Board Rounds Prep for USMLE and COMLEX

Session 02

Once again, we're joined by Dr. Andrea Paul from BoardVitals. In this episode, you will learn all you need to know about Step 1, how long to take it, when to take it, and what makes it different from the MCAT so you know what to expect before we jump right into the actual test prep!

[01:10] More About Board Vitals

If you need more help, check out Board Vitals and you get everything you need to expect from a board prep company including challenging questions, time and untimed question banks, progress tracker and advanced analytics and reports to help you direct your studying. This is something most students don't take enough advantage of. You really need to know what you're doing or missing, or what you're getting right to be able to know what to do tomorrow.

Plus, you get to see how you rank with your peers. With over 1,750 questions in their USMLE question bank, BoardVitals will make sure you have access to the questions you need to be prepared and confident going into your USMLE exam. Don't worry DO students! They've also got over 1,500 questions in their COMLEX Qbank.

Get 15% using the promo code BOARDROUNDS when you sign up for BoardVitals and they will donate a vaccine to a child in need through the Give Vacs Program. If you're not ready to use it yet, just buy now and you can start up to 6 months after purchase.

[03:15] How Important is USMLE Step 1

Going through medical school, Andrea eventually realized that this was something she needed to pay attention to and start to prepare for quite early. And the stakes have gotten much higher since then.

The goal for everyone is to get a residency they want in the specialty area they want. And for many students, that means being in a competitive location and a competitive medical specialty. So the scores serve as a gateway to get an interview for one of those positions.

"It's a very high stake particularly if you're someone who is interested in a more competitive area, geography or specialty-wise."

In fact, the NRMP match data suggests that those Step 1 scores are the determining factor if whether or not you're going to get an interview.

[06:20] MCAT vs Step 1

Both are completely different tests in many ways. Andrea says that until you start preparing for it and seeing what format of questions are like, you wouldn't expect that people think of it as a more intense basic science exam similar to the MCAT. But in actuality, the new Step 1 exams are clinical and really require a lot of correlation between those basic sciences and actual medical practice.

The MCAT is a test to see how well you can take the MCAT but when you get to Step 1/ Level 1, it's knowledge that you have to have to be a competent physician. You have to have that base knowledge so you can learn how to be a physician once you're out in residency.

Moreover, the exam has changed a lot since. They have slowly transitioned now to a more practical and clinical correlation with basic science.

[07:55] Breakdown of Step 1 Exams

The USMLE Step one covers Anatomy, Behavioral Science, Biochem, Microbiology, Pathology, Pharmacology, Physiology. And they try to integrate those into a way to asses your knowledge of those things within the constricts of clinical medicine. COMLEX is similar as they do most of the subjects in addition to tests on some osteopathic-specific areas as well.

They're now focused more heavily on "triple jump questions" or tertiary type questions where they could give you a clinical presentation but they're not telling you, not only what the disease entity is and what you would treat it with, but also something about that medication. These are a classic type of questions you need to practice.

[10:00] Duration of the Exams

Step 1 or Level 1 is a one-day exam. People usually take them at the end of their second year. They have some time off before they take the exam usually during the summer. USMLE Step 1 has 7 60-minute blocks that comprise a full eight-hour day. The exam has about 280 questions of an intense, rigorous full day of testing.

COMLEX is similar with more questions of about 400 questions. It's taken in one day and it's broken down to 4-hour exam sessions with a break in between. You still need to know the various levels and anatomy involved in performing manipulative techniques which are often theory-based and in a straightforward format.

You can select your day and location so there are flexibility and variation in as far as when people choose to take it. Just your personal preference as to what amount of time your school gives you.

[13:00] Beyond Step 1

After Step 1, there's also another exam,  Step 2. The COMLEX Level 2 is taken during medical school which most people take Step 3 afterward. Those are similar in the format of question-type based. They're more focused on the tertiary or three-jump types of questions and more in-depth on the clinical side.

Links:

BoardVitals (Get 15% using the promo code BOARDROUNDS when you sign up for BoardVitals.)

