USMLE Step 1 Schedule

[Scott_L]

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I asked a number of LWW authors to put together schedule making guidlines. If you would like the word document that this came from, feel free to e-mail me [email protected]. Take note that there are some non-LWW products listed because I wanted to include all resources. Good luck!

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 Step-Up/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

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 Step-Up/First Aid)
Take USMLE Step I

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 (included in Step 1 bank at medrevu), and Robbins Review of Pathology. Rotate the question sources, with Q bank/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.

 

[docmartin]

Scott,

That's great advice. Thanks for posting that! I needed some structure for my studying so this will definitely help!

Good luck to you

 

[secretwave101]

One person I know who took the test last year said I should set my tests to reflect the subject area I had studied for that day.

Opinions anyone?

What about repeating quesitons you've already done?

 

[Scott_L]

It is not as much of a challenge to answer questions based on material that you just read. In addition, if you are testing yourself on information that you read 2 or 3 days ago, you are keeping the information fresh in your mind and you will have an easier time recalling it when you take the actual Step 1 exam.

 

[genieinabottle]

Thanks so much for your schedule...is there anyone else out there willing to share their schedule? I am in the process of planning one out. I remember there was a post about half a yr or more ago with many schedules. Does anyone know where that post is?

 

[G-Man]

Great job scott ... you deserve all the kudos! I have never seen anyone with any company (LWW) as active as you with the people you serve. For those who don't know, Scott was at the AMSA convention recently helping out. Scott is everywhere ... great job of getting out with the people!

 

[GAdasooka]

I have a question... What do you think about reviewing by organ system??? Helpful or not?

I wanted to start off with something like:

Biochemistry- 3 days

Cellular Metabolism
Anaerobic/Aerobic
Enzyme Deficiencies
Body Metabolism
Fuel Utilization
Fed/fasting
Exercise
Stress
Metabolic Defects
Nutrition
Fuel Substrates and Energy
Pregnancy
Vitamins and deficiencies
Genetics
DNA/RNA/Protein Synthesis
Chromosomal Disorders: shifts, mutations, deletions, etc
Inherited Disorders
AutoD
AutoR
X-Linked
Lab tests/techniques

References:
 Step Up
 BRS Biochemistry
 Lippincott Biochemistry
 Clinical Underground
 Kaplan
Poster Ideas:
 Vitamins/deficiencies
 Inherited disorders

Also, for example, I haven't thought too far ahead, but such as for my review of cardio, I would include the WebPath, Vingettes, etc. What do you think??? I attended a school that went by organ systems rather than subject... Does anyone have an opinion? I've always thought that by integrating things, you remeber it better (learn the pharm drugs that GO with the phys and anatomy...), but I don't know! I haven't taken Step 1. So, if there's anyone out there with an opinion, please fill me in!!!

Thanks!!!

 

[GAdasooka]

That post didn't space things properly...
Note: That was all under the topic of biochem. Anaerobic/aerobic and Enxyme Def. fall UNDER cell metab, Fuel utilization falls under body metab and the fed/fasting, exercise, stress, and metabolic defects falls under Fuel Util catagory. Fuel substrates/energy, pregnancy, vitamins and def. all fall under nutrition. Finally, the rest falls under genetics... and that would be my biochem review. Make sense??? thanks!!!

 

[irlandesa]

I have heard that if you are used to studying a certain way, whether it be by organ system as in the curriculum you describe, or by subject, or with a group, or by doing lots of clinical vignettes to learn the Physiology, Pathology, and Pharmacology of each section, then now is NOT the time to switch learning styles. no use putting yourself under added stress and confusion, right? good luck, I will be taking Step 1 on June 9.

 

[ms2]

That's so weird, we just had a presentation at our school to help us prepare, and the 1st post is the exact word document that the presenter handed out. From what she said, organ system studying works for some people, but it can be difficult to make sure you cover everything since the review books aren't system based. Anyway, I start that schedule next week, wish me luck.

