Official 2011 USMLE Step 1 Experiences and Scores Thread

[ProtossCarrier]

Hello everyone. I am a second year who will write the exam in June 2011. Meanwhile let this be a good thread where everyone share their study progress and recent trend of the exam.

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[Tig2575]

yeah dude but just think... if the SEM is 6 (which is pretty large), then your 95% CI on a retest (z-score 1.96) is basically +/- 12... so as a "for instance" a person who is really at a "258 level" knowledge-wise could have scored anywhere from 246-270 at the p=0.05 level. Maybe that's what happened to you and you landed at 270. Maybe I had the same ability and I landed at 252. It's impossible to say, really.

So there's a <5% chance you actually should have gotten a 264, and a <5% chance that I actually should have gotten a 258. I don't think that lends much credence to your original claim that 'the major thing separating people who score 250 from those who score 270 is luck' =\

edit: I should also point out that when considering SEM, the given data point is placed at the center of the CI curve, not at one of the cutoffs (as per your example)

 

[eeeeeek]

So there's a <5% chance you actually should have gotten a 264, and a <5% chance that I actually should have gotten a 258. I don't think that lends much credence to your original claim that 'the major thing separating people who score 250 from those who score 270 is luck' =\

edit: I should also point out that when considering SEM, the given data point is placed at the center of the CI curve, not at one of the cutoffs (as per your example)

WashMe never said that...

Natural talent? What are you...I don't even...

If you ask me, anything past 250, the biggest factor is what form you got. In other words, luck.

WashMe did say this, I bolded the important part

I'd say that once you hit 250+, then +/- 5-10 points is luck. There is a real difference between a 250 and a 270 though IMO... and tig makes sure we all know it lol

 

[WashMe]

So there's a <5% chance you actually should have gotten a 264, and a <5% chance that I actually should have gotten a 258. I don't think that lends much credence to your original claim that 'the major thing separating people who score 250 from those who score 270 is luck' =\

edit: I should also point out that when considering SEM, the given data point is placed at the center of the CI curve, not at one of the cutoffs (as per your example)

Going back to my original post, I said that 5-10 points is luck while 20pts is likely to be a real difference. I wasn't trying to imply that I should have scored higher that you. What I AM saying is that there is a pretty good chance you could have scored, say, 264, and I (or someone else with a 252) could have scored, maybe, a 258. At that point, I don't think the difference matters much.

I think a part of the issue is that we assume the SEM applies to our individual scores, but it really applies to the average test-taker on a re-take. This is, of course, because you can't make just one measurement (e.g. "Tig's score") and somehow magically get an SEM out of it... In the real world, you prob scored at the top of the range of your possible scores -- not in the middle-- and you would regress toward the mean if you took the test again.

 

[eeeeeek]

So there's a <5% chance you actually should have gotten a 264, and a <5% chance that I actually should have gotten a 258. I don't think that lends much credence to your original claim that 'the major thing separating people who score 250 from those who score 270 is luck' =\

edit: I should also point out that when considering SEM, the given data point is placed at the center of the CI curve, not at one of the cutoffs (as per your example)

Just want to say that it's actually < 2.5% chance but that's besides the pt

this is one attempt like WashMe said, the better assessment is to have us take the test 2-3 times or give us a test that is 1000 questions, the room for error would be even less and no one can really complain about the question variety.

you got an awesome score so props on that, no one is 'downplaying' your score just saying that luck ALWAYS plays a factor hence there are statistics involved

 

[Tig2575]

In the real world, you prob scored at the top of the range of your possible scores -- not in the middle-- and you would regress toward the mean if you took the test again.

I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but the area under the right side of the curve is equal to the area under the left. The SEM has no skew - we're all as likely to have scored "at the top range" as "at the bottom range." Statements like the one I bolded above are the kind of inaccurate things that make you sound (to me) like you're forming your beliefs more out of emotion than logic.

Just want to say that it's actually < 2.5% chance but that's besides the pt

Agh, great catch. My mistake

edit: @eeeeeek: I understand what you're saying. I'm well aware that luck definitely plays a part in it, and that's definitely an important aspect to people scoring way beyond what they expected or way less than what they expected. I'm really just commenting at this point based on the faulty math WashMe is employing (such as failing to recognize that the midline of the confidence interval is the actual data point you have available). By statistical definition, I (and you, and him, and everyone else who've only taken the test once), am equally as likely to have been above my "true" score as below it, despite his claims to the contrary).

