Charlie_Brown
Forum Newbie
Topics: 1
Posts: 3
|
Hello everyone:
I am a somewhat older physician, a US Citizen that has been practicing 10 years practicing in the caribbean. Going back to the states, and having to take the USMLE, I find myself seriously outdated regarding this exam (last experience was in `97 and let expire). Any advice on material that someone in my situation could use to get back up to speed. I am giving myself 1 year to prep for the Step 1 (which I gather will be the most difficult for me).
|
| sallukashif2007
Forum Senior
Topics: 29
Posts: 116
|
hey,time doesnt matter, bc everyday is a new day,if u listen kaplan dvd and read lecture notes u will feel better and easier ,,,,may be u need to give little more time than 10 yr back if u did this but still u can do it,just work hard and believe in ur self,,good luck
|
| arlete
Intern in 2009!!!!!
Topics: 38
Posts: 2,664
|
Use Goljan for pathology, everybody says it's very good!
___________________
When men make the rules, God decides the exceptions.
|
| doctor123
Forum Senior
Topics: 12
Posts: 296
|
Hai Dr. Charlie
Dont Worry, Keep going
You are my type. Light is always at the end of tunnel
DR.123
___________________
ALLAH; guide me to the Path of Success.
|
| sigh
Forum Elite
Topics: 21
Posts: 245
|
Kaplan and Goljan like people above said are good. May be you will benefit from using several supplemental books like Lippincott biochemistry...it is long but it will light everything up for you...After 1st read people usually do Q-banks like Kaplan Q-bank and USMLEWorld. Wish you productive learning!
|
| Charlie_Brown
Forum Newbie
Topics: 1
Posts: 3
|
Thank you everyone for the kind words of encouragement and the information on resources. It is kind of scary, but my child has outgrown her asthma and is time for me to pursue my dream and go back to the states ( sounds kind of tacky but is true). Anyway, whenever you find something that could be of help, please, drop a note. Anything I can help you with, I'll do my best as well.
Success to everyone!
Charles
|
| Iwan
Forum Newbie
Topics: 0
Posts: 3
|
Hello Charlie Brown,
You are not alone. I graduated in 1992 and my last experience was passing step 2 in 96, and failing step 1at 74 score three times in a row, not studied for it at all. However, since that time I had to work and my work was satisfying till last year when I got myself sick physically and emotionally from overdoing work. Finally I decided enough is enough. I took a break for one year to recover from chronic fatigue syndrome and rebuild health and strength. I gathered a lot of material over this year. I never practiced in the medical field after graduation and I am a US citizen and starting now felt that I have to learn everything from scratch. I kept putting off and procrastinating for months. But when I actually decided to attack the study plan I was so surprised how much I was able to retrieve from my memory... Unbelievable how much we can be wrong about ourselves by the deceit of fear and lack of self esteem.
Do not worry... The time is never too late to start again especially when you discover that you are not starting from scratch but rather refreshing, retouching and updating.
I agree there are a lot of new things that we have to learn but all that is just a tiny portion compare to what we learned previously. Due to not doing something for a while, our brain tends to put it out of sight so it does not disturb us while we are occupied with another thing. But it's there for you when you relly need it.
Another thing was a discouraging frustration for me to not be able to memorize new information after one review, which I was able to do as I was 15 years younger, but guess what... Our memory is not our problem... It is the things that we put in our head to worry about... It is our responsibilities toward our obligations that flood our brain on a daily basis and THAT does not allow enough focus and concentration in order to memorize better and faster.
I struggled with that for a while. I thought I was too old for that and would fail exams and practice. BUT NO !. I consulted some people who recommended to do meditation and IT WORKS!!!. I do meditate for a 10-20 minutes in the morning and 20 minutes before bed time. I Just prepare myself before starting studying in the morning with a complete relaxed mind and when I meditate in bed before I sleep, I prepare myself for the next day. I tell myself I shal have a very productive day tomorrow. I will focus on my exam prep and will continue advancing.
I let my step 2 expire too. Even though I could have studied a little for step 1 just to pass... But, I am glad now that I did not do it then. I learned so much more from life and matured and became a better person with all that, now I can do a better prep and successfully take the exams and get a better score AND SO CAN YOU!
Things happen in life for a good cause. Now it is the perfect time for me and you and all others who are older to go back to medicine and use all that new knowledge that is available to us noe, to become the best doctors we can and be in the field that we love, to save lives, advance in medicine, provide a positive input to humanity and relly be happy about what we do in live.
Try to do Kaplan lectures which ever available to you. The new ones are most updated. For an older physician who was out of school in my opinion the best thing to get the most updated material. If you and I graduated within say...last 5 years, we would have that information still fresh from school... But unfortunately that is not the case. Fortunately, it is available in Kaplan, some other sources like Goljana nd others. Just look around and get what is available.
Never be discouraged by the fact that you graduated a long time ago. I feel now that I am going to do 100% better than if I were a fresh graduate.
Just start, and tackle the material, do a lot of questions and if there is something you don;t remember, just listen to the lecture related again.
I will take as long as it takes me to get this engraved in my brain and start seeing it in my dreams. I will get obsessed with it and fall in love with it til it loves me back. That is how I am going to prepare.
Good luck to all of you who are on the forum and I hope everyone gets the score they dream about and eventually residency the want.
|
| Ol_DOC
Forum Newbie
Topics: 0
Posts: 1
|
Looks like I finally found the "MD-elderly central" LOL. Well I was also graduated in 92 and I have been working for research here in the states for 9 years now. I took step 1 on 2005 and failed ( got 70) I got really depressed and did not take it again because just to think about the idea of failing again was to painful. I've been through a divorce and have a 5 y/o daughter with asthma which just added to my depression. At that time I thought I will be giving up the idea of taking the exam again. Last year I started exercising and eating a little better and found a new partner that is supportive and loving. This year I feel like I am trapped in my job and my professional life is at a dead end so I decided to go back in track and start studying for the exam again. I call step 1 "the exam" because at least in my conception, is harder that the step 2 CK,CS and step 3. My problem is "Time availability" I work 40 hours a week. My plan is to study at least 5 hours every day during the working week (sacrificing some quality time with my significant other and my daughter) and study at least 20 hours during the weekend because I do not work those days. I am giving myself 4 months of this regime. The materials I am planning to use are the Kaplan notes, First Aid and Goljan (The same stuff I used the first time) Ok I think that is the ballpark view of things in my life now. I though I would post this plan here to share with the rest of you "Old-Docs" and maybe get some useful advice and encouragement.
Peace.
|
| Charlie_Brown
Forum Newbie
Topics: 1
Posts: 3
|
Hello everyone: Me again. Thanks for sharing. We are old in our late thirties and early forties, at least in regards of taking those tests, scary, isn´t it? Anyway. I think my plan is as Ol_Doc's regarding ours a week (plus the extra on weekends), and Iwan's in " as long as it takes me to get this engraved in my brain ". Hopefully the dust will come off of the basic science classes in my brain. If not, well then, that dizzyness I felt a few years ago was really a stroke, darn it! (LOL).
Take care and keep at it.
|
|
| |
| | | | | | | | | |
