USMLE blog for smart people

USMLE in 2012

2012-01-15T07:50:00.000-08:00

What are most popular materials for USMLE Step 1 in 2012?
I am afraid the list remains the same as last year:

Kaplan Step 1 Video Lectures (make sure this is 2010)
Kaplan Step 1 Notes (ditto)
Goljan Pathology Lectures
Minarcik Pathology Lectures
Pass Program Video Lectures
Doctors in Training Video Lectures

Do you think differently? Let me know.

New attempt limit for USMLE examinations

2011-09-30T22:19:00.002-07:00

The USMLE Program is introducing a limit on the total number of times an examinee can take the same Step or Step Component. When this limit takes effect, an examinee will be ineligible to take a Step or Step Component if the examinee has made six or more prior attempts to pass that Step or Step Component, including incomplete attempts.

Relationship between USMLE’s 2-digit and 3-digit score scales

2011-09-30T22:19:00.000-07:00

It was recently announced that starting July 1, 2011, USMLE would begin the process of eliminating the reporting of results on the 2-digit score scale to all score users except the examinee and the state licensing authority to whom results are reported at the examinee’s request.

Other users of USMLE results who have focused on the 2-digit score scale in the past will need to transition to using the 3-digit score. A table that will allow users to look up the 3-digit score(s) that corresponds approximately to a specific 2-digit score on recently administered Step 1 (since January 2010) and Step 2 CK (since July 1, 2010) examinations has been posted. This table will not apply for results reported October 1, 2011 and later.

USMLE materials - Step 1 Overview

2011-08-30T01:58:00.000-07:00

I am often asked what are the best USMLE materials. Here is my view for 2011.

Kaplan Video Lectures for USMLE Step 1. This is a 200 hour review of Step 1 subjects by best Professors. IF you have time and money to attend Kaplan Live Center - do this. If you are on a tight budget (like everyone else) - ask your friends. They might be able to point you in a right direction on how to download a copy of Kaplan Step 1 Video.

Kaplan Notes - Just like Kaplan Video Lectures, they are impossible to obtain if you have not attended Kaplan Live Center. This is a set of 8 books, 2000 pages total. Very good summary of all Step 1 Subjects and clear and concise overview of most important USMLE Step 1 topics.

Goljan Pathology - this is a tricky one. Everyone keeps talking about Goljan but the only thing you can obtain on the web is Goljan's Pathology Rapid Review or RR. There is a audio lecture which was made by someone attending Goljan Lectures, which is widely used by USMLE Prep students.
There are some other materials that accompany Goljan Pathology Lectures - Lectures handouts in PDF, High-Yield questions, and High-Yield notes.
Addditional bonus is a transcript of Audio Lectures which was created for those who can not or do not want to follow audio lectures. This is a word-by-word transcript of Prof. Goljan Pathology Lectures.

Kaplan Webprep - this is a rare gem for USMLE Step 1. 70 hours of Audio Lectures with visual aids (i.e. slides). This can be used to quickly review the USMLE Step 1 materials and will save you 130 hours compared with full set of Kaplam Lectures. This is an original Kaplan Product.

First Aid for USMLE Step 1 - this is a very important book. It is concise and short but it gives so much value for Step 1 that some course providers simply use this book as their curriculum.

Pass Program - great course for USMLE Step 1. This is based on First Aid book and gives a very good preparation for Step 1.

If you have anything to add to this list - please post a comment.

Minarcik Pathology Lectures

2011-08-07T12:35:00.003-07:00

http://www.usmletorrent.com/minarcik-pathology-lectures/

Minarcik Pathology Lectures - available for free for limited period.

USMLE prep materials - 2011 survey

2011-06-26T00:12:00.000-07:00

What are your recommendations for USMLE prep materials for Step 1?
I would be interested to understand if there are any changes to the usual USMLE top materials list:

Goljan Pathology Lectures
Kaplan 2010 Video Lectures
Step 1 Doctors in Training Video Lectures
Kaplan 2010 Notes
Step 1 Pass Program 2010 edition

Any other suggestions

USMLE Community - which are you using frequently?

2011-05-26T22:08:00.001-07:00

I would like to get your opinion about USMLE online communities. Which one do you use frequently (usmle.net; 4usmle.com; 4usmle.net; prepusmle.com; imgboards.com etc.) - if you use more than 1 community - why is that? How would you describe ideal USMLE online community? Do you want it to be more like facebook, i.e. social interactive community?

Your feedback is very valuable for us and will be appreciated.

What is OpenEMR and how to get a demo

2011-01-03T01:34:00.000-08:00

Here is a quick way to access OpenEMR and understand how easy to get $44,000 from US Government for a medical practice.

Follow this link: http://opensourceemr.com:2096/openemr/interface/login/login_frame.php

Username:Password
admin:pass
physician:physician
receptionist:receptionist

How to save $44,000 if you are a medical doctor

2011-01-03T01:28:00.000-08:00

With the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, qualified professionals (physicians, dentists, optometrists, podiatrists, and some chiropractors) can realize up to $44,000 in Medicare incentives (or $63,750 through Medicaid) through meaningful use of a certified electronic medical records software system, such as OpenEMR.

Medical providers who do not demonstrate 'meaningful use' of a certified EHR system by 2014 will see a decrease of 1% in their Medicare fee schedules for 2015. Medicare fee payment reductions will continue annually, up to a maximum of 5% if it is determined that total EHR adoption is under 75% of eligible providers by 2018.

USMLETORRENT.com - new usmle site

2010-12-19T20:46:00.001-08:00

Have you seen new site for USMLE takers?

http://www.usmletorrent.com

A lot of new USMLE materials - Pass Program 2010; Kaplan Video 2010 and many more.

Kaplan Step 2 Lectures - 2010 edition

2010-10-25T19:29:00.000-07:00

Kaplan Step 2 Lectures are now available in HD quality. If you have seen Step 1 Kaplan Video Lectures 2010 Edition then you will really like 2010 edition of Step 2 Kaplan Lectures. They are crystall crisp, quality is very good and you can watch them full-screen in a very good definition.
I recommend you ask your friends around about these great video lectures for Step 2.

Toronto Notes 2010

2010-09-17T23:11:00.000-07:00

Are you looking for a FREE download of Toronto Notes 2010?
You can get this here:

http://www.usmletorrent.com/september-promotion

Step 1 Pass Program 2010

2010-09-17T23:10:00.000-07:00

Step 1 Pass Program 2010 is now available for USMLE Takers. This is an excellent source of great high-yield materials for Step 1 and Step 2 in a high-quality Video format. If you have not done so - please ask your friends about this video lecture set.

How Student Loans work

2010-08-02T10:13:00.000-07:00

Student loans are a way to pay for higher education. Whether you love debt or you hate it, student loans are an investment in your future. They can make an education possible when there is no other way. This page covers the basics of student loans and points you towards additional resources.

Student loans are unique because they have some special features. You often get an attractive interest rate, and almost any student can borrow some money – regardless of income or credit history.

To get a student loan, your first step is to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). You should submit your FAFSA as soon as possible – you can make estimates and correct the details later.

Once you’ve completed your FAFSA, you’ll want to visit your school’s student aid office. Ask what kind of aid you might expect.

Some of the most common student loans:

* Perkins Loans should be a first choice because of their low interest rate
* Stafford Loans are easy to qualify for, and the interest charges may be subsidized for some time
* PLUS Loans allow parents to borrow very large dollar amounts so that you can cover all your costs

You can postpone repayment of your loans under a variety of conditions. This is called a deferment. While you’re in school, for example, you may qualify for an in-school deferment. When you’re in a tough financial spot you can often temporarily stop paying back your loans without any penalty or damage to your credit.

fter you’ve finished your education, expect to pay those loans back. Most often your lender will set up an amortizing repayment schedule. If you’ve taken several loans over the years, you may want to consider consolidating your loans. Student loan consolidation has some unique benefits that you can’t find in any other type of loan.

Kaplan USMLE 2010 Video Lectures -Microbiology

2010-07-22T10:45:00.000-07:00

This is a free download sample of Kaplan USMLE Step 1 Video (2010 edition)

Kaplan USMLE Step 1- 2010 Video Lectures

2010-07-22T10:42:00.000-07:00

Kaplan has posted their new 2009-2010 USMLE Step 1 Videos on Youtube.
It has many new features and it's in High-Definition and can be streamed online when you sign up for their courses.

Here's one of the USMLE 2010 videos from Kaplan.

MKSAP 15

2010-07-11T00:01:00.000-07:00

If you are looking for MKSAP 15 Digital and Audio Companion - drop me an email - usmlestep@gmail.com. This is not free!

:-)

Free USMLE Downloads

2010-07-10T23:56:00.000-07:00

Are you looking for free USMLE downloads?
I suggest you take a look here:

http://usmlestep.com/usmle-torrent.html

What you can find:

Step 1 Kaplan Video Lectures - Biochemistry Section
Step 2 Kaplan Video Lectures - Cardiology Section
Step 2 Surgery Recall in Mp3

and many other USMLE stuff

Managing Menopaus - facts for COMPLEX/USMLE

2010-05-20T20:03:00.000-07:00

Grenada #1 Rank in USMLE Step One and Step Two/CK in Caribbean

2010-05-20T20:02:00.000-07:00

The students enrolled in medical school in Grenada – and St. George’s University School of Medicine is the only one - have put Grenada in first place for the highest first time pass rate on Step 1 and Step 2/CK for all countries with medical schools in the Caribbean over the past 15 years, according to a study just released in the journal, Academic Medicine. The authors state that there were 56 Caribbean medical schools during all or part of the period of study.

The study ranked Grenada (SGUSOM) number one in the Step 1 (testing basic sciences knowledge) with an 84.4% pass rate for first time takers, well above the closest country with private medical schools. If one deducts Grenada from the study, the average pass rate for all other countries during this 15-year period was 49.9%.

According to Chancellor Charles R. Modica, “This official study, the first of its kind in over 15 years, is an unbiased and accurate representation of the abilities of St. George’s University’s medical students. The numbers speak for themselves, as SGUSOM students outperformed students from other countries in the region, exceeding the pass rate of some countries by more than 60%.

While the University has long been aware of the outstanding performance of its culturally diverse student body, Dr. Modica is pleased that such a study recognized their preparedness, and looks forward to the University’s continued success in future analysis.

“This impartial study is most welcome – and extremely necessary - for students trying to assess options as they choose a medical school,” stated Margaret Lambert, Dean of Enrolment Planning at St. George’s University. “Finally, after many years, there is an objective, impartial study which will help both prospective students and licensing agencies to recognize SGU’s continuous academic excellence. In the only other study published, over 20 years ago, St. George’s students outperformed all other major medical schools in the initial pass rate on the ECFMG examination. The trend of excellence continues.”

