Quality of Kaplan USMLE Videos

One of the most frequent questions that people would ask me is:
"What is the quality of Kaplan USMLE Videos on DVD?"

Well, I guess the best way to know it is to download the samples and then make your judgment. These Kaplan Videos are compressed using DIVX codec - special software that allows you to place full 2-hour movie onto the 700 MB CD-ROM.

This means that you need to download DIVX player to be able to watch the movie. Otherwise, all you will see will the the voice of the stranger form your computer.

To be able to see that stranger you need to install DIVX player.

OK, so if you want to download USMLE Kaplan Video samples - please go here:

http://usmlestep.com/2005-kaplan-step-1-dvds-lectures.htm

Normal Lab Values

Normal Lab Values can be found here:

http://musom.marshall.edu/usmle/USMLELabValues.htm

Canadian Medical Licensure Exams (MCCEE, MCCQE Part I and MCCQE part II) - and how they match USMLE Exams

The main types of exam formats encountered in Canada include:

Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQ)
Clinical Reasoning Skills Questions (CRS)
Objective Structured Clinical Exam (OSCE)

Medical Council of Canada Evaluating Examination (MCCEE)

• Paper and pencil-based test
• Multiple-choice questions
• No exclusively Canadian content
• Focuses on basic medical knowledge of the principal fields of medicine, as well as some basic medical sciences as applied to the clinical sciences

A general assessment of the candidate's basic medical knowledge of the principal fields of medicine, including Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pediatrics, Psychiatry, Preventative Medicine & Community Health, and Surgery.

Very similar ot USMLE Step 1 Exam - therefore most of USMLE Step 1 materials can be easily used for MCCEE preparation.

Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination Part I

• Computer-based
• Computer-adaptive testing for the multiple choice session
• Multiple Choice (MCQ) and Clinical Reasoning Skills (CRS) questions
• Canadian content

Assesses the competence of candidates who have obtained the medical degree, for entry into supervised clinical practice in postgraduate training programs, with respect to their knowledge, clinical skills and attitudes, as outlined in the MCC Objectives for the Qualifying Examination.

Very similar ot USMLE Step 2 Exam - therefore most of USMLE Step 2 materials can be easily used for MCCQE I preparation.


Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination Part II

• OSCE format (uses standardized patients)
• Assesses knowledge, skills and attitudes (ethical, professional)
• Focus on clinical skills including communication and interpersonal skills
• Canadian content

The MCCQE Part II is comprised of a series of clinical stations. At each station, candidates are expected to interact with a Standardised Patient (SP) in the same way that they interact with actual patients.

Very similar to USMLE Step 2 CS exam - and therefore Step 2 CS (CSA) study materials can be used for MCCQE II

My thoughts about Kaplan USMLE Videos

I have some experience with Kaplan USMLE Videos - that I want to share with my readership.
Kaplan Videos are great resourse for any USMLE taker - but they also have their drawbacks. There is no such thing as a silver bullet - so if you think that once you get Kaplan USMLE Videos, you will automatically pass Step 1 -that is not true.

Interesting fact I read recently - only 10% of people who bought the book in a bookstore had the chance to actually read it from beginning to end. This might be too low value for someone who studies USMLE - but the fact is the fact.

So, if you are just collecting a library of USMLE materials - and piling up Kaplan USMLE Videos, Goljan Audio on Pathology, Kaplan Webprep, Pass Program from Dr. Francis and thousands of remembered questions from past years - you might be scoring as high as a guy across the road who is just reading several books.

The point is - make a plan, make sure it is a logical one, stick with it and review your strengths and weaknesses on a regular basis. Once you know what is your weak area - dive into it using as many materials as possible - be it Kaplan, Goljan, Pass Program os something else.

Good luck!

Why people end up buying USMLE stuff from USMLESTEP.com

Hello,
I want to tell you several things about http://www.usmlestep.com andour usmle materials. You often see a lot of USMLE materials offered on the web,in yahoo discussion groups, forums, ebay and similar places.
One good thing about them is that they are damn cheap - $10, $20 or$40. This is great price and sometimes you are feeling like you mustgo ahead and buy a USMLE package - all included for just $50 or so.
Ok, ok.
3 months later you find out that the disk you received is broken.No matter if it was broken during the shipment or your child (or yoursweet niece or nephew) make a large scratch on its surface.
What are you going to do now? Send an email to XXX@yahoo.com orXXX@hotmail.com or XXX@gmail.com kindly asking for a replacement disk?
90 chances out of 100 that email is not used by that time - and noone is able to help you with replacement disk.
Another consideration - when you are buying aall-in-one-super-collection-to-ace-USMLE - make sure that you reallyneed all the stuff listed there.
I recently looked through the list ofall affixes and suffixes used in medicine offered as a free bonus tothe package. Come on! Do you really think that this information will improve yourUSMLE score???
I am sure you are asking yourself - why would I buy fromhttp://www.usmlestep.com
1. We are here for several years and plan to be here for next severalyears (fingers crossed)
2. We have several thousand satisfied customers (and several dozenpeople who hate us and send meaningless offences about http://www.usmlestep.com in various forums)
3. We offer quality materials and have unconditional 6-monthreplacement warranty. No matter if the disk was scratched by your child, you spilled a coffee or just lost it in transit when you weremoving houses. We will replace your disk at no cost.
We have EVERY major USMLE study material you ever need for USMLE Step1/2/3. We also have many other materials for ABIM boards and even more- ask if you need something that is not listed on our site:
http://www.usmlestep.com
Do not forget - all the materials comes with unconditional 6-month warranty. Any problem is on us - we will ship you replacement and willnot ask questions.

