The USMLE Report

The USMLE Step 1 is the most important test of your career and you probably asked 4-5 people for advice on how to study for it.

We asked 1,000 people.

BUY IT FOR THE 2012 EXAM

The new and rapidly selling USMLE Report is the only resource available to help USMLE Step 1 test-takers plan ahead and develop a strategy for performing well on this important test. Each year, students spend hundreds of dollars on study materials they don’t need or use. None of these materials answer important questions such as:

• When should I start studying?
• Should I buy Kaplan Q bank or USMLE World?
• How many hours a day should I spend studying?
• Should I take a review course?
• Should I take NBME practice tests?

Our report is based on a survey sent to more than 1,000 third-year, U.S. medical students who just completed the exam and achieved an average score of 237/99.

We asked students all the questions you need answered before you select resources and begin to study for one of the most important tests of your life.

Survey data is aggregated by score, allowing for comparisons between “high scorers” (those that scored higher than 240) and others. The USMLE Report also details the study plans and study schedules of those who scored as high as 257/99 on Step 1.

Purchase the USMLE Report BEFORE you start studying.  The $30 dollars you spend on the Report now can save from spending hundreds on ineffective resources.

How to Score Well on USMLE Step 1?

So, how do you ensure you perform well on USMLE Step 1?  For most students, the answer isn’t clear.

U.S. medical students frequently spend months studying for the test. They purchase review books, question banks, practice tests and attend review courses in hopes of performing well.  Some students study for more than a year prior to taking the test.  Along with all the hard work comes anxiety, fatigue and stress.

Many enterprises leverage student anxiety to market review materials. In fact, no fewer than 370 books purport to help students prepare for Step 1. And that’s the tip of the proverbial ice berg. Companies also market dozens of question banks, review courses and flashcards, all claiming theirs is the silver bullet. Accordingly, the price of these materials is extraordinarily high, and students, eager to do well on the exam, dig down into their pockets to pay for them – even for retreats that cost more than $5,000 !  Small surprise that students are left confused and overwhelmed in the absence of objective guidance.

That’s why we developed the USMLE Report. The report doesn’t purport to be a silver bullet.  Quite the opposite, in fact.  Its pages contain no review material. Rather, the report assists students in developing a strategy for studying. Our philosophy is that charting a proper course for study is more important than any individual element of study.

How to Study for the USMLE Step 1?

The USMLE report consists of two components that answer the question, how did those who scored well on Step 1 study for the exam?  For answers, we posed the question to students who performed well on Step 1. Were their similarities in their study habits or the resources they used? We queried 1,000 medical students across the country, from those who scored in the 260 range to those whose scores flirted with failure. The average respondent score was 237, perhaps because students who scored well were more willing to discuss strategy.

For ease of comparison, all report data are presented as tables and graphs, with special emphasis on students who scored 240 or higher. These students are referred to as “high scorers.”

The report’s second component consists of four highly detailed study plans submitted by high scorers. Each contains a complete list of resources, in addition to day-to-day schedules and a calendar. None of these plans guarantees a specific score.  They simply provide students with the framework to execute a plan of their own.