Preparing for a review course?

[Doc]

(Copied from an e-mail with permission from Maria)

Originally Posted by Maria

the problem here that i started preparing for the boards as well and
>i started with physio and biochem , and again i will take ur advice
>in studying from review books because there is too much to read but
>i'm not planning to take it any time soon because i'm planning to do
>what i think will be enough reading for me and then take a Kaplan
>Course to help me out here.

Maria:

If you've already decided to take a review course (recommended) than I would start planning now. You can contact the place (Kaplan, etc.) and try to set a location and date. Then you can also apply for Step 1 and pick a 3 month window and location (can be changed later). This will help with your study schedule. Once that's done, you can pay (ouch$$$) and ask to receive the material rightaway. Why spend extra money on lots of other books when much of what you need is included with the review course? Most review course books are in condensed outline form and are hard to follow without the guidance of the professor, but you can skim through it and get a feel for the material you will need to know. If you don't already KNOW the material well, that's ok too. They will teach you the material and focus on the important points for the exam. They can also give you an assessment test to analyze your strengths and weaknesses. But most importantly, they will show you what and how to study for the exam. So you should go there first (soon) and then study the material during and after the course (maybe a little beforehand too)...not necessarily the other way around.

An example of how a USMLE review book helps more than the text reference is with Anatomy. Netters or some anatomy texts will teach you detailed parts of the body. But the USMLE is more concerned with the parts of the body that are involved with disease processes. You don't need to learn every (not even most) nerves in the body, but you should know, for example, which one is invovled with Carpel Tunnel Syndrome (Median) and what the presenting symptoms are (easily answered if you learn the functions of the Median n. in this example).

You will also need a good question bank such as Kaplan Qbank, Board Simulator Series, NMS, Alert, etc. If nothing else, I recommend Qbank. But you've probably heard it before that sucess comes from "Questions, questions, and more questions...".

Other users are welcome to eloborate and make corrections to my statements or to offer differing opinions as well.

Best of luck!

[Anonymous]

Hi, Doc:

Thanks for your guidance about step 1 review course. I got same problem too. As I have a full time jub and two kids. I want to start kaplan course but I worry about that I don't have enough time to go there for 3 month. Some one surgested me order step 1+2 for total 9 month. review both step1 & 2 at same time then take two exeames instead of preparing one by one. What do you think?

Min