# Sticky  How to do well on the USMLE Step 1



## ZUKhan (Mar 24, 2006)

Hello Everyone, 

I wanted to tell you everything I did the moment I graduated from medical school in Pakistan. This will be helpful for all those who are interested in taking their USMLE's. First and foremost, don't forget to thank God for getting you through medical school, and then pray to God to get you through the next few crucial months of your life. Then you need to decide what match you want to go for. The Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) starts accepting applications usually the first or second of September. So if you are like me, and graduated in December from medical school, that gives you about 9 months to finish everything....and trust me it's more than enough time! I actually started studying in March due to some personal reasons, and I managed to give my Step 2 CS in May and Step 1 in August, and I applied in September with these two scores. I then took my Step 2CK in October, and am currently receiving calls for interviews.

After you graduate, take a few weeks off, and if you move back home, for example to the US, then rest during your jet-lag. During this time, go to ECFMG® | Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates. You will have to refer to this site time and time again. Sign up for the free newsletter, and sign up for an ECFMG ID Number. Go to 'Oasis-access your information', then click on 'Go to Oasis', then on the bottom, you find a link for first time users, click that, and fill out the information, it's fast and easy! Within a few days, you will get your number in an email, and keep it safe. And don't forget your password. To register for all of your exams...you will need to go to ecfmg.org, and click 'IWA -apply online'. 

Then map out your own timeline. I would recommend taking your Step 2 CS first. Take it and get it out of the way. For the CS, the result takes a long time to be issued, approx. 2-3 months! To prepare for this exam, all you have to do is read First Aid for Step 2CS. When you get to the physical exam section, watch any physical examination videos. I had got one from Pakistan, but it wasn't that good....so be sure to practice on someone after watching it. There are cases in the back of First Aid, and if you like, you can ask someone to act as those patients. Also, watch the video that comes in the mail once you apply for the CS to better familiarize you with everything. Read First Aid cover to cover. You need about 7-10 days for this. THAT'S IT!! I finished reading First Aid in my hotel room the night before my test, but I don't recommend that! Finish it before, and try to relax before the test.

Now for the more serious part! The USMLE Step 1*** 

One of the most difficult things will be to gather all the sources that you will be using to study for this exam. I bought so many books, and in the end didn't end up using a lot of them. IMG's have a difficult time sorting out all of the information. We tend to read everything from every book, and in the end, this is time consuming!!!!!!!! Don't read big textbooks! Don't waste your time....you want to study as much as you can in as short a time as possible. And as my good friend just told me  its what we learned in economics, the concept of diminishing marginal utility, that the more you put into something the more you get out of it, but the amount you get for every increment you put in, becomes less and less slowly with time.

As you study, remember you will always feel that you are not ready for the exam, and I suppose you never will be....cause there is a lot of stuff to learn, but I'm sure that all that information is stored somewhere in your CNS. It's stuff that you have learned throughout medical school, so it will insha'Allah come back to you when you are in need of it! I tell people to take the exam when you feel comfortable, just so I don't want them to blame me for anything , but the truth is, I was pressed for time, and I was scared cause I hadn't studied as much as my classamates and cause I was the first one giving it...but in the end, it turned out to be okay.

Alrighty, lets begin...You should first apply for your Step 1, select a 3 month block, and then know that you have to give it within those 3 months. Don't keep postponing your test, because apparently statistics show that you end up scoring lower the more you delay it....i have never read this, but this is what you hear from people.

The key to scoring high is QUESTIONS, the more u do the more u score okay!!
I did and recommend 3 revisions.

As it was told to me, First aid is your Bible okay!! Add notes to it!!
in the first revision, read physio from kaplan, then breeze thru first aid physio, add anything u remember
then do the rest for the other subjects, i didnt use kaplan anatomy. I did histo, embryo and gross from first aid!! its sufficient. I also did upper and lower limb injuries from high yield gross. I read neuro from high yield and first aid (its very imp!!). Neuroanatomy is extremely high yield for the Step 1!

I read MRS for microbio, not kaplan....and if u know all the micro in first aid, u can top micro, God Willing!

I used to start studying in the morning and would study till late at night. I took a lot of breaks in between, to pray, eat, spend time with family, watch television, etc etc so don't worry if you take a lot of breaks. You will probably end up spending about 7-10 days per subject. Most of the time, you are just highlighting and underlining, your not absorbing much. This should take you about 2 months, then start your next revision, the same way. Add notes to First Aid, I sometimes had them opened simultaneously. In this revision, you tend to absorb more information...stuff comes back to you! Spend less time on your second revision.

