Resources for Basic Science Years
I met up today with an incoming student who lives in Atlanta and will be leaving to the island in 4 weeks. After our conversation, I know she is going to do great things in medicine as she has a very strong sense of determination and self, which are two essentials in medical education. She helped me fuel my own passion for medicine as it is nice to see that energetic spark that comes pre-matriculation to medical school (and explains why I loved being an ambassador, doing Welcoming Committee, and volunteering for white coat ceremonies while I was on the island).
Anyway, I promised to devise a list of resources that are great for basic science years that have hyperlinks and examples for more information. You should also utilize the Center for Teaching and Learning to help you learn how to learn through testing your learning style and getting tips on how to approach multiple choice questions. They provide a great service to students and you will be a stronger student with help.
The List
Osmosis - a resource to manage the resources. This one could take a blog post to explain itself as it has so many features. So, here's a video instead:
First Aid for Step 1 - get this one definitely before you head to the island and annotate the book with the details from lecture periodically. Step studying starts day one of medical education.
Sketchy Medical Series - if you don't get the videos through nefarious means, you can purchase a subscription during one of their discount periods if you receive their emails. You will rely on this resource heavily in third and fourth semesters. Here's an example video:
Pathoma - This comes with a book that will be shipped to you and you should purchase this at the end of second (if you're going home for break), or you can purchase a used book from an upper-semester student and use the nefarious means that helped you obtain Sketchy Videos to obtain these videos as well.
KISS Pharm - you may not use these videos if you subscribe to new sketchy pharmacology series, but I enjoyed these videos and still find myself using some of his sayings to remind myself things like "M3 makes you pee." Through interactive and almost sermon-like instruction, this series helps you remember some of the many details of pharmacology in a funny way. Again, this will be beneficial in third and fourth semesters. Example video:
uWorld Step 1 qBank - must have for all students and filled with great questions. You will get access to this in your third semester and I recommend using it from the beginning even though the questions will be tough at first. I completed the qbank once during third/fourth semesters, used my reset when I left the island, and did the qbank again during my dedicated Step Prep. Seriously, know uworld and you're practically set.
Cramfighter - I purchased this after my friend at an osteopathic school recommended it. Hands down this was awesome at helping me set little goals by creating a study schedule for me to stick to every day. It was $75 for a year, and I renewed it after STEP 1 and use it for studying for shelf exams.
Not for Me
Everyone studies and learns differently and your peers will utilize different resources. No matter how hard you are studying, you may always question: Am I doing enough? and Should I use that resource too? Pick your resources, stick to them, and perfect your study techniques. Anyone who knows me would laugh at this advice as I was always changing what I was doing between exams. I tried to perfect my system so much that I never generated a system that worked for me. Do not try my original approach, because you'll then spend your dedicated step studying period figuring out which version of your study habits was best for you.
Resources that I have tried and was not a fan of but I knew colleagues who used them:
PreTest Series - This series is somewhat outdated.
KhanAcademy Videos - free on YouTube
Dr. Najeeb Lectures - affordable and he has good detail, his accent is thick and makes this difficult to get through sometimes.
This is not an exhaustive list but this has the core of what you might hear people talking about on the island. Also, if you have any questions or feedback then I would appreciate you commenting below or sending me an email under the contact tab at the top of the page. Have an awesome day!
