usmlerocker
No pain = No gain
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The following post is taken from www.UsmleRockers.net
I was referring my diary today. How exciting were those days when I prepared for Step 1. Step 1 is obviously the toughest USMLE exam.
I knew nothing about USMLE until one day during my internship, my friend explained me about the option of doing residency in the US. I was very much interested and started preparing for STEP 1 without any second thoughts. I was doing internship then.
Here is a short summary of my USMLE STEP 1 experience.
Attempt No: 1
Year : 2005
Score : 95
Score reporting time: 21 days
Exam preparation time: ( 2 months full time + 3 months part-time)
Study materials used :
Kaplan Lecture notes (except path)- First reading + Revision 1 + Revision 2 + Revision 3
Goljan for path- First reading + Revision 1
Video tapes & Goljan audio : Listened Once
First Aid- Read and revised once before the exam
Additional references :
Anatomy - Chaurasia (the text book which I read for MBBS)
Embryology - I B Singh (the one which I read for MBBS)
Pretest MCQs for Behavioural Science
Katzung MCQs at the end of each chapter for Pharmacology (recommended)
Pretest MCQs for Genetics (not recommended by me)
NMS MCQs for Immunology
MCQs :
USMLE world : Not available at that time
Q book : 72% (Completed 100 %)
Q bank : Did not count (incomplete)
Kap Simulated : Had time to practice only 1 block- 78% (39/50)
USMLE CD : Had time to practice only 1 block - 84% (42/50)
NBME (recommended) : Did not have time to take this test
Exam experience:
Most (about 75%) of my exam questions were from Path and pharm. If you have read Goljan thoroughly, you would definitely do well in Path. Goljan is highly recommended. Most of the concepts mentioned in Goljan are tested in the real exam. For pharm, Kaplan is sufficient. I also had a lot of tough questions from Immunology and Genetics. I could hardly answer questions from Genetics. Prepare well for Genetics and Immunology. Anatomy is definitely low yield as mentioned by most of the exam takers. But do not neglect it completely for that. If you need 99, you gotta read all the subjects thoroughly.
My suggestions for exam takers:
There are a lot of books available in the market for step 1. Choose the most appropriate one which suits your study technique and stick to it till the end. Frequently changing your study material only wastes your time. Revise what you have read again and again. Step 1 is very dry when compared to other USMLE STEPs. So repeated revisions are necessary. Practice MCQs as much as possible.
Stay away from huge textbooks. Read only review books or lecture notes. Watch Kaplan videos at least once. Goljan audio is a must. USMLE WORLD is highly recommended by recent exam takers though I did not have the opportunity to practice UW for Step 1 as it was not available at that time.
The above post is taken from www.UsmleRockers.net
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| RajeshKumar
Forum Newbie
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CONGRATULATION for good Score usmlerockers......
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| usmlerocker
No pain = No gain
Topics: 18
Posts: 88
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Thank you Rajesh!
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