When i used to get tired I used to do Kaplan Qbook....but i never finished it. Trust me, there will be days where you will not want to read, don't worry, at those times, just do questions, use it like a game, do as much as you can, you may want to do a few every night, it's up to you. The thing is, you learn more from questions, cause you apply all the knowledge you attained from reading. Plus you see what is asked in these exams! There is so much stuff that you don't need to know that is written in the books, and the questions show you what is important.

Then i did Kaplan Qbank....I think it to 3 weeks.

Then my final revision was ONLY FIRST AID, let me repeat ONLY FIRST AID!! 
NO more big books, only First Aid....thats it, no time for learning new things. By now, you should have written A LOT into your First Aid! Mine is filled with writing, even on the inside of the covers! 

I spent 2 days per subject, and then I did NMS questions just before my exam...for about 4-5 days, that is a really good book. It's called NMS Review for Step 1. It prepares you well, because you don't always see those nice qbank style clinical vignettes, you get a lot of basic science questions!! So be warned!! 
and also, i had gone over some of the qbank questions that i got wrong (especially those difficult biostat and behav sci ones), there were like 20 of them, so i reviewed them the day before my test.

Also, the day before my test, I went through the pictures in First Aid. And I went through CT's and MRI images from High Yield. Also, there is a Rapid Review section at the end of your First Aid, go through that too!

Now, there are tests available online, at NBME. You pay $45 for a test, and it is supposed to be a good predictor of your actual score. There are 4 tests to choose from, I took test number 3. I later found out that it is the hardest of them all, so I don't know, I have heard that most med students take test number 2, it apparently is a real accurate predictor. People usually take it a month before their exam, because it will tell you your weak spots...but it won't tell you your wrong answers. It will give you a score report similar to the one you get after taking the real exam. But let me warn you, don't rely on this as a 100% accurate score predictor. I took it a week before my exam, and ended up doing a lot better on the real test. A friend of mine scored lower on the real exam. But the good thing is, that you will know if you pass or not...and this is comforting to know during the test, that hey at least I can pass. And then pay attention to each question, and try to select the right answer. Know that the answer is in right in front of you, it's just a matter of selecting the right one. 

Once you are done with your exam...you will feel as if you did really bad! But please don't freak out, on the real exam, there are a lot of sample questions, so those won't hurt your score! Insha'Allah #grin

I hope this helps you. Please feel free to email me if you have any questions. Please take advice from the people who have graduated before you. I emailed a lot of my seniors and asked them how what they did, and I guess I took a little bit from each person and made my own schedule. So use this and add your own stuff to it. I wish you all good luck and May God make it easy for all of you! Take care!!


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## Rehan (Jan 26, 2006)

Great advice ZUKhan! Thanks so much for sharing with us! #grin

ZUKhan got a 95 on his USMLE Step 1 exam following the method he's outlined above -- so definitely some good advice!

Thanks again.


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## atenolol (Jan 26, 2006)

Where'd the other 4 points go? OOOOHHHHHHH pwned. Just kidding, ZUKhan. That's something my dad would ask, except pwnage is implied in his case, not stated.


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## docsak03 (Dec 22, 2006)

being the slacker that i am, i studied for almost 50 days .. did patho from BRS and everything else from first aid ... watched the superbowl, the knock out stages of the UEFA champions league, finished all the folk tales they had at the library that i went to, followed the EPL and the italian serie a and in the end got a 80/198 for all the hard work that i put in ... i think ZUKHAN's method works better


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## MastahRiz (Jan 26, 2006)

99 here I come. iA.


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## Natacha (Feb 19, 2006)

*Wow! I just had to revive this thread. It was truly a GREAT one! I hope we get more helpful hints from other users?! Thanks again to Zukhan for this thread!*#yes


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## MastahRiz (Jan 26, 2006)

seriously, awesome thread


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## Saadat (Jan 25, 2007)

really excellent thread . too much helpful. welldone Zu khan .
well one of our class fellow is also appearing for MLE. as we are still in third year i told him its a big gamble . if he scores less than 95% i dont think so it might b helpful. #angry


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## sairaz (Aug 22, 2007)

wow. good job n thnks for the detailed thread. im just gettn into the medskool in pak so wen my time comes ill b sure to reread that thread. so how long did it take in total to finish up ur testing stuff n actually get workn as a dr?


