{"id":1442,"date":"2019-09-01T16:43:15","date_gmt":"2019-09-01T21:43:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/blog\/prep\/?p=1442"},"modified":"2022-01-27T17:35:34","modified_gmt":"2022-01-27T17:35:34","slug":"highly-effective-study-methods-for-the-usmle-step-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/usmle\/highly-effective-study-methods-for-the-usmle-step-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Highly Effective Study Methods for the USMLE Step 1"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>In order to be prepared for the USMLE Step 1, you must have a good grasp on many topics and concentrations. The best way to cover all of the information is to use highly effective study methods.<\/p>\n<p>Each person has his or her own preferred way of studying. You will have to decide what will work the best for you. High-yield study methods all have one feature in common: The more active you are with the material, the more content you will ultimately retain. Remember, your goal in studying is not just to put in the most time, but to be efficient. Many of the best students make use of the following techniques:<\/p>\n<p><div  class='avia-icon-list-container   avia-builder-el-0  el_before_av_promobox  avia-builder-el-first '><ul class='avia-icon-list avia-icon-list-left av-iconlist-big avia_animate_when_almost_visible avia-iconlist-animate'>\n<li><div  class='iconlist_icon  avia-font-entypo-fontello'><span class='iconlist-char ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue816' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><\/div><article class=\"article-icon-entry \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='iconlist_content_wrap'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><h4 class='av_iconlist_title iconlist_title   '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >Ask Yourself Questions<\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><p>One of the best study techniques is to pose questions to yourself as you review material. Perhaps you\u2019ll want to jot them down on index cards to share with others and to practice later. By asking yourself questions, you are framing the material, challenging yourself to focus on key areas, and preparing for questions you may well see on the examination. Your goal is not to learn knowledge for general use, but to be able to answer multiple-choice exam questions.<\/p>\n<p>This strategy will move you from thinking like a student answering questions to thinking like a faculty member who is writing questions. By this process, you &#8220;get into&#8221; the head of the question writers and begin to understand what makes a good question and the basic science issues likely to be at the core of presented questions.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><\/footer><\/article><div class='iconlist-timeline'><\/div><\/li>\n<li><div  class='iconlist_icon  avia-font-entypo-fontello'><span class='iconlist-char ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue816' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><\/div><article class=\"article-icon-entry \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='iconlist_content_wrap'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><h4 class='av_iconlist_title iconlist_title   '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >Use Graphs and Charts<\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><p>Many common graphs and charts appear repeatedly on the exam. Practice reading graphs, charts, and tables. Try abstracting the salient facts quickly from a graph or chart. This may be expedited by using a plain sheet of paper to cover unneeded information and to focus your attention on selected information.<\/p>\n<p>Drawing the graph yourself seems to help you remember it more than just looking at it multiple times. Drawing a graph from memory will give you the confidence that you\u2019ve truly mastered the material. The more active you are with the material, the more likely you are to both remember it and understand important nuances.<\/p>\n\t<div   class='av_promobox  avia-button-no   avia-builder-el-1  avia-builder-el-no-sibling '>\t\t<div class='avia-promocontent'><p>\nYou&#8217;ll see lots of tables, graphs, and charts on the exam, so practice using these tools.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><\/footer><\/article><div class='iconlist-timeline'><\/div><\/li>\n<li><div  class='iconlist_icon  avia-font-entypo-fontello'><span class='iconlist-char ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue816' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><\/div><article class=\"article-icon-entry \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='iconlist_content_wrap'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><h4 class='av_iconlist_title iconlist_title   '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >Paraphrase<\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><p>Practice paraphrasing material to highlight important information. Paraphrasing means processing the material you have read; telling yourself what is important and unimportant as you read through it, and summarizing the key content in your own words.<\/p>\n<p>Pretend that you are the teacher who is in charge of presenting the content. What would you choose to emphasize? What would you leave out if you were short on time? How would you explain the concept to someone new to the field? Remember, if you can say it in your own words, then you really know it.<\/p>\n<p>The art of paraphrasing will allow you to answer questions with extensive information in the stem, such as case histories, much more efficiently. Many students say the most difficult part of the USMLE is getting through the large volume of reading required for each question. When you are paraphrasing, you do not treat every piece of information with the same emphasis, but decide what is important and what is not. Developing this skill will also be helpful as you progress through your medical career.