile to read RR if you haven't learned the material in school. but the first few chaps are basic path (which is NOT covered well in FA), so it might be good to look at those. As others suggested, your time is also well-spent by picking a subject and knowing it well. Pick a memorization-heavy subject like micro or biochem because when dedicated study time comes you'll be spending it REVIEWING the material, rather than LEARNING the material.

I agree that a lot of RR is overkill for boards, but I read it through 2-3x before boards and felt that it really helped a lot and put everything together for me. Even though it goes above and beyond the boards I think it's useful info to have somewhere in the back of your mind.

 

[Aclamity]

scrap RR and replace it with Pathoma. Watch the videos 1.4x speed every day until school starts for 3-5 hrs/day. Not only does it review pathology, but a good amount of Biochem. You'll be ahead of the game come 2nd year.

This might be a good idea too. I have zero experience with Pathoma, but it seems to be the "new RR path" nowadays

 

[sanj238]

I'm thinking of studying physio over summer and micro/biochem over winter break and spring break u think that's doable?

 

[dragon529]

Someone mentioned that there might be a new edition coming this summer?? The current edition is the 3rd. Anyone know how much truth there is to this? I want to grab a copy this summer but I don't want to get an old copy in a matter of weeks...

 

[sanj238]

I dunno that it matters. If you read rr preface the author says if you have first edition don't worry iterations aren't all that different. The only thing is errata. It's up to you.

 

[san2]

buy kaplan medessentials and the latest first aid edition, and start chipping away at biochemistry, immuno/microbio, and if you still have time hematology. that way you reviewed for m1, while prepping up for m2 and the boards

 

[Chaoticsheath]

start doing Uworld right now. How else are you going to finish doing it 20x times by next summer??

 

[dragon529]

how useful is medessentials? i've heard mixed reviews on it...

 

[sanj238]

I dunno about medessentials.

I've just purchased first aid first year basic sciences.
I plan to use FA, RR, pathoma, BRS phys,anatomy
and histology and immunology made ridiculously easy
and lippincott biochem

 

[san2]

how useful is medessentials? i've heard mixed reviews on it...

its great. a conjunction of that, latest first aid edition, kaplan path lecture series book, and uworld will help you tremendously

to memorize the important minutae in kaplan medessentials, this is where kaplan qbank comes in handy if you have time