Worried about Step 1 and retaining knowledge during medical school

[mvenus929]

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You get multiple passes at the material through the first two years. It probably doesn't seem like it, but you do. The differences in the cells you learn during cell bio are important when it comes time to study GI, then Cardio. Ion transport is a huge part of Renal. Enzymes and cofactors become important in GI and Heme.

Most people study hard core for at least a month for Step 1, in one huge binge/purge marathon. But you actually do retain a fair amount over the first two years because you do get some repetition inherent in learning the body in different systems (even if you have a traditional curriculum, you still often do things like Pathology second year in systems).

 

[notbobtrustme]

Why are you thumbing through First Aid as a pre-med/MS0?

No **** it looks like a lot of info, you picked up a book that summarizes the first two years of medical school into a 500 page book. News-****ing-flash, you got 2 years to learn this ****.

 

[VictorAlpha]

Most importantly, why do you advertise yourself as a "Medical Student" if you haven't even started medical school yet? lol

maybe cuz he's studying medicine....

 

[UrbanRiver]

Hey OP, you are already way head of the game if you have taken most first and second year courses. They'll come back to you quickly once you start your studies..and you'll be able to actually focus on actually understanding the concepts and pick up the slack on stuff you weren't able to memorize before...all tailored for step 1 also. What more? U might have more time than others to do some extracurriculars and research. Relax.. get excited.. and congratsss

Sent from my DROID RAZR using SDN Mobile

 

[rueby25]

Why are you thumbing through First Aid as a pre-med/MS0?

No **** it looks like a lot of info, you picked up a book that summarizes the first two years of medical school into a 500 page book. News-****ing-flash, you got 2 years to learn this ****.

Pretty much sums it up.

To the rest of you fighting about the difference between 250s and 270s, please STFU. Charting outcomes is a guide. I matched in integrated plastics with a 237 (step 2 253). I got 10 interview offers and went to 9. Your app is sooooo much more than step 1 scores. Don't be fooled by the numbers in charting outcomes. Every person I met on the trail was super cool and accomplished. They all just happened to take tests well. Furthermore, one size does not fit all. Wake forest discloses the average step 1 of interviewees. It's 235.

So please just stop it. Programs reject people with 270s at times because there is a correlation with impaired social functioning (anecdotal, I have no hard evidence other than I have been told by multiple PDs). Do as well as you can, but know that a 270 won't get you an interview that a 255 wouldn't either. Be a cool person, have hobbies, do some research, and for the love of God, stop arguing about stupid **** on the internet.

 

[NickNaylor]

Pretty much sums it up.

To the rest of you fighting about the difference between 250s and 270s, please STFU. Charting outcomes is a guide. I matched in integrated plastics with a 237 (step 2 253). I got 10 interview offers and went to 9. Your app is sooooo much more than step 1 scores. Don't be fooled by the numbers in charting outcomes. Every person I met on the trail was super cool and accomplished. They all just happened to take tests well. Furthermore, one size does not fit all. Wake forest discloses the average step 1 of interviewees. It's 235.

So please just stop it. Programs reject people with 270s at times because there is a correlation with impaired social functioning (anecdotal, I have no hard evidence other than I have been told by multiple PDs). Do as well as you can, but know that a 270 won't get you an interview that a 255 wouldn't either. Be a cool person, have hobbies, do some research, and for the love of God, stop arguing about stupid **** on the internet.

lol pls go i have a chart that says step 1 is most important thx

-premed

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717

 

[rueby25]

lol pls go i have a chart that says step 1 is most important thx

-premed

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717

Umm, what?

 

[Pons Asinorum]

Umm, what?

Sarcasm, friend. He very much agrees with you.

 

[thesauce]

Pretty much sums it up.

To the rest of you fighting about the difference between 250s and 270s, please STFU. Charting outcomes is a guide. I matched in integrated plastics with a 237 (step 2 253). I got 10 interview offers and went to 9. Your app is sooooo much more than step 1 scores. Don't be fooled by the numbers in charting outcomes. Every person I met on the trail was super cool and accomplished. They all just happened to take tests well. Furthermore, one size does not fit all. Wake forest discloses the average step 1 of interviewees. It's 235.