 

[genieinabottle]

After taking the advice here and considering my own strengths/weaknesses...here is my schedule for June 20th test date:

May 12 Start
Physio -5 days
Went to CA for bro's graduation - 5 days
Behavioral - 3
Day off for someone's wedding
Path - 4
Micro - 3
Immuno - 2
Pharm- 6
Bioch - 3
Gross/Emb/Cell/Hist - 3
Neuro - 2.5 and USMLE sample test
Wrap-up 2 days
Take Exam!

It's about 33 days more or less bc I did study a little on the plane when I flew. My goal is 8 days of studying and 2 hrs questions..but I have been more like 6-7 hrs of studying..and the questions..I find that I need to spread them out (I already did 15%) and I have 4 more weeks so I think I am ok on that.

 

[Kosmo]

genie-

Take this with a grain of salt, since I'm now preparing for a June 19th date (i.e. I haven't yet taken step 1.) But I would suggest taking a day (or 2) from pharm and 2 days from behavioral and adding them to path and neuro.

6 days for pharm may be ok if strict memorization isn't your strength. But 3 days for behavioral sciences is too much.

 

[genieinabottle]

THanks Kosmo but I think 3 for behavioral was needed for me bc I didn't really pay attention to our weak psych class. I might add another day to path if I need it but it was actually one of my stronger subjects...(we just took the Shelf exam for it)...and for neuro I wasn't sure..does that include just neuroanatomy. I have High Yield Neuroanatomy but it doens't have neurophysiology in it. Thanks again!

 

[Gauss]

4 weeks is insane
I dunno how you people can do that
I did it in about 3 weeks and damn near went nuts
or maybe I did?

 

[LoneSEAL]

How is everyone approaching First Aid? Are you just reading the individual entries? Or are you memorizing the entries?

I'm trying to do the latter approach but I find it frustrating. It seems like I can only memorize two pages of First Aid a day. Is this a suicidal strategy...would I be better off just "reading" FA?

 

[genieinabottle]

My approach to First Aid..is try to read and memorize/learn the material. I add extra notes wherever I need when I am studying in the review books. Then after I complete a subject, my First Aid should have ALL the notes I think are important fo rme and I won't have to go back to any review/text books.

 

[Hercules]

Originally posted by genieinabottle
My approach to First Aid..is try to read and memorize/learn the material. I add extra notes wherever I need when I am studying in the review books. Then after I complete a subject, my First Aid should have ALL the notes I think are important fo rme and I won't have to go back to any review/text books.

I'm doing the same and also adding in notes from the answer explanations on Qbank.

 

[invitro]

Dude, I feel the same way about 1st aid.

But, everyone I talked to has told me, if you know 1st aid in and out you will easy get the mean...maybe a little higher on step I.

Plus, there are always some outliers......a buddy of mine got a 250 with this strategy....but he also did tons of qs.

I just hope to break 220.

-

 

[theodore]

I don't agree that FA alone can help you beat the mean, but then again, i'm an IMG, so maybe things are different with US students. What I think is common with everyone, is that the information in FA tends to dissipate very quickly, if this is the only source one relies on. FA is definitely a good guide to help avoiding low yield topics, but it can be of help if you can apply the information contained there in a question, and this can happen only if you have understood each entry, and have done many questions related to that entry. This is bc the exam contains a lot of lateral thinking, and the q's aren't always straightforward(at least that's what happened in my case).
Lone seal, I really think that just trying to memorize all the entries in first aid IS suicidal. I would say it's similar to studying the whole Stedman's dictionary to take step2. It may tell you a couple of things about almost every topic covered in the exam, but if you haven't come across relevant questions, it's of no good. Especially for someone that is shooting for a 270+, like you do. By the way, how is your mission impossible going?🙂

 

[LoneSEAL]

Originally posted by theodore
Lone seal, I really think that just trying to memorize all the entries in first aid IS suicidal. I would say it's similar to studying the whole Stedman's dictionary to take step2. It may tell you a couple of things about almost every topic covered in the exam, but if you haven't come across relevant questions, it's of no good. Especially for someone that is shooting for a 270+, like you do. By the way, how is your mission impossible going?🙂

😉 Hehe. 270+ is still my goal although as of right now I'll be happy with a 260 😀 Just kidding, I'm finding the studying A LOT more difficult than anticipated. I'm just finding it so boring sitting down and trying to memorize the pharmacology in FA. I feel if anything should be memorized in FA,it would be the pharm. I don't plan on memorizing the other subjects in FA.

