08-19-2014, 10:56 AM
Hi all,
I know there are lots of different study options out there because I used most of them this last year trying to find what worked best for me
a few notes first:
-I spent way too much money on all the resources because I couldn't tell what the best was. So to save you from making my mistakes I would like to share what I found helpful to me
-obviously everyone is different, and I didn't get a 270 so find whats best for you
-I am not someone who can sit down and read, i will not retain anything from text books its not my learning style, if it is yours this won't be your best option
- I'm definitely an audio learner, I need to hear something 1-3 times then it usually sticks.
-I'm generally a lazy student compared to a lot of the more gunner types, I did not start studying in year one, and barely spent time during second year preparing specifically for step 1
-I found if you studied well for what you are learning in class, you will be ready for your detected study guide
My advise for 2nd years:
after many faulters this is my overall suggestion
-starting at beginning of 2nd year do pathoma and picmonics which correlate to specific areas you are studying in lecture. Kaplan Q bank (or any other comprehensive Q bank that isn't USMLE World) through out the year, do ? corresponding to material you are learning (I only got through 2/3 kaplan before dedicated study time)
- review picnmonics periodically (I took screen shots and used iflash to make flash cards for each then used spaced repetition study mode, wish I would have done this from the beginning instead of starting half way through) Picmonic is the only way I remembered specific details of things like Pharm, micro, and BCH along with cancer translocations in leukimias and lymphomas. You will feel silly using these at first, but then realize that all that info really sticks
-Pathoma is amazing and really the only thing I used for pathology through the year. (Golgian audio is also good if you have time use it in conjunction, he often brings other subjects micro, physio in with path, so I'd say pathoma first, golgian second to solidify it if time allows)
-When the new edition of FA comes out buy it, I had friends that used the 2013 version and i had 2014, you wouldn't think it would make that much difference but there were a lot of changes, new version is worth it
-winter break, review any of the previously done picmonic and/or pathoma you are shaky on, and do the lectures/ picnics you think may be helpful but you don't see being covered in class, either already presented in first year or an over site of your schools curriculum
-DIT I loved this program, didn't really use the primer section, though probably helpful, it seemed a waste to spend the time on subjects not covered in class. I didn't start using the part 1 questions until about 5 weeks before dedicated study time, I'd suggest doing them as the come, make flash cards of the questions and do a spaced repetition, that way you have these difficult details down before dedicated time
Dedicated study time: I had 5.5 weeks.
-NMBE assessment on first day. see where you stand
-This is where I would change what I did at the beginning, I scheduled with a couple friends the # of DIT videos a day, leaving our selves 10 days after to review. We expected to watch videos together from 8-1 and then do 3-4 blocks study questions/night. This did not work
MY main suggestion is study solo, yes its long weeks, but everyone has diffent knowledge, different speeds, and it doesn't work. also we tried to review the previous days info before we started, it ate up time, and honestly the hard subjects are recounted enough times in pre video warm ups that it was ultimately unnecessary. maybe one day a week meet with some one to review together/ have some social interaction.
-What i found worked best for me after the first weeks fiasco, was actually videos all day, 8-8, then maybe a block or 2 of remaining kaplan ? at the end of the night. DIT videos are good, the quizzes, intros, worksheets, and right brain bonuses keep you interacting, and you don't get as burned out as you think. I had about 3 weeks left after finishing DIT, I'd finished the last of my kaplan questions.
-I then had a day U world assessment and NBME assessment, to see where I was at. (honestly I didn't feel nbme was as helpful as world. no answer explanations, or even the correct answer, just that you go it wrong)
-Then it was just all day timed, shuffled Uworld questions, review pertinent picnics, DIT worksheets, FA as needed for questions I missed. make sure to read the explanations, I finished u world with 3 days left.
-took a day with USMLE assessment. read explanations.
I then was planning on a once over of FA, but at that point my brain felt fried and looking through just increased my nerves. and I pretty much took 2 days off watched TV, slept ext
-at this point you've learned all your brain is going to know, now you just need to relax and let your brain process everything. The night before i did briefly go over the last section of FA with key words in one column and disease in other, as a brief review
-the morning of wake up, breathe eat a good meal, bring more food then you'll need. The days before I went to the store and picked up anything I may want to eat, didn't want to be in the middle of the test crave chocolate on my break and only have granola. get there early. I had a sheet of paper with details I'd had a hard time remembering, and looked over that while waiting, more to have something to do, IDK if it helped at all.
-Go rock your test!!!!!
Review of products I attempted to use but wouldn't suggest
-Kaplan Comprehensive Review
I purchased this near the beginning of 2nd year thinking it would help with my studies
Pros: very though, quizzes to supplement lectures, If you get through everything you will be well prepared
cons: expensive, time consuming, slightly boring, I didn't get through even half the lectures by the time my subscription expired
Overall: I don't suggest it, the HY course may be more beneficial, but over all I don't think it helped as much as the previously mentioned. and it definitely hurt my wallet.
-Fire cracker
love the idea of spaced repition, probably would have worked if I started beginning of first year, over whelming to try and catch up on first year topics starting second year. So if you are just starting it is probably great, spaced repition so you don't forget anything, very time consuming though and probably more detailed than necessary
-pretest ?
good series but I didn't find them that helpful very detailed convoluted, more than you need for step 1.
So there are my suggestions, I know there are thousand of study plans, this is just what i feel would have worked for me and what I wish I would have done.
