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

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.

20. GOOD LUCK ON USMLE STEP 1!