Below is the schedule that I am currently following. Every day, I would do at least 50- 100 questions and review the ones I got incorrect. I would do more if I have extra time. After every subject, I would create my own questions as if I were a test maker. I have modified this for my own use, so feel free to adjust the subjects according to your weaknesses and preferences. 

Day 0- Create study plan and buy/sign up for question banks
Day 0.5- Practice full exam
Day 1- Cell & Molecular biology
Day 2- Cell & Molecular biology
Day 3- Biochemistry
Day 4- Biochemistry
Day 5- Review
Day 6- Review
Day 7- Respiratory
Day 8- Respiratory
Day 9- Microbiology
Day 10- Microbiology
Day 11- Microbiology
Day 12- Review
Day 13- Review
Day 14- Musculoskeletal, skin and connective tissue
Day 15- Musculoskeletal, skin and connective tissue
Day 16- Renal/Urinary
Day 17- Renal/Urinary
Day 18- Renal/Urinary
Day 19- Review
Day 20- Review
Day 21- Nervous system
Day 22- Nervous system
Day 23- Nervous system
Day 24- Nervous system
Day 25- Reproductive
Day 26- Review
Day 27- Review
Day 28- Endocrine
Day 29- Endocrine
Day 30- Endocrine
Day 31- Gastrointestinal
Day 32- Gastrointestinal
Day 33- Review
Day 34- Review
Day 35- Genetics
Day 36- Biostatistics and Epidemiology
Day 37- Immunology
Day 38- Immunology
Day 39- Immunology
Day 40- Review
Day 41- Review
Day 42- Behavioral
Day 43- Behavioral
Day 44- Cardiovascular
Day 45- Cardiovascular
Day 46- Cardiovascular
Day 47- Review
Day 48- Review
Day 49- Hematology and oncology
Day 50- Hematology and oncology
Day 51- Integrated Review
Day 52- Integrated Review
Day 53- Integrated Review
Day 54- Integrated Review
Day 55- Integrated Review
Day 56- Practice full exam
Day 57- Review
Day 58- Practice full exam
Day 59- Review
Day 60- Rest and evaluate your progress

When reviewing every week, you should continue to do questions every day but double the amount. Redo the incorrect questions as well. 

For those who are curious, below are the textbooks and review book I have used over the year.

Anatomy

1. Clinically Oriented Anatomy by Keith Moore, Arthur Dalley and Anne Agur
2. BRS Gross Anatomy by Kyung Won Chung and Harold Chung
3. Atlas of Human Anatomy by Frank Netter

USMLE Step 1 Review

1. First Aid by Tao Le, Vikas Bhushan, and Jeffrey Hofmann
2. Deja Review USMLE Step 1 by John Naheedy and Daniel Orringer

Do you have any recommended textbook or review book not listed here?

Immunology & Microbiology: This was similar to a foreign language class. We learned the names of microorganisms, diseases, and treatments. After a while, it was easy to mix up the types and classifications of the microbes. Some pictures were not pleasing to look at. But the professor was great and straight-forward with his exams. 

Psychology: Okay, this was one class I can say I didn’t study until the last minute. Psychology was also my major in college. I was hoping it would be more heavily focused on psychiatry and abnormal psychology. It turned out to be pretty basic…

Pharmacology: Personally, it was one of the toughest courses. Majority of pharmacology is pure memorization. The drugs’ names were often confusing. Diagrams were extremely helpful when illustrating how and where each drug works precisely. Lippincott’s pharmacology book was a real life savior. 

Pathology (I & II): My favorite classes by far. This was partly due to the professor that we had. He is definitely world-class! The course was built upon anatomy and physiology. Without them, you’ll have tougher time getting the pathology. In this class, I felt as if I was finally learning medicine. It is a lot of materials and more like pathophysiology rather than just pathology. 

Epidemiology: It is mostly statistics. I learned this in college too so it was another easy course. The math was nothing compared to calculus courses I took in high school and college. So, even if you’re weak in math, no worries.

Physical Diagnosis Introduction: Another class that I have enjoyed. My favorite part was its laboratory sessions. You learn about how to exam a patient (classmates), know what to say or ask a patient. The professors were all knowledgeable, supportive and useful in every way. I did wish that the lectures could have been done better and more interactive though.

Research in Health and Medicine (I, II, III): These should have been for those without or with very little research backgrounds. Not a place for PhD students or anyone like myself who had strong research backgrounds. The third class was manageable since we had the opportunity to create our own project and present it to other students and faculty. But I wish they designed the course better and made it optional for those who already had done their own research in the past. 

