Advice on the USMLE Prepared by a CSA Monday11th November 2013

The test 7 blocks of 46 Best of 5 MCQs = 322 Qs Break = 45 min, used between blocks +15 minutes if you skip the tutorial Much more in depth than UCC exams

Decide you want to do the exam! Pick a date and stick to it Time and money Pick a date and stick to it Set a target and organise yourself early Give yourself 8 weeks of free time prior to the exam Set yourself a study plan – USE A CALENDAR Start using a question bank early (January) Don’t panic when you start attempting the questions Practice hour long blocks of questions Complete simulated exams - NBMEs Make arrangements for the day of the exam early You’re never fully ready Stick to your original study plan as much as possible You only get one chance though! Don’t be put off by some online information

Timeline - 2014 January - February March - June Last two weeks: Register with ECFMG http://www.ecfmg.org/ Book test date and center: https://www.prometric.com/ NBMEs: http://www.nbme.org/Students/sas/sas.html March - June Go through any extra resources, annotate Complete read through of First Aid June – August (earlier for DEMs) Full time Last two weeks: Go through everything again, tons of Qs

Strategies Qbanks Repetition TAUS method NBMEs Structure!

Subjects covered in Exam General Principles Organ Systems Pathology Cardiovascular Pharmacology Endocrine Microbiology Gastrointestinal Biochemistry Haematology and Oncology Immunology MSK and Connective Tissue Behavioural Science Neurology Psychiatry Renal Anatomy & Embryology (covered in organ systems) Reproductive Respiratory

Score Report

+ Goljan audio lectures Main resources + Goljan audio lectures

DO NOT FORGET ERRATA

How to deal with extra textbooks Finish FA before the summer Condense and annotate any extra text books and Qbanks into FA so that you have one main resource Super leet Don’t condense RR Path

Videos PATHOMA Kaplan USMLE Step 1 videos (long) Doctors in Training Similar to Goljan Audio Kaplan USMLE Step 1 videos (long) Focus on your weaknesses Doctors in Training

Ignore most of the forum comments Websites http://www.ecfmg.org/ https://www.prometric.com/ http://www.nbme.org/Students/sas/sas.html Ignore most of the forum comments

After the exam