Produced by the American Association of Medical Colleges, Academic Medicine is dedicated to issues in academic medicine in the United States. Fully one quarter of all physicians practicing in the US are internationally trained rendering a study such as this invaluable.

Source: http://www.sgu.edu/news-events/news-archives08-Grenada1USMLE.html

Free Download for USMLE Step 1

2010-05-20T19:49:00.001-07:00

Are you looking for Step 1 Kaplan Video Lectures? You can get a free download of Biochemistry section and understand the quality and usefullness of this videoset:

http://usmlestep.com/usmle-torrent.html

This is a quite large download (5-6 GB), so make sure you have space on your hard drive and you have a good speed of internet access.

Best Schedule for Step 1 preparation

2010-03-21T10:43:00.000-07:00

Anyone wants to recommend a good Step 1 Preparation schedule?
I know 6-week schedule (or42-day) was pretty popular couple of years ago.
This one:

http://www.4usmle.net/showthread.php?49-42-Day-Study-Schedule-for-Step-1-USMLE

Any other new smarter ways for formalised preparation schedule for Step 1?

Gold Standard Tapes

2010-03-21T10:41:00.000-07:00

Anyone knows what is happened to Gold Standard Tapes's website?
I was trying to access it at www.boardprep.net and it is not responding.

Step 1 Kaplan Lectures -2007 Edition

2010-02-27T11:18:00.000-08:00

Do you want to check the quality of Step 1 2007 Video Lectures?
Now you can do this here:

Download Step 1 Kaplan Biochemistry lectures

USMLE Community

2010-02-21T14:56:00.000-08:00

One of the most popular USMLE communities, www.4usmle.net changed their design.
IT is more refreshing than previous one - and you can find a lot of useful USMLE materials.

http://www.4usmle.net

Medical School Podcast

2010-02-14T19:25:00.000-08:00

Are you preparing for USMLE and have a lot of questions?

If yes, then Medical School Podcast can be right thing for you.
I found this site the other day and was impressed with their original design and the idea of providing coaching and support for USMLE takers.

It is like having an insider that guides you and provides a regular sessions and tips on how to prepare for exams -Speedreading, Study Techniques, Podcasts and many more...

Give them a try...

USMLE Step 2 Video Lectures

2010-01-28T01:03:00.000-08:00

Are you looking for an inexpensive and fast way to get Step 2 Video Materials? One of the main problems with buying stuff on disks is that they get scratched... in transit, in storage. Most importantly you only found this when you have couple of days before exam to make a very quick review of materials.

Our friends from www.usmlestep.com are offering innovative way to get Step 2 Video Lectures. Now you can download Step 2 Kaplan Video Lectures from the fast servers and store this on your hard drive. Basically if you have 2 Mbit/s connection, you can download full package in 24 hours.

Do the rest of math yourself... with 4 or even 8 Mbit/s.

I encourage you to test the new service and download a sample videos using this link:
http://usmlestep.com/usmle-torrent.html

And if you like the speed ordering is as easy as downloading:
http://usmlestep.com/step2-kaplan-video-dvd.htm

Special offer is being run at the moment - so you pay just $149 instead of $199.

Best USMLE Materials in 2009

2010-01-03T01:52:00.000-08:00

I thought it might be a good idea to summarize what are the best USMLE materials that were used by my friends and people they know in 2009:

Step 1:
Step 1 Kaplan Video Lectures (not 2009, this is 2007 edition)
Step 1 Pass Program ( again not 2009...)
Step 1 Goljan (remastered edition - so you can call this 2009 revision)
Step 1 Kaplan Notes (2009! )

Step 2:
Step 2 Kaplan Video Lectures (2009? No, 2002-2007)
Step 2 Youel Video Lectures (2006)

Step 3:
Step 3 Kaplan Video Lectures (2002-2009)
Step 3 Premier Audio Lectures (2007)
MKSAP 14 CD-ROM and Audio Companion

ABIM:
Medstudy IM Video Lectures (2008) - no major changes from year to year
Mayo IM Video Lectures (2007)
Cleveland Internal Medicine Audio

Failed USMLE exam? Do not worry!

2009-12-30T12:47:00.000-08:00

Anyone can fail... so do not think that world is ended the day you failed exam. Do not focus on your failure... try to think about positive things, socialize with friends and start planning for success in your next resit.

If you fail any part of the USMLE 3 times, there are 13 states in the US that will never allow you to practice medicine within their jurisdiction.

MKSAP 15, anyone

2009-12-30T12:39:00.000-08:00

Hello guys,

Do you have MKSAP 15 - CD-ROM or Audio Companion? I am interested to get a copy of that. Please contact me at usmlestep at gmail.com - and let us have a chat on how to make a swap.

Happy New Year to all of you! May 2010 bring you joy and happiness!!

Kaplan 2009 Step 2 Videos for USMLE exam

2009-12-14T20:32:00.001-08:00

A lot of people are now talking about Step 2 Kaplan Video Lectures for USMLE - and it seems that someone have seen that Kaplan released new set of videos for 2009. I have not seen them - but would be interested to understand if anyone had a chance to get those new videos.

Any lucky USMLE takers possessing USMLE Step 2 Kaplan Videos (new edition)?

USMLE in 2010

2009-10-31T09:38:00.000-07:00

What are the most important changes that ECFMG Board is planning to do 2010? I am going to post them as the rumours and official announcements will be published.

Watch the space...

Do you use torrent ?

2009-08-28T23:11:00.000-07:00

A question for my USMLE friends. Do you use torrent frequently to download USMLE materials? I know that some of you do -but I would be interested to understand how many of you are using torrent frequently.

How to Improve Your Memory

2009-08-25T11:38:00.001-07:00

1. Convince yourself that you do have a good memory that will improve. Too many people get stuck here and convince themselves that their memory is bad, that they are just not good with names, that numbers just slip out of their minds for some reason. Erase those thoughts and vow to improve your memory. Commit yourself to the task and bask in your achievements -- it's hard to keep motivated if you beat yourself down every time you make a little bit of progress.
2. Exercise your brain. Regularly “exercising" the brain keeps it growing and spurs the development of new nerve connections that can help improve memory. By developing new mental skills—especially complex ones such as learning a new language or learning to play a new musical instrument—and challenging your brain with puzzles and games you can keep your brain active and improve its physiological functioning. Try some puzzle exercises everyday such as word cross, sudoku and some other games as easy to put into your mobile phone and practise it maybe once for 30 minutes per day.
3. Exercise daily. Regular aerobic exercise improves circulation and efficiency throughout the body, including in the brain, and can help ward off the memory loss that comes with aging. Exercise also makes you more alert and relaxed, and can thereby improve your memory uptake, allowing you to take better mental “pictures."
4. Reduce stress. Chronic stress, although it does not physically damage the brain, can make remembering much more difficult. After prolonged stress the brain will be damaged. Stressful situations are recognized by the hypothalamus, which in turn signals the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland secreted adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)which influences the adrenal glands to secrete adrenaline and later cortisol(corticosteroids). The corticosteroids can weaken the blood-brain barrier and damage the hippocampus(the memory center). Ironically, the hippocampus controls the secretion of the hormone released by the hypothalamus through a process of negative feedback. After chronic stress it will be damaged and it will not be as efficient in regulating the degenerative corticosteroids and memory will be harmed. Neurogenesis (formation of new neurons) indeed exists in the hippocampus but stress inhibits it. To recapitulate and synthesis, chronic stress will affect your health and your memory, it will damage the brain so the best option is to learn to control stress. Stress will never be eliminated, but it definitely can be controlled. [http://ezinearticles.com/?How-Stress-Effects-Neurotransmitters&id=19510]Even temporary stresses can make it more difficult to effectively focus on concepts and observe things. Try to relax, regularly practice yoga or other stretching exercises, and see a doctor if you have severe chronic stress as soon as possible.
5. Eat well and eat right. There are a lot of herbal supplements on the market that claim to improve memory, but none have yet been shown to be effective in clinical tests (although small studies have shown some promising results for ginkgo biloba and phosphatidylserine). A healthy diet, however, contributes to a healthy brain, and foods containing antioxidants—broccoli, blueberries, spinach, and berries, for example—and Omega-3 fatty acids appear to promote healthy brain functioning. Feed your brain with such supplements as Thiamine, Vitamin E, Niacin and Vitamin B-6. Grazing, eating 5 or 6 small meals throughout the day instead of 3 large meals, also seems to improve mental functioning (including memory) by limiting dips in blood sugar, which may negatively affect the brain.
6. Take better pictures. Often we forget things not because our memory is bad, but rather because our observational skills need work. One common situation where this occurs (and which almost everyone can relate to) is meeting new people. Often we don’t really learn people’s names at first because we aren’t really concentrating on remembering them. You’ll find that if you make a conscious effort to remember such things, you’ll do much better. One way to train yourself to be more observant is to look at an unfamiliar photograph for a few seconds and then turn the photograph over and describe or write down as many details as you can about the photograph. Try closing your eyes and picturing the photo in your mind. Use a new photograph each time you try this exercise, and with regular practice you will find you’re able to remember more details with even shorter glimpses of the photos.
7. Give yourself time to form a memory. Memories are very fragile in the short-term, and distractions can make you quickly forget something as simple as a phone number. The key to avoid losing memories before you can even form them is to be able to focus on the thing to be remembered for a while without thinking about other things, so when you’re trying to remember something, avoid distractions and complicated tasks for a few minutes.
8. Create vivid, memorable images. You remember information more easily if you can visualize it. If you want to associate a child with a book, try not to visualize the child reading the book – that's too simple and forgettable. Instead, come up with something more jarring, something that sticks, like the book chasing the child, or the child eating the book. It's your mind – make the images as shocking and emotional as possible to keep the associations strong.
9. Repeat things you need to learn. The more times you hear, see, or think about something, the more surely you’ll remember it, right? It’s a no-brainer. When you want to remember something, be it your new coworker’s name or your best friend's birthday, repeat it, either out loud or silently. Try writing it down; think about it.
10. Group things you need to remember. Random lists of things (a shopping list, for example) can be especially difficult to remember. To make it easier, try categorizing the individual things from the list. If you can remember that, among other things, you wanted to buy four different kinds of vegetables, you’ll find it easier to remember all four.
11. Organize your life. Keep items that you frequently need, such as keys and eyeglasses, in the same place every time. Use an electronic organizer or daily planner to keep track of appointments, due dates for bills, and other tasks. Keep phone numbers and addresses in an address book or enter them into your computer or cell phone. Improved organization can help free up your powers of concentration so that you can remember less routine things. Even if being organized doesn’t improve your memory, you’ll receive a lot of the same benefits (i.e. you won’t have to search for your keys anymore).
12. Try meditation. Research now suggests that people who regularly practice "mindfulness" meditation are able to focus better and may have better memories. Mindfulness (also known as awareness or insight meditation) is the type commonly practiced in Western countries and is easy to learn. Studies at Massachusetts General Hospital show that regular meditation thickens the cerebral cortex in the brain by increasing the blood flow to that region. Some researchers believe this can enhance attention span, focus, and memory.
13. Sleep well. The amount of sleep we get affects the brain's ability to recall recently learned information. Getting a good night's sleep – a minimum of seven hours a night – may improve your short-term memory and long-term relational memory, according to recent studies conducted at the Harvard Medical School.
14. Build your memorization arsenal. Learn pegs, memory palaces, and the Dominic System. These techniques form the foundation for mnemonic techniques, and will visibly improve your memory.
15. Venture out and learn from your mistakes. Go ahead and take a stab at memorizing the first one hundred digits of pi, or, if you've done that already, the first one thousand. Memorize the monarchs of England through your memory palaces, or your grocery list through visualization. Through diligent effort you will eventually master the art of memorization.

