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The game they play is a psychological one. Wake you up at the precise time you would normally wake up on test day. Give you 10 min breaks at precisely the time you would take breaks on test day. Lunch break, same idea. This gets your mind, body and circadian rythms into the test taking groove. So that once the retreat experience is over, you would hopefully keep the same pattern of sleep/wake cycle until your exam. Kaplan recomends no more than a two month gap between the end of the retreat and the start of your test date. Don't wait too long, however don't take it too early. Even though its a big chunk of time, they go fairly fast. For example, the first day of anatomy, Dr. White has already gone over Embryo, Thorax, Pelvis, GI. That's a huge chunk of that Anatomy book in just one day.
You have a group leader who is usually a young student who has already been through Step 1, Step 2 and 3. He's the class friend, and the one you go to for any problems or concerns about the boards, study habits, Q bank, or getting a high score. Our group leader was very cool, he had gotten a 99 on Step 1, Step 2, and Step 3. Even Dr. Goljan made it a point to let us know the group leaders scores. According to Dr. Goljan "THIS GUY CAN GET ANY RESIDENCY HE WANTS!!!!" Believe it or not, our group leader actually got fired mid way into the course because his computer got stolen by a student and he threatened to make sure that person would not get a residency.. ever. Well apparently the Kaplan people didnt like how he was threatening students so they outted him. Ha I remember waiting outside during a class break and I saw the guy peal out in his car giving the class the finger!!! HA, but that's a whole different story.
You will make life long friends. Your in class with people for 8 hours, you have lunch, breakfast, and dinner with them. You get the best accomodations, they put you in a luxury hotel (the Doubletree in Dallas), you have a beautiful hotel room, cleaning every day, room service, etc. Breakfast is usually continental but you get one buffet breakfast once a week, usually on Friday. Lunch is delicious, usually meats, with salads, side dishes, desserts, prepared by the hotel chef and staff. There is also a weight room, a swimming pool, and a Wal Mart right next to the hotel. Texas can get over 100 degrees in the summer time so the swimming pool was crucial.
Remember, your in class 8 hours a day, with only evenings to study. Most people find it impossible to study while they are at the retreat because class is so intense and draining. Others try as best they can. Many people study in the hotel lobby or in their rooms. There are also designated hotel study rooms assigned especially for the Kaplan program.
Students range from a wide variety. Many are IMGs who feel their education is inferior to USMLE standards. Many are American students who failed the first time and their school recommended that they take a Kaplan program. Others are simply students who want that 99. Now, let's start with the course...
The intro lecture by Dr. Daugherty is one to inspire the class. He's the head of learning and test taking skills for the Kaplan company and he studies the epidemiology and statistics of getting a good score! You know all the p value confidence interval stuff in Biostats?? Well instead of applying those theories to medicine he applies them to USMLE scores. He's probably the definitive source on how to rock the Step. Amazing speaker as well. He'll tell you that if you do 10 000 questions you still may very well fail the exam. He'll also tell you that if you read 10 000 pages of review books you are also very likely to fail. The best study method for him is: Read, then do questions, read, then do questions, read, then do questions, repeat. He also talks about how crucial it is to get a good score for residency. Basically there is no other way for a residency director to separate you from another student without using your Step 1 score. After this one lecture he gets on a plane and flies back to Chicago and returns during the last week to do biostats and behavioral. To get a glimpse of his unique personality and manner of speaking check him out in the Kaplan videos.
Day 1: Diagnostic. A 4 block exam consisting of everything. You must take this exam for Kaplan to assess your strengths and weaknesses. you then sit down with a Kaplan representative who tells you exactly what you need to do to get your score in your target range.
Week 1: Anatomy, with Dr. White. This guy is great. He's the author of the Kaplan anatomy book. You can check him out on the kaplan Neuro videos. He does Gross Anatomy and Neuro during the retreat. He has special notes of his own that he adds to the Kaplan notes. The kaplan notes are not designed to be used in isolation. They are designed as supplementary notes for the actual lecture. He adds a lot of material to those Kaplan notes. He's a great speaker and basically you can ask him anything you want during breaks and after class. He will even sit in the hotel lobby drinking martinis by himself waiting for students to ask him questions. He'll do this ALL NIGHT!!! It's quite amazing that at 11pm while your passing out from a hard days work in the hotel lobby, and you want to go back to your room and sleep you can always just stop by at the bar and ask Dr. White any question you want. He's usually sitting there reading medical journals. He loves his work you can tell. He will tell you that he plays golf with some of the question writers. He becomes exceedingly honest and says "Look. What your going to get tested on isn't really going to be abdomen or pelvis or thorax really. Its going to be Neuro. Basically, the brachial/lumbar plexus, and neural science. " So he focuses mostly on those because they are high yield. He goes fast so you have to keep up.
