The DIT course provides an engaging, carefully planned review of the high-yield material you need to know to do well on the USMLE Step 1. This blog discusses the final component of the Step 1 Review Course.

Part 2 of the course accompanies you through your final stretch of preparation for your Step 1 exam. The Part 2 videos cover material that has been identified as high-yield, reinforcing the information you need to know in interesting and stimulating segments. The videos also incorporate features that appeal to the right brain to further enhance the retention of difficult material. Further, the accompanying Part 2 study guide has quizzes in it that add another method to aid in solidifying the high-yield material you need to know.

Doctors In Training recognizes the importance of keeping you focused. Our videos are specifically designed to keep your attention throughout the course. One of those techniques is the use of beginning and end of session quizzes. Part 2 videos begin with a Warm Up Review that helps engage your mind. These warm-up quizzes are a great way for you to identify topics that are unfamiliar and offer repetition and recall in your learning process. Our course provides engagement through the use of humor and dynamic physician educators. Further, we know students’ brains start to wander so our videos are on average 20 minutes. At the end of each video, we also have an end of session quiz to review the highest yield material.

One of the purposes of the course is to reduce student stress by providing you the structure and tools you need to efficiently and easily learn the material needed to do well. The advice below may need to be tailored to your unique learning needs and schedule. If you need assistance creating a study calendar, click here for our Student Advising Team who will be happy to explain the various advising products available for purchase. Whatever your advising need, we’ve got it covered.

That being said, there are a few keys to remember when building an effective study strategy. Our approach provides necessary structure while being flexible for different students and their unique situations. We understand that not all med students have a solid 4-6 weeks between their classes and exam day to prepare for Step 1. Depending on your situation and preference, you can integrate Part 2 of our course into your own personalized, effective study schedule. Below are some of our suggestions for using Part 2 of the course:

Keys to Building an Effective Study Strategy

• When to Start. We recommend that you “click to start” your Part 2 access 5-7 weeks prior to your scheduled exam date, allowing you the maximum opportunity to access Part 2 of the course. During your 45 days of unlimited access, we reinforce the high-yield information.
• A Dedicated Pass. We recommend that students make a dedicated pass through the Part 2 videos. On average, students complete Part 2 of the course in 25 viewing days.
• Finishing the Dedicated Pass. We also recommend that students sit for their exam within 5-10 days after completing Part 2 of the DIT course.
• The Final Week. Continue doing practice questions the last week before your exam; this will further your learning and keep your test taking rhythm going. Concentrate on studying your annotated comprehensive review book based on the notes from our course. Knowing this information extremely well will help you make the best-educated choices when taking your exam. You can also take this time to drill down into any Part 2 videos that you may wish to review during this final 5 to 10 day period.

A 6 week sample study period.

	Monday – Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Morning	Start with our videos for 4-6 hours.	Off	Off
Afternoon	Monday – Friday:Complete a block of 46 questions.	Saturday:Complete 2 blocks of questions	Off
Evening	Review material covered during the video modules that day. Equal time can be set aside to preview material for the next day’s video material to help you learn at a higher level and know what you do not have to annotate in detail.	Off	Off

*Some students may prefer to switch the morning and afternoon schedule.

MCQ Usage Recommendations:

• We generally recommend taking one day off per week from questions to prevent burn-out.
• In the 6 to 8 weeks leading up to your test date, we recommend that you complete 2 to 3 NBE practice exams (CBSSE) in order to monitor your progress.
• We emphasize that one of the NBME practice exams should be taken 5-7 days prior to your test date to give you a final benchmark going into your exam. If you are not scoring in the passing range on your NBME exam in the final week, you should consider postponing your exam and continue to study.

Test Day Reminder:

• On the day of your exam, ration out your breaks to keep your concentration up and your fatigue low so you can excel on the exam.