Thread for U.S.-citizen IMGs (aka ANY IMGs w/ no problems with English.)

[Knicks]

I wanted to make a thread where this specific demographic could discuss their stuy plans, experiences, etc. I didn't want just any IMG to post here because I don't want issues like "language/reading/comprehension problems" to be posted in their posts; issues that U.S. IMGs (or any IMG w/ a good grasp of the English language) won't [assumingly] face, and therefore won't be a negatively-contributing factor on the exam.

I know IMGs may be reluctant to post what school they're attending, so only include this bit of info if you choose to.

I also know that in [most?] "foreign" med schools, students can take the Step 1 at any time they wish, unlike U.S.-schooled med students who have to take the test within a certain amount of time.

I, for one, did not have the best of teachers during basic sciences in my school. Granted, there were some teachers who WERE great andddd Step 1-oriented, but most weren't.

As a result, I (as well as my classmates) feel that our basic-science foundations weren't laid as solidly as a U.S.-schooled student's. And therefore, I am taking quite some time to actually "learn and/or re-learn" the basic sciences. I don't know when I'm gonna take the test yet.


My resources:

-2006 FA (debating whether or not to get the 2008 version,,,, can anyone give their suggestions on this?)
-Kaplan 7-book series.
-RR Path
-UW (although I am not at the stage of my studies where I feel comfortable enough to do questions).


Are these decent study resources?

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[peter90036]

"IMGs may be reluctant to post what school they're attending"
IMG = graduate = school iz ova'

FA: its alright... (i intensly disliked it for step 2ck)
Kaplan is pretty good, covers majority of topics with good depth of information.
RR path is very good (tho i dont really like the format- introduces useless lines and wastes pages)
UW: not started yet. expecting intense stress and cursing...

Kap+RR will be my only source of reading. +/- FA

know these very well and high scores can be attained.

most IMGs don't post here-they have a couple forums where you can enjoy lots of wonderful grammar and spelling...,
probably ones who do come here are carribean or USIMGs

 

[Knicks]

"IMGs may be reluctant to post what school they're attending"
IMG = graduate = school iz ova'

yeah I know what the G stands for, but I'm sure people will know that I also mean current IM students as well.

FA: its alright... (i intensly disliked it for step 2ck)

which year/edition did you use?

Kaplan is pretty good, covers majority of topics with good depth of information.
RR path is very good (tho i dont really like the format- introduces useless lines and wastes pages)
UW: not started yet. expecting intense stress and cursing...

Kap+RR will be my only source of reading. +/- FA

know these very well and high scores can be attained.

Hopefully

most IMGs don't post here-they have a couple forums where you can enjoy lots of wonderful grammar and spelling...,
probably ones who do come here are carribean or USIMGs

Yes, that's why I made this thread; so that IMGs with a good grasp of the English language can post here.

 

[peter90036]

FA 2008 (for step 2 i used 2005or6? FA)
kaplan i got the 2003-2004 books... worked for 2ck
RRpath new version

 

[mohhaider]

Hi,
I used FA 2007 and took the test June 30th.
My advice is that if you did not start yet studing or have time to start the new edition , us it.When you will start the UW you need to write your own notes for last minute review.GL

 

[BillyRubinstein]

I wanted to make a thread where this specific demographic could discuss their stuy plans, experiences, etc. I didn't want just any IMG to post here because I don't want issues like "language/reading/comprehension problems" to be posted in their posts; issues that U.S. IMGs (or any IMG w/ a good grasp of the English language) won't [assumingly] face, and therefore won't be a negatively-contributing factor on the exam.

I know IMGs may be reluctant to post what school they're attending, so only include this bit of info if you choose to.

I also know that in [most?] "foreign" med schools, students can take the Step 1 at any time they wish, unlike U.S.-schooled med students who have to take the test within a certain amount of time.

I, for one, did not have the best of teachers during basic sciences in my school. Granted, there were some teachers who WERE great andddd Step 1-oriented, but most weren't.

As a result, I (as well as my classmates) feel that our basic-science foundations weren't laid as solidly as a U.S.-schooled student's. And therefore, I am taking quite some time to actually "learn and/or re-learn" the basic sciences. I don't know when I'm gonna take the test yet.


My resources:

-2006 FA (debating whether or not to get the 2008 version,,,, can anyone give their suggestions on this?)
-Kaplan 7-book series.
-RR Path
-UW (although I am not at the stage of my studies where I feel comfortable enough to do questions).


