50 Tips For USMLE Prep
My Top 50 Tips To Leverage Your Time & Energy During Med School & Dedicated USMLE Prep
I recently sent a poll to the 10,000 med students on my email list asking them about their biggest medical school stressor…
Not surprisingly, around 75% said the USMLE Exams.
Last year I put out a YouTube video covering 50 tips I’d accumulated over the last fifteen years of working with medical students…
This year, I decided to redo that list in an expanded, written format.
Here’s that list… It’s all yours👇
TIP #1 - START THINKING ABOUT IT EARLY
You should get the wheels of your Step 1 prep in motion as early as possible.
This means doing things in a way that will ensure an easy transition into dedicated Step 1 prep and an easier time during the actual preparation.
Here's what I'd recommend doing:
1) Focus intensely on building your foundation by doing well in your classes
2) Focus on high-yield (HY) information that you come across during each class and build a set of study notes you can use for your class exams AND that you'll refer back to during your dedicated prep (you can ID the HY info by keeping First Aid nearby to cross-reference)
3) Dedicate 30 minutes per week to reviewing the HY notes you're making along the way (this will help you solidify the most important HY info you need for the Step 1 as you go... Ensuring you won't have to re-learn it down the road).
Not too hard, right? Ok, onto TIP #2 👇
TIP #2 - DON'T STRESS ABOUT STEP 1 TOO EARLY
I know, a bit counter to TIP #1...
Hear me out...
The goal of starting early (TIP #1) is so that you're positioning yourself for less stress down the road.
If you're starting early, you're giving yourself the gift of not having to worry too early because you're already taking the necessary action to ensure your success.
Got it? Cool! Onto TIP #3 👇
TIP #3 - BUILD STUDY NOTES AS YOU GO
In TIP #1, I touched on the need to create a set of HY study notes as you moved through each class.
Here's a step-by-step strategy to do exactly that:
Step 1: Focus on what's covered in class; this is likely to be the information most relevant to both your upcoming class exams and the real-life practice of being a physician. By 'focus' I simply mean don't screw around when you're in class... It's a dedicated chunk of time you've been given to focus on learning - use it.
Step 2. As you're focusing on the info covered in class, open up your First Aid (FA) and see what overlaps (ie. Look at FA and see where that info is covered in your class material); grab a highlighter and highlight everything in your class notes that you're seeing in FA (Why? So you know what's HY as you go through your class notes at a later date... And, by highlighting in your class notes what you see in the FA, you can build a foundation around those HY details... Instead of trying to simply memorize the highlighted info or memorizing the FA, you can see it holistically, giving you a much more well-rounded look at how it applies from a 'big-picture' perspective; this will ensure that you're not only mastering the HY info but understanding it too. True understanding will be the key to your USMLE success as well as your success as a physician.
Step 3. As you review your class notes (ideally each day following class), create a set of notes based solely on your highlighted material. This will pull double duty for you... 1) It'll help you solidify the HY info you'll need for your class, and 2) You'll be actively creating a set of super HY study notes that you'll be able to use for your dedicated Step 1 prep.
Rinse & repeat as you move through each semester.
Onto TIP #4 👇
TIP #4 - IDENTIFY & FIX WEAKNESSES EARLY
Fixing weaknesses early will save you a lot of stress, anxiety, and headaches in the future.
Here's all you need to do:
First... Create a document on your phone or computer and call it "weaknesses".
Any time you come across something that you haven't mastered with 100% confidence, add it to your list of 'weaknesses'.
Each week, set aside some time that you can dedicate exclusively to fixing those issues. As you eliminate a weakness, note that in your 'weaknesses' document... But never erase it entirely... If it was once a weakness, you'll want to keep reminding yourself of the importance of re-visiting it often so that it doesn't once again become an issue for you.
Be warned: Weaknesses will show up, and if you don't tackle them early, they'll add up.
Once they add up, they become overwhelming...
You never want to find yourself in a position where you've got so many weaknesses that you can't make connections as you think through USMLE problems.
So be proactive and get the job done.
Your future self with be very thankful you did.
Onto TIP #5 👇
TIP #5 - BUILD 'WEAKNESS' NOTES
Piggybacking on TIP #4...
As you review and fix your weaknesses, be sure to make notes.
Since you'll be revisiting any weakness you've ever had in the future, you'll want a quick & easy way to review.
Spending the extra time to make rock-solid, crystal-clear notes will be one of the most valuable ways you can use your time as a med student with ambitions of success on the USMLE exams.
I am a huge fan of old-school index cards...
They're quick and easy, portable, and you can use them to quiz yourself or give them to a study partner to do the same.
Good? Good! Onto TIP #6 👇
TIP #6 - FIND A STUDY PARTNER BETTER THAN YOU
Find someone you can partner with who is either smarter, harder working or more ambitious than you... Ideally, someone who is all three.
Why? We tend to rise or fall to the level of those we surround ourselves with.
If you find someone who will force you to improve, you're going to improve.
If you find someone who is more interested in social media and talking about nonsense, then you'll fall into the same trap.
Find an A-player and be as good for that study partner as they'll be for you.
TIP #7 👇
TIP #7 - COMMIT TO A WEEKEND REVIEW SCHEDULE
Weekends are the ideal time to catch up on the week's material AND review some of the old stuff.
There's no need, nor enough time, to review everything you've covered in the past... But spending 1-2 hours each weekend reviewing the stuff you'll need to know for your USMLE exams, and your school's comp exam if they require you to take one, will pay off big time.
Be sure to cycle through everything over time so that you're constantly reinforcing the highest-yield info you'll need to master.
Ok... Onto TIP #8 👇
TIP #8 - USE THE FEYNMAN TECHNIQUE EARLY & OFTEN
The Feynman technique is a learning strategy whereby you tackle a tough concept by making it as simple as possible.
Whenever you’re facing a concept or topic that you struggle with, use this technique to master it for life.
Ideally, you’ll simplify it to the point that it can be taught to a 10-year-old.
The way to do this is simple…
Sit down with the challenging concept and figure it out from top-to-bottom.
Make notes on the topic… Then refine & simplify… Repeat until you’ve simplified something as much as you can.
Once you’re done, you’ve made a previously challenging concept super-simple and hopefully, you’ll remember it for a lifetime.
Cool? Good! Onto TIP #9 👇
TIP #9 - CREATE A BOOK OF CONCEPTS
Concepts form the foundation upon which everything you need to know to succeed on the USMLE exams is built.
Get a blank spiral-bound notebook, write ‘concepts’ on the front, and get to work.
Whenever you come across a new concept, draw it out with accompanying notes that explain it clearly and concisely.
What’s the point? The point is to slowly build a resource that you’ll always be able to refer back to so you can: A) Review a challenging concept if you forget or B) Review to further solidify your knowledge as time passes.
