Preparing for Step 1

During your first two years of medical school, you have worked hard to absorb everything your professors have put in front of you. Now, you are getting ready to take USMLE Step 1. This your first board exam on your way to becoming a physician. In addition, this is one of the few measuring sticks that residency programs can use to compare your application to those of medical students across the country. Therefore, it is important for you to put your best foot forward. When it comes to USMLE Prep Chicago IL, there are a few tips that you must keep in mind.

Take Practice Tests

Step 1 is one of the longest tests that you will take. There is an even hour (or more) or break time so that you can eat lunch. This is a beast of a test that you must practice for. While nobody looks forward to spending a day off taking a practice test, this is an incredibly important part of your future. Therefore, you must practice and build the mental endurance that is required to answer every question to the best of your ability. This is like training for a marathon, so invest in practice tests.

Sign Up for a Prep Class

As a medical student, you are used to expecting perfection from yourself. There is simply no way that you are going to know everything. Therefore, you need to focus on your weaknesses and study to cover them. In order for you to adequately identify your weaknesses and learn this material, you need the help of a prep class. There are prep courses that are taught by instructors who specialize in getting students ready to pass these exams. They know the ins and outs of how to break down questions on Step 1 and answer them correctly. There are only so many ways that a board exam can test a single subject. A prep course can prepare you for many of them.

Get Ready for Step 1

If you thought the MCAT was challenging, Step 1 is even more difficult. Because every residency program looks at your Step 1 score, you need to do as well as you possibly can. Unlike the SAT and MCAT, this is not a test that medical students usually take more than once. If your medical school gives you a few weeks to study for Step 1, use them wisely.