Goal:

230

***See how NBME

and First Aid
review goes,
adjust schedule.

7-8:
shower and breakfast
8-9: anatomy, physio, embryo
9-12: Robbins Pathology images,
20 Qs; pathophysiology
12-1:
lunch break
1-2: pathophys, pharm
2-4:
55 USMLE
4-5:
5-7:
7-8:
8-10:

Extra time: more questions, First AID, Goljan lecture

Should be done with USMLEWorld by the time you take Prometric

First Aid
Review Days
Catch up/Review means First AID, catch up,
or more questions (try to do 110)
End day early???

walk and Goljan lecture

55 USMLE
dinner break
First AID; 20 Qs

Date
Wed May 20
Thurs May 21
Fri May 22
Sat May 23
Sun May 24

Biochem
CV
Neuro
respiratory
heme

Read High Yield; 20 USMLEworld

8-12noon

General Qs

1-2p
110 USMLEworld

Goljan Ch 9-10; 20 USMLEworld

See above

110 USMLEworld

High yield; Ch 23 Goljan; 20 USMLEworld

See above

110 USMLEworld

Ch 16 Goljan; 20 USMLEworld

See above

110 USMLEworld

Ch 11-15 Goljan; 20 USMLEworld

See above

110 USMLEworld

Mon May 25
Tues May 26
Wed May 27
Thurs May 28
Fri May 29
Sat May 30
Sun May 31

renal
GI
Micro/Immuno
repro/endo
Biochem
Micro/Immuno
Stats/Psych?

Ch 19-20 Goljan; 20 USMLEworld

See above

110 USMLEworld

Ch 17-18 Goljan; 20 USMLEworld

See above

110 USMLEworld

Read Micro in First AID; 20 USMLEworld

See above

110 USMLEworld

Ch 20-22 Goljan; 20 USMLEworld

See above

110 USMLEworld

Read High Yield; 20 USMLEworld

General Qs

110 USMLEworld

Read Micro in First AID

First AID

Pharm

Mon June 1
Tues June 2
Wed June 3
Thurs June 4
Fri June 5
Sat June 6
Sun June 7

CV
Neuro
respiratory
heme
renal
GI

First AID

First AID

Pharm

High yield; First AID

First AID

Pharm

First AID

First AID

Pharm

First AID

First AID

Pharm

First AID

First AID

Pharm

First AID

First AID

Pharm

NBME 1***

Review NB

ME answers1st half First Aid

Mon June 8
Tues June 9
Wed June 10
Thurs June 11
Fri June 12

Micro/Immuno
repro/endo
Genetics
CT/Derm
Stats/Psych

First AID

First AID

Pharm

First AID

First AID

Pharm

Ch 5 and 7 Goljan

First AID

Second half First Aid

Goljan Ch 24; First AID

First AID

Pharm

Read BRS, All Qs, Pharmcards, notes

Finish morning

Prometric 3-6:30pm--arrive at 2:30!

Catch up/Review Embryo/Pharm

2-7p

Read all of First Aid

Sat June 13
Sun June 14
Mon June 15
Tues June 16
Wed June 17
Thurs June 18
Fri June 19
Sat June 20
Sun June 21
Mon June 22
Tues June 23
Wed June 24
Thurs June 25
Fri June 26

First AID/ Select Topic

Goljan

Review

Kaplan, USMLE Pharm 150 Qs

Review Qs

Laurelin Wedding
Pharm, Pathology, CV

Neuro

biochem and neuro 150 Qs

Review Qs

Neuro, Renal

Biochem

150 Qs

Review Qs

Biochem, Heme/Oncology

Review
DAY OFF
Leave 6:40am

150 Qs, Review

Review Qs

Pharm, Pathology, CT/MK, Respiratory

Embryo, Anatomy, Behav/Psych

Tabs, paper, eqns

Hand/foot bonespack snacks, lunch, ID

EXAM DAY

EXAM DAY

Wendy Wedding

Wendy Wedding

DEADLINE TO TAKE STEP 1

DEADLINE TO TAKE STEP 1

Materials:
First Aid for Step 1
Goljan pathophysiology textbook
High Yield Biochem
High Yield Neurology
BRS Physiology
BRS Stats (select chapters) along with my course condensed notes
Robbins and Cotran Atlas of Pathology (images)
Goljan CD of lectures
USMLE Roadmap Gross Anatomy (highlighted portions only)
Langman's embryology (select sections, mostly images)
Pharmcards flashcards (although just using First AIDs pharm sections are more than sufficient)

