CHICAGO – Ecstatic Feinberg student Stephen Johnson cannot wait to “totally nail that question on the Kreb’s Cycle when Step1 rolls around.”  Johnson is of course referring to the “totally kick ass” review of Foundations Exam I offered to students this year, in which every difficult concept presented in class was boiled down to a single letter:  A-E.

“I mean, where was this during lecture? I’m struggling to keep my head above water.  TCA, organelles, cell cycle, birth defects and then BOOM, it all becomes so simple.  Autosomal dominant inheritance = B.  Presenting symptoms of Turner Syndrome = B, C and sometimes A.  Even something difficult like the branching patterns of spinal nerves = A+C to D, then E.  I’m set! No Kaplan needed.”

In lieu of vigorously studying for Step1, Stephen informed Flipside reporters that his “Xbox won’t know what hit it.  His liver, too.”  While the efficacy of this new approach to prepare students for boards is yet to be seen, one thing remains certain:  Educators are continuing to push the envelope of medical training.