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><\/footer><\/article><div class='iconlist-timeline'><\/div><\/li>\n<li><div  class='iconlist_icon  avia-font-entypo-fontello'><span class='iconlist-char ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue816' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><\/div><article class=\"article-icon-entry \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='iconlist_content_wrap'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><h4 class='av_iconlist_title iconlist_title   '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >Summary Notes<\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><p>Creating summary notes is a great study technique and will reinforce your paraphrasing skills. Summary notes are your personal representation of key points in the material written in a way that makes sense to you. Summary notes should run parallel to your primary study material and should serve to annotate, illustrate, and amplify the key points of that material. The physical action of simply writing the notes tends to reinforce learning and aid long-term retention. Once completed, summary notes provide a ready guide for those times when you review the material.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><\/footer><\/article><div class='iconlist-timeline'><\/div><\/li>\n<li><div  class='iconlist_icon  avia-font-entypo-fontello'><span class='iconlist-char ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue816' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><\/div><article class=\"article-icon-entry \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='iconlist_content_wrap'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><h4 class='av_iconlist_title iconlist_title   '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >Study Groups<\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><p>Study with friends or colleagues in groups of four or five. The best groups comprise people with a range of expertise. Try to form a group where each person\u2019s weakness is complemented by someone else\u2019s strengths.<\/p>\n<p>The goal of these study groups is not to show your colleagues how much you know. Rather, it\u2019s to find the holes in your knowledge while you still have time to correct those gaps. Don\u2019t be afraid to tackle the tough topics. With the aid of your study group, things will make sense much sooner than they will on your own. Challenge each other. Pose hypothetical situations and seek agreement as to the best answers.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><\/footer><\/article><div class='iconlist-timeline'><\/div><\/li>\n<li><div  class='iconlist_icon  avia-font-entypo-fontello'><span class='iconlist-char ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue816' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><\/div><article class=\"article-icon-entry \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='iconlist_content_wrap'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><h4 class='av_iconlist_title iconlist_title   '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >Plan Your Study Time<\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><p>For most efficient studying, avoid cramming and plan to re-review key material on a regular basis. Repeated exposure to material over time leads to more thorough retention than one massive concentrated exposure.<\/p>\n<p>In your final reviews, remember that active learning is best. This means avoiding simply reading the same page of notes over and over. Instead, use key words as mental triggers and tell yourself as much as you can about the topic you are studying. For example, don\u2019t simply re-read the Krebs cycle. Rather, tell yourself about it as if you were explaining it to someone else, and then check your explanation against your notes.<\/p>\n<p>Re-review is also the time to begin to make links among different sections of your material. What does your understanding of the physiology of the cardiovascular system tell you about common pathology or pharmacologic intervention? The threads of common diseases weave through each of the basic science subjects; tie them together and provide a framework that aids in retention.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><\/footer><\/article><div class='iconlist-timeline'><\/div><\/li>\n<li><div  class='iconlist_icon  avia-font-entypo-fontello'><span class='iconlist-char ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue816' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><\/div><article class=\"article-icon-entry \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='iconlist_content_wrap'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><h4 class='av_iconlist_title iconlist_title   '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >Practice with Testlike Practice Questions<\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><p>Doing practice questions is essential in your preparation for taking a multiple-choice exam. Your goal here is to test yourself and also to learn good question-answering habits. As you do questions, examine whether you got them right, but more importantly, look at why you got the question right or wrong. Did you not know the content? Then that\u2019s your cue that more study is needed. Did you misread the question? Then evaluate how you misread it and learn how the question writer wants you to read it.