Hello folks! I am one of the thousands of USMLE aspirants from India, here to share my step 1 journey, hoping it would help someone out there who is planning to or is preparing for the STEP1 and may give them a positive outlook on the exam.
My step 1 journey was a 6 month long, slowly progressive one from September 2022 to March 2023. Even though I had initially decided to take up the USMLE exams during my internship, I started my proper preparation only 3 months after the completion of internship. But amidst the busy duties of house job, I did watch a couple of lecture videos from Boards & Beyond, Pathoma and read FA on and off.
Let me tell you, this is NOT the ideal timeline. The best is to complete step 1 in the 3rd year of medical school.
RESOURCES
WORK SMARTER NOT HARDER!
Most of us tend to gather up all resources and try to read and remember every piece of information BUT prioritizing your resources and knowing what is useful is of utmost importance. In my opinion, the must have resources are
· FIRST AID FOR THE USMLE step 1
· THE UWORLD QBANK FOR STEP1
· BOARDS AND BEYOND LECTURE VIDEOS
· PATHOMA LECTURE VIDEOS & TEXTBOOK
Apart from the above, other resources that really helped me were the Divine Intervention Podcasts, USMLE Medical Ethics- the 100 cases you are most likely to see on the exam by Dr Conrad Fischer and 100 most important gross anatomy concepts by Dr. Mavrych.
There are many other Qbanks and videos that a lot of people find helpful like the Amboss qbank, Sketchy videos (especially for pharmacology and microbiology).
Do your research and see what works for you!
Once the resources are gathered YOU NEED TO USE THEM RIGHT.
FIRST AID
When you read the FA without building your concepts, things will most likely go over your head. Therefore, watching the lecture videos and simultaneously reviewing the same in FA is what one should do. The best thing about FA is that the more you read it, the more you will love it and realize how helpful it is.
🌟PRO TIP🌟 PRINT EVERY WORD OF FA IN YOUR BRAIN AS IT IS.
Pathoma videos can be time consuming, so I suggest watching them on 1.5x/2x speed but they are great for building your basics.
UWORLD
I believe your preparation does not start until you start doing questions. Since step1 is the first exam, it will take time to orient to the Uworld - the question stems, concepts, time management and even the display and tools of Uworld. Start with one block per day and then you can increase.
DO COMPREHENSIVE AND COMPLETE REVIEW OF THE BLOCK BEFORE STARTING THE NEXT ONE !
➡️Should you make separate Uworld notes ⁉️
I do not think that is a great idea. You do not want too much material for revision close to your exam. Make your FA the main book, add important points/ notes from UWorld in the respective chapters of FA.
Making flashcards in Uworld can be convenient as well.
I did maintain a small notebook where I would write the memory based volatile stuff at one place (e.g. The genetic diseases, their inheritance patterns, the genes, and chromosome involved and certain pathognomic appearances, key words etc.)
🌟PRO TIP🌟 DO RANDOM TIMED BLOCKS.
I know of people who have struggled with time management during their NBME’s or even the final step1 exam because they did their blocks on tutor mode.
Why random❓ To avoid any bias. For instance, if you create a cardiology block, your mind is prefixed that the right option is related to CVS.
Most people do 2-3 passes of Uworld but personally, I did the 1st pass (all random timed blocks) and the 2nd pass only for the marked or incorrect questions or the systems that needed revision.
DIVINE INTERVENTION PODCASTS
I never thought these podcasts would help me so much. Divine’s quick integrated system reviews, high yield concepts and the fact that it is passive learning (you can just listen to them when you are tired or bored) makes them so amazing. Since these podcasts are rapid reviews of multisystem integration, it is best to include them in your study plan after getting a good grip of your basics .
➡️When should you start taking the self-assessments ⁉️
A month or more before the exam date is advisable.
I took 3 assessments, 2 of them were the Uworld SA and 1 NBME (newer NBME forms are considered high yield)
Even though step1 has become pass/fail, it is best to take enough time to build your concepts otherwise the step 2 CK will become difficult.
Once you start your preparation (which ideally should be the day you decide to pursue the USMLE) avoid big breaks, because the longer you take, the more revisions you will need.
➡️When should you apply for the exam ⁉️
This is the least discussed point but also one of the crucial ones – Start your application process at least 2-3 months prior to the estimated exam date to avoid any disturbances or inconveniences in the later part of your preparation.
Lastly, I wish all the very best to everyone who is taking the entrance/licensing/competitive exams. You got this! If I can get through this, you can too.
The key is to be consistent and surround yourself with people who can be your true support system because these exams do feel like a dragon roller coaster ride🎢!
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