please help, I'm panicking

[notcuttingit]

Okay, I know things like this get posted from time to time and they might get old. Please forgive me.

I'm a long-term poster (probably almost 10 years at this point), haven't posted in a while, registered under a new name to protect my identity.

I came into Step I studying with a goal of 240. Based on a school assessment, it seemed entirely possible.

I've been studying for a bit under 2 weeks and today managed to get the equivalent of a 200 on NBME 7. I feel panicked, and I feel like quitting. I have 3 weeks until my test (3 weeks from yesterday), but if I need to I can postpone it.

Obviously I'm doing something wrong. I've been studying from First Aid, Goljan Rapid Review, and a bit of BRS Physio, and doing UWorld questions. I still have a lot of UWorld I haven't done. I have yet to study renal or reproductive, two areas I did poorly in.

I'm looking for some advice going forward. I need to make this happen, and I intend to, I just have to figure out how.

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[Phlame217]

sounds like you lack the conceptual vs factual understanding needed for the USMLE.

Concentrate on getting concepts! They can ask the same thing only so many ways so if you can get the out of the box understanding you will see a score increase.

 

[notcuttingit]

sounds like you lack the conceptual vs factual understanding needed for the USMLE.

Concentrate on getting concepts! They can ask the same thing only so many ways so if you can get the out of the box understanding you will see a score increase.

Thank you so much for replying.

I actually think I have the opposite problem: I understand the concepts, but lack too many of the facts. The only subject this is not true for is renal, which I definitely need to spend serious time on.

How much in advance can you reschedule the test? I used to know all of these things and somehow now I don't.

(I have a history of being a very good test taker, I did well on the MCAT, I did well in school without as much effort as classmates, and so I guess I haven't been serious enough about this. Which is makes me pretty mad at myself.)

 

[The kitchen sink]

Thank you so much for replying.

I actually think I have the opposite problem: I understand the concepts, but lack too many of the facts. The only subject this is not true for is renal, which I definitely need to spend serious time on.

How much in advance can you reschedule the test? I used to know all of these things and somehow now I don't.

(I have a history of being a very good test taker, I did well on the MCAT, I did well in school without as much effort as classmates, and so I guess I haven't been serious enough about this. Which is makes me pretty mad at myself.)

I think u can reschedule it before your originally scheduled date if its like 30 days prior, otherwise if you do it 5 days before your exam its like $50, but if you go to the website they will give you a more accurate procedure on this

 

[Kaputt]

Thank you so much for replying.

I actually think I have the opposite problem: I understand the concepts, but lack too many of the facts. The only subject this is not true for is renal, which I definitely need to spend serious time on.

How much in advance can you reschedule the test? I used to know all of these things and somehow now I don't.

(I have a history of being a very good test taker, I did well on the MCAT, I did well in school without as much effort as classmates, and so I guess I haven't been serious enough about this. Which is makes me pretty mad at myself.)

Understanding concepts is great, but there are a crap-ton of facts on the practice tests (especially NBMEs) and the real exam. Burn the facts into your mind. FA is a good reference -- if it's in FA, it's fair game. You're in a better position than people who know facts and not concepts, so feel optimistic in that regard. You just need to put in some long days bathing in the facts. Facts, facts, facts.

Finish UWorld in the next 2 weeks. And focus on your weak areas...the worst thing you can do is let them fester while you continue to study your comfortable subjects where you are doing fine.

 

[mdquestion]

Okay, I know things like this get posted from time to time and they might get old. Please forgive me.

I'm a long-term poster (probably almost 10 years at this point), haven't posted in a while, registered under a new name to protect my identity.

I came into Step I studying with a goal of 240. Based on a school assessment, it seemed entirely possible.

I've been studying for a bit under 2 weeks and today managed to get the equivalent of a 200 on NBME 7. I feel panicked, and I feel like quitting. I have 3 weeks until my test (3 weeks from yesterday), but if I need to I can postpone it.

Obviously I'm doing something wrong. I've been studying from First Aid, Goljan Rapid Review, and a bit of BRS Physio, and doing UWorld questions. I still have a lot of UWorld I haven't done. I have yet to study renal or reproductive, two areas I did poorly in.

I'm looking for some advice going forward. I need to make this happen, and I intend to, I just have to figure out how.

Um 2 weeks? That's like nothing. If you went into boards studying not having seen First Aid before, it's going to take a lot longer than 2 weeks to raise your score.

 

[lrkoehle]

How are your scores on UW? Are you struggling there too, or was this completely out of nowhere that you did poorly on the practice NBME?

 

[The kitchen sink]

would you guys say its possible to prepare for the test in 4 weeks?

 

[VisionaryTics]

would you guys say its possible to prepare for the test in 4 weeks?

If you studied your brains off for classes the first two years, yeah, you could probably get a 270 with 4 weeks dedicated prep time.

 

[notcuttingit]

Thanks for all the replies. I appreciate it. I refuse to believe this isn't possible.

I am getting average 67% in UWorld. Lately mostly about 70% but once in a while I randomly throw an 80% in there. By subject, mostly, rather than random.
I have not done my hardest subjects yet. I start them tomorrow.
With a bit more perspective (a day later), there were a lot of renal and other questions that I remembered knowing but couldn't remember. We did renal a long time ago. So I'm feeling more optimistic that after a solid week of studying my worst subjects I can start to bring my score up.

Thanks to everybody for giving me concrete advice.

 

[saalik786]

With a short amount of time left, I'm not sure if Goljan RR is the best source. It's definitely a great book but for last minute studying, it appears that the general consensus is pathoma + goljan lectures. Pathoma is much easier to go through and a lot more quicker as well.

 

[AndyRSC]

Don't be disheartened, notcuttingit. If you were poised to score much higher based on your school assessment, this NBME may very well have been an unfortunate chain of questions that simply sidestepped your knowledge base. Have you taken other NBMEs or self-assessments? Regardless - fluke or not - use this as encouragement to buckle down and study your ass off.

It sounds like you already know what to do. Renal and reproductive have a large representation on the exams (and if you're doing COMLEX, reproductive in particular is a huge portion), so hit them hard in FA and BRS physio, exhaust all the UWorld question on these categories, and watch your scores shoot up. Your UW average and history of being a good test-taker all suggest you'll do well anyway.

Good luck.

 

[thinkenergy]

First take some benzos to calm yourself down LOL.

But on serious note, I would find out my weakest areas from the missed questions on UWorld and NBME's, really hone in on those areas, try to understand the important concepts and big picture instead of just memorizing facts. For the last 2 weeks before exam, I would spend my time as: 70% on questions, 30% on memorizing FA.

Hope this helps.

 

[notcuttingit]

Thanks everybody. All the advice helps. And yes, I was very freaked out yesterday, for a while. But I'm much calmer now

 

[notcuttingit]

I'm bringing this thread from last week back up.

So I took NBME 11 today, thought it was much easier, and got 240/580. That's with 2 weeks left to study, and I haven't reviewed micro or biochem yet.

I have no clue what happened last week. Obviously I didn't improve *that* much in 1 week (although I did think 11 was much, much easier than 7). I can only hope the real thing feels more like this one!

 

[AndyRSC]

Good job, mate. Stick with it and destroy the exam.

 

[The kitchen sink]

If you studied your brains off for classes the first two years, yeah, you could probably get a 270 with 4 weeks dedicated prep time.

Actually, I feel I did exactly the opposite of that for the first 2 years, so I guess I can figure out the rest...

 

[Morsetlis]

Actually, I feel I did exactly the opposite of that for the first 2 years, so I guess I can figure out the rest...

Were you a genius?