 

[WashMe]

I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but the area under the right side of the curve is equal to the area under the left. The SEM has no skew - we're all as likely to have scored "at the top range" as "at the bottom range." Statements like the one I bolded above are the kind of inaccurate things that make you sound (to me) like you're forming your beliefs more out of emotion than logic.

I disagree. Look up "regression toward the mean". You got a 270 with a SEM of 6; do you think if you took the test 10 more times your average score is likely to be higher than 270? I'd argue that it's almost certain to be lower, and that your score on the real deal was essentially your maximum potential. If you really think you could average 270+ on 10 exams, you're smoking crack.

 

[WashMe]

I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but the area under the right side of the curve is equal to the area under the left. The SEM has no skew - we're all as likely to have scored "at the top range" as "at the bottom range." Statements like the one I bolded above are the kind of inaccurate things that make you sound (to me) like you're forming your beliefs more out of emotion than logic.




Agh, great catch. My mistake

edit: @eeeeeek: I understand what you're saying. I'm well aware that luck definitely plays a part in it, and that's definitely an important aspect to people scoring way beyond what they expected or way less than what they expected. I'm really just commenting at this point based on the faulty math WashMe is employing (such as failing to recognize that the midline of the confidence interval is the actual data point you have available). By statistical definition, I (and you, and him, and everyone else who've only taken the test once), am equally as likely to have been above my "true" score as below it, despite his claims to the contrary).

I disagree. Look up "regression toward the mean". You got a 270 with a SEM of 6; do you think if you took the test 10 more times your average score is likely to be higher than 270? I'd argue that it's almost certain to be lower, and that your score on the real deal was essentially your maximum potential. If you really think you could average 270+ on 10 exams, you're smoking crack.

Also... Because the SEM doesn't apply to YOU in particular, it's likely that you scored at the top of your range and will regress downward. It's likely that a guy with a 190 scored at the bottom of his range, and the people in the 220-230 range probably scored near the middle, thus creating an overall situation where we can say the SEM is "uniform" (even though it doesn't necessarily apply to all individual measurements). As an aside, the SEM --like the SD-- is probably an inappropriate statistical concept to apply to non-Gaussian distributions with negative skew and a ceiling effect; this, in part, explains why my argument makes sense.

 

[Tig2575]

Evidently emotion continues to trump logic. I don't really know how else to respond, as your 'argument' gets more and more convoluted as time goes on.

 

[WashMe]

Evidently emotion continues to trump logic. I don't really know how else to respond, as your 'argument' gets more and more convoluted as time goes on.

If I explain it 5 different ways and you aren't getting it, then maybe I can't help you... Look at it with fresh eyes in a couple days and you'll figure it out. It's like when someone gets a 42 on the MCAT and someone tells them they reasonably could have gotten a 38 on a different day-- they get all offended and deny it. The odds are that a person with a 42 would score a 38 on a retake rather than a 46! At ceiling-level scores, you are more likely to go down, bottom line, and the bell-curve idea doesn't apply. I don't think you could score 270 again, but congratulations for hitting it once. It was a mixture of preparation, talent, and a large dose of luck. This isn't about my score vs. yours; it's about your score, which is at the upper limit of your ability range.

 

[Tig2575]

 

[hrandani]

I must be wrong then, while I've read the NBME urban legends page, for some reason I believed that:

A) If you score very high, each question counts for more points on your final score due to the bell curve, similar to the MCAT. At the far end of the scale, one question means the difference between a 270 and a 273. Whereas it can take 3-4 questions to move from a 189 to a 188.

B) Receiving a test form that was rated difficult can scale your score higher if you get a high percentage correct, whereas an easier form, the same high percentage could still end up with a lower score.

 

[Tig2575]

I must be wrong then, while I've read the NBME urban legends page, for some reason I believed that:

A) If you score very high, each question counts for more points on your final score due to the bell curve, similar to the MCAT. At the far end of the scale, one question means the difference between a 270 and a 273. Whereas it can take 3-4 questions to move from a 189 to a 188.

B) Receiving a test form that was rated difficult can scale your score higher if you get a high percentage correct, whereas an easier form, the same high percentage could still end up with a lower score.

