Full time job while step study ? (US- student, not IMG)

[cooldown]

I am a LOA (leave of absence ) btw 2nd and 3rd of medical school. Bottom25 % of class lol

Was not doing well on boards. Now, going through second pass of UWORLD, hitting FA chapters and its coming together albert slowlY.

It will take time for me to get up score up to 230s or so. atleast 4months+.

I have a great job offer teaching health at my local area high school. Close to home, already am a certified teacher, great salary, etc. I will have a 2 hour off during the work hours 7-3pm.

Should i take the job and study maybe like 5 hours a day on workdays or just ditch it and focus on step? I'd say that for me, having time to assemble all the step/medical /uworld info together was very helpful.

My student schedule:

I usually do my incorrects UWORLD, watch Bnb , SKETCHY path
Repeated for next day until uworld incorrects done
then read/skim FA/review anything I dont know on Bnb
Take 2-3 days to go through anki deck for repro to get memorize and maintain it.(~1500 cards). It goes fast for me as i have understanding already.

i CAN'T imagine doing this while working FULL TIMe EVEN in a easy job. But it is tempting given the great paycheck, and not driving myself crazy just studying lol.

any ideas?
@AnatomyGrey12 @Diphyllobothrium latum @chigirl23 @Medic741 @NecrotizingFasciitis

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

I have a great job offer teaching health at my local area high school. Close to home, already am a certified teacher, great salary, etc. I will have a 2 hour off between the work hours.

Should i take the job and study maybe like 5 hours a day on workdays or just ditch it and focus on step? I'd say that for me, having time to assemble all the info together was very helpful.

Dude hell no. You need to focus on your medical career.

 

[cooldown]

Dude hell no. You need to focus on your medical career.

Thank you , that's all I needed to hear in these some of these days when i m re-doing uworld and the temptation is strong. Honestly no one gives any rat's rare about being a public school teacher lol. while doing well on the boards can help launch my career forward and give me optins/good quality of life when it comes to apply to residency.

 

[OverlyRomantic]

@AnatomyGrey12 put it perfectly.

 

[cooldown]

<3 @AnatomyGrey12

 

[Taxonomy]

Yeah man, not worth it. I've been there and trying to chase for 2 rabbits never ends well. Focus on boards - that's your major priority and your future. Unless you want to be a teacher for life.

 

[libertyyne]

do you want to be a teacher or a doctor? .
This LOA is already a red flag. You need to be working hard to destroy step 1 at this point. like putting in 8-10 hour days. The higher the score the more likely people are going to be willing to take a chance on you come residency.

 

[hungrydoc710]

Sounds like making Hell twice as hot

 

[MusicDOc124]

I know you may have already decided based on the above comments, but want to add something in case you are still deciding, or in case anyone else reads this in the future in a similar boat.

Do you want to be a teacher or a doctor?

The fact that you're taking a LoA due to not doing well on your practice boards while in the bottom of the class is a HUGE red flag, as already pointed out. The point of the LoA is to have time to study. Taking that time AWAY so that you can work as a teacher is the opposite of what the LoA was intended for, and you need to be putting in all your time to studying while taking the breaks you need to stay fresh. Working isn't the "break" you need, and it will keep you from being fresh, and rather will only give you the illusion of "getting away" from the studying for any period of time.

If your answer is the former, take the job and dont look back or worry anymore. If it's the latter, then the answer is a BIG NO, and to focus on studying for boards.

 

[cooldown]

Thank you @MusicDOc124 @hungrydoc710 @libertyyne - for the real dose of reality.

 

[cooldown]

@MusicDOc124 @hungrydoc710 @libertyyne

Thank you , you kind soul.
I decided to have a dedicated study room at my home instead of going to lib. Seem like lib was distracting with COMMUNIY COLLEGE people around.

I also decided to get a job 2 hours day (7:30-8:30am & 2:30-3:30pm) as a crossing guard at local elementary school. Even though it says 2 hours, 1 hour of actual work , but 1 hour each day is just waiting around so I can be on my laptop doing anki and getting a study break..

It's going to 15 min of driving time one day so two trips ---> 1 hour driving . It pays $500/month to cover food.

I can do audio lec or just use it a study break to get away from studying. I can do go there early and go to coffeeshop nearby do to anki at 5am lol.
--
It sucks bc there was an elementary school 1 min drive away or 10 min walk away (which is still 40 min walk total time)..but I didn't apply early and it was taken.
---

YOUR recommendations appreciated.

 

[cooldown]

@AnatomyGrey12 - please chime in Sir

 

[hungrydoc710]

@AnatomyGrey12 - please chime in Sir

You know what you have to do. Stop procrastinating. You don't need more opinions.

You PM'd me and I have said the same to you.