Are these decent study resources?

Hey, I'm a "soon to be IMG" - I want to keep myself from being repremanded by the policia who are lurking this forum.....I attend St. George's University in Grenada (next month I'll be starting clincals in NY/NJ). I am taking the big one on Tuesday - I feel my school has prepared me very well.....any blunders I make will be on me, not my school - The majority of our professors are very good - many actually are actually part-time faculty at US and UK med schools that fly down to Grenada to teach their area of specialty...in terms of study materials...I am on the eve of finishing FA for the third time having lots of notes in it the first two times, RR path (a must), RR physio/BRS physio to pan out some difficult concepts, RR biochem and micro to also pan out the concepts not explained in FA (although from what I've heard FA is good enough for micro), Katzung as a reference for pharm, netter atlas and RR anatomy as a reference for anatomy, and high yield biostats....and of course UWorld (finished ~80% of it).....Main study tools are FA, UWorld, and RR path....everything is is more of a reference to fill in gaps, even though I read RR biochem in entirety as well because I really needed to......if you can get 2008 FA before you start, do it because it has 80+ pages more than 2007 edition....good luck...I'll let ya know how it it is....

 

[bambi]

I know IMGs may be reluctant to post what school they're attending, so only include this bit of info if you choose to.

Why? Any Uk med student wouldn't be reluctant in any way, our medical schools are some of the best in the world. Don't just assume that because someone doesn't go to a US school that they are ashamed of where they do go.

Anyway, I will be using-
FA 2008
Kaplan 7 book set 2005
Kaplan videos 2007
Goljan Path
Goljan audio
Then probably UWorld but haven't decided for sure between that and others.

 

[VeerTheTIGuy]

I'm a UK IMG/S (current student), just in the summer between my preclinical and clinical years.

Started with 3 weeks of FA(2008), BRS Phys, Lippincott's Pharm, and a couple of random Kaplan books. Mainly was going through FA chapter by chapter and then reading relevant chapters in other books. After a 1-week break (had to fly back for graduation - we get a bachelor's after our preclinicals), i am now back and doing the Falcon Review, online version. It comes with a 3-month UWorld subscription, so am using that concurrently as well. Once my 30-days are up (for the video lectures), I'm gonna take an NBME (did Form 1 before leaving for graduation, after the 3 weeks of studying, and got 187), and then go through FA some more and focus on subjects the NBME showed me i did worst on. I also want to get through all the UW questions before the exam, and then take another NBME or two the week before the exam.

Test date: August 21st

 

[VeerTheTIGuy]

Why? Any Uk med student wouldn't be reluctant in any way, our medical schools are some of the best in the world.

QFT

 

[bambi]

I'm a UK IMG/S (current student), just in the summer between my preclinical and clinical years.

Me too! I see you are at St Andrews, I am at Manchester so I guess you will be joining us! I'm at Hope for clinicals, you will come there for neuro I think. Was Preston your first choice?

 

[Knicks]

Why? Any Uk med student wouldn't be reluctant in any way.............

In my original post I said "MAYYYYYYYY be reluctant",,,,,, I guess I should've also included the word "some may be.....".

 

[bambi]

In my original post I said "MAYYYYYYYY be reluctant",,,,,, I guess I should've also included the word "some may be.....".

Why would any be though? In the US some schools are better than others right? Are US students reluctant to say their school? Would you start a thread aimed at them saying the same thing? Anyway, I know you weren't trying to be nasty or anything by saying it but people shouldn't just assume that any school outside of the US isn't as good. Fair enough some aren't but I just don't think it's the best thing to start with.

 

[VeerTheTIGuy]

Me too! I see you are at St Andrews, I am at Manchester so I guess you will be joining us! I'm at Hope for clinicals, you will come there for neuro I think. Was Preston your first choice?

Hey, it's a small world lol. Preston was actually my 2nd choice (with South as my first), but i'm very excited to be starting in the fall. Just got to get past this hurdle (well, not necessarily, but I'd like to get it done this summer). Preston has it's own Neuro and Neurosurg, so we won't be needing to come to any of the Greater Manc hospitals, actually. I know quite a lot of kids from my year coming to Hope, so I'm sure you'll meet them soon enough!

See you on our Hospital Deans day in september!

 

[hj0517]

whoa OK, not alone as I thought - ex St. A - going into 4th year in Manchester (MRI) - currently revising my ass off for Step 1 at the end of August.

