USMLE: THOUGHTS AFTER STEP 2CK

I took Step 2 CK a few days back; and if there’s a single word that would accurately describe the exam, it’s got to be “VAGUE.” Not all questions, but most, would definitely keep you hanging.

For the majority of the questions, what I told myself is, “given this case, based on my readings and my past experiences, this is what I would do.” The thing is, there is no guarantee that what I might think as the right option would coincide with the question maker’s answer.

All in all, this is really quite different compared with Step 1. In step 1, it’s either you know the correct answer or you don’t. It’s that simple. In this exam, you’ll be hoping that your answer matches what the question maker had in mind.

Oh well, I know I prepared hard, aimed for the sky, and studied right for this exam so let’s just hope for the best!

I will be posting my score and how I prepared for Step 2 CK. That is, if it’s worth posting. Hehehe.

Goodluck to us!

USMLE: STEPS I DID FOR STEP 1

1) Got to know USMLE
In every battle such as this exam, it is very important to get to know what you are up against. After all, knowing what you are to face decreases the anxiety and increases the likelihood of success. So that’s exactly what I did. I read about it on the internet. I went to the official site as well as various forums. And, there are indeed, a lot of forums out there so better choose wisely (I listed some of them under USMLE LINKS). I also asked friends who already took the exam regarding materials to read and how much study time it would take. The bottom line is you should get to know USMLE.

2) Set my goal
“If you aim for the sky, should you fall, you’ll fall on the roof; but if you aim just for the roof, when you fall, you’ll fall on the ground.” This had been my motto ever since I heard this line some years back and it has definitely worked for me. Thus, I’m sharing it again. Needless to say, I aimed for a 99

3) Checked out what other people did to get a 99
I visited the different forums on the net, browsed through different topics and filtered out everything that does not say 99 on it. Then I checked out what they did. If they got a 99, I can do it too. It’s just a matter of adequate preparation using the right materials.

4) Made Step 1 my priority for a little less than 3 months

5) Became familiar with the type of questions that may be encountered in the exam
Sometimes, it’s not about just knowing what to answer. It definitely helps if you understand how the questions are constructed and what it is exactly that they are asking. I used the Qbook from Kaplan but their questions were nowhere near the type of questions on the actual exam. The test-taking guide chapter was quite helpful though. USMLEworld questions seemed to work for some.


You too can get a 99!

USMLE: IMPORTANT DATES GIVEN BY ECFMG/ ERAS FOR THE PREVIOUS RESIDENCY MATCH

These are some important dates given for the PREVIOUS (2007) residency match by ECFMG/ ERAS. I assuming that, more or less, the dates would be the same for the 2008 match. So, might as well get your pens writing and have your LORs, personal statements, MSPEs/ Dean’s Letter, CVs ready by now.

JUN 29, 2006
Applicants will be able to update their e-mail and mailing addresses, request Tokens, and pay for Tokens on-line using OASIS.

JUN 30, 2006
ECFMG will begin to generate Tokens for all applicants who have made the $75 payment.

JUL 1, 2006
MyERAS opens. Once you have registered, you can start sending your supporting documents to ECFMG.

JUL 6, 2006
ECFMG will continue to process Token requests every business day to fulfill requests entered and paid for during the previous business day.

AUG 15, 2006
Registration for the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP), or "the Match", opens on the NRMP website

SEP 1, 2006
The ERAS PostOffice opens. You can start transmitting your Common Application Form (CAF), Profile, and Personal Statement(s) to the ERAS PostOffice.


Goodluck guys!

USMLE STEP 1 SCORE: 248/99. YOU CAN DO IT TOO!

On a much much lighter note, I finally got my USMLE Step 1 result a few weeks back. Got 248/99! Woohoo! Needless to say, all my hard work indeed had paid off. I got a lot of help, though, both direct and indirect.

Visiting different forums about USMLE on the net opened my mind to a lot of things. At first, I completely had no idea what the test was about, where to start, what materials to get and how to go about in doing my review. The different USMLE forums had such much needed information. After all, knowing what you are up against decreases the anxiety and increases the likelihood of success.

The most important information for me, however, was that “getting a 99 is very much doable,” a feat which at first I thought was remotely possible. Quite a number of people are actually getting this score. This means that as long as you prepare right, especially if you’ve got the right attitude, you’ll get the right score. After all, isn’t it that “if you aim for the sky, should you fall, you’ll fall on the roof but if you aim just for the roof, when you fall, you’ll fall on the ground.”

And so I’m posting this note to inspire those about to take the same exam, to relieve some anxiety and most of all, to tell you guys that you can get a 99 on Step 1 if you really wanted to.


PREPARATION FOR THE EXAM

I’m bound by rules not to divulge the specifics of the exam so I’ll just tell you how I prepared for it. I had a total of around 3 months worth of preparation for this exam. I studied full time usually 8 hours per day and used the following materials:

BOOKS:
Kaplan Review Books (Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry, Pathology, Pharmacology, Microbiology and Immunology, Behavioral Science)
Kaplan Videos
First Aid 2006

QBANK:
I just used Qbook

MY SCHEDULE:

First 28 days
Read Kaplan Review Books
Allotted around 4 days per subject

Next 22 days
Did Kaplan videos while taking down notes on the Review Books
Allotted 3-4 days per subject

Next 3 days
Read First Aid

Next 5 days
Did Qbook

Next 21-28 days
Did my third read of Kaplan textbooks (3-4 days per subject) while putting random notes on paper per subject. I took special attention to things I might forget.

Next 2 days
Did second read of First Aid

2 days before the exam
Did FRED sample exams

The day before the exam:
Reviewed the random notes I made for each subject
Reviewed 1st 50 pages of Qbook (Test-taking Guide Chapter)


THOUGHTS AFTER TAKING THE EXAM:

Step 1 was a fair exam - fair but nonetheless quite a tough exam. It was actually a lot harder than I anticipated it to be. The Philippine Physician Licensure Exam is nothing compared to it in terms of level of difficulty. And waiting for the result wasn’t a bit easy either. I didn’t imagine a mere six weeks of waiting could feel that long. In fact, the anxiety got to me to the point that doing the “Oasis Trick” seemed to be a reasonable thing to do just to know if I passed. I guess feeling low after the exam is but normal. It helps to think, however, that you did all that you can and you’ll reap what you deserve.

Looking back, the exam was, indeed hard but doable as long as you make preparing for it your number one priority at least for three months. The exam had a bit of everything and the questions required in-depth understanding of basic science principles. Kaplan Review Books plus the videos were enough. It’s actually more than enough, to cover all bases so to speak. UNDERSTANDING and REPETITION are essential. First Aid was very helpful as a sort of consolidation of all the information you acquired during the past weeks of study especially during the few days prior to the exam.

Well that’s it, I guess. I’m off to prepare for my next step…