Not only will this help you with your class exams, but it’ll be an invaluable resource that you can use when your dedicated Step 1 prep rolls around.
Moving on… TIP #10 👇
TIP #10 - PEAK AT THE RIGHT TIME
Many schools require a 5th-semester “exit” or “comp” exam before you’re allowed to sit for the Step 1 exam.
Whether yours does or not doesn’t matter, because you’ll still be getting Step 1-ready around the same time.
As such, you should aim to be at the peak of your basic sciences mastery as your basic sciences years come to a close.
How? Slowly increase your review as the semesters go by.
For example: Early on in your basic sciences years, you’ll naturally have less content to review, so you’ll set aside an appropriate amount of time each weekend to review accordingly.
As you get further along the journey, you’ll have more content to review, which will require more time and effort.
Make sure you’re seeing the old information with enough frequency by slowly raising the amount of time spent reviewing all of the previously learned information… This comes down to nothing more than giving yourself more time each weekend to make it happen.
Reviewing more and more might suck, but you’ll be thankful you did when your dedicated Step 1 prep rolls around - I guarantee it!
Onto TIP #11 👇
TIP #11 - DO PRACTICE QUESTIONS EARLY
But don’t use UWorld or Amboss just yet.
There are plenty of available resources for medical school practice questions that aren’t USMLE World or Amboss, so save those two question banks for your dedicated prep.
Using practice questions throughout your basic sciences years will help you identify weaknesses and help you become better prepared for your class exams and the USMLE exams in the future.
Not only are practice questions a great way to help you master the important information you need to know, but they’ll help you become faster at retrieving information and more efficient at navigating different scenarios; both of which are of the utmost importance for success on the USMLE Step 1 & Step 2 CK exams.
FYI… Just to make sure I’m not full of s**t, I just googled ‘medical school practice questions’ and got dozens of usable results… So there’s no excuse.
Good stuff! Onto TIP #12 👇
TIP #12 - USE DRILL SESSIONS EARLY AND OFTEN
I mentioned the value of a study partner in TIP # 6…
Now that you’ve got one or are looking for one, it’s time to talk about the importance of drills.
The concept of drills is one we embrace every morning in our Step 1 prep course… We do one full hour of high-yield drills each morning to refresh & reinforce the super HY info that’s most likely to be tested.
You should be doing the same with your partner.
Start early - do it often.
Drills are insanely beneficial… And if you’re not convinced that doing rapid recall of single details is a good use of your time, here’s a simple scenario that should convince you of their importance:
Let’s say you’re in the middle of a challenging Step 1 question and they’re throwing all sorts of details at you.
Perhaps they mention a cyclical fever, a unique histological finding, or a translocation that was found after further work-up.
If you can quickly identify the fact that the fever is a Pel-Ebstein fever, it makes your diagnosis of Hodgkin’s lymphoma much easier… If you’re unsure what they’re referring to, you’re playing a guessing game.
Or maybe they give you a histological image showing a Reed-Sternberg cell…
If you see it and quickly identify what it is, then you’re on your way to a correctly answered question. If you’re not 100% sure, then you’ve once again put yourself into a situation that forces you to flip a coin.
Spending just a few minutes per day doing drills will make it much easier to identify and recognize all of the clues given to you in a vignette…
This will ultimately boost your odds of passing the Step 1 exam and increase your chances of a solid score on Step 2 CK.
Convinced? I hope so!
Onto TIP #13 👇
TIP #13 - TAKE CARE OF YOUR HEALTH
Ok… Not specifically a USMLE preparation golden nugget…
But if you feel awesome, you’ll be able to put in the long, grueling hours needed to succeed.
If you’re tired, groggy, and miserable, the last thing you’ll want to do (or have the capacity to do) is sit for a marathon study session.
Your health has to come first.
If you’re not in optimal health, you won’t be able to accomplish what you’ve set out to do.
Get it? Got it? Good!
Next… TIP #14 👇
TIP #14 - FOCUS ON THE STEP RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU
Half the battle of medical school is psychological.
There’s a never-ending amount of work to do.
Labs, quizzes, exams, Step 1 on the horizon…
It’s easy to get lost in everything that needs to be done over the next week, month, or year…
Here’s how I dealt with this, how I deal with the never-ending list of things I have to do these days, and how I help my students stay sane while navigating medical school ⬇️
Step 1) Learn to love the process of planning & scheduling 👉 With a full plate, learning to schedule everything you need to get done is going to make things infinitely easier. Whether you use a yellow legal pad, a massive wall calendar, or a calendar book, get organized and start planning out your entire schedule 2-3 weeks ahead of time. The more specific you get, the easier your life gets.
Step 2) Get granular 👉 This means outlining everything that needs to be done on an hour-by-hour basis. You should know exactly what you’re doing every single hour of every single day.
Why get granular? Because the entire point of this exercise is to know what the very next step in the journey is going to be.
Think of your medical school career as climbing Mount Everest…
What is the only way to get to the top? One step at a time.
And equally important as taking the very next step, is knowing in which direction you should be taking it.
That’s why you should have a clear picture of everything you’re planning on doing on an hourly basis.
Once you know exactly what you have to do next, your only job is to execute it to absolute perfection.
If you can execute every step with precision and perfection, those small, individual steps will ultimately amount to the big goal.
Remember… A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
As ‘woo woo’ as TIP #14 has become, it’s really important to understand how to simplify a seemingly insurmountable obstacle (in our case medical school) so you don’t go crazy trying to achieve it.
Ok… As I’ve just pointed out the importance of doing things one step at a time… Let’s move onto our next step… TIP #15 👇
TIP #15 - VISUALIZE THE GOAL
Ok… Dr. Paul has lost his mind!
No sir or ma’am… Visualization is a tool used by the most elite performers in the world.
From Fortune 500 CEOs to world-class athletes to top musical acts… Visualization is a super-powerful tool.
Elite performers go as far as hiring world-renowned psychologists to help them master the art of visualization - that’s how powerful it is.
But why?
Well, in my experience, there’s nothing more powerful to get me motivated or help me stay disciplined than visualizing what I’m working towards.
Our goals and dreams are all different… What drives me is most likely different from what drives you… But it’s important that you A) Find what drives you and B) Visualize it often.
Visualization puts you in the exact moment when you’ve achieved your goal.
Perhaps that’s opening an email from the USMLE organization with a passing score on Step 1.
Maybe it’s the email on match day telling you that you’ve matched into your dream residency program.
Closing your eyes and seeing yourself there… Feeling what it’ll be like when you’ve made it… Is a very powerful tool that you can use for free.
If it works for Michael Jordan, Sara Blakely (Spanx), and Oprah, I’d say it’s worth a try.
Ok… Onto TIP #16 👇
TIP #16 - FIRST AID IS A GUIDE, NOT THE MAIN RESOURCE
Over the years, First Aid has defaulted to the only resource needed to pass Step 1… Not true.