According to the NBME, (B) is correct. I used to believe (A), too, but it hasn't been true since they stopped scoring based on a percentile system in 1999. Now, the statistical analysis of the question set is used to grade each student's performance individually, and only after enough students have been graded does the NBME calculate the distribution.

The key distinction is that in the current system, you're graded and them the grade is used to determine the natural distribution. In the old system, an artificial distribution was pre-set, and you were graded based on where you fell along that distribution.

 

[srm16]

At ceiling-level scores, you are more likely to go down, bottom line, and the bell-curve idea doesn't apply. I don't think you could score 270 again, but congratulations for hitting it once. It was a mixture of preparation, talent, and a large dose of luck. This isn't about my score vs. yours; it's about your score, which is at the upper limit of your ability range.

I definitely think luck plays a role in your score, but I think its unlikely to have a variation between 250 and 270 between two tests. My last 4 NBMEs, over a month's time, were all in a 9-point range, w/ a consistently upward trend as I continued to study. Shouldn't I have seen more variability if luck really played such a large role?

 

[HouseTroyhybrid]

From what I have seen, UWSA only tends to habitually overpredict with people who score 265/800 on it

I scored a 265 on UWSA and a 256 or something on USWA, and mid 250's on NBME 6 and 12.

I actually got a 265.

 

[PinguPinktu]

I scored a 265 on UWSA and a 256 or something on USWA, and mid 250's on NBME 6 and 12.

I actually got a 265.

it appears that on SDN the mean is like a high 240+ or 250!!! Awesome score! congratz! It makes me feel so puny hahaha

 

[futuredoctor10]

I noticed a lot of summer 2011 posts indicating when reviewing UW to review all the explanations fully and carefully. Did you all get questions on other content/material within the UQ questions (for instance, explanations in wrong answer choices)?

I really like the "EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVE" because it is concise and usually includes enough information to understand the concept/question. For ones I miss, especially not in FA, I annotate the objective into FA. (I still read the full explanations but just curious whether I should be paying more attention beyond content of the question itself)

 

[docman85]

My status just changed today, and I took my exam on July 26, does that mean I will probably be getting my score today?

 

[Victorinox]

My status just changed today, and I took my exam on July 26, does that mean I will probably be getting my score today?

Did you get your score ?

 

[docman85]

I did, it was a bit lower than I expected but what I said i would be happy with if I made. 220/94, which was 18 pts. lower than UWSA 2 that I took 4 days before my exam. Not going to lose any sleep over this score, but I hope that it helps as I am a DO and only took it to benefit me.

 

[Victorinox]

I did, it was a bit lower than I expected but what I said i would be happy with if I made. 220/94, which was 18 pts. lower than UWSA 2 that I took 4 days before my exam. Not going to lose any sleep over this score, but I hope that it helps as I am a DO and only took it to benefit me.

Well done.
What were your study materials ? Did you do DIT, by any chance ?

 

[docman85]

I used DIT, UWorld, COMBANK, and read FA multiple times (not sure how many exactly but it was more than 3). I did all of UW and COMBANK, and actually felt like COMBANK helped with both exams because it kept me from overthinking things.

UWSA 1 - 198 (1 week after DIT)
NBME 11 - 205 (4 weeks before)
UWSA 2 - 238 (4 days before)
Uworld = 54%

 

[Torquer]

it is not even funny how bad at math i am when the entire up-scaling, down-scaling, luck-factoring, angel-dust-induced-NBME-scoring has been assessed, i hope someone can post a non-numeric conclusion bout all this

 

[indsha008]

Hi guys. Taking the beast on 24th. Sadly, I did random 10 questions of biochem from Kaplan qbook and got 6 wrong . Wish me luck !! Will post experience for sure.

 

[Chirurg]

Hi guys. Taking the beast on 24th. Sadly, I did random 10 questions of biochem from Kaplan qbook and got 6 wrong . Wish me luck !! Will post experience for sure.

you will be just fine...haven't taken the steps yet but I know that qbook is pretty hard.

 

[islandCrazy]

Have you done any other questions other than Kaplan Qbook?

 

[indsha008]

Lol !! Obviously ! Uworld (random timed with 68% cumul) and 50% usmlerx (don't remember cumul). It's just that I am nervous. And on top of that I suck at Biochem.

 

[islandCrazy]

Lol !! Obviously ! Uworld (random timed with 67% cumul) and 50% usmlerx (don't remember cumul). It's just that I am nervous. And on top of that I suck at Biochem.