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## Reham (Sep 28, 2007)

would u plz tell us in details what to do in step 2 ck ...i wouls like to benefit from your exeperience in this issue & thanks alot for your time & effort...good luck in your residency inshaa Allah


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## Nina (Jan 27, 2008)

Hi! My name ia Carolina, e Im from Brazil!
Im trying to buy Kaplan's books, following the instructions from our friends, but Im having some difficult on finding it?
Does anybody can help me?

Sorry...but what do you guys means when you say you have studied reading the high yields books? Sorry again...Im new on it!

Thanks!


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## Raluca (Apr 9, 2008)

Nice thread... I am studying for my USMLE step 1...I didn't know you can take step 2 first...cool! I took 2 years off after graduating medical school.. I think I need more time than normal to get my studies done well. I find High Yeld Histology hard. Good luck everyone!


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## SaneelaAltaf (Nov 19, 2007)

Assalam-alaikum.
I am 2nd year med student at a local medical college and after reading your very helpful post, I have some questions.I plan to take my Step 1 exam after completion of my 3rd year.Is the time right?Because I want to finish off with it as soon as possible.I have Kaplan's set of "Lecture Notes".But it does not have ample practice questions.So what books should I get for practice questions?And what about Pretest?Are the questions there upto the standard of the MLE?And could you please explain what books these "high-yield" , "first aid" and "MRS" are?So that I can get them from a local store.And which other MCQ books would you recommend?
Regards,
Saneela Altaf.


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## frankjcouto (Jan 29, 2009)

Hi Assalam

I'm IMG and I took my first test the last september, when i was studing for the test and after read the lecture notes, i bought the Kaplan's usmle step 1 Q bank on internet, is really helpful but you need to do the question with time for an accurate estimation of your score and simultaniously read the first aid when you have a doubt. After finish the Qbank try to do any simulate test like NBME, it's very accurate, specially the last one.


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## anticholinesterase (Nov 19, 2007)

What about the score for the rest?


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## frankjcouto (Jan 29, 2009)

The other tests are least accurate than last two, that is because the test 5 and 6 have questions very similar to the real step, and all the people that i know, when take this test, got a similar score in the real one, +/- 3 points of error. 

Remember that the new step has 48 question per block and has questions with videos. The last one has all of those and in my particular case i got the same score that in my step.


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## sacharissa200 (Feb 3, 2009)

*Thanks for ur advice*



Rehan said:


> Great advice ZUKhan! Thanks so much for sharing with us! #grin
> 
> ZUKhan got a 95 on his USMLE Step 1 exam following the method he's outlined above -- so definitely some good advice!
> 
> Thanks again.


 
wow,,its nice score,,
i'm already have ID for USMLE from ecfgm.org

now i'm prepared for USMLE step 1.
do u have any advice for me?
i'm second year now..
thanks


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## rprestinary (Feb 4, 2009)

*TIMe???*

How long should it take to prepare for step 1?


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## frankjcouto (Jan 29, 2009)

the preparation for the step 1 depends how fast you can study, you could be prepare in 3 months or in 6 months, but that depend in the score of simulate exams


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## rprestinary (Feb 4, 2009)

Thank you I am taking the kaplan deluxe prep hope to do well!


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## ukgeek (Feb 26, 2009)

the best way to prepare for the usmle step1 is to follow the board reviews book for all step1 subject and solve the Qbook which are given.


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## Precious (Jan 28, 2009)

Hello,hw r u.Im a second yr medical student in Zhejiang university. i want to knw how to go by applying and getting my ID number to sit for the my usmle step 1.Since u have already got yours.Hope to hear from u soon.Nice studies


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## dr_psychic (Jun 5, 2009)

thanx,ur info was correlated with other usmle successful students,same materials,same methods.


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## vebedekhi (Jul 16, 2009)

Thanks,
I am new here.
I bought Kaplan books of 2006 edition. But I could not manage time as I already entered in PhD program.
Now I am planning to sit for step I first, probably in 2010. Are those 2006 edition books ok? Or do I need to purchase latest/newer edition?
I will appreciate your help.


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## Adnank47 (Nov 17, 2009)

Hey I just decided to enrol in the Kaplan Online web course...its about 9 months long. I'm currently in my 2nd year of med-school out in China (originally from Toronto, Canada). I just wanted some advice as to whether the web course would be sufficient enough to help me do well on the exam. 

Has anybody actually taken the web course?


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## drbelica (Dec 20, 2009)

*I think it is very well written, haven`t taken the test any part but it was nice reading this, it is from the heart, thx a lot* #wink


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## anticholinesterase (Nov 19, 2007)

I do have one question. After I have passed my Usmle for how long is the result valid? And what are the chances of foreign university students (Asian University) getting accepted to work in the US?