Also seconding the post on reluctance to post - I am damn proud of my med school experience, people seem to have this skewed perception of low step 1 score = bad medical school it seems. Its just that our courses are not designed to accommodate such an exam.

Good luck you guys, St. A doesn't have the best record with Step 1 scores, so lets try and bring it up!

 

[bambi]

Hey, it's a small world lol. Preston was actually my 2nd choice (with South as my first), but i'm very excited to be starting in the fall. Just got to get past this hurdle (well, not necessarily, but I'd like to get it done this summer). Preston has it's own Neuro and Neurosurg, so we won't be needing to come to any of the Greater Manc hospitals, actually. I know quite a lot of kids from my year coming to Hope, so I'm sure you'll meet them soon enough!

See you on our Hospital Deans day in september!

Unless you put Preston as last choice you always get it, it is meant to be the best of the 4 though, people just don't like it because of where it is. Some of my really good friends are going to Preston. I think everyone comes to Hope for neuro because it's the best, might be different for Preston folks though because most will live in Preston so it would be a long way to travel every day.

 

[bambi]

whoa OK, not alone as I thought - ex St. A - going into 4th year in Manchester (MRI) - currently revising my ass off for Step 1 at the end of August.

Also seconding the post on reluctance to post - I am damn proud of my med school experience, people seem to have this skewed perception of low step 1 score = bad medical school it seems. Its just that our courses are not designed to accommodate such an exam.

Good luck you guys, St. A doesn't have the best record with Step 1 scores, so lets try and bring it up!

Hmm I think I only know 1 person in your year at MRI. You must know him though, everyone does. In fact, maybe you are him?!

How do you know St A don't have the best record with the USMLE? Did they tell you?

 

[hj0517]

well, the three folk who did it in the year above me that I know of failed - but I think thats because of a combination of poor resource choices and not enough research into what the test is about. Lot of people seem keen on jumping on the review course bandwagon and it hasn't really helped them so I'm going for the FA+UW+RR path with all the other supplements.

 

[VeerTheTIGuy]

I think everyone comes to Hope for neuro because it's the best, might be different for Preston folks though because most will live in Preston so it would be a long way to travel every day.

I'd say I'm 99% sure that we don't go to Hope for Neuro. If we don't do it at RPH we'll have it at one of our DGHs.

Good luck you guys, St. A doesn't have the best record with Step 1 scores, so lets try and bring it up!

well, the three folk who did it in the year above me that I know of failed - but I think thats because of a combination of poor resource choices and not enough research into what the test is about. Lot of people seem keen on jumping on the review course bandwagon and it hasn't really helped them so I'm going for the FA+UW+RR path with all the other supplements.

the year above you was the last year of the old-style, subject based curriculum, and i think this disadvantaged them for the USMLE. each year since then has begun to be more clinical in nature and the style of questions for exams have slowly started moving away from rote science to more clinical application, as seen on step 1 (mostly). i think the two who gave the lecture completely biased and scared off any future St. A Step 1 takers, but it was unfairly portrayed because the two sets of curriculums were so vastly different.

just my 2 cents, but all this studying for the Step 1 has definitely shown me that there are major holes in the st andrews curriculum, or rather differences in emphasis on less high-yield subjects (more anatomy, rather than path/micro/etc)

anywho, i like how we've completely hijacked the topic.

good luck to all of us!

 

[krust3]

2007 FA: took all my kaplan video notes in the margins. probably read it 4x prior to the exam d/t this and in using it for basic sciences.

2004 FA: photocopied the pharm section cause it's all together and quicker or reference. pretty much the same as newer versions that are spread throughout the different sections though.

Goljan RR: read along with Goljan audio the first time prior to our 5th semester exit exam. Read it again sans audio prior to step 1

USMLE World: 150 random, timed, unused Q's per day. read every explanation whether right or wrong and recorded notes in FA margins.

PASS/ kaplan videos: watched at 2x speed at minimum- for quick overview and for study direction. useful for tough concepts, but i still found it too indepth overall for exam.

the results... you'll have to ask for

Saba University, Dutch West Indies

 

[Lany]

provided the thread sticks to step1, step2 topics.. i dont mind sharing my thoughts on this.

knicks.. i would advise to stick to the FA that you have been using all this time. (can send FA 06' errata if you require it). How long have you been using it anyway? you seem to have solid sources and if you're happy with the format, you should use it well. I have 7-book set as well yet chose mmrs for micro, hy for neuro etc because i thought kaplan was too wordy on those. Its understandable that you dont want to start uw till the last month or so but dont let it stop you from doing questions from elsewere.. atleast 50-100q's. i can relate to postponing questions which i would really advise against based on experience. RR is awesome.

for step1 score (wrote "late june".. got results july 16) one can pm.