Goodluck.

 

[indsha008]

Taming the beast in 2 hrs from now!!

 

[mrcmedman]

228/98

I'm really happy and grateful with this score! I was kind of unsure after the exam because I thought that it was quite a bit more difficult than UWorld or the two NBME's that I wrote. And my exam had so many anatomy quesstions - something that I was totally unprepared for. The question stems were so long too. My thoughts kind of ranged from doing really poorly to doing ok.

My score on NBME 7 a few days before the exam was 221 and on NBME 6 (6 weeks before the exam) was 210. But I didn't totally do those practices tests in real test mode, so I didn't think they were real accurate predictors for me.

Btw, I wrote my exam on August 4th.

 

[indsha008]

Just came home after step 1. It was definitely easier than NBME 11/12. I will post the details later today.

 

[septoplasty]

Just came home after step 1. It was definitely easier than NBME 11/12. I will post the details later today.

Wicked! Hope it went well! Mines in about 5 days, looking foward to tips.

 

[NdFrSpd]

school assessment "comp" : 195 (hahah)
nbme 6: 210 (450)
nbme 11: 224 (510)
(lot of studying here in the middle)
uwsa 1: 257
uwsa 2: 251
nbme 12: 224 (510) <---- don't know what the heck happened
Free 150: 90% (day before)

UWorld qbank: 71% (1st run) last 20 blocks average to about 75%
Kaplan qbank: (about 1/2 done): 73% with score quickly trending upward.

realistic goal: 240+
secret goal: 255+

Real thing: 258/99!!!

So as you can see the best predictor was uwsa 1. Don't get fooled by the ridiculously hard curves on the practice nbme exams. I used them as a guide for what concepts to particularly focus on as they get repeated often in one form or another and tried to also use them to get an idea of style of questions to expect. This exam is as much knowledge as it is test taking ability. Do all you can to not just focus on your knowledge, but also on assessing what types of questions you are missing and why (lack of knowledge? misunderstanding the point? over-thinking? under-thinking? etc.

bottom line: nbmes were horrible predictors for me!!!

 

[Ty Webb]

school assessment "comp" : 195 (hahah)
nbme 6: 210 (450)
nbme 11: 224 (510)
(lot of studying here in the middle)
uwsa 1: 257
uwsa 2: 251
nbme 12: 224 (510) <---- don't know what the heck happened
Free 150: 90% (day before)

UWorld qbank: 71% (1st run) last 20 blocks average to about 75%
Kaplan qbank: (about 1/2 done): 73% with score quickly trending upward.

realistic goal: 240+
secret goal: 255+

Real thing: 258/99!!!

So as you can see the best predictor was uwsa 1. Don't get fooled by the ridiculously hard curves on the practice nbme exams. I used them as a guide for what concepts to particularly focus on as they get repeated often in one form or another and tried to also use them to get an idea of style of questions to expect. This exam is as much knowledge as it is test taking ability. Do all you can to not just focus on your knowledge, but also on assessing what types of questions you are missing and why (lack of knowledge? misunderstanding the point? over-thinking? under-thinking? etc.

bottom line: nbmes were horrible predictors for me!!!

great job man, congrats!

i've been trying to use the nbmes for the same purpose you have, i.e. get familiar with all the concepts that the nbme likes to test and the ways they like to test them. did you find this helpful for the real deal with all the changes they made to the test format recently?

 

[indsha008]

Gave step 1 today. Heres my prep and experience--

Disclaimer: I am a slow reader so dont get bogged down by my months of prep.

Prep:
Started almost 10 months back, very slowly and peacefully. Read (along with videos, except anatomy) Kaplan Lecture Notes, Goljan RR annotated with Goljan audio. Took around 6 months to complete ( !!!! ). Read Goljan RR yet again. Thereafter, took USMLERx, thinking that it would be a good way to get through FA, since I am not a person who can "extract" minute details in FA. It did help for like first 200-300 questions, then eventually I realized that its one of the worse banks out there. Put in one sentence- it no way resembles, from any angle, to the real test.

