I Just Took Step 1. Qbank Seems to be definitely the Way to Go.

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Solace

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Well, I just finished tackling the beast. I don't feel bad about but neither do I feel good about it. The only thing I do feel good about is finishing Qbank.


When I began the test, I felt so nervous that I was actually shaking. This surprised me because I felt so good about taking it up until the time I clicked the start button to begin the exam. This feelings began to largely subside after about the first couple of blocks of questions. This is when I began to see a lot of questions that was remarkably similiar to questions I had seen on Qbank, especially Behavioral Science.

I can honestly say that just about all of my behavioral science questions, and there were a lot, was a small variation of the the ones on Qbank. Some were exactly the same with just a few extra irrelevant words thrown in. There was even a repeat question that I had seen on the USMLE released items (Or was it the NBME self-assessment exam...can't remember which). Anyway, I was able to blow through many of the questions just because they were so familiar through my Qbank experience.

My test was heavy on Biochem and Path and first aid was by no way sufficient for either subject. They came heavy with the path but a lot of it was familiar through my qbank experiences but I didn't study Biochem outside of qbank and I believe I paid for it.

Most of the Pharm stuff was was right out of FA. There were only two questions dealing with drugs on the exam that I was not mentioned in First Aid or Qbank. Between these two sources, there were not any other drugs that had me asking "what in the hell is that drug?" Anyway, FA seem to have been sufficient for the Pharm.


They were skimpy on the micro and I had spent so much time reviewing that stuff. :( The matarial they covered was adequately represented in FA.

FA was not good enough for the Physio. This is why I am glad I spent so much time with that thick Kaplan Physio book.

I wish I could tell how much time I have actually spent studying for this test but between starting up and stopping due to personal issues that figure is kind of distorted.

Well, I guess I am finally free until I get my scores back. If it wasn't for those first two blocks, I would be a lot more pumped right about now.

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Hope everything works out!

You gotta love repeat questions. Between the Path, Micro, Pharm, Behavioral, and IPD subject exams, and the nbme assessment exams, I'm hoping to see a decent number of repeats or similar questions on my step. :p
 
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jkin said:
Where do you get all of those exams?

The NMBE self-assessment exam can be found at the NBME web site, I believe. The USMLE released items can be found at USMLE.org.
 
Hi Solace

congrats and sit back and relax now.

What do you wish you had done for biochem?
Did you do the BSS questions at all?
 
Quick question for those who have taken it: does the camera a foot in front of your face not make you a little nervous? Seems like it would be a little intrusive.
 
kedhegard said:
Quick question for those who have taken it: does the camera a foot in front of your face not make you a little nervous? Seems like it would be a little intrusive.

wth are you talking about? do they videotape you while you're taking the exam?
 
Yeah. Little camera right on top of the monitor, staring you in the face. Last year, it quit working, and a girl from my school had to come back the next week after it had been serviced. Total chaos.
 
kedhegard said:
Yeah. Little camera right on top of the monitor, staring you in the face. Last year, it quit working, and a girl from my school had to come back the next week after it had been serviced. Total chaos.

wow, i never heard about that. I think thats so stupid though... now i know where our $400+ is going to for this exam
 
Yeah I don't really get the point of it. Do they really spend eight hours after every exam watching you, making sure you don't dictate their precious test into some hidden microphone or something? I think it's more of the "big brother" factor kicking in. It's probably not really hooked up to anything, just a fake like you see at the hardward store.
 
there was a video camera when i took the GREs five years ago as well. i'm sure they only look at the footage if something questionable comes up later on.
 
Thanks so much for sharing your experience solace. I hate biochem and I barely passed that course first year. I honestly don't remember anything that I did learn in that class and I mostly didn't learn anything anyway- I know this just from my studying the cancer drugs for my pharm course at the moment :mad: . Anyhow, could you give me advice on how to tackle biochem since FA isn't enough. I'm not done with school yet, but I will be done next week so I'll have roughly a month to study. Thanks so much :)
 
sunflower2020 said:
Hi Solace

congrats and sit back and relax now.

What do you wish you had done for biochem?
Did you do the BSS questions at all?

