The Med School Tutors Podcast

NBME Step 1 CBSE & CBSSA Score Report Changes

Senior medical tutor Dr. Michael Stephens breaks down the coming changes for the Comprehensive Basic Science Exam and Comprehensive Basic Science Self Assessment exams in the light of the USMLE Step 1 going Pass/Fail next month. He reviews how the NBMEs will help you assess your probability of passing the USMLE Step 1, how your performance insights will be shared, and goes over some proven tips for how to optimize your Step 1 studies using your NBMEs.

Want to talk through your plan of attack for Step 1? Schedule your free phone consult: https://www.medschooltutors.com/book-a-consult

The Supplemental ERAS Application

• 0:00 Intro
• 2:50 What is the supplemental ERAS application?
• 4:19 The supplemental ERAS application timeline
• 5:32 Section 1: Five Meaningful Experiences
• 10:55 Section 2: Geographic Preferences
• 16:18 Section 3: Preference Signal
• 18:51 Last Tips
• 20:24 How We Help You Match
• 21:31 Live Q&A
• Schedule your consult to work with Dr. Majid, Godfrey or one of their expert residency consultant peers: https://www.medschooltutors.com/book-a-consult

Should You Take or Postpone Your Exam?

In this interview, Dr. Emma Husain — a senior MST medical tutor with thousands of USMLE tutoring hours of experience — breaks down how you can responsibly assess whether you should take your exam or postpone. Topics and times below:

• 0:00 Intro
• 1:29 Scores — NBMEs, data, the goal scores to aim for & more
• 5:54 What to do if you've already completed all available assessments
• 10:40 A quantitative benchmark to aim for if you're retaking assessments
• 11:20 The risks and consequences involved of taking an exam too soon
• 23:15 A recap of the main takeaways from this talk + a mindset tip if you find out you've failed a USMLE

Learn How You Learn + Testing Anxiety Tips

• Overview of who we are & what we'll cover
• 2:58 An overview of learning styles
• 5:23 Assessing your learning style (free VARK assessment)
• 8:22 Visual learner keys and tips
• 10:38 Auditory/aural learner keys and tips
• 14:53 Reading/writing learner keys and tips
• 17:39 Tactile learner keys and tips
• 22:46 How to learn how to experiment
• 28:04 Learn how to review
• 34:46 Learn how to cross organ systems
• 39:02 Putting testing anxiety into perspective for the USMLEs & COMLEX
• 43:19 Tips for managing testing anxiety
• 51:01 Powerful anxiety-busting tool
• 54:45 How Med School Tutors can help you crush your exam and anxiety
• 58:03 Live Q&A - Why do they omit key info on the exams?
• 58:54 What tips do you have for reducing anxiety on the day of?
• 1:01:05 Any recommendations for when you talk yourself out of the right answer?
• 1:03:58 When you answer a question incorrectly in UWorld, is it better to write the educational objective or the main point of why the question wasn't answered correctly only?

Prepping Your CV for Med School Admissions

• Intro
• 3:43 Ground rules for med school applications
• 6:13 Activities & expanding your relevant experiences list
• 11:07 Selecting experiences to include
• 16:06 Using active language
• 22:21 Formatting your CV for letters of recommendation
• 30:48 How Med School Tutors can help you succeed
• 33:33 Live Q&A - What would a passion project or invisible activity fall under?
• 35:21 Any advice for non-traditional students or career changers in terms of what activities to include?
• 37:10 How long is too long for a resume or CV?
• 39:43 So it sounds like it sounds more like highlighting the skills within the activity rather than the activity itself?

A Systematic Approach for "Next Best Step in Management" Questions

• Intro
• 4:25 Why you don't need to know multi-layered treatment modalities for patients on the USMLE
• 6:32 Screening diagnostic studies & choosing the best test
• 9:45 How triage tests you on risk-stratifying a patient
• 12:29 When does treating the patient supersede everything else on Step 2 CK?
• 19:38 Practice questions dissection with enhanced question difficulty
• 52:00 Live Q&A — Book guideline recommendations RE treating a patient with hypertension
• 53:00 Are there any books we should use for Step 2 CK?
• 53:58 How do you learn medicine if you're not a strong reader?
• 54:28 Do you recommend any other Qbank or resource for Step 3 beyond UWorld?
• 54:45 Are there any resources you'd recommend for practice with Drug Ads?
• 55:48 How many statistics questions are on Step 3?
• 56:20 Best source to solidify statistics knowledge?
• 57:07 What is the best approach to prepare for drug ad questions?

