SAUDI MD IN USA

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/ SaudiMDinUSA

The United States Medical Licensing Examination 


USMLE


www.usmle.org
Read more info-graphics about US medical residency and USMLE like this one here:
http://www.saudimdinusa.com/infographics/

How to prepare for the USMLE

Plan your strategy

For Step 1 and Step 2 CK only
This is only a suggested stage by stage strategy. It may not fit everyone. Try to customize one strategy that works for you

Start by doing “Kaplan diagnostic test”


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It’s free in their website www.Kaptest.com. You’ll be:
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- Familiar with the exam style.
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- Find out your starting score.

- Know your weakest points through the test analysis.

Choose in which order you are going to study the subjects

2 - For Step 1 exam: I recommend you start with the “normal” (Anatomy, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Physiology) then the
“disease” (Pathology) then the “treatment” (Pharmacology) and lastly Behavioral Science.

- For Step 2 exam: Choose any order you like.

3 Study each subject using books, lectures and Q-Bank

It doesn’t necessarily have to be a chapter by chapter. It can be every couple of chapters.

Study Chapter 1 Study Q-Bank

Review
(or couple of chapters) (Tutor mode & un-timed)

Videos
of
Write notes
Chapter 1 Chapter 1
+

Books (or couple of chapters) (or couple of chapters)

Study Chapter 2 Study Q-Bank Review

(or couple of chapters) (Tutor mode & un-timed)

Videos
of
Write notes
Chapter 2 Chapter 2
+

(or couple of chapters) (or couple of chapters)

Books

Why this strategy?

- Watching the video along with reading the book lets the student understand the materials. Watch videos once. Be careful not to spend so
much time rewinding videos. Concentrate and take notes from first time you watch them. Rewinding videos can take so much of your
preparation time.

- When the questions are done after every chapter or couple of chapters (short studying interval), the student will be able to grasp the concepts
and understand the high-yield points and tricks before proceeding to the following chapter. Questions enable the student to be able to
establish a road map for what to read and concentrate on it. The student should be able to familiarize himself with the key (buzz) words and
tricks in the questions.

- For Q-bank, Here is an explanation of some of the features:

• Tutorial mode means you start a block of questions (say 48 questions), then the explanation to every question you answer pops up as you

click on one of the multiple choices. This gives you time to read a question, answer it, read the explanation and then move on to the next
question.

• Mixed mode means that the block of questions contain questions from each subject of the USMLE exam.

• Time mode implies that 60 minutes for every 48-question-block. After the 60 minutes elapses, the block will shut down and then the

student will be able to review the answers.

• Un-timed mode means there is no clock on the block. You can take as much time as you need to read the question، think of the answer

and read the explanation.

4 Review subject by subject using the “review book”

After finishing all chapters of a single subject, review that same subject from a review book only. Then move to the next subject

Subject 1 Review Subject 2 Review

(For exm: Anatomy) Subject 1 (For exm: Biochemistry) Subject 2
After finishing all from After finishing all from
chapters from books, the review book chapters from books, the review book
videos and Q-bank (for exm: First Aid) videos and Q-bank (for exm: First Aid)

Why this strategy?

- Reviewing the whole subject from the “review book” ensures the student has made a comprehensive final review of that subject and can move to the next one.
It shouldn’t take too much time since it’s only a concise review.

Do a final comprehensive review

- When you finish all the subjects, review the whole “review book” and Q-bank but this time in “timed” and “mixed” modes.

5 -
-
Don’t go back to read the books or watch the videos unless something you have not understood.

Do NBME tests frequently to evaluate your progress and find your weaknesses.

- For medical students, summer probably is the best time to tackle this step.

Review
(should take shorter time now)
All the “review book”
+
All Q-Bank
(Timed & mixed)
Finish
All the “review book”
If your score is not up to
+ NBME test
your goal
All Q-Bank
(Timed & mixed)

NBME test
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Why this strategy?

- The student has understood all the concepts of this USMLE exam. He needs a review that focuses on the high yield topics.

- The review book is very concise and the Q-bank (timed & mixed) has questions that are similar in structure and content to the real USMLE.

- The student needs a tool (NBME tests) to predict the right time to take the real exam.

6 Apply for a USMLE practice session through ECFMG. Do the practice session in the same Prometric center you intend to do the real
exam at. This will ease the stress in the big day because you will be familiar with the atmosphere. This is different from the NBME tests.

Important notes
- Although this looks like a lot of studying, don’t worry, you will have enough time. What you read in these materials is what you have already
studied and you were examined in. Studying USMLE will give you a chance to look at things from another angle and broaden your knowledge
and analysis skills.

- To incorporate both Q-banks, some people recommend that you study “Kaplan” Q-bank in stage 3 of your preparation while study “USMLE
world” Q-bank during stage 5. This way you can be exposed to both Q-banks during your preparation and you won’t find yourself repeating the
same questions as well.

- USMLE courses are provided by so many companies. The most famous is Kaplan (www.kaptest.com) and there is a new one called Becker
(http://www.falconreviews.com).


DISCLAIMER
The views and opinions expressed in this PDF file are solely based on personal opinions and efforts. They do not reflect the official policy or position of
any official Saudi or American health or educational agency.

Don’t use this PDF file as a source of information. Always refer to the sources provided at the bottom of every page. This PDF file expires every first day
of January every year, please look for the updated version in the website home page (this file expires 1/1/2015).

Prepared by:

Nasser Aljehani (?) Family Medicine Resident at Texas Tech University nasser@saudimdinusa.com @NasserAljehani

Reviewed by:

Omar Yamani Anesthesia Resident at Tufts University omar.yamani@gmail.com @dryamani

Khalid Alqadi Neurologist and Epilepsy Fellow at Cleveland clinic dr.k.alqadi@gmail.com @khalid_alqadi

Marwan Alhajeili Hematology/Oncology fellow at Detroit Medical Center marwan.alhajeili@saudimdinusa.com @Marwanalhajeili

Abdulwahab Albabtain Internal Medicine Resident at St.John Medical center babwain@gmail.com @babwain

Asim Alshanbari Family Medicine Resident at Texas Tech University alshanberi@gmail.com @Alshanberi

Rayan Alsharef Ophthalmology Resident at McGill University in Canada rayan.alshareef@gmail.com @dralsharef