How to improve your memory - Trying by Not Trying

2009-08-25T11:37:00.001-07:00

All of us apply this method knowingly or unknowingly. Sometimes when you try to recall you may not be able to recall it at that time even if you are sure that you know it very well. You experience a blocking that prevents you from recalling it. Normally you tend to try again and again but in vain. To handle this situation you just keep away from trying to recollect it and do something else; to your pleasant surprise that information automatically pops up into your mind after some time. This is because even if you stopped trying, the mind is searching for that information and brings it to awareness when it is found. Sometimes the information was blocked when you wanted, and mind brings it forward when the blocking is removed. This is where stress plays its role in hindering recall.

If you are very anxious by nature or very stressful in nature, you may encounter this type of blockage very often. In such case, it is highly recommended that you practise some kind of relaxation technique and thus keep your anxiety and stress away. This is very important because this behavior can bring many undesirable psychological and physiological conditions. You may even consult a Clinical Psychologist in extreme cases.

How to improve your memory - bed time recital

2009-08-25T11:36:00.003-07:00

In this technique, you do your recital or rote learning just before going to bed. The mind in the process of sleeping would then arrange the information in a systematic and effective way when you are sleeping. Psychologists have also found that if you sleep after thinking about your problems there is a better chance that you arrive at a solution the next day.

Steps for Memory Improvement

1. Be in a relaxed mood
2. Write down the things that you are supposed to remember in a piece of paper.
3. Read it aloud (if possible) once or twice and recite it two to three times.
4. Now go to sleep without worrying or thinking about anything.

You will surely retain the item longer and find it more easy to recall it when in need.

How to improve your memory - bridging

2009-08-25T11:36:00.001-07:00

Bridging

In this method, a bridge is built in between the items given to be memorized. This technique is best suited for learning material involving word pairs or material that can be reduced to word pairs. An example often cited by memory experts is the learning of the capital of Poland. The capital of Poland is Warsaw. World War II started with Germany's attack on Poland. Thus it may be arranged as Poland SAW War first.

Here, the word pair to be connected together is Poland and Warsaw. The additional information of the World War II is used as a bridge or mediator in bringing these two words together.

Again, like other techniques, the mediation technique calls for the learner's active participation in the learning process. This is because one is to bring in the mediator or the bridge from relevant items one has learned.

How to improve your memory - rhyming

2009-08-25T11:35:00.001-07:00

Rhyming

This is also one of the popular and oldest methods in memorization. This technique makes use of the fact that we have a natural tendency to remember rhymes and rhythms. The following is a very popular example of application of this technique which almost all school students are familiar with.

"Thirty days haveth September

April, June and November

All the rest have thirty-one

February has twenty-eight alone

Except in leap year, then the time

When Febs days are twenty-nine."

If possible create rhymes like this and it will not only aid in improving your memory but in improving your creativity as well.

How to improve your memory - chunking

2009-08-25T11:34:00.000-07:00

Chunking

Perhaps Chunking is the oldest method used in memorization. In this method, the items to be memorized are divided into small and easily memorizable chunks or groups. This method works best when the order of the items is not important.

This method is found to be particularly well suited for memorizing multi-digit numbers (eg., ID nos., telephone nos., etc.) and for committing complicated spellings to memory.

Example:

1. The number 472627607 may be memorized easily if it is grouped as 472, 627,607 or as 47, 26, 27,607.
These chunks may then be learned by rote. Learning and retention are much facilitated if you further explore the nos. by finding some relationship among these different chunks. Finding the digital root will also be helpful. The more explorations or relations you do, the better.
2. Words like mathematics may be divided into mat +he +mat +ics, Together may be divided into to + get + her; Important may be divided into im + port + ant. This technique will make us learn much faster.
3. The list Apple, cucumber, paper, ink, cabbage, banana, grapes, beans, stapler, orange can be better learned by rearranging and applying chunking as :-
Apple, banana, grapes, orange, cucumber, cabbage, beans, paper, ink, stapler
-- 4 fruits, 3 vegitables and 3 stationary items.

If possible, organize the material as meaningfully as you can and think out relationships among each group. This not only improves learnability and retention but also aids in faster and effortless recollection.

Psychologists doing research on Human Memory have found that the capacity of Short Term Memory (STM) for humans is 7± 2 that is from the range 5 to 9 items. So you should take care to keep the chunks you create within this limit.

Best Pathology Books for USMLE Step 1

2009-08-22T23:24:00.000-07:00

Best Pathology Books for USMLE Step 1
1) Elsevier's Integrated Pathology

2) Robbins and Cotran Atlas of Pathology

3) Pocket Companion to Robbins Pathologic Basis of Disease

4) Robbins Basic Pathology)

5) Rapid Review Pathology

6) Robbins Review of Pathology

7) Pathology: Board Review Series

8) Kaplan Lecture Notes: Pathology

9) Essential Pathology

10) Color Atlas of Pathophysiology

Medical Books

2009-08-17T07:51:00.001-07:00

I wonder if you have started collecting your electronic medical books collection. If not - here is your great chance to do this right now -

Medical books collection

USMLE + twitter

2009-08-08T23:35:00.000-07:00

You can share facts using twitter account and if you have 15-20 people in your group this might become an effective wasy of memorizing medical information

How to interpret USMLE scores

2009-07-16T06:52:00.001-07:00

You will get the following info in your USMLE report :
your 3-digit score
your 2-digit score
Mean and Standard Deviation for recent US/Can registrants (not IMGs) - first time test takers.

This is a common misperception to call 2-digit score percent or percentile - 2 totally different things, by the way; it's neither percent, nor percentile!

From biostatistics you should know that percentile is the percent of people from total 100% who received scores lower than yours.

By using your 3-digit score, Mean and Standard Deviation and special statistical table, you can calculate your percentile, and by using your 2-digit score, you can calculate appr. percent of correctly answered questions.

USMLE Scores and Percentiles (simple guide)

2009-07-16T06:50:00.000-07:00

2 digit scores are standardized so that the minimum passing score is a 75 and the maximum score is a 100. This approximately correlates to each digit between 75 and 100 being 4 percentiles of those who passed. The 2 digit score is something requested/required by state medical boards for all licensing exams so they can quickly evaluate the score without figuring out each exam's scales.

Scores used to be calculated after a group of students took them and you were given a 2 digit score, a 3 digit score, and a percentile. They used to do it where a large number of students took the exam, then they were all graded and statistics were calculated based upon all the students taking it then. The percentile was where you stood among the other students who took the exam in the block from which your exam was taken and scored. Therefore, each year, the median score would get a 50th percentile, although one year this could be a 205 and the next a 210. So a 240 in 1990 might be a lower percentile than a 235 in 1991. The problem is that a 240 is doing better, but 1991 may have been a "dumber" year so you could have a higher percentile with a lower score.

Now with computerized exams, they do not score your exam relative to the others taking it when you do... it is referenced to historical performance of the test items at which time a "difficulty level" for each item was assigned. This way, a 240 is a 240 no matter when you take it. Also, you do not have to wait for thousands of students to take the exam, do all your statistics, and then calculate the scores... you can calculate the score immediately. The implication of this, however, is that it is impossible to calculate a percentile since you are being scored against an inertia-laden grading curve. Every student could get a 240 now, and every student can fail.

There are many implications of this grading policy, and understanding it (really understanding it, not just saying that 240 is good and my score report says the mean was x with a sd of y) will serve you well.

Goljan Audio Transcript - Pathology Lectures

2009-07-11T21:45:00.000-07:00

This is something that you shall check. Goljan Pathology lectures now are accompanied with Audio Transcript. Full content of the audio transcribed in a concise document. 300+ pages of high quality transcript...

Couple of quotes:

"I like this!!! it was difficult for me to follow Prof. Goljan listening to audio lectures. Now I can read the transcript and focus on the areas I need. I put my favourite yellow and green labels on the most inportant pages... Thank you soooo much!"

"Great stuff - I downloaded goljan package in couple of hours and already started using audio transcript. This is fabuluous!"

Are you preparing for Step 1 ?

2009-06-02T05:32:00.000-07:00

Are you preparing for USMLE Step 1?
I would like to check your opinion!

What is better?

Kaplan Video Lectures
Pass Program Video
Kaplan Webprep
Gold Standard

Interesting link - medical guidemaps

2009-06-02T05:29:00.000-07:00

That is a very useful for USMLE Step 2 CK preparation.

Here is the desceription from the owner:

I started this new website in March 2005.

Its main purpose is to host my soapbox essays. My soapbox essays are critical essays that are mainly focused on reviewing/analysing randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in order to demonstrate weaknesses/flaws in the design and interpretation of RCTs. My latest essays are at the top of the list. My oldest essays are at the the bottom of the list — some of them express opinions which I no longer hold, or opinions which reflect my limited EBM knowledge of earlier years.

I have also decided to host my medical guidemaps on this website. Please note that i) I am retired and I am no longer practicing clinical medicine and ii) I am no longer revising the guidemaps. Therefore, the guidemaps should be perceived to be outdated. I personally suspect that my neuro-ophthalmology guidemaps will remain clinically relevant, even though I am no longer updating those guidemaps.

Jeff Mann. MD.

Government Motors

2009-06-02T05:18:00.000-07:00

I know this is not strictly related to USMLE... but I have read today that General Motors is bankrupt and people renamed it to Government motors.

The Government Motors started by selling the Hummer brand to unnamed buyer...

Do you know what will happen with General Motors after it have filed the Chapter 11

(AD)

Goljan Audio and IPOD - solution found

2009-05-10T22:27:00.000-07:00

A Lot of people were asking how to use Goljan Audio on IPOD and there were several ways to achieve that and some of them worked and some did not.

And finally there is a full solution to the problem.
You can easily listen to Goljan Pathology Lectures on your favourite Ipod, Iphone...in the car, during workout, while commuting.... Please note that this method does not work for other MP3 players - only for Ipod.

