1. Diagnosis:
Students take this test and we evaluate their responses to ascertain what error patterns may present themselves. We look at variables embedded in the way each question is structured, in the concept the question is designed to tap, and in every student’s approach to, success in, or difficulty in answering each question correctly. Specifically we want to determine your approach to answering questions so that we will know what needs to be addressed. The diagnosis is an intensive process, but we find it much more helpful in developing individual study plans rather than the statistics embodied in an USMLE report which only targets areas on weakness and strengths in subject matter. Our diagnostic test determines how the student processes information when he/she answers board questions.
And so we begin with a diagnosis and development of an individual study plan for each student.
2. Preliminary concept mastery:
We have a small but powerful list of absolutely essential concepts that students must encompass before instruction in the basic sciences can be maximally profitable, and before mastering how to answer board questions more effectively. Many of these concepts seem clear enough when presented by themselves, but they may cause serious problems when they are embedded in a complex set of data presented in board-style questions. We have been at this work long enough to know what the concepts are and we begin to address them on the first day of our program.
3. Formal Lectures:
Our theory is that by the time medical students are preparing for USMLE Step One they have had many hours of sitting passively in lectures at medical school. We do not want to recreate that, but we do want to identify our students’ strengths and weaknesses and know what each student understands about the basic sciences. For these reasons, we do have between 9 and 12 hours of live lecture per week. Lectures cover physiology, microbiology, pathology, cardiology, and biochemistry. Beyond the basic lectures, given the nature of the group, we invite lecturers to present on subjects the group identifies they want to strengthen. It is our experience that each group has its own dynamics and we are sufficiently flexible to cater to what will be the most beneficial to each student rather than a “one size fits all”. Lectures are conducted by MDs and PhDs who incorporate board type questions relating to the topic at hand.
4. Supplemental Instruction (SI):
To complement the lectures we conduct a SI session following the lecture. During these sessions students work in groups and process the content of the lecture, organize it for long term recall and correct any misunderstandings. Research indicates that when students review the same material in a 24 hour period, they retain the information longer. Hence our program aims at long term memory and not crash learning.
5. Question group
We think this is the epicenter of our program. In small groups, students learn our Method© and respond orally and singly to board-type questions, with evaluative comments from the tutor. It is in these sessions that students identify key concepts which they either misunderstand or do not fully comprehend, and detect subjects for individual follow-up study. In these sessions, students have the opportunity to observe and to model the logic that is necessary in responding to content-based questions.
Once the students master the Method© we move from working questions on paper to questions on computer and practice using the wipe off board, similar to the ones you are given at the prometric centers.
6. Bugs and Drugs:
This component of the day is presented by students in the program. Bugs, and the drugs needed to treat them, are discussed daily. Microbiology is a module that one finds even in Step 3 questions, so long term understanding is imperative. Memory retention studies show that active learning (i.e. presenting) enables students to retain 90% of the information.
7. Clinical Presentations:
A specialized review on Step 1 high yield diseases, their symptoms and drugs to treat them.
Scheduled activities encompass an 8 hour day, Monday through Friday, and we strongly recommend study groups for an hour every night. We also offer one on one sessions with students during the week.