Alright Alright, yall know me, the friendly neighborhood Quash. In this installment of half stepping the First Step, I'll be telling you all about the Pass Program. Many have you have heard of this program others are still lost in the "Natural Mystic" Be sure to send some my way after the step.

I'll try to be as unbiased as I can. I really know nothing about Kaplan, Princeton, Falcon, that course in Phillly, and not a thing about your Willy. I know only what I experienced in this program and what people have told me. I'll preface with: when I say doing questions, I mean getting a Qbank, USMLE world or Rx. (Ima do all three)

So then lets get right to it. Lets start with the bad stuff.

The first couple of weeks were kind of nuts, we didnt have a chair in the apt for a week, and the internet was down 99 percent of the time in the apts. There were no phones installed in the room for my entire 6 week stay. In the last 3 weeks or so, the internet was permanently up, but was only slightly better than 56k. So doing online questions at the apt was just a No-Go.

The annoying work-around? Study at the Pass program center. Which isnt too bad, but people like to have space to spread out all of their paraphernalia. And then doing questions in the computer lab can get quite toasty after a coupla hours, this means come packed with a spaghetti strap. Lots of places have free wifi, so a quick google will show all the free wifi spots in the area. A huge plus to sip on some sisuurp, and do questions.

When you sign up for housing they put you in a apt "College Park" style with two other people. My roomates were cool, we got along very well. They liked it freezing up in the place, which tended to keep my nuts lookin like a prune. A coupla times they werent in the place I put the heat on. Blasting full heat for you guys interested in doing the program in the october/november/january class.

The apt's arent far from the Pass Program center, 7 min drive. Walmart is across the train tracks at a 5 min walk. The airport is prolly a 15-20 min walk from the apt. A bus comes to and from the apt every morning and late afternoon if you dont have a car. People are generally friendly about giving rides. Cingular, Verizon, and sprint get good cell phone coverage, T moble sucks at the apt.

And now about the Good Stuff

The program was awesome. I really feel I wasted my time studying on my own. I spent alot of time learning details of everything. I come to the program and everything I knew kind of got shafted. They taught us to think differently, and this helped alot. Pass program is big on physio and understanding concepts. And with such a concept, you can Loop things into HUGE categories, and suddenly it all makes sense

Its lacking a bit in the path side of things. But they ram so much physio into your Tiny little brain you begin to just understand the path of things. The physio of all systems is taught, even drug physio. They even taught behavioral really well too, but you prolly need to pick up some high yield behavioral somethin.

Another thing the program is big on is "PP clues" These are floating around, but if you dont know the concept, memorizing such clues will take a long time. After I was taught the concepts here, it took me prolly 2-3 days to know the clues down pat. I know there are the pass program "bart simpson" notes floating around too. These are basically his lectures on paper, pick these up, and plan on filling in the margins big time.

The program is also big on Drilling. Im talkin rapid fire questions at your roomate or your friend. Not what you do "on the side." Drilling is setting up a drill partner and going through the notes or pp clues. This technique is really cool, and tests knowledge pretty good.

Nearly every day they hook you up with the Pass Program Tutor's. Some of the Tutors are total clowns. But the others are awesome, they help you with what you dont know and then help you attack questions. They provide excellent motivating factors into your studying.

The professor Dr. *******, really really knows his stuff, he calls on everyone nearly 10 times each in one lecture, to see if you can answer his questions or if you are paying attention, and really to motivate you to study. He is so animated in class you CANNOT fall asleep. When you start to understand concepts, you know that you are gaining progress.

I'll be honest with you guys, When I first got up on Qbank, I was averaging 40 percent, 2 weeks into the program I was averaging 60 percent, on program end, I was averaging 80 percent, and took an nbme. That feces was hard, while it was a good score, I need to do better. Im nearly done with qbank, and will be hooking up with USMLE world.

I highly recommend this program. It is really good. Ok its got a price tag on it, but I feel it was the best investment Ive made so far. Carbondale was good, expensive though. Pass program was much more worth it.

Oh yeah they give you a pass program lecture notes, which is basically a huge book on all the slides the prof uses. They are GOLD, I use this thing everyday coupled with the FA 2007 and goljan audio/ rapid review. Ive got those pass program notes filled in with so much extra stuff its not even funny.

All in all I really enjoyed the program and got alot out of it. And if you want to help yourself do well, the program would do the body good. I was originally going to do the 4 week program and ended up forking over a bit more to stay two more weeks of all intensive 1 on 1 tutoring. Im gonna take the step in 4 weeks. Any questions, yall know the drill. I study from 7-8 or 9 central time, I'll be on the boards before of after then. Until then peoples

Oh yeah, Im thinking of starting a blog, Im getting tired of censoring myself when it comes to my jokes. I try to be so clean and not offend anyone or the mods or whatever. But I know Im just bursting with some funny stuff to say. I'll let yall know when I start it up.