Week 2 Biochem - Dr. Turcot. Another author of the Kaplan biochem book. He makes a very dry subject very entertaining. He reminds me of Mr. Bean. He's outrageous, hillarious, and smart. He's got a top 10 list of the most tested enzymes, he's got special pages in the text that are the most tested pages that he makes you aware of. And hes got a good set of his own notes he superimposes onto Kaplans notes. Will also discus anything over drinks! AND HE HATES I MEAN HATES BRAD PITT. Umm.. you'll see!! One of the few Kaplan instructors that actually likes First Aid. Explains that most biochem on the exam is actually Pathobiochem.
Week 3 Physio- Kudrath. This guy claims to have ALL the physio test questions. Well he didnt have all on my test but he did have a good number which I was surprised about. Your physio notes will be marked up with test questions that he discusses. He simplifies a very complicated topic. He has a good reputation and often gets recruited to teach at schools all over the country. He's hillarious as well so you wont forget his stuff. he's a clinician, not a PhD so he'll always give you a proper clinical scenario. He also plays and coordinates a basketball tournament during the retreat. I never went to it because it was burning hot outside. He presents everything in flow chart format so its easy to follow. Like a cult leader, or a religious figure he brainwashes the class into saying "240" in unison every 20 minutes! This is to get our brains into getting a 240 on the real exam. At the end he gives his own guide on how to actually get that 240 and how many hours need to be dedicated to each subject. This includes utilization of the NBME exams.
Week 4- Micro/Immuno. Dr. Ruebash. A very nice woman. Since she authored that whole phat micro/immuno book, her slides and her lecture are straight from the book. Can also answer any question at any time. She also highlights certain parts of the notes that are most commonly tested. Not as good a speaker as the other teachers, I found myself falling asleep through most of her class. I figure, micro is micro, theres no way anyones going to simplify it for me. You either know it or you don't. I learned all my immuno reading the immuno part of that book. It explains everything from the bottom up.
Week 5 Path. Dr. Goljan. What can I say, Goljan is Goljan. He tells you to throw out the blue Kaplan book and just use his notes. He also tells you to throw out First Aid, and that FA has no idea what's on the examination. He's a lot grumpier, and egotistical than the audio lectures. He knows his worth. He will feel no remorse completely dissing you if you ask him a stupid question. Also, when he lectures, he looks right into your eyes, something a lot of students couldn't handle. His test questions are different from the ones in the audio most likely because he monitors what the USMLE tests over time, and its no surprise that things would change since that first audio lecture everyone has. He completely despises the fact that his stuff is corculated on the net and ebay. I heard that Goljan's not doing Kaplan for a while anymore. He's on sabbatical? I think that means he's redesigning his notes! Not sure why, but Dr. Barrone is actually supposed to be just as good as Goljan. Dr. Barrone is form California. My friend had him in San Diego and he told my friend that the USMLE is the most unfair exam in existance!! HA.. damn.
Week 6 - Pharm. Dr. Davis. You know a lot of people couldnt handle this. In FA, pharm isnt a huge chunk, but that Kaplan pharm book is a monster. Well Dr. Davis doesnt simplify it. HE MAKES IT MORE COMPLICATED. Im a pharm nut, so I loved how I was getting every single detail of pharmacology imaginable. He integrated massive amounts of physio and path and biochem into his teachings. Most people couldn't take it and were moaning in agony. But sure enough, all that stuff was on the Step. I knew it was going to be. Maybe I'm imagining things but it felt like every other question was a pharm question on my test. But again, im sure im just exaggerating, the truth is, when your done with the step, it really is hard to remember what was on it. Its like a near death experience or something. Dr. Davis knows everything about every drug, maybe a little too much. he keeps tabs on what gets tested as well. If a subject comes up that is Most commonly tested, he will tell you and put a heart on his slide.
Final 3 days - Biostats/Behavioral. Daugherty explains that biostats is a necessary evil, and its not really a question if it's going to be on the exam its really, "how many questions are going to be on the exam." "You know they are going to be there. So just learn them, and do them!!" This guy has probably read every single epidemiological and psychological study EVER WRITTEN. He encourages you to read things in the newspaper and realize that most studies are complete horse $ht because they aren't governed by the laws of statistics and they are skewed by the media. He even told me he thought Jesus had a major personality disorder, but im not going to get into anything controversial on this thread. He knows his stuff, you won't fall asleep, he makes it as exciting as possible. My favorite of all the Kaplan staff.
