prometric centers...

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Legion560

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Im considering taking the nbme practice Qs at a prometric center just to get the feel for the environment. Has anyone done this before thier exam and did it help get you comfortable with the cubicle/computer/white board thing? Or is it a waste of study time scheduling it, driving out there etc?

Legion

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I don't see how it would be worth it. It's the same as the released items. If you've ever sat in a chair and used a computer I think you can handle the test environment. If you want to help prepare for the test environment, I would try and sit and do 350 QBank questions in 8 hours. This should help out with the stamina.
 
ditto on mpp's post.

it would be helpful to drive up to the test center just to check the facilities. sometimes they can vary quite so from one another. (eg mini-cam on top of the monitor to monitor you! or the more humane camera from above at the corner of the room.

other than that, i just used the downloaded copy and took the exam at my leisure (albeit straight through). another good thing about downloading the practice is that you can always go back and use it as a study guide in conjunction with the kaplan answer/wrong answer expalnations in q-bank. from my own experience and a few others, we had a least two or three topics from the practice USMLE that turned up on my/their version of the real exam. so it helps to study the answers/wrong answers as briefly or as in depth as one feels necessary.



:)
 
mini cam on top of the monitor?? thats awful, i think that the envirmoent should be equal to all students, I know i would been very nervous with a freaking camera on top of the monitor, crazy!!
 
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mig26x said:
mini cam on top of the monitor?? thats awful, i think that the envirmoent should be equal to all students, I know i would been very nervous with a freaking camera on top of the monitor, crazy!!
Wouldn't it be funny if the camera moved and followed your face???
 
Legion560 said:
Im considering taking the nbme practice Qs at a prometric center just to get the feel for the environment. Has anyone done this before thier exam and did it help get you comfortable with the cubicle/computer/white board thing? Or is it a waste of study time scheduling it, driving out there etc?

Legion

On a side note, have you seen the Dave Chappele Samuel Jackson skit???
 
oh yeah,
a few details on my recent actual USMLE experience:

the center i had, gave me 3 double sided thin yellow dry erase sheets (they were in a grid pattern), two good thin point black markers, and an eraser.

the nice proctor escorted me in and gave me the run-down on how the computer works
you keep the bottom of the orange ticket with your test ID#, and as soon as you type in your id and press <return> the exam begins. (sort of took me aback when i heard about this, but it's not too bad, because you can prepare your brain as much as you want before you press that final button.

you also can skip through the 15minute intro on how to use the interface (this is added onto your break time. it's exactly as the interface on the downloaded USMLE program)

also note: most/all sites are pretty strict. you must finish the section before you get up and leave the room or it will be marked as an "irregularity." if you have a question/problem, you raise your hand and the proctor comes in.

the only things i was allowed to take in the exam room was my drivers licence, the orange ticket, the key to my locker, and the dry erase goods. i.e. no wallet, no car keys, no out-side bought earplugs in my case, nothing else! you can put books into your locker and refer back to them during your breaks which is nice sometimes.

you finish, find your proctor, and then sign out with the time, and then sign back in with the time when you're ready for some more. however you must keep track of your break time and the number of sections you've done as no one else will do so and it's not marked down on anywhere per se.

the temperature in my testing site was warm to low hot. other testing centers are cold, so info thru your sources or visiting the center and asking the temp is a good idea.

once you get started it's really not too bad. you just work through it, plan your breaks within the hour or so you have, and then its over....
 
I think the experience with the prometric center must really vary depending on where you take it. Unlike the previous poster, my proctors (who were also extremely nice) were not nearly as strict...I had my wallet and earplugs (my own) with me, and they said if I ever had a problem I could just get up and come get them to help me. There was also no little camera at my workstation; but perhaps the whole room was monitored in some way. It really helped that the environment was more laid back than I expected.

The temperature, however, seemed to fluctuate a lot. Bring something you can put on or take off to adjust accordingly.
 
claymore,

that's sounds good! yeah, it seems to be pretty dependent on center

must be the more lower sphincterly challenged we have here on the east coast! :rolleyes:

all the best,
 
greets fr. nyc said:
oh yeah,
a few details on my recent actual USMLE experience:

the center i had, gave me 3 double sided thin yellow dry erase sheets (they were in a grid pattern), two good thin point black markers, and an eraser.

the nice proctor escorted me in and gave me the run-down on how the computer works
you keep the bottom of the orange ticket with your test ID#, and as soon as you type in your id and press <return> the exam begins. (sort of took me aback when i heard about this, but it's not too bad, because you can prepare your brain as much as you want before you press that final button.