Here is how to use Goljan on Ipod

Premier Review For Step 3

2009-04-14T22:56:00.000-07:00

Premier Review courses are designed by the faculty of Mt. Sinai & Harvard Medical Schools and a lot of people rate Premier Review for Step 3 higher than Kaplan.

The following topics are covered in Premier Review Lectures for Step 3:
Biostatistics
Cardiology
Dermatology
Endocrinology
Eye and ENT
Gastroenterology
General Medicine
Gynecology
Hematology and Oncology
Human Development, Vaccinations & Health Maintenance
Infectious Diseases
Medical Ethics & Test Taking Strategies
Medical Genetics
Nephrology
Neurology
Obstetrics
Psychiatry
Pulmonary
Rheumatology
Surgery, Trauma & Orthopedics

Social networking for USMLE takers

2009-02-16T08:35:00.000-08:00

Quick questions to my regular blog readers.
Are you using any of the social networks to communicate with your USMLE peers?

Please answer in the comments to this post.
Your opinion is very important for me.

Step 1 Notes 2009

2009-02-15T04:25:00.000-08:00

Kaplan Step 1 Notes 2009 edition is now available for all USMLE takers. You can get them (2008/2009) if you are attending the Kaplan Live Center and paid full fee for attendance.

An alternative would be to look for Kaplan Step 1 Notes 2008/2009 edition on Ebay.
Another alternative would be to ask from your friends - some of them might have these new notes already and can share them with you.

If you are constantly on the move - then you might consider getting scanned notes instead of hardcopy notes.

Here is the link to try

USMLE Step 2 Lectures 2008/2009 edition

2009-02-12T09:01:00.000-08:00

Many friends asked me about USMLE Step 2 Lectures published in 2008/2009.
Unfortunately, I have not heard of these videos on the grey market. Kaplan Step 2 Videos have been released in 2002/2003. Although some people keep referring to them as 2006 or even 2007 step 2 kaplan lectures, in reality this is 2002/2003 Step 2 Lectures.

On the other side - medicine is not IT science and is not changing every 3 years.
So, stick to whatever materials you have and keep fingers crossed...
Good luck in your Exam!

Resident salary rise in 2008

2009-01-15T20:47:00.000-08:00

The American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) released survey results on what Medical residents across the US were paid for the 2008-2009 academic year and here are the mean figures:

* 1st Year (PGY1 / Intern ): $46,000

* 2nd Year (PGY2): $48,000

* 3rd Year (PGY3): $50,000

* 4th Year (PGY4): $52,000/-

* 5th Year (PGY5): $54,100/-

* 6th Year (PGY6): $56,500/-

Which roughly imply about a 3% increase over the last year.

Full salary survery report can be downlooaded from here:

Medstudy Pediatrics

2009-01-15T08:00:00.000-08:00

2007 Medstudy Pediatrics or Pediatric Medstudy 2007 contains the following topics:

Allergy and Immunology
Cardiology
Dermatology
Emergency Toxicology
Genetics
Endocrinology
Gastroenterology
General Pediatrics
Infectious Diseases
Metabolic Diseases
Neonatology
Nephrology
Neonatology

2009-01-15T07:42:00.000-08:00

MedCalc is a free medical calculator, that gives you easy access to complicated medical formulas and scores. It has been available on mobile platforms for almost a decade, so it leverages years of experience in bringing medical equations to physicians in an easy to use, yet very powerful format.

Itunes

Iphone in medicine

2009-01-15T07:40:00.000-08:00

The iPhone has huge potential as a mobile computing platform, especially for physicians.

Sure, other mobile platforms exist — the Treo, Windows Mobile devices, tablet computers — but none have the graphics capability, the memory, the computing power, the form factor, and the ease of use of the iPhone.

What follows is the result of a brief brainstorming session about potential applications of the iPhone for doctors. Some have already been announced for the iPhone, are available on other platforms, or are currently in development. Let's see how many of these applications are eventually released and sold in the App store. My guess? All of them.

* Drug database
* Anatomical atlas
* Medical calculator
* Interface for electronic health record
* Viewer of radiologic images
* Interface for laboratory results
* An expert system to help with differential diagnoses
* Messaging system for laboratory alerts and hospital pages
* Interface for medical devices (like ultrasounds and EKG machines)
* Dictation recorder
* Device for electronic prescribing
* Device for directly receiving and reading medical journals and podcasts
* Medical book reader
* Reminder system for patient visits and meetings synced remotely with the office through Mobile Me
* Display for patient education videos
* Medical simulator (ACLS, for example)
* Telemedicine device (pending the eventual release of iChat and a videoconferencing system)
* Interface for medical literature searches (Pubmed, Google Scholar)
* Word processing device for papers (I'm still waiting for a bluetooth keyboard)
* Communication device for hospital teams (Using Twitter or another system)
* Secure system for messaging/emailing patients
* CME course viewer (with text and/or video)

What other application ideas can you come up with?

Free apps for Iphone - Epocrates

2008-12-06T22:39:00.000-08:00

The free Epocrates Rx software for iPhone OS puts continually updated peer-reviewed drug information at your fingertips. Epocrates information has been shown to:

* Improve patient care and safety
* Save time
* Reduce administrative burden
* Enable confident clinical decisions

Overview

Our information is developed by healthcare professionals, with this edition specifically formatted for iPhone and iPod touch devices.

Most popular artices on USMLE Step 1

2008-11-25T09:27:00.000-08:00

So you have just started preparing for USMLE Step 1. What are the most important things to consider before diving into preparation?

Have you checked Medessentials? Medessentials have core science concepts reviewed for success in medical programs and the USMLE.

Or maybe you were looking for Goljan torrents?As we have found they simply do not exist - so why not check the real site with download of Goljan audio, slides, notes and HY notes?

How about Kaplan Notes for Step 1? There are scanned notes that can be easily printed. You can also find them here

Oh, and by the way do you know how to convert your USMLEWORLD score to USMLE Step 1 Score? There is a magic formula.

Do you know that Kaplan Video Lectures are better than Kaplan Webprep? Why? There are 5 differences between old and new Kaplan USMLE Step 1 Video lectures.

What is considered a “good” score on USMLE Step 1? This and some other questions are answered in our FAQ on USMLE Step 1...

Biochemistry questions posted on 4usmle forum

2008-11-25T09:18:00.001-08:00

Biochemistry questions posted on 4usmle forum:

http://www.4usmle.net/biochemistry/1713-juvenile-diabetes-mellitus-best-described-what-type-disorder.html

http://www.4usmle.net/biochemistry/1712-following-most-likely-diagnosis.html

http://www.4usmle.net/biochemistry/1711-following-appropriate-patient-renal-failure.html

http://www.4usmle.net/biochemistry/1710-following-enzyme-activities-will-remain-homogenate.html

http://www.4usmle.net/biochemistry/1709-following-pathways-most-correctly-considered-amphibolic.html

Cleveland Clinic Intensive Review of Internal Medicine

2008-11-14T20:50:00.000-08:00

Intensive Review of Internal Medicine is a comprehensive review of internal medicine for physicians preparing for board certification (or recertification) and for physicians desiring a review of state-of-the-art developments in internal medicine. The program is conducted by distinguished members of The Cleveland Clinic Staff and eminent visiting lecturers who are renowned in their fields of interest.

Topics cover current concepts and Board related issues using an organ system approach. Emphasis is placed on relevant clinical information.

Topics & Speakers

MULTIDISCIPLINARY TOPICS AND SELECTED BOARD SIMULATIONS
Franklin A. Michota, Jr., MD, Moderator
Section Head, Hospital Medicine, Department of General Internal Medicine, The Cleveland Clinic

Medical Knowledge Self-Assessment Pre-Test
Franklin A. Michota, Jr., MD

Pulmonary Medicine Board Simulation I
James K. Stoller, MD, MS
Vice Chairman, Division of Medicine; Head, Section of Respiratory Therapy, Department of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine; Associate Chief of Staff, The Cleveland Clinic

Board Simulation in Gastroenterology
Jean-Paul Achkar, MD
Department of Gastroenterology & Hepatology

Board Simulation in Pre-Operative Evaluation
Amir Jaffer, MD
Medical Director, Internal Medicine Preoperative Assessment Consultation and Treatment Center; Medical Director, The Anticoagulation Clinic, Department of General Internal Medicine

Board Simulation in Hematology: Cellular Morphology
Karl Theil, MD
Department of Clinical Pathology

Board Simulation in Geriatric Medicine
Robert M. Palmer, MD
Head, Section of Geriatric Medicine, Department of General Internal Medicine

Board Simulation in Medical Genetics
Franklin A. Michota, Jr., MD

Medical Aspects of Pregnancy
Janet M. Burlingame, MD
Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology

Board Simulation in Women’s Health
Pelin Batur, MD
Department of General Internal Medicine

Many more topics on 56 CDs - ideal to listen on your IPOD. Great quality in MP3 means that you can use it during your workouts or while driving to work.

Click here to get more information about Cleveland Clinic IM Review

New Review Book for Pathology

2008-10-31T13:30:00.000-07:00

This 5-star book (Doody’s Review rating) raises the bar in pathology review! As a testing resource, it provides the most up-to-date, clinically relevant review of pathology available. It guides students through the vast amount of pathology information they need to master to succeed on the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE). Using the format of the National Board of Medical Examiners, the questions address the major topics in general and systemic pathology. Lippincott’s Review of Pathology effectively integrates your study of pathology to give you full confidence for your course examinations, the USMLE, and the American Board of Pathology certification examination. More information can be found on their offical site:
http://jeffline.jefferson.edu/aisrnews/?p=207

Bruce Fenderson and Raphael Rubin are Professors in the Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology.

How to Prepare for the USMLE: Medical Student’s Law

2008-10-31T13:24:00.000-07:00

I’m not going to question my attitude about the whole thing. I still think the way to prepare for the USMLE is to be enthusiastic for the chance to show the world what you’ve learned and to be excited for the opportunity to give two months to simply “reviewing.” Despite the hard work involved and my inability to articulate it in the form of an application essay, I love science. And despite the transient wish for a cat’s simple life of breathing, complaining, and rubbing against things, I know that none of that is what I really want. This, trully, is the greatest thing I could be doing right now.

“This” is 8-5 studying every day at the University of Cincinnati medical school atrium with all of the other medstudents, each of us shivering underneath our long underwear, hats, fleeces, coats, scarfs and mittens; each of us cursing the smokers for opening the door to the outside world every few minutes to the point were we’re thinking, “Fuck it, I might as well have a smoke;” each of us staring at the page with all the fun facts that make all of this worth the shaking.

I take breaks every half hour to run my hands in the warm, warm bathroom faucet just so I can take more notes. Yesterday, I bought two cups of coffee at the same time: one to drink and the other to hold. I say again:

This, truly, is the greatest thing I could be doing right now.

