Askdoc-USMLE Prep Courses
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By askdoc, on March 29th, 2011
When I was first thinking about taking the USMLE Steps, this was the foremost question in my mind. Most of the advise I got were pretty bad. They say your chance of passing is very poor. And even if you pass, chances are your score will be quite low. Low scores plus Old . . . → Read More: Am I too Old to Take the USMLE?
By askdoc, on March 25th, 2011
When I was starting my prep, I kept on meeting the word high-yield. As in high yield review, high yield topics and high yield questions. So what does high yield means.
As used by most people reviewing for the USMLE, High yield means medical concepts that are frequently tested in the USMLE. Therefore reviewers . . . → Read More: What are High Yield Topics?
By askdoc, on March 22nd, 2011
What are Experimental Questions in USMLE?
When I first heard about experimental questions, the first questions that came to mind are:
What is the experiment? What are they experimenting on? Why are they included in the USMLE?
Like most people I started my research by going online visiting forums and blogs. After sifting . . . → Read More: What are Experimental Questions in USMLE?
By askdoc, on March 17th, 2011
When I first started thinking about taking the USMLE Steps, my first inclination was to find out everything about this examination. Not just the official version or materials about the USMLE but also all the nuts and bolts and tips and tricks or ‘secrets’.
Researching the information requires going through various official sites, blogs, . . . → Read More: USMLE FAQ
By askdoc, on October 5th, 2010
For most people, preparing for an exam involves learning the material tested in the exam. After doing so, they feel that is enough for them to do well in the examination. For most short quizzes and even shelf exams, that is usually enough. But for examinations like the USMLE, it calls for a . . . → Read More: Why You Need Three Phases in USMLE Prep – I
By askdoc, on September 27th, 2010
The Holy Grail of the USMLE exam is to get a 99 or much more rarely the double 99. This is where you get a 99 on both the USMLE Step 1 and the USMLE Step 2 CK. Only very few people can achieve the even rarer triple 99, where you also get . . . → Read More: Can I get a 99 in the USMLE?
By askdoc, on September 13th, 2010
There are many problems that the typical Old IMG faces when preparing for the USMLE. It is important for the Old IMG to be aware of this as this has a big impact on the way he should plan his prep.
What is an Old IMG?
An Old IMG is anyone who has . . . → Read More: Common Problems Faced by the Old IMG in USMLE Prep
By askdoc, on September 9th, 2010
When I started thinking about taking on the USMLE way back in last quarter of 2004, I would scour through all the forums. Trying to find any information I can get on how to tackle this difficult exam. I would pay special attention to the postings on exam experience. And whenever I see . . . → Read More: How to Score 99′s in the USMLE
By askdoc, on September 6th, 2010
Hi. I’m Mike, otherwise known as Askdoc. Some of you may already know my story. For those who don’t, well, I am a very old IMG, graduated way back in 1989. I took the USMLE Step 1 in April, 2006 and scored a 99/256 and USMLE Step 2 CK in November, 2006 and . . . → Read More: Advice for the Old IMG taking the USMLE
By askdoc, on September 2nd, 2010
Biggest Mistake in USMLE Prep
One of the biggest mistakes people make in prepping for the USMLE is underestimating the time it takes to finish the prep. It seems a lot of people start their USMLE prep by opening a book and then start reading. They have no estimate on how fast they . . . → Read More: Three Phases of USMLE Prep
By askdoc, on August 16th, 2010
Which NBME Form should you Use for USMLE Step 1?
This is one of the most common question that I usually encounter both in my blogs and in the various forums. And you have as many answers as there are NBME forms, in fact more. Various answers include the following
- Use all 7 NBME forms to track your progress
- Use at least 2 NBME forms and get the average
- Use NBME form 5 to 7 as they are harder
- Use NBME form 1 to 4 as they are easier
- Use NBME form (#) as they are most predictive
As you can see recommendations vary and reasons vary. My recommendation is to use at least 2 NBME forms, one from the easy set of NBME form 1 to 4 and the second one from the harder set of NBME form 5 to 7 and then get the average. If you want to know why, then read on.
