{"id":13862,"date":"2022-02-10T14:52:22","date_gmt":"2022-02-10T14:52:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.picmonic.com\/pages\/?p=13862"},"modified":"2025-03-05T14:26:09","modified_gmt":"2025-03-05T14:26:09","slug":"tips-for-success-in-med-school-how-i-scored-275-on-usmle-step-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.picmonic.com\/pages\/tips-for-success-in-med-school-how-i-scored-275-on-usmle-step-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Tips for Success in Med School (How I Scored 275 on USMLE STEP 1)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"115\" class=\"wp-image-23472\" style=\"width: 600px;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.picmonic.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Group-549.jpeg\" alt=\"tips for med school\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.picmonic.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Group-549.jpeg 1872w, https:\/\/www.picmonic.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Group-549-300x58.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.picmonic.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Group-549-1024x197.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/www.picmonic.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Group-549-768x148.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.picmonic.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Group-549-1536x295.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/www.picmonic.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Group-549-370x71.jpeg 370w, https:\/\/www.picmonic.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Group-549-270x52.jpeg 270w, https:\/\/www.picmonic.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Group-549-570x110.jpeg 570w, https:\/\/www.picmonic.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Group-549-740x142.jpeg 740w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><br>I\u2019m from Arkansas and am a proud 2019 graduate of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. I\u2019m an atypical medical school student because I didn\u2019t go to medical school right after completing my undergrad. When I graduated from college, I didn\u2019t think I was smart enough to go to medical school. I didn\u2019t have the best grades or the best standardized test scores. But, six years later I decided I could do it. So I gave it a shot and I hope that current and future students find my story helpful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I knew that I would have to study harder than everyone else, so I created a thorough study routine starting from the first day of school. I made the decision to put everything into school and my studying and to stay focused. That means I didn\u2019t have time for a girlfriend or much of a social life during my first two years. But, I was also intentional not to burn out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During my first two years, I would take a couple hours every week to go rock climbing or go out after an exam. Plus, once I started seeing my Qbank scores, the euphoric rush of doing well kept me on track. Doing well initially motivated me to continually do better throughout school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s no secret to doing well, but I will happily share some of the resources I used in the first two years because I love helping current students succeed. First, I bought Sketchy Medical before I even started medical school because someone told me about it. But after I started school, I heard about Picmonic so I got that too. First Aid for USMLE STEP 1 was another resource I used and referenced, but I didn\u2019t read through it, then there was Firecracker and Pathoma, my second go-to resource (although I hear that lots of students are now using Boards &amp; Beyond as well or in place of Pathoma) and I also downloaded Anki. I took the mnemonics in First Aid and made an Anki deck and put Picmonics into Anki as well. I\u2019ve tried a lot of different resources and combinations and found what worked for me, and I hope it helps you too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h6 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><em>Editors Note:<br><\/em><em style=\"font-size: 10.72px;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.picmonic.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/anki-social-2-1-300x300.png\" alt=\"Picmonic Anki Add-On\" width=\"310\" height=\"310\" class=\"wp-image-16055 alignright\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.picmonic.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/anki-social-2-1-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/cdn.picmonic.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/anki-social-2-1-1024x1024.png 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.picmonic.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/anki-social-2-1-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/cdn.picmonic.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/anki-social-2-1-768x768.png 768w, https:\/\/cdn.picmonic.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/anki-social-2-1-1536x1536.png 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.picmonic.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/anki-social-2-1-2048x2048.png 2048w, https:\/\/cdn.picmonic.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/anki-social-2-1-370x370.png 370w, https:\/\/cdn.picmonic.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/anki-social-2-1-270x270.png 270w, https:\/\/cdn.picmonic.