Studying for and taking the USMLE can be stressful. Here are 10 tips to help you prepare for the real deal: 1. Train your bladder by drinking a gallon of water and trying to complete 2-3 UWorld practice blocks. 2. Take some Ducolax or sodium phosphate before a practice test to train your bowels for diarrhea on exam day. 3. Drink 2-3 Venti Lattes or Red Bulls before bed and complete a full NBME practice test the next morning to simulate sleep deprivation. 4. Start listening to recordings of coughing, crying and construction noises while doing practice questions. 5. Fast for at least 12 hours before completing a practice exam. 6. Rub chilies around your orbit to simulate looking at the computer screen through teary eyes. 7. Take NyQuil and sleep through your alarm but wake up with ‘just enough’ time to get to wherever you’re doing your practice tests. 8. Do alcohol. 9. Call your parents sobbing after taking a practice test. 10. Revel in the fact that you’re almost done with the two hardest years of medical school. Source
