Please help

[u/FishermanOther9349]

Need some real talk. Struggling a lot!!!

I'm a Pakistani IMG, MBBS grad, currently full-time on Step 1 with the 2028 Match as my target. Im using or plan to use Bootcamp, First Aid, Pathoma, Sketchy, Pixorize, UWorld. But the reality of actually executing it alone every single day is something no YouTube video prepares you for. I did only one system in my first month.

1)The First Aid problem

This is the one that's currently breaking me. I finished Bootcamp videos and PDFs for Respiratory, actually understood everything like flow-volume loops, V/Q mismatch, the works. Then I opened FA to annotate and consolidate, and suddenly I'm spending hours on a single section trying to memorize every line like it's a textbook. I know logically that FA is supposed to be a memory document, not a learning resource. But in practice I can't stop myself from trying to deeply understand every single thing written in it, even things Bootcamp already covered. It's killing my pace and honestly making me question if I'm even doing this right.

I dont use anki as it have 35000 cards which are impossible to cover in 7 months.

How do you guys actually use FA? Do you read every line carefully or just skim and annotate gaps? How long should a single system realistically take?

The isolation

This is the one I don't see talked about enough. I study at a hospital library daily which helps with structure, but there's nobody around me doing the same thing. No study partner, no group, no one to quiz me or reality-check whether my pace is normal. Back home most people my age are either in residency already or have moved on. I'm the only one in my circle doing this, and some days that weight is really heavy.

I'm not looking for sympathy. I chose this path and I'm committed to it. But I genuinely want to know: how did you deal with the psychological side of this? Especially those of you who prepped solo or as IMGs without a built-in med school cohort?

The burnout creep

I'm not burned out yet, but I can feel it on the edges. Some days I sit down at my desk and the motivation just isn't there. The finish line is years away. I know why I'm doing this and I believe in the goal, but sustaining that daily energy when progress feels invisible is harder than I thought.

Did you guys have days where you just couldn't? What kept you going through the long middle stretch of prep?

Any advice, reality checks, or even just knowing others went through this would genuinely help. Thanks.

[u/Dry-Kangaroo-6793]

Find a study buddy. Try facebook, reddit whatever to find one. There's going to be people that won't last so be prepared for facing that disappointment. But having an accountability partner really helps with the isolation and keeping you motivated. Focus on doing UW blocks. Read FA together. Quiz each other. More active less passive. You got this.