commit
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
Posts: 70
|
Finished most of biochemistry this weekend. Still need some work for the genetics part.
Started the microbiology. It looks like the FA is too simple for this part. The material is more dispersed. A lot to memorize. Still need a long while to get to the desired level. Will spend the following week on this.
Tried another block of UW, got 62%, even though I felt very bad. I found myself pretty good at guessing, although making several stupid mistakes as well. Anyway, it is reassuring to know that I am not way behind my projected improvment curve.
Anatomy, embryology, pathology are the weakest subject. I haven't had a good read on the first two subjects yet. There are just toooo much information for me to learn. Pathology, just finished first revision, seems pretty hard to me to retain well. Will study seriously seriously for these subjects. Pharm was finished 3 weeks ago. I have already to forget lot of stuff there. I guess I am in a good shape. However, there are still a lot of serious serious reading to do.
|
| commit
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
Posts: 70
|
A quick update on my goal of UW scores:
First 10 blocks, average 60%, finish in March, 4 weeks, 3/30.
Second 10 blocks, average 65%, finish in 3 weeks, 4/20.
Third 10 blocks, avarage 70%, finish in 3 weeks, 5/11.
Last 10 blocks, average 75%, finish in 2 or 3 weeks, .5/25 or 5/31.
Right now, finished 3 blocks, 54, 66, 62. Today finsihed Kaplan assessment biochemistry, 82%, improved from 52% of 5 days ago. Microbiology should be harder, will try it on this Thursday.
|
| simon73
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
Posts: 71
|
Hello commit,
Read your journal. I am in a similar situation like you: a 10 year old graduate, full-time job, family with two precious kids, have started preparing for step 1 a few months ago, aiming to do the step 1 in August with high scores. Need to get serious with my studies. Your experience is really inspirational. Just finished studying Anat in Kaplan in first read through. Yet to read Physio and Patho first time. Working on Q bank questions simultaneously as i do the text. Would like to post my progress as well.
Best wishes to our preparation.
simon73
|
| commit
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
Posts: 70
|
Hi simon73, glad to know you, someone in the same boat. It is a hard journey, takes a lot of courage, faith and perseverance. We just take it day by day, everyday we give our best, we will be fine. As long as we take good care of preparation everyday, the test will be taken care of itself. However, it is a crammable test. Prolonged preparation will do more harm than good. Try to make it as short as possible. Good luck to you, good luck to us all.
Will try to finish bacteria stuff today.
|
| antidepressant
Forum Guru
Topics: 29
Posts: 545
|
hi commit, u r really doing great, u are a fast reader, arent you? all the best with your studies, you will definitely succeed!
___________________
Step 1 can not defeat me!!!!!!!!
|
| commit
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
Posts: 70
|
Thanks for the encouragement and the material, antidepressant. I am trying, trying to get faster with my second read. I feel like I am running out of time, because I will have to finish it before Sep due to family reasons. I have so much to do and so little time. There is no other option. Let's do it together. You are almost there, just try to memorize more and make some connections, you will definitely have a great score.
|
| commit
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
Posts: 70
|
Thanks for the encouragement and the material, antidepressant. I am trying, trying to get faster with my second read. I feel like I am running out of time, because I will have to finish it before Sep due to family reasons. I have so much to do and so little time. There is no other option. Let's do it together. You are almost there, just try to memorize more and make some connections, you will definitely have a great score.
|
| simon73
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
Posts: 71
|
Hello commit,
Thank you for your kind reply. I agree your comment regarding prolonged loose preparation. I hope to dedicate more time to studies each day. Just started on Kaplan Physio yesterday, moving a little slow, i hope to pick up pace.
Good luck.
|
| commit
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
Posts: 70
|
Hi simon73
Man, you have a great life. Believe me, I wish I am in your shoes. Two great kids are the best thing you can ask for. They should be the best motivations to keep you moving.
I personally have thought about doing USMLE two years ago. Did not like being a doctor that much and wanted to do research. I wasted the last two years. Right now, I don't see any future with my research. I have a great relationship with my wife. We enjoy our time together. But it is really the idea of raising a family and giving the children the best I can supply. It is this idea striking me earlier this year. It is this idea that keeps me going.
Right now, I am a little tired and weary. I am slowing a little bit. I am very busy every day. But I feel so happy and fulfilled. I am probably having the time of my life. I am fighting for my family.
|
| commit
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
Posts: 70
|
Man, the preparation must have got my nerves. I got too emotional these days. Calm down. Breathe. I am a little overwhelmed. Just take it day by day, little by little. We will get there.
Like genbot's exam experience, so vivid and full of details. I realized that I don't remember anything from my med school, so I'll just give up those 10% of questions. I will need to take good care of the 80% of regular answerable questions, including those integration stuff.
Finished 100 pages of microbiology for the last two days, very sleepy. Good thing about kaplan notes is that there are so much empty spaces!
|
| commit
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
Posts: 70
|
Sometime, I feels like the test like step 1 is kind of waste of time. There are so many details on the test, which may never have any influences on how you are going to treat the patients. However, after seeing a couple of step 2 questions, it seems to me that a solid grasp of the basic stuff is sometime crucial to reach a sound decision in patient care. You can never be overprepared when it comes to save a patient's life.
I should not treat the steps like they are just tools for being a doctor. I should also take a moment and let all the knowledge to sink in. One day, a patient's life is on the line, I hope there is something still in my brain that I can dig out promptly. I don't just want to be doctor. I don't want to be a lousy one. I want to be a well-qualified and responsible one.
|
| simon73
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
Posts: 71
|
Hello commit,
Yes, i am truly blessed with lovely kids. I am not sure if they should be my motivation, as i want this for my betterment, not necessarily for them, although they may reap the benefit of it. Anyway, the grass is always green on the otherside of the pasture. You read really fast although you had mentioned that you had studied medicine in a different language. I am able to push only around 30 pages a day, though i studied medicine in English. Hopefully, i will draw some inspiration from you and pick up pace.
