AOA Step 1 Preparation Guide

Note: This guide is not meant to provide all necessary information to take
Step 1. Rather, it is meant to give you an idea of how to go about your
preparation. As is often the case, the best advice is from someone who
knows your situation.
1- General
a. Talk to the students in the class above you, they took the test most
recently and probably have multiple study materials they are trying to
sell.
b. DO NOT go on student doctor network. Just dont do it. It wont help
you and will only serve to raise your anxiety level.
c. DO NOT Study for more than 6 weeks if at all possible. The burn-out
rate for those that go longer than 6 weeks is very high.
d. Expect to study the majority of the day. Find your limit and stay just
under it. It is not uncommon to put in 12-14 hours of studying per day.
However, take time to rest. Your brain will not retain information as
well if you are not getting enough sleep.
2- Create a Schedule
a. Make a study schedule based on organ systems. (See the example
Excel file)
b. Test questions will ask questions based on anatomy, pharmacology,
histology, physiology and pathology from each system so its best to
review them together. (Doctors in Training does a great job of this)
c. Do not allot the same time for everything. Let practice exam scores
and quantity of material guide how long you spend on a subject. Dont
waste your time relearning minutiae of things in which you are already
strong.
d. Once you set your schedule and start, try your best to stay on track
and rearrange it as little as possible. Leave some time for breaks,
exercise and to get behind.
i. Dr. Albritton always recommends to schedule one day per week
off. This is a great idea because it helps you stay mentally fresh
and you can get in an extra 3-4 hours if you need to in order to
stay on schedule.
3- Subjects
a. Not all subjects are represented equally. Some tests will be very
epidemiology and biostat heavy while others may not be. Dont
neglect the ECM material, sleep patterns, etc. You should know
everything in the Behavioral Sciences section of First Aid VERY well.
b. Pharmacology is hard to wrap your head around, but generally
minimally tested. Review these based on system like they are
arranged in First Aid. Get the basics down, remember random facts on
flash cards and that come up in questions.
c. Review anatomy by organ system and try not to get bogged down in
knowing it as well as you did during first year. The anatomy covered in

First Aid is sufficient for your preparation. In general, Step 1 is not very
anatomy heavy.
4- Question Banks
a. Take ALL questions as TIMED, RANDOM question sets.
i. Focusing on what you are studying at the time may seem like a
good idea but when you review microbiology in week one and
take all the questions at the same time, you wont remember it
five weeks later.
b. Initially, use questions as a break from studying. Study for an hour or
two then do a question block to mix it up.
i. Figure out how many total UWorld questions there are and find
out how many you have to do each day to get through them.
Incorporate this into your daily schedule. (See the example
schedule Excel file)
ii. Because youve incorporated questions into your schedule, you
should get through them all. If you dont, it is okay but try to not
let that happen.
c. DO NOT use questions as your only means of studying. They are a
supplement and help you learn HOW to take the test (i.e. improve
reading speed, question navigation). They are not a substitute.
d. Practice tests are best taken half to three-quarters of the way through
studying and again one week before test day.
i. Resist the urge to take a practice test right before your real
thing as this will inevitably cause unneeded anxiety. If you really
want to know where you stand, there are UWorld test scores
converters that approximate your to Step 1 score fairly well.
e. Stamina and anxiety control are key to doing well on Step 1. This is
why ALL questions should be TIMED and RANDOM.
f. For practice tests, find a quiet, private area where you can simulate the
real thing. They are another way to build stamina and control you
anxiety levels. Have a plan for how you will take your breaks and give
it a trial run. Most people have anxiety after the first block, so a break
after the first block may be helpful. At most, take the first 3 sections
then use your break time more regularly after the subsequent sections.
If you feel you need to change the break schedule, its best to learn
that beforehand and not on test day.
5- Scheduling
a. If you really need to test on a particular day, schedule your test in
North Augusta or Atlanta. MCG doesnt open test days until after the
other sites, so you may have to be less picky on the exact date if you
want to test there. Dont freak out on the day when everyone in the
library is trying to sign in at the same time.
6- Study materials
a. It is very easy to go out and buy way too many books. Start off small
with First Aid as your core text. At most, supplement each subject
with one book and then maybe some flash cards. You can always buy

more, but dont spend too much money at the start. Use Amazon and
the class above you to save some money.
7- Final Review
a. Arrange your schedule so that you review all systems with one week to
review. Go through First Aid one last time during that last week and
create a sheet of things you want to write down on your scratch sheet
for the real test. (The example schedule Excel file will give you an idea
of how to do this).
8- Test Day
a. You have to trust your work and rely on your practice tests to let you
know where you stand. It is not uncommon to have a pre-test freak
out when you realize you cant write down every enzyme and
intermediate in every biochemistry pathway. Relax and remember that
youve done nothing but study for 6 weeks. If youre not going to do
well, then who is?
b. There will be questions on the test that will make you think What in
the world are they talking about? When this happens, take a guess
and move on. Dont give those questions another thought and focus
on getting the ones right that you do know. Remember, everyone else
has those types of questions as well.
9- Celebration
a. After the test, go celebrate all of your hard work. If you have put in the
work, you will leave the testing center knowing that you did your
absolute best. Youll know there was nothing else you could have fit
into your 6 weeks that would have helped. If you can say that, youve
succeeded.
Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society
Alpha of Georgia Chapter
Class of 2012
Medical College of Georgia at GHSU