Last year, I searched the internet high and low for resources like the one I've created with this post. One of the best ways to achieve success for Step 1 is to set a goal, create a plan on how to meet that goal (with realistic daily goals), and work hard each day referencing the plan and making changes as necessary. I set up my goal score at the beginning of second year based upon what specialty (I thought) I wanted to go into (this later changed as I realized I knew nothing about what type of clinic/hospital patient care I enjoyed and what I found exciting vs. less fulfilling -- post to follow about this later). I created a step 1 plan, mostly stuck to the plan, and I worked my hardest to reach that goal. I pushed myself too hard, and ended up emotionally overstressed a few too many times, so keep in mind when you create your plan, that you must be realistic and set aside time for fun also.
Get a good planner, mine divided each day on a page and had a lot of room for goal planning throughout the year (shop them here they just came out with their June to June calendar too) and I did a separate post on my old planner on the old blog linked here.
One last note before I talk about my study plan - I used a lot of resources, all of which are not necessary to simply "pass" Step 1. I felt as if I needed the extra amount of time I spent studying and the extra resources I used in order for me to meet my goal based upon the fact that it takes me a little more time and practice to memorize facts than many other classmates of mine. I figured I should at least work my hardest, so I would have no regrets after the exam, and I didn't have any.
Summer between first and second year:
I downloaded a year subscription of Firecracker and worked on a few subjects I struggled with from first year and reviewed some other first year topics.
The questions in Firecracker are not really like Step 1 questions, they are more memorization of concepts that you need to know before approaching the higher level thinking questions. They are not really a burden to do, and they really helped information "stick" all throughout the year.
I continued using Firecracker as a easy study method throughout second year. It was so simple to answer questions on my phone over lunch or while waiting in line places, or when just sitting on the couch relaxing.
First Semester Second Year:
I purchased Pathoma and Sketchy Medical and used them both as major study resources during my courses. I also knew I would be using both Pathoma and Sketchy Medical during dedicated Step 1 study time, so I tried to use these as much as I could.
I continued to use Firecracker and depending on the week would get in 200-300 questions per day, most of them specifically related to what I was studying but 1/3 of the questions were a review of past material that I would be tested on for Step 1.
As we went over topics in class, I tried to set aside Sundays to skim First Aid on the topics we were studying
Winter Break
I read through First Aid 1x over break. I also continued to do Firecracker questions.
January - May
I continued to use First Aid as we discussed topics in class as a study resource
I continued Firecracker, attempting to get through their question bank (it didn't happen, they have a huge bank!)
I split up the number of questions in UWORLD and made a goal to get through them all by the end of the semester.
*By the way! The first time you go through UWORLD make sure you "mark" every question in the upper left hand corner, this way, the second time you go through the questions during your dedicated study time (or whenever) you will be able to exactly select the "marked" questions and you will specifically be able to do every question 2x through without doing some of the questions 4x through because Uworld puts it on random if you don't do it this way.
VACATION - I went to Disneyworld (post here, here, and here) and then I had my wisdom teeth extracted.
Dedicated Step 1 Study Time 6 Weeks
This plan was adapted from here (it didn't give me a 270, but I'm happy with my score) . For the schedule below it's important to always keep moving along, and don't get stuck on things or you will get very behind. I am a fast reader, so if you aren't, wake up an hour earlier (I woke up an hour earlier the second to last week to get more done). I loved the planner I used because it divided each day out onto a page and helped keep me on track on each individual day (more in this post here).
I listened to the Pathoma lectures (and read) during the first time through Pathoma but during the second time through I rarely listened to him online and I read through my notes in the book most of the time to save time and focus on the specific concepts I needed help remembering the most.
My goals for the 6 weeks were:
Get through First Aid 3x through
Read Pathoma 2x through
UWorld 1x through
Firecracker Every Day
Sketchy Medical as needed
Each day, I would do 100 -150 Firecracker Qs in the morning before getting out of bed at 7am (took 40min-60min), then I go to my office and do 40 Uworld Qs (all topics, but timed or tutor mode) and for every question that I missed I would write down a phrase or sentence in a little notebook about why I missed it or something new I learned. I would then read about the topic of the day in First Aid or Pathoma. Over lunch I would take an hour or hour and a half and do whatever I wanted. I would watch 20-30 minutes of Sketchy Micro after lunch, and then do another 40 UWorld questions. The rest of the afternoon I would read more about the topic of the day in First Aid or Pathoma. When it was dinner time (5:45/6:30) I would stop and take a few hours off. Before bedtime at 10:30 I would find time to fit in another 150 questions of Firecracker while I'm sitting on the couch on my iphone. I would take one day "off" per week, but really I usually used a few hours this day to read the little Uworld notebook I kept throughout the week....sometimes I didn't do this I'll be honest, but that was my goal.
Week 1 Topics (each bullet is a day):
FA Pathology + Pathoma Chapter 1 and 2
Pathoma Ch 3 and First 1/2 of First Aid Immunology
First Aid Immunology
First Aid Biochem
First Aid Biochem
(Day Off) - I did more Biochem
Week 2 Topics:
First Aid Endocrine and Pathoma Endocrine
First Aid Pharm
First Aid Cardio and Pathoma Cardio and Vascular
FA Respiratory and Pathoma Respiratory
FA Behavior and FA Psych and Pathoma Neuro
First Aid Neuro and Frist Aid Reproduction
Week 3 Topics:
First Aid Renal and Pathoma Renal
First Aid Embryo
Pathoma Reproduction chapters
First Aid MSK, Pathoma MSK and Derm
FA HemeOnc
Pathoma Hemostasis RBC, WBC
Week 4 Topics
FA Micro
Raipd Review and NBME Test + Pathoma GI
First Aid Pathology and Pathoma Chapters 1-3
First Aid Immunology and HemeOnc and Pathoma Hemostsatsis, RBC, and WBC
First Aid Biochem
First Aid Pharm and Endocrine and Pathoma Endocrine
Week 5 Topics
(Long days this week, but since I was familiar, it moved faster than you would think!)
First Aid Cardio and Pathoma Cardio/vascular and FA Respiratory and Pathoma Respiratory
First Aid Behavior and Psych and Pathoma GI
Pathoma Neuro and First Aid Neuro First Aid Renal and Pathoma Renal
First Aid Embryo and Reproduction, Pathoma Reproduction
First Aid MSK and Pathoma MSK and Derm
First Aid Micro (on "day off" ....just to get through it all again)
Week 6 Topics:
Did a Practice NBME Exam Monday and then another in the Afternoon
Rapidly read First Aid (highlighted points only!) for the 3x through First Aid the rest of the week
I also wrote a separate post on "Day in the Life Studying for Step 1".
Comment below with your best advice for Step 1 studying to help other people out!