USMLE Step 1:
Logistics and Holistics
STEVEN SIEGAL, MS3
YOONI YI, MS3
SPONSORED BY
OFFICE OF STUDENT COUNSELING & DEVELOPMENT
OBJECTIVE:
HELP YOU HELP
YOURSELF
SUCCEED
USMLE STEP ONE
2012
Mean Step 1 Score (UF vs. National)
230
220
210
200
190
180
National
UF Students
SCHEDULE
BIG PICTURE
USMLE
STEP 1
Things to Consider with Big Picture
 What are my weaker subjects?
 What do I like studying the least?
 Do I normally have to review things repeatedly?
 Am I a fast reader? Slow reader?
 Am I going to need a break after what I went
through in 2nd year?
 Am I going to be a walking zombie if I seriously go
over 10 days of studying?
Sample Schedules
 28 days
Sample Schedule – 30 day
SUN
MON
TUES
WED
THURS
FRI
SAT
5/13
14
15
16
17
18
Last day 
19
20
White Coat
21
Micro
22
Biochem
23
Pharm
24
Vacation
25
Vacation
26
Vacation
27
Vacation
28
Vacation
29
Embryo,
Anatomy
30
Anatomy
31
Ethics, EBM,
Behavioral
1
Gen Path,
Immuno,
Genetics
2
Cardio
3
Cardio
4
Pulmonary
5
Neuro
6
Neuro
7
MSK,
Rheum,
Derm
8
GI
9
GI
10
Renal
11
HemeOnc
12
HemeOnc
13
Endo
14
Repro
15
Review
(images,
Goljan)
16
Practice
Test
17
Micro
18
Pharm
19
Biochem
20
Practice Test
21
Review all
but micro,
pharm,
biochem
22
Review
micro,
pharm,
biochem
23
Test?
24
Test or
Vacation
25
Test or
Vacation
26
Test or
Vacation
27
Sleep!!!
28
3rd year is
real
29
30
SUN
MON
TUES
WED
THURS
FRI
SAT
5/13
14
15
16
17
18
Last day 
19
20
White Coat

21
Micro
22
Biochem
23
Pharm
24
Vacation
25
Vacation
26
Vacation
27
Vacation
28
Micro,
Biochem,
Pharm
29
Embryo,
Anatomy
30
Anatomy
31
Ethics, EBM,
Behavioral
1
Gen Path,
Immuno,
Genetics
2
Cardio
3
Cardio
4
Pulmonary
5
Neuro
6
Neuro
7
MSK,
Rheum,
Derm
8
GI
9
GI
10
Renal
11
HemeOnc
12
HemeOnc
13
Endo
14
Repro
15
Review
(images,
Goljan)
16
Practice
Test
17
Micro
18
Micro
19
Biochem
20
Biochem
21
Pharm
22
Pharm
23
Practice Test
24
Review all
but micro,
pharm,
biochem
25
Review
micro,
pharm,
biochem
26
Real Deal
Test
BHAAA!!!!
27
28
3rd year is
real
29
30
SCHEDULE
“THE TREES FROM THE
FOREST”
WHAT
SHOULD
MY DAY
LOOK
LIKE
YOONI?
MY SCHEDULE
OTHER OPTIONS
11- hour
 8 AM: Study
 12 PM – 1 PM: Lunch
 1 PM – 5 PM: Study
 5 PM – 7 PM:
Dinner/Workout
 7 PM – 10 PM: U World
Questions/Review
Varied 11-hr
 8 – 9 AM: Review of
previous days notes
 9 AM to 12:30 PM: Read
 12:30 PM -1:PM: Lunch
 1 PM to 5 PM: Read
 5 PM to 7:30 PM:
Dinner/Phone
Calls/Workout
 7:30 PM – 10:30 PM:
Questions
THIS IS YOUR SCHEDULE
 You can gym in the
 You can pee whenever
morning
 You can eat dinner
whenever you want
 You can study the topic
you want to when you
want to
you want
 You can fall asleep and
nod off if necessary
 No one is stopping you
from taking a mini
stretch break
 Remember: test day is
about 8 hours long, so
train yourself
NOCTURNAL?
OPTIONS:
Pick testing center with
later test time
Keep in mind that 3rd year
will mainly occur during
the daylight (even though
you may not see daylight
while on Surgery)
Melatonin
CHOOSING YOUR TEST DATE
THINGS TO CONSIDER
SUN
5/13
MON
14
TUES
15
WED
16
THURS
17
FRI
18
SAT
19
Last day

20
White
Coat 
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
1
First Test
Date
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
Last test
date
27
28
3rd year is
real
29
30
Hmmm….
 Vacation
(Before/After/If At all)
 Am I a 50 yard dasher?
5k-er? Marathoner?
 Did I pay attention
during Spring Semester
of 2nd year?
 Will I be able to push my
test date back?
TEST CENTER LOCATION
Gainesville
Other
RESOURCES
USMLE Step 1
 Of course, take a minute to check out the official
USMLE website for




Content Outline
Question Format
Sample Questions
Etc
 http://www.usmle.org/step-1/#overview
Step 1 Resources:
Must Haves (= overall approach)

