Big Time Chicken

So now that I have my scheduling permit, I could, in theory make a quick visit to www.prometric.com and actually schedule an exam date. This would be the smart move, as all the good dates tend to get gobbled up by some of the more keen medical students. I, on the other hand, am a big time chicken. Up to this point, aside from having to apply twice to the ECFMG, it has been a relatively pain free process. But actually setting an exam date? That makes it a bit too real. And real is scary. A lot of people go into medicine thinking that they can be, or do anything, they want once they are in medical school. Is that really true? Maybe. But in many cases, your final specialty is often chosen for you, and not the other way around. It's called your Step 1 score. You do crap on it, and you're destined to become a GP, or even worse, a pediatrician or psychiatrist. Do really well, like crazy well (we're talking over 98), and you can start applying for ENT or plastics. No pressure.

Scheduling Permit

Good news! My scheduling permit has finally arrived. The next step in the process is to call the local prometric testing center and actually schedule a date within my 3 month testing window. Phew, it feels good to get to this point. Just to recap, I submitted my (second) application on Jan 6, so it took 1 month and 3 days to get to this point. Not great turnaround but not bad either. I will keep you informed.

6 Week Study Schedule

I found this 6 week USMLE Step 1 study schedule. The link can be found here. I have around 6 months until I have 6 weeks to go. Enjoy :)

Lippincott Pharmacology

For those of you thinking about purchasing the Lippincott Pharmacology book (2nd edition), think twice before moving forward. I recently ordered same online through Amazon and received the book, in what appeared to be excellent condition. However, after 3 weeks of constant usage, the spine broke and all the pages came loose. Okay, that didn't really happen. The truth is, my book was missing 15 pages, from 435 to 450. Go ahead and check yours. I got a full refund from Amazon but they can't send me another book because the replacement also has the same defect! Buyer beware.