 

[hj0517]

I have to agree Veer, the two lecturers, persuasive as they were, gave out incorrect information. I also have to agree with the holes in the st. a curriculum especially with molecular biology and certain aspects of genetics and immuno.

Good luck with your studies!

ps. I don't know if you ever had the pleasure of attending a Sally Atkinson lecture, but she covered USMLE micro quite aptly, especially the parasites haha, that is when she bothered to turn up of course.

 

[Knicks]

provided the thread sticks to step1, step2 topics.. i dont mind sharing my thoughts on this.

Of course, why else would I make this thread in this forum?

knicks.. i would advise to stick to the FA that you have been using all this time. (can send FA 06' errata if you require it). How long have you been using it anyway? you seem to have solid sources and if you're happy with the format, you should use it well. I have 7-book set as well yet chose mmrs for micro, hy for neuro etc because i thought kaplan was too wordy on those. Its understandable that you dont want to start uw till the last month or so but dont let it stop you from doing questions from elsewere.. atleast 50-100q's. i can relate to postponing questions which i would really advise against based on experience. RR is awesome.

for step1 score (wrote "late june".. got results july 16) one can pm.

Thanks for addressing the OP.

I have the 06 FA, but I have yet to actually delve into it, and so it's not really annotated. That's why I'm just debating to get the 08 book or not (maybe I will so I could just stop thinking about it).

As for doing questions from elsewhere, yes I agree. I'm planning to just prime myself with some question book such as the Kaplan Q-BOOK and FA CASES book before hitting the main question source (UW).

btw, check your PM inbox.

 

[VeerTheTIGuy]

I have to agree Veer, the two lecturers, persuasive as they were, gave out incorrect information. I also have to agree with the holes in the st. a curriculum especially with molecular biology and certain aspects of genetics and immuno.

Good luck with your studies!

ps. I don't know if you ever had the pleasure of attending a Sally Atkinson lecture, but she covered USMLE micro quite aptly, especially the parasites haha, that is when she bothered to turn up of course.

Atkinson was in her last year during my first year there, but all i remember is a picture of an Ascaris infection freshly flushed onto a bedsheet - which my friends and I dubbed "ass-noodles"

Prof. Gemmell, who replaced her, was pretty good, but because of the discontinuity, I don't think anyone in my year so much as learned the difference between Gram positive and negative

 

[diosa428]

Why would any be though? In the US some schools are better than others right? Are US students reluctant to say their school? Would you start a thread aimed at them saying the same thing? Anyway, I know you weren't trying to be nasty or anything by saying it but people shouldn't just assume that any school outside of the US isn't as good. Fair enough some aren't but I just don't think it's the best thing to start with.

First of all, as you're likely aware, most US students do not go to medical school in Britain unless they have done their undergraduate coursework over there. It's very difficult for us to get into those schools because of differences in the education system and/or the difficulty of paying for school without our own Federal Financial Aid. The majority of US students that leave the US for medical school do so because they could not get into a US medical school. Yes, there are exceptions, but that is the general reason. And the majority of those students go to schools in the Caribbean. When one says "US IMG" most people think of someone who is in school in the Caribbean (or Mexico). I think Knicks was just trying to be compassionate. Most Caribbean students/grads had to struggle to get in to medical school anywhere and then face the barriers of not going to a US school but wanting a US residency, as well as discrimination because it is generally assumed that one attended a Caribbean school because they could not get into a US school.

Second of all, some people do not like to say what school they go to because they don't want others figuring out who they are, which can defeat the purpose of an anonymous internet forum.

 

[Knicks]

.......I think Knicks was just trying to be compassionate........

Second of all, some people do not like to say what school they go to because they don't want others figuring out who they are, which can defeat the purpose of an anonymous internet forum.

wow, you nailed it.

I didn't want to get into a whole [unnecessary] thing with bambi about it, but yeah, you absolutley nailed it.

