Time needed for Step 1 dedicated with it being P/F

[Wobbler12345]

So my question is the current 5 weeks I have blocked off enough for dedicated given the study strategy I have been using for classwork?

My study strategy for preclinical was to learn everything as well as I could for that block and then move on and focus on the next. So that involved using Anki decks made by previous students and adding usually 500 cards to the deck. So each block had an associated Anki deck of 2500-3500. I do those religiously during the block and then move on after the test. For practice questions, I usually did 500 per test from books like Katz, pretest, and first aid. Generally, I got low to mid 90 % of those questions correct and then 95+ on our in-house exams.

If the 5 weeks is enough, is it bad to just roll with going through the Anki cards I have been using all year? I was thinking of a mixture of Anki review and Uworld every day with a practice test each week? Is that going to suffice?

As you may be able to sense I am very stressed about step, coming from a low-tier MD I want to eliminate every remote possibility of failing because it would be very hard to come back from that. But I also want to take the last two weeks they gave us for a dedicated to go on a backpacking trip with my dad and a vacation with my girlfriend as this is for the most part the last chunk of time I'll have for a while.

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[Wobbler12345]

No, we have nothing like that. We have a meeting in a few weeks about how to study for step but at that point, things need to be scheduled. The faculty is known for being disorganized and not on top of these types of things

 

[Wobbler12345]

Bump

 

[CanIBeAnonymous]

You're fine

 

[Styrene]

So my question is the current 5 weeks I have blocked off enough for dedicated given the study strategy I have been using for classwork?

My study strategy for preclinical was to learn everything as well as I could for that block and then move on and focus on the next. So that involved using Anki decks made by previous students and adding usually 500 cards to the deck. So each block had an associated Anki deck of 2500-3500. I do those religiously during the block and then move on after the test. For practice questions, I usually did 500 per test from books like Katz, pretest, and first aid. Generally, I got low to mid 90 % of those questions correct and then 95+ on our in-house exams.

If the 5 weeks is enough, is it bad to just roll with going through the Anki cards I have been using all year? I was thinking of a mixture of Anki review and Uworld every day with a practice test each week? Is that going to suffice?

As you may be able to sense I am very stressed about step, coming from a low-tier MD I want to eliminate every remote possibility of failing because it would be very hard to come back from that. But I also want to take the last two weeks they gave us for a dedicated to go on a backpacking trip with my dad and a vacation with my girlfriend as this is for the most part the last chunk of time I'll have for a while.

My estimate is that you would pass if you took it now. Just do you and it will be fine.

 

[mrbreakfast]

Take however much time it'll take to feel confident.

Generally, I got low to mid 90 % of those questions correct and then 95+ on our in-house exams.

You'd likely pass it you took it tomorrow. I'd estimate between 30-40% of a given class will pass their diagnostic test and never fail a single practice or real test. My school had a predictive model based on coursework performance, and if you're doing that well on coursework (and completed a full dedicated period) you would've be expected to score a 240-250 on the real thing.

SDN is full of horror stories, but I also went to a low-mid tier med school, and the only people who scored below mid-20Xs I know were the people barely passing (or occasionally failing) in-house exams.

 

[mistafab]

I would take a baseline test to see where you are at. If you are passing already by a good margin then I wouldn't worry too much about it and just stick to the plan. If you aren't passing then maybe sweat the strategy a bit more.