However,other subjects are kind of annoying me. Pathology for example. Everyone says BRS is a great book but sometimes it seems like there's not enough background info. Then you got to open up Robbin's and look stuff up, which is frustrating to say the least. I guess you could tell I didn't really use BRS with class, as is recommended...

good luck with your score, theodore. Have they arrived yet?

 

[kcrd]

Originally posted by LoneSEAL
[BJust kidding, I'm finding the studying A LOT more difficult than anticipated. I'm just finding it so boring sitting down and trying to memorize the pharmacology in FA. [/B]

I'm finding it unbearably boring, too. I'm sure I'll start to panic in about a week, and then I'll be riding on a horrible wave of anxiety, but right now, it is a real struggle to study for this thing. I have to force myself not to skim over certain topics, because I know that I won't have time to look over the non-first aid material again.

 

[theodore]

No, it hasn't arrived yet. I took the exam on 27th of March and still nothing. I sent an e mail to ecfmg and they said that probably it got lost, and they would send a duplicate. This was 2 weeks ago. I don't expect big things, over 200 would be just fine for me-as an IMG and IM candidate- although just passing the thing was a huge suprise for me, so anything could happen🙂 I mean, I was 70% sure I had failed but I passed, so god only knows how"hard" my exam was considered and/or how many-and which- questions were experimental in there. Good luck to everyone, and don't expect to know how you did after the exam. The only way for me to be more sure that I had failed, would be to not have completed the exam🙂 When is D-day, by the way?

 

[jayhawk]

@ theodore...where are you from in greece? i traveled there for about a week and fell in love with the country, the people, and especially the food! santorini was my favorite place though!

anyways-congrats on passing! i'm sure you did a lot better than you think you did! 🙂

d-day for me is a week from tomorrow!!! yikes. i feel as prepared as i can be for almost four weeks of study, but am getting extremely bored of sitting on my arse for 8-10 hours a day. i find myself daydreaming about my vacation, or finding laundry to be exciting to do just because it isn't studying! i just hope that my multitude of ADD moments will not have hurt me in the long run! 😉

 

[theodore]

Hi Jayhawk,
I am from Crete, if not the most beautiful place in the world, at least the most beautiful place i have seen. Have been away for 5 years though, since i'm studying in Hungary. This will be the first summer in these five years that i will have no obligations, so i'm really looking forward to it. Too much so i'm afraid, since i can't concentrate on my exam period, and postponing one exam after the other🙂
Santorini is a close rival, in beauty and geographically. In Greece it's said that it has the best sunset in the world. Don't know if you ennjoyed that, the last time I was there was when i was 4 or 5, so I don't quite remember it.
I'm sure you fell in love with everything there. As I say, if the States are the land of opportunity, Greece is the place of fun. Not much more than that nowadays, for good or for bad🙂
Anyways, good luck to everyone and have a nice summer.

 

[Mantroe]

I'm taking STEP 1 on June 6. Will finish Q Bank tonight and then start generating random tests for the reamining days. I am running a solid 75% across all subjects. Started the first of April and am so over studying.

My big rule is study what you don't know!!!!

It can be very comforting to review what you already know well, but it is not a good use of your time. I was a college A&P professor for several years and that was the advice I always gave my students.

I've been taking Q bank questions cold and then going to First Aid and the review books to re-learn what I missed. There is just too much to try to cram it all in from scratch.

Our Biostats professor came up with a regression formula based on SHELF scores at our school that is about 80% reliable for predicting your STEP 1 score. I just hope I do as well as predicted.

Good luck to everyone!!! And most importantly, remember to celebrate when it is all over!!

 

[Mystique]

I was perusing some of the older posts in this forum, and this one caught my eye. 🙂

I need someone to kick my ass...I'm so unmotivated to study. I think I've got amotivational syndrome...too bad I can't blame it on MJ. 🙁

 

[Jalby]

/me kicks fro's a$$ with a HUGE trout.