That's it folks. You then get drunk and party the last night, take the plane home the next day and expect to be hungover the whole flight home. If I were to get into the hot steamy drama of "interclass relations" that went on... well that would deserve its own thread. I mean think about it, take 50 medical students, male and female, throw them into a hotel without parental supervision, throw in some alcohol... WELL U KNOWWWWWW. If you have any questions feel free to ask.
You have a group leader who is usually a young student who has already been through Step 1, Step 2 and 3. He's the class friend, and the one you go to for any problems or concerns about the boards, study habits, Q bank, or getting a high score. Our group leader was very cool, he had gotten a 99 on Step 1, Step 2, and Step 3. Even Dr. Goljan made it a point to let us know the group leaders scores. According to Dr. Goljan "THIS GUY CAN GET ANY RESIDENCY HE WANTS!!!!" Believe it or not, our group leader actually got fired mid way into the course because his computer got stolen by a student and he threatened to make sure that person would not get a residency.. ever. Well apparently the Kaplan people didnt like how he was threatening students so they outted him. Ha I remember waiting outside during a class break and I saw the guy peal out in his car giving the class the finger!!! HA, but that's a whole different story.
You will make life long friends. Your in class with people for 8 hours, you have lunch, breakfast, and dinner with them. You get the best accomodations, they put you in a luxury hotel (the Doubletree in Dallas), you have a beautiful hotel room, cleaning every day, room service, etc. Breakfast is usually continental but you get one buffet breakfast once a week, usually on Friday. Lunch is delicious, usually meats, with salads, side dishes, desserts, prepared by the hotel chef and staff. There is also a weight room, a swimming pool, and a Wal Mart right next to the hotel. Texas can get over 100 degrees in the summer time so the swimming pool was crucial.
Remember, your in class 8 hours a day, with only evenings to study. Most people find it impossible to study while they are at the retreat because class is so intense and draining. Others try as best they can. Many people study in the hotel lobby or in their rooms. There are also designated hotel study rooms assigned especially for the Kaplan program.
Students range from a wide variety. Many are IMGs who feel their education is inferior to USMLE standards. Many are American students who failed the first time and their school recommended that they take a Kaplan program. Others are simply students who want that 99. Now, let's start with the course...
The intro lecture by Dr. Daugherty is one to inspire the class. He's the head of learning and test taking skills for the Kaplan company and he studies the epidemiology and statistics of getting a good score! You know all the p value confidence interval stuff in Biostats?? Well instead of applying those theories to medicine he applies them to USMLE scores. He's probably the definitive source on how to rock the Step. Amazing speaker as well. He'll tell you that if you do 10 000 questions you still may very well fail the exam. He'll also tell you that if you read 10 000 pages of review books you are also very likely to fail. The best study method for him is: Read, then do questions, read, then do questions, read, then do questions, repeat. He also talks about how crucial it is to get a good score for residency. Basically there is no other way for a residency director to separate you from another student without using your Step 1 score. After this one lecture he gets on a plane and flies back to Chicago and returns during the last week to do biostats and behavioral. To get a glimpse of his unique personality and manner of speaking check him out in the Kaplan videos.
Day 1: Diagnostic. A 4 block exam consisting of everything. You must take this exam for Kaplan to assess your strengths and weaknesses. you then sit down with a Kaplan representative who tells you exactly what you need to do to get your score in your target range.
Week 1: Anatomy, with Dr. White. This guy is great. He's the author of the Kaplan anatomy book. You can check him out on the kaplan Neuro videos. He does Gross Anatomy and Neuro during the retreat. He has special notes of his own that he adds to the Kaplan notes. The kaplan notes are not designed to be used in isolation. They are designed as supplementary notes for the actual lecture. He adds a lot of material to those Kaplan notes. He's a great speaker and basically you can ask him anything you want during breaks and after class. He will even sit in the hotel lobby drinking martinis by himself waiting for students to ask him questions. He'll do this ALL NIGHT!!! It's quite amazing that at 11pm while your passing out from a hard days work in the hotel lobby, and you want to go back to your room and sleep you can always just stop by at the bar and ask Dr. White any question you want. He's usually sitting there reading medical journals. He loves his work you can tell. He will tell you that he plays golf with some of the question writers. He becomes exceedingly honest and says "Look. What your going to get tested on isn't really going to be abdomen or pelvis or thorax really. Its going to be Neuro. Basically, the brachial/lumbar plexus, and neural science. " So he focuses mostly on those because they are high yield. He goes fast so you have to keep up.
