Are you an IMG planning to take USMLE step 1 test in 2021? If yes, then you have probably heard that this is the last year the Step 1 scores will be released, instead it will be replaced with a pass/fail only. This new change might make you feel pressured to get a higher score to help you with the matching process; as what is expected with the new result format that it could make getting a residency more competitive. Here are some tips to help you with your goal: 1- Find a study partner USMLE journey is a long one, having someone beside you will help you stay motivated and focused on your goal. If you can not find one in your direct circle you can always find many people on the internet from around the world with similar goals. 2- Get scheduling Sticking to a schedule will help you so much. Mark your exam days and your study months and schedule ahead. That will boost your confidence and give you control on your time line. 3- Give yourself some me-time USMLE journey is a hectic one, you can easily lose yourself in the process. Make time for regular breaks and enjoy them fully. It is important for you to recharge so that you can get back to studying with a fresh outlook. 4- Use Flash cards Making your own flashcards would help you so much. Start making them from the early beginning and you will thank yourself later. Highlight the points you did not really comprehensive from the first time, the tricky ones and get back to these cards later. 5- Finalize your Sources You will find many sources for studying, they are all useful, but you cannot study from them all. Find the sources that suit you best and stick to them, this also applies to question banks. Do not overwhelm yourself with many resources as that will hold you back. 6- Know your study routine Each one of us functions differently, some might need to watch videos to solidify the new information, others like reading and solving questions. Identify your own style and work with it, do not compare yourself to others. 7- Identify and focus on high yield topics Step 1 is mainly about basic sciences, physiology, pharmacology and pathology. Some questions will have a combo of two or three as part of the question. You will be able to recognize these topics with more practice. 8- Simulate the test Solving 40 questions in a row could be no problem for many candidates, however being in a real exam situation for 8 hours could be challenging. But as always, practice makes perfect. So, make sure you conduct mock exams that are identical to test conditions to help build-up your endurance. 9- Try to maintain perspective For IMGs, it is easy to forget why we started this journey in the first place so always remind yourself and how much are you willing to sacrifice to reach your goal. Step 1 scores is an important factor for residency matching but it is not the only one. 10- Use Achievable.me Achievable.me USMLE step1 exam prep uses adaptive learning techniques to create and update a personalized model of your memory, individually tracking your retention and mastery of each USMLE step1 exam learning objective. The app also adjusts quiz questions according to your study progress. It also includes a quiz bank of 1,400+ review questions so you can quickly drill the key facts for any particular chapter. Achievable USMLE step1 study materials are also easy to read, mobile friendly, and includes detailed walkthroughs of sample questions.