Everything is so interesting, that I’m slowing waaaay down in sections where time will not permit. Microbiology, for instance. I was so caught up in seeing patterns between the bugs and the drugs that I let it eat into virus-time. So now, I have to create two free days that don’t exist and I’m re-living an old problem born of my unchecked enthusiasm.

Falling behind means knowing less.

Excuse my hubris, but I was trying to be the first to avoid this. I am taking 9 weeks were others take 7. I could have sworn it’d be enough. Parkinson, however, couldn’t care less. I give you his Law: “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” Truer words, truer words. But that’s not an option. I’m not postponing my test to allow time to catch-up. I’m not going to drop other interests like writing about this experience. I’m not going to learn less. Something’s got to give.

It’s probably appropriate, then, to introduce a new law.

Medical Student’s Law: “Sleep contracts as work expands.”

High Yield: S = (1/W)

Source : RumoursWereTru Blog

So this is what a Residency Paycheck Looks like

2008-10-24T11:39:00.002-07:00

Well - It isn't really a scan of the paycheck up there, rather the paystub - and like you see, it isn't an amount to boast about ;-) ...but no matter how small, any first payments of labor are always cherished, aren't they ?

What you see is a typical two-week pay and the taxes for a typical resident. Here's summarizing:

Two-week gross:
$1925.00
Taxes:
Federal Income Tax: $234.33
Federal Medicare Tax: $27.91
Federal Social Security Tax: $119.35

Biweekly Take Home Pay:
Around $1543.00

Monthly Take Home Pay:
$3086.00

And here's what my approximate Monthly expenses look like at this point, in a not-too-big-but-decent Midwestern city:

Rent with Gas/Electricity/Car Garage: $600 : 1-bedroom apt
Car Payments: $400
Internet: $20
Cell Phone: $20
Food: $100
Hanging Out, Movies, Car Gas, etc. etc.: $100

Do keep in mind that both - the pay and the expenses, are highly variable depending on state, city and then area within that city...

Residents are not paid hourly, rather a get a fixed biweekly sum. If you divide the stipend earned by the actual total hours worked in a year, with the calls and all, that would be around a measly 5 to 6 dollars an hour.

Many residency programs are indulged in legal battles against the IRS to win back the taxes for their previous residents and exempt current residents, after the University of Minnesota won a case in 1998 when a federal court ruled that that residents are students working towards a degree and not 'workers' and therefore not tax-liable. Eventually, some programs who 'qualify' would have that advantage of lowered taxes - specially the university programs....(another advantage of doing residencies at University programs ? ) Read details on that here.

ALTERNATE PATHWAYS FOR FOREIGN MEDICAL GRADUATES

2008-10-24T11:39:00.001-07:00

Dear Friends:
One of the aspect or cause of our failure to get into residency program here in USA is wasting of time in observerships. The programs don’t consider observerships/research/externship as clinical experience for foreign medical graduates because whatever you do they think it’s not a quality clinical experience. So I don’t know how much it really helps. It might help also depending on individual cases but it is my opinion that if a USA degree is mentioned like a master’s degree or strictly clinical experience like surgical assistant or something like that, it would look good on resume/CV. Honestly if you are in USA for more than 1 year just doing observership, its not gonna help. If you in USA for 3-6 months waiting for match or applying for match than it’s a good idea to do some observership/externship. People usually say observership is helpful, well it indeed but not for 2-3 years, program director might have applicants who did master or some post grad degree while in USA, so they would prefer applicants with some educational/academic activities rather than just observership/research etc.. I hope I am clear now. I have seen it myself and hopefully you will also be able to see the change in your CV when you do a USA degree.
The other thing is when you are in USA don’t waste time get some diploma or something so that even if you could not get residency for whatever reason you should always have a back up plan and something you can do. And lastly my friends “USA is not the end of world, wasting years and years in search of residency and driving cabs or working at gas station does not worth it”. If you have resources then please travel somewhere else and get your goals over there. So bottom line is “Don’t waste time while staying in USA waiting for residency.”
I am going to mention some link so that you can try them and find out, what is good for you.
1. Optometry, is a degree which lets you practice as an optometrist and thinking long term you might get residency in ophthalmology. There is a school in Massachusetts, New England School of optometry, which lets foreign medical grads. finish the degree in just 2 years.
The New England College of Optometry
Association of Schools of Optometry
2. Master in Public Health, (MPH) It helps you getting a master degree and residency in occupational health, preventive medicine and even family practice. One example is a link below, there are almost 26-30 schools of public health in USA and it’s easy to get admission. Search the web for school of public health.
The Univ. of Texas-Houston-School of Public Health
American Public Health Association, links for all Public health schools
3. Surgical Assistants, certified surgical assistant get good pay and great clinical experience.
National Surgical Assistant Association
American board of surgical assistants
4. Master/Ph.D. degree in any basic Medical sciences like Pathology, pharmacology etc… this is offered by a lot of university programs and it’s not very hard to get into. It definitely helps in getting residency and a job. One example is a link below, there are 100’s of universities offering masters programs. search the web for your program of choice
The University of Texas-Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
5. Non-accredited fellowships in USA, these are fellowships offered by different intitutions like post doc research fellowships and clinical fellowships. US graduates don’t do these because they are not accredited and don’t make the eligibility criteria for board exams purposes. Some of the examples are below and you can find opportunities like these on web. The clinical fellowships require you to have ECFMG certificate, so that they could issue you a institutional permit, to work with the patients. Post Doc research fellowships could be in any field, pharmacology, pathology, biochem etc.. Clinical fellowships are in CV surgery, ENT and other subspecialties.
MD Anderson Cancer center, Houston, Texas
Texas Heart Institute, Houston, Texas
There is also another option of “School of perfusion technology”. The perfusionist makes good money and it’s a technical work. Basically it is the person who runs the By-pass machine during cardio-thoracic surgeries. It’s a good field but schools in USA don’t emcourage FMGs to do this course but there is no harm in trying.
Texas Heart Institute, Houston, Texas, look for perfusion technology
“Physician Assistant” is also another option but most schools require that you have BS degree from USA to enter into the school.
American academy of Physician assistants
6. PG medical education in the world: Follow the following links for post graduate medical education in Canada, England, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
Australian Medical Council
College of Medicine of South Africa
NZ med jobs
New Zealand (NZ) medical council NZMC
Royal College of Physicians London
Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh -
Royal College Ireland Royal College of Surgeons-IRE
The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada - Homepage
The Royal College of Surgeons of England
Some information based website done by docs in New Zealand, are also good.
Oversaes doctors
Oversaes doctors
I hope it helps all of you and please if you find any information about some other better alternate things in USA pls. email me and I will post it on web. My friends we have to help each other by spreading the information don’t keep the info to yourself spread it. It might help somebody like you.

Immigration Law and International Medical Graduates

2008-10-24T11:37:00.000-07:00

At the risk of leaving out much pertinent information, this article proposes to serve as a general overview of the erstwhile complex and complicated area of Immigration law as it concerns foreign physicians seeking to enter the U.S. for purposes of graduate medical education, clinical practice, teaching and/or research. This article will be limited to providing some operating definitions and proceed with a general discussion of the B-1, H-1B, O-1 and J-1 nonimmigrant visa categories. The article will then address the two-year foreign residence requirement that J-1 residents and fellows are subject to and mention the various waiver strategies thereof. This article will not discuss the various immigrant visa or “green card” options. Interested parties are invited to contact the author directly with their queries about immigrant visas or any other immigration-related matter

Definitions
An “alien” is any person not a citizen or national of the U.S. All visa holders, non-visa holders, and permanent residents (that is, green card holders) are classified as aliens. An immigrant is a person who is a lawful, permanent resident of the U.S. This classification does not include persons with temporary visas. A nonimmigrant is a person who has been issued a temporary visa by a U.S. consular officer (if abroad) or other authorized official (if in the U.S.).
An International Medical Graduate (IMG) is a person who has graduated from a medical school in an international state or who is otherwise qualified to practice medicine in an international state. To claim IMG status by virtue of having gone to medical school, an IMG must have graduated from a medical school that 1) is listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools published by the World Health Organization (http://www.who.org/), and 2) is located outside the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. All IMGs desiring to enter the U.S. to practice medicine must have passed parts I and II of the NBME examination or its equivalent (that is, VQE, FMGEMS, or the USMLE). Unless a Canadian medical school graduate is conferred a degree by a medical school that is accredited by the Liaison Committee for Medical Education (http://www.lcme.org/), he or she is considered an IMG and is subject to all the requirements of an IMG. Examinations are waived for IMGs who 1) are of national or international renown in the field of medicine, 2) were licensed and practicing medicine in the U.S. before 9 January 1978, or 3) come to the U.S. to teach or to conduct research in which no direct patient care is involved.
The Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) (http://www.ecfmg.org/) administers examinations to IMGs and determines whether they are qualified to enter an accredited residency or fellowship program in the U.S. The ECFMG website offers a tremendous amount of information about the USMLE, J-1 sponsorships and provides valuable links to other web resources.
The United States Medical Licensing Examination (http://www.usmle.org/) was introduced in 1992 and replaced the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) examination, the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination in the Medical Sciences (FMGEMS), and the Federation Licensing Examination (FLEX). The USMLE is a three-step examination offered at various times during the year in selected locations throughout the U.S. and the world.

Nonimmigrant Visas
B-1 (Temporary Visitor for Business)B-1 visas are available to (1) IMGs or international medical students (IMS) who are coming to the U.S. to take an elective course at an American medical school or hospital that is part of their formal medical education, (2) IMGs who come to the U.S. to observe medical practices, to consult with other physicians on the practice of medicine, or both, and (3) IMGs desirous of coming to the U.S to interview for GME positions. A B-1 nonimmigrant may not work in the U.S. and cannot participate in any patient care. Generally, a person may not remain in the U.S. with a B-1 for more than one year.

H-1B (Temporary Worker)
The H-1B is the most preferred visa by IMGs and, if offered by a GME program, can often be used to attract the most qualified candidates. An H-1B enrolled in a GME program may engage in any medical activity provided the he or she (1) has passed all parts of the USMLE (or its equivalent) or is a graduate of a U.S. medical school, (2) has established competency in oral and written English, (3) is fully licensed to practice medicine in a foreign state, and (4) is otherwise authorized to practice in the state of intended employment.
If an IMG has not passed the necessary examinations, he or she may still enter the U.S. under the “researcher/teacher” classification, which specifies that the employer must certify that any patient care will be incidental to the IMG’s research. After coming to the U.S. and passing the necessary examinations, a “researcher/teacher” IMG may legally change his or her H-1B classification to “medical resident.”
The H-1B visa can be granted for a maximum of 6 years. As of the date of this article, IMGs who will be employed in a research or GME capacity by (i) institutions of higher education, (ii) their related or affiliated non-profit entities, (iii) nonprofit research organizations, or (iv) governmental research organizations are exempt from the number of H-1Bs that may be granted annually (195,000 for fiscal year 2001). Once a petition filed by an employer is approved, the IMG (other than citizens of Canada) must apply for an H-1B visa at a U.S. consulate. If the IMG is in the U.S. under some other visa status (such as B-1/B-2, F-1, and so forth) the IMG’s status may be adjusted to H-1B in the U.S.

