I thought I would post my USMLE Step1 and 2 CK experiences since I have
both results in my hands.
I got 264/99 in Step1 and a 250+/99 in
Step2.
if you are an averages student don’t stop reading here.
WHAT I THINK I DID RIGHT ABOUT STEP1 and 2
Time
of Step1 March
Start of preparation : December
Time of Step2:
July end
Start of prep: April end
Pray
Kaplan, Kaplan and Kaplan.
Their notes are the absolute must have.
You can buy them second hand from someone who has already been through
the course.
The web-prep videos are good in the sense that it
leaves with you a lot of visual imagery and audio cues.
What do I
mean by that?
Means when you see a question you go : Oh I remember
him drawing that on the board.. or oh yes, I can hear is irritating,
sleepy voice telling me this point over and over again.
Dr.Goljan’s audio lectures are also a must have. I heard them thrice
over by the time I sat the test. The high yields are really that. I
couldn’t believe the number of questions I got from it.
Start making flash cards from
Day1 preparation, of any information that needs to be memorized.
Especially pharma.
Carry it with you everywhere. I used to
sit in the loo and go over flashcards. Flashcards while walking down the
street.
Flashcards in the bus. If you died from studying too hard,
you better have flashcards on your person when they do an autopsy.
p.s:
for those who dont know flashcards are rectangular pieces of chart
paper about 3×2 inches. One side goes medical condition other side goes
drug of choice or whtever. Make them yourselves and save money. it uses
less memory to use flashcards than to memorise conventionally. Trust me I
did a lotta reading about this one.
USMLEWORLD don’t copy the
pirated screen captures. Spend the money and sign up at the site.
You get to assess how your studying is going. I did them in timed mode
subject wise. Then did all the ones I got incorrect in tutor mode. Read
all the qs and answers. Yes even the ones you got right. Very useful
resource (no I dont get paid to say this- no conflict of interest
either)
Step1 i got 72% – 85th percentile
Step2 i got 75% – 85th
percentile
Webpath – went through it a lot. especially serial
sections of the brain and the CT’s. helped me like nothing else. iw as
laughing at the CT’s on the exam thanks to webpath.
METHOD
IN THE MADNESS
I used to be up at around 10ish. Do sundry stuff
till 11.
In my quiet time pray and ask God to help me accomplish
whatever I needed to that day while studying.
Went straight from 11 a.m till 7.30p.m. –
one 30 minute break for sandwiches and a 15min power nap.
Dinner
and family time from 7.30 p.m 10p.m
Then from 10 p.m to
midnight used to do the USMLEWORLD qs (I took one month subscription,
starting one month ten days before the exam.)
Used to fool
around on all these USMLE forums from midnight to 2 am. Didnt bother
studying in this shift coz I would have to repeat it anyways.
I
picked up a lot of decent tips and encouragement from these forums.
Which is why Im taking time to write this.
Dosent mean to say that
all of you should spend 2 hrs a day on internet. I used to also listen
to the Goljan lectures at that time.
Sundays off. Saturdays half
day off. Weekdays and Saturdays, no TV. Not even a little.
Before
the last ten days appear on the scene you should have finished going
through your notes twice first time slowly getting a big picture and
understanding, second time memorizing and making up mnemonics. You
should also be done with your USMLE WORLD and listening to the Goljan
lectures.
Do the above and you should beat my score. I dont care
what type of student you are. I played Age of Empires 3 and wasted a
otta time on step1 and played warcraft and wasted a lotta time on Step2.
But God gives grace.
ADDITION April ’09
Passed CS, took
Step3 got a 92. Studied for only five days; thats probabily why.
Matched
at a University program in the south in Internal Medicine; would have
matched at a University program in Surgery (how i know is it was no.3 on
my ROL and it had one unmatched place) but I didnt rank it higher than
med coz i didnt want it.
I thank God for his favour and grace
upon my life as such.
I pray that ya’ll suceed at whatever you
work hard at.
-Seven Fingers
I also forgot – STEP 1 FIRST
AID FOR BOARDS NEEDS TO BE ON YOUR TABLE ALL THE TIME!!!! its very good –
with menomnics and other stuff. i used an old one someone passed on
.thx dr.s and dr.r