During winter or spring break, take some time to jot down a basic outline for your studying for the summer.
I made this more detailed as I got closer to the summer, eventually ending with an hourly schedule for my day, which
would keep me on track. Remember to work in some break time throughout your day! It really helps for motivation.
My schedule included a pathophys topic for every day, studying the anatomy/embryo, physio, pathophys, pathology, and
pharm of that topic in the morning through afternoon. The key, I felt, was timing myself: if I had only an hour to go over anatomy
physio and embryo, that meant 15 mins anatomy (Roadmap), 15 mins embryo (mostly pictures) and 30 mins physio. Then I did
at least 150 questions a day. If I did more, it was just an added boost to my confidence.
I began my month by using this schedule; by the last week I was reviewing First AID only and working on questions.
My goal was to go over First Aid six times in total but I ended up going through it 4-5 times depending on the section.
I used Kaplan Qbank throughout the year and during the summer, USMLEWorld during the summer, and a small free Kaplan
book with questions, in all throughout the year totaling over 6000 questions (over 4000 during the summer).
You may want to use some of the NBME practice exams. If you purchase one online, it will tell you a score but not the
correct answers so you will have to do the leg work to see why you got a question wrong. There are free copies floating around
but you have to be careful with those: the free copies have someone elses answer key. I found multiple errors in some of
the newer versions (NBME 4 and 5). I also found it to be a waste of time looking up the correct answer when I could be utilizing
a source which would tell me the answer with an explanation. You may also want to schedule a practice exam at your site.
It can help you get comfortable with the atmosphere if you need that but bewarethe exam is the exact same as the free exam
given on the NBME/USMLE website! I went in already having done the questions and it was a waste of money. The computer
program is exactly like that you will use in USMLEWorld, so dont worry about not understanding the computer program come test day!

After organizing my study time in a logical manner, my Step 1 score was significantly higher than my exam scores from year 2.
I had my goal score posted everywhere in my apartment (cheesy ha), along with some biochem pathways for me to glance at.
Stay motivated, maintain your support network, and above all take care of yourself! In the

end it is an amazing feeling to realize just how much you have learned. Good luck!
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions/concerns:
Sara Smolinski sasmolin@med.wayne.edu
Class of 2011

ime you take Prometric

8-10p
First AID review, 20Qs
First AID review, 20Qs
First AID review, 20Qs
First AID review, 20Qs
First AID review, 20Qs
First AID review, 20Qs
First AID review, 20Qs
First AID review, 20Qs
First AID review, 20Qs
First AID review, 20Qs
75 Qs before dinner

75 Qs after

75 Qs before dinner

75 Qs after

75 Qs before dinner

75 Qs after

75 Qs before dinner

75 Qs after

75 Qs before dinner

75 Qs after

75 Qs before dinner

75 Qs after

75 Qs before dinner

75 Qs after

75 Qs before dinner

75 Qs after

75 Qs before dinner

75 Qs after

75 Qs before dinner

75 Qs after

75 Qs before dinner

75 Qs after

75 Qs before dinner

75 Qs after

75 Qs before dinner

75 Qs after

75 Qs before dinner

75 Qs after

Laurelin Wedding
Second half First Aid
First AID
First half First AID

Second half First Aid

End Day Early
EXAM DAY

Wendy Wedding

er anatomy

m come test day!

May
Mon

Tues

Wed

Thurs

Fri
21

Biochem

25

Neuromuscular

26

Respiratory

27

Heme

22

Biochem

28

Renal

29

GI

June
Mon

Tues
1

Repro/Endo

Wed
2

Genetics/Nutrition

Renal

CV

GI

15

Thurs
3

Fri
4

Neuromuscular

10

Respiratory

11

Micro/Immuno

16

12

NBME?

17

18

Behavioral

DAY OFF

Science/Psych

DAY

CRAM EXAM DAY

19

Sat

Sun
23

Physio

24

CV

30

Micro/Immuno

31

Catchup/Review

Sat

Sun
6

Heme

Catchup/Review
13

14

Laurelin's

Catch-

Wedding

up/Review

Wendy's
Wedding