Study Plan Help

[NotMeNow]

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Fellow SDNers - I reluctantly came back here. If you can put up with all the high strung ridiculousness you people are the best resource!

I'd like some input/advice on how to prepare. I am trying to come up with my long term step 1 study program. I am 9 months out from taking the exam. I am just starting year 2.

There seems to be 2 philosophies for studying:

1) Just study hard during 2nd year. Then during the 4 week break do an intensive review.

2) Prepare during 2nd year by using FA and other resources to augment your class notes.


I'm leaning towards '2' because I have a tendency to slack off a bit during classes.

With that said I haven't had most of the material yet (in a class) for step 1 so there is no reason to study that material. My idea was to 'review'/expand on material that I was already taught.

So for the next few months I would review biochem/physio. Then add in Renal, Neuro, etc as we finished the class.

Starting in January I would do UW and maybe Kaplan Q-bank. How many questions are in each? Around 5000?

Then (hopefully) during the 4 week break I will be in good shape. I can then focus in on my weaknesses.

Does this plan sound reasonable?


Probable sources:

RR path (new)
FA2010 (I'll wait until it comes out).
UW
Maybe Kaplan - what do you guys think?

Also I feel like I am weak in biochem. Does anyone have a good source for review?

Thanks a bunch!

 

[medschoolmania]

honestly, just utilize First aid along with your current coursework for 2nd year. and if you can sign up for a year long uworld membership(since your doing this 9 months ahead). my honest advice would be get to world in a system based format. as you finish a certain pharm section for example, lets say dynamics and kinetics, then just go over first aid see whats high yield, then do the world questions, and then annotate it to ur FA notes. that way you already have a sound background of knowledge laid out, and now your just tweaking it towards board style questions.

for biochem: i honestly SUCKED hardcore cow balls at this subject. it was my anti-christ. however what i did was i used kaplan 2008 edition biochem lecture notes, with its corresponding dvd so i can follow it along. end result? biochem is a a freaking joke. most importantly, i think u shud make this your strength because alot of pharm is interrelated with biochem, as well as path! if you go thru the biochem kaplan lecture notes, NOT THE HOME STUDY ONE!!! the actual lecture notes and follow it along with the kaplan lecture dvd, you should be MORE MORE MORE than well prepared and equipped to tackle any biochem question : ) *go thru FA and annotate it as you go along. when u finish it, (honestly it took me a week with annotating watching the dvd and just digesting everything about 5 hours a day) and that tells u how bad i was at this subject. bbut once u have it annotated down and grasped it, do the world questions repeatedly, and annotate even further so then biochem will be one of your more easier subjects" mind you that it has alot of intricate details, so just focus on the high yield, but like i sed, kaplan is amazing. it really really ingrains the info and also it correlates different basic science subjects so you can get the "big picture"

*hope this helped!?!?!


as far as path is concerned: i did robbins first, just so i knew i wouldnt get rocked on my path exams. after a certain section was over, i would get some blank pieces of paper, hole punch it and put it in a binder and label it strictly usmle step 1 notes. i listened to goljan, followed along with his rapid review 2nd edition, and looked at FA simultaneously. So for example, at the end of the CVS section of path after exams of course, and after i sobered up from partying that nite, i would sit down on the weekend and just listen to goljan and do the previously stated actions. it wouldnt take more then 5 hours out of ur day to finish the entire thing. mind you some goljan audio is longer for certain subjects then others, but youll be more geared towards studying for the boards!!! 🙂

 

[NotMeNow]

Thanks medschoolmania!

Since I have a while I like your idea of making biochem one of my strengths.

What do you think of the kaplan q-bank?

 

[NotMeNow]

I'm having trouble finding the kaplan lecture notes for biochem with corresponding dvds.

Can anyone provide a link?

 

[Reverend]

He/She gave you some great advice. The main keys he mentioned that I 100% agree with are the use of FA, Goljan audio, & UW. I would even supplement the RR if you have time. It is a great integration of biochem and path and what is in blue in the margins are probably the key notes that you would take while listening.

They mentioned that you would probably be over prepared for biochem...you probably will be, but that's a good thing.

Best of luck to you.