Frequently Asked Questions about USMLE Step 1

A guide for Second Year Medical Students at Loyola University of !icago "
Stritc! Sc!ool of Medicine
#!e follo$ing is a docu%ent t!at resulted fro% collaboration bet$een Students Advising
Students &SAS'( t!e #eac!ing and Learning enter &#L'( and t!e )epart%ent of
Acade%ic Affairs* +t is %eant to provide second year %edical students at SS,M $it!
guidance as t!ey prepare for t!e USMLE Step 1*
+n order to better ans$er t!ese questions a survey $as put fort! to t!e lass of -../ $it!
t!e e0pressed purpose of !elping future SS,M students* #!e survey yielded a response
rate of 11 responses*
Question #1 When should I take the exam?
#!e first t!ing to take into account is any unusual or special events t!at you !ave to$ards
t!e end of t!e second year and during t!e su%%er after your second year* For e0a%ple(
$eddings to attend( vacations( or planned %edical care* #!e current reco%%endation
fro% SS,M is to study appro0i%ately 2 $eeks for Step 1* Any less t!an 2 $eeks and
you %ay feel under3prepared* Any %ore t!an 2 $eeks and fatigue and burnout %ay
beco%e a factor* 4enerally finals take place during t!e first $eek of May* For t!e lass
of -../ 5/6 took Step 1 during t!e $eek of 7une 131.
t!
( $it! 1/6 taking t!e e0a%
earlier t!an 7une 1
t!
and t!e re%aining -26 took t!e e0a% later t!an 7une 1.
t!
&$it! %ost
of t!ose taking t!e e0a% bet$een 7une 11
t!
311
t!
'*
+t is strongly reco%%ended by SS,M to set a fir% test date and plan your study sc!edule
back$ards fro% t!is date* 8o$ever it is free of c!arge to c!ange your e0a% date as long
as t!e c!ange is %ade outside of 1 $eek prior to t!e original testing date* ,nly 2 students
actually did c!ange t!eir testing date( $it! 9 of t!e% stating it $as due to lack of
preparation*
Question #2 Where should I take the exam?
Alt!oug! t!ere are several :ro%etric #esting enters t!roug!out +llinois and t!e United
States( of t!e students in t!e lass of -../( ;16 of t!e% took t!e e0a% at t!e do$nto$n
!icago location &-. < lark St'( $it! 126 taking it at t!e Lo%bard( +L location* #!e
ot!er 56 took t!e e0a% at a different location( %ost likely near t!eir !o%eto$n &parent=s
!ouse'* >!en asked if t!ey $ould reco%%end t!eir testing site( only 1 person stated
?no@ referring to t!e do$nto$n !icago location* #!e )o$nto$n !icago location is
quite large $it! %any roo%s $it! co%puters* #!e negative of t!is location is t!at it is
do$nto$n !icago &eit!er pay to park or take t!e El train'( $it! t!e positive being t!at
often t!ey put all Step 1 test takers in a separate roo% so t!at ?non %edical students@ are
not disturbing you*
Question #3 Should I use the online Q-bank from Kaplan, In!?
,f t!e students surveyed 1..6 of t!e% utiliAed Q3bank &please note t!at ?Q3bank@ is not
t!e sa%e t!ing as ?Q3bank3+B@( t!is question refers to t!e original ?Q3bank@'* 156 of
t!e% found Q3bank ?Bery useful@( and -16 found it ?so%e$!at useful@* ,nly 9 students
said ?neutral@ and 9 said ?not very useful@* About !alf of t!e students surveyed actual
co%pleted all t!e questions on Q3bank*
Question #" Where should I stud#?
Cy t!is ti%e in your %edical sc!ool career you are quite fa%iliar $it! t!e various
locations to study* -/ of t!e students studied at sc!ool( -1 at t!eir !ouse( D at a
co%%unity library( 5 at t!e !ospital library( and 9 listed ?ot!er@* ,nly 1 person t!at took
t!e survey said t!ey $ould not reco%%end studying at t!eir location &sc!ool'*
>!en asked if t!ey studied in a group( 9;6 said ?never@( 996 said ?occasionally@( 1;6
said ?%ost of t!e ti%e@( and 196 said ?all t!e ti%e@*
Question #$ When should I start stud#in%?
,bviously t!e best ans$er to t!is question is to be constantly learning as you go t!roug!
your first and second years at Loyola* 8o$ever( t!ere is a distinct difference bet$een
studying for classes and studying for Step 1* Many students %ay find it difficult to
balance t!e need to study for class and t!e pressure to study and revie$ for Step 1* +t is
$ort! noting t!at 5D6 of t!e students stated t!at t!ey began studying for Step 1
i%%ediately after finals( 126 took so%e ti%e off after finals and t!en started studying(
$!ile only 1-6 stated t!ey started studying during second year spring break( anot!er
1-6 started studying during second year $inter break( and only 96 clai%ed t!ey started
studying during t!eir first year* >!en asked in retrospect if t!ey $ould !ave started
earlier( ;;6 stated ?no@( and -96 said ?yes@* All t!at stated ?yes@ began studying after
finals*
Question #& 'o( should I stud# for Step 1?