Final comments: Like I’ve said, this path is not for everyone. It will be long and hard. Remember, you don’t just need to pass your exams. You also have to know this throughout your medical career so you can help patients with your knowledge. Don’t be afraid of criticisms either. Trust me, you’ll get more of those once you start clinical rotations and residency.

What was basic sciences like for you? I’d love to hear about your experiences. Write a post and share it with me, I’ll definitely follow and check out your blog. 

Anatomy: Plain memorization. It helps to use the atlas and pictures. But it is very different when you’re dissecting a cadaver. Bodies are different too. What you can see clearly on one body does not mean you will see the same on the other. Listen closely to the professors when they point out things. They will emphasize the important structures. You need to know the functions and the geography of where the structures are inside the bodies. 

Histology: Personally, I didn’t enjoy the class materials. I liked the professor though. He treated everyone equally and focused on weaker students by asking them questions in class (yes, I was actually one of them). You need imagination and creativity to help you get through this class. You’ll be seeing a lot of images and if you’re not careful, everything might look like it’s the same!

Embryology: This class made me so glad that I was born well and alive today. It was one of the easier courses. Logic and a little bit of memorization, especially when you learn about what is going on at different stages of development and names of diseases. 

Ethics: We had debates on the ethical issues in medicine. I thought this class created more questions rather than explanations though. You might be surprise at some of your classmates’ answers and think “I definitely don’t want this person as my doctor.” But it’s fun! It’s one of the few classes that you can have an in-depth discussion not related to science. 

Biochemistry: I don’t think we had a good professor for this course. It’s not a tough course but not an easy one either. I basically taught myself biochemistry thanks to Kaplan and First Aid. I remember drawing many diagrams to acquaint myself to the different enzymes, cycles, functions and diseases. I became a visual learner for this class.

Physiology: This course builds upon anatomy. Once you learn where everything is, you learn about its functions in details. If learning anatomy is like knowing a map (including countries, states and cities), learning physiology is similar to knowing the roads, addresses, and shortcuts to various destinations. The amount of materials we had to go through was insane. I felt like I was having a brain insanity workout everyday! Physiology includes memorization. However, most of it consists of comprehension. I suggest doing practice questions to aid you in your studies.

Genetics: It was a fun course. I took genetics in college before so this class was easier for me. The professor was very caring. Her tests were pretty straight forward. The trickiest part was probably remembering the diseases and their transmission of genes (x-linked or autosomal, for example). 

Neuroanatomy: Concepts are similar to the anatomy class. However, you are required to think in 3D to understand the exact locations of each structure in the brain. It was hard for me, especially when learning about the pathways. The brain is indeed very complex and I totally understand why it has its own course. We got to dissect the brain too, which was awesome. The atlas saved my life. 

I am done with basic sciences. It was an intensive and soul-draining experience. This path is surely NOT for everyone. Sitting in a class from 8am until 3pm or 5pm for 5 days a week was almost a torture. If I could give myself some advice before starting medical school, I would have said:

1. Enjoy the sun. I mostly stayed in the library, classrooms, or my bedroom. I went to the beach maybe 5 times in total. There are 3 restaurants I often stopped by whenever I could (due to proximity). It’s okay to take a break once in a while. Actually, it’s highly encouraged. Go out. Have fun. Make some meaningful connections with your colleagues in a setting outside of school.
2. Take advantage of the school’s resources. As students, we get access to many resources for free like subscriptions to online medical journals. If I wasn’t too focused about passing the exams, I think I would have tried to take advantage of my professors more too. Some of the professors were truly my saviors. They renewed my passion for medicine and helped me through my darkness times. I wish I had more chance to sit down and get to know them better.
3. Join an organization or a club. Every school has at least an organization or a club that you can join. If your school doesn’t, then start one! There are even websites that any medical student can join. AMSA and Student BMJ are good examples. It’s another way to connect with other medical students on campus and even from around the world.
4. Attend more medical conferences. I would recommend every medical student to go to medical conferences or seminars. You’ll get lots of freebies and opportunity to do some social networking with great professionals. Plus, you’ll learn many new exciting things.
5. Create a study routine early. I didn’t do this well until the second trimester. And you know what? The study routine changes depends on the courses you’re taking. Unfortunately, how you’ve studied in the past as an undergraduate will not help much. Remember last minute cramming? Yeah, it doesn’t work anymore.
6. Know what to read. Medical school doesn’t test you on how much you know. It tests you how well you understand the materials. I’ve made mistakes by trying to read every single detail and memorize everything. It was a waste of time because I couldn’t even remember them all. Some students used highlighter
7. Ignore other people’s grades (or their brags). Worry about your own grades. When they said they didn’t study, they really didn’t mean it. Sometimes professors used questions that were given out before. Honestly, grades don’t even matter as long as you pass and do well on board exams. Don’t try too hard and over work yourself.
8. Study and Keep Going. Believe in yourself and go after your goal. Work hard but also know when to relax. Don’t stop studying just because it’s summer and everyone else is doing so. We are all different. What works for others might not work for you. Know what you have to do to reach your dreams and go for it. Don’t let anyone stop you or pull you down. Prove them wrong and ace the board exams.

