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by
Andreas Carl, M.D., Ph.D.
You are about to
take the most difficult exam of your life;
it also is the most important one for your future career. The score
you will receive, together with the letters of recommendation from
your 3rd and 4th year rotations will determine what kind of Residency
you will end up in, and this will have major impact on your future.
So please, take this exam very very seriously. If you are a US medical
student, most of you will pass this exam, but it is incredibly important
to achieve the best score you are capable of.
If you are on top of
your class, most likely you will also be on top on the USMLE. If
you are at the bottom of your class, most likely you will struggle
with the USMLE, but there is nothing that could prevent you from
also achieving a top score. So here are some tricks and tricks
from my own experience with the USMLE:
- The USMLE is quite unlike the exams you are used to. In med
school, professors sometimes try to "trick" you into false answers.
Not so on the USMLE. The USMLE questions are all professionally
written, and there are no tricks. If a question appears
too simple, don't attempt to "second-guess" it, or search for
a trap - there is none, it is simply an easy question. The USMLE
is a mix of very basic questions, difficult questions, and some
extremely difficult questions (designed to distinguish between
the top 5% performers). So don't get frustrated if you come
across incredibly difficult items, just mark your best guess
and move on. Everyone is in the same boat…
- I went to medical
school in Germany and then took the USMLE in the US more than
10 years later (when I had forgotten all my anatomy and biochemistry
from long-ago ;-) There were two things that helped me achieve
a top-score, and I am very passionate about these: First,
find a study partner. The perfect size for a study group
is exactly 2 people, cause it means you are constantly engaged.
It is not important whether you are of similar skill and knowledge
or not. You will be amazed how much you learn, when you are
forced to explain topics to someone.
Second, practice multiple choice questions. Do as many
as you possibly can. Around 100 per day sounds about right,
but if you can't do 100, then do 50 and if you can't do 50,
do 10. Put a book with questions right next to your bed, and
do your 10 questions before you get up in the mornings, then
contemplate your mistakes while you are brushing your teeth.
Seriously. Start today!
- There are many
collections of multiple choice questions available. One of the
best, but also expensive one, is Kaplan
Qbank. I myself actually prefer book questions, cause I
like to mark my text, underline things, cross out wrong things,
flag all the questions I got wrong so I can easily review them
later. Maybe I am old-fashioned - if you prefer to sit in front
of computer screens, then use online Qbanks. Just make sure
to WORK with the questions.
Don't use them to assess your knowledge! Be happy if you get
practice questions wrong, cause it means you learned something.
Make yourself a list of all your mistakes, then review this
list just the day before the exam. Believe me, my own list of
mistakes was a couple dozen pages long (SMILE), but at least
I knew that I wouldn't make the same mistakes on exam day!
- It is much better to study 2 hour every day for the next 60
days, then trying to study 12 hours a day in just the last week
before the exam. Nobody will ever ask you about your Pathology
or Pharmacology grades you got in med school (but make sure
you pass…). Make the USMLE your top priority. Now!
- There are many review books available for the USMLE. Much
of it is a matter of taste and your own learning style. I myself
(surprise, surprise) like my own "USMLE
Made Ridiculously Simple" charts, cause I find them very
efficient for memorization. If you need more explanations,
use "First
Aid for the USMLE Step 1", this is the most popular of the
comprehensive reviews and very good.
Good Luck!
About the Author: Andreas Carl, MD, PhD is a practicing
pathologist, and author of several books on USMLE prep, including
Medical Boards Step 1 Made Ridiculously Simple, Medical
Boards Step 2 Made Ridiculously Simple, Medical Boards Step
3 Made Ridiculously Simple, and NCLEX-RN Made Ridiculously
Simple. He has also contributed sections to Appleton&Lange’s
Review for the USMLE Step 1, Second Edition, Appleton&Lange’s
Review for the USMLE Step 3, Second Edition, and Appleton&Lange’s
Review of Physiology. Second Edition.
You can get more of his advice on his website for USMLE
Step 1.
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