So please just stop it. Programs reject people with 270s at times because there is a correlation with impaired social functioning (anecdotal, I have no hard evidence other than I have been told by multiple PDs). Do as well as you can, but know that a 270 won't get you an interview that a 255 wouldn't either. Be a cool person, have hobbies, do some research, and for the love of God, stop arguing about stupid **** on the internet.

LOL. They gleaned this from the handful of people that score in the 270s each year?

 

[notbobtrustme]

Umm, what?

think he was being sarcastic 😛

 

[rueby25]

LOL. They gleaned this from the handful of people that score in the 270s each year?

1) there a more than "a handful" each year.
2) this is pooled over years and years.
3) I know of 2 examples of people who had to SOAP with 270+ step 1s. One has some serious social impairment. The other does not. Doesn't change the fact that they both got a suspiciously low number of interviews despite great applications. Like I said, it's anecdotal, but it apparently happens.

To all else: I understand that the first response was sarcasm and he agrees. I just didn't understand the pretend idiot language he was speaking at first (lack of punctuation and grammar is confusing).

 

[BurghStudent]

Incoming MS1 here.

It's really interesting to see what actually matters in terms of getting into residency. Before reading this thread, I would have thought there was a significant difference between a 250 and 270 USMLE score.

I want to know what else to focus on in medical school. Though this might change, I think I eventually want to do surgery as opposed to medicine. Obviously,

-Grades, especially 3rd, 4th year
-Research
-Away rotations
-LORs

What else? Thanks!

 

[NickNaylor]

To all else: I understand that the first response was sarcasm and he agrees. I just didn't understand the pretend idiot language he was speaking at first (lack of punctuation and grammar is confusing).

I guess I internet too much.

 

[rodmichael82]

Incoming MS1 here.

It's really interesting to see what actually matters in terms of getting into residency. Before reading this thread, I would have thought there was a significant difference between a 250 and 270 USMLE score.

I want to know what else to focus on in medical school. Though this might change, I think I eventually want to do surgery as opposed to medicine. Obviously,

-Grades, especially 3rd, 4th year
-Research
-Away rotations
-LORs

What else? Thanks!

Not gunnin prior to med school.

 

[rueby25]

I guess I internet too much.

I probably just don't Internet enough. Haha.

 

[rueby25]

Incoming MS1 here.

It's really interesting to see what actually matters in terms of getting into residency. Before reading this thread, I would have thought there was a significant difference between a 250 and 270 USMLE score.

I want to know what else to focus on in medical school. Though this might change, I think I eventually want to do surgery as opposed to medicine. Obviously,

-Grades, especially 3rd, 4th year
-Research
-Away rotations
-LORs

What else? Thanks!

-cure cancer
-walk on water
-sabotage all of your classmates

....seriously though, just focus on learning Pre-clinical stuff for now. Do some research that interests you, try to get published, and be interesting. Try to find a hobby or two outside of medicine. Question I got asked at every single interview: "what do you like to do outside of medicine?"

And try to be nice to people. Being genuine and helpful will take you farther than you realize.

 

[thesauce]

1) there a more than "a handful" each year.
2) this is pooled over years and years.
3) I know of 2 examples of people who had to SOAP with 270+ step 1s. One has some serious social impairment. The other does not. Doesn't change the fact that they both got a suspiciously low number of interviews despite great applications. Like I said, it's anecdotal, but it apparently happens.

To all else: I understand that the first response was sarcasm and he agrees. I just didn't understand the pretend idiot language he was speaking at first (lack of punctuation and grammar is confusing).

The point is that there aren't many in the first place, and I have to wonder how they would discerne "impaired social functioning" from this cohort. Did someone get all the names and contact information of those that scored 270+ and then somehow access their medical records? Or did they send them psych questionnaires in the mail and request that they complete them? Or did they sit down with all the people they interviewed with and ask them to diagnose "impaired social functioning?" The study just doesn't make sense as much as it makes a good story.

 

[rodmichael82]

The point is that there aren't many in the first place, and I have to wonder how they would discerne "impaired social functioning" from this cohort. Did someone get all the names and contact information of those that scored 270+ and then somehow access their medical records? Or did they send them psych questionnaires in the mail and request that they complete them? Or did they sit down with all the people they interviewed with and ask them to diagnose "impaired social functioning?" The study just doesn't make sense as much as it makes a good story.

rueby is just making stuff up, he's mad about not getting a 270.

 

[mcloaf]

rueby is just making stuff up, he's mad about not getting a 270.

