Preparing for USMLE Course

The step one course consists of the following subjects: anatomy, behavioral sciences, biochemistry and medical genetics, immunology and microbiology, pathology, pharmacology, physiology. These topics are covered in the first two years of medical school study known as basic science subjects.

In clinical knowledge, the following subjects are covered. Internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, psychiatry and ethics, and surgery. These are subjects learned in the third and forth years of your medical school study.

Clinical skills are a practical live exam using standardized patients that is meant to test a candidate's English communication and clinical skills. Step 3, tests patient management skills at the level of a first-year resident.

The United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) is a three-step examination for medical licensure in the United States and is sponsored by the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) and the National Board of Medical Examiners® (NBME®). You may contact www.usmle.org for all general information like when the notification is issued, what are the eligibility criteria and other related topics.

The Composite Committee, appointed by the FSMB and NBME, establishes policies for the USMLE program. Membership includes representatives from the FSMB, NBME, Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG®), and the American public. Detailed information can be obtained from their web site www.ecfmg.org

For detailed study material like books, you may select the following:

1. Use the sample CDs from USMLE organization and the
sample questions from NBME web sites for free practice
and initial self-assessment.
2. Buy High Yield USMLE books like First Aid for USMLE
Step 1,Step 2 CK & CS and Step 3.
3. Dr. Goljan's Pathology Review with audio (a must for every candidate)
4. Use Dr. S. Patel's Review Notes along with Q-Books for 90 or above score

5. Use free resources like DVD and/or CD available from web sites like YouTube,
pmre, obgyn, usmlevideo, netanatomy, meducla, webpath and wisconline etc.

Study tips for USMLE

a) Study in group, ideally in groups of four or five with different subject knowledge strength.
b) Train yourself to make choices
c) Time management is one of the most important requirements for answering all the
questions on time. Wake up every day at the same time you will need to on the day of
the exam.
d) Practice on a fifty - fifty basis, i.e. 50 per cent practice of questions and 50 per cent
reading materials.
e) Get right materials for your practice and stick to it. Do not wander here and there.
f) Take rest and do some good exercise like walking in the garden or listen to soft music.
g) Don't be very anxious. Be calm and feel confident all the time.
h) Get sufficient amount of sleep, at least six hours a night. Sleep is an essential time
for your brain to consolidate what you have learned.