Introduction to usmle step I: Making Usmelly Not Stink So Much! Aaron Michelfelder, M. D

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

• Aaron Michelfelder, M.D.

• Assistant Professor of Family Medicine, Bioethics and Health Policy

Workshop Outline

• My Background

• Generalities on Standardized Tests

• Specifics on USMLE I

• Putting Theory Into Practice

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

Standardized Tests

• “A standardized test is a standardized test is a standardized test!”

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

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

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.

Rule # 2 Know What’s on the Test!

• www.usmle.org

• Content and Format

• They tell you SPECIFICALLY what you need to know

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

USMLE I – Content

• http://www.usmle.org/bulletin/2004/examinationcontent.htm

• http://www.usmle.org/step1/intro.htm

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

Rule # 3 Know Your Test Makers

• http://www.usmle.org/bulletin/2004/Overview.htm

• 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!!

Rule #5 Never Leave a Question Blank

• 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

• LET’S GET SPECIFIC AND HAVE SOME FUN!

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

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

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.