IMG SURVIVOR
07-08-2008, 06:47 PM
Hello sisters and brothers that are in the Dominican Republic.
If you are in medschool and you are in the DR it means that either you could not get into Medschool in the USA or you are a local with Green Card or US citizenship.(I apologize for the profiling)
Now I will like to give ALL of you my DEEPEST and most sincere recommendations and orientation in what to do and what to expect wile you are in the DR.
First of all you want to get into residency in the USA and for you to do that you MUST I repeat you MUST have something called ECFMG certification. The only way for you to get that certification is by PASSING the USMLE exams Step1 Step2 CK and Step 2 CS.
Second if you know someone or you think someone is going to help you, jeje good luck on that one. It is MUCH better for you to try the best you could by yourself and have that as a safety net and not to have that as the only thing. FORGET YOU HAVE ANY CONTACTS.
Also they will ALWAYS say the following:
I can't help you if you do not have the USMLE exams PASSED.
About that statement that is true, but sometimes is the get out of the hook from you that they use. Also when you have everything you can't be sure they will help you. So PASSED the USMLE exams.
Third If you know Spanish it will make your life much easier not only in the DR but when you come back here and you apply in NY in one of the speaking Spanish Hospitals right there you just one EXTRA points because you will be able to speak with the patients.So do not look learning Spanish a hassle. Get a girlfriend/boyfriend and start learning Spanish.
Now if you are still in school and you have a year to go, you CAN PASSED the USMLE step1 and Step2 CK.
About classes this is how it goes:
Some classes you will learn NOTHING
other classes you will at least learn the basics
in a VERY FEW you will learn most of the things you need to know.
When you put them together with that knowledge you CAN'T pass the USMLE.
So this is my recommendation
What ever you are taking in the semester, use USMLE BOOKS.
Buy First Aid for the USMLE exam step 1 and read it everyday. Even if you have not done any of those subjects or classes just go over the book and do not buy another edition just use the one you have, so you can print in memory what it says.When a new edition comes out HOPEFULLY you will already have learn/memorize most of the book, so just go to the library and see what is different that you don't have :rolleyes:
You are in the DR to get into residency if you do not have USMLE you can't get into residency, so just go into OCD with the USMLE.
I'm not kidding.
Take a system or a subject and go over it.
You will notice that with what you have learn for the USMLE you can actually answer 70% of most of the exams in school. Also USMLE grades matter DR grades :rolleyes:. I know some will argue but the only thing they have to measure you like a US grad is USMLE.
In another post I will go into the grade stuff but now is SURVIVAL GUIDE.
Buy Secrets for the USMLE step 2 CK, you will say WHAT:shock:, yes you need that because the step1 has become very clinical and also it helps you with the conicals.
So right now you have only two books that you will use everyday like if is your religious document.
Try to go over Goljan classes and again even if most of it does not make sense, in the future when you start to understand it will make more sense and you will have memorize it but most importantly UNDERSTAND IT.
If you do this and you are able to understand it, then you have a good general idea for the exam, but not enough to pass;)
I think that the pharma section in first Aid is more than enough, but for Pharma class and to know more I recommend the lippincott book. Is big and scary but has a lot of diagrams and gives you a really good base for pharma. But again the first Aid section should be enough for step1 at least.
For Physiology get the BRS Physiology Constanzo book, it will tell you what you need to know.
For Bioch. the Kaplan guy that is from India that is a pathologist(forgot his name) he does and EXCELLENT job in Bioch. use the Kaplan book.
For pathology you have Goljan use his book. Don't forget EVERYDAY you will listen to 1 hour of Goljan and read your first aid.
For behavior Science use Kaplan review book and listen to Dr. Daugherty GOLJAN and this guy are AWWWWWWWWWSOME:cool:
Neuroanatomy use HY neuroanatomy.
You must do questions
Q book compare to the real exam is a piece of, let me put it this way to have at least a MINIMUM passing score in the USMLE step 1 you must be scoring in the 70's or above. Yes I know in the past it was not like that blabla blabla and they will tell you you will score in the 90's if you are scoring in the 70's in Qbook. I have found out with friends and members all this years that is not true.
Now Qbook will go with the VERY basic things you need to know, so its not that waste of time doing it when you have a year to take it.
So when you finish a section like micro or pathology do those questions and UNDERSTAND the explanation.
Everyday you must wake up and say to your self USMLE.
There is lecture that DR. Daugherty talks about what is the USMLE and how to study, I highly HIGHLY RECOMMEND to see that class at least a couple of times.
When you have done all this you cn take NBME 1 to see where you are.
then you focus in the areas you are weak.
You can graduate with USMLE step1 and STep2 CK PASSED and then just prepare for the matching season.
I personally believe that if you try hard enough GOD will help you.
I know people that do not have credentials to be in some places doing residency and they are. When I say credentials I actually mean minimum requirements like score of 90+ or less than 5 years of graduation, etc.
For legal reasons I will clarify that I have said some Kaplan material and is because for what I understand you guys have access to the Kaplan review and you pay for them.
Also I will add that I do not get paid or get anything from any company this is my humble point of view.
