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Annotation Nation
By Tim Durso One of the greatest challenges in studying for Step 1 is deciding what information is worth trying to remember. In an ideal world, you’d be able to memorize every bit of information you come across the first two years of med school, but if you […]
USMLE Exams: What is a good score?
By Edison Cano A commonly asked question among US graduates and International Medical Graduates (IMGs) is what is a good score on the USMLE exams? While we all agree that higher scores are better, there are wildly differing opinions amongst friends, classmates, and various internet resources. This question […]
Start Early and Do Lots of Questions: Acing COMLEX and USMLE Prep
By Ryan Nguyen Many osteopathic medical students at the beginning of their second year struggle to come up with a game-plan to prepare for the COMLEX Level 1 and USMLE Step 1. With a disturbing number of resources and study plans to choose from, how can students determine […]
Study Timing: How Soon Is Too Soon?
By Tim Durso There’s one age old question that inevitably creeps into the forefront of the (admittedly neurotic) mind of many medical students during the pre-clinical years: “When should I start studying for Step 1?” For a question that seems so universal, the answer is far from it. […]
How to Not Freak Out While Prepping for Step 1
By Luke Murray So, you’re sitting down to start studying for Step 1 and you’re freaking out. That’s understandable. I sure as heck did. It’s the most important test that you’ll take on your journey to becoming a physician. The problem with worrying was that it hurt my […]
How NOT to Take Step 1
By Jocelyn Compton I’d scoured the internet for every last dribble of advice for Step 1 test day. I’d even read some blog posts about MCAT test day mixed in with Step 2 test experiences. I thought about braving the subway versus taking a cab to the test […]
Perseveration, or Perseverance?
By Patrick Sylvester Alternately titled… what to do about topics you just don’t feel comfortable with! From my own experience, and from talking to other students, a common theme that comes up during Step 1 studying is the nagging feeling that “I just can’t remember X,” or “How […]
How To Tackle The Hardest Part About Studying
By Luke Murray “The hard part about writing is not the writing. It’s sitting down to write.” – Steven Pressfield, author of “The Legend of Bagger Vance” When it comes to studying, or any endeavor requiring great physical, mental, or emotional effort, having momentum on your side […]
Test-Taking Strategies: Laminated Paper/Whiteboard Topics
By Patrick Sylvester Part of what we’re hoping to do with these First Aid Team posts is to share with you things that we really wish (or were really glad) that someone had told us about a variety of things related to medical school, the USMLE exams, and […]