#!is is a very difficult question to ans$er as everyone studies differently* #!ere are a
variety of study books and aids available( not to %ention old class notes and +nternet
resources* //6 of students surveyed did create a set study sc!edule &for e0a%ples please
see SAS $ebsite'* D26 utiliAed t!e online s!elf e0a% fro% <CME paid for by SS,M(
$it! 116 used it early on as a guide to plan studying( 156 used it in t!e %iddle of
studying to plot progress and 116 took t!e practice test to$ards t!e end of studying to
assess preparedness*
>!en asked $!at subEects t!ey felt least prepared for( -16 said p!ar%acology( 1/6 said
bioc!e%istry( and t!e rest responded $it! a variety of ot!er ans$ers*
Question #) 'o( an the *eahin% and +earnin% ,enter -*+,. help me?
#!e #L at SS,M offers a variety of progra%s to assist students prepare for Coards*
Ceginning in 7anuary( $orks!ops are offered on Successful #est #aking Strategies(
Making a :lan( Long3#er% Me%ory Strategies( and Stress Manage%ent for #est An0iety*
+n addition( individual appoint%ents are available to define a study plan and strategies
t!at $ill best %eet eac! student=s content needs and learning style* #!e #L study roo%
!as a library of various revie$ books and a -..; USMLE Structured :acket to assist $it!
prioritiAing your study ti%e* #!e faculty revie$ sessions are coordinated by #L under
t!e direction of t!e MS- class officers* All %aterials are %ade available on t!eir $ebsite
$$$*%eddean*luc*eduFtlc under ?USMLE@*
Question #/ What are some of the more ommon re0ie( books that students use to
stud#?
>!en asked $!at $as t!eir %ost useful resource( t!e over$!el%ing %aEority said First
Aid for t!e Coards &1-6'( $it! -/6 saying Q3bank( and t!e rest saying CGS books
&pat!ology and p!ysiology'* ,t!er popular books utiliAed includeH 8ig! Yield Series
&E%bryology and Ce!avior Sciences especially'( Iaplan Study 4uides( :!ar% ards(
Micro ards( and Step3Up to t!e Coards* ,t!er t!an revie$ books( old class notes and
te0tbooks are also good options to revie$*
Question #1 What is it like to take the exam?
Everyone=s test taking e0perience $ill be different( depending on $!en and $!ere you
take t!e e0a%* 4enerally speaking t!e test is sc!eduled to begin in t!e %orning &around
/3D a%'* You s!ould arrive about 9. %inutes early $it! your testing per%ission slip and
+) card* After c!ecking in you $ill be given $!ite boards to $rite on for scratc! paper*
You $ill be asked to $rite your individual testing pass$ord on t!is $!ite board and $ill
be s!o$n to your co%puter* You can request airport3style ear%uffs if you $ant t!e%*
You %ust keep your +) on t!e desk at all ti%es( and are not allo$ed to re%ove any pieces
of clot!ing at any ti%e* #!ere is a 15 %inute tutorial to start t!e e0a%( !o$ever if you
skip t!e tutorial &you can do$nload it fro% t!e USMLE $ebsite at any ti%e'( you get an
e0tra 15 %inutes of break ti%e* So%e people $ill take t!e tutorial Eust to get t!eir nerves
under control( $!ile ot!er people prefer t!e e0tra break ti%e*
#!e actual test consists of ; sections of 5. questions in $!ic! you !ave 1 !our to
co%plete t!ose questions* +f you finis! $it!in a section early you can return to any
question in t!at section* 8o$ever once a section ends it is gone forever* ,f t!e 95.
questions t!at you take 5. are ?pilot questions@ t!at do not effect your score* +t is
unkno$n to you if t!e 5. questions are scattered t!roug! t!e test or if an entire section is
a practice section* You are given 25 %inutes of break ti%e &1. %inutes if you skip t!e
tutorial' t!at you can use in3bet$een any section* +t is up to you !o$ to divide up your
break ti%e* For e0a%ple so%e people $ill take - sections back3to3back $it!out a break
and t!en take a longer break* So%e $ill take 5 %inutes bet$een sections to stand up and
stretc! and t!en take a long lunc! break* #!e co%puter tells you !o$ %uc! break ti%e
you !ave left*
Speaking of lunc!( don=t forget to eit!er pack one or bring %oney to run out and buy
so%et!ing* So%e people prefer to stick around t!e testing center all day* ,t!er people
take a longer lunc! break and $ant to p!ysically leave t!e center* 7ust %ake sure you
keep track of !o$ %uc! break ti%e you !ave leftJ
Question #12 What kind of sore should I aim for?
Anot!er difficult question to ans$er* 4enerally( t!e national average is around -1;( and
SS,M=s average is around --.* You need a 1/- to pass* 8o$ $ell you $ant to do
depends on a nu%ber of factors( suc! as !o$ %uc! ti%e you !ave dedicated to study(
!o$ $ell you do on standardiAed tests( and $!at your ulti%ate career goals are* A good
resource to deter%ine $!at specialties are ?co%petitive@ to get into is +serson=s 4etting
+nto a Gesidency* +t ranks residencies on a 53star basis for co%petitiveness* 4enerally
speaking( t!e %ore co%petitive residencies $ant to see !ig!er Step 1 scores* Cut you
%ust also re%e%ber( t!at Eust like t!e MA#( Step 1 is only one section of your overall
residency application* So%e progra% directors care a lot about Step 1( so%e do not list it
as a priority* #aking t!e <CME e0a%s online is an e0cellent indicator of !o$ prepared
you are*