USMLE STEP 1 – UNMISSABLE RESOURCES
I remember when I first started preparing for the USMLE Step 1 exam, even though I graduated from university and attended formal medical school in the US, I felt like I was lost in a maze.
Countless materials from many sources: books, video lectures, test sets, courses, apps… If you don’t research carefully, it will be easy to fall into discursive learning, not hitting the target and therefore the effectiveness will be significantly reduced.
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That’s why, today I will share with you as a pioneer, a guide so that you can avoid making that mistake, thereby getting Step 1 as soon as possible.
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To find effective exam preparation materials, first, we need to know:
1. WHAT IS USMLE STEP 1?
Step 1 is the first part of USMLE. This is an 8-hour computer-based test, divided into 7 blocks. Between blocks, you can choose to rest or do the next block immediately.
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Each block lasts 60 minutes, the number varies but does not exceed 40 questions, so the total of 7 blocks of Step 1 will not exceed 280 questions.
Regarding knowledge, Step 1 will emphasize the ability to apply knowledge of candidates on basic medical subjects, organ systems (60-70%), diagnosis (20-30%), and treatment will not be asked because it lies in the focused on Step 2.
There will be 10 basic subjects asked in Step 1 in order from most to least including: Pathology, Physiology, Pharmacology, Biochemistry & Nutrition, Microbiology, Immunity, Anatomy & kEmbryology, Histology & TB Biology, Behavioral Science and finally Genetics.
2. STEP REVIEW RESOURCES 1
2.1 - Books
Not only USMLE, books are a very important source of materials for any exam.
There are many sets of books on the market, but when mentioning Step 1, it is impossible not to mention First Aid to USMLE Step 1 – the book is considered the Step 1 review bible of most candidates. student.
The book is divided into 2 parts, the first part is general knowledge of the subjects and the second part is High-Yield knowledge divided by organ systems.
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Updated annually in both form and content along with tips, tricks, mnemonics, images, tables, especially always take-home points making it an extremely succinct source of knowledge.
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Next must mention Pathoma. When the structure of Step 1 is largely about pathology knowledge, it is not surprising that Pathoma is the most recommended book. Not only that, it is also the book that is recommended to be read over and over again to optimize test scores.
This is one of the best sources to review pathology in particular and Step 1 in general when the knowledge is thoroughly explained by the author from basic to advanced, so as to approach the most suitable way of setting the problem. Additionally, each section of the book offers us quality videos to watch further.
In terms of form, the book not only leaves room to take notes for learners, but also has more than 300 color photos – and we all understand how meaningful those color photos are when learning pathology.
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Besides, there are also many other book sets such as the full set of Kaplan, High-Yield™, Rapid Review, Lippincott for pharmacology…
If you are embarking on the preparation process for Step 1 and want to order genuine high-quality books to review, here are line link so you can order good books and have them shipped to your door.
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In short, there are many sources of books, but the important thing is that depending on each person’s level of knowledge, time budget, learning style and timing of studying for comprehension or studying for exams, we choose the right set of books for ourselves. Read effectively.
2.2 - Video lecture
This is an extremely great source of knowledge because of its succinctness and intuitiveness, especially for a visual learner like me.
First of all, Boards and Beyond (BB). This is a very popular learning source, second only to Uworld & First Aid. BB provides learners with fundamental knowledge and concepts, especially the most difficult and complex concepts are presented scientifically so that learners can easily absorb and remember them for a long time.
Not only does it have a system of more than 400 videos, but BB also has a system of review questions based on the exam approach style and a video system for Step 2 & 3.
Besides, we must mention the lecture system of Kaplan (I find the lectures are too long so few people learn, instead they learn from shorter videos of BB, Amboss, Osmosis).
Finally, Youtube – a huge treasure of knowledge with many, many extremely quality and free videos. It is extremely meaningful when most sources to review for USMLE are extremely expensive for most Vietnamese students.
2.3 - Memory tool - Sketchy
If you are struggling to remember the names of a series of drugs, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, indications, contraindications, side effects, drug interactions… or types of microorganisms, and diseases related to them… then you are not alone!
I myself have gone through such times before.
Especially when there is only one left. The exam day is 1 or 2 months away, but I seem to have forgotten all the dry knowledge that I learned very carefully before. That doesn’t make me feel insecure or demoralized.
At that time, reviewing colorful photos with information linked together through a story helped me quickly review a large amount of knowledge in a very short time.
Sketchy extremely suitable for visual learners. 2 keys SketchyMicro & SketchyPharm are two courses that I find extremely worthy to invest in.
2.4 - Question bank
With an 8-hour exam with nearly 300 long questions, getting familiar with the exam questions and how to find the correct answer as quickly as possible is something that cannot be overlooked.
Be familiar with the types of questions, how to approach the test, key knowledge, time management skills in the exam room, skills to skim questions… The more we practice, the more proficient we will be and maximize the results in the test.
So which set of questions should you choose to get the best results?
Like First Aid, Uworld Qbank is considered the classic test bank of Step 1. In Over the past 15 years, more than 90% of candidates have passed UWorld before taking the exam. If you want a high score, you have to try again and again.
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Uworld owns a set of more than 3,500 questions that closely follow the exam, focusing on key knowledge areas, each question is methodically designed from the question to each correct and incorrect answer, with clear and specific explanations for each answer. words.
After answering once, it will also show you the parts that are strong and the parts that are weak to adjust your study plan accordingly.
The only downside is that UWorld is quite high, But it cannot be denied that this is a worthy investment.
In addition, the set NBME Self-Assessments is also an indispensable resource when reviewing Step 1.
It is a set of questions that help you reassess your knowledge and readiness for the real exam. Not only that, this is also a regularly updated resource so it will definitely help a lot in your exam preparation process.
In addition to UWorld or NBME, there are many other question sets you can refer to such as Lecturio Qbank, Amboss STEP 1, Osmosis Qbank, USMLE Rx Qbank, Kaplan STEP 1 Qbank…
2.5 - APPs
In the current era of booming information technology, applications have been helping candidates in many aspects.
Anki is the most famous software in the USMLE review world. (If anyone does not know about it, you can read my previous article about Anki at here .
As I mentioned in the previous section, the daily amount of questions and knowledge reviewed by candidates is huge. To avoid “learning first and forgetting later”, they used Anki as a means of applying the active recall and spaced repetition to remember knowledge longer and more effectively.
Anki also has quite full sets of pre-made cards to review such as Zanki, Light Years… In addition, it can also synchronize with Amboss & Picmonic… which is extremely convenient and saves time for you to review.
In addition, sites like Uworld, Amboss, Osmosis, Lecturio… all have applications for ios and Android for the convenience of users on tablets, phones, laptop…
Besides, to have a good result in this important exam, planning for exam preparation is extremely necessary. This helps personalize the learning path systematically and saves a lot of time.
2.6 - FORUM
Most of the sources I mentioned above are paid sources and not only that, some sources are also quite expensive. With the economic conditions of Vietnamese graduates who want to fully equip themselves with those resources, not everyone can do so.
style=”font-weight: 400;”>At that time, we can find ways to reduce costs by buying used books, old courses at cheaper prices… from previous test takers in forums like:
https://www.usmle-forums.com/>
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This is also the place where seniors share their experiences (both successes and failures) in the most real, naked way.
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Not only that, we can also find partners to study together here. Indians and Pakistanis often study together in groups so they are very strong.
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These are sources that I have compiled over a long time, but I believe that what should be chosen to learn effectively can only be clearly understood by each person after experiencing it.
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