What about you? If you could, what advice would you give to yourself before you started medical school?

Cholinomimetic Agents
          Direct Agonists:                 

1. Bethanechol
2. Carbachol
3. Pilocarpine
4. Methacholine 

          Indirect Agonists:

1. Neostigmine
2. Pyridostigmine
3. Edrophonium
4. Physostigmine
5. Echothiophate

Muscarinic Anatogonists:

1. Atropine
2. Homatropine
3. Tropicamide
4. Benztropine 
5. Scopolamine
6. Ipratropium
7. Oxybutynin
8. Glycopyrrolate 
9. Methscopolamine
10. Pirenzepine
11. Propantheline

Nicotine Anatogonists:

1. Hexamethonium

Sympathomimetics
          Direct Sympathomimetics:

1. Epinephrine
2. Norepinephrine
3. Isoproterenol
4. Dopamine
5. Dobutamine
6. Phenylephrine
7. Metaproterenol
8. Albuterol
9. Salmeterol
10. Terbutaline
11. Ritodrine

          Indirect Sympathomimetics:

1. Amphetamine
2. Cocaine
3. Ephedrine

Sympathoplegics:

1. Clonidine
2. Alpha-methyldopa 

Alpha Blockers
          Nonselective:

1. Phenoxybenzamine
2. Phentolamine 

          Alpha 1-selective:

1. Prazosin
2. Terazosin
3. Doxazosin

          Alpha 2- selective:               

1. Mirtazapine 

Beta Blockers
          Nonselective Antagonists:

1. Propranolol
2. Timolol
3. Nadolol
4. Pindolol

          Beta 1-selective Antogonists:

1. Betaxolol
2. Esmolol
3. Atenolol
4. Metoprolol 

          Nonselective Alpha- and Beta- Antagonists:

1. Carvedilol
2. Labetalol

          Partial Beta-Agonists:

1. Acebutolol
2. Pindolol 

For some reason, I was never afraid of speaking in public. I admit that I am usually quiet so most people would never guess that I enjoy public speaking and giving presentations. As a medical student, I have realized that we need to learn how to be professional in front of an audience (even if it’s one patient). I lost count how many presentations I have done over the year…especially for pathology and research. Although I am still no expert, below is what I usually keep in mind prior to a presentation:

Plan- You need a plan. Organization is the key no matter what you’re presenting, whether it’s for a patient’s history or a research conference. Are you working alone or with a team? How are you going to divide the parts? What is the logical sequence of the talk? Do you need to make a powerpoint? Which topic do you need to do additional research? How much time to you have until the presentation date? Draw it out. Write it down. This is the most important step.

Prepare- After you plan, you will need to prepare. If you have to make a powerpoint, get it done even if it’s just a rough draft. If you’re in a group, divide the parts. If additional research is needed, this is the time to get it done. You want to think about how you can turn your ideas into practical use. 

Practice- Now that everything is prepared, you need practice! When giving a good presentation, it’s all about rehearsal. You don’t want to say, “Um…” or “Uh…” in between your sentences. You want to appear calm, collected and confident. If you practice enough, giving a speech or a presentation won’t be as nerve wrecking. 

Perform- This step is optional. When you’re in front of an audience (big or small), you’re basically performing. So, I find myself doing better when I come up with a “choreography” to my presentations. When you rehearse to the point that you have memorized the words, you want to focus on your body language next. I normally walk around while I talk to make sure I can connect with the audience. I also use hand gestures to emphasize certain things. 

Project- If you have a microphone, you may not need to do this. But I have a soft voice. Therefore, I have to project so that everyone in the room can hear me. And trust me, you will get people’s attention. You don’t want your audience to work in order to hear you. A tip that might be helpful is to imagine yourself talking to the people at the back of the room. 

Lastly, be aware of your setting. If you are on your clinical rotations and presenting a patient’s history to other medical students, residents, and an attending, you may not want to project your voice too loud into your colleagues’ faces. If it is a group presentation, make sure everyone in your group has a chance to speak and shine. Practice until you feel comfortable. Don’t kill yourself over it either. Take a deep breath. Drink lots of water. Bring enthusiasm. And you’ll be fine.