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## MastahRiz (Jan 26, 2006)

Your chances will always depend on the scores! If you get a great score you'll have great chances. To find out more you should see if you can find any other students from your university or similar ones who are now working as residents/interns in the US.

I'm pretty sure the test results are valid for 10 years if you pass, whereas if you fail you can take the test again.


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## Sarah08 (Jul 9, 2007)

Thanks this is so helpful. InshaAllah everyone will do awesome on their exams


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## sbdn1977 (Jul 1, 2010)

that was really great help and some relief for me. thanks a lot


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## bluemind (Oct 14, 2010)

this is the best suggestion I've ever read regarding step 1. Thanks friend...hope to continue studying step 1 as u advised....


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## saranyaa (Jul 21, 2010)

Fabulous thread.. Very superb information.. Thanks for sharing this..


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## Sam212 (Apr 3, 2006)

This thread has very helpful info and I thought I'd add some of mine. In order to do well you must memorize first aid cover to cover. Read rapid review pathology by Goljan as he integrates stuff very well. Also I find first aid to be lacking in physio so brush up with brs phys by costanzo. As for the question bank, Kaplan is not very indicative of what the board questions are like, invest your money in usmleworld, IRS well worth it, trust me. That's all really, if you suck at micro, read micro made ridiculously simple. Don't be reading Kaplan books for anything as you'd most likely be lost and it's a waste of time.


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## tara05 (Jan 22, 2011)

hello sam, i read what you said about the usmle.. actuallly ive been attempting to study for the step one and i do find the kaplan books a bit confusing, do i need just first aid? or anythingelse and approximately how many months do i need to prepare ? ( i am international medical student- doin my course in india but i live in texas)


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## drRezaKhan (Jan 24, 2011)

Thats true! The books can be confusing, especially the older ones. I took the USMLE prep with Kaplan and did pretty well though. It was the lecture videos and qbanks that helped more then the books. I think they have a live lecture option too but its on the pricey side.


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## Sam212 (Apr 3, 2006)

tara05 said:


> hello sam, i read what you said about the usmle.. actuallly ive been attempting to study for the step one and i do find the kaplan books a bit confusing, do i need just first aid? or anythingelse and approximately how many months do i need to prepare ? ( i am international medical student- doin my course in india but i live in texas)



I am a US student so I only had 6 weeks to study for the exam at the end of my second year. Here's what I did, I read Goljan Rapid review with my systems based path throughout second year. Also, I read Micro Made ridiculously simply when I was taking micro. I then integrated first aid by looking at systems the weekend before exams. 

Come step 1 time, I read BRS physiology with correxponding systems I was reading in first aid. And I read the same system in Goljan. 6 weeks, did two passes at first aid, 2 passes at Goljan RR. Yielded an excellent score, all of my friends who used the same strategy also scored very well.

First aid the the most comprehensive and the absolute best resource. It should serve as your bible, the problem though is that it doesn't explain a lot of concepts and goes right in to the good stuff. Therefore, if you don't have a good understanding of the big picture, first aid doesn't really teach you much. That's why you should read Goljan rapid review Pathology. That book ties everything together so well and explains all the pathophys behind all the diseases. It even goes over biochemical pathways (if any) involved along with the organisms that may cause the disease. He even goes over pharmacologic treatments for diseases. It is an excellent resource and a must read.

You have to gauge for yourself as to how much you know and have retained from your basic science classes. The prep can then take anywhere from 1 month to 4 months. If you dont have the basics down, investing in a kaplan course won't be a bad idea, though it will cost you a fortune. If you know your stuff well, I can't imagine that it'll take you more than 2 months to be ready.


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## MastahRiz (Jan 26, 2006)

^Good advice!


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## arhama (Mar 12, 2011)

hey m prepering for da entry tst of mbbs can any1 help me frm which buk shud i study nd can any1 jus guide me sir i didnt get wats usmle???


