How to STUDY and PREPARE to PASS USMLE Step 1
Studying for the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 exam can be daunting. Not only are you dealing with the long hours of medical school, but now you also have the added task of preparing for an exam that is key to your chosen career. However, having a good strategy for studying can minimize the stress.
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- See RESOURCES below for easy and reputable ONLINE process to prepare, study and pass USMLE Step 1
Instructions
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Complete a self-assessment diagnostic pretest to determine your strong and weak subjects. This will help to clarify what topics should be focused on. Kaplan, NBME and other online sources offer this type of test. Based on your scores from the pretest, prioritize how much time you should spend on each subject. For instance, if your microbiology score was 30 percent lower than your score in physiology, then you should spend about 30 percent more time reviewing microbiology. Set up a schedule for how much time you have to study, how many hours a day you can dedicate to studying and how much time you should spend on each topic.
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Choose and follow a study method based on your personal studying style. For self starters, buy review books and USMLE Step 1 flash cards. Consider also signing up for one of the many Qbank websites to practice answering test questions. For those who like a more structured test preparation method, consider registering for a live or online test prep course. These courses can be costly, but many boast very high passing rates, and many participants report reduced stress and lower test anxiety.
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Answer Qbank practice questions under timed, test-like conditions. A good number of questions to keep in mind is 50 per subject. As each test subject is reviewed, a practice test of 50 questions should be completed under timed conditions. When the next subject has been reviewed, another practice test of 50 questions should be completed, including 50 questions from the previous subject. By the end of the test preparation schedule, you will be taking very long practice tests including all exam topics. This method will also help with your test taking endurance. USMLE Qbank online resources offer practice questions for test preparation purposes. See Resources for links.
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References
Resources
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