Eventually, signed up for mother of all- UW. Its amazing ! Trust me guys, UW is the best prep tool you will ever come across. I was working while doing UW and so could do like 1 random timed block and its review would take around 4-5 hrs. I made notes (by using notes function of UW) and at the end of 2 months I had like 130 pages of notes. The good thing about making notes is that you will have to summarize the concept explained in that particular question bcoz UW allows only 5 lines worth characters for writing notes per question. So it gave me immense clarity of the given concept. Ended up with 68% cumulative score (74th percentile??).

After finishing UW, did DIT for 1 month. It was again a good decision to do so, because it forced me to concentrate on stupid minute details in FA (which were actually on my test !!). DIT is really very strong in pharmac, neuro, micro and immuno. It sucked at embryo, anat, renal and respi. Others were in the middle. The way he teaches is not the best method,but surely a type of "cheatsheet" type of prep, I would say. I religiously did DIT and by the end, I knew what every corner of FA had to offer me.

UWSA1 - 240.
UWSA2 - 250.
DIT predictive test (not a good test in my opinion.. just 2 blocks and in worse format possible) - 238.
NBME 12 - 226 (10 days out) - toughest exam I have taken till date.. very long stems and tough !!
NBME 11 - 235 (9 days out).

After these 2 NBMEs I thought I was screwed. I had done everything possible. But decided to stick with what I had planned and just get this over with!

Most important part: Revised FA in last 4 days (very big achievement for a person like me). But this proved to be golden. My confidence level was quite high during the test since I had it in my recent memory. In my opinion, recent memory information helps you to eliminate that last distractor which nag many people.

On the day before exam, practically fooled around. Didnt study much because I had burnt out and thought it was enough. Still managed to just skim through notes of UW (only half).

REAL DEAL:

Got like 6 hours of sleep. Had horrible time getting to sleep. Was so restless and anxious. But guys, please take enough rest. Cant stress enough the importance for proper sleep.

Took pee and snack break after every block for about 8-9 mins.

Pathology: Had some weird histopath images from almost every organ system scattered throughout my test. But general pathology is also very high yield.

Micro: Though I am not sure, I think I had quite lot of micro . FA was enough in micro for sure.

Immuno: Had lots of questions. Some were repeatedly around the same concept. But had some stuff which were not in FA, but which were covered by Kaplan/UW. I would recommend additional resource for immuno, since it has been rewarded a new stand-alone section in USMLE curriculum, which actually reflected on my test.

Biochem: Had many questions. Most of them straight forward. FA is a good "larger picture" source. I would definitely read Kaplan biochem. Its really good.

Behavioral Science: I got below borderline scores in this sucker in NBMEs. Tried hard to fill in gaps in response questions (lots of them on my test). But overall, I would still rate BS as tough on my test. FA was enough because no book can prepare you for BS. You have to have a different kind of feel to answer such questions. UW is strikingly poor in BS.

Anat: Had decent amount of questions (certainly more than I had anticipated). Its very obvious that anat is getting respected by test makers more and more. Obscure pelvic anatomy. I had read people saying that they were heavily tested on pelvic anatomy. I ignored it and faced the music. Not even Kaplan was enough for anatomy. So I dunno what you can do to get anat right. Maybe skim through RR Anat if you have time.

Pharmac: Easy were very easy and tough were damn tough. All kinds of researchers doing all kindsa stuff ! I would say FA was enough here too. Tough remains tough, no matter what you read. The "weird" questions were generally longer than others, but if you really read into it, many of them had pretty simple concept behind it. Dont freak out by such questions. Take a deep breath and read the question patiently.

Embryo: Had like 3-4 questions of embryo. Straight forward. FA enough.

Resp: Dont remember much but probably, FA was enough.

Hemat/Onc: Had decent amount of questions. Goljan helped me nail this section with full confidence.

Neurology: Had lots of questions on Neuro. I hate neuro. So really tried to know every corner of neuro in FA. But FA didnt seem to be enough. Had lots of figures with labels telling me to point out all kinds of stuff. I would suggest to supplement Neuro (if you have decent amount of time) with some good graphical book or atlas and get your anat and physio part of neuro very straight.

Physiology + Endocrine: According to me, endocrine is all physio. Lots and lots and lots of up and down arrows. Some had like 6-8 arrows going in every direction. Its frustrating because even if you know the answer its difficult to chose that particular option bcoz of that small stupid arrows make you feel dizzy ! Fundamental concepts need to be very clear to answer the arrow questions. So instead of memorizing the arrow tables in various books, understand why. Because they can add 4 different parameters to that same concept. I would say FA was not enough in this. Goljan RR was really helpful.

