dr.ra
Forum Newbie
Topics: 6
Posts: 12
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hi!
i am new to this forum , i really liked it .
i am a mother of a 2 month baby & graduated in 2003 & want to give exam in dec -january season but i am confused about managing my time for studying ......please give me good advice & note of encouragement as i am very worried about my future.
thanks & good luck to you all.
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| mdfriend
Forum Newbie
Topics: 0
Posts: 28
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Hi dr.ra!
I’m also preparing the step1, and maybe my experience could help you.
This is just my(img) advice according to the opinions of the people that took the exam. It’s possible that on your exam, some of the subject I mentioned beneath as low important, will become high important, but because you don’t have to much of time it’s better to believe that the ratio of more or less important subject will be the same on your exam.
I’m studying for months, but I had many mistakes. I started completely wrong, with wrong subject and books, probably because there are so many things you need to go trough, so many books, questions and pressure because of that score and of course didn’t know for web ( however I think that 2/3 of the total preparing time will go on 1st time reading, so be aware of this fact to avoid depression).
I’m reading this and similar web usmle forums and everyone thinks that the pathology and physiology are most important subjects. The best source for them is BRS books (authors Schneider for path, and Constanzo for physio) plus Goljan audio’s lectures(must have it), which one you can download free from coolgose.com (find directions on this forum). Exam takers are saying that every step1 has almost 50% of q from those subject, but that q are about mechanism not so about some nonsense stuff you need just to memorized. Also, according to them, there’s a bunch of q from behavioral science (aprox 15% of all q on exam), although usually they say that those q are mostly doc-patient relationship, sometimes they were tricky.
Except that 3 subject also very important are biochemistry, pharmacology, microbiology and cell biology (20-30% of the exam). Well for the first 3, half of the test takers are saying that they are well covered in FA book, others - that you need review books, especially for the Pham and bioch. Make a decision according to your knowledge. Certainly buy new FA 2004, although you will probably use it only for the quick review in the last weeks, but there are so many tips how to prepare and rated books at the end. Except it for quick review you can also download 100 pages of Goljan’s HY notes (from valuemd.com, good site too).
About cell biology I’m not sure for the source for that q, because someone is saying that’s mainly from molecular field, someone else that those qs are mainly a part of pharmacology or biochemistry or pathology or microbiology. I read HY cell biology, just in case.
All the rest subjects (anat, neuroanatomy, embryo and statistics) believe it or not never have more than 30 q (all together) in the entirely exam. Usually from anatomy most of the q are from CT, MR scans or angiography. Neuroanatomy- is always present on exam, but as mentioned with few q (usually gross-anatomy pictures, the best book for that one is HY neuroanatomy, brief and more than enough), embryology (if any, but never more than 3-4 q in all exam, still if you like it, HY embryo much more than enough) and for biostatistics HY.
Of courses don’t forget the Kaplan’s q bank and if you have you can use Kaplan’s lectures notes.
Unfortunately I started few month ago from histology (don’t need this one at all) anatomy, neuroanatomy and embryology. Recently I find out that those subjects aren’t important. So don’t want that you do the same mistake I did.
Hope this will help you.
God bless you and your kid.
PS: Almost forgot. You can download the 6 wks schedule for usmle step1 from the
http://www.mdmaker.com/medschool/falcon/index.php.... 
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| niti
Forum Guru
Topics: 36
Posts: 499
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Hi,
As you are fresh Graduate so,no need to go in every subject's details .Do FA( subject based ) and Step-Up ( System Based ) reviews with Kaplan's Q-Bank.Keep last days for 40 hrs. Goljan's audios.
In between...join some group discussions just to freshen up lol
Good Luck and Best Wishes.
niti
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| Trifudis
Forum Newbie
Topics: 1
Posts: 29
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Dr Ra. Good Luck in your preparation. You have started right by finding this great forum. Almost every one here is a great resource.
