Dear Third Semester Student,

This is a checklist with requirements for your USMLE Authorization Process, which you must
have completed by the end of this current semester or specified date. Any doubts, problems or
issues please, do not hesitate to come by my office. For those of you, who have not come for
your individual tutoring session, come by at your best available time.

____ 1) Attendance to NBME/USMLE Guide Seminar (offered Oct 2/9)

____ 2) Attendance to your Individual Tutoring Assessment
____ 3) Take NBME Self Assessment - Form 11 - at the END of 3rd Semester - Standard Paced
($50). PLEASE SIMULATE TEST CONDITIONS. Go to: https://nsas.nbme.org/home
Due Date: Before December 18th
Please send a Print Screen/Captura de Pantalla of NBME Results Table
SUBJECT FIELD: Your Name (first and last), Student Number, NBME11 - Self Assessment#1
Send to : frances.aviles@edu.uag.mx
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If sent before Dec 16 , a thorough analysis will be sent back according to YOUR strengths and deficiencies. If not
sent on time, or if I have some sort of delay replying to you, please take time to analyze your results by strengths
and deficiencies according to each subject/system. I will try to get back to you as soon as I can. Remember this is
the start, you will see better results as you study and learn to integrate information. Scores do not matter at this
point but seeing true progress does.

____ 4) Buy UWorld or Kaplan Questions Banks (if you haven't already) - Remember- Timed,
No tutor and proceed as if the question were a "fill in the blank" - its preferable to get the
question wrong THAN to Guess correctly - for learning purposes and percentages. Any doubts
on how to apply test taking strategies or any matter - please come by my office for mentoring
or contact me at the provided email.
____ 5) Upload a "Print Screen"/"Captura de Pantalla" of your cumulative performance from
the end of the first week of winter break results of your qbank sessions. NO untimed or tutor
modes allowed! At least 1 qbank block per day, Dates that will be revised correspond to the
first week of your break. Get your priorities straight.
Subject Field: YOUR NAME (first and last), Student number, 1st week QBANK Results
Send to: frances.aviles@edu.uag.mx
____ 6) Complete Winter Break - USMLE Coaching Homework. This will be uploaded on
Moodle platform for your Winter Break. Log into your UAG Moodle Platform account to see
when the module is uploaded and complete the provided questions on or before- Due Date:
January 15th

Winter Break Start: Choose a Subject per day- MultiSystem: Do 1 block of 44 questions always simulating test conditions - no eating, drinking or distractions while doing questions.
Once finished, review all questions, read explanations THOROUGHLY. Study THAT chosen
subject posteriorly. You will be more alert on whatever you got wrong and attentive to details
and how things are asked.
Progressively increase to 2 question blocks per day, applying the same subject/system
method. By the end of winter break make sure you can sit through a day of just doing 3- 4
blocks and reviewing those 3- 4 blocks once per week. Always do 44 questions, TIMED, NO
TUTOR, No peeking at answers BEFORE you have a thought process! Force-Think your way
through as if it were a real patient in YOUR consult, fill in that blank. It may seem super hard at
first, but you WILL get the hang of it!
* The point is to Learn from each question NOT get the questions right, at this point. Once you
do a round of Subjects and Systems your performance will improve and then well start looking
at those percentages.

____ 7) Evaluate your current classes - Microbiology and Pathology are two major subjects.
Does your class grade correlate in your NBME Assessment?
-6-8 final grade or LEFT STAR-BAR: a Thorough Review with the main course book is
recommended - seek help to better understand whatever you did not
-8-10 final grade or Middle Bar: did you understand the processes, mechanisms and different
topics offered throughout the course? USMLE focused review (main course book may be
substituted with any Review course book) and questions. For those of you omnipotent &
over-confidents remember USMLE Format is more complex, please do not ignore ANY
subject.

____ 8) Do study Pharmacology ahead of time (you may use First Aid, DIT, Kaplan, Becker).
Get a rough idea, just so you can focus more towards USMLE once you go into 4th semester.
However do not select Pharmacology Subject in Qbank- until you have read/studied the
material.

____ 9) Study Study Study - better now than later. There will be no way to do this without
sacrificing some vacation time, unfortunately.

____ 10) As you progress through your questions, be attentive to HOW the question is being
asked and WHAT they are asking. Why is the answer better than the other choices? What was
the key concept or clue? What did you miss? If you get a question correct, it does not matter,
STUDY the explanation. Guessing will not get you through a standardized 7 block test.

Med-School is getting real guys, apply yourselves; this career is a privilege, honor it.
Stay in touch, to keep track of your progress!

Best of Luck,

Dr Frances Avils
USMLE Coaching Dept.
Office hours: 8-4 Monday- Friday