NRMP match data

MedEd Media Network

Session 01

The Medical School Headquarters and BoardVitals are going to help you prepare for your first board exam with questions, pearls of information, and guidance to make sure you have what it takes to score high and match into your specialty of choice!

Board Rounds is a podcast for medical students as they prepare for Step 1 or Level 1 of the USMLE or COMLEX exams. Please follow us along with all our other podcasts on MedEd Media Network.

BoardVitals is an amazing test prep company that helps medical students and almost everybody in health care with their exams. Whether it's the Shelf Exam while you're doing rotations or your clinical years, or even later on as a physician studying for your boards, BoardVitals has got something that will help you every step of the way!

Today, we're joined by Dr. Andrea Paul and learn all about her journey and all about BoardVitals.

[02:00] About Dr. Paul and BoardVitals

A physician by training, Andrea took the Internal Medicine route and transitioned to Pathology residency until she decided to pursue her business idea before proceeding with her clinical training. Hence, the birth of BoardVitals, which she has been running since 2013.

What got her into the field of medicine was having family influence having family members who are doctors. Following the traditional path, she enjoyed science and realized she loved learning and being involved in the education component more than the practice of medicine.

[03:10] Her Thought Process in Jumping on the Education Route

In residency, Andrea realized that the way people were studying and learning was inefficient and really low tech. She thought it was crazy and that she had to figure out a way to put content into a material that's more accessible and that it can be used wider than just one residency program. This was when the idea was born, starting with some medical specialties and working backward. Then they ended up focusing on all the medical student exams.

Over the last five years, BoardVitals is now in 60 different all professional and medical exam areas covering everything from surgical tech, radiology tech, and nursing, all the way through to medical students, pharmacy students, and nursing students. Plus, the various medical subspecialties as well as some of the dental and podiatry areas.

"Once we had a good platform and system, we realized that you just need to insert the content into that same learning system and it really works for every different area."

[05:35] What Correlates to a Good Score

Andrea explains that what correlates to a great score is to spend a number of questions that people take -- simulated exam questions with good, detailed explanations.

Textbooks, lectures, or other things didn't move the meter as far as getting into that top core area but the number of questions that people did really made the difference. This then became their sole area of focus. They have questions along with detailed, informative explanations for each question.

[06:45] Finding People to Write Their Questions

The company has over 400 physicians, nurses, etc. across all areas that are creating their content. They look for people who have recently taken the exam or those involved in academics teaching students to prepare for a specific test. It's an expensive series of review afterwards. The initial writers go through medical editing and copyediting. Then, the get some feedback about any updates or changes that recently came out submitted right to their editors, who respond within two business days.

[08:40] Medical Students Preparing for the Boards

Andrea points out that Step 1 is so high stake and so important that they would recommend people to start using it as soon as they start medical school. The great thing about their platform is that they're questions. You're getting immediate feedback so you could see your areas of strength and weakness right of the getgo. So if you continue to use those, as they questions change and evolve over time, you can definitely see how your strengths and weaknesses improve and position yourself to get a really high score.

"There's no reason that you shouldn't be continually self-assessing."

[10:15] Students Who Are Auditory in Their Learning Style

Andrea explains that learning can be broken down into active and passive. Passive learning involves things like audio prep, reading, and things where you're absorbing and taking in without having to provide any kind of active engagement or response.

What they've found with the audio material, in general, is that people's attention waxes and wanes. Hence, if you're doing audio, listen to it more than once. Repetition is key because there may be times you could miss something so when you go back and listen again, hopefully, you catch it the second or third time around.

Something that requires an active amount of active learning is effectiveness since you don't have that opportunity to zone out.

"Combining those depending on what works for your individual learning style is really important."

[11:40] The Future of BoardVitals

Andrea says her company is continuing to expand. Currently, they're covering most of the medical specialty areas and they could see themselves expanding. Now that they have an active learning component, they're looking to go after some other passive components of doing things like audio and video materials that will help you as well. Part of that is this podcast covering Step 1 and Level 1.

"Step 1 or Level 1 is such an important part of your residency journey."

Links:

BoardVitals

MedEd Media Network