Official 2005 NBDE Part I scores

pulpprotector · Aug 24, 2005

The last few years people have posted some general information about their NBDE scores that I have found very helpful and would like to continue the tradition to help younger classes know how and what to study.

2004 scores may be found in this thread: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=144390
2003 scores may be found in this thread: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=79827
Here's a good format to follow to make it easy for future test-takers to follow:

[Standard Format]

Anatomical Sciences:
Biochemistry/Physiology:
Microbiology/Pathology:
Dental Anatomy:

Overall Average:

Cumulative Study Hours:
Recommended Studying Materials:
Most Difficult Section:
Study DOs:
Study DON'Ts:

ElDienteLoco · Aug 24, 2005

I hate to be the first one to post, but everyone at my school already knows how I did - highest in the class for 3hrs...A higher score was then found hiding in the school summary. Oh well, no scholarship for this debtmonger.

Anatomical Sciences: 93
Biochemistry/Physiology: 97
Microbiology/Pathology: 92
Dental Anatomy: 99

Overall Average: 95

Cumulative Study Hours: ~5 hours per week from Nov-Apr; Every waking moment not in class, in bed or in bathroom from May-July 11! (8-12 hrs per day)
Recommended Studying Materials: Decks, Last 3 Released Exams and Pilot Exam, Kaplan Book, First Aid for the USMLE Step 1 (I've heard from a very reliable source - 99)
Most Difficult Section: Anatomy. I thought I did really well on test day, but my score was 5-7 points below where I had been on practice tests.
Study DOs: Take whole practice exams (400 questions) in one sitting with a break. Stamina is very important to doing well on Part I. If you practice like this, your test day will not surprise you.
Study DON'Ts: Don't bank on the reliability of your "scaled score" from any released exam pre-1995.

aphistis · Aug 24, 2005

Likewise, I've already posted in another thread, but might as well put it here for archiving.

Anatomical Sciences: 92
Biochemistry/Physiology: 94
Microbiology/Pathology: 91
Dental Anatomy: 93

Overall Average: 93

Cumulative Study Hours: A few hours per week from Memorial Day through June, maybe 10-15hours/week in July, took test August 1.

Recommended Studying Materials: Dental decks, 1987/89/96/98/2000/2004 released/unreleased/pilot exams.

Most Difficult Section: Toss-up between Micro/Path & Dental Anatomy. I went into my lunch break feeling pretty good about the first two sections, then I felt like the wheels came completely off the wagon during the second half.

Study DOs:
- Divide the dental decks into high- & low- yield stacks. Cards with lists, tables, etc. contain a lot of useful information already organized for you to memorize. The cards with essays on the back aren't worth the energy it takes to plow through it all.

- Focus on one section at a time, and go through the exams & cards a few times each. Multiple exposures give your brain a chance to process everything & identify trends & relationships that'll help you choose between those last two answers on exam day.

- Spend the time & effort to understand what makes the right answers right & the wrong answers wrong, both on the decks & on the practice exams.

Study DON'Ts: Study for Part I 12 hours a day from Christmas till exam day. Not overdoing your studying is as important as not underdoing it.

12YearOldKid · Aug 24, 2005

Thought maybe one of the underachievers should weigh in... so I am pushing aside my feelings of inadequacy in order to serve the common good.

Anatomical Sciences: 77 (ouch)
Biochemistry/Physiology: 85
Microbiology/Pathology: 89
Dental Anatomy: 93

Overall Average: 86

Cumulative Study Hours: ~20-30 hrs. total --- 4-5 hrs/day the week before but took the weekend off.

Recommended Studying Materials: I made it about 3/4 of the way through the decks (I realized it was very ineffective to rush through them like that so I didn't finish.) I did the 2 most recently released exams and part of a third. I didn't see many repeated questions, but these tests got my thinking on the right track.

Most Difficult Section: Anatomy was the hardest for me. I knew it was my weak area going in. It was also the first section and I was so nervous I couldn't think. So I had more than just the difficulty of the test working against me there.

Study DOs: Identify your weak points using an old test and focus on that area first.

Study DON'Ts: Don't freak out if you just want to pass. A week of half-hearted studying will get you through. I honestly think I could have come pretty close to passing everything but dental anatomy at the same time I took the DAT.

maloccluded · Aug 25, 2005

Anatomical Sciences: 95
Biochemistry/Physiology: 96
Microbiology/Pathology: 93
Dental Anatomy: 99

Overall Average: 96

Cumulative Study Hours: I started studying probably about 2-3 hr / week from 1/1/05 -4/15/05. Then I picked it up from 5 hr / week from 4/15/05 - 6/15. Then about 30 hr / week for the final stretch.

Recommended Studying Materials: 2004 Dental Decks (so much info on those cards), more recent oldies, dental stax, Kaplan book

Most Difficult Section:I found the microbiology pathology to be pretty tricky because no matter how hard you study there are so many nuances to bacteria.

Study DOs: You have to know all the information from the dental decks, so definately make 2 piles, those that you know and those you don't know. Don't waste your time on stuff that you already know. Make sure to go over old tests to see what concepts they focus on. Make sure to take study breaks and not burn out.