I wish I had read the Kaplan Biochem book. It seems to cover every thing I was tested on and to be very thorough. I went back to check many of the questions I remembered from the exam soon after I got home. Not surprisingly, I was disappointed. If I had just read that book I would have been fine in this area.
So if anyone preparing for the test can get their hands on that book, I would read it thoroughly for a good biochem review.

I don't know what made me so nervous besides the fact it was step 1. As I remember more and more questions I realize how similar many were to Qbank but since I didn't study biochem much in the first place, I didn't get much out of Biochem from Qbank. The answers didn't mean much to me since I could hardly remember the finer details of biochem from first year of school. There was a lot of material dealing with chromosomes and chromosomal abnormailities but of course they can throw a lot of enzymatic pathways on another test. Anyway,
again, the kaplan biochem book can more than prepare you for all of that stuff. Looking back at the high-yield biochem book confirms my initial assessment of it when I flipped through it a few weeks ago. It is not very sufficient for Step 1.


I just remembered another question this morning from the exam and went back into my Qbank account to look up a question from the exam that I just knew was almost identical verbatim and it was. I don't know what is going on between Kaplan and the USMLE but if I didn't know better, I would say that there is some sort of "inside job" going on. :laugh:
 
I haven't heard many talk about their prep for any histo or cell bio questions and i'm wondering if I should give up a day (i only had 20 total to study, more like 15 days now).

For those of you who have taken step 1 recently, should I spend some time reading BRS cell bio/Histo? Would time be better spent reviewing an atlas with text like wheater or the one by Gartner?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
 
Ive heard the wtg is read the first 4 chapters of BRS Cell, then rely on FA
 
thanks for a quick reply!

FA doesnt have any histo though- does everyone just scrap that subject? well, I guess I'm talking about those who had less than 4 weeks to study.

I thought I had a good plan, but I've realized it's falling to pieces and I'm not any better prepared than I was 1.5 wks ago.

My problem: regarding first year material, I was closer to the lower 1/3 of the class than the upper 1/3. Fortunately, I snapped out of it and did pretty awesome with 2nd yr. stuff.

How about a new question: Anyone willing to admit that they were 'struggling' students first year and have recently taken step 1, How would you approach the first year material (2 weeks remaining)?
Originally, I was planning on trying to get through:

1) Kaplan Lecture Notes for Biochem or Lippincott Illustrated Reviews for Biochem- which is better?
2) Hi Yield and FA for anatomy, embryo, neuroanat (still going to do)
3) BRS Physio or Kaplan Physio (impossible)?

Now time is pressing-Should I try to do this and take precious days away from FA (as a whole), BRS Path and QBank/NMBE practice questions?

OR should i just cut my losses with physio and stick with FA and practice Qs?

Thanks in advance
Zum
 
Zummy said:
thanks for a quick reply!

FA doesnt have any histo though- does everyone just scrap that subject? well, I guess I'm talking about those who had less than 4 weeks to study.

I thought I had a good plan, but I've realized it's falling to pieces and I'm not any better prepared than I was 1.5 wks ago.

My problem: regarding first year material, I was closer to the lower 1/3 of the class than the upper 1/3. Fortunately, I snapped out of it and did pretty awesome with 2nd yr. stuff.

How about a new question: Anyone willing to admit that they were 'struggling' students first year and have recently taken step 1, How would you approach the first year material (2 weeks remaining)?
Originally, I was planning on trying to get through:

1) Kaplan Lecture Notes for Biochem or Lippincott Illustrated Reviews for Biochem- which is better?
2) Hi Yield and FA for anatomy, embryo, neuroanat (still going to do)
3) BRS Physio or Kaplan Physio (impossible)?

Now time is pressing-Should I try to do this and take precious days away from FA (as a whole), BRS Path and QBank/NMBE practice questions?

OR should i just cut my losses with physio and stick with FA and practice Qs?

Thanks in advance
Zum

Ditto on SO much of that post! I spent so much time working out a great schedule with the assumption that I was planning to get more done than I realistically would. Even with that assumption, I'm STILL "behind" and have rearranged things - to the point that I have a list of things I have to get through and do whatever I feel like that day.

I look forward to the reply about when to cut your losses and just pound on FA & Qbank/questions.

Hang in there!!! :luck:
 
Has anybody used the kaplan biochem book? I ended up going through my class notes after the kaplan book seemed weak. I will surely go through it again after reading this thread, but I'm wondering what others think.
 
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