Ria
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Hi guys,
I like this forum alot,I have been very nervous cause i just passed my MCCEE that is the Canadian exam but you know what there is one thing I realised that there is no scope for the IMGs in Canada,so I am here starting all over.Frustrating and very disappointing this all seems to me.Right now I have no idea where to start and how long would it take before I can finally get into something.
I would truly appreciate if you guys out there can guide me as to how to approach USMLE step1.Also if I am ready to start now then how long would it take for me to give it?And what to read and how long to put in each day.These all seem mysteries to me right now,and any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
Ria
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| retroviridae
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Hey,
Are you a Canadian citizen or "green card holder" (I don't know the Canadian equivalent)? I have a classmate from India who got a family practice residency in Nova Scotia, granted after a lot of test taking. She is a Canadian citizen. Even I thought Canada was impossible, but seems it can be done after all.
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| Ria
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No i am a Canadian citizen.Ya it is possible for just a few of em,can you imagine the residency matching rate in 2003 was only 12% so if i plan to give the exams and waste that much amount of money then I am in for pretty much nothing in the end.But can you help me with this USMLE Step1?
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| retroviridae
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My way, did Kaplan notes off and on for two months, then got serious and did them solid for two months (last three weeks I took leave from work). Do questions from Kaplan Q bank or NBME for practice. It's straight forward enough. It is just hard to get into it initially. You can see my experience "am I too woried" for more details.
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| Ria
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Thanks
Any other suggestions how I should approach it
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| nuprin
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how much time do you have per day and in all? most people at my school spent 8-16 hours per day for 4-6 wks preparing, but we're right out of second year. many other people put in 3-6 months of slightly less intense studying.
i agree with retroviridae. be sure to do kaplan qbank regularly. to that i add the suggestion of goljan audio. if you've got the time and inclination i'd recommend the intense course of study bc you're less likely to forget stuff from the beginning. set a date, make a study plan, and stick to it no matter what. sign up for a time period to take your exam. when you're obligated to a range of dates, the intensity will follow.
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| Ria
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Thanks nuprin,
Even I think that studying intensely from the start is the best thing but you know what I graduated in 2003 and it has been a long time since I studied those subjects for the step 1,thats why i wanna know if 5 months time is gonna suffice.I intend to put in atleast 8 hrs per day.
I hope you can tell me if that would be sufficient.And also what books would you suggest for Pathology,biochem and pharmacology?Also I got Kaplan notes a bunch of em do I need to study those?Thanks
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| nuprin
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hey ria,
i don't know if that will be enough but in comparison with others it seems fine. just stick to your schedule and give yourself time for revision.
path: goljan and/or brs
biochem: i thought high yield was more than enough. first aid is good for revision. non-clinical biochem isn't too heavily tested. if you need more prep, a lot of people recommend lippincott's.
pharm: most people recommend katzung or lippincott's. i found that first aid was more than enough, but it would have been nice to have a reference.
as for kaplan, that's your preference. kaplan alone should be sufficient for all the subjects, but they're kinda lengthy. i'd also seek out other people's opinions, as i didn't use kaplan.
gl!
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| Ria
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Thanks alot
What about Anatomy?Can you please send a complete list of the books you used,in preparing for step1,and any hints or guidance that you can offer.
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| nuprin
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Books:
Anatomy HighYield, UCV, Review questions
Biochem High Yield, UCV, PreTest
HumBeh HighYield, UCV
Micro High Yield, MRS, UCV
Phys BRS, PreTest
Path BRS, UCV, Robbins, Goljan
Pharm UCV
Embryo HighYield, Anatomy Review qs
Histo HighYield, Anatomy Review qs
Immuno NEJM
Neuro HighYield, MRS, Anatomy Review qs
FirstAid
Qbank
Qbook
NEJM Immuno articles
Goljan’s Review
Goljan High Yield Notes
Buzzwords for the Boards
Pathophys for the Boards and Wards
For Reference:
Baby Robbins
Costanzo Phys
Kaplan
Pretest is a waste of time. don't do it. ucv is great. for micro mrs was too long and high yield was sufficient. for neuro mrs was enough and high yield was too detailed. wish i'd used real robbins as reference as there are great pics in there. do kaplan immuno. pathophys for boards and wards is a great book, too, if you've got the time. if anything, review the "pearls" section at the end.
