99-Day Study Schedule for USMLE Step 1

99-Day Study Schedule for USMLE Step 1

99-Day Study Schedule for USMLE Step 1

by Geoffrey Meyer, PhD, Paul Moss, PhD, Craig Canby, PhD u.a.

Be ready for the USMLE Step 1

Get the complete 99-day USMLE Step 1 study schedule and learn more about how to use the schedule and how it was designed.

Your USMLE Step 1 score is used as a gatekeeper for competitive and sought after residency programs. Don’t let the opportunity to shine on your Step 1 results slip through your fingertips. You don’t want to take the USMLE Step 1 exam and then tell yourself you could have done better. You want to be at your best right now!

This evidence-based 99-day intensive study schedule will teach you how to structure your time and your study plan to get the most out of your dedicated USMLE study period and ace the exam. Simply stated, if you carefully follow this study plan you will be equipped with everything you need to score top marks on the USMLE Step 1 exam.

Over the course of the next 99 days you will:

Actively watch 242 hours of high-yield video lectures
Test your knowledge with 9,000 recall questions
Review over 630 pages in First Aid
Complete 2,500 challenging USMLE questions using the Lecturio Qbank
Study a total of 650 hours (just 6 hours and 40 minutes per day)
Enjoy three well-deserved full days off to relax and recharge!

Course Details

Videos 3240
Duration 267:50 h
Quiz questions 9682
Concept Pages 1172

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Content

Hepatorenal Syndrome (Clinical)

Hepatorenal syndrome (HRS) is a “functional” type of acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients who have portal hypertension, usually due to cirrhosis. HRS may also be caused by other liver diseases which are associated with portal hypertension, which causes decreased systemic arterial blood volume and activation of neurohormonal mechanisms, including the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. The resulting vasoconstriction and reduced renal perfusion trigger the release of vasodilatory substances like nitric oxide, which induces splanchnic arterial vasodilatation, leading to a decrease in systemic vascular resistance and effective circulating volume, thereby exacerbating renal hypoperfusion. HRS is a diagnosis of exclusion, and is associated with a poor prognosis. Without treatment, most patients die within weeks of the onset of AKI. Patients typically present with a progressive rise in serum creatinine, a benign urine sediment, no (or minimal) proteinuria, and a low urine sodium concentration. Ascites is often present, and severe cases are associated with oliguria. Treatment is aimed at improving liver function, if possible. Medical therapy includes increasing the systemic blood pressure with norepinephrine and albumin infusions, and administering agents that cause splanchnic vasoconstriction (e.g., terlipressin). Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) may be successful, and dialysis is a temporizing solution while waiting for liver transplant. The prognosis of patients with HRS is highly dependent upon reversal of the hepatic failure, whether spontaneous, following medical therapy, or following transplantation.

Histology of the Nervous System

Nerve tissue consists of 2 principal types of cells: neurons and supporting cells. The neuron is the structural and functional/electrically excitable unit of the nervous system that receives, processes, and transmits electrical signals to and from other parts of the nervous system via its cell processes. There are multiple types of neurons that are classified based on their anatomic structure and function as sensory neurons, motor neurons, and interneurons. The functional components of a neuron include dendrites (to receive signals), a cell body (to drive cellular activities), an axon (to conduct impulses to target cells), and synaptic junctions (specialized junctions between neurons that facilitate the transmission of impulses between neurons; they are also found between axons and effector/target cells, such as muscle and gland cells). Supporting cells are called neuroglial cells and are located close to the neurons; however, these cells do not conduct electrical signals. The CNS consists of 4 types of glial cells: oligodendrocytes, astrocytes, microglia, and ependymal cells, each having a different function. In the PNS, the supporting cells are called peripheral neuroglia and include Schwann cells, satellite cells, and various other cells having specific structures and functions. Schwann cells surround the processes of nerve cells and isolate them from adjacent cells and the extracellular matrix by producing a lipid-rich myelin sheath, ensuring the rapid conduction of nerve impulses. Satellite cells are similar to Schwann cells, but they surround the nerve cell bodies. In the CNS, oligodendrocytes produce and maintain the myelin sheath. A nerve is composed of a collection of bundles (or fascicles) of nerve fibers. Within the CNS, the brain and spinal cord tissue can be classified as gray or white matter, depending on the tissue composition. White matter is most notably composed of myelinated nerve fibers, whereas gray matter is made up of neuronal cell bodies.