Thinking of taking the USMLE Step 1?

Think about it well – once you take the plunge, it will take a lot of your commitment and calls for genuine dedication.

First, there are a couple things you need to arrange for yourself, before you can actually delve into the real studying part.

1. Funds.
   • the Step Pathway is quite lengthy [Step 1 + 2 are required before you can apply for residency] each at approximately $1000 each. This is a lot of money, so be prepared to ask for support or a loan if you need that.
2. Making an account with ECFMG.
   • this is needed in order to register for your exam and then book it.
   • there is an initial registration fee, costing approximately $100.
3. Notarised verification.
   • you will need to fill in Form 186 [identity check] and then have this verified through NotaryCam.
     • this can take some time, as online appointments get booked – you may need to email NotaryCam to get them to make an appointment available to you.
4. Booking your exam.
   • in order to do this, you will need to select a region.
     • be sure of this, as if you end up wanting to change this later on, you will need to pay ECFMG a fee in order to do so.
   • before choosing a test date, you’ll be asked to choose a ‘triad’ in the year.
     • this is an approximation of when you want to take the exam; eg. Oct-Dec.
     • you’ll then need to have your medical school verify you are a student currently enrolled there; ECFMG will send an email via their portal to the respective staff member in your Student Affairs department.
     • only once this is completed, will you be able to book your test date.
     • test dates are booked through Prometric Testing Centres.
       • you can always check this site in advance, to monitor which dates are available.

Timeline:

This will differ depending on your current commitments - whether you are in full time study or work, or if you are lucky enough to have some sufficient prep leave or you may currently be unemployed.

Furthermore, the amount of time will vary based upon how far through medical school you are; if you are a final year student or a graduate, you may require less time to study, provided that your base concepts are solid.

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‘Base concepts’ refer to topics taught in the beginning of medical school, such as anatomy, physiology and histology.

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Using myself as an example, I was a final-year student with ample base knowledge from previous years as I had personal notes to use and refer back to. I was attending classes full time, however was able to often leave early and take study blocks during the day to study.

• My timeline was roughly 6 months, with the last 2 months being ‘dedicated study’.
  • This meant that the initial months consisted of a gentle study routine – attempting to cover all areas and topics comfortably and discovering my weak areas.
  • The last 2 months consisted of a full daily routine, where I'd centre my day around studying from morning to evening – taking breaks for the occasional class, for prayer and for eating.
  • During this time I focused on my weak areas, did dedicated blocks on harder chapters as well as mixed blocks and timed ones too (important).
  • I was still able to socialise to an extent with friends in the evening as I lived in dorms. I think this is important, and if you live at home, take time out at the end of your day to recharge your battery slightly by spending a little time with family/loved ones. A little time goes a really long way and stops you from ending up feeling super burnt out.
  • I took my first mock exam [NBME] 2 months before my exam date; the next NBME 1 month before, and then the LAST 3 weeks I did continuous NBMES and reviewed.