What to do if your school doesnt teach for the boards

[The Knife & Gun Club]

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So I go to a school that doesn't really teach towards the boards, and was wondering what people in similar situations have done about this in the past.

Are there specific subjects that are particularly STEP 1 relevant that I should be aware of so I can try to really learn them thoroughly while on those modules? Or is it better to just say screw it, try to get a solid class rank, and study like mad during our 6 week prep window at the end of 2nd year? Maybe just follow along in FA or something to see if theres anything board relevant that were not learning?

Thanks in advance, and sorry if this has been asked before, the most recent thread I could find was from 2008.

 

[gregoryhouse]

Are u a first or second year? How do u know your school doesn't teach to the boards? I mean unless they are covering off the wall topics then there will be some congruency with step 1 material. I would follow along with first aid and definitely try to finish a first pass before your dedicated time. Also I would use Qmax throughout the year.

Honestly Step 1 >>>> Class rank in the first 2 years, IMO

 

[Ace Khalifa]

So I go to a school that doesn't really teach towards the boards, and was wondering what people in similar situations have done about this in the past.

Are there specific subjects that are particularly STEP 1 relevant that I should be aware of so I can try to really learn them thoroughly while on those modules? Or is it better to just say screw it, try to get a solid class rank, and study like mad during our 6 week prep window at the end of 2nd year? Maybe just follow along in FA or something to see if theres anything board relevant that were not learning?

Thanks in advance, and sorry if this has been asked before, the most recent thread I could find was from 2008.

Ideally, you should try to learn each module as best you can so that when it's time to start step 1 studying, >95% of stuff shouldn't be something you're learning for the first time. Go along in FA if you want during first year, but still keep the focus on class lectures. The organ modules are more oriented to step 1 material once you get there. For now, try to remember relevant clinical anatomy and make sure you learn immuno, micro, and pharm really well when you get to those modules.

 

[cbrons]

Ideally, you should try to learn each module as best you can so that when it's time to start step 1 studying, >95% of stuff shouldn't be something you're learning for the first time. Go along in FA if you want during first year, but still keep the focus on class lectures. The organ modules are more oriented to step 1 material once you get there. For now, try to remember relevant clinical anatomy and make sure you learn immuno, micro, and pharm really well when you get to those modules.

And the physiology

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[Redpancreas]

So I go to a school that doesn't really teach towards the boards, and was wondering what people in similar situations have done about this in the past.

Are there specific subjects that are particularly STEP 1 relevant that I should be aware of so I can try to really learn them thoroughly while on those modules? Or is it better to just say screw it, try to get a solid class rank, and study like mad during our 6 week prep window at the end of 2nd year? Maybe just follow along in FA or something to see if theres anything board relevant that were not learning?

Thanks in advance, and sorry if this has been asked before, the most recent thread I could find was from 2008.

No worries about adding a thread. There have been lots of threads but it's hard to search by title. Next time Google high frequency phrases like step 1, irrelevant, etc.

Ok so...

It's impossible for a first year in a traditional non-integrated/organ system curriculum to understand what is step 1 relevant yet. I'm not sure about integrated even...

-Don't see what you're learning in FA?
You shouldnt be reading FA yet
You're looking in the wrong section of FA likely...

-Feel like there are too many details they're teaching you?

25% of Step 1 is not in any review resources.

Every single detail comes back and you only start to understand how they relate midway through second year.


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[OnePunchBiopsy]

No school teaches to the boards 100%. Everyone thinks their school is the worst about this, but in reality a lot of them are the same.

Study school's material hard first year, then during second year put your schoolwork on the backburner and study for Step 1 roughly along with the format of your blocks. As I've mentioned in many posts on this topic, it is okay to do this and make B's, C's, D's, and maybe a couple/few F's on exams/coursework as long as you don't fail a whole block. Class rank is NOT AT ALL more important than your Step 1 score. Do not fool yourself into thinking otherwise. If anyone tells you class rank is more important than step 1, they are dead wrong.

Also, do questions. Lots of questions.

 

[Goro]

1) Get as many board review question books as possible
2) Do as many practice questions as possible.
3) optional: Take a Boards review course, like Boards Boot Camp

So I go to a school that doesn't really teach towards the boards, and was wondering what people in similar situations have done about this in the past.

Are there specific subjects that are particularly STEP 1 relevant that I should be aware of so I can try to really learn them thoroughly while on those modules? Or is it better to just say screw it, try to get a solid class rank, and study like mad during our 6 week prep window at the end of 2nd year? Maybe just follow along in FA or something to see if theres anything board relevant that were not learning?

Thanks in advance, and sorry if this has been asked before, the most recent thread I could find was from 2008.

 

[OnePunchBiopsy]

Honestly Step 1 >>>> Class rank in the first 2 years, IMO

Apparently I'm not the only one who thinks so @Qester

 

[Psai]

Learn to be a doctor. That's what medical school is for. People get caught up in step 1 and yes it's important but third year grades are just as important. Third year grades depend on your personality, work ethic and knowledge base. If you're a dum dum that only knows "high yield" material you're missing out on a lot of stuff.

 

[CherryRedDracul]

Learn to be a doctor. That's what medical school is for. People get caught up in step 1 and yes it's important but third year grades are just as important. Third year grades depend on your personality, work ethic and knowledge base. If you're a dum dum that only knows "high yield" material you're missing out on a lot of stuff.

This x 1000.

 

[operaman]

Every school teaches toward the boards, but only the crappiest of schools turn their first two years into a giant boards prep course. As above, you have to learn things before you can review them.

Step 1 has this magical power that no other exam has: it magically gives people who have never taken it the sense that they know exactly what's going to be on it.

Learn your stuff. Accept that you have absolutely no idea what's on boards and that first aid (assuming you even know how to use it which you don't) doesn't even come close to covering the breadth of material. Get some classes under your belt and figure out what it takes for you to score near the top of your class before you start trying to score near the top of every class in the country. When the time comes, start doing questions and reviewing FA and and you'll realize you've covered nearly all of it and so much more.