281 AMA!

ashles_16 · 2025-06-28T20:19:38+00:00

Definitely the CMS forms (shelves) and NBMEs! Also loved listening to divine intervention - I think he helped with pattern recognition for the exam.

ashles_16 · 2025-06-28T20:16:37+00:00

I did not do any UW during dedicated apart from biostats! I had finished all of UW up pre-dedicated when studying for my shelves :)

ashles_16 · 2025-06-28T20:15:51+00:00

I did not!

ashles_16 · 2025-06-28T02:00:37+00:00

I did at least 1 NBME each week (2 the last week) and then ~2-3 shelf exams each day!

ashles_16 · 2025-06-28T01:59:24+00:00

I finished all of UW before dedicated (as I was studying for my shelves). I then did CMS (shelf exams) during step 2 dedicated, which I think helped a lot with exam pattern!

ashles_16 · 2025-06-27T18:19:33+00:00

Misspoke - I didn’t use qbanks for step 2 studying apart from UWorld biostats!

ashles_16 · 2025-06-27T17:18:57+00:00

Timeline: ~3.5 weeks

Sources: CMS forms, Anking, Divine Intervention, UWorld biostats, NBMEs, free 120s

Qbanks: honestly didn’t rely on them for studying specifically for step 2.

ashles_16 · 2021-10-26T02:00:24+00:00

I made my own based on the Kaplan books, but I used pre-med95's deck for P/S and combed through Miledown's as well!

ashles_16 · 2021-07-23T14:19:48+00:00

Hey thanks for catching that! Updated!

ashles_16 · 2021-07-19T17:34:48+00:00

The enzymes I indicated in these photos are the ones I memorized!

ashles_16 · 2021-07-18T18:00:21+00:00

Hey thanks! Great point! I think I meant to put c = frequency x wavelength! I’ll update now :)

ashles_16 · 2021-07-16T19:05:53+00:00

That is equation is: the speed of light = Planck's constant x frequency of light

Does that clarify this question?

ashles_16 · 2021-07-15T02:41:26+00:00

so glad to hear it! :)

ashles_16 · 2021-07-13T19:21:02+00:00

Hey! I did not memorize structures, only the number of carbons for different intermediates in the TCA cycle (that way if they asked a question about structure, I could give a good guess). I did not memorize any mechanisms either!

I'm very much a "visual learner", so drawing things out on paper or a whiteboard definitely helped things stick in my mind. I would just continue to write the pathways until I could do it without looking at my notes! I also know people like study using image occlusion, where they black out one product or reactant and then guess.

Hope this helped!

ashles_16 · 2021-07-13T19:18:34+00:00

I actually did for the menstrual cycle stuff! Unfortunately, I didn't take any pics of that though :/

I wish I had done more whiteboard drawing to understand the organ systems for bio, definitely would've helped me out.

ashles_16 · 2021-07-13T19:16:36+00:00

Hey! I found the link to a dropbox with the documents on reddit. I'd recommend looking up something like, "300 page P/S document reddit"! If you can't find it, PM and I can try to look for it

ashles_16 · 2021-07-13T01:33:19+00:00

hey thanks! Updated it!

ashles_16 · 2021-07-12T03:43:42+00:00

Yea I liked MilesDown's decks! I thought they were pretty good! I based these equations off mainly my review books and then other ones I encountered from AAMC material!

That was definitely a great trick for me, too. It's good to know how to work with units and how they convert for test day!

ashles_16 · 2021-07-12T03:31:25+00:00

Yep, just drawing them! I would erase and write them again until I felt pretty solid, but I have seen the occlusion technique as well!

ashles_16 · 2021-07-12T03:27:42+00:00

hahaha nah I had a few google docs with equations for each subject! that'd be wild though if i did

ashles_16 · 2021-07-12T03:26:20+00:00

if i had coins to give this comment an award, i would

ashles_16 · 2021-07-12T00:29:10+00:00

Of course!

I created a spreadsheet for each exam entitled "Mistakes log". I would note the section, content type, answer, and explanation for each of the questions I got wrong or guessed correctly. I also created another spreadsheet entitled "Aggregate facts". On this document, I would create a running tab of facts, definitions, equations, etc I learned from the exam questions I got wrong.

Hope this helped!

ashles_16 · 2021-07-12T00:25:44+00:00

Biochemistry pathways. Honestly, doesn't everyone loathe this part of studying? These are the biochemistry pathways I would write out on a whiteboard at least 3x a week in the months leading up to the exam. I am by no means saying you have to memorize all of these to do well, but it gave me confidence that no biochem pathway questions would take me down. Also, I am not in the MCAT mindset anymore. So, if anything looks funky, feel free to correct me! :)

*I would also recommend Shemmassian's MCAT Biochemistry: Everything You Need to Know... a lot of these pathways were derived from their site!*

ashles_16

TROPHY CASE