Page 36 - First Aid for the USMLE Step 1 2020, Thirtieth edition [MedicalBooksVN.com]_Neat

Guide to efficient exam PreParation Guide to efficient exam PreParation Section i 13

FIGURE 3. Median USMLE Step 1 Score by Specialty for Matched US Seniors. a,b

260
250 249 249
246 245 248 247 248 245
240 236 236 240
230 233 230 231 232 233 233 233 235
226 225 227
220 220
210
200
190
Emergency medicine
Neurological surgery
Interventional radiology
Family medicine Psychiatry Physical medicine Child neurology Obstetrics and Pediatrics Neurology Anesthesiology Internal medicine Pathology General surgery Internal medicine/ Vascular surgery Diagnostic radiology Ophthalmology Orthopedic surgery Radiation oncology Otolaryngology Dermatology Plastic surgery
and rehabilitation
gynecology
Pediatrics
a Vertical lines show interquartile range.
b Data from National Resident Matching Program. Charting outcomes in the match. http://www.nrmp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Charting-Outcomes-in-the-Match-2018-Seniors.pdf. Published July 2018.

` `LEARNING STRATEGIES

Many students feel overwhelmed during the preclinical years and struggle to
find an effective learning strategy. Table 5 lists several learning strategies you
can try and their estimated effectiveness for Step 1 preparation based on the
literature (see References). These are merely suggestions, and it’s important
to take your learning preferences into account. Your comprehensive
learning approach will contain a combination of strategies (eg, elaborative
interrogation followed by practice testing, mnemonics review using spaced ` The foundation of knowledge you build
repetition, etc). Regardless of your choice, the foundation of knowledge during your basic science years is the most
you build during your basic science years is the most important resource for important resource for success on the USMLE
success on the USMLE Step 1. Step 1.

HIGH EFFICACY

Practice Testing

Also called “retrieval practice,” practice testing has both direct and indirect
benefits to the learner. Effortful retrieval of answers does not only identify
4
weak spots—it directly strengthens long-term retention of material. The
5
more effortful the recall, the better the long-term retention. This advantage ` Research has shown a positive correlation
has been shown to result in higher test scores and GPAs. In fact, research between the number of boards-style practice
6
has shown a positive correlation between the number of boards-style practice questions completed and Step 1 scores
questions completed and Step 1 scores among medical students. 7 among medical students.
Practice testing should be done with “interleaving” (mixing of questions
from different topics in a single session). Question banks often allow you to
intermingle topics. Interleaved practice helps learners develop their ability to
focus on the relevant concept when faced with many possibilities. Practicing
topics in massed fashion (eg, all cardiology, then all dermatology) may seem
intuitive, but there is strong evidence that interleaving correlates with longer-

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