did uworld help improve your nbme score?

[Medical Seed]

I took nbme 20 on 3/22 and got 189. This was the start of my dedicated period (starting uworld all random, timed). The way I do uworld is I do 80q everyday and as I review all 80q, I highlight important sentences or things that are new for me. And next day, I again do new 80q and review those, and on top of that, I review what I highlighted yesterday (80q). So basically I do 80 new q (including review) and review old 80 q highlighted sentences. This takes about 9-10.5 hours each day. On 4/4, I took nbme 21 and got 212. With nbme score improvement in 2 weeks, I thought I was on the right track. I kept following that exhausting schedule (80 new q, 80 old q =10hours/day) but I was happy at the end of the day, thinking about how much tremendous amount of info I learned everyday and they are still in my brain... and I finished uworld yesterday. I started with 60% correct but I ended up with 65%.

Since my last nbme was one and half months ago, I took nbme 22 today. and I received 205. 7 points down from the last nbme.

I honestly have no word to say. If nbme is really a good predictor, then I don't understand why people say uworld is the best resource. I don't know what to do. I already have read first aid, watched pathoma, sketchy, and finished all usmle-rx q (I even did incorrect again) before dedicated. I absolutely went back to first aid+sketchy again as I did uworld. My plan was to do uworld incorrect again and move on to amboss. But I don't know what to do at this point. I think another qbank will improve my qbank grades like how I improved my uworld from 60% to 65%. Also, I really do know that I can learn a lot from qbanks. But I realized that qbanks will never increase my nbme score.
I'm gonna review my nbme tmrw but I don't know what to do after. I am afraid of doing another hard work again (10h study/day) with amboss and seeing another 205 on my next nbme after finishing amboss. guys... this is really hard.. my uworld is above the national average but this means nothing in nbme... how can people do bad in uworld but do really well in nbme? T_T...

Any advice?? I don't need emotional support like 'don't think about nbme. just focus on your work'. If this score really shows a red flag, then I have to take it seriously.

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[Dantes]

You have to take into account that the new NBMEs can underpredict by 10+ points. Not sure what happened with that recent practice test but it could have assessed your weak points. If you feel like you're forgetting details you can make Anki cards for your incorrects. Have you taken UWSA or NBME 18?

 

[Medical Seed]

You have to take into account that the new NBMEs can underpredict by 10+ points. Not sure what happened with that recent practice test but it could have assessed your weak points. If you feel like you're forgetting details you can make Anki cards for your incorrects. Have you taken UWSA or NBME 18?

I wouldn't post this thread if my low nbme score just came from forgetting details.. At least I am sure I studied uworld thoroughly by looking at my uworld improvement from 60% > 65%.. There were 1-2 questions out of 200 that I got wrong bc I forgot like what you said. But it would be only 1 or 2 points difference.. I haven't taken UWSA or NBME 18 yet since i heard these are the best one. I'd like to keep it till the end. What would you do if you were me? More q banks will improve my q bank scores, but I don't think it will improve my nbme. I seriously felt that today.

 

[hungrydoc710]

Pretty much in your same boat with NBME scores and UW %.

UW is most representative of what the real test is like - otherwise it wouldn't be God's gift to med students like 95% of med students say.

I honestly think NBME questions are quite poor. I literally do them so I can't look back and be like 'damn maybe I would have scored higher or had more stamina if I did more NBME's'. I've done 3 (19, 17, 15), and like I said, I do them to do them - I don't even review them bc time is better spent on UW or crushing anki.

Having said that, I plan to go thru UW in it's entirely again - will be done with first pass in a wk or so.
I will take NBME 16 in 2 wks, then do UW1 and save 18 and UW2 for early July - my exam is July 8th.

This process truly sucks - can't wait for it to be over.

 

[Hopeful101]

I felt the same way! My Uworld percentage wasn't as good as yours. 59%...but I scored 241 on both the uworld sims and got about 72% right on both of them. Took both sims and a NBME in 4 day span at the end of dedicated. Got a 210 on the NBME, but what was interesting was that I counted (pananoidly) and realized I got 69% of the questions right so I was right in line with the general number of questions right as I was getting in the UWORLD SIMS.
Took actual USMLE 2 weeks ago and honestly it wasn't like either. Felt like maybe it was half way between both. So I hope I didn't get a 210 but who knows. I'm hoping that my consistent raw score means something. Is your raw score similar to the UWORLD SIMS?