Renal: Had some tough questions, but I think I figured out most of them. FA seems to be pretty enough for most, but not all questions.

Overall: MOST of the questions were NOT very long. I had many one-liners. Ones which were long were, on the contrary, easier. In comparison to NBME 12, every question was easier. NBME 12 is crazy ! NBMEs gave a decent idea to me what real test would test me with. It was quite accurate regarding "what real test would look like". Interface is no ways similar to the real deal.

Final words: FA, FA and FA (except mentioned above otherwise). I was glad to know that FA is still sufficient for step 1. UW rocks- interface is pixel by pixel same, almost all "concepts" are covered by UW. A great resource, start early in prep, use it ONLY as a learning resource. I loved DIT, but I am sure its a personal choice and all may not concur. Take rest day before. As someone already mentioned, step 1 is a test of knowledge and test-taking abilities. Try to get both areas at your peak before giving the test.

Let me know if you need further help. This forum has been my best friend during these days and it feels good to pay back.

I have one question: Since I gave my test today (Wednesday), can I expect my score on 7th Sept or will it be 14th Sept?

Tired, sorry for any typos. Chao.

 

[NdFrSpd]

great job man, congrats!

i've been trying to use the nbmes for the same purpose you have, i.e. get familiar with all the concepts that the nbme likes to test and the ways they like to test them. did you find this helpful for the real deal with all the changes they made to the test format recently?

well my answer may differ form others' cause of the differences from exam to exam. But from my experience, although there have been changes in the exam, the concepts tested are still similar. You may see the questions in a more twisted or peculiar fashion but the concepts are nonetheless the same. Overall the nbmes were simply a tool that helped me improve my score slightly. I also think having gone through all of kaplan and uworld really helped me adapt to different kind of question styles. And that too at the same time, if done one after the other, the adaptation will be more towards the more recently completed qbank. It seems ridiculous but i think this REALLY helped me. gluck!

 

[neulite30]

Gave step 1 today. Heres my prep and experience--

Thanks for the post, quite detailed. I'm sure you did well.

I'd like to point out that there seems to be this common mistake for FMGs to say "gave" step 1 rather than "took". You are not giving the exam, unless you are in fact the NBME or ECFMG and you are now posting on your experiences with your examinees. I imagine this arises from another way of saying it: "gave step 1 a try today" or "gave step 1 a go today".

Sorry to be a bother, must be a pet peeve.

 

[indsha008]

Thanks for the post, quite detailed. I'm sure you did well.

I'd like to point out that there seems to be this common mistake for FMGs to say "gave" step 1 rather than "took". You are not giving the exam, unless you are in fact the NBME or ECFMG and you are now posting on your experiences with your examinees. I imagine this arises from another way of saying it: "gave step 1 a try today" or "gave step 1 a go today".

Sorry to be a bother, must be a pet peeve.

I dont deny that "took" is a better way to write, but having said that, "gave" does not suggest what you wrote and its not wrong either.

--Discussion ends here --.
Better things to discuss.

 

[DrVanNostran]

My brother in law tool step 1 today. When do you think he will get his score?

 

[indsha008]

My brother in law tool step 1 today. When do you think he will get his score?

Most prob it would be 14th September.

 

[hrandani]

Thanks for the post, quite detailed. I'm sure you did well.

I'd like to point out that there seems to be this common mistake for FMGs to say "gave" step 1 rather than "took". You are not giving the exam, unless you are in fact the NBME or ECFMG and you are now posting on your experiences with your examinees. I imagine this arises from another way of saying it: "gave step 1 a try today" or "gave step 1 a go today".

Sorry to be a bother, must be a pet peeve.

How can you possibly have made it this far in life without hearing british english used before, yet have the arrogance to correct what you perceive to be their mistake borne of ignorance? It's mindblowing.

I hope you someday find yourself in the United Kingdom or one of their many former colonies so somebody can imperiously correct your atrocious butchering of their language and/or mocks your stupid accent.

 

[indsha008]

How can you possibly have made it this far in life without hearing british english used before, yet have the arrogance to correct what you perceive to be their mistake borne of ignorance? It's mindblowing.

I hope you someday find yourself in the United Kingdom or one of their many former colonies so somebody can imperiously correct your atrocious butchering of their language and/or mocks your stupid accent.

