Hey guys,
I just got my scores back.
I was a bit disappointed because I was averaging about 240 on NBMEs.
But I'm not surprised because I realize that my timing strategy really sucked.
I took too long on questions that were tough and didn't give myself enough
time for some easy ones at the end of each block. I was trying to answer everything perfectly. DO NOT DO THAT. Try to fly through it. Don't second guess yourself. You know your stuff so trust yourself. My problem was I didn't trust myself that much. I'm always doubting myself.
What I used:
I didn't use First Aid at all unless I needed to look something up really quickly.
I could not get myself to read it. Too much of a laundry list.
This is what I used.
1. Kaplan Anatomy: Excellent. Dr. W for Neuro is fantastic.
2. Kaplan Pharm with Dr. Raymon is a must. He's so ridiculously good. If you ever get to meet him in person he's awesome. The way he integrates is so much better than Goljan.
3. Kaplan Immuno/Micro: Dr. M is great but the micro videos are lengthy and some portions are irrelevant. However, this was my weakest subject so did everything I could for Micro.
4. Kaplan Behavioral takes 24 hours and is enough for Step 1. Make sure you know biostatistics.
5. Kaplan Biochem. I did Dr. Raymon's from like 10 years ago and I did the 2010 vids as well. I wanted to know biochem inside and out.
6. I didn't do much for physio because I thought I learned it pretty well in school. I have to say though that I went to graduate school for applied mathematics so physio stuff just stuck with me or I could sort work my way through problems.
7. For Path, I did listen to Goljan. But it didn't really help me much nor could I stay focused on it for long periods of time. I really liked Pathoma. Dr. Sattar is excellent.
I would do it right before the exam as well as a last minute fix.
I got through half of USMLE World Qs. I had a subscription to Kaplan Qbank but never got around to doing them.
The key is integration, integration, integration. Also, don't gloss over stuff. For instance, always ask yourself questions: Why why why? Example: everyone knows that you get mediastinal widening with an anthrax infection. What is causing the widening?
Simple things like that. If you're learning vitamins. Make sure besides their functions you're asking yourself which ones are co-factors for bio chem rxns. Or even with trace minerals. Where does selenium fit in? Copper? Zinc? You to jump to the enzymes that use them. Metalloproteinases, oxidases, etc etc.
If you're studying the anti-oxidants? Know how they fit in with acetaminophen. Tx for tylenol poisoning? Should lead you to the different zones in the liver. Where does CYP 450s live? Which ones are inducers/inhibitors? Do you know how they look on a Burke-Lineweaver plot? When you induce gene expression are your increasing Vm or Km?
Where does selenium fit in with the HMP shunt? Speaking of the HMP shunt what's its purpose? Where its link to micro? Where its link to purines & pyrimidines? How does GSH fit in? NADPH? How about cysteine and its relationship with GSH? Cysteine's role in the nitric oxide pathway.
You say copper and you think Wilson's or Menke's? You think of lysyl oxidase which then leads you to collagen and so know every single thing about collagen. Whats happening intracellularly and then after export from the cell? Then be able to jump about wound healing and how collagen is involved. Type III? Type I? etc etc What is keloids made of?
If you're constantly asking questions and being proactive you'll be good.
Sorry if I'm blabbering. Just rambling off the top of my head. I feel like if you can begin to push yourself in this manner it'll be good. I think sometimes in med school things just are not connected well for us. Its tough to make those connections when you're professors don't really point them out. So you're going have to do the work yourself.
You learn things separately and medicine is all integration. So please start early in the way you think about the material.
If you're constantly making a roadmap this exam is not hard. Honestly. Sure there are some tough ones, but the questions are very fair. Do not simply memorize! They want to know WHY? Mechanism...mechanism...mechanism. Start early. There is no easy fix for this exam. There is no substitute for working hard during your basic sciences. Really immerse yourself in the material during those 2 years.
If I could do it all over again I would of been more diligent during my basic sciences and taking this approach instead of figuring it after 2 years.
Good luck everyone.