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/anki-social-2-1-570x570.png 570w, https:\/\/cdn.picmonic.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/anki-social-2-1-740x740.png 740w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 310px) 100vw, 310px\" \/><\/em><em><br>Picmonic recently released a <span style=\"color: #00b6ff;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.picmonic.com\/picmonic-and-anki\" style=\"color: #00b6ff;\">Picmonic Anki Add-On<\/a><\/span>!<\/em><\/h6>\n\n\n\n<p>With this direct integration between Anki and Picmonic, students now have instantaneous access to Picmonic thumbnail images, explanations, high-yield fact list, Video and Quiz for any Anki flashcard they are studying. <span style=\"color: #00b6ff;\"><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/ankiweb.net\/shared\/info\/40737180\" style=\"color: #00b6ff;\">Learn more &amp; download the Add-On here!<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Prioritizing STEP 1 started in my first year of medical school. I made sure I learned the material well when I was in class, which made my review time more efficient. So let\u2019s start with how I studied during my first year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An important piece of advice &#8212; Your \u201cdedicated\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.picmonic.com\/pricing\/medicine\">USMLE prep<\/a> study time is NOT the time to start studying for STEP 1. Start on day one of medical school, work hard in all classes and make good use of the time you are given throughout the year.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-thumbnail\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.picmonic.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Group-99-298x300-1-150x150.webp\" alt=\"stack of notebooks\" class=\"wp-image-23686\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.picmonic.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Group-99-298x300-1-150x150.webp 150w, https:\/\/www.picmonic.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Group-99-298x300-1-270x272.webp 270w, https:\/\/www.picmonic.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Group-99-298x300-1.webp 298w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How I Prepped for Classes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>My approach was to create a framework with the information to help me retain it better. I would learn a topic and review it before I watched class lectures so I had a better understanding of what I was learning in class. This process helped me remember all of the little details better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I learned Microbes with Sketchy Medical. But Sketchy Medical videos can get very long, like 30 minutes to an hour. This kind of video is better if you need to relearn information, but not regular review. One thing that worked really well when learning new topics was starting with Picmonic to introduce myself to the topic even before class. It took less time and the Picmonic videos gave me a good first overview of the important facts and details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Picmonic wasn\u2019t easy for me to learn the first time. The characters and stories in the Picmonics may seem random, but Picmonic covers a lot more material a lot faster. The fact that the Picmonics are more random actually makes it easier to remember the facts long term. The spaced repetition Daily Quizzes makes Picmonic even better!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So Picmonic became the backbone of how I studied for classes and I found it to be a great <a href=\"https:\/\/www.picmonic.com\/pricing\/medicine\"><span>medical school study tool<\/span><\/a>. I familiarized myself with the pictures for each topic, and they became \u201crooms\u201d (for those of you familiar with Memory Places) where I could go in order to remember what I learned. Then I watched Pathoma for those same topics. After that, I reviewed the Picmonic and took the low stakes recall quiz. Repeating this method was like my own spaced repetition. I added any other facts that I needed to know into the Picmonic, too. I love that you can add other facts with Picmonic, and I would sometimes do this with a Sketchy Medical image too, and it made Sketchy better. It\u2019s only at this point that I watched the class lecture. I know this sounds like a lot of time, but I learned the material so much better the first time, which made review in my second year so much easier. It was a great time investment for my first year that really paid off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Picmonic is especially beneficial for specific organ-based learning (Cardio, Endo, GI, GU, Heme\/Onc, MSS, Nervous, Repro, Resp, etc), physiology based courses, and disease specific learning, disease processes like lysosomal diseases, glycogen storage diseases, vitamins, etc. I think it is best to start Picmonic in your first year once disease names begin in Biochem. It\u2019s also worth investing the time and money your first year because Picmonic will save you time and stress later. My review time was much more effective because I learned it the first time with Picmonic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, I added screenshots of Picmonic into an Anki deck. That\u2019s how I did it! But you could use Spaced Repetition in Picmonic instead. I have talked to other students and they are doing exceptionally well using Picmonic\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.picmonic.com\/about\/forgetting-curve\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Spaced Repetition Daily Quiz<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Looking over <a href=\"https:\/\/www.picmonic.com\/about\/up-to-date\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Community Facts<\/a> (information <a href=\"https:\/\/www.picmonic.com\/about\/customize-create\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">other student\u2019s add to the Picmonic topics<\/a>), especially the ones that were frequently added gave me a sense of what was important to know. Then I would add it to my personal Playlist of Picmonics to review.