J-1 (Exchange Visitor)
Administered by ECFMG, the J-1 visa is the most common visa for IMGs. To qualify for certification and sponsorship by ECFMG, an IMG must have passed Steps 1 and 2 of the USMLE, have a contract for a position in a “matched” program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (www.nrmp.aamc.org/nrmp) and have demonstrated competency in oral and written English. A J-1 may engage in direct patient care.

J-1 Waivers
Many J-1s are subject to a two-year foreign residence requirement upon the completion of their training. This rule is strictly enforced wherein the J-1 visa holder must return to his or her country for at least 2 years before being allowed to re-enter the United States in another visa category. Many J-1 visa holders, however, try to have the 2-year rule waived. Not surprisingly, this is difficult. The following are the only statutory grounds for an IMG to obtain a waiver of the 2-year foreign residence requirements:
Pursuant to a recommendation by an interested federal agency or a state department of health to the INS
Upon the issuance of a “No Objection” letter from the J-1’s home country (not applicable to IMGs who were issued J-1s for GME purposes)
Upon a showing that the J-1 will face persecution upon returning to his or her home country
Upon a showing that a U.S. citizen or permanent resident spouse and/or child would face “exceptional hardship” were the J-1 required to fulfill the 2-year foreign residence requirement
J-1s are required to work in federally Designated Health Professional Shortage Areas to be eligible for a waiver. The agencies that most frequently act as interested federal agencies are the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Appalachian Regional Commission. In addition to USDA and ARC, other federal agencies, most notably the U.S. Health and Human Services Administration, can act as an interested agency. Finally, each state is empowered to recommend up to 20 waivers. Each agency had its own waiver application guidelines and should be consulted on a case-by-case basis.

O-1 (Alien with Extraordinary Ability)
Given the difficulty of J-1 waivers, IMGs and their employers often look to the O-1, which is the only relevant visa that a J-1 who is subject to the foreign residence requirement can apply for. To qualify for O-1 status, one must demonstrate sustained national or international acclaim and recognition for achievements in the field of expertise. This is established by receipt of nationally or internationally recognized prizes or awards, membership in associations field which require outstanding achievements of their members, published material in professional publications or major media about the alien concerning the alien’s work in the field, participation on a panel, or individually, as a judge of the work of others in the field, scientific, scholarly, or business-related contributions of major significance in the field, authorship of scholarly articles in the field in professional journals or other major media, employment in a critical or essential capacity for organizations and establishments that have a distinguished reputation, high salary or other remuneration commanded by the alien for services and other comparable evidence. There is no explicit statutory limitation on the period of stay for an O-1.

Advice for Foreign Physicians on Job Opportunities

2008-10-24T09:09:00.000-07:00

I have listed some temporary Job Opportunities for Foreign Doctors entering into US Medical System. While there are many factors that are important in the success of getting into a residency program, the ability to persist and preserve in life stands out head and shoulders above the rest!

Life to most doctors who did not match seems to be filled with uncertainty, self doubt and financial shackles. I’ve been there and I am very much familiar with that life situation, it is natural to feel let down and disappointed but the wisdom we gain from going through the process of feeling deep disappointment gives us access to the heart of humanity. If it’s any consolation, like everything else in life... this too shall pass. A few years from now you will wonder why you let yourself worry so much. I'm not trying to make light of it here. I just want to put it in perspective.

Not in a particular order but these are few of the alternative job opportunities you can pursue until you get into a residency program:

1. Physician Assistant
2. Medical Assistant
3. Working in Kaplan with Student Visa
4. Research Associate
5. Pre-Residency Fellowships
6. Nursing
7. Sleep Technician
8. Others

1. Physician Assistant - Although most states in US require a PA license to practice, there are County hospitals affiliated with Universities which provide Foreign Medical Graduates (FMG) with Temporary Residency Training License which allows you to work as an Intern/PA/Fellow, they are Non-ACGME accredited programs and will sponsor H1b Visa's if you passed step 3 and J1 if you haven't.

Some of the Non-ACGME programs, which provide these opportunities, are:

(A) Liver and Renal Transplant (Surgery) programs
(B) HIV/ Special Immunology (Medicine) programs

Your Salary will be the same as the first year resident and you are required to be ECFMG Certified.

I've known colleagues who have not completed USMLE and switched to being a Physician Assistant after taking the 2 year PA course and are now earning a very good income with a 9-5 job.

2. Medical Assistant - This also requires you to be certified but there are private clinics who will take you as a medical assistant without certification. I doubt if they will be able to sponsor your visa, but if you are a green card or a citizen and are unable to get an observerships or clinical experience, this is a safe alternative. (Also a good way of acquiring recommendation letters)

3. Working at Kaplan with Student Visa - I don't think this requires much explanation.

4. Research Associate - There are tons of positions available in this arena. All you have to do is go the website of the University near you and look at Job Opportunities section. The draw back with this is that they all require Research Experience. Don't be discouraged, the best way to approach this is to personally go to the department at least 3 times a week and just help them out with anything and everything. You have to use your interpersonal skills here. You will achieve much more by doing this than sending your application online and waiting for reply.

5. Pre-Residency Fellowships - These are fellowships which provide you with US Clinical Experience. You will be working as an Intern and earning similar income as an Intern, These programs are only available at University based hospitals. They sponsor H1b and J1 visas and require you to be ECFMG Certified.

Some of the Non-ACGME programs, which provide these opportunities, are:

(A) Interventional Radiology
(B) Trauma
(C) Neurosurgery
(D) Pediatric Surgery

6. Nursing - While working at the university, I've met number of FMG's who took a temporary appointment as a Nurse at a hospital. When I inquired why they chose this route, almost all of them replied that it was either for financial reasons or to secure their immigration status. All of them got their Green Cards through this opportunity and made considerable amount of money to finish their USMLE steps and apply for positions. Most of them had family and children to support. Last year, I was delighted to find out that out of 7 individuals, 5 of them matched successfully in Family Practice (mostly NJ). Drawback – You have to complete a nursing course at a nearby college for 1 or 2 years and have to pass NCLEX.

7. Sleep Technician - This is getting more popular now days, Sleep clinics all over the country require Sleep Technicians. The job responsibilities are simple, apply EEG electrodes and gather data. This is especially a great opportunity if you are interested in pursuing residency in Neurology. Drawbacks – Most probably no visa sponsorship and you should be willing to work at nights.

8. Miscellaneous Jobs - There are sometimes situations in life which requires one to work at jobs which are not related to the medical field. There is no shame in this, but is sign of great strength and maturity. I have known Cardiologists, Surgeons, Pediatricians etc. who worked at gas stations, waiters at restaurants, janitors and some even as barbers. Interestingly, some of them mentioned this experience in their personal statements very eloquently which added depth and humility to their personality. Honoring whatever experiences we have in our lives is an invaluable way to transcend to the next level, our greatest teacher is off course life itself.

What is your learning style?

2008-10-20T11:55:00.000-07:00

‘Visual’, ‘audio’, and ‘kinesthetic/tactile’ are titles that describe certain types of learners. Although we can all potentially be a combination of these ‘modalities’, many of us will have personal preferences for the learning modality that best suits us. Based upon whether you are a visual, audio, or kinesthetic/tactile learner (or some combination of these), you will learn differently and will have different ideal learning conditions.

Visual learners:
-Remember written directions well.
-Need to see material to learn it.
-May be artistic.
-May have difficulties focusing on lectures if there are few visuals.

Strategy for Visual Learners:
-Use visual aids when taking notes/studying (eg.diagrams).
-Look at a person to help you focus on what they are saying.
-Work in a relatively quite location.
-Use colour coding.
-Visualize facts/word spellings when trying to memorize.
-Take clear and detailed notes during lectures.
-Review and write out key points from lectures and readings.
-Skim a reading prior to starting so that you have a general understanding before you begin.

Audio Learner:
-Very good at remembering what they hear.
-May have difficulties remembering things that they have read. Also may have difficulties reading and/or writing.
-Can find it hard to read facial and body language.

Strategy for Audio Learners:
-Record lectures or yourself reading your notes (even just the most important points). Listen to the tapes as one method of studying.
-Study with a partner so you can talk about main ideas of lectures, key points from readings, etc.
-Recite aloud what you are trying to learn so that you hear yourself.
-Create flashcards for studying and read them aloud.
-Before reading, skim the information and tell yourself what you think the reading will be about.
-Read aloud.

Kinesthetic/Tactile Learners
-Need hands-on/active learning (touch and movement).
-Don’t require instructions to assemble something.
-Can have difficulties if have to remain seated for a long period of time.
-May be athletic.

Strategy for Kinesthetic/Tactile Learners
-Take notes for lectures using diagrams when possible.
-Try moving while you read.
-Take advantage of assignments that allow you to do hands-on work.
-Use flashcards that you can move on a table or other surface.
-Read aloud.
-Write information out (on paper, board, etc.) when studying.
-Use colour coding.
-Listen to course information on tape while you move (or recite to yourself).
-Take frequent breaks when working and move/stretch.
-Try studying in a position other than a chair in front of a desk.
-Find a way in which fidgeting allows you to focus on learning.

Thyroid Pathology questions

2008-10-11T08:54:00.000-07:00

Some good questions on Thyroid Pathology posted on 4usmle.net:

http://www.4usmle.net/pathology/1703-prognosis-anaplastic-cancers.html

http://www.4usmle.net/pathology/1702-thyroid-cancer-life-expectancy.html

http://www.4usmle.net/pathology/1701-low-tsh-high-t4-high-t3.html

http://www.4usmle.net/pathology/1700-thyrotoxicosis-low-uptake-iodine.html

http://www.4usmle.net/pathology/1698-how-do-you-use-goljan-audio-lectures.html

Kaplan Medical USMLE Medical Ethics: The 100 Cases You are Most Likely to See on the exam

2008-10-05T12:03:00.000-07:00

Kaplan Medical USMLE Medical Ethics: The 100 Cases You are Most Likely to See on the exam

USMLE Medical Ethics: The 100 Cases You are Most Likely to See on the Exam is designed to help guide readers through this challenging, standardized patient exam. It includes advice and information about the ethical issues relating to topics including:

* End of life issues
* Euthanasia and physician assisted suicide
* Competence
* Medical malpractice
* Abortion related issues
* HIV related issues

Download link

Medicine 2.0 Blog Carnival

2008-10-05T11:31:00.000-07:00

Dean Moyer of The Back Pain Blog offers some tips for avoiding back trouble in Prevent Back Pain with an Ergonomic Workstation.

