STM publisher Elsevier has launched a free MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) designed to help medical students prepare for the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1, the first and most daunting of the three exams medical students must complete to become physicians.
Elsevier launched part one, of what they hope to be a series, of its first USMLE review course based on the popular new product, Crush Step 1: Ultimate USMLE Step 1 Review. This new MOOC is accessible to the more than 40,000 US medical students and thousands outside of the US preparing to take the USMLE Step 1.
Dr. O'Connell co-wrote Crush Step 1 with two resident physicians, Dr. Ryan A. Pedigo and Dr. Thomas E. Blair, and with feedback from a panel of student and faculty advisors. The MOOC pilot presents three topics - pharmacology and toxicology, cardiology and gastroenterology – through lecture videos featuring Dr. O’Connell and the co-authors. Each topic includes 10 USMLE questions, and registrants can interact with the authors via the MOOCs 'Ask the Authors' tab. The MOOC offers advice from the author team on exam strategies and the most effective ways for students to use their study time. Students can also receive a 20 percent discount on the print or Student Consult eBook version of Crush Step 1.
Medical students can schedule the USMLE exam and begin preparation during their second year of medical school, according to Dr. O’Connell. However, the Crush Step 1 MOOC also supports first-year medical students and professionals in related fields like dentistry, allied health, podiatry and nursing, which often require rapid reviews of clinical topics.
Elsevier is seeking feedback on the Crush Step 1 MOOC. Students that complete a survey will receive a free Student Consult eBook of Brochert's Crush Step 2, a product that prepares students for the USMLE Step 2.