First Aid, you have to remember, is a book created to remind you of the most important, high-yield, and most likely to be tested material - but it isn’t a verbatim list of what’ll be on your exam.
For example… If we flip to page 225 of First Aid and see a few lines about Parkinson’s disease, are we to assume that this is all we need to know about it?
Of course not. It’s a reminder of the most top-level details.
In theory, however, they can ask you anything you’ve learned in medical school on the subject.
Just as we’ll use FA to help us identify what’s HY during our classes, we should do the same as we’re in the midst of our dedicated Step 1 prep.
What exactly am I saying? I’m saying that you should refer to FA to make sure you’re covering all of the highly tested information, but that you should be able to dive deeper into almost everything in that book.
Some sections, Microbiology, for example, are quite detailed and might be sufficient.
But that’s more of an exception, not a rule.
Simply put, keep the following in mind: First Aid is a great resource to remind you of the most important information, but you’ll need to be able to discuss anything in that book at length.
Now that I’ve ruined your hopes that memorizing First Aid was your ticket to an easy pass on the Step 1 exam, let’s get into TIP #17 👇
TIP #17 - USE 2 QBANKS DURING YOUR DEDICATED PREP
During your dedicated prep, you can get everything you need (qbank-wise) from Amboss and USMLE World (UW).
A few years ago, UW was the gold standard, most important qbank on the market.
Today, Amboss is the superior product.
Why? Most of the content in each question, including answer choices and explanations, is clickable right into their robust library of information. Right from a question, you can access written information, fully detailed charts and tables, as well as quizzes. UW doesn’t… There’s no comparison. This question bank has been so extremely beneficial for my Step 1 classes that I could go on for an hour - but I won’t.
Just a few years back, we’d recommend students use UW and go find resources to fill in any gaps that they found by doing questions - this was challenging…
Now, with Amboss, you’ve got everything at your fingertips, all in one place.
So… I’d suggest that you start with Amboss.
Use it to fill in any knowledge gaps, to solidify your understanding of the most important information you need to know and to fine-tune your test-taking skills.
Once you’ve finished with Amboss and you’re feeling pretty good about your skills, jump into UW for a new challenge.
You might be asking: “Why bother with two qbanks, can’t I just buy one and repeat the questions?”
I’m glad you asked…
NO… That’s an unwise idea.
Redoing incorrectly answered questions might boost your ego, but it doesn’t help you get better. There’s no benefit to redoing questions you know the answers to… It’s about the most inefficient use of one’s time that there is - and you’ve got no time to waste.
Instead, start with Amboss and learn from your mistakes… Dive deep into their library of content when you’re either lost or making the same mistakes again and again.
Then, once you’ve done everything in your power to improve your weaknesses, go into UW and see if you’ve truly mastered the content.
If you’re redoing questions you’ve already seen, you’re most likely answering from memory… This doesn’t serve you well.
What will serve you and your goal of passing Step 1 is learning as much as you can from one qbank, then doing fresh, unseen questions from another.
There are a limited number of topics, subjects, and concepts that can show up on the exam…
Things get repeated but in a different way.
If you’re not challenging your knowledge with never-before-seen questions, then you’re not doing yourself any favors.
Are you working your A** off so that you can correctly answer questions that you’ve already seen and boost your ego? Or are you working your A** off so that you can pass the Step 1 exam and move one step closer to your goal?
I think you know the answer to that question… Avoid doing the easy thing; it never makes things easier in the long run.
TWO QBANKS… No further explanation is required.
Ok. If you’re still with me, let’s get into TIP #18 👇
TIP #18 - USE QBANKS TO ACCOMPLISH 3 THINGS
I recently ran a poll on my Twitter (X) account to see what students were mainly focusing on while doing questions…. The results are at the bottom of this post.
As you can see, most students are using questions to learn.
Not necessarily a bad thing… But it’s not the only thing you should be using your questions for.
Questions, in my experience, are great for several purposes - and they serve many roles:
1- Building test-taking skills and efficiency
2- Finding weaknesses/holes in your knowledge
3- Reinforce the stuff you already know (ie. Solidify your knowledge)
Let’s dive into each one of those a little bit so you can better understand how to maximize your time…
1- Building test-taking skills and efficiency:
Exam day is rough… You’re sitting at a desk all day, answering 100’s of tough questions, and you need to stay sharp, focused, and on-point if you want to succeed.
Similar to running a marathon, if you fail to adequately train your body for the rigors, you’ll struggle.
To improve your test-taking skills, put yourself into an exam-like scenario as often as possible.
How? Do your questions in FULL blocks, in TIMED mode, and free from distractions.
As you get further along in your prep, aim to have a couple of days each week where you push yourself by doing 3, 4, or 5 full blocks back-to-back-to-back, just as you would on exam day.
Efficiency is another important skill that’ll take you far on exam day…
If you were running a marathon, you’d aim to become an efficient runner to use as little energy as possible while maximizing your speed.
In the world of USMLE questions, efficiency can be gained by having a specific approach to each question… Let’s call it a strategy… That you’ll use as you approach each question.
With a strategy in hand, you’ll always know how to move through a question, no matter the topic, length, or difficulty.
2- Finding weaknesses/holes in your knowledge:
You should have a foundation in place before you start your USMLE-specific questions, otherwise, you’ll be completely lost and struggle to put things together.
Once you do, and once you dive into questions, you’re bound to find things you don’t know as well as you thought you did, and you’re bound to come across information you might have never read or learned about - this is all OK!
You should seek out mistakes, weaknesses, and knowledge gaps.
It’s by doing questions and finding these mistakes, weaknesses, and knowledge gaps that you’ll get better.
An important point to note here is…
Doing questions won’t magically fix these issues - you have to pay attention, seek them out, and take the time to fix anything that pops up.
3- Reinforce the stuff you already know
Questions are not only great for #1 & #2 above, but they’re also great as a reinforcement tool, as long as you’re using them correctly.
Most students, as they do questions, focus on the correct answer choice and then move on… Not you!
You should browse through every single answer choice and see if you can explain why the incorrect options are incorrect, as these are still important pieces of information that you should know…
This is also the optimal time to review because everything is being handed to you right there in the question.
Students often tell me that it takes too long to review a block of questions…
If it takes you four hours to review a block of forty questions, but you went through every answer choice, found weaknesses, reviewed and improved those weaknesses, as well as reviewed all of the information about the incorrect answer options, you haven’t simply learned forty facts or details…
It’s more like forty questions X five answer choices (minimum); giving you a review of at least 200 ideas.
So don’t worry about speed… Worry about quality.
If you simply want to speed through everything so you can take your exam ASAP, then just go take it now… You’ll most likely get the same result either way.
If you follow this approach, you’ll soon see that by being thorough with your review of every block, you can come away from a single block of questions with several hundred new pieces of information.
