studying for USMLE

[Mick]

I was wondering if any current med students or residents could comment on how long it takes to study for the USMLE step 1, and what some good references are. I'm a second year med student and plan on writing it this summer so as to keep my options open for fellowships in the states.

 

Thus far I've been looking through First Aid, but it seems like it's just a collection of trivia without any real completeness on any given subject. Is the step 1 really just a collection of facts and nothing more? I find I learn material much better when it's centered around a theme, and there's a big picture.

 

Finally, I had planned on working for most of the summer and writing step 1 near the end. Is this a wise plan? Sorry for the long post, but any input would be greatly appreciated.

[Lactic Folly]

I think there are some previous posts on this forum, but your best resource will be the forums at studentdoctor.net, as well as other forums focused on the USMLE (do an internet search) and advice pages from American medical schools and students. The amount of time to budget will depend on your facility with standardized MCQ exams, the extent to which you already know the material, how much time you will be spending working vs studying, and what your goal for the exam is (passing comfortably if you just want to have it for fellowships, vs a high score if you are thinking of applying to the US for fellowships). I did find there was quite a bit of memorization involved.. but it has helped solidify facts that I've had to recall and use since then.