when to take USMLE step 1

[Patchie]

hey guys, i know most of you on here are like post grads, but i was wondering (looking for an australian medical school perspective here) when is the best time to take step 1? how much time should i set aside for studying for it?

i'm about to start 3rd year at Monash (our first clinical year), i was thinking i'd probably take it like at the end of this coming year?

i've read in the USMLE forums that clinical experience is bad for taking step 1, but i think it's a load of .....

share your thoughts, please --> on the bright side, it'll give you guys something to type, i've been watching this forum for a while now and nothing much has happened!

thanks guys

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[redshifteffect]

Hey patchie,

long time no see (or hear Um..from what I heard the best time for undergrads to take it is after u've finished ur head and neck (if u do it in stages like us) or for us after 4th year (after we've had two years of clinical). For u after 3rd year should be about right...but there is no need to rush it if u don't think ur comfortable.

the best thing to do is to take a look at ur review books and see how well u r doing.

 

[Patchie]

hey mate,

knew you'd reply!! are you going to take the USMLE? we kinda half arsed head and neck this year, as in, there was a late decision to include it in our second year, before we started third.

We are however, learning it properly this year, in a clinical setting with tutes and cds etc etc (we've already had the dissections and stuff).

We're doing combined med/surg rotations in third year, and then we're doing paeds & ob/gyn 1st semester 4th year, and then general practice and pyschiatry 2nd semester 4th year.

our fifth year will be all electives and selectives (selectives as the name suggests, mean that we have to 'select' from a list of possible rotations.)

At this stage, 5th year won't summatively assessed, but that is subject to change... i'm wondering whether that would be a good year to study for step 1 & 2.. or is that a bit ambitious?

I've been doing some research, and apparently it's a hell of a lot easier to have done a residency in the states, to come back to AUS and practise if you'd like.... it doesn''t really work the other way around.

what are your thoughts?

 

[redshifteffect]

G'Day,

Well Personally I'm still not sure about whether or not I'm going to take it or not. I'll have to see how I feel in forth year. We have a 6 month period of time in second sem. 4th year where we can do electives or we can do research....so i think that would be the perfect time for me.

I think u are better off having the head and neck done (well) then just doing it with a basic understanding of it. If you think u can tackle 1 and 2 together than that's up to u...I would probably spread them apart. There's no real rush to doing them though...so just do them when u feel ready. U should get the first aid for USMLE and see how prepared u feel...! Then decide when u have the most time to study ...LOL I'm sure u'll be alright!

As for coming back...I don't know about that mate. I personally know a lot of US docs in Tassie that aren't being given Aussie licenses and are only working temporarily. If you do decide to do a residency there there's a lot that u must consider. First off u will automatically be limiting yourself to the some of less competitive specialities. Unlike the american students u and i don't have US citizenships so we will need H1B or J1 visas (probably h1b since ur gov't probably won't give u a j1 without a fight) which means a lot of residency programs won't take us. then there's the potential difficulty of trying to get back to Australia after u graduate from the US. Either way (whether u go to Australia first or go the the US first) if u try to get back to the other country u will have to repeat most of ur residency..maybe it's different for u since u've done ur primary medical education in australia...dont' know.

Best of luck for ur "summer" vacation!

Cheers.