Hey mdfriend,
Althoug your message was written for Dr Ra, It has motivated me to use my time smarter.
I am an IMG, sitting for the MLE on November.
Regards.
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| adeelmd
Forum Elite
Topics: 40
Posts: 402
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It doesn't matter what books you read, what matters is how many times you repeat them. Start with your weakest subject (even if it is low yield)... and build from there...When you are half way through your second reading, start doing qbank... ... When you are done with your third reading you can start doing goljan audio qbank, and fa exclusively. If you are still not getting the desired score on qbank then go through the material again. The one constant that EVERYONE who has scored well on this exam is hours spent studying... You have to put in months of ten hours days... at least two months of it... so prepare yourself for it. I know sticking to a schedule is like asking for peace in the middle east... but if anyone has a way that you can enforce discipline i'm all ears... anyways... best of lck in ur studies!!!
___________________
where i lay my head is home.
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| Ahdy2000
Forum Senior
Topics: 5
Posts: 203
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5-6 hrs/day for the time you have left (a few months, right?) is very much enough. if i had a baby, i woud read everything to the baby. good for baby, and good for you because it's almost like you're teaching, and you're hearing, and you're reading, and you're pronouncing.
first reading is really slow...but that's not important. what's most important is that you're relaxed and you take everyhting that you read in. and reread it if you have to....myself, if i understand, then memorizing at end is easy...but it takes me a loooong time to understand...so you just have to understand how you yourself study.
i feel that mdfriend's advice is very solid. his order of subjects is perfect. the only thing i would say though is if you pharm background, FA is enough for that (for 95% of it).
good luck, and study hard.
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| dr.ra
Forum Newbie
Topics: 6
Posts: 12
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hi!
thank you all for giving me good piece of advice ,i realy liked the idea of mdfriend i.e starting with subjects that covers most of the test , i really want to thank you all for giving me advice about time management & books.
thanks & good luck to all.i feel lucky to discover this forum.
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| docarjun
Forum Elite
Topics: 11
Posts: 334
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dr.ra...
keep trucking and you will be done with it.
It took very long for my first reading of kaplan books.But in final days you will find those kapla books as an angel,yu will understand meanings in a real manner of each and every sentence in those days esp after qbank.It will give you a new siht to see at the material And the material which i hated most initially became very friendly in those lat few days.
I will say you can choose anything for your review,as your medical basic science knowledge is fresh.But stick to your material,dont send much time in reading lots of book.
Spend more time in doing lots of questions,i think doing questions ony helped me a lot to see this day.
Questions will teach you the way to think.
FA will help in last month of your exam.it integrates everything perfectly,and let you strngthen the high yield material.
And yes... Goljan audio is must.I will say it's a must from the start .START WITH IT AND END WITH IT.
Good luck!!!
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| tasneembanu
Forum Guru
Topics: 96
Posts: 545
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hope ur doing fine,i can understand ur situation,its hard with the baby to take care of,but,starting is always teh hardest part,but once u get started everything will be good,i'll just give u an idea if how i studied,i used only Kaplan notes,the first reading took 4 months,i heard to Goljan while reading pathology,then i did second reading,the last month I did Kaplan Q bank,NBME questions,Goljan again and First aid.
dont worry,everything will seem confused earlier,as days go,and exam gets nearer,everything will be clear to u and u will surely be ready for the exam.
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| SMALLFIDGET
Forum Junior
Topics: 9
Posts: 72
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You can have a look at my schedule Dr Ra.
http://www.prep4usmle.com/community/topic10830.html
There are comments too, so u can decide.
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VR.
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| dr.ra
Forum Newbie
Topics: 6
Posts: 12
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hi!
once again thank you all for giving me wonderful advices....really thanks a lot.
i have a question regarding coolgoose.com.....is it legal to down load goljan audio lectures.please give me information about this....thanks a lot & good luck to all. :lol:
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