James Chambers presents Hyperhidrosis Causes posted at Hyperhidrosis.

Fiona King presents 50 Fun Things You Can Do With Google Gears posted at Distance Degrees.com.

Phil for Humanity presents 6 Free Gym Alternatives posted at Phil for Humanity.

Jennifer Johnson presents Medicine Bag posted at MommyABCs.com.

Dean Moyer presents Sciatica and Epidural Injections posted at The Back Pain Blog.

Fiona King presents 100 Best YouTube Videos for Teachers posted at Smart Teaching.

David presents Chronic Pain Mangement in the Elderly - An Underserved Group posted at Physician Entrepreneur.

GrrlScientist presents Behold The Pale Horse: The Genetics of Color and Cancer posted at Living the Scientific Life.

Astrid Lee, Reiki Master presents Healing Box posted at World Healing.

Lane Wright presents Food Shortages and Vegan Eating posted at Vegan Bits.

Stanimir Sotirov presents Vitamins That Prevent Hair Loss and What Causes Hair Loss? posted at Male Hair Loss Information.

bookfundas presents A Practical Guide to Cardiac Pacing - 6th Edition: Download FREE book posted at BookFundas.com.

Jan Martens presents Dutch health insurance company ONVZ supports medical search engine MediGO posted at MedBlog.nl.

Heather Johnson presents A New Internet on the Anvil? posted at BioHacking.

Sagar Satapathy presents 100 Essential Web Tools for Homeschoolers posted at Smart Teaching.

Dean presents Introducing ‘Twebinars’ - The Latest Social Media Tool & Mashup posted at UBC Academic Search.

Egon Willighagen presents Online, multiplayer metabolomics game! posted at chem-bla-ics.

David Rothman presents How not to pitch David on a post topic and MEDLINE now indexes JoVE posted at davidrothman.net.

Clinical Cases presents Useful Blog Add-Ons Which Improve Visitor Experience, Case Presentations on Youtube, and 11 Things of Note in Medical Web from Summer 2008 — My Opinion posted at Clinical Cases and Images.

Digital Pathology Blog presents MDPIXX: a successful story posted at Digital Pathology Blog.

Joshua Schwimmer presents The First Medical Calculator for the iPhone: Mediquations posted at Tech Medicine.

Bertalan Mesko presents Unique Medical Simulation in Second Life! posted at ScienceRoll.

How to find PDF ebooks online?

2008-10-05T11:25:00.000-07:00

How to search for a book online?

Are you having a hard time searching for a book online?

Try this method:

Type:

allinurl: +(rar|chm|zip|pdf|tgz) TheTitle

in Google Search but replace TheTitle with the book's name.

Example:

Go to google.com

type the following in the search box:

allinurl: +(rar|chm|zip|pdf|tgz) Iserson's Getting Into A Residency

Then search ...

This suggestion is copied from prep4md blog

Usmlerx Download - Usmle rx

2008-09-05T22:39:00.000-07:00

1. 2,200+ top-rated USMLE-style questions
2. EXCLUSIVE! Integrated with 2007 First Aid for the USMLE Step 1 online

Step 1 Qmax has already been battle-tested by thousands of users. Here’s what people are saying:

* "I used USMLERx and thought it was incredible… I scored 99 on the exam, which I largely attribute to the First Aid book and USMLERx. Keep up the good work!!"
* "Wow… USMLERx is badass… USMLERx was challenging and required secondary and tertiary analysis (2-step or 3-step thinking)… this is more representative of what the real test is like."
* "I own Kaplan Qbank as well and completed most of it… but I heard so many good things about USMLERx that I just bought this and I love it! The explanations you provide are awesome compared to Kaplan Qbank."
* "[USMLERx] is very good… good explanations, references to First Aid in almost all answers, and not too expensive."
* "I recently received my score on the Step 1 exam — 225/94 — and I’m very satisfied. I studied hard using Step 1 Qmax, which helped me a great deal in getting this score."

Goljan Step 2 Notes

2008-09-05T22:37:00.000-07:00

Goljan Step 2 notes do not exist. Goljan is referring to the Kaplan Step 2 notes -use them to complement the Goljan Step 2 lectures.

medEssentials: High-Yield USMLE Step 1 Review

2008-09-05T22:35:00.001-07:00

Product Description
Includes:

-Core science concepts reviewed for success in medical programs and the USMLE

-structured by organ system

-Chart, pictures, diagrams, and lists to supplement science concepts

-Foundation skills from biology, chemistry, and physics

-Supplementary online material including:

-Eight different online exercises (labeling, reaction speed, separating, synaptic match, shooting game, flash cards, multiple choice questions) to test your knowledge of basic science concepts.

-The scoring method for the online exercises features a personalized learning ""matrix,"" providing a visual snapshot of your strengths and weaknesses. (The matrix organizes exercises according to either discipline or organ system.)

About the Author
Kaplan Medical, the leader in health sciences test preparation, offers a wide range of options for USMLE preparation, including live lectures, video lectures, books, and online products. All courses and products are focused on providing the most exam-relevant information available.

boardreviewer.com

2008-09-05T08:29:00.000-07:00

I have found this interesting site when was browsing the other day.
http://boardreviewer.com/

From the description on the site:
...Board Reviewer is bank of of high yield questions for the USMLE Step One. New features are added weekly, so keep checking in...

Worth trying? Maybe...

September!

2008-09-05T08:20:00.000-07:00

It is September now - and this means that studies has just started.
Good luck to all USMLE takers.

An Awesome COMLEX score

2008-07-19T12:29:00.000-07:00

What is a "good" score on the COMLEX?

Anything above a 650 is considered very competitive, above a 700 means that you pretty much aced the thing.

Literally speaking, passing is good (means you understand/can apply the minimum amount of medical information necessary to practice medicine), beating the mean is a great score (meaning you beat over 50% of other test takers). Anything above that is gravy.

However, unfortunate though it may be, many programs unofficially (and somewhat illegally) prefer their applicants to have certain scores before they invite applicants for an interview. This is the harsh truth, helping the program directors sort through the deluge of applications they receive starting in late july/early august. More competitive specialties/programs "require" higher COMLEX scores than others. That being said, an application is more than a board score, so if your comlex score does not meet your imagined cutoff, don't let it stop you from applying everywhere you want to go.

Finally, I don't think anyone can honestly answer your question. If you have a question as to your competitiveness for a particular specialty, I would recommend talking to 4th years at your school who are applying in your chosen specialty - what are programs looking for this year. How high are their board scores, how many applications did they submit, how many interviews offers are they receiving? Are they looking at similar programs to those you are interested in?

How to Predict USMLE Scores From COMLEX-USA Scores

2008-07-19T12:26:00.000-07:00

Graduates of colleges of osteopathic medicine (COMs) frequently apply to residency programs approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).

These residency programs commonly use United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) scores among their selection criteria.

Osteopathic medical students take the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination (COMLEX-USA) at the time USMLE is given, during the second and fourth years of medical school.

Osteopathic medical students who apply to ACGME residency programs must either take USMLE in addition to COMLEX-USA or face a potential selection bias.

A correlation between the two examinations would afford ACGME residency directors the opportunity to place osteopathic standardized tests into a frame of reference.

In addition, it would allow a measure of confidence for COM students to understand how they compare with their allopathic counterparts.

USMLE/COMLEX Scores--What is considered good?

2008-07-18T21:01:00.000-07:00

It instead of citing specific scores, it's better to think in terms of "passing", "getting the mean", "beating the mean" "top third", and "acing."

Most AOA or ACGME-approved programs for family medicine would be happy with "passing." Most of the more selective ones probably only take students who at least "get the mean."

I think for internal medicine, "getting the mean" is pretty much required, but there are probably lots of program who take students who just "pass." More of the selective IM programs will want students in the "top third."

Surgery, at least "top third."

Neurosurg, at least "top third" and probably "acing." Ditto for ortho.

Peds, probably "getting the mean" or "
beating the mean."

OB/GYN, at least "top third."

Psych/Neuro, just "passing" is fine with the exception of some very top programs who probably only take students who "beat the mean."

PM&R, "passing", more selective programs at least "beating the mean" and probably "top third."

Pimpnotes

2008-06-02T12:45:00.000-07:00

Interesting sites for Step 1 preparation.

PimpNotes.org is an open-source notes project for medical students and doctors in training. The site hosts free notes, guides, books, or any other materials created by and for medical students and residents.

It currently hosts a complete systems-based pathology charts ("the grids"), bugs charts, pharm charts, and pathophysiology flash cards (in progress). We are currently trying to organize a group of intellegent, progressive, and committed students to help write an open-source guide to USMLE Step 1. If interested, please contact us using the contact form in the footer below.

SESAP 13

2008-06-02T12:41:00.000-07:00

The American College of Surgeons (ACS) Division of Education presents the 13th edition of the Surgical Education and Self-Assessment Program (SESAP). SESAP has been a premier educational resource for practicing surgeons and surgical residents for over 35 years. Each program consists of 650 Multiple Choice Items (MCIs) with discussions and references to the current literature in 17 content areas of interest to general surgeons. Program materials are furnished in both print and CD-ROM formats, and may be used to obtain up to 60 hours of Category 1 credit.

The content of SESAP 13 addresses the core competencies of medical knowledge and patient care and also focuses on some of the other core competencies as defined by the American Board of Medical Specialties and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. The content has been designed to be especially useful to surgeons enrolled in the Maintenance of Certification (MOC) Program of the American Board of Surgery. SESAP fulfills the Part II requirements for MOC that focus on self-assessment and lifelong learning, and will be very useful in preparing for the qualifying or MOC examinations.

The goal of SESAP is to provide general surgeons with a broad-based educational experience using current evidence-based literature and practical experience, and the dual formats give users maximum flexibility. The CD now offers a resizable window with resizable and adjustable text for a customized study experience, with improved image display and zooming. In addition, items, critiques or media elements may now be printed or exported as PDFs or HTMLs. PDFs can be e-mailed, reviewed later, or printed. HTML files can be loaded onto your portable device for reading on the go.

Look for SESAP 13 here

OW DO I REGISTER FOR THE NRMP MATCH?

2008-06-02T12:38:00.000-07:00

U.S. Seniors
In the spring of your third year of medical school, you will receive a
preprinted student agreement form to review and sign. Make sure that the
name listed on the agreement matches the name you use on your residency
applications. The current registration fee is $40, payable to the NRMP, and
is nonrefundable. Upon registering, you will be assigned an NRMP Applicant
Code that you will use to identify yourself on residency applications
and correspondence. The deadline for registration is in July at the start of
your senior year. Consult the current edition of the NRMP Handbook for Students
for additional registration details.