Thanks for backing me up. As rightly said, Never argue with a fool - they will drag you down to their level, then beat you with experience.

On a lighter note, lets keep this thread as neat as possible and let it serve its purpose.

 

[JelloBrain]

How can you possibly have made it this far in life without hearing british english used before, yet have the arrogance to correct what you perceive to be their mistake borne of ignorance? It's mindblowing.

I hope you someday find yourself in the United Kingdom or one of their many former colonies so somebody can imperiously correct your atrocious butchering of their language and/or mocks your stupid accent.

Actually you are wrong. Usage of the word "give" for exams is a very Indian sub-continent thing. UK and USA both use "take" for exams. I am Indian, raised in India, but spent a good part of my life in UK too, where I learnt of this difference in usage, and have seen the same pattern in USA.

Regardless, I think we should let this thread be for what it was created for-people to share their USMLE experiences.

 

[hrandani]

You're perfectly free to conclude I'm wrong. In New Zealand, Scotland, and Canada I have heard give an exam, sit an exam, and write a exam. NZ even uses the word paper to denote the final exam that gives credit for a college course. On the other hand where I grew up in the southern united states, nobody ever even used the word exam unless it was in a context of a patient's medical examination. We took tests.

Anyways, if you really want to argue that english from the subcontinent has no relationship with british english... well, here's to you, champ. Best of luck.

 

[Torquer]

Jeez guys whatever happened to "--Discussion ends here--."?

I mean, seriously?

Indsha008 looking forward to your score, i bet you kicked butt! I take the beast Oct 5th - second read of FA finishes in 4 days and then i hit UW running.

 

[indsha008]

Jeez guys whatever happened to "--Discussion ends here--."?

I mean, seriously?

Indsha008 looking forward to your score, i bet you kicked butt! I take the beast Oct 5th - second read of FA finishes in 4 days and then i hit UW running.

Thanks !! Best of luck to you for your prep ...

 

[Domerr]

Just took mine today. It was definitely harder than any NBME. I was marking at least 15-20+ per block, and pretty much had no time to go over the questions. The last NBME I took was over 2 weeks ago (226), so I have no idea how I did in the real thing. At this point, I'm just hoping to score above 220...

Oh, and are there specific release dates for USMLE exams? It seems like most people know when their score will be released.

 

[indsha008]

Just took mine today. It was definitely harder than any NBME. I was marking at least 15-20+ per block, and pretty much had no time to go over the questions. The last NBME I took was over 2 weeks ago (226), so I have no idea how I did in the real thing. At this point, I'm just hoping to score above 220...

Oh, and are there specific release dates for USMLE exams? It seems like most people know when their score will be released.

Approximately, it's released on 3rd Wednesday of your exam.

 

[Nellyakgo]

How can you possibly have made it this far in life without hearing british english used before, yet have the arrogance to correct what you perceive to be their mistake borne of ignorance? It's mindblowing.

I hope you someday find yourself in the United Kingdom or one of their many former colonies so somebody can imperiously correct your atrocious butchering of their language and/or mocks your stupid accent.

This was rude!
Neulite may have been "wrong" in what he claimed, but I don't think he was attacking, he was polite in how he put it. S/He even said "must be my pet peeve".
I thought we're here to educate & help each other.
I know this is off topic but I couldn't help myself so this is all I'll write on this.

 

[Vanquish]

So guys, I gave the beast on aug 10, just got result today...had been preparing for a while. Did all kaplan books except patho, hy behav, hy acid base, hy embryo, hy neuro (only some chapters). UW first pass on random unused was 76%, uwsa1 238, nbme 7 247, nbme 11 231, nbme 12 252, uwsa 2 260.
The real deal : 244 - 99

Lets just say being on SDN for a long time and seeing eye popping results has made me almost embarassed to share this score. I got worn out on the last block and felt quite fatigued. Im not saying its a terrible score, but by SDN standards it seems to be kind of a mediocre score...right? What do you guys think...maybe im just being ungrateful? Anyways at least the pain of not knowing is over. Will this be enough for a univ program residency in IM or neuro???

 

[neulite30]

This was rude!
Neulite may have been "wrong" in what he claimed, but I don't think he was attacking, he was polite in how he put it.

I'm not wrong, but thanks for the support. That was one hell of a defense mechanism.