I’ve been writing online here for over a decade. While none of the following should be construed as actual “medical advice,” this is a selection of some of the highest-yield posts about approaching medical school, the boards, residency, and young physician finance.
The Basic Sciences
- Best Books for the Basic Sciences
- Thoughts on Studying in Medical School
- Free Online Medical School Learning Resources
- NBME Shelf Exam scores, with a grain of salt
- How NBME Shelf Scores Work
- Studying for the Basic Sciences and (preclinical) NBME Shelf Exams
- Studying for the NBME Pathology Shelf
- The Mini Step 1
Test-taking & USMLE
- How to Approach NBME/USMLE questions
- How I read NBME/USMLE questions
- The Gunner “Methods to Success” Fallacy
- Dealing with Test Anxiety and Demoralization
- Focused Nonchalance
- Learning & The Transfer Problem
- How to Write (and maybe understand) a USMLE-style Question
USMLE Step 1
- Free USMLE Step 1 Questions
- How to Study for the USMLE Step 1
- Explanations for the 2013 Official Step 1 Practice Questions
- Explanations for the 2014 Official Step 1 Practice Questions
- Explanations for the 2015 Official Step 1 Practice Questions
- Explanations for the 2016 Official Step 1 Practice Questions
- Explanations for the 2017 Official Step 1 Practice Questions
- Explanations for the 2018 Official Step 1 Practice Questions
- Explanations for the 2019 Official Step 1 Practice Questions
- Explanations for the 2020 Official Step 1 Practice Questions
- Explanations for the 2021 Official Step 1 Practice Questions
Third-year and Clinical Clerkships
- How to Succeed in Your Clinical Clerkships
- Studying for Third Year NBME Shelf Exams
- How/where to Learn to Read EKGs
- Best Books for Electives and Sub-internships
USMLE Step 2
- Free USMLE Step 2 Questions / How to Study for the USMLE Step 2 CK
- Explanations for the 2013-2014 Official Step 2 CK Practice Questions
- Explanations for the 2014-2015 Official Step 2 CK Practice Questions
- Explanations for the 2015-2016 Official Step 2 CK Practice Questions
- Explanations for the 2016-2017 Official Step 2 CK Practice Questions
- Explanations for the 2017-2018 Official Step 2 CK Practice Questions
- Explanations for the 2018-2019 Official Step 2 CK Practice Questions
- Explanations for the 2019-2020 Official Step 2 CK Practice Questions
- Explanations for the 2020-2021 Official Step 2 CK Practice Questions
- How do you fail the USMLE Step 2 CS?
Fourth-year and the Match
- Best Books for Electives and Sub-internships
- Quick And Dirty Suggestions for the Match
- The data you should analyze before choosing your specialty
- Do I need to do an away rotation?
- Financial Planning for your Fourth Year
- Obtaining Letters of Recommendation
- Considerations for the Couples Match
- How to write your personal statement for ERAS/residency applications
- Your CV for ERAS and residency
- Your ERAS application photo
- How to Schedule Residency Interviews
- How to Succeed in Your Residency Interviews
- A Curated Collection of Residency Interview Questions
- Additional thoughts on residency interviews
- When Interviewing, Know Your Field
- Post-interview Correspondence Do’s and Don’ts
- Questions to ask yourself (and others) about residency programs
- Rules for Making Your Rank Order List (ROL)
- About Residency Consultants
- Applying to Radiology
- Preliminary Medicine vs Transitional Year Internships
- Refinancing Student Loans Once You Match
- How/Why to Consolidate Federal Student Loans When You Graduate Medical School
Residency
- Studying During Residency
- How to Study for the USMLE Step 3
- Explanations for the Official 2020 Step 3 Practice Questions
- Explanations for the Official 2018 and 2019 Step 3 Practice Questions
- Explanations for the Official 2017 Step 3 Practice Questions
- Paying surveys for doctors
- Studying for the Texas Jurisprudence Exam
- Applying for a Medical License in Texas
- Best Books for Psychiatry Residents
Radiology
- Applying to Radiology
- What to Look for in a Radiology Residency Program
- Learning radiology for Medical Students and Non-radiologists
- Private Practice vs Academic Radiology (and Residency Choice)
- Approaching the R1 Year
- How to be a First-Year Radiology Resident
- Book Recommendations for First-year Radiology Residents
- Recommended Books for Radiology Residents
- Radiology Call Tips
- Considerations for Your First Job in Radiology
Radiology (Testing & the ABR)
- Approaching the Core Exam
- The Core Exam Experience
- Resources for the Core Exam
- Core Exam Qbanks Review
- Everything about the ABR Certifying Exam
- The ABR Online Testing Experience
- The ABR Discusses the New Oral Boards
- All About the Neuroradiology CAQ
- ABR OLA MOC: The First-Year Experience
- How the ABR’s MOC OLA scoring works
- A Deep Dive into the Bylaws of the American Board of Radiology
- A Deep Dive into the Tax Returns of the American Board of Radiology
Personal Finance & Student Loans
- My beloved-and-entirely-free student loans books
- Buying Disability Insurance as a Medical Student
- How/Why to Consolidate Federal Student Loans When You Graduate Medical School
- Options for Medical School Student Loan Refinancing
- Medical school loans during residency: IBR or forbearance?
- Don’t forbear your loans during residency (if you can help it)
- If You Have a REPAYE Subsidy: Maximize It, Don’t Pay Extra
- Planning for PSLF (public service loan forgiveness)
- PSLF & Double Part-time Employment
- Saving for Retirement During Residency
- Resident Retirement Contributions and PSLF: Pretax or Roth?
- Buying a House During Residency
- What to do with your old employer-sponsored retirement accounts
- Choosing the Best Solo 401(k)
Attending
Private Equity in Medicine
- The Private Equity Model in Medicine is Flawed
- The Truth about Private Equity
- Working for Private Equity: A Radiologist’s Experience
- Joining and Leaving Private Equity: A Radiologist’s Story
- Approaching the Private Equity Job Offer
- (and more!)
If you have a question not answered in the above posts, feel free to ask it in the comments of the most relevant page or via email.
I’m not special; I think more of you should have a website.
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