you also can skip through the 15minute intro on how to use the interface (this is added onto your break time. it's exactly as the interface on the downloaded USMLE program)

also note: most/all sites are pretty strict. you must finish the section before you get up and leave the room or it will be marked as an "irregularity." if you have a question/problem, you raise your hand and the proctor comes in.

the only things i was allowed to take in the exam room was my drivers licence, the orange ticket, the key to my locker, and the dry erase goods. i.e. no wallet, no car keys, no out-side bought earplugs in my case, nothing else! you can put books into your locker and refer back to them during your breaks which is nice sometimes.

you finish, find your proctor, and then sign out with the time, and then sign back in with the time when you're ready for some more. however you must keep track of your break time and the number of sections you've done as no one else will do so and it's not marked down on anywhere per se.

the temperature in my testing site was warm to low hot. other testing centers are cold, so info thru your sources or visiting the center and asking the temp is a good idea.

once you get started it's really not too bad. you just work through it, plan your breaks within the hour or so you have, and then its over....


That's scary... you just described my exact testing experience down to the letter. I thought those laminated sheets were funny. :laugh:
 
Jalby said:
On a side note, have you seen the Dave Chappele Samuel Jackson skit???

Negative. Ive been without cable for a while :( I figured it would save me money and keep me from being distracted. The "saving money" part worked, not so sure about the "not being distracted" part.

Legion
 
you can get it off Kazaa. It's hilarious.
 
greets fr. nyc said:
oh yeah,
a few details on my recent actual USMLE experience:

the center i had, gave me 3 double sided thin yellow dry erase sheets (they were in a grid pattern), two good thin point black markers, and an eraser.

the nice proctor escorted me in and gave me the run-down on how the computer works
you keep the bottom of the orange ticket with your test ID#, and as soon as you type in your id and press <return> the exam begins. (sort of took me aback when i heard about this, but it's not too bad, because you can prepare your brain as much as you want before you press that final button.

you also can skip through the 15minute intro on how to use the interface (this is added onto your break time. it's exactly as the interface on the downloaded USMLE program)

also note: most/all sites are pretty strict. you must finish the section before you get up and leave the room or it will be marked as an "irregularity." if you have a question/problem, you raise your hand and the proctor comes in.

the only things i was allowed to take in the exam room was my drivers licence, the orange ticket, the key to my locker, and the dry erase goods. i.e. no wallet, no car keys, no out-side bought earplugs in my case, nothing else! you can put books into your locker and refer back to them during your breaks which is nice sometimes.
you finish, find your proctor, and then sign out with the time, and then sign back in with the time when you're ready for some more. however you must keep track of your break time and the number of sections you've done as no one else will do so and it's not marked down on anywhere per se.

the temperature in my testing site was warm to low hot. other testing centers are cold, so info thru your sources or visiting the center and asking the temp is a good idea.

once you get started it's really not too bad. you just work through it, plan your breaks within the hour or so you have, and then its over....

great, that takes care of anti-parasitic drugs... :D

btw, did u take urs @ nyc.....penn 34th st?
 
nah,
practically all our class at cornell did it down at penn station. but since my lovely folks still live in joisey, i took it in the burbs which was nice. lots of trees and non-descript 3 story office buildings. surprisingly quiet however. it was right by the garden state mall so i strolled around the two-tiered, marbled floor mall after the exam. a surreal experience....it was. there's that feeling that only comes every once in a while where you have absolutely nothing, nada, nil, nor any shred of responsibility.

one girl who was selling some aroma therapy back warmers took me aside to sell her wares. along came a well-versed sales pitch on back pain and stress and on her fine product; and how you could heat it up in the microwave for 2 minutes and it would stay warm for over an hour and so forth (nice girl)... and then she asked, "do you know how tylenol works?"
*guffaw*
 
has anyone taken it in boston yet? i am scheduled for next sunday.. still get a few days to change my mind.. a friend took her practice test at sylvan center (where i am taking mine) said that it wasn't that great, they didn't even give her ear plugs. she was given ear mufflers. I heard that the south end on is actually close the airport.. how bad was it? forte point is the prometric site, i think.

suggestions?
 
another question: is it really that loud such that you NEED earplugs?? are people talking?

also, can you leave food in your locker to go snack on during your breaks?
 
can anyone recommend a good place to take it in new jersey? or are all the testing sites the same?
 
if you have a camera on top of your computer......

look directly into it and stick your middle finger out at it for a few minutes

that should boost your confidence
 
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