 

[agranulocytosis]

OK this is going to detract a little bit away from the current discussion, but trying to secure elective rotations is VERY hard for us. I hate it. Every single hospital I've tried requires visiting students to either come from a school that is LCME-certified (meaning a US school) or be a 4th year student. OK, being a 4th-year student is kind of important, but for Pathology electives? Radiology?

This sucks the big black one.

 

[Knicks]

^^ no no,,,, not detracting at all,,,,, in fact, that is what this thread is all about: IMG/S discussing their/our study plans, experiences, thoughts, advice, obstacles, etc.

Thanks for the input.


About your post, that's unfortunate to hear. Again I'll refrain from asking what school you goto, but your school surely must have SOME affiliations with U.S. hospitals, no? I know for a fact that my school doesn't have too many; only a couple actually, but we can arrange "our own" rotations if we find a willing teaching hospital in the states (esp. if you have connections).


Maybe others will chime in too.

 

[VeerTheTIGuy]

OK this is going to detract a little bit away from the current discussion, but trying to secure elective rotations is VERY hard for us. I hate it. Every single hospital I've tried requires visiting students to either come from a school that is LCME-certified (meaning a US school) or be a 4th year student. OK, being a 4th-year student is kind of important, but for Pathology electives? Radiology?

This sucks the big black one.

I know a UK student (US-citizen) who just landed an Ophthalmology elective at Mt. Sinai in new york...maybe try there or some of the other NY hospitals (i hear they're more open to IMGs?)....i know what you mean though, especially about being in 4th year...annoying but understandable.

 

[peter90036]

grammar police grammar police

Their =They have their things.
They're = They're going to the mall.

 

[VeerTheTIGuy]

grammar police grammar police

Their =They have their things.
They're = They're going to the mall.

oh my god...i can't believe i just did that! i'm usually such a stickler about those things....must have been distracted. please forgive me

 

[peter90036]

 

[Knicks]

...........I, for one, did not have the best of teachers during basic sciences in my school. Granted, there were some teachers who WERE great andddd Step 1-oriented, but most weren't.

As a result, I (as well as my classmates) feel that our basic-science foundations weren't laid as solidly as a U.S.-schooled student's. And therefore, I am taking quite some time to actually "learn and/or re-learn" the basic sciences. I don't know when I'm gonna take the test yet...........

This exerpt from my OP (particularly the bolded part) SORT OF worries me.

To make a long story short, during my sub-par basic science courses, I basically learned the gist of what I would be having to eventually learn/re-learn/study on my own while preparing for Step 1. Now, the main way I'm doing this is by going through the sources I listed in my OP, particularly the Kaplan books (& Goljan for path).

As I'm reading/studying the Kaplan books, I understand everything I'm reading there on the page, but I sort of feel like I may be "missing" other info that students at a better school learned.

But then I think to myself, "Hey, Kaplan, FA, & Goljan basically have all the info I need for the step 1, and along with MANY usmleworld questions and *EXTRA compensatory hard work, I should be able to do fine on the step 1".


Anyone care to share their opinions on this?



*Extra and "compensatory" as in I gotta work that much more harder to understand the sources I'm using (compared to someone using the same sources but had a BETTER basic science experience than I did).

 

[Lany]

As I'm reading/studying the Kaplan books, I understand everything I'm reading there on the page, but I sort of feel like I may be "missing" other info that students at a better school learned.

consider taking a review course. Im an IMG and i took pass program which was packed with AMG and i think its vice versa with kaplan which is taken mostly by IMG's. Obviously this shouldnt be a sole reason for one to consider taking a review course but it could give you the added bonus of knowing where you stand. I came across some bright students from several schools in US, caribbean and felt i wasnt as under-prepared as i had once thought. From reading into several of your posts.. i think you would be doing yourself a favor if you take up a course. I was pretty much in your shoe awhile back as i thought i knew nothing coming out of the med school. my failing nbme score backed that up. Took few more months than others yet things started making alot more sense as i "re-read" and ended up with >90.

For some reason you cant do a course, do more questions and identify yourself and where you stand with the scores. (possibly an nbme even if you havent completed your reading). Let your increasing scores give you the boost that you need while it can also help you identify your weak areas.

