Advice on how I'm doing? Can I get to 260+? ~9 weeks out.

[orchitisphlebitis]

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Been a lurker for a while, decided to get some feedback. Would really appreciate some advice. I'm just under 9 weeks out from my test as of today, and took my first NBME. Here's where I'm at so far.

Completed a decent cover-to-cover pass of FA

Rx: 35% complete with a 67% average (big uptrend, didn't take it too seriously at the beginning, not completely random, but it was 46q sets)

Uworld: 21% complete, 64% average (timed, random, 46q sets)

Offline NBME 5: ~211 (74% correct - is the final score in the right ballpark?)

Rx was done up through spring break, and just started Uworld a week ago. It's going much slower due to all the annotations; a set is eating up most of my day. I have 7 weeks of class left (about a 10-12hr/week commitment). I've studied my ass off during my M2 year, and put a big emphasis on knowing the associated First Aid and Pathoma (several passes) during path classes (everything besides Neuro/MSK/heme onc/some micro has been covered in classes this year, that's the last unit left).

My goal is 260+. Is that achievable in 9 weeks? I feel like the first part of NBME 5 "hit all my weaknesses" so to speak. I plan to finish Uworld, then use any leftover time to finish Rx in timed, random mode. Along with reading FA everyday. I'm putting in 8-12 hours a day... Any advice from this point forward? Thanks!

 

[sobored]

You are doing well. 260+ is probably a little bit of luck topic wise. I would be willing to bet that you'll get a great score. Plus, you are in really good shape for having 9 weeks left. Just stay the course and don't worry about 260+. (I know that's probably not the answer you're looking for, but it's impossible to guess what is achievable for you...I only base my answer based on my own experiences).

 

[Jemeni]

Thanks for the feedback man. I'm actually in a similar place myself...

 

[orchitisphlebitis]

You are doing well. 260+ is probably a little bit of luck topic wise. I would be willing to bet that you'll get a great score. Plus, you are in really good shape for having 9 weeks left. Just stay the course and don't worry about 260+. (I know that's probably not the answer you're looking for, but it's impossible to guess what is achievable for you...I only base my answer based on my own experiences).

Thanks alot.

I'll try and do an online NBME every two weeks or so to gauge my progress.

 

[orchitisphlebitis]

So one last question in case anybody sees this. Would it be better to go ahead and finish Uworld (doing ~1 set per day, 2 sets during weekends) and then finish Rx in the spare time (making sure I fully get through Uworld and use it to gauge my weaknesses) or put the rest of it off, finish Rx and save Uworld for the very end? Or is this not really that important?

 

[periaqueductal]

So one last question in case anybody sees this. Would it be better to go ahead and finish Uworld (doing ~1 set per day, 2 sets during weekends) and then finish Rx in the spare time (making sure I fully get through Uworld and use it to gauge my weaknesses) or put the rest of it off, finish Rx and save Uworld for the very end? Or is this not really that important?

I don't think it really matters. I've heard from upper classmen (and from pholston's posts) that it makes sense to finish Rx before because you really pound in First Aid and get question experience. Personally I am getting through Rx then moving on to UWorld full time closer to exam time (June for me).

 

[orchitisphlebitis]

Ok, an update...

Got 220/460 on NBME 12. All I've done since my last (offline) NBME was a ton of Uworld. Feel like I made more than few "stupid" mistakes. I am consistently scoring higher in Uworld now though... Is that decent improvement for two weeks? It has me worried, honestly - but should it? I feel like I need another good run through FA to really be raising my score, unless questions target what Uworld has been covering specifically.

 

[Matteo]

Ok, an update...

Got 220/460 on NBME 12. All I've done since my last (offline) NBME was a ton of Uworld. Feel like I made more than few "stupid" mistakes. I am consistently scoring higher in Uworld now though... Is that decent improvement for two weeks? It has me worried, honestly - but should it? I feel like I need another good run through FA to really be raising my score, unless questions target what Uworld has been covering specifically.

If you have the time FA+UWorld are a great combination.

 

[Apoplexy__]

Ok, an update...

Got 220/460 on NBME 12. All I've done since my last (offline) NBME was a ton of Uworld. Feel like I made more than few "stupid" mistakes. I am consistently scoring higher in Uworld now though... Is that decent improvement for two weeks? It has me worried, honestly - but should it? I feel like I need another good run through FA to really be raising my score, unless questions target what Uworld has been covering specifically.

To address your original Q: I think 260+ is a great score to shoot for, but honestly, I wouldn't expect it. In other words, I think you would be an outlier if you got that, based on your stats. I just don't want you to start panicking closer to test time if your NBME's are in the 240's or be crushed when you get your real deal score back.

Looks like you're making good progress though with that NBME increase. I'd say you have a shot at 250+ if you bust your ass, and more safely a 240+.

Keep up the UWorld+FA and consider supplementing other resources in spaced repetition (look at the stuff every 5 days or so) for topics your NBME's are telling you you're weak on.

 

[orchitisphlebitis]

Thanks for the replies guys.

I'd be ecstatic with a 250+. I'll bust my ass as hard as possible, and take another nbme in two weeks.

My weakest subject according to the NBME was biochem, which I haven't covered since January. There are quite a few topics which I feel like I could really drill in like that, in addition to the units we haven't covered in class.

My Uworld scores are now pretty consistently in the 70s with over 50% done (and that's with a sizable amount of stupid mistakes, like 3-4 each block I had no excuse to get wrong), and I'm getting much faster at reviewing them, to the point where I can do and review two blocks per day If I wanted to. Wish I had gotten extended feedback on that last NBME , to see what I missed and how many stupid mistakes I made, but I had a voucher for the normal edition

 

[haloschief]

I haven't taken my test yet but will soon.

