USMLE Step 1 resources for Feinberg medical students

The USMLE Step 1 (more commonly just Step 1 or The Boards) is the first part of the United States Medical Licensure Examination. It assesses whether medical school students or graduates can apply important concepts of the sciences fundamental to the practice of medicine. US medical students typically take Step 1 at the end of the second year of medical school. Graduates of international medical schools must also take Step 1 if they want to practice in the US. From January 2010, the registration fee for the test is $740, with additional charges for applicants who choose a testing region outside the United States or Canada.

As of May 9, 2008, the number of questions was reduced to 48 questions per section, with a total of 336 questions. One hour is the time provided for each section, allotting an average of a minute and fifteen seconds to answer each question.  Between test sections, the test taker is allotted a cumulative 45 minutes (during the test day) for personal breaks. (There is a 15 minute tutorial at the beginning of the exam, which the test-taker can choose to skip and have that time added.) If the taker finishes any section before the allotted one hour time limit, time he remaining is added to the break time total. The test is administered at any of several Prometric computer testing sites located in cities across the USA and Canada.

The USMLE's description of the Step 1 Examination can be found here.  Topics include:

• General Principles
• Hematopoietic and Lymphoreticular System
• Central and Peripheral Nervous Systems
• Skin and Related Connective Tissue
• Musculoskeletal System
• Respiratory System
• Cardiovascular System
• Gastrointestinal System
• Renal/Urinary System
• Reproductive System
• Endocrine System

Recommended books (limit the # you use, but if you need particular help with a particular subject...):

• First Aid for the USMLE Step 1 (Le T, Bhushan V, Rao DA): Treat this book as your Boards bible. Learn it, love it, know it. Take all of your notes in this book so that when you review at the end, you only have to go back to 1 book.
• Biochemistry: Focus on the key enzymes and clinical consequences. Any one of the following will suffice:
  • Lippincott's Illustrated Reviews: Biochemistry (Champe PC, Harvey RA, Ferrier DR)
  • BRS Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (Swanson TA, Kim SI, Glucksman MJ)
  • High-Yield Biochemistry (Wilcox B)
• Pharmacology: Focus only on those drugs mentioned in First Aid and master the general pharmacology chapter. Helpful resources:
  • Pharmacology Flashcards (Barron) -- One side has a clinical vignette and the other has all the key information on the drug
  • Lippincott's Illustrated Reviews: Pharmacology (Howland RD, Mycek MJ, Harvey RA, et al)
  • Appleton & Lange Review of Pharmacology (Krzanowski JJ)
• Microbiology: Clinical Microbiology Made Ridiculously Simple (Gladwin M, Trattler B)
• Immunology: High-Yield Immunology (Johnson AG) or Medical Microbiology and Immunology (Immunology section only) (Levinson WE)
• Pathology: Rapid Review Pathology (Goljan EF) or BRS Pathology (Schneider AS, Szanto PA, Kim SI, et al)
• Physiology: BRS Physiology (Costanzo LS)
• Anatomy: High-Yield Gross Anatomy (Dudek RW, Louis TM) (Try this link too for resources)
  
• Embryology: High-Yield Embryology (Dudek RW) or BRS Embryology (Dudek RW)
• Neuroanatomy: High-Yield Neuroanatomy (Fix JD) or Clinical Neuroanatomy Made Ridiculously Simple (Goldberg S)
• Behavioral Science: High-Yield Behavioral Science (Fadem B)
• Histology: High-Yield Histology (Dudek RW)

Practice questions and exams (free, non-commercial):

• WikiTestPrep (http://wikitestprep.org/) - free Qbank for the USMLE Step 1 and 2 exams, founded by students at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine
• USMLE Orientation Materials (http://www.usmle.org/Orientation/2010/menu.html) - Tutorial and practice test items from USMLE
• WebPath (http://library.med.utah.edu/WebPath/webpath.html) - Pathology tutorial and practice examinations
• Test Prep Review (http://www.testprepreview.com/usmle_practice.htm) - Simple practice questions in each topic area

Practice questions and exams (not free, commercial):

• USMLE (https://apps.nbme.org/CBTPSRegistrationWeb/jsp/usmle_CBTPS_registration.jsp) - USMLE Computer-based Testing Practice Session
• NBME (https://apps.nbme.org/nsasweb/servlet/mesa_main) - Self-assessment Services
• Kaplan (http://www.kaptest.com/Medical_Licensing/Step-1/index.html)
• USMLEWorld (http://www.usmleworld.com/Step1/step1.aspx)
• USMLEasy (http://www.usmleasy.com/)

Downloadable PDFs, charts, and programs: Login with your netID here

Advice and study techniques from students, survey gathered by AWOME: Step 1 Prep Resources

Dr. Engman's Step 1 Tips: Download PDF here

Other Tips:

• Do questions! Each night after studying, answer at least 50 questions on what you studied that day. Towards the end of your studying, complete blocks of 50 random questions to better simulate the real exam.
• Know the basic pharmacology chapter. The concept of epinephrine reversal will be on your Boards.
• Study with a friend. You may or may not want to actually study out loud, but at the very least you should have someone you meet everyday and sit with to help get you through. Five weeks is a long time to sit in a room by yourself.
• Sleep, eat, exercise, go out. Your life doesn't need to stop because you are studying. If you get going before 10 am, you should be done by 8 pm with time to chill out.
• Don't accidentally stretch your legs and kick out the power cord to the computer.  Seriously.  This has happened to previous students.

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Sources:
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/570444
http://usmle.org
http://www.brianthemountainram.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USMLE_Step_1
Special thanks to Laura Matthews for the wikitestprep.org link