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Below is a schedule that was put together by a couple of Lippincott Williams & Wilkins authors. The schedule is in both subject and system formats. There are a number of products mentioned many are not LWW products but are recommended by faculty.
If you would like a word file of this schedule, drop me an e-mail at [email protected].
Best of luck on Step 1!
-Scott
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
General guidelines on constructing a study schedule for USMLE Step I
Assumption: 28 total days available, including the day before USMLE. If you have greater or fewer days, adjust the schedule accordingly. (For example, if you have 31 days, add ? day to Behavioral Science, ? day to Gross/Embryo, 1 day off, and 1 day to wrap-up.)
General apportioning of days:
Wrap-up (re-review in First Aid) = 2-3 days before your exam
Days off (schedule as rewards for doing your work) = 1-2 days (depending on wrap-up)
Total full study days (excluding wrap-up and days off) = 24 days
Allocation of days by subject:
Pathology = 4 days
Physiology = 4 days (may be less if you are strong in physiology)
Pharmacology = 4 days
Microbiology/Immunology = 4 days
Biochemistry = 3 days
Behavioral Science = 1.5 days
Gross/Embryo/Cell/Histo = 1.5 days
Neuroanatomy = 2 days
Systems Schedule:
Nervous = 3.5 days
Cardiovascular = 3 days
Respiratory = 2.5 days
GI = 2 days
Renal = 2.5 days
Endocrine = 2.5
Reproductive = 2 days
Musculoskeletal = 2 days
Heme / Lymph = 2 days
Basic Concepts / General = 2 days
Note: A ?day? for each subject means an 8-hour day per below. An ?hour? means a full hour with 5 minute breathers as needed. In addition, you will do 2 hours of questions daily.
The order of subjects:
The general strategy should be longer-term memory subjects early and shorter-term memory subjects late. This will vary among students, but a possible sequence is:
Physiology
Pathology
Behavioral Science
Day off
Microbiology/Immunology
Pharmacology
Day off
Biochemistry
Neuroanatomy, gross/embryo/cell/histo
Wrap-up days (re-review First Aid)
Take USMLE Step I
Order for Systems Schedule:
Basic Concepts / General
Endocrine
Nervous
Cardiovascular
Respiratory
Renal
GI
Musculoskeletal
Reproductive
Heme/Lymph
Wrap-up days
Suggested daily schedule:
8-12 Study
12-1 Lunch
1-5 Study
5-8 Exercise, dinner, errands, phone calls
8-10 (or 11) Questions
Note: Evening questions should be done from Kaplan Q bank, NMS Review for USMLE Step I, and Robbins Review of Pathology. Rotate the question sources, with Q bank and medrevu more often. Do questions randomly, and do not link them to what you studied during the day. Initially, do not time yourself, but do the questions to learn and to spend time with the explanations.
USMLE Sample Exam (download from USMLE.org):
Do it timed and simulated (150 questions in 3 hours) 3- 4 days before the actual USMLE. (Do it in the evening question time slot, or early morning and shift your study day forward.) Take it as if it counts; then review it 2-3 times in the next few days to be completely comfortable with the screens, the way questions are posed, and to figure out why you missed what you missed.
If you would like a word file of this schedule, drop me an e-mail at [email protected].
Best of luck on Step 1!
-Scott
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
General guidelines on constructing a study schedule for USMLE Step I
Assumption: 28 total days available, including the day before USMLE. If you have greater or fewer days, adjust the schedule accordingly. (For example, if you have 31 days, add ? day to Behavioral Science, ? day to Gross/Embryo, 1 day off, and 1 day to wrap-up.)
General apportioning of days:
Wrap-up (re-review in First Aid) = 2-3 days before your exam
Days off (schedule as rewards for doing your work) = 1-2 days (depending on wrap-up)
Total full study days (excluding wrap-up and days off) = 24 days
Allocation of days by subject:
Pathology = 4 days
Physiology = 4 days (may be less if you are strong in physiology)
Pharmacology = 4 days
Microbiology/Immunology = 4 days
Biochemistry = 3 days
Behavioral Science = 1.5 days
Gross/Embryo/Cell/Histo = 1.5 days
Neuroanatomy = 2 days
Systems Schedule:
Nervous = 3.5 days
Cardiovascular = 3 days
Respiratory = 2.5 days
GI = 2 days
Renal = 2.5 days
Endocrine = 2.5
Reproductive = 2 days
Musculoskeletal = 2 days
Heme / Lymph = 2 days
Basic Concepts / General = 2 days
Note: A ?day? for each subject means an 8-hour day per below. An ?hour? means a full hour with 5 minute breathers as needed. In addition, you will do 2 hours of questions daily.
The order of subjects:
The general strategy should be longer-term memory subjects early and shorter-term memory subjects late. This will vary among students, but a possible sequence is:
Physiology
Pathology
Behavioral Science
Day off
Microbiology/Immunology
Pharmacology
Day off
Biochemistry
Neuroanatomy, gross/embryo/cell/histo
Wrap-up days (re-review First Aid)
Take USMLE Step I
Order for Systems Schedule:
Basic Concepts / General
Endocrine
Nervous
Cardiovascular
Respiratory
Renal
GI
Musculoskeletal
Reproductive
Heme/Lymph
Wrap-up days
Suggested daily schedule:
8-12 Study
12-1 Lunch
1-5 Study
5-8 Exercise, dinner, errands, phone calls
8-10 (or 11) Questions
Note: Evening questions should be done from Kaplan Q bank, NMS Review for USMLE Step I, and Robbins Review of Pathology. Rotate the question sources, with Q bank and medrevu more often. Do questions randomly, and do not link them to what you studied during the day. Initially, do not time yourself, but do the questions to learn and to spend time with the explanations.
USMLE Sample Exam (download from USMLE.org):
Do it timed and simulated (150 questions in 3 hours) 3- 4 days before the actual USMLE. (Do it in the evening question time slot, or early morning and shift your study day forward.) Take it as if it counts; then review it 2-3 times in the next few days to be completely comfortable with the screens, the way questions are posed, and to figure out why you missed what you missed.
