My strategy failing me?

When I first started thinking about the Step 1, I was a bit worried about microbiology.  This was partly because I didn't need to know much as part of my coursework, and partly because microbiology was the bane of my existence during undergrad.  So, about six months ago, I spent a couple of days reading Levinson and making notes into First Aid.  At that time I felt I'd learned heaps, but I finally began revising it today.

As I was reading through, I thought, "Wow, this isn't quite as bad as I'd remembered."  Then, I started doing Kaplan questions.  Mother of god.  I got 46% correct on the first question block.  46%?!?  How can this stand?

The thoroughly abrading thing about all of this is that most of the questions I got wrong were related to things I have never before seen!  Did you know Pseudomonas aeruginosa has two elastases called LasA and LasB responsible for ecthyma gangrenosum?  I sure didn't until today.

Did my high-yield review resources let me down?  Or does Kaplan just suck?  Either way, are they preparing me adequately for the USMLE or am I being led into a dark alleyway for mental assault and battery?

Feeling crotchety, --KM

How studying is (or is not) going so far ...

So it's taken me two weeks to tackle my "tough subjects" of biochemistry, pharmacology, and embryology.  (I threw in a bit of path last week just to keep myself sane.)

I will start with Embryology because it turned out to be way better than I was expecting.  Basically we all start out as a little ball.  Then that ball gets squished into a pancake.  Then the pancake splits up into three layers and we fold up into a mushroom.  In the mushroomation embryo phase, there is a big groove all the way down the back which gets "zipped up".  If the fly stays down, it = neural tube defect. If something goes wrong at the head, you get anencephaly.  If something goes wrong at the bum, you get a myelomeningocoele.  Either way, it sucks.  Also, the pharyngeal pouches - funky ruffles on your cheeks that kind of look like Captain Hook's shirt, and turn into your ears and face and stuff. 

Oh yea, and your heart, thyroid gland, and pituitary all start in the mouth.  Weird as!

Anyway moving on.

Biochemistry is rough for me.  I really struggle with remembering the names of enzymes, and all of the lysosomal storage diseases sound the same to me!  I made awesome flash cards, which have helped a little bit, but I still find that I second-guess myself when I'm answering practice questions.  I worked on biochem for several days, but I just had to leave it and move on.

Pharmacology would be easy if it were just remembering the drugs.  I am really good at mechanisms of action, overdose/withdrawal and all of that.  What I suck at is anything involving a graph.

**PREPARE FOR RANT**

Seriously, the person who decided that those stupid graphs of heart rate and blood pressure with sympathetic antagonists/agonists were a good idea can eat shit and die as far as I'm concerned.  Why the hell would I care about a hypothetical experimental antagonist that is never used except for USMLE questions?  So it tests knowledge of receptors and crap?  Who the fuck cares!  Is it clinically useful? I think not. *Le sigh* 

ALSO - the next Lineweaver-Burke plot I see may drive me into a hysterical fit.  If they ask me a question about enzyme affinity and reaction rates in words I am fine, but as soon as it is in a graph - it's like a kaleidoscope of weeping, uncontrollable swearing, and inappropriate laughter!  People may think I have the "Happy Puppet" Angelman syndrome!  (See, I did learn something studying that biochemistry crap.)

Anyway, it took me two weeks but I did manage to survive the subjects that I really suck at.  Today I will do behavioural sciences and make a start on micro.  Wish me luck!

Boot camp begins!

Well, school is finally over.  Which means I have 6 weeks to do some hardcore USMLE study!  EEK!

I have read all of First Aid this year and added some extra notes.  From the study and practice questions I have done so far, I have realized the areas I need the most work on are biochemistry, embryology, and pharmacology.  So I'm going to focus on really studying those areas for the first week, and then again at the very end.  The rest of my study is going to be practice questions, practice questions, practice questions!!  I have already done a few questions in Kaplan Qbank and First Aid Q&A, so I'm going to keep using those until I feel really confident about my question-answering strategy.  Then I am going to start UWorld - for the ultimate power study of awesome!

It is really crunch time! --KM <3