July’s resident on call, Anna Lee MD, MPH, is a graduate of Mercer University School of Medicine in Macon, GA and Emory Rollins School of Public Health in Atlanta, GA. She is doing her preliminary medicine intern year at the Medical Center of Central Georgia and then moving to SUNY Downstate in Brooklyn, NY to complete her residency in radiation oncology. She has a particular research interest in psychosocial factors affecting quality of life in cancer patients receiving radiation and has been actively involved in her local AMWA chapter throughout medical school. She is excited to work with AMWA during residency and eager to assist medical students through this forum.
Q: What were some challenges you faced as you prepared for your Step 1 and what advice would you give to those preparing this year?
A: For myself, the biggest challenge was deciding on a study plan and sticking to it! Even though I started the intense study period with a detailed schedule prepared, I was surprised how it evolved once I realized where my strengths and weaknesses were. While having a strong study plan is important, being flexible to focus where you are weak is very helpful. Also, I didn’t make enough time to go through Qbank questions throughout the first two years and I wish I had done that along the way. It’s never too late to start studying for it! I would certainly err on the side of studying little by little in advance rather than cramming since the information is applicable to your future experiences so you’d like for it to stay in your long-term memory. Good luck!
Thank you for submitting questions! Please continue to submit questions and look out for the answers on the AMWA Blog!
