Typically, medical students take Step 1 of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) following their preclerkship training. For many medical students, that means their exam date is approaching.
For medical students entering their dedicated study window—the home stretch of the preparation process—the key question is: How can you make the most of your remaining time? Here are some helpful tips.
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Don’t do it alone
- Find a motivating study partner—someone who can supplement your knowledge and hold you accountable. Set up a regular weekly session where you can review what you have learned and determine what you need to learn.
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Identify, focus on high-yield topics
- Speaking broadly, Step 1 focuses on the basic sciences. “The general wisdom is that Step 1 has a significant portion of the test on physiology, pharmacology and pathology,” according to Christopher Cimino, MD, formerly the chief medical officer at Kaplan Medical. “And some questions will have a combo of two or all three as part of the question.”
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Pick up the pace
- Ideally, medical students have been preparing for the exam in one way or another for months before the dedicated study window. What changes as the exam date approaches is the pace of that preparation.
- Kelly Chopra is the medical sales division business development manager at UWorld. She has been helping students and physicians prepare for the USMLE series of exams for more than a decade. During an AMA member-exclusive webinar she advised that as the Step 1 exam date is weeks out, students “need to hone in and work on those weaker areas and really build that speed and stamina so you are prepared for test day as it's quickly approaching.”
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Factor in personal wellness
- At the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC) the school has encouraged students to not think about the exam. “Students have initiated Step 1-free zones at our school, where you are not allowed to talk about it. And the first person who does talk about it pays a dollar,” said Chantal Young, PhD, USC’s director of medical student wellness.
- “Taking full days in the middle of dedicated studying, if not two full days, of rest is very important. Sometimes you need to wake up in the morning and know you’re not touching it today. Your brain needs to rest and recover just like your body does if you are preparing for an incredibly difficult athletic event.”
Medical students who join the AMA can select from a variety of gifts when they sign up for a multiyear membership, including powerful study aids such as First Aid for the USMLE Step 1, $40 off an AMBOSS library membership, a three-month Boards & Beyond subscription or up to $60 off UWorld USMLE or COMLEX-USA QBanks. Learn more.
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