study 8-11 hrs / day ??

imo, make a schedule and STICK TO IT...there is nothing more frustrating than studying for 10 hours and feeling like you are banging your head against the wall at the end of the day...also, DON'T spend too much time reading forums on-line...

By step 1, everyone knows what works for them, and its key to personalize your schedule to be most productive...obviously adjustments can be made here or there along the way, but for the most part i would use the passed around pre-made schedule for ideas on how to study, not for an exact regimen.

You can prepare for step I in three weeks if you have done your groundwork during your second year.

Here is what to do:

1. Buy BRS pathology and First Aid in year 1 of med school
2. Every week update these with hand written comments from your micro, physio, etc classes.
3. Buy some other review books that you like. I used high yield micro behav sciences
4. Set a study schedule. My goal was 6 hrs per day for three weeks with 1 day off each week.
5. Work out or run. This was key for me
6. DO not underestimate fatigue in the test.
7. Start with 50 quest per day on QBank, then work your way up till you are doing full blocks.
8. For all the questions add notes to your first aid.
9. The last three days just read your first aid (i.e. three times)

10. Get up early the day of the test and get some exercise

On the day of the test try to fly through the first few blocks so you still have stamina for the finish.

if you are not prepared to study 30hrs/day, then don't consider ortho

I studied 12+ hrs/day for 4 wks, but I knew I had to break 250 in order to match. There are a variety of methods out there, but I used a modified Penn method which basically consists of FAx2 in the last wk along with questions. I thought the Taus method was pretty good too- you can find it on SDN. I made a PPT for the MS1/2 and will copy/paste some of the info here:

Goals:
Assesses your understanding and application of important concepts basic to medicine
Emphasis on principles/mechanisms of underlying health, disease, and modes of therapy.
Ensures mastery of not only the sciences, but also the scientific principles required for maintenance of competence.
Constructed according to an integrated content outline that organizes basic science material along two dimensions: system and process.
www.usmle.org/Examinations/step1/step1.html www.usmle.org/Examinations/step1/2010Step1.pdf


Study Methods:
There are several ways to approach the exam
Some people prefer courses while others do not
You should know what works for you
If you learned from lectures, perhaps you can take a commercial review course.
If you learned from taped lectures, you can get a 30 day Kaplan pass and watch the videos (at 2x speed if you desire)


Some basic principles:
The last week separates the ‘men from the boys’
Everyone is tired at this point
Your job is to review/do questions!
I personally reviewed first aid twice during my last week
Preparation starts from first day of med school.
Choose a plan that forces you to meticulously go through the material several times.
You will encounter subjects that you hate to review. Choose a plan that forces you to review everything, even subjects you hate.
Don’t rely on just one source (ie First Aid).
QUESTIONS!

Question Banks:
USMLE World is highly recommended
Don’t focus so much on the percentages, use it to learn the material ($100/30 days, $135/60 days, 2000 qs).
Kaplan also excellent, use during MS1/2
NBME practice tests tend to be very accurate
Use NBME 3/4 around start time to identify weak points. Use another closer to test day. ($45/exam, $60/expanded feedback)

Recommended Study Methods:
University of Pennsylvania Method (Penn Method)
Taus Method ( forums.studentdoctor.net/showpos ... stcount=12 )

Tau's Method Books:
SUBSTITUTE WITH WHATEVER YOU ARE COMFORTABLE WITH
First Aid
Rapid Review Pathology (Goljan)
Rapid Review Biochem or BRS
Goljan Audio/Slides
High Yield Behavioral Sciences
High Yield Neurosciences
High Yield Cell and Molecular Biology
Lange Review of Medical Micro and Immuno (for immuno section only)
Micro Made Ridiculously Simples
BRS Physiology (Costanza)

Distilled Tau's Method:

First run through: (75:25 study:Q’s)*
1) Consolidate all books into FA (except Goljans Rapid Review Path and HY Molecular will be used throughout and in full)
2) Listen to corresponding Goljan audio during appropriate subject/system
3) Paper question sources directly by subject after studying each subject (as specific as possible..ie cardio path, cardio phys, cardiac pharm...all individually)
4) Study for understanding, ie don’t try to memorize all the details yet
5) Take NBME 4

Second run through: (50:50 study:Q’s)*
1) Study in full systems using only FA w/ all annotations, Goljan RR, HY Molec
2) Listen to corresponding Goljan audio during appropriate subject/system for 2nd time
3) 50 UsmleWorld questions every morning in random and timed blocks of 50
5) Take NBME 2
6) Memorize more and more detail beyond just understanding

Third run through: (25:75 study:Q’s)*
1) FA, Goljan, HY molec only
2) 100 UsmleWorld questions (as above)
3) Take NBME 3
4) Everything should be fully memorized by now

Last 2 wks (men from the boys)
AM: 100 UW Questions, in random/timed blocks of 50, then go over all explanations in full
 
PM: 6 hours of studying as divided below
- get through everything in 10 Days
- final 3 day plan at the end

Another thing to note- some people get by with 6 hrs/day for 2 wks. They may be smarter than you, or they may be lying to you. Either way, I decided to leave nothing to chance as I knew this exam was my only way into ortho. I was going to give it my all without question.

Taus method worked for me, modified it to my strengths and weaknesses.