Study Schedules

[MastahRiz]

So far I've found a daily study schedule to be the most useful thing for med school. For people who are studying for or have taken steps already, did you all use some kind of a schedule to study? If so, what kind of a breakdown did you have for # of hours per subject, # of hours per day, etc, etc? Or does a schedule not really help?

[Natacha]

Oh wow this is a very good topic, Doc. That is something I'd like to know also!

[Jamal]

I read following a long time ago in another forum, so I am now passing this information on to you, the avid medstudentz forum junkie. I know it doesn't actually have an "hourly" breakdown, but it still helps in organizing study time nonetheless, based on subject/book:

Hello all I am an IMG from India completed my MD pediatrics from here & then decided to try my luck with usmle. I prepared for 4 months , was working part time as a pediatrician and my score came yesterday. i got 255 / 99. I would like to thank GOD for his help.
I was a regular visitor at this forum and i to an extent prepared a strategy from all the posts that were posted her.
So I decided to write one myself.
THIS SHOULD BE HELPFUL TO ALL THOSE WHO ARE TAKING THE EXAM AFTER GRADUATION.
________________________________________
Few points about my exam:

1) Most of questions were very clinical
2) they were very long
3) Pathology and anatomy were well tested
4) CT scans & electron microscopy were asked
5) There were lot of solid questions from Pediatrics (Inborn errors + genetics) & medicine (Streptokinase side effects and cardiac catherisation )
6) Time was just enough
7) Many of questions did test objective facts , so u need to mug up a little.
________________________________________
Tips from my side:

GENERAL:
1) First aid is high yield, you should master it, I read through it twice and i think the last week devote to revise first aid esp pictures in it.
2) what ever you read see the clinical impliaation of it and see how it can be framed as a question
3) BSS question bank and Kaplan Q bank were found to be very useful, BSS was terrific, try to do as many questions from it , it will tell u where u stand.
4)Sleep well before the exam , exam is long and tiring.
5) Some of the questions do have a seemingly correct choice as the first choice, so read through all choices.
6) Try to finish the first 25 questions in 25 minutes OR u will run short of time.

SPECIFIC:

ANATOMY:
Read high yield gross anatomy + neuronatomy (its foreword has most of the important points) + high yield histology + embryology form kaplan notes + tables from high yield.
go through ct cuts given in web path cd in histopatholgy section + histology slides from jaydoc histoweb.
BUT I FELT THAT AS YOU WORK QUESTIONS & IF YOU DO NOT KNOW ANSWERS REFER THESE ALONE FROM OTHER BOOKS. For pictures like skull base use keith l moore anatomy , it has got some good pictures in it.

PHYSIOLOGY:
Kaplan notes + MCQ's from brs physiology , CNS from brs physiology.

MICROBIOLOGY:
kaplan notes + tables & mcq's from Medical Microbiology & Immunology Examination and Board Review Warren Levinson, Ernest Jawetz.

PATHOLOGY:
BRS pathology + web path is more than enough , I was basically good at patho so i am not sure whether kaplan notes were useful or not.

BEHAV SCIENCE:
Every IMG'S nightmare can be best tackled by reading kaplan notes + high yield & specifically doctor patient relation ship q's from brs and pretest behavioral science. try to do as many questions in this subject.

PHARMACOLOGY:
Kaplan notes + plenty of questions , supplement your knowledge from any book om topics which u do not know. try to undersatnd all the concepts in pharmacodynamics / kinetics .

BIOCHEMISTRY:
First AID + from any biochem book u are comfortable with, concentrate on all inborn errors of metabolism and enzyme kinetics. Biochem is low yield , butif u do not read atleast what i have mentioned u are in trouble.
________________________________________

What to revise in the end:

1) First aid
2) Physio and pharmac + biochem enzymes
3) Selected pictures from webpath i.e those topucs which are discussed in brs, liver is high yield, DO NOT TRY TO SEE FULL WEB PATH
4) Do USMLE CDS atleast once though it is not at all like the real exam
5)Relax & pray to god that ur exam goes well.

I hope this post will atleast help 1 soul preparing for his exam.

[Natacha]

I found some detailed scheduals form this website.
Hope it helps.

[medicalmarvel]

why not schedule our studies using the vacations. since all know that med studies mean real stress, it might be worthy to take extra load during vacations.

[Reham]

why there's no one talking about step 2 ck