Customer Reviews

How to study for the USMLE(TM)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book is a total rip-off! I paid over $27 for this with shipping and after I read it, I felt like a big fool for buying it. It only offers the standard test-taking advice that we've all heard before like "know where you stand", "set-up a schedule", "take practice exams", etc. In fact, these are the titles of some of his "chapters". I put "chapters" in quotes because I don't even feel like this is a real book. The writer seriously could have condensed all of his advice into a one-pager and posted it on Student Doctor for FREE! By the way, it is not 100 pages like stated but less than 80 with large font and several blank filler pages. The author also attaches about 8 pages of his notes which I found uselss. It was a random list of information that he had trouble remembering.

If you want constructive advice for the USMLE, I would use two sources: 1) the internet and 2) students in your medical school that have already taken the exam and done well. You can find tons of advice and study schedules for free on Student Doctor or First Aid's website. The students in your school will also tell you about your curriculum's weaknesses. For example, I realized from talking to several students that microbiology was a real weakness in our curriculum and made sure to do extra studying on my own in that subject.

Lastly, the final advice in this book gave me a real chuckle - a WTF kind of chuckle. He tells you to take a piece of paper and write down a bunch of silly statements meant to boost your ego like "I am the smartest!" and "There is nothing that I don't know!". Is he for real?? He wants money for that crap? Yes, it's important to be confident, but the way to build it is to work hard and have a strategy based on knowing yourself and learning from other's experiences, not mindlessly chanting garbage to yourself.

Not only is this the best usmle preparation book available, it is the ONLY usmle prep book out there!!

I totally agree with the author's philosphy. A little time spent preparing for the usmle goes a long way, rather than just hitting the books and starting to study.
This book helped me organize and plan the months prior to my exam, and i have no doubt that it helped me get my 99. If i had just started reading First Aid or all my BRS', without first having a detailed study plan, i would probably not have done as well.

Everyone should read this book before starting to study for the usmle.

This book is exactly what i was looking for. I failed the Step 1 once already, and was looking for a book to help me prepare for my second attempt. It helped me a lot.

I see other comments complaining that it has too few pages, but when you're studying for the USMLE you probably don't want to spend time reading a 500 page book! This book hits the main points and does it well without any fluff or filler. It's a quick read, full of useful information.

That being said, this book is definitely NOT for everyone. I mean it does exactly what it claims to do; it shows you "how to study for the USMLE". So it's most helpful for those who feel overwhelmed and need a clearly outlined study method. If you're confident, disciplined, have good study habits and are a good test-taker, this book is clearly not for you.

A great little book, quick read, straight-to-the-point.. the info contained is superb, and the study plan presented works. Other books of its kind are vague, but this one is specifically geared towards the USMLE's. I'm glad i started my USMLE prep by first reading this little gem.

I was looking for a book on USMLE preparation before i even began studying, and this book was the only book i found that deals with USMLE prep.
It thought it was great! It covered everything from how to study, how to take notes, how to do questions, how to chose which books to study, how my schedule should look. The last chapter was very interesting and was the most motivating text i have ever read.
I feel much more confident now during my studying after having first read this book and spent ample time preparing and getting organized.

I am just getting started on Board review for June 2010. The book give a brief overview on what to expect how to approach the process. There is so much info and this was a nice way to get me motivated. I read it in 2 hours. Refers to medical school confidential for more detailed info.