I write this post not to brag in the slightest, but to encourage other people that they can do it too because it has been done before. I am an osteopathic medical student who just finished week three in my first clinical rotation! Looking back on my second year in medical school, I figured I could help others succeed in boards and still have a life outside of school too. Here’s my journey through this intense period.
Starting Second Year: Integrating Boards into Coursework
My school recommends beginning board preparation at the start of the second year. This isn't "Dedicated board studying", but integrating board prep into the ongoing coursework. So, one of my first tips is enjoy your summer before second year begins – spend time with friends and family and recharge because if you start boards in summer, you have a high risk of burnout by Christmas.
At the beginning of the second year, I paralleled board studying resources with our system-based school blocks. For example, during our Gastroenterology and Renal block, I completed all relevant Boards and Beyond (BnB) and Pathoma videos, took notes in my First Aid book, and did at least 10 questions a day from both TrueLearn and UWorld in those subjects. Gradually as we progressed through additional blocks, I increased the quantity of questions to 40 questions a day from both TrueLearn and UWORLD. The reason why I took notes in my First Aid book was to have all of the information from the numerous resources in ONE location. I felt as though this helped me a lot when looking back on different topics I needed to touch up on.
Christmas Break: Balance Study and Rest
Our school gives us about a month off during Christmas, so I decided to I dedicate only one week to complete all MSK videos, then took a REALLY took a break. I went on vacation with family, participated in a medical mission trip to Honduras, and did numerous wedding planning things (and when I say I didn't study, I DID NOT STUDY: no anki, no questions, no board videos). Seriously, take time for yourself!!
Leading up to Dedicated Study Period
The last block before dedicated study was crucial. I reduced extracurriculars, volunteer work, and research to focus on board prep. By the end of this block, I had completed all BnB and Pathoma videos except for cardio, respiratory, and neurology. This allowed me to devote the first three weeks of Dedicated to the topics I struggled most with.
One of the biggest tips I have is to create a detailed schedule for your dedicated study period (create this a week or two before "Dedicated" begins). I had an hour-by-hour schedule for the next three months of my life. This included hours of videos, questions, practice tests, workouts, break times, wedding planning times, and more (yes, I might be a little OCD, haha). This most definitely sounds intense, but I knew if I followed this, it ensured I would be able to accomplish everything I needed in order to be successful and also keep my sanity.
The week before dedicated, I had my bachelorette party and took a complete break from studying too (once again, no studying, means NO STUDYING)!
Study Routine During Dedicated Period
During dedicated, I ensured I had completed all cardio and respiratory videos in the first two weeks while attending mandatory OMM classes and labs. After those two weeks, I took my first practice test (UWorld 1) for a baseline score. Yikes, my score was not good, but at this point in studying, it shouldn't be good!! So don't fret! After my first practice test, I drove 5+ hours home for my first wedding dress fitting! During long car rides, I recommend listening to Dirty Medicine videos, he provides amazing mnemonics that help you remember the stupid stuff .
About 4 weeks into Dedicated I flew to Seattle, where my fiancé lived at the time, to continue board studying for a month in a new city. Being in a new environment (not med school) I was able to reset my brain, refocus on studying, get a new boost of motivation and grit, and maintain a good work-life balance. My daily routine included:
Completing a random mix of 40 questions each from TrueLearn and UWorld.
Attending Orange Theory workouts to stay active and relieve stress.
Completing and reviewing practice exams (NBME 29, COMSAE Form 110, UWorld 2, NBME 30) and adding notes to First Aid.
Dedicating Sundays to grocery shopping, wedding planning, chores, laundry, and light board review.
The Final Push: Exam Prep
Returning home after the month in Seattle, I had my last wedding dress fitting and then drove down to my school the following day and took my school’s COMSAE form 112. Passing this was critical as it was a prerequisite for taking other scheduled board exams. After COMSAE was behind me, I focused intensely on biochemistry, Pathoma chapters 1-3, and Mehlman high-yield topics in the last nine days before Step 1. During these nine days, I took multiple practice exams (UWorld 3, NBME 31, new and old free 120) and continued to see improvements in my scores.
The day before Step 1, I got a hotel really close to the test site, visited the testing center to reduce stress, did light board review, and watched TV to relax (I HIGHLY recommend visiting the site, especially if you have never been to that specific testing site before).
On exam day, I woke up early, did a very very brief review session on my mnemonics, had a high-protein breakfast, and went into the exam. I felt prepared and knew I did the best I could to get to this point.
With Step 1 behind me, I had 7 days until Level 1 and I once again hit the high-yield mnemonics, Mehlman, and Savarese. With Level 1 focusing less on biochemistry and more on OMM, I spent more time reviewing OMM and TrueLearn questions. When it was the day before COMLEX, I did the same thing that I did for Step: hotel, visit testing site, relaxed. Same thing with day of: incredibly light board review, high protein breakfast, deep breaths.
Two weeks after COMLEX, I married the love of my life, had the best day of my life, followed by best week of my life on our honeymoon in Italy!!
Conclusion: You Can Do It Too
Managing to pass COMLEX/LEVEL 1 and Step 1 and get married in the same month was challenging (some people might say psychotic) but entirely doable with careful planning, balance, and dedication. I hope my journey inspires and encourages you to believe that you can achieve your goals too. Stay organized, take mental breaks when needed, and keep pushing forward. Good luck!
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