1. Tips to Success on USMLE Step 1 Ben Weinberg January 5, 2010

2. Outline Quick Tips to Success Sample Study Schedule Must-have Books Other Books What Not to Do

3. Quick Tips to Success Don’t freak out Study at least a little every day but take one day off per week Make a schedule (if you want) to cover all organ systems/topics Review high yield books/materials for each topic Do lots of practice questions (and read the answers) Listen to Goljan as much as possible Do some practice tests and simulate full-length tests after the comprehensive exam

4. Sample Study Schedule ICS WeekICS TopicStudy Topics 1HeadacheNeurology + Psychiatry 2Abd. PainRenal + GI 3FatigueEndocrine + Hematology 4DizzinessRepro + Biochem + Preventive Med 5SOBRespiratory + Cardiovascular 6FeverMicrobio + Pharm + Core Stuff 7ERMSK + Derm + Gross Anatomy 8OSCECatch-up + OSCE Review 9ExamICS Topics

5. What to Review for Each System Gross Anatomy (basic) Microanatomy (basic) Physiology Pathology Pharmacology

6. What Books MUST I have? First AidRapid Review Pathology (Goljan) BRS Physiology (Costanzo) Q-banks: Kaplan and USMLE World

7. Other Books Step-Up to Medicine High-Yield Behavioral Science + Other BRS Series Books (e.g. Physiology) + Other High-Yield Series Books (e.g. Neuroanatomy, Gross Anatomy, Embryology)

8. What Not To Do Do not postpone your test date for no reason Have a general schedule but don’t obsess about planning out each individual day Don’t worry about what other students are doing Don’t start studying before ICS Don’t start studying too late Don’t forget to study ICS material too Don’t study all the time, pace yourself!

9. Questions? Ben Weinberg bweinber@usc.edu www.benweinberg.com