Study DON'Ts: Don't burn yourself out studying!!! Start early even if it is just a few hours a week. There is too much info to cram so don't procrastinate or you will be miserable down the stretch.

txdent2be2007 · Aug 26, 2005

I'm glad to add what little advice I have to the list...

Anatomical Sciences: 97
Biochemistry/Physiology: 93
Microbiology/Pathology: 94
Dental Anatomy: 94

Overall Average: 95

Cumulative Study Hours: Avg 6 hours a day for 5 days/wk from May 19 (?) to June 24 -- took the exam June 25.

Recommended Studying Materials: Dental decks, all old exams (I didn't look at ones from the 70s) and the 2004 pilot exams; USMLE First Aid (can use an old version -- I used 2001 version); Kaplan Book and Class Notes/texts as needed

Most Difficult Section: Micro/path v. Biochem/phys -- I had the lowest score on Biochem/Phys, though I felt like I had done best on this section. The worst thing about Micro/path was the recurrence of questions from a particular topic -- e.g., there were four questions in a row on PMNs, and another 4-5 on diseases of the TORCH complex, etc. I took the 4 sections in sequence, and didn't leave Micro/path for last, as some recommend. DA wasn't bad -- very few pictures and occlusion mental acrobatics to perform. Biochem/phys had a bunch of obscure questions, like "What is the function of a cDNA library" (I barely remembered where I had learned this, much less what it was for!), and others. I think the curve is highest for M/P anyway.

Study DOs:
- I allowed 5 weeks to study, and organized my sequence like this:

1. Before I started, took a sample of 25 questions from each section on an old exam (I started with 1998 exam, I think) -- this gave me an idea of what areas I needed to focus on, since I failed both the Micro/path and DA sections miserably during this initial test.

2. I allowed 1 week for each of the four sections. To be fair, I only spent about 3 days on DA/O; used the remaining time on Anatomy I think. The last week was spent polishing up areas I felt less strong about and taking old exams under testing conditions (2-3 a day -- took around 4000 questions total that week).

3. For each of the four sections, I studied the decks front and back, using USMLE first aid, Kaplan, and class notes to supplement in areas I felt weak on. I made a see again pile and made handwritten notes which I would later review to nail down certain points.

4. Make use of breaks as often as you canand dont let the Kaplan book freak you out.

Study DONTs:
1. Stressworst case scenario is you dont get that magic A and take the thing again, with a clear focus of how to do things right the second time.

shariq · Aug 27, 2005

Anatomy: 87
Biochem/Physio: 92
Pathology/micro: 92
Dental Anatomy: 91

Overall: 91

Three weeks before the exam hard core(8-10 hours a day)

This was my second time taking it. I had already started my GPR residecy during this time. Moral of the story is that study hard and try to get a 90 at your first try(i was getting married the first time around so my concentration was elsewhere 🙂

Studied decks and first aid to reinforce concepts. then did old exams and then re-read everything for the second time

ItsGavinC · Aug 29, 2005

Keeping it alive for most posts. Excellent thread for up and coming students...

ElDienteLoco · Aug 29, 2005

I think it's great to hear from guys who studied for three weeks and got a 90, but I think it would also be great to hear from a couple of students who studied for three weeks, got a 74 and wished they had studied for 6 weeks. Anyone out there like that? I think it would produce some really great advice for those planning to take it soon or next year.

UDM07 · Aug 29, 2005

Man, some of you really studied hard for this thing!

Anatomical Sciences: 89
Biochemistry/Physiology: 94
Microbiology/Pathology: 91
Dental Anatomy: 96

Overall Average: 93

Cumulative Study Hours: I studied over the weekend and about 1.5 hours per night for four nights to prepare for a mock board in May. Then I studied for 4 days, about 5 hours per day for the exam from 6/26-6/29. I took the test on 6/30.

Recommended Studying Materials: I only used the decks, old tests, and some practice Kaplan tests. I cracked a notebook a couple of times and Netter's Anatomy a few times.

Most Difficult Section: Anatomy and Histology

Study DOs: Use the decks and old exams. Make sure you know the decks. Put the notes and books away unless you absolutely don't understand the material on the cards. Also, sit and practice taking the exams straight through, like the test environment. It gives you a good indicator of what the real thing will be like. {Just an aside, but I would highly recommend taking it on computer. I did and I finished the entire exam in three hours.}

Study DON'Ts: Study too hard. If you just need to pass the exam, there is no need to study for 6-8 hours per day for a couple of months. You'll go crazy. Study the decks ahead of time, and give yourself a week or two to really hit the material hard. But...don't rely on the old exams alone. There are not enough direct repeats for that. The old exams give good frameworks for the tests, but they are not good indicators of what will show up on a test.

ilveco · Aug 30, 2005

Anatomical Sciences: 79
Biochemistry/Physiology: 85
Microbiology/Pathology: 78
Dental Anatomy: 80

Overall Average: 81 (and my favorite word in the English language....PASS!!)

Lots of personal problems going on, so I wasn't able to hit it hard until about a couple of weeks before the boards. Mostly I did the old exams, and the answers in detail. I went thru the dental decks and used the USMLE to memorize a lot of micro/path factoids. The key for me was the old exams and repetition.