Whew! That was longer than expected… Onto TIP #19 👇
[insert screenshot of poll here]
TIP #19 - USE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES SPARINGLY
There’s no magical list of resources that will make or break your USMLE exam success.
My recommendation when it comes to resources is to stick to the core ‘review’ resources and to add anything else if it fits a specific need that you have.
The core resources include FA, UW, Amboss, and NBME exams.
With the growth of Amboss’ library of detailed information, it’s unlikely that you’ll need to purchase or use any additional resources…
That’s why I’m so bullish on Amboss these days - it removes friction.
Remember… Your foundation comes from medical school; medical school is where you build your library of knowledge.
QBanks allow you to challenge your knowledge and find/fix weaknesses; use it to get better.
FA is a well-laid-out reminder of what’s most important; use it as a guide.
NBME exams are your gold standard tool to determine your exam readiness; use them to determine whether you’re ready.
Keep things as simple as possible…
The more resources you accumulate, the more complex you’re making things…
Complexity does not equate to a higher chance of success.
Onto TIP #20 👇
TIP #20 - FOLLOW THE REVIEW, APPLY, FIX, REASSESS STRATEGY
Students always tell me why their situation is unique and then they say, "Where do I start?"
You're going to start with the title of this tip…
This means we're going to pick a topic that we want to focus on, let's call it endocrinology.
Then the first step is to do a quick review of that material, assuming it's something you're relatively familiar with.
Then you should do questions on the topic to apply what you know or what you think you know.
Then you want to identify the mistakes that you made and fix any weaknesses or holes in your knowledge so that you can get better.
If you’re using Amboss as your first question bank, then you can figure out why you made the mistakes right in the question and improve on the spot.
As you feel you’ve mastered several topics, start mixing up your questions to further challenge yourself.
Once you've finished going over every topic in this manner, you'll dive into NBMEs to assess our true readiness - we’ll talk about NBME exams shortly.
Onto TIP #21 👇
TIP #21 - AVOID DOING THE SAME QUESTION TWICE
I mentioned this in a previous tip, but I’m sure you’re still not loving this idea… That’s ok, you don’t have to.
As long as you understand the pros (there are none) and cons (there are many) of repeating your incorrects, then the ball’s in your court to decide what you want to do.
You’re more than welcome to head over to Reddit, submit to confirmation bias, and curse me for trying to make your life more difficult… Or you can recognize that I have zero incentive to push you into doing more questions except for seeing you succeed…
I don’t own UW, I don’t own Amboss… I get nothing out of the recommendation except for your success…
Most students believe that doing their incorrect questions two or three more times will drive home the concept, fact, etc.
But there’s a huge problem with this strategy… Actually, there are two…
Problem #1 👉 Repeating a question takes time, and if you’re doing it simply to reinforce something you missed previously, a much better use of your time would have been to take a brief note about the mistake, add it to your study notes, and then reviewed it in 1/110th of the time. In the time it took you to redo a single question, you could have reviewed ten additional pieces of information that would propel you even further.
Problem #2 👉 Repeating questions creates a false sense of mastery. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but just because you identified the correct answer to a question you’ve already seen doesn’t mean you’ve mastered the concept, it means you remembered that option D was correct. The better approach is to learn from your mistake the first time you do the question, continue to study the notes you’ve taken, and then apply that knowledge to a fresh question on the same topic. By doing it this way, you’re assessing whether you know the information and how to apply it, instead of simply assessing whether you remember which option was correct.
As a friendly reminder… Start with Amboss, then do UWorld second.
Onto TIP #22 👇
TIP #22 - TAKE REDDIT & FORUM ADVICE WITH A GRAIN OF SALT
Most of the information medical students post on Reddit or other forums about the right way to prepare for the USMLE exams are either A) Regurgitations of the same general information they’ve already read but haven’t applied or B) Have yet to embark on the journey themselves and thus have no real experience in the area.
I’ve taken the time over the years to read through the forums and more recently through Reddit on the topic of USMLE exam preparation…
Here’s my honest $0.02 about what’s written:
A lot of the advice is vague and generic (no nuances, no accounting for individual challenges)
The overwhelming majority are speaking only from personal experience, not from 15 years of working with students and knowing the common struggles
99% of people posting are doing so behind a screen name and fake picture; I don’t know about you, but I’d prefer to know who is giving me advice before I blindly follow it.
The top students are not spending their time on these platforms; sorry, but it’s the truth. Those who have crushed their exams are either working towards graduation or already in residency, not spending their time on Reddit barfing up the same tired advice that everyone else is… So keep that in mind.
Final note… I’m sure there are plenty of people on Reddit and USMLE forums who are well-intentioned and trying to help. The observations above are my opinions based on research, but whether you decide to use it is up to you.
Alright… Onto TIP #23 👇
TIP #23 - KEEP THINGS SIMPLE
The USMLE exams are tough enough, there’s no need to add to the challenge.
When you sit down to create your plan, focus on simplicity.
Figure out the steps needed to reach your goals, and eliminate those that don’t.
Avoid becoming a collector of resources…
Avoid ‘shiny object syndrome’, where you jump from resource to resource.
Create a simple plan and stick to it.
Simple is always better.
TIp #24 👇
TIP #24 - BECOME A DETAILED PLANNER
A solid plan, whether for an entire semester or throughout your USMLE prep, should take some serious thought.
Don’t hesitate to dedicate a full day to planning out the next 3-4 months.
It sounds daunting, and it is, but spending an afternoon or an entire day planning things out will give you back weeks upon weeks of freedom from struggle.
Think of planning like an investment…
If you invest $100 today, you expect to eventually get back the original $100 plus interest.
If you invest one full day into planning out your schedule, you’ll get that day back and an additional few weeks because you’ve freed up future time that won’t require your attention…
That time can then go to executing your plan, not worrying about the next steps.
Make sense? Cool!
Onto TIP #25 👇
TIP #25 - AVOID GETTING COMFORTABLE WITH RESOURCES
I recently had a student who was struggling with microbiology.
He LOVES Sketchy… It’s all he uses… It’s his favorite micro resource…
But it’s not yielding results.
When we do questions, he’s stuck trying to recall the book’s comical pictures instead of understanding the material on a deeper level; a level required to answer challenging USMLE questions.
Many students use Sketchy with great success… This isn’t a knock on Sketchy… It’s a cautionary tale for sticking with a resource that isn’t working for you.
If something resonates with you, great!
If you like something but it’s not helping you make the necessary improvements in your knowledge, there’s a problem.
What’s the point? Don’t stick with something that’s not working just because you’re comfortable with it.
In fact… If you’re comfortable with a resource but it’s not doing its job, then it’s time to move on…
Try different resources and find the ones you like that also yield the results you’re looking for.
Otherwise… You’ll be stuck in the same spot two, three, or four weeks down the road and wonder what the heck happened.