 

[schistocyte]

Knicks,

Even though a good background in basic sciences is part of a strong preparatory armamentarium, there is no reason why you cannot do excellent even if you didn't acquire such a great basic science experience. The sources you are using are very good and time-tested. If you go in with the confidence knowing that these sources really have everything (in the sense, everything necessary to be prepared), then all it takes is a little hard work to fill in the gap. Believe me, anyone with dedication and diligence can use these sources to their advantage, even if they haven't been exposed to the best teaching previously. While I am in no way saying that it isn't beneficial to have a background of a good basic science curriculum and teaching, I am stating that it is not completely necessary to have had it. As Lany (as far as I've seen, Lany has given great advice to people in her other postings) mentioned, a prep course may be a good idea if you feel like you need some instruction and guidance from trained faculty. They may make you feel a little bit more equipped to deal with the material and provide some structure as to how you can approach the material and manage your time efficiently. Also, they can advise you in terms of where you stand in relation to where you should be in your study and possibly make you feel more comfortable/at ease in that sense.

Consider that people who take the Step 1 are coming from many different schools, and the NBME takes that into consideration when writing the exam. This means that while various professors from different institutions have different things that they may place more emphasis on, the USMLE has certain concepts that they make sure to test to ensure competency as a future licensed physician. That's why the USMLE lays out what concepts are going to be tested, so that students can study accordingly, and focus in on their outlined concepts irrespective of what they may have been taught in their respective schools. To that regard, Prep programs try to design their programs to target these important areas outlined by the NBME, and their prep books as well as other available prep books are exactly designed geared toward this purpose.

Some students may not even have taken advantage of having a good faculty at their Med schools and may just have gotten by fooling around and not covering many things during their basic science career, and so would have to learn/re-learn things they haven't gone over. Moreover, students at a better school may still not necessarily have had a better basic sciences experience than you. I think it’s really about how much you put into your basic science years, meaning your own personal investment into the information/material taught. That will be even more beneficial because that will help you integrate things that you’ve learned and will help you more in an exam of application of knowledge like the Step1.

I think the key is to try not to feel like you are missing anything that some other students have learned, because that will always leave you with self-doubt and will hinder you in you studies. Just tackle what you have in front of you right now to the best of your abilities, and forget what happened in the past, because it will slow you down and leave you feeling less confident.

Good luck Knicks!

 

[Knicks]

^^ wow, AMAZING post. Beleive me, that was much appreciated (yours too Lany )

With regards to taking a prep course; well, I watched the Kaplan videos along with the 7-Book series and annotated the heck out of them. So hopefully, all the extra stuff I annotated into the books would be the things that "I'd be missing out on" had I not watched the videos/taken a prep course.

You made some excellent points in your post, which were reassuring.


Thanks for the in-depth, quality, relevant, and most importantly, HELPFUL post/advice!

 

[diosa428]

Knicks - I agree with schistocyte. I go to a US med school and I don't really feel confident with my knowledge base for Step 1. At my school, it was possible to pass if you only learned 70% of the information, and I got away with lots of cramming. Now I have a lot of catching up to do. And I think a lot of my classmates feel the same way. Sure, your school may not have "taught to the boards", but neither does mine, or a lot of other US schools. I'm willing to bet you were taught the same information as everyone else, even if it was done in a different format. I think you are feeling very overwhelmed, which is understandable, but try not to spend so much time fixating on how much you think you don't know and work on learning and consolidating the information. My advice:

First, don't have too many sources. If you are doing the Kaplan lectures, that's great. Also, understand that that's probably more than enough information for the boards and you don't need 1,000 other books. Get First Aid and make sure you understand everything that's in it. Use the Kaplan stuff when you need to clarify something.

Second, try to think of how you learned best when taking classes and try to utilize that in your studying. For example, I know that I learn best with questions, so I plan on using as many question banks as possible. Some people learn best while writing things down repeatedly. Some people like flash cards. Do what works for you.

Third, take a practice NBME. See where you stand. This will give you an idea of what areas you need to work on and how far you are from your goal (score). Do this periodically to assess for improvement.

Fourth, keep things organized. This kind of goes with the minimize your sources stuff. Make a list of things you want to get done to make sure you're covering all of your bases. Like I said, you don't need 1,000 sources, so just make sure you're covering all of the major subjects with your Kaplan stuff and First Aid.

Fifth, relax a little and don't obsess so much. SDN can make you crazy. You read what everyone did and there are all these books out there and you feel like maybe you might miss that important nugget of information if you don't use THAT book too. Or you are worried because you're not getting 270s on your practice NBMEs. It's insane, and not realistic. Take it with a grain of salt and stick with what works for you, and focus on YOUR goals.