Recommended Studying Materials: Old exams, dental decks, some of the micro/path charts/graphs in USMLE 1st Aid.
Most Difficult Section: Both the morning sections were killer for me.
Study DOs: Take old exams and UNDERSTAND why the correct answers are correct, and why the incorrect answers are incorrect.
Study DON'Ts: Don't burn out, and don't kill yourself....it's just an exam.

kenniemd · Sep 6, 2005

I just got my scores today. They let us take it after our first year:

Anatomy: 81
Dental Anatomy: 81 (I seriously thought I was going to fail this)
Biochem/Physio: 89
Micro/Path : 95
Average: 87

I think I really under-prepared for dental anatomy, especially the occlusion sections. I used decks (didn't finish), old exams (looked through) and First Aid. I think my micro/path score is directly attributable to using the First Aid(I had the older edition '99). I studied intensively for about 3 weeks give or take. I don't know if I can specialize with my scores but I'll do a GPR and give it a try

jb54ram · Sep 7, 2005

Anatomy: 78
Dental Anatomy: 79
Micro: 80
Biochem:81

Overall: 80

Went through every exam I could get my hands on----felt rather unprepared---started 4 weeks out and focused on one section per week---but never had time for micro---as I burned out on 17 hour days---

Gavin had posted something at one point that made me not sweat---something along the lines that it is equally as hard to fail as it is to get above a 98---very true---because most of the exam I was lost

Won't make the same mistake on part 2

shabu2 · Sep 8, 2005

Is it me, or did A LOT of people score 90+? It seems almost 70% of people on SDN scored very high.

aphistis · Sep 8, 2005

shabu2 said:
Is it me, or did A LOT of people score 90+? It seems almost 70% of people on SDN scored very high.

That's SDN for you. Going by the SDN population, you'd think a 3.9/25/25/25 was necessary to get an interview invite, and God help you graduating from dental school if you don't have a 4.0 and 95's on each part of the NBDE. Fortunately for some of us, that's not how it actually works. 😉

umkcdds · Sep 11, 2005

my advice for studying: get 200 total (honest) hours in. whether that is 10 hours a day for the 20 days prior to the exam, 25 hours per week for the 8 weeks prior.
shoot for 200 hours.

shabu2 said:
Is it me, or did A LOT of people score 90+? It seems almost 70% of people on SDN scored very high.

i bet if everyone had to post a scanned copy of their scores, they wouldn't be so high.

Johnson22 · Sep 20, 2005

bump...more posting?

monika sharma · Sep 24, 2005

hi
i request u to help me find the difference between school and residency program. why did u choose to join residency, not school. what difference it makes in the long run. your information is really valuable and decision making for me.i will really appriciate your help.
thanks
monika

lunguv · Sep 25, 2005

monika sharma said:
hi
i request u to help me find the difference between school and residency program. why did u choose to join residency, not school. what difference it makes in the long run. your information is really valuable and decision making for me.i will really appriciate your help.
thanks
monika

👍

shariq · Sep 25, 2005

monika sharma said:
hi
i request u to help me find the difference between school and residency program. why did u choose to join residency, not school. what difference it makes in the long run. your information is really valuable and decision making for me.i will really appriciate your help.
thanks
monika

You have to go to school first, then join a residency program.

drmojjo · Sep 26, 2005

Hi,

I'm a first year dental student. I was thinking about studying for the boards from middle of the summer. of course not too hard core but 1-2 hrs per day.
what do you guys think?
I have to take them next Dec.

thanx.

Rezdawg · Sep 26, 2005

drmojjo said:
Hi,

I'm a first year dental student. I was thinking about studying for the boards from middle of the summer. of course not too hard core but 1-2 hrs per day.
what do you guys think?
I have to take them next Dec.

thanx.

I think you will get 90+ if you took the test now, except for the dental anatomy part, which you will master within the next month.

Therefore, dont worry about studying for the boards, you already know this crap.

t-man · Sep 30, 2005

Anatomical Sciences: 90
Biochemistry/Physiology: 96
Microbiology/Pathology: 95
Dental Anatomy: 99

Overall Average: 95

Cumulative Study Hours: 5 hours / wk for 1 month studying during the subway ride from summer job. 1 wk prior to July 13th (forgot the exact date paper format) about 2 - 4 hours / day
Recommended Studying Materials: Decks, some own texts
Most Difficult Section: Apparently from my score was anatomical science, but at first I thought I screwed up on Biochem, which is my weakest area.
Study DOs: Just stick with whatever routine that you do to study, and relax the day prior to the test, keep you sane
Study DON'Ts:

DcS · Sep 30, 2005

shabu2 said:
Is it me, or did A LOT of people score 90+? It seems almost 70% of people on SDN scored very high.

That's because most of the people willing to spend all day posting on an internet message forum are also those most likely to put time/prep into their boards. Most of my friends who got 80s are probably drunk and playing golf right now. Of course I would have joined them but I had to complete a RCT on #30 this morning 😡

*Official 2005 NBDE Part I scores*

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Official 2005 NBDE Part I scores