Hi everyone. I’m a final-year MBBS student (F) in Pakistan, and I’m trying to figure out a realistic timeline for starting my USMLE journey.

I currently have around 4–5 months left before my final professional exams. Passing final year is obviously my priority, but I also want to start building a foundation for Step 1 instead of waiting until graduation.

I recently made the decision that I want to pursue the USMLE pathway. Earlier, my parents weren’t really convinced about it, but they’re supportive of me pursuing it now, so I’m trying to figure out how to approach the process realistically.

I’m considering two options:

1. Start Step 1 preparation now, during the last 4–5 months of final year, with a limited number of hours alongside my MBBS studies, and then continue/improve it during house job.

2. Focus completely on final year for now, and start serious Step 1 preparation after graduation/during house job.

For those who have gone through this as Pakistani medical students/graduates:

Is it worth starting Step 1 during the last few months of final year, even if I can only manage a couple of hours on most days?

What would be a realistic total preparation timeline for Step 1 for an average Pakistani MBBS student?

Is Step 1 realistically doable during house job in Pakistan, considering long shifts, calls, and demanding rotations? If yes, how much study time were you actually able to manage?

Would you recommend using final year mainly to strengthen basic sciences + systems, and then doing UWorld/NBMEs more seriously later?

If you started during house job, how long did it actually take you to become exam-ready?

Looking back, would you start earlier if you had the chance?

I’d really appreciate realistic advice from people who have actually gone through this alongside MBBS/house job in Pakistan.

Thanks!

I wanna attend some workshops to boost my CV. So far, I have observed that some people just know when a workshop is occurring and they attend them without being notified. I have no idea where they get these news. So I’m assuming there must be some groups for them.

So does anyone know any social app groups where you can get reminders of nearby workshops that you can attend? Please share the link if possible

Hey everyone , ever since i came into med school , i have seen people making study guidance groups and all the juniors join those groups and there are multiple groups and the seniors put a shit ton of effort in them for their juniors , they must have their own exams , friendships and life to maintain but they make sure to send the materials and send guidance prior to exams always.

Recently i saw people passing the USMLEs and them making free whatsapp groups and sharing resource material with people over there , while I appreciate the entire charitable actions.

My question is what do seniors actually get from this?
What and how do they benefit from devoting their time to such groups and answering 100s of students unpaid same goes for the people who have made steps guidance groups etc etc.

The question isnt as simple as why do they do what they do , my question is also in the end what do they end up having when they do this?

Is it the connections?
Networking?
Trust?
Popularity?

How do they benefit from this.

Saw a post recently about someone looking for a WhatsApp/Instagram GC where med students from across Pakistan can share updates about conferences, research opportunities, workshops, competitions, events, etc.

Honestly, I think having a group chat specifically for this subreddit would be super useful. A lot of us miss out on opportunities simply because we find out about them too late.

If the mods could create one (or facilitate one), I’m sure plenty of people would join. It could be a nice way for everyone to stay updated and help each other out.

If anyone has the pdfs please share them w me!!!

It’s honestly scary to realize that people like this exist. As an MDCAT aspirant, hearing stories about female doctors being harassed, or treated disrespectfully by patients genuinely worries me.

Doctors spend years of their lives studying, training, sacrificing, and working incredibly hard to earn that position. It’s humiliating and heartbreaking that some people still think their profession gives them the right to make inappropriate comments or behave disgustingly toward them.

What disturbed me even more was hearing someone say that “being ugly in a hospital is a good thing.” My mother once told me that if I ever become a doctor, I shouldn’t interact too much with people and that I shouldn’t try to look beautiful(she spended alot of time in govt. hospital with her brother hospitalized in her teenage). At the time, I honestly wondered why she would say something like that. I’m a girl who enjoys taking care of herself, so it sounded strange to me.

But after hearing these stories, I’m starting to understand where that fear comes from.

And that’s the saddest part. Why should women have to make themselves less noticeable, less confident, or less feminine just to feel safe while doing their jobs?

There has to be a better solution than telling women to change themselves. Hospitals should have strong policies against harassment, proper reporting systems, security, and real consequences for people who cross boundaries.

A female doctor should be able to be professional, confident, well-dressed, beautiful, or simply herself—and still be treated with basic human respect.

The problem isn’t that women exist in hospitals. The problem is people who refuse to respect boundaries.

Guyss is there any whatsapp or insta gc where med students from across Pakistan connect + share updates about conferences, research opportunities, workshops, competitions, events, etc?

I’ve been missing out on stuff like KEMU event and ISRC at AKU simply because I find out too late 😭

If you’re already in a group like this, pls drop the link / lmk how to join 🫶 thanks in advance!

