Apologies for the multiple posts. I sent you a PM and hoping to get a response so I can plan accordingly. Many thanks.

sent you a pm.

Kish

2nd, I will just have to make sure I am there on Wednesday pm. I am in the mtn time zone so I believe my time will be 8-9:30 if your time zone is 7-8:30. Anyway I know May is available but I want to stay motivated and I feel like if I waited until may I will just loose focus.. This has been a long hard journey and I know I need help. I know it would difficult and challanging but I just did not think it would this bad for me..

Thanks for telling me. I did receive your application, but no confirmation from PayPal of payment. In fact I have received 6 other application all without confirmation of payment from PayPal. I may need to check if the PayPal payment system has a problem, since by this time I expect half the applicants to have enrolled already. Anyway there is another way of paying via PayPal. You send money to my account using my PayPal email which is payment@askdoc-usmle.com. Just write down your pertinent info with the payment (Name, etc.) so I can identify you. Actually, that is how the earlier batches paid for their enrollment before I learned how to use the PayPal “Pay Now” button.

The live lectures are handled using a virtual classroom software. So there is a Powerpoint presentation and audio. Although video is available, I have not turned it on due to possible bandwidth problems of users. Not all have high-speed internet. I usually recommend headphones. You have the option to use microphones, but it should be used with headphones so no echo will happen when your microphone picks up sounds coming from the speakers. Usually only my mic is turned on, while the others use the chat system to communicate with me. That way questions will be written down and I can answer questions as they are listed in the chat and do not miss somebody’s question during the chat session.

The lectures are done on schedule by batches. The 1st Lecture is “How to Master the USMLE Step 1″. And you are right, it is a very important lecture. Although most of the instructions on how to study the different subjects is in the subsequent 5 lectures, the first lecture explains why you have to study the way I have outlined. When I started the course, my biggest problem is getting students to follow the study methodology as outlined. Usually what happens is they follow some of it and happily ignored the rest, which will not do. Those who followed instruction more closely tend to do better than those who have not. So the lectures were set up to explain why you need to study a certain way so that more people will follow. For example, why you need to do at least 3 revisions and why each revision is different and done in a different way. Why you use different study materials in different phases of your review and what weak points and problems are being covered in each of this revision which requires you to study a different way. Why you need to finish your review within 6-8 months or you risk doing poorly in the exam. The actual methodology is discussed in detail in the other 5 lectures, but the reasons why they must be done that way is tackled in the first lecture. If you are good at following instructions without knowing the rationale why then taking the first lecture with the May class may not be a problem with you. But if you are the type who need to know why you need to do things a certain way before you will do things a certain way, then my suggestion is to attend the lectures in the order they were scheduled.

Askdoc

Second, do I need any special equipment other than my computer to view the live lectures.. I might have a difficult time viewing the march 3rd lecture so I wanted to know if I could view it on a different date or at a earlier time on march 3rd. That is the only lecture that I will have a difficult time with.. I know all the lectures are important and I don’t want to miss but I have a prior committment that I am trying to get out of.

You are welcome.

Askdoc

Thanks

What you primarily learn in my course is How to Study the USMLE Step 1. There are a lot of good study materials out there. People study the same study materials and get scores ranging from failing to high 99′s. So the key to scoring high is not the study materials you used although using the right study materials are important. The key to scoring high or passing is learning how to study the materials and retain them. Everyone has weak points in their study habits and test taking ability. The key to improving that is identifying and mitigating or eliminating those weak points. This weak points could be poor memory, poor test-taking skills, poor analytical skills, etc. Some people believe, that there is one magic bullet that can solve all their problems and viola, they can do well in the USMLE. They could not be more wrong. Usually if you fail or score very low, it means you have a lot of weak points, not just one. You need to identify them one by one and address them. If each weak point pulls you down by just 2 to 3 percent. then 10 weak points can pull you down by 20 to 30 percent. Big enough to fail.

Askdoc.