ISP, Week 3

Another week down. Only 13 days to go until the biggest test of my life.

This week was a little rough. I have finally hit a point in my studying that I have learned SO MUCH in such a short amount of time that I'm starting to make good connections, but I'm also starting to get everything jumbled. I feel like I am forgetting a lot that I learned the first few weeks, which is quite frustrating. But, I know it all has to be in my brain somewhere and I have almost two more weeks to get it all straight.

This week, I debated for a while whether or not to take an NBME. I knew that I should, but I just had such a bad feeling about it. I was not feeling well about studying and I was starting to feel depressed...but in the end I knew that I would regret not taking one. Last week, I had gone up 31 points from my start and was at a score that I would be legitimately happy to get on the real deal. So, I was hoping to simply maintaining that score. This week, I felt myself struggle when I was taking the exam and marked a ton of questions that I second guessed myself on, but I tried my best. And again, I surprised myself! I went up another 14 points (for a total of up 45 points from the start). I have beyond surpassed any score that I thought I was able to achieve when I first started my study period.

While I am really happy with how my Step 1 studying is going so far, I know that I need to stop second guessing myself and have more confidence. I know that I am capable of doing well, but I seem to always shoot myself down. I think this is common for medical students, especially those that are studying for Step 1. Its so easy to compare yourself to other people who are studying other things or using different methods and think that you are doing every thing wrong. Its easy to compare yourself to students who seem to have it all together. Its easy to start to feel depressed or feel inadequate when you are surrounded by other students that for some reason seem to know everything that you don't.

I know that I need to just put my blinders on for the next two weeks and keep doing what I'm doing. I am improving. I am doing well. There is no reason to feel inadequate. I just have to get through the next two weeks...

ISP, Week 2

2 weeks down! 3 weeks to go!

Step 1 ISP is seriously the most I have ever studied in my entire life! It is really exhausting, sometimes tedious, but also very very interesting. I really do love about 90% of the stuff we are learning. This is so so different/better than studying for the MCAT.

This week, I slacked a little in the exercise department, slept in a few more days, but still got a ton of good studying in!  I focused on the Respiratory System and Cardiovascular System, along with trying to fit in some Pharmacology and Biochemistry/Immunology review. I am a little bit behind schedule on where I wanted to be, but not much. It definitely could be worse!

I just took my weekly NBME exam. If you remember last week, I said I had an (unrealistic) goal of improving 10 points each week. I was ecstatic last week after bumping up my score by a whole 14 points. This week, I definitely wasn't expecting any crazy score jump, but was hoping for about 5 more points. So, you can imagine my surprise when I finally pushed "view results" to see that I had jumped 17 points!!!! Thats right, folks...I'm up 31 points in just 2 weeks!! I am actually less than 5 points away from my ultimate goal score! Its such an encouraging feeling. I hope that I maintain this excitement throughout my studying for the next week, because I think I'm starting to get a tiny bit burnt out.

3 weeks and I will be done with Step 1 (hopefully forever) and laying on a beach in Hawaii with S. That sounds like bliss.

ISP, Week 1

Greetings, from ISP land! I am officially done with my first week of my "Intensive Study Period" for Step 1 studying! Overall, its been going pretty well. Its pretty insane how much I have learned/re-learned in just 6 days, but its also a really cool experience finding out just how much I have actually been taught over these last 2 years of medical school.

I have gotten into a pretty good routine this week that I really hope I stick to! My schedule is as follows:
8:30-9:00           Wake up/hit snooze/wake up again
9:00-11:00         92 UWorld Q Bank practice questions
11:00-12:00       Gym/Listen to audio lectures
12:00-1:00         Shower/Cook Lunch/Eat Lunch
1:00-5:00           Review Uworld Qbank questions/make flash cards
5:00-6:00           Dinner break
6:00-12:00         Read First Aid/Goljan RR books
12:00-1:00         Go home/do flash cards in bed until I fall asleep

This week, my "Reading FA" time was devoted to my 3 worst subjects: Biochemistry, Immunology, and Microbiology. I am definitely happy that I started with these to a) get them out of the way, and b) give myself a good base for when I start reviewing organ systems tomorrow.

Today, I took my second NBME practice exam (first one was sponsored by my school - [NBME]). The last exam I took, I was very excited to have passed, but knew I still needed a lot of work to do to get my score up to somewhere I would be really happy about. My big goal was to improve 10 points each week, but my realistic goal was to improve 5 points each week. Well, I am happy to report that I improved a whole 14 POINTS from my first practice exam!!! I'm sure I wont make that big of a jump again, but it was such a great feeling to have my hard work validated.

Since I took my NBME practice exam today, I get an easy day for the rest of the afternoon. I get to watch some TV and take a few hours off and relax. Then, tonight, I will review my incorrect answers from the NBME and review the chapters that I learned this week.

Also, since I'm on my break, I should tell all of you blog readers some exciting things have happened over the past 2 weeks. First, I turned 25 and now can rent a car ....woop! and 2) S graduated from medical school!!!!! Thats right, blog world, I am officially dating a real doctor! Im such a proud girlfriend.