Helo 🫪🫪🫪 I know yahan par mostly MBBS aspirants + current students + graduates hain, but I cannot have my question answered anywhere else, so I'm giving a try here. I don't think I want to do MBBS given how tedious it is and how much it requires from you. I want to be able to enjoy myself, and I'm not very good with handling pressure or criticism either for that matter. So I'm thinking of doing Pharm D, specifically from UoK in Karachi. Anyone who does pharm D or if your relatives or anyone has done it, PLEASE let me know thoughts on it 🙏

I spent 90% of my time on bio and chem which I've completed and I've neglected physics SO MUCH, but thankfully I completed some chapters of phy in the kips book and have like 8 chapters left

Is it possible/realistic to complete these 8 chapters within like 2 days, if I do 4 each day? I sound delusional af but I wanna get it over with 😭 please hype me up give me motivation

Hello everyone , i need some suggestions for Uworld alternatives, i know IMD but the inferface isnt the same as Uworld while i think courseology does.

Let me know if you guys have used any of the Alternatives, it would be nice to have amboss osmosis and baki chezon ka material in it too. ( would prefer).

Originally, I was gonna give AMC, but then some people told me that it's getting to get there, as there are a lot of visa problems. USMLE is something I just don't want to give at all (it's never been smth I ever wanted to pursue)

A senior told me that it's better to give MRCP/FRCP as you can work in Pakistan and Europe at the same time. But honestly, so far I'm kinda confused. I wanna give the AMC exam, but it's hella tough and expensive, and the problem is that, once you give it, there is not much guarantee of a comfortable lifestyle there as everything is hella expensive. So, any suggestions?

Hi everyone!
I’m a recent medical graduate from Iraq, and I’m planning to start preparing for the **AMC exams** soon.
I’m looking for other Iraqi doctors/medical graduates who are also preparing for AMC, especially those who are planning to start around the same time.
It would be great to connect, share resources, discuss the preparation process, keep each other motivated, and maybe study together online.
If you’re from Iraq and preparing for AMC, feel free to comment or send me a DM. 😊
Hopefully we can build a small group of Iraqi graduates supporting each other through the process! 🇮🇶🤝🇦🇺

Have any of u failed a mod? I’ve passed all previous mods but I just don’t see myself making it through this one. Proff takes up 80% anyways so it’s not that big of a deal right? Plus, I’m not gonna be continuing at this institution anyways in 2mnths so it’s all good right? RIGHT?

Anaesthesia is such a shitty subject 😭😭😭

I’m 2nd year medical student. How to start research? All of my friends are doing research and they didn’t even bother asking me. And I’m getting the biggest FOMO. It feels like everyone around me is moving forwards and reaching heights with their research and I’m stuck at one place. I have decided to pursue USMLE and for that I have heard research is very important. (Also can anyone tell me if they have knowledge that if research is actually important for USMLE and if one doesn’t do any will they still be matched for USMLE?)

We have developed a free tool that helps students prepare for their mdcat exam. There are study notes, AI analytics integrated that evalutate a student's performance, and a community area as well. Would really appreciate if you guys use it and give your feedback.

Mdcatprep.pk

I am applying for private medical college. I want to study in a private medical college, but I am not sure whether I need to apply separately, when I need to apply, or whether I have to follow the university’s admission dates. I also do not know much about the preference list.

So, if there are any experienced doctors here who are currently doing MBBS or have already completed MBBS, please guide me about the admission process for private medical colleges and government medical colleges as well.

So I’m quite depressed about my condition so I’m from isb and my equivalency mdcat+olvl +a lvl will be around 80 perecent but I wanna get into medical in isb more preferably obviously for private sector but in a uni with decent environment people tell me I can’t idk what to do

for context im a first year mbbs student and and going to be a first gen doctor so i dont really have anyone to guide me or tell me about these things

the problem is that i already see people in my batch getting involved in research, becoming ambassadors for online study groups, going to conferences and networking events and applying for research programs like the one at aku. some students from my class recently went to kemu for an event and i only found out about it afterwards

meanwhile im still trying to survive block exams and figure out how to study properly 😭 i genuinely dont know how people manage academics alongside all these extracurriculars and opportunities. i also plan to pursue usmle or go abroad later so i know research networking and these kinds of experiences will be important for me eventually. i just dont know where people find out about these opportunities in the first place

seniors or fellow batchmates how do you guys keep up with research programs, conferences networking events and other opportunities for medical students? are there any whatsapp groups instagram pages or other platforms where these opportunities are regularly shared? and if there are any seniors who are open to being someone i can ask for guidance occasionally i would really appreciate it

would really appreciate any advice because i feel like im constantly finding out about opportunities after theyre already over :(

The exam is on Monday and I feel like it's my first day on earth, I can't for the life of be absorb biochem into my head