Today’s “Ask Dr. Paul” question comes via Facebook DM.
The question is… “I’ve been studying for two years, and I’m still not ready for Step 1. What am I doing wrong?”
This question touches on one of the most common problems I see with students who study for extended periods but never actually find themselves in a position to sit for and pass the exam. Though this is a frustrating situation to find yourself in, the solution isn’t at all complicated.
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ANSWER TO TODAY’S QUESTION:
The problem you’re facing is the result of studying, forgetting, studying, forgetting again… And on and on…
This is a simple fix. You’re going to implement a 1hr review session into your day.
I don’t know your particular history, but based on the majority of my encounters over the years, you’re most likely doing lots of questions, reading through a variety of materials, watching videos, etc.
Newsflash - it’s not working!
Why? You’re not reinforcing what you learned two days, weeks, or months ago.
For example…
Pretend you studied cardiology last week and have now moved on to GI.
How many times have you reviewed your cardio notes this week?
If you’re like most students, the answer is ZERO - and that’s the problem.
You’re moving forward…
You’re putting in the work…
But you’re not seeing results…
It’s time to make a change, cowboy.
By allowing so much time between studying and reviewing, you may forget one thing by the time you’ve learned another—not a recipe for success!
If you follow this path, you will never be adequately prepared for Step 1 or Step 2 CK.
A strategy based on covering topic after topic without any time for review will leave you in a perpetual cycle of starting, finishing, starting, finishing, etc.
So the fix is simple…
Every day—weekends included—should spend a full hour reviewing your previously covered topics.
How to implement this strategy
Many of you will ask, so here’s how it’s done: Gather all your notes, put them into a pile, and set a timer for 1hr. Go through your notes for a full hour. When the timer goes off, place a bookmark where you stopped, and pick it up from there tomorrow. There’s no need to overcomplicate this.
By doing this each day, you’ll continuously reinforce the material you’ve already covered… This will help you maintain, reinforce, and solidify your learning.
Can do it on your own? Find a study partner.
Don’t have a study partner? Join me every morning at 11 AM ET for two hours of high-yield content drills and high-yield USMLE practice questions. I've got your back if you can’t stick to it yourself. Click HERE if you’re ready to commit to your success.
That’s it for today!
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