Good luck!
I know there are lots of different study options out there because I used most of them this last year trying to find what worked best for me
a few notes first:
-I spent way too much money on all the resources because I couldn't tell what the best was. So to save you from making my mistakes I would like to share what I found helpful to me
-obviously everyone is different, and I didn't get a 270 so find whats best for you
-I am not someone who can sit down and read, i will not retain anything from text books its not my learning style, if it is yours this won't be your best option
- I'm definitely an audio learner, I need to hear something 1-3 times then it usually sticks.
-I'm generally a lazy student compared to a lot of the more gunner types, I did not start studying in year one, and barely spent time during second year preparing specifically for step 1
-I found if you studied well for what you are learning in class, you will be ready for your detected study guide
My advise for 2nd years:
after many faulters this is my overall suggestion
-starting at beginning of 2nd year do pathoma and picmonics which correlate to specific areas you are studying in lecture. Kaplan Q bank (or any other comprehensive Q bank that isn't USMLE World) through out the year, do ? corresponding to material you are learning (I only got through 2/3 kaplan before dedicated study time)
- review picnmonics periodically (I took screen shots and used iflash to make flash cards for each then used spaced repetition study mode, wish I would have done this from the beginning instead of starting half way through) Picmonic is the only way I remembered specific details of things like Pharm, micro, and BCH along with cancer translocations in leukimias and lymphomas. You will feel silly using these at first, but then realize that all that info really sticks
-Pathoma is amazing and really the only thing I used for pathology through the year. (Golgian audio is also good if you have time use it in conjunction, he often brings other subjects micro, physio in with path, so I'd say pathoma first, golgian second to solidify it if time allows)
-When the new edition of FA comes out buy it, I had friends that used the 2013 version and i had 2014, you wouldn't think it would make that much difference but there were a lot of changes, new version is worth it
-winter break, review any of the previously done picmonic and/or pathoma you are shaky on, and do the lectures/ picnics you think may be helpful but you don't see being covered in class, either already presented in first year or an over site of your schools curriculum
-DIT I loved this program, didn't really use the primer section, though probably helpful, it seemed a waste to spend the time on subjects not covered in class. I didn't start using the part 1 questions until about 5 weeks before dedicated study time, I'd suggest doing them as the come, make flash cards of the questions and do a spaced repetition, that way you have these difficult details down before dedicated time
Dedicated study time: I had 5.5 weeks.
-NMBE assessment on first day. see where you stand
-This is where I would change what I did at the beginning, I scheduled with a couple friends the # of DIT videos a day, leaving our selves 10 days after to review. We expected to watch videos together from 8-1 and then do 3-4 blocks study questions/night. This did not work
MY main suggestion is study solo, yes its long weeks, but everyone has diffent knowledge, different speeds, and it doesn't work. also we tried to review the previous days info before we started, it ate up time, and honestly the hard subjects are recounted enough times in pre video warm ups that it was ultimately unnecessary. maybe one day a week meet with some one to review together/ have some social interaction.
-What i found worked best for me after the first weeks fiasco, was actually videos all day, 8-8, then maybe a block or 2 of remaining kaplan ? at the end of the night. DIT videos are good, the quizzes, intros, worksheets, and right brain bonuses keep you interacting, and you don't get as burned out as you think. I had about 3 weeks left after finishing DIT, I'd finished the last of my kaplan questions.
-I then had a day U world assessment and NBME assessment, to see where I was at. (honestly I didn't feel nbme was as helpful as world. no answer explanations, or even the correct answer, just that you go it wrong)
-Then it was just all day timed, shuffled Uworld questions, review pertinent picnics, DIT worksheets, FA as needed for questions I missed. make sure to read the explanations, I finished u world with 3 days left.
-took a day with USMLE assessment. read explanations.
I then was planning on a once over of FA, but at that point my brain felt fried and looking through just increased my nerves. and I pretty much took 2 days off watched TV, slept ext
-at this point you've learned all your brain is going to know, now you just need to relax and let your brain process everything. The night before i did briefly go over the last section of FA with key words in one column and disease in other, as a brief review
-the morning of wake up, breathe eat a good meal, bring more food then you'll need. The days before I went to the store and picked up anything I may want to eat, didn't want to be in the middle of the test crave chocolate on my break and only have granola. get there early. I had a sheet of paper with details I'd had a hard time remembering, and looked over that while waiting, more to have something to do, IDK if it helped at all.
-Go rock your test!!!!!
Review of products I attempted to use but wouldn't suggest
-Kaplan Comprehensive Review
I purchased this near the beginning of 2nd year thinking it would help with my studies
Pros: very though, quizzes to supplement lectures, If you get through everything you will be well prepared
cons: expensive, time consuming, slightly boring, I didn't get through even half the lectures by the time my subscription expired
Overall: I don't suggest it, the HY course may be more beneficial, but over all I don't think it helped as much as the previously mentioned. and it definitely hurt my wallet.
-Fire cracker
love the idea of spaced repition, probably would have worked if I started beginning of first year, over whelming to try and catch up on first year topics starting second year. So if you are just starting it is probably great, spaced repition so you don't forget anything, very time consuming though and probably more detailed than necessary
-pretest ?
good series but I didn't find them that helpful very detailed convoluted, more than you need for step 1.
So there are my suggestions, I know there are thousand of study plans, this is just what i feel would have worked for me and what I wish I would have done.
Good luck!