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Introduction to USMLE STEP I: Making Usmelly Not Stink So Much!

Introduction to USMLE STEP I: Making Usmelly Not Stink So Much!. USMLE I. Aaron Michelfelder, M.D. Assistant Professor of Family Medicine, Bioethics and Health Policy. Workshop Outline. My Background Generalities on Standardized Tests Specifics on USMLE I Putting Theory Into Practice.

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Introduction to USMLE STEP I: Making Usmelly Not Stink So Much!

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  1. Introduction to USMLE STEP I: Making Usmelly Not Stink So Much! USMLE I Aaron Michelfelder, M.D. Assistant Professor of Family Medicine, Bioethics and Health Policy

  2. Workshop Outline • My Background • Generalities on Standardized Tests • Specifics on USMLE I • Putting Theory Into Practice

  3. My Background • Worked for Leading Test Prep Company for 8 Years • Taught ACT/SAT/MCAT/USMLE I-III • Written Mock Questions for USMLE I-III • “Hired Gun” for Standardized Test Info • Professional Test Taker

  4. Standardized Tests “A standardized test is a standardized test is a standardized test!”

  5. USMLE I • 70% to pass in medical school (most of you do better) • 60-70% to Pass Step I • You will miss approximately 1 in 3 questions • No medical student is used to that • Humiliating • Psychologically Frustrating

  6. Rules • #1 You Must Prepare • #2 Know What is on the Test • #3 Know Your Test Makers • #4 Get Every Question Correct That You Can • #5 Never Leave a Question Blank • #6 Learn to Guess

  7. Rule # 1 • YOU MUST PREPARE!! • Don’t review the first 2 years of med school • Prepare specifically for THE test • Be efficient • Don’t assume Loyola has prepared you for this test.

  8. Rule # 2Know What’s on the Test! • www.usmle.org • Content and Format • They tell you SPECIFICALLY what you need to know

  9. USMLE I – Format • 350 questions • 7 blocks of 50 questions • 50 questions or one block experimental & NOT graded • 60 minutes each block • One 8-hour session • 15 min for tutorial • 45 minutes for breaks

  10. USMLE I – Content • http://www.usmle.org/bulletin/2004/examinationcontent.htm • http://www.usmle.org/step1/intro.htm

  11. USMLE I - SCORING • Two Scores • Three Digit Score • Mean is 200-220 with SD of 20 • Possibly the actual number you get correct out of 300? • 182 minnimum score for passing • Two Digit Score • 0 to 100 • 75 is passing • NOT PERCENTILE RANK

  12. Rule # 3Know Your Test Makers • http://www.usmle.org/bulletin/2004/Overview.htm • This is important for certain types of test questions

  13. Rule #4Get Every Question Correct that You Can • Every question is worth the same point • Don’t get bogged down on difficult ?s • Look at the answers first – if unfamiliar, mark and move on • Difficult may be experimental • You may get 1 in 3 questions wrong • DON’T DWELL ON IT!!

  14. Rule #5Never Leave a Question Blank • Answer and Move on • Mark it if unsure

  15. Rule # 6Learn to Guess • Wrong answers are chosen for a reason • Egos ARE involved in USMLE • Think about what the test maker wants • If you can eliminate then guess • If you cannot eliminate then guess all the same LET’S GET SPECIFIC AND HAVE SOME FUN!

  16. Rules • #1 You Must Prepare • #2 Know What is on the Test • #3 Know Your Test Makers • #4 Get Every Question Correct That You Can • #5 Never Leave a Question Blank • #6 Learn to Guess

  17. Where to Go From Here • Download the USMLE Tutorial and Sample Test Materials • Download the USMLE 1 Content Description • http://www.usmle.org/step1/default.htm • As You Study, Check off Each Item • This is the Most Important List to Make Sure You Have the Content Covered • Use Martha Halsey’s Method to Help Organize the Details

  18. Final Rule Since you will miss up to 1 in 3 questions, don’t let the test frustrate you. 2 out of 3 questions gets you a pass, residency at Harvard, a new car, school loans paid off. Well, maybe just the first one.

  19. GOOD LUCK ON USMLE STEP 1!

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