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I also want to mention that creating Picmonics became kind of a creative outlet. I created Picmonics for low yield diseases and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.picmonic.com\/about\/customize-create\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">adjusted existing Picmonics<\/a> to help me remember the facts better. This was my way of studying.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-thumbnail\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.picmonic.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/Group-100-150x150.png\" alt=\"man writing in notebook\" class=\"wp-image-15636\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.picmonic.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/Group-100-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/cdn.picmonic.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/Group-100-298x300.png 298w, https:\/\/cdn.picmonic.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/Group-100-1018x1024.png 1018w, https:\/\/cdn.picmonic.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/Group-100-768x772.png 768w, https:\/\/cdn.picmonic.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/Group-100-370x372.png 370w, https:\/\/cdn.picmonic.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/Group-100-270x272.png 270w, https:\/\/cdn.picmonic.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/Group-100-570x573.png 570w, https:\/\/cdn.picmonic.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/Group-100-740x744.png 740w, https:\/\/cdn.picmonic.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/Group-100.png 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Prepping for STEP 1 and Approach to Qbank Questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>My main advice is to study WELL before the \u201cdedicated\u201d STEP prep study time. I wish I would have started my STEP 1 prep earlier. It would have been great to finish both Kaplan Qbank and UWorld Qbank before I got to \u201cdedicated\u201d study time, so I could have just focused on review. Therefore, I would recommend starting your first Qbank within one to two months after beginning your second year. My goal was to do 10 questions every weekday, then on the weekends I would do at least one \u2013 sometimes two \u2013 40 question blocks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It was when I was using the Qbanks that I realized just how helpful Picmonic really was. Sometimes, I didn\u2019t know the answer to a question but the answer choices sparked a vague memory of the Picmonic. The way Picmonic is designed to work is exactly how it helped me. During review, I\u2019d be looking at the answer options and the Picmonic for the correct answer would make certain answers stand out, which helped me recall the Picmonic characters and story. That process cemented the relationship between the prompt and the correct answer. It all just made sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, I once saw \u201caryl sulfatase\u201d in the prompt and not knowing what it was, but seeing that \u201cmetachromatic leukodystrophy\u201d was one of the answers\u2026. <strong>I remembered a Picmonic with a METAL LUKE SKYWALKER!<\/strong> I recalled that there was a guy on the ground with a bow and a match next to metal Luke\u2026.. <strong>ARROW OF SULFUR<\/strong>! Then I saw the connection to <strong>ARYL SULFATASE<\/strong>! I was actually learning from the rest of the prompt in the middle of an exam. And those things stick with you well beyond the exam too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another example, the prompt says \u201cConfusion,\u201d and I remembered <strong>a Picmonic with OLD CONFUSED GUY, SITTING NEXT TO A TAXI<\/strong>! So I thought, \u201cLet\u2019s see if ataxia is in the prompt,\u201d and it was! It\u2019s like the prompt and the Picmonic were feeding off each other, working together to repaint the entire Picmonic I only viewed twice about three months before. As I was running out of study time, I had to prioritize how to spend the rest of my time. After seeing how that Picmonic worked to help me answer a question about Ataxia \u2013 a disease I spent little time learning \u2013 I would be crazy not to spend more time with Picmonic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That is how I used Picmonic to study with the QBank. When I got a wrong answer, I reviewed the Picmonic to see if the fact was included in the characters or story. If not, I would add it in a way that was memorable to me. Also, getting the answer wrong in a way helped me remember the Picmonic better because I would get mad at myself for not getting the question right in the first place. Emotion is a powerful memory tool. And luckily, I was getting questions wrong at the right time (studying) and not during the actual exam. It was a very active process!