USMLE Experience...Any comments?

[seattle]

This thread is open to any SABA students who are in 5th semester about to take the USMLE Step 1, or especially for those who have recently taken the USMLE Step 1:

I am aware of the format (350 questions, grouped into 7 blocks; 50 are experimental and are discarded although the test taker is not aware of which ones; approximately 60-72 seconds per question; 8 hr duration).

Questions:

1. After each "block of 50" are you allowed to return to that block, or must you proceed on to the next block?

2. Are the blocks logically grouped according to a basic science course, or according to a system; or is there any logic flow to these blocks? In other words, within each block are the questions related to a topic theme

3. I have feedback that most all questions are about 5 lines maximum, with a general pattern that states: "Patient X, who is Y years old, has symptoms A, B, and C; the most likely cause/diagnosis is....." I could see this as either straightforward recognition/recall or integrative in nature.

For those integrative questions, the million dollar question; what is the best way that you prepared for this in terms of preparation. I am not asking about taking Kaplan, shelf exams, question banks etc. I am specifically interested in how you prepared over the semesters to think algorithmically to naviagate through these types of typical questions. Does SABA prepare you to think as such? There has to be some inherent strategy to approach such questions I would think. SABA will give us the volumes of high yield information; the USMLE wants one to integrate the different areas.

4. My last question - If you were to change way(s) in which you approached your academics and/or preparation for the USMLE Step 1 from day 1 on the island, what advice would you give a new entering student?

Any comments on those who DO KNOW from experience, please take time to give your thoughts!:p

[toe2hand]

1. You can not go back after finishing a block.

2. Questions are random. Multimedia assisted questions are usually given at the end of the block.

3 & 4. Look. Doing questions from day one is probably the best way to prepare yourself. After you finish a block of study, find those questions related to the subject material and complete them.

You always have to keep the bigger picture in mind & ask yourself why is this relevant to medicine? How is this going to help me with a patient in a few years? If you can do this, you will be just fine. Keep in my mind that several medical schools are switching and have switched to a organ systems based approach of teaching. So, if you overly concerned about an inability to clinically integrate your subject material, consider a buying a book that teaches using a systems based approach.

[stateofequilibrium]

#3, whoever gave you that feedback was wrong, sorry. Those questions would just be too easy and you'll only get a handful of those. Most will present the case to you and then ask a tertiary related question assuming you already know the cause and diagnosis. 5 lines? It depends, some can be one or two lines up to an entire paragraph with pictures.

An worry about the USMLE later, study for your MCAT.

[wolfvgang22]

I put my answers in red below, hope it helps some. I took step 1 in mid-2007 and earned a 234/98.

This thread is open to any SABA students who are in 5th semester about to take the USMLE Step 1, or especially for those who have recently taken the USMLE Step 1:

I am aware of the format (350 questions, grouped into 7 blocks; 50 are experimental and are discarded although the test taker is not aware of which ones; approximately 60-72 seconds per question; 8 hr duration).

Questions:

1. After each "block of 50" are you allowed to return to that block, or must you proceed on to the next block?
you can review items inside the block, but once you move on to another block you cannot return.

2. Are the blocks logically grouped according to a basic science course, or according to a system; or is there any logic flow to these blocks? In other words, within each block are the questions related to a topic theme
nope, they are completely random. they are integrated in the way that you have to know basic physiology to answer a lot of pathology or pharm questions for the most part

3. I have feedback that most all questions are about 5 lines maximum, with a general pattern that states: "Patient X, who is Y years old, has symptoms A, B, and C; the most likely cause/diagnosis is....." I could see this as either straightforward recognition/recall or integrative in nature.
Step 1 is mostly recall, but like SOE said above, it's in a round-about, integrated way. Pathophysiology is of course extremely high yield.

For those integrative questions, the million dollar question; what is the best way that you prepared for this in terms of preparation. I am not asking about taking Kaplan, shelf exams, question banks etc. I am specifically interested in how you prepared over the semesters to think algorithmically to naviagate through these types of typical questions. Does SABA prepare you to think as such? There has to be some inherent strategy to approach such questions I would think. SABA will give us the volumes of high yield information; the USMLE wants one to integrate the different areas.
don't worry about the integration too much. it comes a lot easier than you think. there is a reason you take anatomy, then physiology, then path and pharm. just as in any other stage of your schooling, the knowledge you learned in earlier classes is required to do well in later classes. when you do practice questions that integrate the areas, be it kaplan or usmle world, you will come to strengthen the links you already have made in class and in subject exams. just have to practice.

4. My last question - If you were to change way(s) in which you approached your academics and/or preparation for the USMLE Step 1 from day 1 on the island, what advice would you give a new entering student?
I would do as Sandy tells students and do 50 questions a night if you can to minimize stress and facilitate long term memory. I would ignore first semester stuff for the most part and start doing questions in second semester. Obviously, later material like path and pharm are more high yield than most things as they are integrative by nature, and there is not much to integrate when you have only taken anatomy and histology so far.

I myself did not have the stamina to do extra questions during basic sciences, so I took two months off when I got back home in the U.S. to do questions and study. Either way can work out fine, it depends on your individual strengths/weaknesses. I'm a good clutch performer, last minute study guy. I never studied except on weekends on the island. The caveat to craming is that you have to revisit the material a lot more later to make sure it sticks. Many of my friends are the more steady type that do much better learning a bit each day, I think more people are like that. They seem to have to re-learn things a bit less. The key is to be determined to find what works for you and stick with it.

Any comments on those who DO KNOW from experience, please take time to give your thoughts!:p

[risktaker]

this is a great thread
thanks for posting