First Aid 2012 (Updated Version!)
 “Some”
prefer to have it unbound and put into a three ring binder
for more note taking space ($10)
 Check
errata online (http://firstaidteam.com/?page_id=6)
 Gets updated randomly, keep checking
 You may find errors that are not reported, so reference other
sources
 KEY:
Use FA as your notebook!
 Facts not in FA you learn from Goljan, Qbank etc can be written
in/near FA so that when you go to review all of your notes are in
one big bible
Step 1 Resources:
Must Haves (= overall approach)
 Question Bank

−
−
−
USMLE World (most recommended!)
“Similar” presentation to real test
Difficult, but good teaching points
Over 2000 high quality, unrepeated multiple choice questions


Kaplan QBank



www.usmleworld.com
 1 month: $99
 2 month: $145
Lower yield
2,200 Qbank questions, 1 diagnostic test, 2 full simulated exams.
 http://www.kaptest.com/Medical-Licensing/Step1/s1-qbank.html
 $99 1 month
 $199 for 12 months
Do all the questions, read all the explanations (yes, even if you got it right!)
Step 1 Resources:
Recommended (though, not necessary)
 Practice Exams

USMLE Practice Exams
−
−
−
−

150 questions (3 sections)
Give best predictive score & most similar q’s
Expensive
Cannot review
USMLE World & Kaplan Practice Exams
−
−
−
−
150 questions
Give score (which is widely believed to be High)
Expensive
Allow review of all questions with explanation
 Goljan (Audio, Book, pdf docs, images)
 Doctors in Training


Pro: Only valuable with time management. Beneficial for those who want
more explanations with the review. Good program
Disadvantage: Price. Not as much time set aside for U World Questions - so
maybe if you do use this you set aside more time for questions and review
Recommended Contd.
(again, not necessary)
 First Aid Cases for the USMLE Step 1
 BIG Picture
 Vignette form
 Kaplan: Facebook - USMLE Qbank Challenge
 May not still be available ?
 A question a day
Resources By Subject
 Remember: FA + Qbank is your backbone!
 Anatomy

BRS clinical correlations (red box) is all you need, no more than 1 day!
 Physiology

BRS just as a review. Don’t make this a formal study day. Rather, review along with path via
systems approach
 Histo/Cell Bio

FA + QBank
 Biochem (incl. nutrition)


FA + Qbank + Goljan Book/Audio
Optional References: Lipincott Review, lectures, BRS Biochem/molec bio/genetics
 Embryo

HY Embryo Edition w/ 46 page
 Behavioral Science


FA + lectures
BRS/HY
Resources By Subject
 EBM/Ethics
 FA + Qbank + ? lectures (EBM)
 Genetics
 FA + Qbank + Goljan Book
 Micro
 FA + Qbank
 Resources: lectures, micro flash cards, Micro Made Redic Simple, HY,
déjà vu Review
 Focus on: presentation, pathobio, Dx including lab ID/Cx, Tx (ABx)
 Immunology
 FA + Qbank + lectures as a reference
 Pharmacology
 FA + Qbank + Kaplan flashcards
 Lectures are great!
Resources By Subject
 General Path

FA
 Systemic Path


Overall approach: FA! + your choice of: lecture notes, Goljan Book/Audio, other
third party resources (avoid re-reading textbooks, just use as reference)
Subjects listed below have good references. If not noted, use strategy above
 Cardio

EKGs



ECGPedia - http://en.ecgpedia.org/
http://www.blaufus.com/
Heart sounds


http://www.blaufus.com/
http://auscultation.com/
 Heme/Onc

Practice reading blood smears

FA, Goljan Book, Goljan Picture slides pdf
Resources By Subject
 Neuro
 Haines Atlas – red box clinical correlations, otherwise
reference only
 BRS/NMS/HY, though FA + Qbank is great
 Practice reading head CTs
 FA,
Goljan Book, Goljan Picture slides pdf
 Renal
 Practice reading glomerulus slides (yuck)
 FA,
Goljan Book, Goljan Picture slides pdf
 OB/Gyn
 Duff’s lecture handouts!
 Vaginal micro is HY!
Additional Goodies
 http://www.mediafire.com/?rn2pzajh7ja3y
 Random books/subject specific
 http://www.mediafire.com/?j2at2zzwgk6b6
 Goljan Audio, books
 Lippincott's 350-Question Practice Test for USMLE
 http://tools.lww.com/usmle.asp
 Blogs with mnemonics and tips/facts
 http://usmle252.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=200806-26T20%3A01%3A00-04%3A00&max-results=20
 http://www.medicalgeek.com/usmle-mrcp-stuffs-notespapers-mcqs/21378-usmle-world-notes-importantpoints.html
Getting on the Same Page
-
-
-
DO
Let your family know
expectations
Let significant others
know what the studying
schedule will be like
Have somebody you can
call when you feel at your
wit’s end
Give yourself a break
Plan a vacay
-
-
-
-
TRY NOT TO DO
Fall in love (only one
success story heard in
the past 10 years)
Live in a place that all of
a sudden has massive
repairs to be done
Rewatch all the seasons
of Lost, Friends, Sex and
the City, Family Guy, etc.
Study only via osmosis
BE WHO ARE YOU ARE
Study how you studied
Study where you studied
Test Day Tips
 Bring Snacks! They got a locka!
 Total 45 minutes of break (this includes lunch time




and time in between the 60 min. test blocks)
Bring Sweater
Wear comfortable clothes/shoes
Earplugs
Get there early
Steve Siegal, MS3
s.siegal42@gmail.com
Yooni Yi, MS3
yooniyi@gmail.com