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><\/footer><\/article><div class='iconlist-timeline'><\/div><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div><br \/>\n\t<div  style='background:#c5c5c5;color:#ffffff;border-color:#c5c5c5;' class='av_promobox  avia-button-no   avia-builder-el-2  el_after_av_iconlist  el_before_av_heading '>\t\t<div class='avia-promocontent'><\/p>\n<div class='avia-iframe-wrap'><iframe title=\"USMLE Prep - Which Step is Most Important\" width=\"1500\" height=\"844\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/V9YadB6-5Yk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>\n<\/div><\/div><br \/>\n<div  style='padding-bottom:10px; ' class='av-special-heading av-special-heading-h3    avia-builder-el-3  el_after_av_promobox  el_before_av_table  '><h3 class='av-special-heading-tag '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >Sources of Multiple-Choice Errors<\/h3><div class='special-heading-border'><div class='special-heading-inner-border' ><\/div><\/div><\/div><br \/>\n<div class='avia-data-table-wrap avia_responsive_table'><table  class='avia-table avia-data-table avia-table-1  avia-builder-el-4  el_after_av_heading  el_before_av_heading  avia_pricing_default '  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Table\" ><tbody><tr class=''><td class=''>PROBLEM TYPE<\/td><td class=''>SOURCE OF ERRORS<\/td><\/tr><tr class=''><td class=''>Format problems<\/td><td class=''>Particular questions about subtype<\/td><\/tr><tr class=''><td class=''>Anxiety problems<\/td><td class=''>Questions containing\u00a0numbers, or done early in the review sessions<\/td><\/tr><tr class=''><td class=''>Fatigue problems<\/td><td class=''>Questions done late in review session<\/td><\/tr><tr class=''><td class=''>Reading errors<\/td><td class=''>More common in long questions<\/td><\/tr><tr class=''><td class=''>Directionality errors<\/td><td class=''>Questions that ask prediction of consequences<\/td><\/tr><tr class=''><td class=''>Group delineation errors<\/td><td class=''>Questions that present material in a unique context<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><style type='text\/css'><\/style><br \/>\nWhen you do your practice questions, do them under a time limit similar to the actual exam. In general, your rule should be one minute per question. This is roughly the amount of time (82 seconds) you will have during the real exam. Get used to the time constraint. It is one of the unchangeable realities of the USMLE.<br \/>\n<div  style='padding-bottom:10px; ' class='av-special-heading av-special-heading-h3    avia-builder-el-5  el_after_av_table  el_before_av_heading  '><h3 class='av-special-heading-tag '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >Common Mistakes<\/h3><div class='special-heading-border'><div class='special-heading-inner-border' ><\/div><\/div><\/div><br \/>\n1. <strong>Do not do questions without preparatory studying.<\/strong> Review material first until you feel you know it, and then use questions to test yourself. If you study by doing questions before you are ready, you will erode your self-confidence and fail to develop key linkages within the material.<\/p>\n<p>2. <strong>Do not get into the habit of lingering over a question.<\/strong> You do not have this luxury on the real exam. Remember that you have just over one minute per question. You should spend about 75 percent of that time reading and analyzing the question stem, and the other 25 percent selecting an answer. Be honest when you do not know an answer; move on, and look it up when you are finished.<\/p>\n<p>3. <strong>So-called &#8220;retired questions&#8221; and many published questions in review books are not representative of questions featured on the current USMLE Step 1.<\/strong> They are a reasonable way to review content, but often do not reflect the length or form of the questions on the current exam.<\/p>\n<p>4. <strong>Do not do questions individually.<\/strong> Do them in clusters under time pressure, with five to ten as a minimum. This will get you used to moving from question to question. Do not lookup answers after each question. Instead, check yourself after you have done the full set of questions.<\/p>\n<p>5.<strong>\u00a0When you start working on questions, do not panic if you do not get the correct answers.<\/strong> Learn from your mistakes. Questions are a part of the study process; they help you see what else you need to learn. You will get better at questions as your studying continues.<br \/>\n<div  style='padding-bottom:10px; ' class='av-special-heading av-special-heading-h3    avia-builder-el-6  el_after_av_heading  el_before_av_sidebar  '><h3 class='av-special-heading-tag '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >Try This Question-Mastering Exercise<\/h3><div class='special-heading-border'><div class='special-heading-inner-border' ><\/div><\/div><\/div><br \/>\nCover up the options to the question and read the question stem. Pause at each period and paraphrase what you have read. When you finish reading the question, cover the question and reveal the options. Select from the options without looking back at the question stem. With practice, you will get faster, and this strategy will become a habit. This strategy forces you to get the information out of the question as you read it and does not allow you to waste time by going back and rereading. Remember, you only have time to read each question once. Learn to make your reading time as efficient as possible.<br \/>\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In order to be prepared for the USMLE Step 1, you must have a good grasp on many topics and concentrations. The best way to cover all of the information is to use highly effective study methods. Each person has his or her own preferred way of studying. You will have to decide what will [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":28594,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[145],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1442"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1442"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1442\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40025,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1442\/revisions\/40025"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28594"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1442"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1442"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1442"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}