P.S. Many people ask us about testimonials - well the best testimonialis the fact that people start selling our DVDs on E-Bay with the brandnames that were invented by us - Step 1 Deluxe edition or Step 1Premium edition or Step 1 Standard edition.
Read more about these products at
http://usmlestep.com/2005-kaplan-step-1-dvds-lectures.htm

Just enter your email and you will get a download link to the sampleof these great Video lectures. You will get it within next 10-15minutes, depending on how busy is the internet connection.

P.P.S. We also offer an opportunity for USMLE takers to meet on-line and exchange their ideas - visit us at http://www.4usmle.net

USMLE resources at Rapidshare

Rapidshare is a great source of valuable USMLE texbooks, manuals, questions and other reference materials.

There is a lot of links to Rapidshare USMLE resources at 4usmle.net forum.
Try this link to download the medical books

Oxford Textbook Of Medicine 4th Ed, (Mar 2004)
Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics, 17th Ed
Oxford Textbook of Surgery (3-Volume Set)
Harper's Illustrated Biochemistry (LANGE Basic Science)

and many more...

What is Goljan Audio?

So you want to know exactly what is Goljan Step 1 Pathology Lectures and what does it include?
Here is an answer for you:

Goljan Audio Day 1:
Cell Injury A ~8.5MB
Cell Injury B ~8.6MB
Inflammation A ~ 8.5MB
Inflammation B ~10MB
Fluid and Hemodynamics A ~8.5MB
Fluid and Hemodynamics B ~8.5MB
Fluib and Hemodynamics C ~7.82MB

Goljan Pathology Day 2:
Nutrition A ~8.9MB
Nurtition B and Neoplasia ~8.7MB
Neoplasia B ~8.7MB
Neoplasia C ~9.9MB
Hematology B ~8.9MB
Hematology C ~8.5MB
Hematology D ~8.7MB
Hematology E ~10.2MB

Goljan Pathology Lecture Day 3:
Hematology F ~8.9MB
Hematology G ~8.8MB
Hematology H ~8.5MB
Cardiovascular A ~10.2MB
Cardio B ~9.4MB
Cardio C ~8.1MB
Cardio D ~8.4MB
Respiratory A ~10.5

Goljan Audio Pathology Day 4:
Respiratory B ~8.6MB
Resp B ~8.7MB
GI A ~8.7MB
GI B ~10MB
Hepatobiliary A ~8.7MB
Hapatobiliary B 8.1MB
Renal A ~8.1MB
Renal B ~10.8MB

Goljan Audio Day 5:
GYN A ~9.1MB
GYN B ~7.8MB
Endocrine ~10.3MB
Musculoskeletal ~8.5MB
Derm ~8.7MB
CNS Special Senses ~7.2MB

Goljan HY 100pages
Goljan HY Notes 36 pages
Goljan Pathology Slides

Get more information about Goljan at:
http://usmlestep.com/edward-f-goljan.htm

Tips for selecting Study materials for USMLE

1. Determine whether you are visual or audial learner. Visual learners get more from using video materials (tapes, DVD, VCD), whereas audial learners would prefer audiocassettes or audio CD or MP3 CD.

2. You might be better off with just reading notes and memorizing them. Then consider various mnemonics techniques - they are often very helpful to memorize complex chunkis of information.

3. Ask your colleagues and friends how did they obtained study materials. Do not be afraid to aks as many people as possible.

4. Review your strenghts and weaknesses. If you are weak on Pathology - make sure that you have a good study resource on Pathology - Goljan might be good example.

5. Start looking at various USMLE forums (www.4usmle.net or www.usmle.net or www.valuemd.com ) and do not hesitate to ask people out there.

6. Join as many Yahoo Groups on USMLE as possible as listen to the messages.
There is a lot of groups for Step 1 ,Step 2 and Step 3

7. There is a lot of free downloads available on the internet - check the downloads section of large USMLE forums - www.4usmle.net or www.usmle.net or www.valuemd.com

8. Look through various suggestions on-line - there is a lot of usefulo information at USMLE wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USMLE

9. Download couple of Kaplan USMLE Step 1 video samples from www.usmlestep.com

Golan or Goldjan? - common spelling mistake

Goljan or Goldjan or Goldgan?

This is a very common spelling mistake. If you look for Goldjan Audio lecture on pathology for USMLE -then it should be Goljan and not Goldgan (or anything like this).

Please make sure you have this spelling right - and you can find a lot of resources helping you to find a download source for Goljan audio or notes.

Look here for Goljan materials:
http://www.usmlestep.com/edward-f-goljan.htm