Before I started dedicated step 1 studying, I scored in 180s on an NBME. Studied hard for 5 weeks then I took another NBME and my score went to 250+ along with UWSAs in 260s. You have a lot of time left.

The reason I started out so poorly was that I wasn't familiar with the questions nor high-yields and was studying for my classes which didn't really help a lot with step 1. Doing uworld, pathoma, and FA does wonders. Keep doing Qs to familiarize yourself with the way things are tested. Once you pick up on the pattern, it's pretty easy to nail down the answers.

 

[Matteo]

I haven't taken my test yet but will soon.

Before I started dedicated step 1 studying, I scored in 180s on an NBME. Studied hard for 5 weeks then I took another NBME and my score went to 250+ along with UWSAs in 260s. You have a lot of time left.

The reason I started out so poorly was that I wasn't familiar with the questions nor high-yields and was studying for my classes which didn't really help a lot with step 1. Doing uworld, pathoma, and FA does wonders. Keep doing Qs to familiarize yourself with the way things are tested. Once you pick up on the pattern, it's pretty easy to nail down the answers.

Completely agree with you - it's definitely doable. My CBSE from 4 months ago was a 210. Exam's in a couple weeks and my latest NBME >260. That being said, you really won't know your ceiling until closer to your test date. Right now don't focus on scores, it would serve you much better to focus on learning the material very well - and your scores will follow. Best of Luck!

 

[Ionian]

 

[orchitisphlebitis]

Well, I'm in shock.

Took NBME 13. 260/650.

I seriously don't believe it, that's a huge jump. Seriously think I got a little lucky guessing - narrowed it down and tried to reason the best I could. Didn't seem to make many "stupid" mistakes either, although I haven't gone over my answers thoroughly. Almost finished Uworld. Going over wrong answers from a separate doc regularly, and started going through FA again since last time. My Uworld scores didn't seem to increase too much - I'm at a 70% cumulative, broke 80% several times and consistently in the 70s.

Hopefully this keeps up.

 

[Polymyxin]

Nicely done!

 

[Polymyxin]

Question orchitisphlebitis:
Between your NBME 5 and NBME 13 how many UWorld questions did you do (ballpark)? Or, asked in another way, between those time points, approximately how many blocks per day were you doing?

Thanks!

 

[orchitisphlebitis]

Probably about 30-40% of it. Not tearing it up pace-wise by any means. I also went over wrong answers in that separate doc I've been keeping several times since then. I've found that to be a great help. Combined with my thoroughness in going over UWorld, it means I'll probably know something if I've seen it before in Uworld. Questions on the NBME such as the thoracocentesis q or another about statins were straight up from Uworld. I also read (a little bit) of FA, and went over a couple chapters of Pathoma from current coursework (my weakest subjects, surprise, surprise).

Still, definitely a bigger jump than I expected. I found that on the NBME I had to reason out a lot of the answers that weren't straight recall. Ie, the compression sleeve, leaking aneurysms, and tons of others. I wouldn't have been able to do that had I not been sharp by getting good rest the night before. I can definitely see what people mean when they say it's a reasoning exam with lots of vagueness and guessing. Had I used extended feedback for 12, I suspect I would have seen a lot of stupid mistakes combined with falling short on reasoning through the more vague questions, probably due to nerves (lol I know) and lack of rest.

 

[orchitisphlebitis]

Got a 260/740 on UWSA1 yesterday. Made TONS of stupid mistakes in the first block haha, but did well on the later ones. Hard exam imo. Anyways, I'll be back to update this thread with my strategies etc after I get my scores (around mid-late June), hopefully someone can get something out of any advice I'll have to offer.

 

[bucks900]

Wow nicely done. When do you take it?

 

[Ionian]

Maybe I just make too many stupid mistakes, but I've done 60% of uworld now, random/timed 46qs (within a little over 2 weeks), and I'm at a a flat 75% average, straightest blue line you've ever seen on a graph, not even a slight upward trend.

Still stuck in the 240s on these nbmes -.- maybe the offline ones are somewhat different?

Taking Nbme 7 thursday.

 

[notbobtrustme]

Maybe I just make too many stupid mistakes, but I've done 60% of uworld now, random/timed 46qs (within a little over 2 weeks), and I'm at a a flat 75% average, straightest blue line you've ever seen on a graph, not even a slight upward trend.

Still stuck in the 240s on these nbmes -.- maybe the offline ones are somewhat different?

Taking Nbme 7 thursday.

The scale is not forgiving at all for NBMEs, so it forces you to cut down on those stupid mistakes.

 

[orchitisphlebitis]

Maybe I just make too many stupid mistakes, but I've done 60% of uworld now, random/timed 46qs (within a little over 2 weeks), and I'm at a a flat 75% average, straightest blue line you've ever seen on a graph, not even a slight upward trend.

Still stuck in the 240s on these nbmes -.- maybe the offline ones are somewhat different?

Taking Nbme 7 thursday.

Just keep on grinding man. You're in a very good spot given how much time you've got till the test.

As for stupid mistakes, all I can say is I still make them. It just takes repeated, conscious efforts and double-checking to stop them. If you make them on the practice tests, you'll make them on the real deal - I don't think they'll just magically go away because of adrenaline. My number has gone down, but it's not 0 like I'd like it to be.

I'm about 3 weeks out. Taking a few days off for finals (arghhhh), then jumping right back into things with the Free 150, and NBME 15 shortly after. Hopefully my score hasn't suffered too much during finals.... I'm starting to wonder whether this "peaking" phenomenon is really real haha. I'll have finished Uworld, two weeks out (save for a UWSA). Not going through it again. Then it's just 1-2 weeks of straight FA...

 

[masaraksh]

Hey man, having gone through the process can you compare Rx, UWORLD, and the real deal?