Hello everyone. Hope you all had a restful weekend.
If you followed my Update post, I mentioned that I had a friend who took her USMLE step 1 and got her Pass in December last year, a short 5 months after graduating. Today, I’m sharing a short interview with her on her process. We’ll be talking about the preparation process, useful resources and the exam itself. So onto the interview.
Q: Hey girl, So congratulations on passing step 1 of the USMLE. How did you find it?
A: Hey! Thank you. I actually found the whole process rather frustrating. The exam requires you to pay attention to little details so I had to really focus on these.
Q: We personally talked about this before but for the audience, when did you first start seriously considering taking the exam? What drew your attention towards the US as a possibility for residency?
A: I started thinking about it as a possibility in my 5th year. I realised that I wanted to be near family, so after a lot of consideration the US was the best option.
Q: Yes, of course. Honestly it’s the same for me. Having a support system close by can help make residency a more enjoyable process. So, let’s talk about the preparation period. What did that look like for you?
A: Well, I officially started preparing in July 2024, and I took the exam in the 2nd week of December 2024.
Q: 5 months is impressive, and certainly makes it seem less daunting. What did your study schedule look like?
A: I typically split my week. I would start with First Aid for one subject, and later on in the week, I did the UWorld questions for that subject. I also followed a study guide for USMLE that I found online, so that was helpful.
Q: Since you were no longer at the university, where did you usually study? – library, home, café, etc.)
A: I studied at home for the whole period.
Q: What study resources did you use? Was any more useful or less so?
A: First Aid and UWorld were absolute musts. I used Sketchy for Pathology and Microbiology. Dirty medicine was perfect for Biochemistry. Bootcamp videos were also helpful, and I did the free 100 questions on NBME to test myself. I would say most of these were useful and when one resource didn’t work, I was quick to check another out.
Q: Did you take any courses or use tutoring services?
A: Not at all. I would’ve liked to but that wasn’t in my budget.
Q: When did you schedule your exam, and how did you know it was time to schedule it?
A: There was no special landmark or study milestone, so to speak. In October, I just booked the exam. Having a standing date helped me focus a lot more- just knowing I had set that deadline for myself.
Q: That’s a good way to look at it. Which subjects did you find the most difficult? How did you tackle them?
A: Biostatistics, Microbiology, and Cardiology were my weaker subjects. I tried to answer as many questions on them as I could, which helped. Just more exposure.
Q: And which subjects did you find the easiest or most enjoyable?
A: Psychiatry and Neurology.
Q: Did you have any strategies to help you retain information better?
A: I tried to revisit my study material from the previous day every morning before starting a new material.
Q: Spaced repetition for the win! Love that. As the time came closer, I’m sure you were a bit more nervous. What did that final month of preparation look like?
A: During the first half of the month, I was mostly going over topics I found very confusing, but for the second half I spent majority of it on UWorld.
Q: Did you take any assessment tests?
A; Yes, I took one in November and passed, but just at the mark. It helped me identify my weak points at that moment.
Q: How did you structure your last week before the exam?
A: I went through some review notes, and UWorld questions but I mainly rested. The day before the exam, I studied till around 2pm, packed my bag for the exam, and then rested till the next day.
Q: So how did the examination process go for you?
A: We were required to be at the exam centre 30 minutes before the exam time. I just needed to show my scheduling permit and passport/ID card. After the sign-in, I finished 3 question sets. I took my first break for 15 minutes, after which I did 2 more sets and took another break. At this point I was very tired, so I had to take a break after every question set.
Q: How did you feel immediately after finishing the test?
A: Honestly, light-headed. I just needed to sleep.
Q: Looking back, what would you do differently if you had to take it again?
A: I wish I had started going through UWorld questions from my first day of studying. I also wish I had started doing questions with mixed subjects, rather than focusing on one subject per week.
Q: How did you spend the time waiting for your results? I imagine that was a stressful waiting period.
A: I checked my email everyday. I knew it was going to take a while for the results to come out but yeah, I guess you can say I was a bit anxious to just get the results.
Q: After confirming your pass, how did you celebrate?
A: The results arrived 2 weeks after my exam, just before Christmas, so I had a very lovely Christmas celebration.
Q: Now that you’ve successfully passed, do you think PTE gives you all the tools you need to pass it?
A: I would say we cover roughly 70%. Biostatistics seemed completely new and very different compared to how we are taught the equivalent subject, biometrics for example. But with a bit more studying, you will be able to easily catch up. Concepts are the same.
Q: Do you think this is an exam that is passable while in med school and if so, when would you recommend PTE students take it?
A: If you can take it in your 3rd year, that would be perfect. So I would suggest to start studying for it in your 2nd year, this way you’re studying for your usual exams plus the USMLE step 1
Q: Wow, well that’s an interesting take. I would’ve personally said 4th year as the earliest. Okay, I have one interesting question: as we all know, the societal and political climate in the US is now shaping up to be quite different compared to when you started your preparation process. It has made a lot of formerly-aspiring US residents change their minds on the decision. Has that affected your decision in any way?
A: I’m a bit scared to be honest, but at the end of the day it’s not perfect in any one country. As I said, the plus here is that I get to be close to family and this is important to me, so I’ll keep going.
Q: Fantastic. So what’s next for you?
A: I’m currently searching for an externship or observership, while preparing for STEP 2 CK.
Q: Is there anything else you would like to add? Any extra tips for out US residency aspirants?
A: Yes! When practice your questions on UWorld, practice on the timed mode. It will help you adjust to solving the questions in good time. Sure you can fail if you get questions wrong, but you can also fail if you don’t get to finish all your questions in time. The night before your exam, make sure to get a lot of sleep. The exam is mentally tasking and you will need to be well-rested to perform at your best. One last thing- you’re not allowed to share the questions you got on the exam on any platform. If you’re caught, your exam may be cancelled.
Q: Thank you! Congratulations again and I wish you all the best in your preparation process.
There you have it! Step 1 done in 5 short months. It seems daunting; a whole different education system and testing style. But it’s absolutely doable. You are prepared for it at PTE. I personally have not come across many concepts in my own studying that are completely foreign to me. So don’t be fazed by the bulk of material. Start chipping at it as soon as you can. I’ve gotten the study schedule that she used, which you can access here.
And this brings me to an idea. In the past few months, I’ve spoken with a few of fellow students who are also interested in the US route. One thing I’ve come to learn, accountability can be very helpful in this journey- being able to see each other students’ progress, co-ordinate study schedules and keep each other on track. I was thinking, how about we connect? If you would like to join a group solely for this purpose, kindly send an empty email to aulaconversations[at]gmail[dot]com with the title ‘USMLE’, or a DM on Instagram (@aulaconversations) with the word ‘USMLE’. I will set up a group and be in touch with details.
That’s it for now. Next I’ll be talking to 6th years about my written state exam experience, so stay tuned.