Good luck.

 

[Knicks]

^^ GOLD!

wow, some excellent input I'm getting here!

Thanks!

 

[UditNarayan]

^^ GOLD!

wow, some excellent input I'm getting here!

Thanks!

hey knicks,

in one of my first posts, i have my step 1 experience that details the sources i used and how i used them...it might be helpful. overall, i would suggest keeping things as simple as possible...you know your study methods, you know what has worked for you, and you know that you shouldnt change that. the advice on this forum is very good so come up with a gameplan and try to stick with it if you can... good luck!

 

[franceschino]

Great thread!
I am Italian but I am studying at Bristol Uni. I have just finished my intercalation and I am planning to give Step 1 sometime in September/October.
I have a few questions for the UK IMGs:
1) Where can you sit the exam?
2) How is the availability to give the exam? ie do you have to book the exam loads in advance
3) Given that I haven't applied yet, do you think I will be able to go through the application process by Sept/Oct?
4)Are there British Unis that actually prepare you for USMLE exams?

Thanks a lot and best of luck to all of those people sitting the exam soon.

Francesco

P.S.My resources are:
-2008 FA
-UW
-all other textobooks I had from my preclinical years

 

[bambi]

Great thread!
I am Italian but I am studying at Bristol Uni. I have just finished my intercalation and I am planning to give Step 1 sometime in September/October.
I have a few questions for the UK IMGs:
1) Where can you sit the exam?
2) How is the availability to give the exam? ie do you have to book the exam loads in advance
3) Given that I haven't applied yet, do you think I will be able to go through the application process by Sept/Oct?
4)Are there British Unis that actually prepare you for USMLE exams?

Thanks a lot and best of luck to all of those people sitting the exam soon.

Francesco

P.S.My resources are:
-2008 FA
-UW
-all other textobooks I had from my preclinical years

1) Quite a few places- London, Birmingham, Glasgow, Edinburgh and a few more places that I can't remember, 1 is definitely in Wales.
2) You can do it pretty much whenever.
3) Yes
4) No, why would there be?

 

[VeerTheTIGuy]

Great thread!

I have a few questions for the UK IMGs:
1) Where can you sit the exam?
2) How is the availability to give the exam? ie do you have to book the exam loads in advance
3) Given that I haven't applied yet, do you think I will be able to go through the application process by Sept/Oct?
4)Are there British Unis that actually prepare you for USMLE exams?

1) What bambi said (I wouldn't know, I'm sitting it in the US). If you check the Prometric website i'm sure there's a list, however
2&3) You don't need to book WAY in advance, but I would try and get things sorted as soon as possible - you'll have to get paperwork signed by the Dean of your medical school, and this caused quite a few problems for me, as my Dean made the mistake of forgetting to sign his position...I ended up having to apply twice (luckily they credited the first application fee!!). So my recommendation to you is if you're sure you want to sit the exam, then apply as soon as possible and get all of the paperwork taken care of -after you send your application, with paperwork, not only do they have to receive it (which takes a few days with international mail), but then they email your school to confirm your place as a student (this also caused a 3 week delay for me, because no one at my school bothered to check their email!). Then, once your application has been accepted, you'll be allowed to pick a test date/site for your exam
4) No. lol

 

[bambi]

1) What bambi said (I wouldn't know, I'm sitting it in the US). If you check the Prometric website i'm sure there's a list, however
2&3) You don't need to book WAY in advance, but I would try and get things sorted as soon as possible - you'll have to get paperwork signed by the Dean of your medical school, and this caused quite a few problems for me, as my Dean made the mistake of forgetting to sign his position...I ended up having to apply twice (luckily they credited the first application fee!!). So my recommendation to you is if you're sure you want to sit the exam, then apply as soon as possible and get all of the paperwork taken care of -after you send your application, with paperwork, not only do they have to receive it (which takes a few days with international mail), but then they email your school to confirm your place as a student (this also caused a 3 week delay for me, because no one at my school bothered to check their email!). Then, once your application has been accepted, you'll be allowed to pick a test date/site for your exam
4) No. lol

Can't believe you had so much trouble! Manc did it straight away, emailed me to check they had done it right before posting it then emailed again when they had sent it. Maybe you should have waited til you got here!