Continue reading Which NBME Self Assessment Form to Use for USMLE Step 1
By askdoc, on August 2nd, 2010
It’s been over a year since I first published “NBME Self-assessment Tests and USMLE Review.” Little did I know it will become the most popular of my post with over 14,000 pageviews in the past year. Since that time a lot of things have changed, hence this update.
If you have not read the previous two posts on this topic, please do so as I will not be repeating what I have said there in this post. You can access Part 1 here and Part 2 here.
How well does NBME predict your USMLE Score?
That has been the number one question asked of me since I wrote about this topic. My answer is still the same. Fairly well. Although correlation is never 100% more like 70 to 80%. However, certain development in the past few years have made the assessment tests less reliable for some people. Continue reading NBME Self-assessment Tests and USMLE Review – An Update
By askdoc, on June 21st, 2010
I would like to congratulate Goat99 for passing the USMLE Step 1 recently with a score of 91/219 which she took last April. Goat99 is a member of the June 2009 batch of Askdoc’s USMLE Step 1 Prep Course. We wish her well as she prepares for the challenges of USMLE Step 2 CK. . . . → Read More: Congratulations Goat99! USMLE Step 1 Score 91/219
By askdoc, on May 31st, 2010
Click here to access Askdoc’s USMLE Step 2 CS Prep Course
The USMLE Step 2 CS is probably the most neglected examination in the USMLE. It is usually taken as an afterthought, with very little preparation taken before the exam. And in relation to the other bigger exams, Step 1, Step 2 CK and Step 3, maybe it is not as “important”.
Unlike its bigger cousins, USMLE Step 2 CS is a pass/fail exam. So performing really wells serves no other purpose than to feel good about yourself. Of course, over preparing can also insure that there is no chance you will fail. However, it is important to realize that although USMLE Step 2 CS is relatively simple, if you are unfamiliar with the methodology of the exam you can fail. For most AMGs this is not a problem since simulated patient exams are part of their normal curriculum. However, for most IMG’s it is a rather novel experience.
Therefore, the key to doing well in the Step 2 CS exam is to be so familiar with the methods that it becomes second nature to you. This includes doing a relevant medical interview, performing a focused physical examination and writing a legible and coherent patient note. All under time pressure. You also need to dress, act and speak in a professional manner. And all this takes practice.
The most important thing in preparing for Step 2 CS is practice. Practice, practice and more practice. Askdoc’s USMLE prep course currently consists of 30 practice cases that you can use to sharpen your mastery of the methods. An additional 30 cases will be finished in the next few days to bring the total number of cases you can practice on to 60.
Continue reading Askdoc’s USMLE Step 2 CS Prep Course Now Open for Enrollment
By askdoc, on April 10th, 2010
I read Kaplan notes once, FA twice and doing Qbanks now. Is that enough for Step 1? A frequent question asked in forums and in my blog but misses the point entirely. It is never a question of how much effort you put into preparing for the USMLE that determines the final result of your prep, but how well you have retained and are able to recall the information you have studied. Although a certain amount of effort is required in order to achieve this, how much time and effort you put in to achieve equivalent result depends on the skill and intelligence you put into your prep. It is not so much studying harder as studying smarter.
In the forums, you see a lot of people studying the same things in the same way and results range for high 99′s to failing. So something else must be at work to explain the variety of results achieve using what is essentially the same study plan. And that something is the level of mastery achieved by different people using the same plan. It has to do with the different methods people use to study the material. As some people have asked time and again. When you say you have revised the material 2 times, do you mean you have read the materials twice, or you have tried to memorize the material twice. And therein lies the difference in results.
For the purpose of the USMLE, what you cannot recall in a minute or so, you do not know. It is not enough for you to have read Kaplan, or FA or whatever, but you should be able to recall what you have read. If you cannot answer a question, it is because:
1. you do not know the concept because you have not read it
2. you read the concept but you did not understand it
3. you read the concept and understood it but cannot recall it in the exam
4. you read the concept, understood it and can recall it in the exam given enough time, but of course since this is the USMLE, you never have enough time
Continue reading Why You Need to Master the USMLE Step 1
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