Moving on… Here’s TIP #26 👇
TIP #26 - ACTIVE STUDY > PASSIVE STUDYING
You probably knew this, yet it bears repeating.
The worst thing you can do for your USMLE prep, especially if your progress is stalling, is to study passively.
Passive studying might mean any of the following:
• Reading quietly
• Listening to lectures
• Listening to a podcast
• Scanning a section of the First Aid
Luckily, we can make all of the above ‘active’ with a few simple tweaks:
• Reading quietly… Followed by repeating the essence of what you read aloud or to a study partner.
• Listening to lectures… Interjected with pauses to take notes, re-read them, and repeat the main points aloud.
• Listening to a podcast… And regularly interjecting with responses to the topic of discussion.
• Scanning a section of the First Aid… Followed by a detailed explanation of what you just read to a study partner.
When you take an active approach, you don’t just get a slight improvement in your overall progress…
You get compounding results…
If you’re putting a higher level of effort into every step you take, the resulting rewards for all subsequent steps will be amplified.
An idea that Paul Graham, co-founder of Y Combinator, discusses in his essay “Superlinear Results” is this:
"If growth rate were proportional to performance, then the reward for performance (p) over time (t) would be proportional to ₚᵗ”
As performance (p) grows, the degree of your compounding growth will be amplified exponentially.
If you’d prefer to get compounding returns on your efforts instead of a one-to-one return, take care each step of the way to implement the most effective learning strategies.
It requires very little additional effort, and the results far outweigh the additional work required.
Got it? Good! Let’s dive into TIP #27 👇
TIP #27 - ID YOUR MOST PRODUCTIVE HOURS
We all have a particular time of day when we can feel superhuman.
It’s often when the sun is down and most of the Western world is quiet.
Whether that’s early in the morning or late at night…
Figure out the time of day when you’re able to focus best and get twice as much accomplished.
Once you know when you’re able to achieve peak performance, build your schedule (if possible) around that time so you can maximize it.
I’ve figured out that I can get nearly a full day’s worth of work done by 8 am if I’m at my desk by 4 am.
So I built my schedule to support it…
I go to bed early and I wake up early.
I work on the most urgent task of the day first thing when I wake up, hit the gym by 6 am, get another forty-five-minute work session in after that, then teach my class at 8 am.
I’ve typically accomplished everything on my schedule by 8 am… Or I’m very close.
As a medical student, I know that you don’t have the same schedule flexibility as I do at this point in my life, but you can gain a massive advantage by simply knowing when you’re at your best and ensuring that you can use that time for maximum impact.
Let’s get into TIP #28 👇
TIP #28 - LEARN HOW TO REMOVE DISTRACTIONS
Want to instantly improve your medical knowledge, get twice as much done in the same amount of time, and finally stop wondering how you sat for a 10-hour study session and got nothing out of it?
Get rid of the silly distractions.
Your phone, your friends, and social media will still be there at the end of the day…
Put your phone in ‘focus’ mode…
If you’ve got a significant other or family who might worry if they can’t reach you, tell them you’ll be studying for “X” hours and that you’ll reach out when you’re done.
Medical school and USMLE prep is tough enough…
Don’t slow yourself down by making the unforced error of allowing distractions to pull you away from what’s most important.
TIP #29 👇
TIP #29 - USE THE POMODORO TECHNIQUE
The Pomodoro technique is a timer… That’s it.
You set a timer for a specific amount of time, usually 30-50 minutes, and when the timer goes off, you get up and take a short break.
I’ve tested different ways to use the Pomodoro technique for many years, and in the end, I can say two things with a high level of certainty:
#1. It is a great way to trick yourself into the flow state, and
#2. It is a great psychological tool
Here’s what I mean…
Getting into ‘flow state’, which is that state of being where you’re deeply into your work, you’re laser-focused on the task at hand and you’ve got tunnel vision… Where time either stands still or passes by quickly… But it doesn’t matter because you don’t even notice… You’re dialed in completely… Getting into this state can be tough.
If you’re allowing yourself to be pulled away from your work every time your phone buzzes…
Say “ADIOS’ to the flow state.
The flow state is magical… And if you can learn how to get into it quickly and consistently, you’ll make much faster progress.
Here’s why the Pomodoro technique works so well: It forces you to eliminate distractions… But only for a short amount of time.
When you set the technique in motion, you know in the back of your head that it’s only for thirty minutes or so…
Knowing that you only have to avoid distractions for a half-hour or so can trick you right into a flow state…
And guess what?
Once you’re in it, you won’t want to come out.
It’s a trance state… Suddenly you’re so thoroughly enjoying what you’re doing that it’s the only thing you want to do in the moment.
How long should you set the timer for?
It depends on how easily distracted you are.
If you’re not all that distracted to start with, or you find it easy to put your phone away and get to work, I’d start with fifty minutes.
If on the other hand, you’re very easily distracted, set it for thirty minutes and work your way up from there; only increasing the time as you get accustomed to the technique.
If this seems simple… That’s because it is.
It’s also super-powerful and I strongly recommend using it.
BONUS: It’s free - just set the timer on your phone (but for Pete’s sake, keep the phone on ‘focus’ mode and put it out of sight)
Alrighty… Moving on - here’s TIP #30 👇
TIP #30 - IMPLEMENT THE 80/20 RULE INTO YOUR STUDIES
The 80/20 rule/principle is simple…
It states that 80% of your results come from just 20% of your actions.
For example…
When I work with students 1-on-1 to help them figure out what they should be doing to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of their USMLE prep, I often ask them which activities get them far greater results for the effort required.
Not surprisingly, many students get a lot of benefit from doing practice questions.
Many students get an outsized return on their results if most of their time is spent doing practice questions versus anything else.
If you’re doing something specific that’s providing you with far greater results than something else, you owe it to yourself to double down on the thing that gets you the outsized returns… Why wouldn’t you?
This is the basis of the 80/20 rule…
You identify the one or two things that get you the greatest results for the effort you’re putting in, and you double or triple down on them while eliminating the activities that yield the fewest results.
Let’s say you’re doing tons of questions and making significant strides in your progress…. Great!
But you spent three hours per day also reading the First Aid because everyone said you have to… But you don’t find that activity to be all that helpful to you… Then don’t do it.
No law in medical school says you have to do one thing versus the other… That includes spending an inordinate amount of time with your nose in the First Aid.
Find the things that work best for YOU… Find the things that don’t… Then go all-in on what works and dump what doesn’t.
Simple and effective. Onto TIP #31 👇
TIP #31 - USE NBMEs TO ASSESS YOUR ENTIRE KNOWLEDGE BASE
NBMEs are a scarce resource… You need to conserve them like it’s water in California.
So, you should only use them when you want to identify how you're doing as a whole, not to identify whether you've made incremental progress in one specific topic.
This is a HUGE mistake I often see… Students will take NBMEs far too frequently without giving themselves enough time to make any meaningful progress from their previous one.
