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
#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
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.
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
This is important for certain types of test questions
Rule #4 Get 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!!
Answer and Move on
Mark it if unsure
Rule # 6 Learn 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
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
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.