Taking IM rotation before step 1 helpful?

[bollywoodlover]

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How helpful would it be to take your internal medicine 3rd yr rotation before step? My preclinical courses end at the end of February and an option is to take IM rotation in March and April and take the Step 1 in June. Or would it just be distracting. Should I just use the extra time to study End of Feb to May and take it in June.

 

[Apoplexy__]

I think people generally learn very little textbook knowledge on rotations -- it's pretty much all procedural knowledge and applying textbook stuff. You'll forget far more than you learn, and anything you do learn wouldn't be too useful for Step 1.

 

[notbobtrustme]

95% of step 1 stuff is garbage in real life.

The best prep for Step 1 is Step 1 prep books.

 

[ALUCSD18]

95% of step 1 stuff is garbage in real life.

The best prep for Step 1 is Step 1 prep books.

What were some of the best prep resources you used?

 

[Phloston]

I'd say IM would probably be the perfect rotation to have before Step 1. I'm not sure why there are such antagonistic viewpoints above, but I took my Step 1 immediately before IM and found that everything during that rotation was just Step 1 material, so I beasted it. You'll definitely have to pick up some 2CK-type information while on your IM rotation, but I could only imagine that would help you for Step 1. A couple of the hard questions for me on my Step 1 were 2CK-type stuff.

 

[Transposony]

IM rotation is very useful before CK but I am not sure if it is that useful for Step 1.

 

[Phloston]

Thanks for the reply. Seems like the general consensus is to take Step 1 before rotations. Was a bit concerned if this was a good idea on the 1.5 year curriculum, but seems like it probably is.

Yeah, I've heard the trend that some schools (I think UPenn as well) take Step 1 after third year.