If you’re trying to figure out if your knowledge in a particular topic has improved, pull up your question bank, pull up a block of unused questions in that topic, and do a full, timed block.
But save your NBMEs.
They should only be used when you’re in a position where you’re feeling confident in your overall knowledge.
Using an NBME when you know there are still weaknesses that need work is a waste of the NBME.
Not only will you likely score poorly in that particular section, but you won’t get an accurate assessment of your overall performance because.
So… Before you dive into NBME exams, be sure that you’ve at the very least covered everything once and have had time to work on any glaring weaknesses…
Then, before taking each subsequent NBME, be sure to put a TON of effort into fixing any weaknesses outlined in the previous NBME result.
Only then can you take a fresh NBME and get meaningful feedback that can then be used to gauge your progress and/or exam readiness.
Moving on… Here’s TIP #32 👇
TIP #32 - NBME FEEDBACK IS GOSPEL
Your question bank scores should be on an upward trajectory…
You should feel as though you’re gaining strength in all of the exam topics…
But the only thing that matters when making big decisions about your exam readiness is your NBME scores.
NBME scores are the most accurate tool we have to assess ourselves.
If it points out specific weaknesses - assume you’re weak in those areas.
If it tells you that you’ve got a 50% chance of passing the exam if taken within a week - it’s probably correct and you’re not yet ready.
Take your NBME feedback seriously and work to fix the issues you see following each one.
By the way…. Since Step 1 became pass/fail, all of our students have passed when they’ve achieved an overall score of 73% on an unused, timed, online NBME exam; this equates to a 95%+ chance of passing if taken within one week (FYI).
Moving on… TIP #33 👇
TIP #33 - WHEN TO TAKE YOUR 2ND NBME
Your initial NBME will most likely point out a variety of issues… Which is to be expected and completely normal!
Topic-specific weaknesses…
System-based weaknesses…
Perhaps some timing issues you didn’t expect…
Take that feedback and put a ton of effort into fixing these issues.
Two to three days dedicated to any topic-specific weakness is ideal…
Give yourself enough time to work on your speed or timing issues, however long that might take; this can be fixed by doing full blocks in timed mode as you do your practice questions.
Only after you’ve put in an honest amount of work to address every one of your weaknesses should you attempt the second NBME exam.
Remember… NBMEs are a scarce resource - don’t use them until you’re confident that you’ll get the absolute most accurate and up-to-date feedback from them.
TIP #34 👇
TIP #34 - YOU SHOULD BE READY BY NBME #3
If you followed my advice from TIPS #32 and #33, you should have spent plenty of time fixing your weaknesses following each NBME exam.
After your first NBME, you should have put a lot of energy into fixing your deficiencies.
If you did, then your second NBME should have had far fewer recommendations… But there were probably still areas that needed your attention.
When your second NBME points out recurring issues, that should prompt you to consider that you need a bit of extra help in those specific areas… So give yourself enough time to make that happen.
Assuming you do this…
Assuming you take the time to fix every topic weakness…
Assuming you put in the time to fix any timing or speed issues…
Assuming you work hard to eliminate every deficiency outlined by your first and second NBME exam…
You should be 100% ready to crush your third NBME.
If you do this correctly, your third NBME exam should be your final, and it should indicate that you’re in great shape to pass your Step 1 exam.
TIP #34 👇
TIP #35 - WHAT TO DO IF YOU RUN OUT OF NBME EXAMS
You either found this too late or you decided to ignore my advice…
Either way…
What should you do if you have no unused NBMEs left but still aren’t ready for the exam?
The next best option is to use your QBank assessments.
If those aren’t available, your final option is to curate your exam using unused questions from either the Amboss or USMLE World question bank.
Do this by creating a full five blocks of mixed questions… Plan to do them all in a short amount of time, just as you would the real exam, and dissect the results with a fine-toothed comb.
You won’t get feedback that comes close to an NBME exam, but it will be a way to figure out where you’re strong and weak and where you should focus your attention moving forward.
Onto TIP #36 👇
TIP #36 - APPLY THE 2-3 DAY ‘FIX IT’ RULE
I’ve touched on this in the previous few tips, but now we need to dive a bit deeper into the process needed to address the weaknesses outlined in our NBME exams.
Let’s say we’ve taken an NBME and it tells us that we’ve got three weak topics: Anatomy, Genetics, and Neurology
The way you want to approach these weaknesses is by dedicating two to three days of intense focus to each one.
Therefore, with three weaknesses, you’re looking at a minimum of six to nine days to improve these areas before considering another NBMe exam.
You might be thinking… “I’ve got fifteen topics to the left of borderline, am I supposed to take two to three days for all of them? It’ll take me forever”… Yes, yes you are supposed to take two to three days for all of them.
You’ve got weaknesses that are going to cause you to fail… What else do you expect to do?
If you’re not in shape to pass the exam, then you’ve got to get back to basics and work on your weaknesses.
Luckily for you, I’ll give you a simple plan to tackle these weaknesses:
Step 1 - Write out a list of your weaknesses based on which ones carry the most weight on the exam (from most to least); this is the order in which you’ll study them.
Step 2 - Use a trusted resource to review the topic… Don’t jump right into questions.
Why? When you’ve got a weakness, the best thing you can do to improve it quickly is to spend some time focusing on learning and mastering the content, then diving into questions to ensure that you can apply it.
If you simply dive into questions from the start, you’ll be jumping from one area to another, eliminating your ability to focus deeply on one part of the topic at a time.
Step 3 - Once you’ve covered all of the weaknesses as outlined by the NBME, create a handful of mixed question blocks made up of those specific weak topics (ie. Mixed blocks). You should be seeing 75% or more on each block (or very close to it) to consider each one a success. Calculate your overall percentage and aim for that 75% or higher overall.
If you’re achieving that milestone, go ahead and take another NBME.
If you’re not, go through the questions to see which topics are pulling you down and spend some more time improving them.
I know it’s a long, arduous process, but it works and the results will be worth the effort.
TIP #37 👇
TIP #37 - START WITH FOCUSED Q’s, END WITH MIXED Q’s
How you use question banks can make or break your USMLE Step 1 progress.
Here are a couple of rules I like to implement with any new student I work with…
You can apply whichever best fits your situation:
Rule #1. If you’re tackling a weakness, start with topic-focused questions
The reason for this is simple… You want to focus intensely on the things you need to improve.
If you’re very weak in microbiology, for example, and you’re starting your prep by diving into mixed questions, you simply won’t encounter enough microbiology, in a concentrated timeframe, to make any meaningful progress.
By focusing intensely on a topic that’s likely to hurt your progress, you can improve it faster, which will ultimately help you get exam-ready much faster.
Rule #2. If it’s a strength, do it in mixed mode
Once a topic is strong, or at the very least you’re feeling good about it, add it to your pile of ‘mixed topics’.
