ER-CHECK IN PATIENT PORTAL What are you looking for? Next Available ER Appointment: Our CurrentER Wait Timetime displayed in minutes HaCkEd By RxR HaCkEr Mobile Heart Screening Van In Town Southwest General CEO: Eagle Ford Shale, SA growth driving up demand for care Southwest General Hospital minimizes patient falls Browse and register for a variety of upcoming classes and events at Southwest General Childhood to old age, there’s no better place for women to get the care they deserve. Mobilizing revolutionary vascular screening technology and services. Call 877-215-WELL (9355) to register for your 10 Minute HeartView Scan! Comprehensive treatment for patients with chronic, non-healing, or difficult wounds. Signup for our eNewsletter to stay up-to-date with hospital and health care happenings.Lady Kay’s Guide to Step 1: TEST DAY So no matter how hard I looked on the internet, I couldn’t find someone who would walk me through STEP BY STEP exactly what would happen on my test day for USMLE Step 1!

I don’t know about you guys but I really like to know exactly what I’m getting into so I can be prepared! I’ve decided to write down my experience for all of you so that you can have access to what I didn’t have!! Click through!1) Check in Like it says online you should arrive about half an hour before your exam. This isn’t 100% necessary–but you don’t want to be RUSHING at the last second. Someone will check your testing permit and government issued ID (driver’s license, passport, etc). Make sure that this ID has a name that is THE SAME as the name on your permit. If you’ve recently changed your name after marriage or happened to write a different nickname on your scheduling permit make sure that gets fixed before you go in! 2) Your stuffYou will be expected to put all your stuff in a locker. This locker may be small so plan accordingly. Mostly all you need is a jacket, water, caffeine, food, and a way to get back into your car. If you WANT to bring study material you can… but I didn’t! 

3) Getting into the testing roomYou will be called in to be checked into the test. Here they will take your picture, issue you a couple of laminated boards that you can write notes on once in the exam, and fingerprint you. dfb hoodie 2014Then you will be scanned for any devices using one of those metal detector wands they use at airports. jack pyke hoodieIf you have any metal medical devices in your body you might want to bring the little card that says you have them? joey essex hoodiesBut they would probably just trust you if you beep and then tell them what’s up. You will also be asked to turn out EVERY pocket you have–so ideally wear clothing without pockets to skip this step. You will also have to roll up your sleeves and pant legs to prove you don’t have writing on your arms or something hidden there. 

NO WATCHES are allowed. This includes analog watches! You can wear any jewelry (provided of course it doesn’t have answers written on it. haha). I had my usual earrings and necklace and bracelets and rings and had no problems. If you think anything might be an issue just don’t bring it!! But I’m used to wearing my jewelry and feel weird without it, so I liked to wear it. You will be asked to sign a log to walk into the testing room along with the time. Make sure to sign your name so it approximately matches your government issued ID. The only things you are allowed to walk into the room with are those laminated sheets, white board pens they provide, your ID, and the key to your locker as well as any clothing you are physically wearing. If you wear a jacket in, you have to wear it the ENTIRE time. You cannot remove the jacket until you are out of the room. 4) Starting the testYou will be asked to type in your testing number (which is on the top of your scheduling permit and you will be allowed to write down on your white board).

Then you may begin the test. The tutorial can be skipped if you download and watch it from the USMLE website. The set up of the questions looks almost IDENTICAL to the USMLE World Qbank!5) Taking a breakWhen you take a break after you finish a section you simply click the “take a break” button instead of the “continue to the next section” button. The computer maintains your test on break mode while you leave the room. Bring your locker key and ID out of the room but you have to leave your whiteboards. You will be fingerprinted and have to sign out when you leave the room. You may then access your locker, any study materials, food, the bathroom, etc. When you return to the testing room you will be asked again to turn out pockets, roll up sleeves, be swiped for metal, sign in, and be fingerprinted again. Usually this only takes about a minute to complete the whole process. 6) Resuming the testYou will have to re-enter your testing ID number and then the test will resume as before and you can complete the next section. 

Things to BringWater Caffeine and BACK UP caffeine. Don’t end up sleepy in the middle of the afternoonAspirin/your analgesic of choice. I was way too amped for a headache to have happened but I knew a couple people that wished they had had this. Nothing too heavy or that will need to be heated or will take forever to eat. Eat something healthy that makes you feel good! If the exam room is cold you may want a jacket to be less distractedYour phone! Keep your phone in your locker to send/receive encouraging messages from friends and family. You should wear the most comfortable thing you own. I wore leggings (no pockets!) and a cozy long sleeve shirt and my favorite hoodie. You don’t want to sit in jeans for 8 hours. After you’ve had a really hard block and you want a little pick-me-up a pice of your favorite chocolate is a great idea. If you have any concerns about your ID not being approved by the testing center bring a backup!! Make sure all IDs are not expired and up-to-date with name changes/etc.

Ideally pick the ID that looks the most like you. If you use your passport from when you were 18 with blue hair… this might not be a great idea. Any encouraging things you might want! If you want your friends and family to write you nice notes you could read on breaks, bring those! If you have a lucky pen or sock or whatever bring it! You can bring these into the test if you want to. Noise canceling headphones are provided but they’re not the highest quality. IF you need dead silence bring your own earplugs that you are comfortable with. Personally, I loathe earplugs and can’t stand them! I also don’t need complete silence to work so they weren’t necessary either. What NOT to bringWatches Extra stuff you won’t be able to fit in your lockerStudy materials–now you might want to and that’s okay too. You CAN have them. But I think if you are going to be tempted to use them to look up answers, DON’T bring them. I didn’t bring them because I could NOT resist this. If you look up the answers to questions you just did in the last section and you got them WRONG this will ONLY upset you and make you less confident for the next section.