1. Advice on the USMLE
Prepared by a CSA
Monday11th November 2013

2. 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

3. 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

4. Timeline - 2014 January - February March - June Last two weeks:
Register with ECFMG
Book test date and center:
NBMEs:
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

6. Strategies
Qbanks
Repetition
TAUS method
NBMEs
Structure!

7. 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

9. Score Report

10. + Goljan audio lectures
Main resources
+ Goljan audio lectures

12. DO NOT FORGET ERRATA

13. 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

14. 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

15. Ignore most of the forum comments
Websites
Ignore most of the forum comments

17. After the exam