1.
Use Kaplan lectures.. Video lectures wud be better..
2..
Along with the lectures, read Kaplan series books complemented by lecture notes series books..
3.
Use Kaplan as the mother book as lecture notes books are too thick and too brief to be used as a main review book. Add into Kaplan book points from lecture notes and from the video lectures
4.
After 1st read of a subject let's say anatomy, which usually includes reading initially the Kaplan book followed by video lectures with the Kaplan book opened infront of you for adding in point or info and then lastly reading the lecture notes book from which u again add in information to Kaplan book...
So after the 1st read, read first aid and read it word by word. Every word is important. Every single word.
5.
After reading first aid book.. Review Kaplan book again which now contains information from the lectures and from the lectures note book. After this review revisit the 1st aid book. This is essentially ur 1st review of the book.
6.
Now u can either start doing u Qs after the 1st review or before referring to the 1st aid of 1st review. U can use the q book as an additional refernce as well.
Whatever hints, new information and hints that u get, supplement ur Kaplan book with further notes or stickies.
7.
During u Qs and q book, revisit and add points and refernces to the Kaplan book or 1st aid as u wish. This should be done in a way that in the end u just read first aid and at max refer to Kaplan series. All rest resources shud be irrelevant to u.
8.
Do the above for each subject. Where you do not understand stuff take help for illustrated series.. E. G. Illustrated pathology, medicine, physio etc. They usually have one picture per disease or body function. The one picture is one good refernce for recalling stuff.
9.
Keep a 300 plus pages "refernce notebook" with u. During the 1st review, W
While you read topics or subjects, write down one reference word or key finding per disease, ailment or medical history. Leave 3 to 4 lines and add in second point.
I would like to emphasize this 3 to 4 lines space as you need it to add in points for the same key word and revision becomes easier during the last few weeks. e.g. Key point is diaarhea after eating Rice.. This should refer you to baccilus cerus. So u wud write diaarhea >>> rice intake. And below it u write bacillus cerus.
or
diarrhea after camping should refer you to giardia and u wud write... Camping or stream water >>>> giardia lamblia
or
popcorn cells should refer you to the specific blood cancer etc.
You may add in more info which is relevant or related or also leads to the same conclusion or its alternate.
This refernce note book saves time during usmle exam, which is an 8 hrs long exam and every question needs to be answered in like less than a minute... So the moment u read a key word, ur mind can zero in to a topic and thus u answer questions with relative ease.
10.
From what I have seen and heard from my friends and juniors.. I have come to a conclusion that one must not spend too much time on histology and embryology. First aid material and one or max 2 read of lecture notes is probably enough.
11.
Dont rush into it... It took me 8 months to be comfortable with my step 1 preparation.
Book a date only after ur 1st review. If u finish it today and u believe u can appear after 3 months, give urself 4 months as u need to keep a contingency plan for ailments and unseen circumstances and especially for the unforseen complications of 2nd review.
12.
No need to listen to Lectures during 1st review of books or afterwards. Keep on adding stuff to ur reference note book and also to ur first aid or Kaplan book. If some paragraphs or points are important and can not be written on 1st aid then on the start or the end of the book (u choose, but b consistent with ur choice) add in the page no and the paragraph that is important and needs to be reviewed later.
13.
After 2 reviews, u are good to go. After 2nd review, Use 1st aid, refernce notebook that h made plus only the specified sections of Kaplan that u made a note off at the start or end of the book.
14.
On the day before the exam. Stop reading after lunch time. Pack up, make ur self busy and lie down around 7pm. Trust me u won't sleep till late, but rest. Do not open any book after lunch time.
15.
On the day of the exam.... Do not go to the exam hall without consuming a gud breakfast. Do not drink too much, it will force u to take a break later. Take along lots of different chocolate minis with u or candies. They shud help u with ur sugar level during the 8 hrs exam.
Plan ur breaks... Read it again..
Plan ur breaks in advance.... . U must plan ur breaks.. Now let's read this again... Plan ur breaks. I can not emphasize it more.
In each break u must opt for the 2 or 3 kind of chocolate bites or minis that u brought along. U Wont feel like eating a single one but u must as a good sugar level helps.
I used Mars, snickers and bounty as the 1st 2 choices are loaded with sugar and bounty was used to change the taste.
Again, Use the breaks intelligently. Two breaks of 8 to 10 minutes after every 3 hrs supplemented by a 5 min break between the two 10 minute break and another 5 min break after an hr or an hr and a half after the second 10 minute break is usually a good practice and gives u enough time to pee, eat and drink coffee etc. Think and Plan wisely but the initial 2.5 to 3 hrs stretch should be without a break.
16.
The above is my experience or what worked for me. Every person has or her own study style. Uslme requires persistent approach, hard work and coming up with ideas to use tons aNd tons of information that u read during the 6 to 10 months period. For me "refernce note book was the key, other people use different color highlighters but that makes u scan the whole book and j are bound to read paragraphs or topics every now and then. I have also met a girl who used to record points and listen to them later.
So, whatever works for u is the right approach.
Best of luck to ur friend. Tell her there is an old consultant in the long Island Jewish center who failed the 1st attempt and got 99 in the second one. If he can, so can she.