If you’ve just finished your basic sciences years and are ready to dive into your Step 1 prep full-time, then you might consider starting with mixed questions…
BUT…
If you find that you’re doing poorly with this approach, evaluate where you’re weakest and start isolating those topics until they’ve been improved.
That’s it… Two simple rules to live by for faster progress.
Onto TIP #38 👇
TIP #38 - PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR STAMINA
Many students overlook the importance of building their exam-day stamina.
It’s great to have a solid grasp of the material…
It’s great to have your test-taking skills on point…
But if you tire yourself out after just three blocks - you’re in trouble.
Be mindful early on of your ability to focus for prolonged periods.
This doesn’t mean you have to study for nine hours straight every single day…
It means you should build your tolerance for extended periods of focus as early as possible.
You might simply start with the goal of being able to focus intensely for two hours… Then three… Then four… Etc.
The scenario you want to avoid is one whereby your exam is a couple of weeks away and you’ve never attempted to do five or six blocks of questions all in a row (with minimal breaks).
This doesn’t have to be overly complicated…
Be mindful of this need and start placing yourself in ‘mock scenarios’ where you’ll be able to challenge yourself.
The earlier you start, the easier it will be to build up your tolerance for exam day.
Fun stuff! Ok, onto TIP #39 👇
TIP #39 - DO AN EXAM-DAY DRY RUN
When your Step 1 is around the corner, consider doing an exam-day “dry run”.
If your test center is local, do it within one week of your exam.
If you’re traveling from out of town, do it as soon as you arrive in town.
The goal is to go through the motions of exam day so you know what to expect.
Drive to the test center… Find the office location within the building… Plan out your driving route…
Also, consider how you’ll plan your snacks throughout the day and how often you’ll take breaks during the exam.
Planning every detail around the actual exam can help you avoid any last-minute issues that you might have overlooked.
Anything that will help you get more comfortable with your journey on exam day can help alleviate some of the exam day jitters.
TIP #40 👇
TIP #40 - DO THE IN-CENTER FREE 120
If test anxiety is something you struggle with, taking the in-center Free 120 exam is a great way to put yourself in the most realistic exam-like scenario possible.
This will provide you with a couple of important benefits:
✅ It’ll allow you to assess yourself in the most stressful scenario possible; this will give you a very realistic idea of whether you’re likely to pass your exam.
✅ It’ll familiarize you with the exam’s environment; this familiarity can alleviate some pre-exam anxiety that often occurs when you’re not sure what to expect of the center’s computers, the software, and the experience of sitting at your exam cubicle.
I’ve found over the years that students who do this have an easier exam-day experience and go into their exam with much less stress and anxiety than those who don’t.
It won’t guarantee a pass, but it can make your experience much more palatable.
TIP #41 👇
TIP #41 - INVEST TO SAVE YOURSELF TIME
One of the troubling side-effects of the Internet is the ever-expanding number of ‘influencers’ within the medical field who give advice based solely on their individual experiences.
The problem: What works for one doesn’t usually work for all…
Reaching out to someone with advice based solely on their own experience gives you a very narrow perspective and a limited set of tools to draw from.
Hopefully, all fifty of the tips in this post give you everything you need to go forth and crush your entire med school career from front-to-back…
Hopefully, it gives you the roadmap you need to prepare well for your USMLE exams…
And hopefully, it puts you in a position to match into your specialty of choice.
BUT… If after all the free videos on YouTube, the joke-telling & dancing med students of TikTok, and the keyboard warriors on Reddit haven’t provided you with the results you want and need, don’t be afraid to invest in yourself.
Time is our most precious asset, and as a medical student not only are you short on time, but you’re constantly racing to meet deadlines.
If the free sh*t isn’t helping… Invest in a prep course, a tutor, or a mentor who can speed up your progress and provide you with guidance.
The best investment you can make is in yourself.
If you value speed, clarity, and results, then don’t be afraid to invest in help if you need it.
Ok… Onto TIP #42 👇
TIP #42 - SERIOUSLY, IT’S YOUR WEAKNESSES
If you’ve been doing anything & everything you can think of to improve your question bank scores, your NBME scores, or even your failing USMLE scores…
It’s your weaknesses… Plain and simple!
I’m starting to feel a bit redundant, but it needs to be said again…
If you’re not improving, you’re not paying enough attention to your weaknesses.
Get back to the basics…
Focus on one thing at a time…
Don’t rush it…
Aim to fully understand the information at an in-depth level…
Unfortunately, you don’t have a choice.
If your scores suck, you need to put in more work.
So… If you’re not improving, grab your most recent assessment and find the weaknesses.
If you don’t have a recent assessment, create 3 blocks of unused mixed questions and dissect the results.
Find the weaknesses… Fix the weaknesses…
Medicine is a giant puzzle… One of those 5,000-piece monsters…
Every piece of information you master is a piece of the puzzle.
As you learn and master one thing, you’ll see a bit more of the big picture.
The more you know, the clearer the picture…
The more you know, the easier it becomes to tie everything together - to think holistically.
If you’ve got a couple of corners of the puzzle figured out and maybe a couple of random clumps of pieces somewhere in the middle, you still won’t be able to see the entirety of the picture.
Think of your medical knowledge the same way… To be able to put it all together, you’ll need to have as much of the puzzle figured out as possible.
Once you’ve got the majority of it figured out, the great thing is that you can use the knowledge you have to figure out other parts of the puzzle…
For example… If you’re only missing a handful of pieces here and there, the fact that the entire picture is obvious makes it easier for you to derive the missing information…
The same is true of your medical knowledge and the USMLE exams.
So… If you’re missing pieces of the puzzle, figure them out and where they go in the grand scheme of things - it’s the only way to secure your path forward.
That was longer than expected… Onto TIP #43 👇
TIP #43 - LEARN HOW TO MANAGE YOUR STRESS
We all encounter stress, some of us more than others ✋
If you want to make it in this field, you’ll need to learn how to deal with stress.
Like most things, what works for one person might not work for another…
Try exploring different stress-relieving strategies.
A few options include breathwork, meditation, yoga, and exercise.
For me personally, I’ve found breathwork to be extremely helpful (inhale for four seconds, exhale for eight seconds); the key, from what I’ve studied, is that the exhale needs to be longer than the inhale.
Try it out!
Whatever you decide to do, don't overlook the importance of taking care of your stress and anxiety…
If you don't manage it, things can quickly get out of hand.
Onto TIP #44 👇
TIP #44 - LAST-MINUTE LIFE-SAVERS
I must preface this tip by saying that the two topics I’m about to mention should NOT be left to the last minute, simply that they are great for last-minute review due to the volume and fact that they’re heavy on memorization.
👉 Pharmacology and microbiology.
Pharmacology is very heavy on Step 1; it is after all part of the three P’s (Pharm, Path, Physio).
