USMLE as a US-IMG

[jayK]

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Hi,
So I just got back to Cali after getting done with med school. Im preparing for my first step which I will be giving in December but, I'm finding it so hard to study 🙁 i got the Kaplan notes and videos for the home study edition but its just getting a bit hard to study specially pharmacology which i think is my weakest and I don't like the pharma notes in kaplan. Any suggesting on how to stay motivated and focused and what other materials to use? and basically on how to study efficiently ?

 

[Flamen04]

Read First Aid
Watch Pathoma
Answer UWorld Questions

Only sections you should be using from the Kaplan videos, if any at ALL, are the pathology and physiology videos. Even then, only watch them for sections you are really having trouble with and at double speed.

 

[jayK]

Read First Aid
Watch Pathoma
Answer UWorld Questions

Only sections you should be using from the Kaplan videos, if any at ALL, are the pathology and physiology videos. Even then, only watch them for sections you are really having trouble with and at double speed.

thank you 🙂

 

[EazyE1907]

also check out the biochem video lectures by Dr.Turco. The kaplan biochem notes along with his videos are legit as well. good luck

 

[Medstart108]

Hi,
So I just got back to Cali after getting done with med school. Im preparing for my first step which I will be giving in December but, I'm finding it so hard to study 🙁 i got the Kaplan notes and videos for the home study edition but its just getting a bit hard to study specially pharmacology which i think is my weakest and I don't like the pharma notes in kaplan. Any suggesting on how to stay motivated and focused and what other materials to use? and basically on how to study efficiently ?

Motivate yourself by going to the library, don't bring anything that can distract you. When you see everyone else studying it really does help you get into the zone.

 

[Donald Juan]

I thought KISSPharm was a good resource for pharm. It's just about 9 hours of lecture, so not a huge time sink.

 

[jayK]

Motivate yourself by going to the library, don't bring anything that can distract you. When you see everyone else studying it really does help you get into the zone.

thank you i will try that out

I thought KISSPharm was a good resource for pharm. It's just about 9 hours of lecture, so not a huge time sink.

oh ok i will check it out thank you

 

[BlueArc]

I would suggest not to do patho from Kaplan, do it just from Pathoma. Additional topics from goljan.

 

[chilibraguy]

I wouldn't call kisspharm a time stink...everyone has different ways of teaching as students have different ways of learning. When I was in the PASS Program, I saw it help many students.

 

[NeedToStudy]

I thought KISSPharm was a good resource for pharm. It's just about 9 hours of lecture, so not a huge time sink.

Are the 9 hours of lecture adequate?

 

[RLSGrasshopper]

My personal advice would be to first familiarize yourself with the content before reading first aid. Biochem and Pharms videos from Kaplan are prolly the best. Once your done with the the topic, later on the night, read first aid and add anything you deem necessary into FA that way it makes more sense when you go back and read from FA in the future. Do the same thing with Path. Watch Pathoma and add things into FA.

 

[Macaroon_Berry]

I would skip the Kaplan books if you can. It's too dense and there's way too much info that you may get lost in. I'm also an IMG, and I used some Kaplan videos that I think are great - especially Pharm as the previous posters mentioned, and Biochem was pretty good too. But honestly, memorizing the biochem, pharm, and microbio sections in First Aid should be key for you - after all, these subjects are all about memorization and re-call. Also, do Pathoma - it's a great resource and both the videos and books will help you understand a whole lot.

 

[NeedToStudy]

How many hours are the Kaplan videos for Pharm?

 

[aspiringmd1015]

I didnt annotate biochem into FA, becomes kaplans biochem is great, but way too big, way too much to annotate, but it def helps you familiarize yourself with FA otherwise FA is just a bunch of notes unless you have a good background, which kaplan does a great job of if you had a **** background before like i did.