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If I encountered questions I\u2019d never heard of, or answered a question that was supposedly correct but that I had no idea why, I looked to see if there was a Picmonic for that topic. Then I used the Picmonic to learn the details before continuing. Similarly, if I got a question correct but my memory of the Picmonic was vague, I quickly reviewed the Picmonic again. I also reviewed the incorrect answers and Qbank explanations for every question. And if a Picmonic existed, I learned it to lock in the details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By using Picmonic, I was able to remember the smallest detail for the new facts I had to learn while reviewing with Qbanks. For these new Picmonics, I probably had to refer to them several times before the exam. And I highly recommend downloading Picmonics on your phone to give your more time to review.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-thumbnail\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.picmonic.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/Group-101-150x150.png\" alt=\"Textbook image\" class=\"wp-image-15638\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.picmonic.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/Group-101-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/cdn.picmonic.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/Group-101-298x300.png 298w, https:\/\/cdn.picmonic.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/Group-101-1016x1024.png 1016w, https:\/\/cdn.picmonic.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/Group-101-768x774.png 768w, https:\/\/cdn.picmonic.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/Group-101-370x373.png 370w, https:\/\/cdn.picmonic.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/Group-101-270x272.png 270w, https:\/\/cdn.picmonic.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/Group-101-570x575.png 570w, https:\/\/cdn.picmonic.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/Group-101-740x746.png 740w, https:\/\/cdn.picmonic.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/Group-101.png 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Using First Aid for USMLE STEP 1<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>First Aid is particularly helpful for Pediatrics since it goes into more depth than Qbanks. I also like the fact that there is a First Aid Playlist in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.picmonic.com\/pricing\/medicine\">Picmonic<\/a> that will show you Picmonics in the order that you review the topics in First Aid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I did First Aid Review but eventually had to stop reading it. It\u2019s wasn\u2019t the greatest way to make connections; just reading through different organs. Eventually I found that First Aid was best for referencing things as needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Starting in my second year, I used Anki mainly for practicing word mnemonics from First Aid. It was worth it for me at the beginning, but in the spring I stopped doing them in the interest of time.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-thumbnail\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.picmonic.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Group-102-298x300-1-150x150.webp\" alt=\"typing on a laptop\" class=\"wp-image-23687\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.picmonic.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Group-102-298x300-1-150x150.webp 150w, https:\/\/www.picmonic.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Group-102-298x300-1-270x272.webp 270w, https:\/\/www.picmonic.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Group-102-298x300-1.webp 298w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Using Qbanks for STEP 1 Prep and \u201cDedicated\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Through my research I found most students who scored 68% on two different Qbanks, worked on them thoroughly. I learned that on average, those who used both question banks scored about 240. So I used both.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kaplan was very helpful when I was confused about the questions. I would use the Feedback feature which sends your question to a professional teacher. However helpful that was, I found the UWorld explanations more concise. With Kaplan, I spent a long time reviewing the questions, even the ones I got right. There\u2019s still a lot you can learn about a topic from the explanations when you get a question right. I started UWorld during my \u201cDedicated\u201d study time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A Qbank will teach you how to apply your knowledge and approach questions correctly, but it won\u2019t help you memorize the facts. That\u2019s why I used Picmonic alongside the Qbanks to help review all of the details for a topic. The Picmonic community is another great feature. If there wasn\u2019t a Picmonic for a specific topic, often a member of the community created one for others to use!