Studying for the USMLE Step 1

One common question I hear many times among my classmates here in Chicago and in Bonaire is “how do I study for the USMLE Step 1?” The answer is, there is no one answer. Dr. Wazir Kudrath, M.D. said the USMLE Step 1 is the most demanding test in the world. And it’s true because you have to connect Anatomy, Biochemistry, Medical Genetics, Pathology, Pharmacology, Behavioral Science and Immunology in one test.

The internet is your biggest resource in terms of getting advice on how to study for the USMLE Step 1. Don’t worry about the other tests, Step 2 and Step 3, because Step 1 test is the most important one for now; when applying for residency the residency boards are more concerned with USMLE Step 1.

If you are a medical student from an American medical school, then I believe you have a maximum of one to two months to take the USMLE Step 1 after your 2nd year is complete. For students from the Caribbean medical schools you should take at least 4 months to prepare for USMLE Step 1 after finishing basic science classes. Your asking why it’s longer for Caribbean medical students, it’s because Caribbean medical schools, except St. George Medical School in Granada, teaches their students on a self-study path to study basic sciences. There are limits of how much you can learn if you study by yourself, but most teachers in the Caribbean do not understand that. I’ve spoken to students from other Caribbean schools, and these students gotten their MDs, and they said their teachers did nothing to help them in basic science. As a matter of fact, the coordinator of AICM in Chicago went to a Caribbean school and he told us that he would ****** those people back in the Caribbean.