The United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 is a one day based computer examination which you will be giving away once you are finished with your medical school. It plays an important role where it assesses and helps you to understand the basic concepts of different topics related to sciences or the subjects of medicine coursework.
Similar to the rest of the medical students, you will witness Boards’ Step 1 being the single most vital examination of the school career. This is the one such key element with which you will be able to demonstrate your career of being a doctor.
Overview of USMLE Step 1, 2, and 3
- STEP 1 (MULTIPLE-CHOICE EXAM)
This examination has been designed just to test how the examinee will be applying integral sciences, basic sciences, or different concepts to clinical areas.
- STEP 2 (TWO SEPARATE EXAMS)
Step 2 of the Clinical Knowledge (C.K.) is designed in the form of multiple-choice examination, which is designed just to determine whether the examinee has possessed an understanding of basic clinical sciences and medical knowledge. These elements do play an important role in the provision of patient care under advanced supervision.
Step 2 of Clinical Skills (C.S.) is a form of separate “hands-on” examination which will tests the communication skills as well as examine clinical aspects all through the information collected, performing a basic physical examination, writing a patient notes, and communicating the patient findings.
- STEP 3 (MULTIPLE-CHOICE EXAM)
This examination will assess the examinee inside the abilities to apply major medical knowledge and know the basic understanding of mechanisms of disease pathogenesis as well as treatment which is essential for the unsupervised practice of medicine, with a greater emphasis on the patient management in the course of ambulatory settings.
The USMLE Step 1 is designed as an eight-hour form of computerized examination which will get an idea about how much you can understand the basics of the health and medicine sciences related subjects. Extra attention is being put on the mechanisms and principles which are underlying diseases, health, and different therapy modes. Step 1 will assist you to know the value of science within the clinical contexts under the supervision.
The length of the examination will be around 60 minutes which will be administered within one eight-hour testing session including a computer tutorial of 15 minutes and breaks of 45 minutes which is completely self-scheduled.
The total number of questions will be 280, which are based on 40 questions as per block. The examination will be based on a single answer, multiple-choice test items. The average period you can spend on one question will be 90 seconds.
Hence the whole process of the USMLE Step 1 has been different, and in many concepts, it is broader and difficult as well. This is quite a comprehensive type of exam paper that you might have given for any other medical school. It will require a specific type of different preparation as compared to other medical tests.
If you want to successfully pass yourself through the USMLE exam, then it is important to give all your effort, time, and money dedication into it. In reality, the questions given on the paper are not just meant to give away the answers, but in reality, they are the problem-solvers as well.
This test is extremely helpful to experiment and test with the student’s medical knowledge abilities and let it be presented in a specific manner. It will also be assessing the ability of the student which they will employ over some clinical situations.
Who takes the USMLE Step 1?
If you want to be eligible for this examination, then you have to pass yourself through some basic requirements as well. Those candidates can also apply for the examination who have already enrolled themselves or if they are graduate from the U.S. or the Canadian medical school program which is leading to an M.D. degree that has been accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME).
What is the pattern of USMLE Step 1?
This test is conducted daily, which takes almost 8 hours to complete. It is divided into the course of seven 60-minute blocks. The total number of questions never surpass more than 40 however, the total number of questions per block over the examination form may vary.
Conferring to USMLE, each of the Step 1 exams hereafter covers content which is related to the below-mentioned disciplines:
- Pathology
- Anatomy
- Behavioural sciences
- Biostatistics & epidemiology
- Biochemistry
- Physiology
- Pharmacology
- Microbiology
Little other basic content will be related to the disciplinary areas:
- Nutrition
- Ageing
- Immunology
- Genetics
- Molecular & cell biology
Step 1 is yet a broadly based form of integrated examination. Test items will help you to perform the basic tasks where you can interpret the graphic and tabular material and identify the gross or microscopic pathologic and normal specimens. You can also apply some basic set of scientific knowledge to clinical problems.
Check out Dr Najeeb Lectures
If your concepts related to medical and health subjects are not clear enough, then the best approach is to take help from Dr Najeeb’s lectures. His lectures are best known for delivering the topics concisely and comprehensively for a better understanding of the student. His lectures are also available online to watch it offline.
Conclusion
If you want to succeed in the USMLE Step 1 exam, then it is required to give all your time, effort, and dedication to score high. You should have a basic and conceptual knowledge about the biological and medicine related subjects to answer without any hassle.
Plus it is also required that you should pay much of your attention to check out the previous exam papers of USMLE to figure out what sort of questions are given away. As we have already mentioned in the beginning that this exam paper is focusing on general medicine principles, so make sure you have a better grip and understanding of different topics related to USMLE.
