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Exams aren’t always the most fun things to do. You have probably sat for a ton of tests by the time you get to med school, but still, the thought of having to sit for an exam never stops getting your stomach sick.
While exams are unnerving to all of us, having the right strategy approaching and during the exams goes a long way in making things easier for you and giving you a score you’re happy with. Here are tips that might be of help as you prepare yourself.

Create a study schedule and stick to it

The United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 is arguably the most important exam in the journey to becoming a physician. USMLE, a joint program of the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) and the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) is a full assessment spanning seven blocks, 40 questions each amounting to a total of 8 hours.
During the 4-8 week dedicated study period, you can get the best out of this time by coming up with a schedule. Prioritize your weaknesses so that you strike a balance with your strengths. Create time for breaks and other activities so that you can mitigate burnout.

Study resources

During your study period, avoid having too many study resources as this will quickly get overwhelmed and fail to cover them all. The First Aid USMLE STEP 1 should be at your core. It is a collection of high-yield facts covering physiology, pathology, biochemistry, ethics etc. Sign up for a Pathoma account for pathology related video lectures. Another gold mine of resources for your preparation is Explain It Doctorly. Explain It Doctorly is a student-run site that offers NBME explanations for every single NBME exam. SketchyMedical is also resourceful, especially if you have a preference for visual and interactive study material.

While studying, test yourself.

Testing yourself should be an essential part of your studying. Understanding how quizzes look like will give you a rough idea of what you can expect and how you can answer questions in the real exam. NBME explanation websites, like Explain It Doctorly, offer UWorld style NBME practice explanations that can save you the time, headache, and effort in reviewing your NBME practice tests.

Talk to people who took the exam before you.

Someone who has experience with the exam might have some insight on areas that they found particularly challenging or which discipline has the most high-yield questions. While this can be your head start, be cautious not to neglect some areas.

Don’t forget to visit explainitdoctorly.com.

Source of information: https://www.medpagetoday.com/infectiousdisease/covid19/86059