I will end this topic for now and continue later, but will say there are many bad people that will do very bad things to you, in front of you and even behind you. When they see you are preparing for the exam you will win enemies that will be your "friends" just because you are preparing for the exams. I will only recommend this:
"Do good and do not look to who nor expect anything in return"
I love you to
IMG SURVIVOR
If you are in medschool and you are in the DR it means that either you could not get into Medschool in the USA or you are a local with Green Card or US citizenship.(I apologize for the profiling)
Now I will like to give ALL of you my DEEPEST and most sincere recommendations and orientation in what to do and what to expect wile you are in the DR.
First of all you want to get into residency in the USA and for you to do that you MUST I repeat you MUST have something called ECFMG certification. The only way for you to get that certification is by PASSING the USMLE exams Step1 Step2 CK and Step 2 CS.
Second if you know someone or you think someone is going to help you, jeje good luck on that one. It is MUCH better for you to try the best you could by yourself and have that as a safety net and not to have that as the only thing. FORGET YOU HAVE ANY CONTACTS.
Also they will ALWAYS say the following:
I can't help you if you do not have the USMLE exams PASSED.
About that statement that is true, but sometimes is the get out of the hook from you that they use. Also when you have everything you can't be sure they will help you. So PASSED the USMLE exams.
Third If you know Spanish it will make your life much easier not only in the DR but when you come back here and you apply in NY in one of the speaking Spanish Hospitals right there you just one EXTRA points because you will be able to speak with the patients.So do not look learning Spanish a hassle. Get a girlfriend/boyfriend and start learning Spanish.
Now if you are still in school and you have a year to go, you CAN PASSED the USMLE step1 and Step2 CK.
About classes this is how it goes:
Some classes you will learn NOTHING
other classes you will at least learn the basics
in a VERY FEW you will learn most of the things you need to know.
When you put them together with that knowledge you CAN'T pass the USMLE.
So this is my recommendation
What ever you are taking in the semester, use USMLE BOOKS.
Buy First Aid for the USMLE exam step 1 and read it everyday. Even if you have not done any of those subjects or classes just go over the book and do not buy another edition just use the one you have, so you can print in memory what it says.When a new edition comes out HOPEFULLY you will already have learn/memorize most of the book, so just go to the library and see what is different that you don't have :rolleyes:
You are in the DR to get into residency if you do not have USMLE you can't get into residency, so just go into OCD with the USMLE.
I'm not kidding.
Take a system or a subject and go over it.
You will notice that with what you have learn for the USMLE you can actually answer 70% of most of the exams in school. Also USMLE grades matter DR grades :rolleyes:. I know some will argue but the only thing they have to measure you like a US grad is USMLE.
In another post I will go into the grade stuff but now is SURVIVAL GUIDE.
Buy Secrets for the USMLE step 2 CK, you will say WHAT:shock:, yes you need that because the step1 has become very clinical and also it helps you with the conicals.
So right now you have only two books that you will use everyday like if is your religious document.
Try to go over Goljan classes and again even if most of it does not make sense, in the future when you start to understand it will make more sense and you will have memorize it but most importantly UNDERSTAND IT.
If you do this and you are able to understand it, then you have a good general idea for the exam, but not enough to pass;)
I think that the pharma section in first Aid is more than enough, but for Pharma class and to know more I recommend the lippincott book. Is big and scary but has a lot of diagrams and gives you a really good base for pharma. But again the first Aid section should be enough for step1 at least.
For Physiology get the BRS Physiology Constanzo book, it will tell you what you need to know.
For Bioch. the Kaplan guy that is from India that is a pathologist(forgot his name) he does and EXCELLENT job in Bioch. use the Kaplan book.
For pathology you have Goljan use his book. Don't forget EVERYDAY you will listen to 1 hour of Goljan and read your first aid.
For behavior Science use Kaplan review book and listen to Dr. Daugherty GOLJAN and this guy are AWWWWWWWWWSOME:cool:
Neuroanatomy use HY neuroanatomy.
You must do questions
Q book compare to the real exam is a piece of, let me put it this way to have at least a MINIMUM passing score in the USMLE step 1 you must be scoring in the 70's or above. Yes I know in the past it was not like that blabla blabla and they will tell you you will score in the 90's if you are scoring in the 70's in Qbook. I have found out with friends and members all this years that is not true.
Now Qbook will go with the VERY basic things you need to know, so its not that waste of time doing it when you have a year to take it.
So when you finish a section like micro or pathology do those questions and UNDERSTAND the explanation.
Everyday you must wake up and say to your self USMLE.
There is lecture that DR. Daugherty talks about what is the USMLE and how to study, I highly HIGHLY RECOMMEND to see that class at least a couple of times.
When you have done all this you cn take NBME 1 to see where you are.
then you focus in the areas you are weak.
You can graduate with USMLE step1 and STep2 CK PASSED and then just prepare for the matching season.
I personally believe that if you try hard enough GOD will help you.
I know people that do not have credentials to be in some places doing residency and they are. When I say credentials I actually mean minimum requirements like score of 90+ or less than 5 years of graduation, etc.
For legal reasons I will clarify that I have said some Kaplan material and is because for what I understand you guys have access to the Kaplan review and you pay for them.
Also I will add that I do not get paid or get anything from any company this is my humble point of view.
I will end this topic for now and continue later, but will say there are many bad people that will do very bad things to you, in front of you and even behind you. When they see you are preparing for the exam you will win enemies that will be your "friends" just because you are preparing for the exams. I will only recommend this:
"Do good and do not look to who nor expect anything in return"
I love you to
IMG SURVIVOR