Right, I'm sure the person who matched integrated plastics is fuming that premeds on SDN don't agree with him/her.

 

[rodmichael82]

Right, I'm sure the person who matched integrated plastics is fuming that premeds on SDN don't agree with him/her.

Yes Ma'm.

 

[thesauce]

Right, I'm sure the person who matched integrated plastics is fuming that premeds on SDN don't agree with him/her.

😕 I'm not premed.

 

[mcloaf]

😕 I'm not premed.

I know you're not, I was talking more generally as we are in pre-allo after all.

 

[rodmichael82]

I know you're not, I was talking more generally as we are in pre-allo after all.

Yes Ma'm.

 

[chronicidal]

Programs reject people with 270s at times because there is a correlation with impaired social functioning

Negative correlation between Step 1 and with rank order list placement:
Emergency medicine at Christiana: http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/89c022hn#page-5

No significant correlation:
Surgery at Northwestern: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23111037

 

[rueby25]

The point is that there aren't many in the first place, and I have to wonder how they would discerne "impaired social functioning" from this cohort. Did someone get all the names and contact information of those that scored 270+ and then somehow access their medical records? Or did they send them psych questionnaires in the mail and request that they complete them? Or did they sit down with all the people they interviewed with and ask them to diagnose "impaired social functioning?" The study just doesn't make sense as much as it makes a good story.

Like I said, it was anecdotal. Did you ever consider that a PD could have interacted with several people who scored 260-270+ and found that these individuals were less socially adept than some of the other applicants and as a result s/he stopped inviting some for interviews because of this trend? It isn't a study. People don't necessarily act rationally. I'm just repeating what I've been told.

To the others: I frankly do not give a **** that I didn't get a 270. I matched at my #1 in my first choice specialty. Pretty sure there's not a lot about what I've done in med school that I wouldn't be happy about. When y'all get your 295s and match in derm or whatever you want to do, I wil be happy for you. Until then, enjoy your circle jerk telling yourselves that your 270+ makes you superior to any other applicant.

 

[rueby25]

Negative correlation between Step 1 and with rank order list placement:
Emergency medicine at Christiana: http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/89c022hn#page-5

No significant correlation:
Surgery at Northwestern: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23111037

Thank you for the data. Somewhat less anecdotal (though the first article doesn't talk about reasons why there might be a negative correlation).

The takeaway, I guess, for those arguing about how crucial step 1 is: it's probably not as important as you think. Important, yes, but not worth killing yourself over gettin a 255 when you really wanted a 270.

 

[thesauce]

Like I said, it was anecdotal. Did you ever consider that a PD could have interacted with several people who scored 260-270+ and found that these individuals were less socially adept than some of the other applicants and as a result s/he stopped inviting some for interviews because of this trend? It isn't a study. People don't necessarily act rationally. I'm just repeating what I've been told.

So now we're including the 260s crowd? Although I agree that it could be the case with some PDs, it's kind of an odd use of the term "correlation." It's a subjective call (actually a medical diagnosis) from some interviewers based on a few minutes of interaction. This kind of statement says more about the interviewers than the interviewees.

To the others: I frankly do not give a **** that I didn't get a 270. I matched at my #1 in my first choice specialty. Pretty sure there's not a lot about what I've done in med school that I wouldn't be happy about. When y'all get your 295s and match in derm or whatever you want to do, I wil be happy for you. Until then, enjoy your circle jerk telling yourselves that your 270+ makes you superior to any other applicant.

Congrats on your match.

 

[rueby25]

So now we're including the 260s crowd? Although I agree that it could be the case with some PDs, it's kind of an odd use of the term "correlation." It's a subjective call (actually a medical diagnosis) from some interviewers based on a few minutes of interaction. This kind of statement says more about the interviewers than the interviewees.

Congrats on your match.

I get what you're saying. I think you are maybe taking what I said too literally. I was just tryin to make the point that getting an astronomically high step 1 score isn't all good for all people (and it can be associated with other quirks). It also serves as a reminder that a killer step score doesn't make up for being a weirdo.

Though, to the point about interviewers vs. interviewees, does it really matter what it says about who? The point is that there are people with high scores not getting interviews because of this perception. Not saying it's right. I'm also not saying it's ubiquitous. But it happens.

Also, thanks for the congrats on match. Couldn't be happier.