Northwestern Medical Review experience

[jojo420]

I bought the $500 online review course which came with their two huge review books, small "primary care for the USMLE book" and the USMLE Step 1 Secrets book. All in all, it was a HUGE waste of money and time. The quality of the videos were poor. The quality of the books were poor too and horribly disorganized.

The only section that was taught well was biochemistry and everything was way too superficial or the instructor (Dr. Jahan Eftekar) spent way too much time on it. Who the heck spends 2 hours on EKG's? There was nothing about cancers at all and the overview of micro is laughable. GI only had one hour dedicated to it. If you knew only the info in these books, you would fail step 1. Also, there is no psychiatry section. There is also a limited neuro section that focuses 70% on how the eye muscles work. I can't believe I wasted 3 valuable weeks on this crap.

Please stay away from this no name company!!! Go with Pathoma or a well-known and established company for your prep needs.

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[Chaoticsheath]

yeah dude. just another parasitic organization out there trying to make some money. Makes me sick.

 

[HospitalDO]

It just sounds like a super-PAC slander to me! If was no good why it took you three weeks to figure it out!

 

[jojo420]

There are 120 hours of videos. Was trying to get through as many as I could. You want the books for free? Take a look and you'll see how terrible they are. There's a reason why no one knows about Northwestern Medical Review or has used it.

 

[DocTrek]

I'm a Northwestern Review Fan and I'm stunned by the above negative remarks. I also purchased a 1 month video prep from them not for just $500 but for $620! I luved every second of it! Dr. E was the greatest professor that I have ever had. My books had chapters on Psychiatry and oncology, and it even included a 1-hour awesome audio CD on Psychiatry. More importantly I aced my exam with 235, and most importantly one my colleagues bought my second-hand books for $145. Needless to say that EKG was always one of my weak topics and their course made it crystal clear for me. I highly recommend their courses to everyone and especially to all visual learners.

 

[Chaoticsheath]

I’m a Northwestern Review Fan and I’m stunned by the above negative remarks. I also purchased a 1 month video prep from them not for just $500 but for $620! I luved every second of it! Dr. E was the greatest professor that I have ever had. My books had chapters on Psychiatry and oncology, and it even included a 1-hour awesome audio CD on Psychiatry. More importantly I aced my exam with 235, and most importantly one my colleagues bought my second-hand books for $145. Needless to say that EKG was always one of my weak topics and their course made it crystal clear for me. I highly recommend their courses to everyone and especially to all visual learners.

Probably paid to say that. What a liar.

 

[Boardz]

I bought the $500 online review course which came with their two huge review books, small "primary care for the USMLE book" and the USMLE Step 1 Secrets book. All in all, it was a HUGE waste of money and time. The quality of the videos were poor. The quality of the books were poor too and horribly disorganized.

The only section that was taught well was biochemistry and everything was way too superficial or the instructor (Dr. Jahan Eftekar) spent way too much time on it. Who the heck spends 2 hours on EKG's? There was nothing about cancers at all and the overview of micro is laughable. GI only had one hour dedicated to it. If you knew only the info in these books, you would fail step 1. Also, there is no psychiatry section. There is also a limited neuro section that focuses 70% on how the eye muscles work. I can't believe I wasted 3 valuable weeks on this crap.

Please stay away from this no name company!!! Go with Pathoma or a well-known and established company for your prep needs.

what? there are step 1 programs? cool story. they all suck. end of discussion. get studying. no need to post this "my 300k dollar step 1 course was a waste of time and money," bull. They're all worthless. If someone's ******ed enough to do something so stupid- good riddance. This actually comes close to putting a smile on my face, honestly.

 

[goorue923]

I tend to disagree with the commentator above as Northwestern has a good reputation and rapport with several classes of our school and has offered several courses with positive impacts!!!

 

[DocTrek]

I disagree with the guy who has started this thread. I have personally heard positive remarks from my colleagues about Northwestern. I have not personally used their services as I am a do-it-all-on-your-own guy, but I have read one of their textbooks, "USMLE Step 1 Secrets", and I give that book a 5 star rating.

 

[jojo420]

I disagree with the guy who has started this thread. I have personally heard positive remarks from my colleagues about Northwestern. I have not personally used their services as I am a do-it-all-on-your-own guy, but I have read one of their textbooks, "USMLE Step 1 Secrets", and I give that book a 5 star rating.

The USMLE Step 1 secrets you can buy on Amazon. It's not published by them. I agree that Secrets is a good book. As for NWMR, go look at their material. If that's all you know, you will fail for sure.Stick with FA, Pathoma, and DIT. Stick with the big guys in USMLE prep and the little guys will eventually wither away.

 

[phoenix89]

I tend to disagree with the commentator above as Northwestern has a good reputation and rapport with several classes of our school and has offered several courses with positive impacts!!!

Strong 1st post.

 

[DocTrek]

I know that USMLE Secrets is published by Elsevier, but as far as I know Northwestern is the only reputable review company that endorses and teaches it. Secrets is written by one of their key lecturers who also teach their CK courses (see their website to learn about this!). Also, FYI I have looked at the rest of their books and of many of my friends adore them. Additionally I personally do not like the style of the FA book at all, although some of my friends did like it. I have never heard of Pathoma so I can’t judge it. All I can tell you is that some people love Coke and some love Seven-up! The fact that a person likes coke and he even goes out of his way to denounce Seven-up will not make the seven up to wither away. Seven-up will continue to have his own fans!