Questions You Will Miss on Test Day

• Intro
• 4:12 When to take Step 1 — especially in light of the pass/fail change
• 7:13 What makes a USMLE question tricky
• 12:18 Practice Question #1: What exactly is being asked?
• 23:12 Practice Question #2: Up/down arrow questions
• 39:59 Practice Question #3: You know it or you don't
• 53:43 Practice Question #4: Testing content "outside of scope"
• 1:10:28 How Med School Tutors can help you get your best results
• Live Q&A
• 1:12:12 How do you stay focused during really long blocks?
• 1:13:32 Can you clarify the different types of reactions you can have with blood products?
• 1:14:33 Is it advisable to read the last line first before reading the question stem?
• 1:16:05 Can you summarize the FeNa, urine Na, and urine osm differences for each of the 3 types of renal issues?

DO Tips for Success on Level 1 & Step 1 + OMM

• Intro
• 3:12 What does your first assessment score mean?
• 6:30 The Level 1 prioritization checklist
• 9:16 Primary and secondary resources, Qbanks & integrating them into your study schedule
• 19:56 Developing your study plan for dedicated
• 37:40 Alternate Qbank & tips to reach your best score
• 41:48 Critical things to keep in mind when using UWorld
• 47:33 Dissecting a USMLE-style question
• 51:26 OMM-specific tips, resource recommendations & practice questions
• 1:05:43 Live Q&A - What flashcard decks do you recommend for Step and Level 1?
• 1:07:15 Parting thoughts

Navigating Match Week & SOAP 2021

• Intro
• 1:40 Reviewing the timeline for Match Week 2021
• 2:42 Changes to SOAP rounds & ECFMG pathways for this year
• 3:23 What to do and expect from Match Week, starting Friday, March 12th, 2021
• 4:15 What to do if you did NOT match, plus the SOAP offer round breakdown
• 11:41 Friday of Match Week
• Answering Your Questions:
• 13:29 Can I enter the SOAP if I did not enter the main Match or if I didn't get any interviews in the main Match?
• 14:35 How do you optimize your chances to match in the SOAP?
• 15:51 Can you make changes to your application when you reapply for SOAP?
• 18:38 If I have to enter the SOAP, how hard is it to apply to a different specialty?
• 19:35 What does partially matched mean?
• 22:15 Should you apply to programs in the SOAP that you already applied to in the main Match?
• 24:13 Can you clarify what it means that we can apply to 45 programs? When do we apply to the rounds? Plus a reminder about a SOAP violation.
• 26:38 What recommendations do you have for finding open positions post-SOAP? What are my options if I don't match in the main Match or the SOAP?
• 29:28 Are you still in the SOAP if you accept an offer?
• 29:52 Can you clarify where I can find the list of programs that have open spots?
• 32:17 Can we change our application after Monday at 3p ET? 
• 32:40 Can you submit if you don't have USMLE transcripts, etc? Can you do a separate personal statement for each program?

Finish Strong on Step 1

• Intro
• 1:56 Making your plan for the home stretch
• 3:41 Assessing your study plan for feasibility
• 5:12 Big mistakes to avoid
• 8:32 Optimizing your resources in your final weeks
• 21:06 Pros & cons of other Qbanks
• 25:12 What about flashcards and notes?
• 28:50 Defining depth: Ideal vs reality
• 32:04 Practice tests/assessments in your final weeks of study
• 42:45 Should I push my test back?
• 47:18 What's actually crammable
• 52:28 What to expect on test day
• 57:23 How you can get your head and body in the game for test day in advance
• 58:30 Key takeaways from this webinar (Jump to this if you're short on time!)
• Live Q&A
• 1:04:06 How much time is too much time for reviewing UWorld questions?
• 1:05:44 Clarification about how to be judicious about topics you don't link
• 1:06:13 What is your advice for reviewing NBMEs since they don't provide explanations?
• 1:07:34 YouTube Biostats channel recommendation
• 1:07:57 When should we take the Free 120 NBME?
• 1:09:34 What do you recommend to those who are stuck in chronic Step 1 pathways?
• 1:10:40 Do you recommend doing multiple smaller blocks of 10 until I reach 100-120 or should I use the max 40 per block until I reach that?
• 1:13:45 Reviewing flashcards, what time in the day?