USMLE is no laughing matter. There are so many things that can go wrong even when everything you did was write! It needs proper planning, vigilant preparation and thorough understanding of the subject to be able to overcome this gigantic exam. First aid USMLE, in particular, requires you to have all your wits about you to identify and diagnose every scenario by the minute. The clock keeps ticking and it’s important that you think fast to get to your answers. In all the rush, there are many common mistakes that candidates make, which are easily avoidable. Here we discuss, 3 of the most common ones so that you don’t end up making them as well.
Not starting the preparation for first aid USMLE early enough
The most common excuse that students make is that they just finished MED school and were saving it up for later. Although the course is high yield, the book still has 583 pages for you to go through. No matter what others say, it is impossible to complete the book in a few weeks, if you want to learn it enough to do your profession justice. Let alone that, it isn’t enough to allow you to pass. The best way to learn first aid USMLE is by taking it side by side during your regular classes. This way, you would have covered a major part of your course beforehand, allowing you to easily revise the book when it’s time.
Taking too many notes
On the other extreme are those students that try to digest every bit of information, scribbling down notes from class on the first aid USMLE book. The problem with this is that the book itself has been fine-tuned to give you the most refined and manageable knowledge that you will need to pass the exam. When you distort with added info you end up confusing the text that was supposed to be learned as well. Your brain fails to retain all the extensive information and steers to the next available option, which is drainage. This way, you are left with nothing.
Reading instead of memorizing
You need to understand the difference between reading and memorizing. Simply reading the text won’t make you memorize it. You need to commit the information to your memory and if you don’t motivate yourself to make that effort, vital pieces of information will slip through your mind at the moment you need them. This is why you need to sit down and learn off those pages so that you can command the knowledge instead of going round in circles. If you find it difficult to differentiate, simply read the pages first and then recall. Repeat the process until you are sure that you have learned that USMLE first aid book by heart.
It can be hectic and trying, having to cram all that information into your brain. However, it’s a necessary part to excel at your job. Unless you do it now, the other information that you need for the exam will vaporize. Since you are fresh, the knowledge is still ripe, and you still have the time and energy to do it, it’s best to get these boards out of the way at one go! If you follow the rules and study right, USMLE first aid, won’t be that big of a hurdle to overcome. You just need to drive your guts to it!