I just got my scores back.
I was a bit disappointed because I was averaging about 240 on NBMEs.
But I'm not surprised because I realize that my timing strategy really sucked.
I took too long on questions that were tough and didn't give myself enough
time for some easy ones at the end of each block. I was trying to answer everything perfectly. DO NOT DO THAT. Try to fly through it. Don't second guess yourself. You know your stuff so trust yourself. My problem was I didn't trust myself that much. I'm always doubting myself.
What I used:
I didn't use First Aid at all unless I needed to look something up really quickly.
I could not get myself to read it. Too much of a laundry list.
This is what I used.
1. Kaplan Anatomy: Excellent. Dr. W for Neuro is fantastic.
2. Kaplan Pharm with Dr. Raymon is a must. He's so ridiculously good. If you ever get to meet him in person he's awesome. The way he integrates is so much better than Goljan.
3. Kaplan Immuno/Micro: Dr. M is great but the micro videos are lengthy and some portions are irrelevant. However, this was my weakest subject so did everything I could for Micro.
4. Kaplan Behavioral takes 24 hours and is enough for Step 1. Make sure you know biostatistics.
5. Kaplan Biochem. I did Dr. Raymon's from like 10 years ago and I did the 2010 vids as well. I wanted to know biochem inside and out.
6. I didn't do much for physio because I thought I learned it pretty well in school. I have to say though that I went to graduate school for applied mathematics so physio stuff just stuck with me or I could sort work my way through problems.
7. For Path, I did listen to Goljan. But it didn't really help me much nor could I stay focused on it for long periods of time. I really liked Pathoma. Dr. Sattar is excellent.
I would do it right before the exam as well as a last minute fix.
I got through half of USMLE World Qs. I had a subscription to Kaplan Qbank but never got around to doing them.
The key is integration, integration, integration. Also, don't gloss over stuff. For instance, always ask yourself questions: Why why why? Example: everyone knows that you get mediastinal widening with an anthrax infection. What is causing the widening?
Simple things like that. If you're learning vitamins. Make sure besides their functions you're asking yourself which ones are co-factors for bio chem rxns. Or even with trace minerals. Where does selenium fit in? Copper? Zinc? You to jump to the enzymes that use them. Metalloproteinases, oxidases, etc etc.
If you're studying the anti-oxidants? Know how they fit in with acetaminophen. Tx for tylenol poisoning? Should lead you to the different zones in the liver. Where does CYP 450s live? Which ones are inducers/inhibitors? Do you know how they look on a Burke-Lineweaver plot? When you induce gene expression are your increasing Vm or Km?
Where does selenium fit in with the HMP shunt? Speaking of the HMP shunt what's its purpose? Where its link to micro? Where its link to purines & pyrimidines? How does GSH fit in? NADPH? How about cysteine and its relationship with GSH? Cysteine's role in the nitric oxide pathway.
You say copper and you think Wilson's or Menke's? You think of lysyl oxidase which then leads you to collagen and so know every single thing about collagen. Whats happening intracellularly and then after export from the cell? Then be able to jump about wound healing and how collagen is involved. Type III? Type I? etc etc What is keloids made of?
If you're constantly asking questions and being proactive you'll be good.
Sorry if I'm blabbering. Just rambling off the top of my head. I feel like if you can begin to push yourself in this manner it'll be good. I think sometimes in med school things just are not connected well for us. Its tough to make those connections when you're professors don't really point them out. So you're going have to do the work yourself.
You learn things separately and medicine is all integration. So please start early in the way you think about the material.
If you're constantly making a roadmap this exam is not hard. Honestly. Sure there are some tough ones, but the questions are very fair. Do not simply memorize! They want to know WHY? Mechanism...mechanism...mechanism. Start early. There is no easy fix for this exam. There is no substitute for working hard during your basic sciences. Really immerse yourself in the material during those 2 years.
If I could do it all over again I would of been more diligent during my basic sciences and taking this approach instead of figuring it after 2 years.
Good luck everyone.