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I re-reviewed Physiology of \u2013 and the physics behind \u2013 the Pulmonary pathophysiology right before dedicated. Some smart guy made a UWorld smart book for STEP 1 on Anki. I used this to re-review Pulmonary. Picmonic is also a great review tool during your third year, but mainly if you invested time in them during first and\/or second year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dedicated study time should be the time you are fine tuning what you already know, not learning new facts. The more you have to learn new things during dedicated, the greater the chance you will not do as well as you could. Learn what you can while in class, and don\u2019t even consider the idea that six weeks is enough time to cover all the slacking you did during school. If you only have two months to prep for USMLE STEP 1, focus on the Qbanks and only use Picmonic if you\u2019re having trouble remembering something. The combination will really help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Most of my six-week dedicated study time was spent reviewing UWorld question blocks. During dedicated, I decided to make an additional Anki smart book based on UWorld info, knowing I would likely not review them. Just the idea of putting what I learned into my own words while typing was very helpful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My last piece of advice is review and practice the biostats and formulas. Picmonic even has some great videos on things like Odds Ratio, Relative Risk, and the different Study methods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left\">In conclusion, I hope that this advice can help other med students like me who in their first year try to figure out the best resources to use out of the thousands of resources out there. Before I found Picmonic I spent a lot of time memorizing facts. With Picmonic I could entertain myself into memorizing the same facts and with these \u201cpictures\u201d in my head, I kept getting the right answers over and over again. And I wouldn\u2019t forget the information right after the exam. In short, Picmonic is a big part of the reason I did well on STEP 1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<center><a class=\"pls-btn pls-btn--lighten-blue pls-white pls-font-weight-600\" href=\"https:\/\/www.picmonic.com\/find-picmonic\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">CLICK HERE TO TRY PICMONIC FREE<\/a><\/center>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong><span class=\"s1\">Download our mobile app and take Picmonic on the go!<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/apps.apple.com\/us\/app\/picmonic-medical-pa-usmle-rx\/id1468103617\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"361\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.picmonic.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/iosappstore-light-1024x361.png\" alt=\"Click Here to Get Our Free iOS Mobile App to Pass the USMLE Step 1\" class=\"wp-image-8141\" style=\"width:377px;height:133px\" title=\"Click Here to Get Our Free iOS Mobile App to Pass the USMLE Step 1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.picmonic.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/iosappstore-light-1024x361.png 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.picmonic.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/iosappstore-light-300x106.png 300w, https:\/\/cdn.picmonic.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/iosappstore-light-768x270.png 768w, https:\/\/cdn.picmonic.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/iosappstore-light.png 1704w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=com.picmonic.androidapp.medicine&amp;hl=en\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"361\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.picmonic.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/googleplaystore-white-1024x361.png\" alt=\"Click Here to Get Our Free Android Mobile App to Pass the USMLE Step 1\" class=\"wp-image-8142\" style=\"width:377px;height:133px\" title=\"Click Here to Get Our Free Android Mobile App to Pass the USMLE Step 1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.picmonic.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/googleplaystore-white-1024x361.png 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.picmonic.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/googleplaystore-white-300x106.png 300w, https:\/\/cdn.picmonic.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/googleplaystore-white-768x270.png 768w, https:\/\/cdn.picmonic.com\/pages\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/googleplaystore-white.png 1704w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I\u2019m from Arkansas and am a proud 2019 graduate of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. I\u2019m an atypical medical school student because I didn\u2019t go to medical school right after completing my undergrad. When I graduated from college, I didn\u2019t think I was smart enough to go to medical school. I didn\u2019t have [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14572,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[427,435],"tags":[405,198,690,637,531,642,388],"class_list":["post-13862","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-medical-school-study-exams","category-study-tips-advice","tag-advice","tag-med-school","tag-passing-usmle","tag-resources","tag-studying-for-usmle","tag-tips","tag-usmle-step-1"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Tips for Success in Med School - I Scored 275 on USMLE STEP 1<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn how Lawrence \u201cTony\u201d Hoyt, M.D. scored 275 on USMLE Step 1 and some of his tips and advice for successfully passing. 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