U.S. Graduates
If you graduated from a U.S. medical school accredited through the Liaison
Committee for Medical Education (LCME), you can register through your
own school or another U.S. medical school. You can also enroll directly with
the NRMP as an Independent Applicant (see below). If you are sponsored
by a U.S. medical school, the school will serve as your NRMP “home base,”
from which to submit your rank-order list and where you will receive NRMP
correspondence, including your Match results. Your Agreement for Students or
Sponsored Graduates must be signed by both you and the dean of student affairs
at your sponsor school. Your nonrefundable registration fee is also $40.
Upon registering, you will receive an NRMP Applicant Code used to identify
yourself on residency applications and in correspondence. The deadline
for registering is in October before Match Day. See the current edition of the
NRMP Handbook for Students for registration details. Also visit the NRMP
website at http://www.aamc.org/nrmp.

Independent Applicants
The category of “independent applicants” includes several different groups:
nonsponsored U.S. graduates, Canadian students/graduates, osteopathic students/
graduates, and international medical graduates (IMGs). For information,
contact the NRMP at (202) 828-0566 during the summer before the
Match to receive the NRMP Handbook for Independent Applicants. Or, you
can visit the NRMP website at http://www.aamc.org/nrmp. To enroll, submit
a completed Independent Applicant Agreement and $90, payable to the NRMP.
The NRMP might also independently verify or request to see your credentials
in order to approve your Match eligibility status. For example, IMGs
need to pass the USMLE Step 1 and 2 as well as the English Test to participate
in the Match.
Following registration, you will be assigned an NRMP Applicant Code,
which you will use to identify yourself on residency applications and in correspondence.
You will also receive a confidential Personal Identification
Number (PIN). Match results will be made available to independent applicants during Match week via the web (http://www.aamc.org/nrmp) as well as
through the NRMP Voice Response System (VRS) by calling (202) 828-
0566. The registration deadline is in October before Match Day. Consult the
current edition of the NRMP Handbook for Independent Applicants and visit
the NRMP website (http://www.aamc.org/nrmp) for further details.

Goljan Step 2

2007-12-03T07:07:00.000-08:00

After you have seen the Goljan lecture for Step 1 you want to get similar one for Step 2.
What does it cover?

Internal Medicine and Surgery

1. Acid-Base and Electrolytes
2. Biostatistics
3. Cardiology
4. Dermatology
5. Diabetes Mellitus
6. Ear, Nose, and Throat
7. Endocrinology
8. Gastroenterology
9. Genetics
10. Hematology
11. Immunology
12. Infectious Diseases
13. Laboratory Medicine
14. Nephrology
15. Neurology
16. Ophthalmology
17. Pulmonology
18. Urology
19. Vitamins and Minerals
20. General Surgery

This is 20 perfect lectures for you and the special price of XXUSD

Check the price and download the lectures immediately at this link:

http://usmlestep.com/goljan-step2.htm

MKSAP 15

2007-12-03T07:05:00.000-08:00

MKSAP 15 shall be released soon.
The latest version of MKSAP is MKSAP 14 and not the 15.

So do not ask your friends around if the MKSAP 15 was published or not.

Get more information about MKSAP 14 here:
http://usmlestep.com/mksap14.html

Goljan torrent

2007-12-03T06:59:00.000-08:00

Are you looking for Torrent with Goljan Audio Lectures?
We do not store torrents here, sorry.

But what we can offer you is the superior deal!
Imagine that you can get the full set of Goljan lectures just for $19.97!
And the download speed of 1mbit/s! Better than any torrent!

You can download full package within 10 minutes after you paid.
The payment process will take just 2 minutes!

So you can enjoy Goljan Audio download from our super fast 1mbit server (not the slow Torrent tracker with Goljan) for just $19.97

http://usmlestep.com/Goljan-pathology.htm

Try it now!

Goljan Slides

2007-12-03T06:57:00.000-08:00

Goljan slides for Pathology Review:

http://usmlestep.com/Goljan-pathology.htm

57 Goljan Pathology Slides - get this as a bonus when you buy the Goljan Audio Lectures from usmlestep.com

http://usmlestep.com/Goljan-pathology.htm

Special offers for 2007 Kaplan Step 1 Video Lectures

2007-11-27T13:03:00.000-08:00

Have you ever heard about new revision of Kaplan Step 1 Lectures?
Key changes from 2002 Lectures:

Changes from 2002-2006 videos: Microbiology, Imuunology, Physiology and Behavioral Sciences are revised and restructured.

USMLESTEP.com is offering special price for these videos now:

For Just $199 you can get them now! This is less than $1 per day - and it can be yours now!
Here is the link where you can get samples:
http://usmlestep.com/Kaplan-step1-2007-videos.html

Mayo Internal Medicine Video Lectures

2007-10-11T12:39:00.000-07:00

Mayo Internal Medicine Board review book (board review = 4 stars): From the world famous mayo clinic, this textbook contains important and relevant information for the good practice of Internal medicine. It deals with a lot of academic medical information that may be too theoretical for the ABIM Internal medicine board exams. Mayo Internal medicine board review is aimed more towards the clinical practice of Internal medicine. Most residency programs recommend it for residency training. If you plan on reading it for the ABIM board exams, the third year of your medical residency (PGY-3) is an ideal time. The key points are summarized after each paragraph, throughout the book. This makes it easy for a fast review of medical facts. This is an excellent book to learn practical Internal medicine during your residency years and for the daily management of patients (Residency learning rating= 5 stars).

Mayo clinic Internal medicine board review videos (board review = 4 stars): This is usually a video recording of the mayo clinic Internal medicine board review live lectures and offers one of the best reviews of academic Internal medicine. The board review videos feature some of the top physicians in the field of Internal medicine. The Mayo clinic board review book (above) is the companion text for this video series. If your Residency program can afford this video series, it is an invaluable tool for learning Internal medicine during your Residency years. (Residency learning = 5 stars)

http://www.usmlestep.com/mayo-clinic-video.htm

Opinion about Youel Prep Video Lectures

2007-10-11T12:35:00.000-07:00

In short, I'd recommend Youel's over Kaplan or Princeton. Dr. Youel, himself, is not the most dynamic speaker but his information is excellent. He uses a lot of pheumonics and "hand signs" that really help you remember specific details. Also, his "core of the core" facts that you have to know cold are absolutely essential to help you figure out those questions that show up on the boards that are not straight forward. He has a lot of test-like questions that are uncannily accurate to what I got on my Step 2 test. I'd say that the best out there is probably Youel's Prep or the PASS program. Dr. Francis at the PASS program explains things very generally "The 90%" and Dr. Youel focuses on the 10% very well. They're both really helpful. Much more so than anything else I've seen. I hope that helps.

http://www.usmlestep.com/youelprep-step2.htm

Scanned notes for USMLE Step 1

2007-10-11T12:30:00.000-07:00

Why scanned notes are better?

You can always have them at your fingertips
You can print the pages you need for today
You can not loose them
The pages will not become dirty
You can highlight as much as you can

http://www.usmlestep.com/Scanned-kaplan-step1-notes.htm

Secrets for USMLE Step 2 - free download

2007-10-09T02:05:00.000-07:00

Step 2 Secrets is another good series for USMLE Step 2.
You can download them here:

http://4usmle.net/step-2-downloads/1522-step-2-secrets-series-new-post.html

Blue Print Series for USMLE Step 2

2007-10-09T01:57:00.000-07:00

Blue Print Series is a set of good Step 2 Review books.
You can download them for free at:

http://4usmle.net/step-2-downloads/1521-blue-print-series-usmle-step-2-a.html

Iserson’s Getting into a Residency

2007-09-06T13:06:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of things you should do for your interview, and Iserson’s Getting into a Residency covers all of them.
I read an excellent article here and I think it is worth reading it...

Rumor: Step 2 CS To Be Retired

2007-09-06T13:01:00.000-07:00

This is all completely rumor at this point, but I have decent information that Step 2 CS is going to be retired beginning next year or the year after. This is something that you guys may be hearing around your schools as well.

The rumor is that US medical graduates will no longer be required to take the exam, but FMGs will still have some version of it. It’s basically a reversion back to the old days pre-CS for American graduates.

Let us know if you’re hearing the same things around your school.

How to convert your USMLEWORLD score to the USMLE Step 1 score

2007-07-21T04:02:00.000-07:00

I have found this formula when was browsing the net.

(UW avg. x 2.4) + 84 = three digit score

It might be too simple fo real conversion - but at least it gives some degree of precision.

Kaplan USMLE Step 1 Video - 2007 edition

2007-07-20T13:00:00.000-07:00

So, new edition of Kaplan USMLE Step 1 Videos is available.
To avoid confusion, I am going to explain the difference between 70-disk and 25-disk versions.
70 disk version of Kaplan 2007 Step 1 Videos is a raw DVD version - the same as the normal movies on the DVD.

25 disk version of Kaplan 2007 Step 1 Videos is a DIVX compressed. The quality of compressed videos depends on the resolution and the bitrate. The resolution of this set is 640x480 pixels. This is the same as a quality of the TV picture. The bitrate is 1 mbit/s - which is very good quality.

This means that you get the same quality as original DVD but with less disks.

http://usmlestep.com/Kaplan-step1-2007-videos.html

And some feedback from the lucky one who obtained this videos and is watching them at his convenience at home:
http://4usmle.net/feedback-testimonials/1426-usmle-2007-step-1-disks.html

What is a good USMLE score

2007-07-19T11:30:00.000-07:00

A good score is one that is (a) passing and (b) passing, a fact that
the USMLE apparently realized because rumor has it they are going to
make the exams pass/fail in the near future. For now, keep in mind
that the national average (which has been rising, probably through
artificial means) has been around 215 in 1997-98. The cut-off for a
"good" score once was 200 (when 200 was set as the statistical mean,
or 50th percentile score). Now, though, "good" scores start around
215 and go up from there. And yes, it is sad but true that some
residency programs use USMLE Step I scores as a preliminary cut-off
point for sending out secondary applications and/or interview
requests. Generally the programs that do this tend to be the more
competitive ones - surgery, orthopedics, ENT, neurosurgery, etc.

USMLE/COMLEX Scores--What is considered good

2007-07-15T20:14:00.000-07:00

Physician Salary - Primary Care Vs Specialists:

2007-06-25T22:47:00.000-07:00

Physician Salary - Primary Care Vs Specialists:

Last year was a good one for Primary Care Physicians. Their salary(read compensation) increased more than subspecialists for the first time in the last 5 years.

The median salary for Primary Care Physicians for 2004 was 161,000 and the median salary for Sub-Specialists(all sub-specialties put together) was 298,000.

For the year 2004, Primary Care Physicians saw an increase in their salary (compensation) of more than 3% compared to subspecialists whose compensation remained the same (No significant increase)

Resident decisions on pursuing a Fellowship is partly based on the increase in compensation yearly. The craze for Fellowship Vs. Primary Care also changes in Cycles of 5-7 years. Does this new data mean more number of Residents will opt for Primary Care? Only time will tell...