Lets keep it going.
|
| commit
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
Posts: 70
|
Hi simon73, thanks. For my reading, I try to understand first and only highlighted some stuff that I think might be important, and ignored lots of stuff. I know I won't remember them all. So I just selectively remember some stuff and try to put them into a bigger structure, like assoication with other similar things or things learned from other subjects.
I know, by doing this, I missed a lot of details. But I think that's the most efficient way for me to move forward and retain the most I can. Hope it can help a little bit.
|
| antidepressant
Forum Guru
Topics: 29
Posts: 545
|
commit check this link, there is another version of path lecture, posted by starbite
http://www.prep4usmle.com/comments.php?id=67765&a...
___________________
Step 1 can not defeat me!!!!!!!!
|
| commit
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
Posts: 70
|
antidepressant, thanks for letting me know. These are excellent notes, precious stuff. You are my angel!
Tried another block of UW, back to where I was, 54%. I guess it is ok. It probably reflects where I am. But the problem is I changed quite a few correct answers. I am somehow overthinking and sometimes ignored important words in the questions. And, I did very bad for the microbiology, not very good on biochemistry. And those two subjects are usually my best. Still sucks on pathology, even more so on anatomy. I am not going to give up anatomy. Let's work harder and get higher next time.
|
| genbot
Forum Elite
Topics: 11
Posts: 468
|
Hey commit u've started out really well. I think u r goin to do great!
But do make sure that u work really hard on pathology. Its the most heavily tested subject on the exam. Do well on it and half the job is done.
Good luck!
___________________
Step1 267/99. Step2 269/99. Match 2009. MAY THE FORCE BE WITH ME (The one they call the strong nuclear force!)
|
| simon73
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
Posts: 71
|
Hi commit,
Thanks for sharing your method of reading. Just moving slowly on kaplan physio. Would you recommend UW q bank? I see that you have mentioned about it. How many questions do they have?
|
| commit
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
Posts: 70
|
Hi genbot, thanks for your advice. I will try my best on pathology. I will definitely read it at least three more times. Smash it, no other option!
Hi simon73, UW q bank was considered by many as the best learning material. It might be an OK evaluation tool too. The best thing about it, is its detailed explaination on each question. Many people said they learned a great deal by just doing UW qbank. I just started. I think it is pretty decent.
About studying, especially pathology, I am going to try a self-teaching method. The idea is to review one to three chapters on the first day. The second day, based on memories, write down the key diseases and their associated information on a piece of paper, just like a teacher writing on a blackboad. Then I am going to check back and find out what's missing in my notes. It's going to be very time-consuming. But for pathology, it's worth it.
|
| antidepressant
Forum Guru
Topics: 29
Posts: 545
|
hey, commit, your plan is solid, pathology is most important, so, do it right. i am buying rapid reveiw, i will listen to goljan, and read related part from there, i didnt like that secret path note, i actually like real book, dont like photocopy or printed material. rapid reveiw is only 34 dollar in amazon with shipping. i may skip some chapters like enviromental and some other, but i will definitely read, cvs, resp, renal, endo. and immunopathology from there. no short cut for patho this time. you may consider this book too. GL.
___________________
Step 1 can not defeat me!!!!!!!!
|
| commit
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
Posts: 70
|
Hi antidepressant, great minds think alike. My RR just arrived today!
We are going to ace this thing!
|
| genbot
Forum Elite
Topics: 11
Posts: 468
|
U got all the right ideas commit.
Only need to stay focussed.
That's very important, esp. with long duration preps.
They tend to wear u down once in a while. Especially when the learning curve starts to plateau. Thats where focus and determination come in.
Need to hoard them up and use em well during this period.
But i see u doin awesome on the exam.Yup!
___________________
Step1 267/99. Step2 269/99. Match 2009. MAY THE FORCE BE WITH ME (The one they call the strong nuclear force!)
|
| commit
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
Posts: 70
|
Thanks genbot. You are right on. I am already tired. But I'll try to toughen up. No time for any excuses.
Stay focused, memorizing and memorizing and memorizing. Practice makes perfection.
Mediocrity is not an option. As you said, hard work is a best friend and will be rewarded.
|
| commit
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
Posts: 70
|
Did not do much good the last two three days. Need to come back on track. It is a constant battle between remembering and forgetting. Need to repeat certain times to learn the stuff cold.
I am so happy about the way things are going in my family. Let's work harder and smarter to get a solid score. It will be a wonderful 2008.
|
| commit
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
Posts: 70
|
Did another UW block, 54% again. Although each block is a very small sample, I think it gave me a little indication. One of observations I have is that I forgot lots of pharmacology stuff, which was not bad last week, reviewed 4 weeks ago. For biochem, I also forgot something which I just review last week. Pathology and anatomy is almost a joke now. Did pretty well on microbiology and immunology, which I just reviewed this week. Physiology is pretty stable.
Need to address the pathology problem right now. Start with Goljan notes and Rapid review pathology, try to finish in two weeks. During this time, sprinkle with Pharmacology and behavioral science. Anatomy will be heavily studied in April.
I should not rush into doing too many Qs of UW. Try to use the past 5 blocks as education stuff and stop doing Qs for the next week. A time of reflection.
|
| simon73
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
Posts: 71
|
Hi commit,
Thank you for telling me about UW. I didnt accomplish much over the weekend either. I am hoping to finish Physio by middle of next week. Lets see how things turn out.
Will keep you posted.
|
|
| |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
