Crushing Dedicated for USMLE/COMLEX
We know it’s December, but students typically start getting nervous and anxious for board exams right around now. Whether you are taking Step1 or Step2CK this spring/summer, we wanted to give you a breakdown of our tips for making the most of your dedicated period so you can crush these high stakes exam with ease!
Part 1: Body, Mind, Soul
Before we get into the plan let’s put some housekeeping advice out there.
Try to get direct sunlight daily, preferably in the AM
Sleep for at least 7 hours a night
Take breaks to exercise, even if only for 30min
Stretch daily
Hydrate well
Fuel your brain with quality nutrition
These things may sound cheesy, but when applied diligently, will make a world of a difference. You are preparing for a mental MARATHON. Treat your body as such and you will optimize the performance you can expect from it.
Part 2: The Plan
Dedicated is typically 4-8 weeks. We recommend 6.5 days a week of hard work (most of our students will study for approximately 12hrs per day). Take a half day off on either Saturday or Sunday every week; your mind and body will thank you.
For those taking Step2CK: This is now the highest stakes exam for residency selection. It also values reasoning MORE than recall.
Read that again.
Yes, memorizing is key, but your ability to navigate novel clinical scenarios and make sound medical decisions is the core of what Step2CK aims to test. Build that medical knowledge but keep in mind the need to master your test taking skills equally well—if not more so.
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Part 3: The Workflow
Question Bank: We recommend finishing UWorld for a first pass, then doing all of AMBOSS (Doing new questions > repeating old questions. Always). Your goal is to complete 120-160 questions per day on timed, random mode.
Approach: Read the last line of the question FIRST. Next, look at the answer choices. Then start from the top of the stem. This is crucial for your ability to be in the best position possible for picking out the right information from the stem as it pertains to the actual question.
Remember — we are in the business of getting POINTS on test day; optimize your approach for points and nothing else. Use this approach for every single question you ever do from now on. Thank us later.
Part 4: Practice Exams (For Step1 or Step2CK)
Take UWSA1 when you are 4 weeks out and UWSA2 when you are 1 week out from your test date.
Take the NBME Free 120 when you are 3-4 days out from test day
You may take NBMEs in between UWSAs if you feel like you need more data points to trend your progress.
Your weekly UWorld/AMBOSS/TrueLearn block score trend is a far more valuable insight into your progress than a single practice exam score. The progress is made during the daily grind.
To our D.O. students: Plan to take the COMLEX 3-6 days after USMLE. Use those days to cram OMM. Ask us for our comprehensive OMM review guide if you don’t already have it.
Use these tips to maximize your dedicated period and you’ll be well underway to getting an incredible score.
If you are interested in working with our team for tutoring, mentorship, interview prep, and more, reach out via the free consultation button above so we can help you put your best foot forward in the road to residency!