 

[VeerTheTIGuy]

Can't believe you had so much trouble! Manc did it straight away, emailed me to check they had done it right before posting it then emailed again when they had sent it. Maybe you should have waited til you got here!

haha that's good news for when it comes time for the Step 2's! most of it was my fault, I should've checked over the paperwork after the dean signed it but didn't notice...the lack of email confirmation was because they had emailed right around the end of the year, and no one really knew who was meant to receive the email - once I got in contact with them, they informed me that they had lost it on the bottom of their inbox and they promplty emailed the ECFMG. in the process of this, i had a lovely conversation with an ECFMG telephone representative:

Me: "Hi there, I was wondering as to the status of my application...it says that you're waiting on confirmation from my medical school?"
Her: "That's right."
Me: "Could you possibly tell me what that means? I've sent you the letter from the Dean..."
Her: "Yeah we got that, but we emailed your school to get them to confirm and they have yet to respond."
Me: "I see...well I've been talking to my school and they say they haven't received anything. Could you possibly tell me who you emailed so I can ask them to look for it?"
Her: "No."
Me: "....can I give you the email address of the person I've been dealing with at my school?"
Her: "No."
Me: "Right....what do you suggest I do?"
Her: "Tell your school that when they registered with the ECFMG they assigned a person to receive the emails. That person should check their email."
Me: "Right....ok thanks."

 

[bambi]

haha that's good news for when it comes time for the Step 2's! most of it was my fault, I should've checked over the paperwork after the dean signed it but didn't notice...the lack of email confirmation was because they had emailed right around the end of the year, and no one really knew who was meant to receive the email - once I got in contact with them, they informed me that they had lost it on the bottom of their inbox and they promplty emailed the ECFMG. in the process of this, i had a lovely conversation with an ECFMG telephone representative:

Me: "Hi there, I was wondering as to the status of my application...it says that you're waiting on confirmation from my medical school?"
Her: "That's right."
Me: "Could you possibly tell me what that means? I've sent you the letter from the Dean..."
Her: "Yeah we got that, but we emailed your school to get them to confirm and they have yet to respond."
Me: "I see...well I've been talking to my school and they say they haven't received anything. Could you possibly tell me who you emailed so I can ask them to look for it?"
Her: "No."
Me: "....can I give you the email address of the person I've been dealing with at my school?"
Her: "No."
Me: "Right....what do you suggest I do?"
Her: "Tell your school that when they registered with the ECFMG they assigned a person to receive the emails. That person should check their email."
Me: "Right....ok thanks."

Why did they even need to email the med school? Don't think they did with me, well I never heard about it anyway and everything was processed fine.

 

[bambi]

Oh, I checked by the way, apparently you don't come to Hope for neuro, everyone else does though!

 

[hj0517]

Bambi, could you pm me who the Manc person is that sorts this out? I got Dr. Cotter (MRI dean) to sign the form with the picture on it and sent it, but if they need email confirmation I might have to follow the application up, thanks!

 

[VeerTheTIGuy]

Why did they even need to email the med school? Don't think they did with me, well I never heard about it anyway and everything was processed fine.

From what I understand, the process goes like this:

You fill out application --> Dean signs form --> They get everything --> They email school to make sure you are who you say you are and you didn't forge the Dean's signature --> School emails back and says you didn't --> They process application --> They steal your mon-I mean give you your registration number.

haha and i told you about Preston...we've got it all

 

[bambi]

haha and i told you about Preston...we've got it all

You have a helipad too! That's what they use to try and persuade Manc people to go to Preston.

 

[bambi]

From what I understand, the process goes like this:

You fill out application --> Dean signs form --> They get everything --> They email school to make sure you are who you say you are and you didn't forge the Dean's signature --> School emails back and says you didn't --> They process application --> They steal your mon-I mean give you your registration number.

I thought the point of the pic and the seal of the med school was to prove you are who you say you are?

 

[VeerTheTIGuy]

I thought the point of the pic and the seal of the med school was to prove you are who you say you are?

i guess they're just trying to be extra careful? fair enough anyone can say that they go to a school, forge a signature, and then make up a seal (how are they gonna know?), but the ECFMG contacting the school directly would be pretty hard to recreate...

You have a helipad too! That's what they use to try and persuade Manc people to go to Preston.

wait, the Greater Manchester hospitals don't have helipads?? Does that mean all (I'm guessing a handful or so) of Heli-ambulances come to Preston? Also I'm a bit of a ER nut so the helipad did originally make me quite excited lol