Week 2 Biochem - Dr. Turcot. Another author of the Kaplan biochem book. He makes a very dry subject very entertaining. He reminds me of Mr. Bean. He's outrageous, hillarious, and smart. He's got a top 10 list of the most tested enzymes, he's got special pages in the text that are the most tested pages that he makes you aware of. And hes got a good set of his own notes he superimposes onto Kaplans notes. Will also discus anything over drinks! AND HE HATES I MEAN HATES BRAD PITT. Umm.. you'll see!! One of the few Kaplan instructors that actually likes First Aid. Explains that most biochem on the exam is actually Pathobiochem.
Week 3 Physio- Kudrath. This guy claims to have ALL the physio test questions. Well he didnt have all on my test but he did have a good number which I was surprised about. Your physio notes will be marked up with test questions that he discusses. He simplifies a very complicated topic. He has a good reputation and often gets recruited to teach at schools all over the country. He's hillarious as well so you wont forget his stuff. he's a clinician, not a PhD so he'll always give you a proper clinical scenario. He also plays and coordinates a basketball tournament during the retreat. I never went to it because it was burning hot outside. He presents everything in flow chart format so its easy to follow. Like a cult leader, or a religious figure he brainwashes the class into saying "240" in unison every 20 minutes! This is to get our brains into getting a 240 on the real exam. At the end he gives his own guide on how to actually get that 240 and how many hours need to be dedicated to each subject. This includes utilization of the NBME exams.
Week 4- Micro/Immuno. Dr. Ruebash. A very nice woman. Since she authored that whole phat micro/immuno book, her slides and her lecture are straight from the book. Can also answer any question at any time. She also highlights certain parts of the notes that are most commonly tested. Not as good a speaker as the other teachers, I found myself falling asleep through most of her class. I figure, micro is micro, theres no way anyones going to simplify it for me. You either know it or you don't. I learned all my immuno reading the immuno part of that book. It explains everything from the bottom up.
Week 5 Path. Dr. Goljan. What can I say, Goljan is Goljan. He tells you to throw out the blue Kaplan book and just use his notes. He also tells you to throw out First Aid, and that FA has no idea what's on the examination. He's a lot grumpier, and egotistical than the audio lectures. He knows his worth. He will feel no remorse completely dissing you if you ask him a stupid question. Also, when he lectures, he looks right into your eyes, something a lot of students couldn't handle. His test questions are different from the ones in the audio most likely because he monitors what the USMLE tests over time, and its no surprise that things would change since that first audio lecture everyone has. He completely despises the fact that his stuff is corculated on the net and ebay. I heard that Goljan's not doing Kaplan for a while anymore. He's on sabbatical? I think that means he's redesigning his notes! Not sure why, but Dr. Barrone is actually supposed to be just as good as Goljan. Dr. Barrone is form California. My friend had him in San Diego and he told my friend that the USMLE is the most unfair exam in existance!! HA.. damn.
Week 6 - Pharm. Dr. Davis. You know a lot of people couldnt handle this. In FA, pharm isnt a huge chunk, but that Kaplan pharm book is a monster. Well Dr. Davis doesnt simplify it. HE MAKES IT MORE COMPLICATED. Im a pharm nut, so I loved how I was getting every single detail of pharmacology imaginable. He integrated massive amounts of physio and path and biochem into his teachings. Most people couldn't take it and were moaning in agony. But sure enough, all that stuff was on the Step. I knew it was going to be. Maybe I'm imagining things but it felt like every other question was a pharm question on my test. But again, im sure im just exaggerating, the truth is, when your done with the step, it really is hard to remember what was on it. Its like a near death experience or something. Dr. Davis knows everything about every drug, maybe a little too much. he keeps tabs on what gets tested as well. If a subject comes up that is Most commonly tested, he will tell you and put a heart on his slide.
Final 3 days - Biostats/Behavioral. Daugherty explains that biostats is a necessary evil, and its not really a question if it's going to be on the exam its really, "how many questions are going to be on the exam." "You know they are going to be there. So just learn them, and do them!!" This guy has probably read every single epidemiological and psychological study EVER WRITTEN. He encourages you to read things in the newspaper and realize that most studies are complete horse $ht because they aren't governed by the laws of statistics and they are skewed by the media. He even told me he thought Jesus had a major personality disorder, but im not going to get into anything controversial on this thread. He knows his stuff, you won't fall asleep, he makes it as exciting as possible. My favorite of all the Kaplan staff.
That's it folks. You then get drunk and party the last night, take the plane home the next day and expect to be hungover the whole flight home. If I were to get into the hot steamy drama of "interclass relations" that went on... well that would deserve its own thread. I mean think about it, take 50 medical students, male and female, throw them into a hotel without parental supervision, throw in some alcohol... WELL U KNOWWWWWW. If you have any questions feel free to ask.