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| retroviridae
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Hey, I graduated in 2000. 2-3 months of solid studying is enough. Solid studying is the key. I agree with nuprin. I didn't really get serious until I booked an exam date. And even then, I pushed it back several times within my 3 month eligibility period. Like I said, once you get into the rhythym of thing, it's really not that bad. Getting back into these subjects after so many years is a bit daunting, but just remember you knew them once, and you can know them again. It was much easier learning them again for a second time than originally. By the way, don't sweat anatomy too much. There was really very little of it on my test.
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| Ria
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Thanks for your help nuprin and retroviridae,
I surly am gonna confine myself for a three month period and then get serious.Thanks for your indispensible guidance.Hope you people continue to help me in the future.
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| Adriana
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Good luck Ria!!!!
I'm new too, i haven't bought my books yet, and i plan to have my exam in december 2005 , i hope i'll do well. I'm confuse as well , but this site is amazing!!
i want to thank nuprin and retroviridae too because their advices help me a lot 2
and my question is , if anyone can answer....ok let's say i have all the books i need..and then ..what should i read first? should i start with anatomy and then embriology..etc in a logical order, like in school? or...?
:roll: ...any advice?
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| retroviridae
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I don't think it matters. There's no need to really do a logical order to things since you already have taken the subjects. I did find that things didn't really click in my head until the second reading. I would recomend starting with something simple like behavioral science just so that it gets you back into the spirit of studying. And you will feel like you accomplished something. Let me also say that I wasted several years trying to start studying by wanting to finish First Aid before I really started studying. It's a hard book to get into when the subjects aren't fresh. I thought it was more useful as a review after I had studied the subjects from Kaplan notes. But then again, I didn't like FA that much anyway. Much too simple for the real test. But like they say, you should know everything in it as a minimum.
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| nuprin
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yeah, do an order that suits you, esp if you have time for a second reading. i'd also recommend taking notes in first aid so you only have one book that you have to look at for your final review. if you don't have the time for two readings, i'd definitely save path and pharm for the end, bc path ties everything together and is a review in and of itself and pharm is a lot of stuff you need to keep fresh in your brain. pharm phresh. 
i agree about first aid. not enough for the real test, but definitely has most things you need to know. it's not enough bc you don't get a deep understanding of things from it.
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| Ria
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thanks for your indispensible help.
I would like to know where do i get the Kaplan Q bank cd from?And when to start doing the qes once you start studying?Do i do them side by side as i finish a particular subject or at the end of finishing all of em?
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| Adriana
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Thanks a lot for your tips!! -->it really helps
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| Adriana
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another question: Can somebody tell me please, what i need from this list with audio materials and what i definitley don't need? I understood from nuprin's exam experience that Goljan Audio is a must ,...but i haven't heard many things about the other things... :shock:
1.The Goljan Audio Lecture Series
2.Goljan Notes and Goljan Slides -i understood that those will not help me much...
3.WEBPATH(( pathology source with hundreds of images, some of them presented on the exam too; has hundreds of questions and tutorials on some of the subjects)
4.KUMC high yield step 1 notes (these are concise high yield facts from the exam, also includes convenient index cards to remember high yield facts that appear on step 1)
5.MCQE program (5000 questions)
6.NMS step 1 simulated exams (1000 questions)
7.NMS immunology questions
8.Princeton Review step 1 questions (questions with explanations)
from this list i would use just 1., should i consider anything else?
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| Fernanda
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"Ria" wrote:
when to start doing the qes once you start studying?Do i do them side by side as i finish a particular subject or at the end of finishing all of em?
Good question...I`d like to know about that either.
Thanks for the info.
:wink:
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