A partnership for USMLE success

UMHS has partnered with Kaplan Medical to provide our students with full access to all of their USMLE test prep resources for Step 1 and 2. UMHS is the only offshore medical that provides students access to Step 1 preparation resources throughout the Basic Science Program, and then culminate their Step 1 prep with a semester-long live USMLE review at our Portland, Maine campus. Upon transitioning into the sixth semester, students are automatically enrolled in Kaplan’s Step 2 CK exam preparation. This collaboration contributes to the amazing success our students have had on the USMLE.  

Basic Science, St, Kitts (Step 1 preparation)

Through our partnership with Kaplan, we incorporate state-of-the art eLearning experiences to complement the classroom and lab training in the Basic Science curriculum. Kaplan has years of experience and proven success at helping medical students prepare for the USMLE Step exams. In close collaboration, the vast array of Kaplan Medical on-line eLearning resources has been aligned to the UMHS curriculum. Starting from the very first semester, students will have access to Kaplan Medical Step 1 Prep On-Demand and Qbank Integrated Plan resources. Both programs help guide students to master the Basic Science concepts necessary to becoming knowledgeable physicians and to succeed on the USMLE Step 1 exam. These programs monitor students’ progress and performance and provide important feedback helping students and faculty identify areas of strength and weakness for further improvement.

The Kaplan Medical Step 1 On-Demand program is a comprehensive library of over 220 hours of instructional videos. It also includes a collection of quizzes to enable students to gauge their mastery of the material covered in the videos. The program has a database of approximately 3,000 quiz and assessment questions. In addition to the question-bank and library of videos, students will also have access to Kaplan’s USMLE Step 1 Lecture Notes eBook series. This series includes volumes dedicated to high yield concepts in Anatomy, Behavioral Sciences, Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, Immunology and Microbiology, Pathology, Pharmacology, and Physiology.

The Step 1 Qbank Integrated Plan consists of a focused set of instructional videos to help students truly master the highest yield material. It also has an extensive question bank of over 2,000 assessment questions. These questions provide interactive feedback with detailed explanations and sources students can review to better understand the concepts tested.

 To help optimize the students’ experience, access to Kaplan resources has been embedded into the UMHS learning management system to seamlessly integrate the appropriate videos to the material being taught in a course. This enables students to focus on powerful eLearning resources directly linked to what they are learning in the classroom. Furthermore, students can conveniently access Kaplan content on their mobile devices. The integration of Kaplan resources into the curriculum, with ease of use and continuous feedback, ensures that our faculty can partner together with our students through curricular success in direct preparation for the USMLE Step exams.

5th semester, Maine (Step 1 preparation)

Once students complete the Basic Science portion of medical school on St. Kitts, they transition to our Portland, Maine pre-clinical campus for their 5th semester. UMHS students participate in a semester-long Kaplan Medical Review of Basic Sciences (course name, MICM 1020).  The purpose of this lecture series is both a general review of topics covered in the USMLE Step 1, and to help each student identify problem areas where extra attention is warranted. 

During the course, professors from the Kaplan Medical Review program visit the UMHS South Portland, ME campus to cover various high yield subjects including Biochemistry, Immunology, Microbiology, Physiology, Pharmacology, Genetics and Pathology. Post lecture Q & A sessions, a self-assessment online exam for each subject, online content consisting of a set of subject-based videos, Kaplan Q bank, and simulated exams are also available. A study break is scheduled at the end of the Kaplan Medical Review program for students to prepare to sit for the 8-hour Kaplan qualifying exam. 

Upon arrival at the Maine Campus, new students participate in an 8-hour Kaplan Comprehensive Basic Sciences exam, which serves as a “diagnostic” exam for a student’s retention of knowledge from the Basic Sciences.  The diagnostic exam helps students understand their strengths and weaknesses and helps them better prepare for Step 1.   Students who score more than 10-points below a passing score on this Diagnostic/Entrance exam will receive weekly academic counseling to ensure they are on-track for a first attempt “pass” on the Qualifying/Exit Exam.

The 8-hour final exam is administered again at the conclusion of the course, serving as both the final exam, as well as the Qualifying exam for the USMLE Step 1.  Students who receive a passing score on the final Exit exam will receive a “Pass” grade for the MICM 1020 course and automatically be qualified by the University to sit for the USMLE Step 1.  In addition to the Kaplan Program students will also have full access to the AMBOSS Program as another resource we provide students.

Clinical rotations (Step 2 preparation)

 Upon passing USMLE Step 1, all students are automatically enrolled in Kaplan online review programs for USMLE Step 2 CK. These programs are ideal for when the student transitions into clinical rotations, and their busy, sometimes unpredictable schedules make a traditional review course impractical. The CK review is also beneficial for students preparing for their Clinical Shelf Examinations as well as the Comprehensive Clinical Science Examination (CCSE). 

Please note that our first-time pass rate on USMLE Step 2 CK is 96% with an average score of 231 (for the period March 2019 to March 2020).

Step 2 CK On-Demand: On-demand Internet access to over 115 hours of online video lectures delivered by Kaplan's expert faculty. This online course includes 24/7 access to Kaplan’s full Step 2 CK video library with a menu that allows you to create a personalized study plan to customize your prep. Includes Kaplan’s new Lecture Notes, and Assessment Tests as well as Ebook lecture notes.

Step 2 CK Qbank:  Over 2,000 exam-like practice questions. Includes 1 diagnostic test, and 2 full-length simulated exams, all written by master faculty and reviewed by high-scorers. Detailed explanations and ReKap summaries, plus expert support from Kaplan’s academic team via email.