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## talib (Feb 22, 2011)

so wait what medical school did you go to (one who started this thread)


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## kalimo87 (May 11, 2011)

arhama said:


> hey m prepering for da entry tst of mbbs can any1 help me frm which buk shud i study nd can any1 jus guide me sir i didnt get wats usmle???


if you're preparing for the mbbs entry test for punjab medical colleges, the only books you need to study are the *biology, chemistry, and physics books for F.Sc.* know those six books (two for each subject) inside out, the *entry test questions are lifted from the text word-for-word*. the test is made up entirely of mcq's, so if you're not used to that style of examination, buy a *book/CD with practice questions* to get a feel for it, and do all the practice tests you can get your hands on. a lot of students take summer courses at entry test prep centres, which i don't think is necessary, as they simply read aloud what's in the textbooks, and administer practice tests that you can buy from any bookstore. again, all you need to do is:
1) know what's in the F.Sc text books VERY well
2) take as many practice tests as you can

as for the usmle, that is the United States Medical Licensing Exam. it is the exam you need to pass to be allowed to practice medicine in the US, and consists of three parts:
Step 1
Step 2 (Clinical Skills & Clinical Knowledge)
Step 3
ALL medical graduates must give this exam, regardless of where they graduated from. you shouldn't worry yourself about that right now - focus on the entry test. best of luck!


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## < sara > (Mar 14, 2008)

hey guys.. !

I am planning to take USLME step 1 next year like in August or so.. 

I just finished my 3rd year and 4th year classes start next week.. do you guys think this is the right time? and the method & advice that ZuKhan gave is that still applicable after SIX years? And if not, can someone please give me advice & help me out regarding which books I should use... that would really help.. !


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## Sheryar (Dec 2, 2012)

nice


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## rohit.bhansalis (Mar 20, 2013)

*Amazing Article*

Hi dude,This is the best article about USMLE I have read in a very long time,Thanks a tonne 
I am currently studying in my 2nd year with subjects Pathology,Community Medicine,microbiology etc.,
I am very passionate about studying in The U.S and dream about becoming a ortho surgeon.With the tough amount of competition do International medical graduates stand a chance?Also i HAVE heard people talking about RESEARCH papers etc.,is this really important?


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## Sam212 (Apr 3, 2006)

rohit.bhansalis said:


> Hi dude,This is the best article about USMLE I have read in a very long time,Thanks a tonne
> I am currently studying in my 2nd year with subjects Pathology,Community Medicine,microbiology etc.,
> I am very passionate about studying in The U.S and dream about becoming a ortho surgeon.With the tough amount of competition do International medical graduates stand a chance?Also i HAVE heard people talking about RESEARCH papers etc.,is this really important?


I am a pgy1 ortho resident. Ortho in the US is ridiculously competitive, even for the US grads. Foreign grads that seldomly get in, usually have trained in their countries and have years of research, not to mention top USMLE scores. I would say, shoot for the stars but have a solid back up plan as getting into ortho for you at this point is almost like a pipedream, not trying to be a dreamkiller but trying to be realistic.


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## rohit.bhansalis (Mar 20, 2013)

*Thanks Sam*

What about other courses like Psychology etc?Somewhere I can be have a realistic chance of actually getting a PG seat?When is it best to write exams.I have now completed Microbiology,Pathology,Community medicine,Pharmacology


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## Saira101 (Mar 8, 2009)

Thanks for the great thread. Jzk


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## rizwan94 (Aug 11, 2012)

Hi everyone,

Here's an account of another doctor who scored a 99 in USMLE (2011):
KemUnited - The King Edward Medical University Blog: USMLE Step 1 Experience by Ayaz Mehmood (Score : 99/266) 

It's lengthy but worth a read.


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## drmurali (Nov 24, 2014)

Bacterial endocarditis (Endocarditis) - High Yeild Topics For USMLE, 10 Points You Should Know
is a localized infection of the endocardium
characterized by vegetations involving the valve leaflets or walls.
It can also be classified as acute (ABE) or subacute (SBE).
Infection of healthy valves by high-virulence organisms
Produces metastatic foci
Usually fatal if not treated within 6 weeks
Most common organism is S. aureus (MCQ)
Seeding of previously damaged valves (rheumatic heart disease, con-
genital valve defects: mitral valve prolapse)
caused by low-virulence organisms
Does not produce metastatic foci
Most common organism is Streptococcus viridans (MCQ)
Mitral valve is most often affected(MCQ)
Read more at news4medico dot com/endocarditis/
1132 High Yeild Topics for USMLE


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## disguised_angel (Sep 23, 2017)

What medical school did you go to in pak?


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## GoToMedStud11 (Jul 30, 2018)

*Hello*

Anyone here a US Medical student? Preferably those are who planning to pursue surgery. I would just want to ask what makes a good sutures for you?

- - - Updated - - -

Anyone here a US Medical student? Preferably those are who planning to pursue surgery. I would just want to ask what makes a good sutures for you?


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## Texila (Mar 4, 2019)

Excellent tips and advice for medical students who are preparing for the exams. All the best folks


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