But because it is so heavily reliant on your ability to memorize, it is wise to spend some time in your final couple of days reviewing the highest-yield drugs, their mechanisms of action, and their adverse effects.
The same applies to microbiology.
Focus on the areas of micro that are most heavily tested, which are bacteria and viruses.
Of course, all areas of micro and pharm need to be fully explored, studied, and mastered long before your final week of exam preparation…
But if you’re looking for a high-leverage use of your time in the final days of your prep, this is a great place to look.
Sidenote: If you’ve got other areas of concern, be sure to include those in your final week of review (remember, this is just a suggestion, not a ‘must follow’ rule if it doesn’t apply to you).
Cool? Cool! Onto TIP #45 👇
TIP #45 - DON’T MEMORIZE OPPOSITES, JUST MEMORIZE ONE
Think about something like hyper- and hypothyroidism, or the effects of a beta-1 agonist vs. antagonist on the heart…
The effects of one are the opposite of the other - right?
Save yourself a bunch of time and just memorize one of them…
The other is going to be the opposite.
You'll find plenty of patterns like this in medicine.
This strategy is mainly limited to physiology, so keep that in mind.
For example…
Yes, hyper and hypothyroidism look to be opposite when comparing the physiologic and physical manifestations… Tachycardia vs bradycardia, moist skin vs dry skin, etc…
So we can keep that in mind.
However, this doesn’t apply to the underlying pathophysiology…
So it’s important to recognize when you can and can’t apply this tactic.
Onto TIP #46 👇
TIP #46 - UNDERSTANDING LAB VALUES > MEMORIZING LAB VALUES
On exam day, you’ll be able to look up lab values, so you don’t have to worry about memorizing them.
BUT…
If you don’t understand their meanings, you’ll find yourself in a lot of trouble.
As you study, ask yourself questions about different electrolyte abnormalities (what, why, and how)…
You need to know what happens if sodium is too low or too high, why it’s high or low, and how it happens.
I would recommend that you memorize the main electrolyte levels: Na+, K+, etc. because they show up frequently.
But for values such as AST, ALT, or anything that won’t be given for every single patient, having a solid understanding of their use is much more important than trying to memorize them.
A final thought on this: Understanding is >>>> Memorizing
We’re getting close to the end… Here’s TIP #47 👇
TIP #47 - THE 3 Ps WILL GET YOU FAR, BUT NOT ALL THE WAY
I’ve had students argue with me over the years about the fact that if you memorize the 3 Ps, you can pass the USMLE Step 1 exam.
That’s just a silly argument… Come to think of it, maybe I was being trolled… Either way…
The 3 Ps include physiology, pathology, and pharmacology.
These three disciplines are included in almost every question you’ll get on your Step 1 exam.
Within each of these are a variety of sub-topics…
For example… You can get a neurology-based question that could be about physiology, pharmacology, or pathology.
You could get a GI question that is about physiology, pharmacology, or pathology.
These three main disciplines make up the vast majority of your exam - but not all of it.
Other disciplines such as biochemistry also make up a large component, as do a few others.
Focus most of your initial attention on the 3 Ps until you’ve got a rock-solid grasp, then move on to the others.
This approach will not only give you a great start to your Step 1 prep, but it’ll also form a solid foundation for your overall medical knowledge.
Onto TIP #48 👇
TIP #48 - DON’T TAKE THE EXAM UNTIL YOU’RE READY
I can’t explain how frustrating it is when students sit down and take their USMLE exams when they’re simply not ready.
As much as I disagree with it, the USMLE scores play an outsized role in your ability to get into residency.
Rushing to take Step 1 or Step 2 CK because you want to ‘get it over with’ is an unwise move that’ll simply make things more challenging for you moving forward.
You’re getting yourself six figures into debt or someone is investing a lot of money so that you can become a doctor…
Why risk it all because you want to prematurely be done with the test?
Of course, you want to be done with it… I get it… But you have to think strategically here…
Use all of the assessment metrics I’ve outlined in these tips to ensure that you are overwhelmingly more likely to pass Step 1 than to fail it… And use the same to ensure that you’re in a great position to score well on your Step 2 CK.
It makes absolutely zero sense to work so hard and sacrifice so much, only to end up with exam failures that could derail your entire career path.
Now… I know some of you are in a situation where your school is forcing you to take your exam due to time constraints…
This is another area of frustration…
Remember… This is YOUR life and career.
You dictate when you take the most important exams of your life - nobody else.
And if someone is pressuring you, stand up for yourself.
Never, ever… Ever ever ever… Sit down to take your Step 1 or Step 2 CK unless you’re confident in your ability to pass - I’m begging you 🙏
Now, onto TIP #49 👇
TIP #49 - BECOME THE DOCTOR YOU’D WANT YOUR LOVED ONES TO HAVE
The harder you work and the more focused you are when you study, the better care you’ll be able to provide for your future patients.
Remember… Your future patients deserve someone who knows their stuff inside and out…
Not only do they rely on you to be knowledgeable and competent when helping them, but they rely on it for their loved ones as well.
Let’s do a quick thought experiment…
Imagine that your closest relative, perhaps your parent, sibling, or child, is sick in the hospital.
The physician assigned to care for them did the bare minimum throughout medical school, only studied as much as was needed to squeak by the Step 1 and Step 2 CK exams, and had knowledge gaps because they didn’t give a one-hundred percent effort throughout medical school.
Do you want this person caring for your family member? Me neither.
Don’t be that physician…
Think about your future patients every time you sit down to study.
Sure, it’s important that you score well and do well in your classes, but you’re embarking on a journey that has life-altering consequences… You need to treat that responsibility with the utmost respect.
Be the kind of physician that you’d want your mother, father, sister, brother, or children to have caring for them.
Shift your perspective when you sit down to study…
It could be the key you need to unlock your full potential.
Alrighty, here we go… TIP #50 👇
TIP #50 - INCREMENTAL IMPROVEMENTS = MASSIVE RESULTS
Your success won’t come from one or two monumental displays of effort…
Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.
You don’t score a 255 on Step 2 CK by finding the ‘perfect study plan’ and executing it over the course of a weekend.
Success on your USMLE Step 1 will be the result of consistently doing the things outlined in these fifty tips.
A fantastic Step 2 CK score will be the result of showing up to rotations each day, putting in the work during the day, and going home at night, and studying for a couple of hours.
Medicine is a never-ending endeavor… You’re signing up for lifelong learning - which is awesome!
But to become great at what you’ve chosen as a career, you’re signing up for consistently showing up and slowly getting better over time.
In TIP #24, we discussed the importance of becoming a highly detailed planner - this is why.
The act of planning out your days, weeks, and months, far ahead of time, ensures that you’re outlining the small efforts that are required to become the success you want to become.
Does this take a lot of work? Of course.
Is it worth the effort? For me, absolutely!
Is it worth it for you? That’s up to you.
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