 

[SO2B]

I bought the $500 online review course which came with their two huge review books, small "primary care for the USMLE book" and the USMLE Step 1 Secrets book. All in all, it was a HUGE waste of money and time. The quality of the videos were poor. The quality of the books were poor too and horribly disorganized.

The only section that was taught well was biochemistry and everything was way too superficial or the instructor (Dr. Jahan Eftekar) spent way too much time on it. Who the heck spends 2 hours on EKG's? There was nothing about cancers at all and the overview of micro is laughable. GI only had one hour dedicated to it. If you knew only the info in these books, you would fail step 1. Also, there is no psychiatry section. There is also a limited neuro section that focuses 70% on how the eye muscles work. I can't believe I wasted 3 valuable weeks on this crap.

Please stay away from this no name company!!! Go with Pathoma or a well-known and established company for your prep needs.

Our school has been contracting out Northwestern Medical Review for several back-to-back years to provide online services to their second-year classes. Had there been a shred of doubt in the quality of their program, our school would have not hesitated to contract out another review company instead. The unprovoked libelous remarks of the person who initiated all this is a slap in the face of our students who love Northwestern, and it is also an insult to the intelligence of our administration.

 

[Chaoticsheath]

This program, like most programs out there, are largely unnecessary if you are will to read first aid to yourself. If not, then yes, you'll need some stupid program to walk you through it. And some may not even do it that well, like the author of this thread has suggested. But one thing all these programs do have in common is that they cost a lot of money. I've heard that pathoma is good, but everything else seems like a money making scheme.

 

[PsychResident9]

I think the person who wrote the above remark may be the one actually being paid off by one of the larger (money stealing) board preps. Northwestern Medical review cannot even be lumped into the same catagory as those other board preps, it is so much more! I took both step I and II (passed both on the first try) and used NWMR. I got my #1 residency choice and am now a resident in the field I love. I would not have passed my boards if it had not been for NWMR! The instructors are truly invested in the courses and in the students well-being. Not many (maybe not any other) companies are like that. If you are like me and are a multi-sensory learner who needs to be stimulated to remember things and just can't sit down and read first aid cover to cover, than this is the course for you! I promise you will not be disappointed. It really was a unique course, I even remember almost all of the mnemonics that were used in the courses and use them now on my exams in residency (they even come in handy when being pimped by attendings).

And the secrets book is great as well

 

[Ronin786]

What a joke. I have no idea what this program is, but based on all these "reviews" if anybody asked about it theres no way I'd recommend it.

 

[jmadden]

Anyone poster who uses "colleague" to refer to other med students is clearly a paid rep

 

[PsychResident9]

When you graduate med school and work as a resident....your classmates will be called your colleagues. seriously that's not a hard concept to accept.

I loved the course and have recommended it to all rotating med students. I really don't know where the original comment came from. But to each his own. A lot of people will hate lots of test companies and like only one. You have to find the one that works best for you! And I did, time to take step III now

 

[catlady86]

I'm an anesthesia resident now. Our med school contracted with NW for a 4day step I course in spring of my second year of med school. I passed my exams and enjoyed the course much. I liked the teachers we had too.

 

[dawrhino]

in one post Doc Trek says this:

I’m a Northwestern Review Fan and I’m stunned by the above negative remarks. I also purchased a 1 month video prep from them not for just $500 but for $620! I luved every second of it! Dr. E was the greatest professor that I have ever had. My books had chapters on Psychiatry and oncology, and it even included a 1-hour awesome audio CD on Psychiatry. More importantly I aced my exam with 235, and most importantly one my colleagues bought my second-hand books for $145. Needless to say that EKG was always one of my weak topics and their course made it crystal clear for me. I highly recommend their courses to everyone and especially to all visual learners.

few posts later, he says this:

I disagree with the guy who has started this thread. I have personally heard positive remarks from my colleagues about Northwestern. I have not personally used their services as I am a do-it-all-on-your-own guy, but I have read one of their textbooks, "USMLE Step 1 Secrets", and I give that book a 5 star rating.

 

[SO2B]

How is the 3rd secrets,any big changes or too soon to say?

 

[jojo420]

Again for the M2's that are going to study for boards or visiting any AMA, SNMA, AMSA conferences: Don't be swayed by Northwestern Medical Review's crappy stuff! Stick to the big guys!

 

[SO2B]

After reading this thread and researching their web and facebook, I just ordered 3 months of their online course. I may try to come back to this page and post my experience—if I get a chance, of course! I'm supposed to get my books in 3 days, can't wait!!

 

[SO2B]

I have already received my books from Northwestern and started my online course. The books were stylistically similar to samples that were placed on their website and I personally like them. So far I have completed videos on autonomic pharmacology and acid-base pathophysiology. Next week I will be doing biochemistry. All I can say is “so far so good!”
If I get the chance I’ll try to post more about my experience.

 

[SO2B]

Forgot to add!
After I received their books and looked @ their videos, I noticed there was no gross anatomy in there. I called them and they said they have not been offering it lately because it is low-yield. They directed me to read a chapter from the Secrets and another chapter from their Primary Care book. Also, they told me that if after reviewing those, I still want to have gross anatomy they will provide 4 hours of their 2008 edition of videos with a booklet to go with it for $60.

 

[mgbaska]

Just in case anyone comes across this, NWMR for Comlex is not good. The questions are poorly written at best, the material is too in-depth for concepts that are often not tested, and the interface is not conducive to the actual testing. ComQuest and ComBank are far better.