EDIT: I just realized this is a couple weeks old. Did you improve or make any realizations, or take the test already?

 

[Medical Seed]

I felt the same way! My Uworld percentage wasn't as good as yours. 59%...but I scored 241 on both the uworld sims and got about 72% right on both of them. Took both sims and a NBME in 4 day span at the end of dedicated. Got a 210 on the NBME, but what was interesting was that I counted (pananoidly) and realized I got 69% of the questions right so I was right in line with the general number of questions right as I was getting in the UWORLD SIMS.
Took actual USMLE 2 weeks ago and honestly it wasn't like either. Felt like maybe it was half way between both. So I hope I didn't get a 210 but who knows. I'm hoping that my consistent raw score means something. Is your raw score similar to the UWORLD SIMS?


EDIT: I just realized this is a couple weeks old. Did you improve or make any realizations, or take the test already?

My USMLE is in a month so I didn't take UWORLD SIMS yet haha. I am doing amboss and hitting 72% correct on average (88th percentile) though my nbmes were horrible T_T. Imma take UWORLD SIM 1 in 2 weeks. I will keep it posted Thank you for sharing your experience!

 

[hungrydoc710]

NBME 16 went better for me, but not near my target score really.
I hope the actual exam feels more like UW.

I'm taking UW1 in a week or so. NBME July 1, and UW2 July 6.
Exam on July 8th.

Currently going thru UW a second time and continuing the anki grind.

 

[Hopeful101]

My USMLE is in a month so I didn't take UWORLD SIMS yet haha. I am doing amboss and hitting 72% correct on average (88th percentile) though my nbmes were horrible T_T. Imma take UWORLD SIM 1 in 2 weeks. I will keep it posted Thank you for sharing your experience!

Yes! and if it helps, I'll let you know how it ended up going for me too....as long as I didn't do too embarrassingly

 

[Isoval]

Not really. My first NBME (15) was a 196, my second (17) was a 215, and my third (19) was a 217. Two weeks between the first two and three between the last two.

I didn't find the NBMEs helpful and I can say definitively that the real exam is nothing like the NBMEs.

My lowest UWSA was 24 points higher than my highest NBME; the real exam felt a lot like the UWSAs to me. Think UWSA but with a bunch of bulls*** curveball "wtf is this" questions thrown in.

 

[Medical Seed]

Not really. My first NBME (15) was a 196, my second (17) was a 215, and my third (19) was a 217. Two weeks between the first two and three between the last two.

I didn't find the NBMEs helpful and I can say definitively that the real exam is nothing like the NBMEs.

My lowest UWSA was 24 points higher than my highest NBME; the real exam felt a lot like the UWSAs to me. Think UWSA but with a bunch of bulls*** curveball "wtf is this" questions thrown in.

wow so so so so so so so so good to know!! Thank you for your reply <3 really helpful comment

 

[hungrydoc710]

Can you review UW exams in full?

I'm taking UW1 on Sat and was wondering if this means I need to also review this exam the following day... reducing my hopeful attempt to do another pass of the UW bank by test date.

 

[Isoval]

Can you review UW exams in full?

I'm taking UW1 on Sat and was wondering if this means I need to also review this exam the following day... reducing my hopeful attempt to do another pass of the UW bank by test date.

yes.

 

[Drpaeru]

I felt the same way! My Uworld percentage wasn't as good as yours. 59%...but I scored 241 on both the uworld sims and got about 72% right on both of them. Took both sims and a NBME in 4 day span at the end of dedicated. Got a 210 on the NBME, but what was interesting was that I counted (pananoidly) and realized I got 69% of the questions right so I was right in line with the general number of questions right as I was getting in the UWORLD SIMS.
Took actual USMLE 2 weeks ago and honestly it wasn't like either. Felt like maybe it was half way between both. So I hope I didn't get a 210 but who knows. I'm hoping that my consistent raw score means something. Is your raw score similar to the UWORLD SIMS?


EDIT: I just realized this is a couple weeks old. Did you improve or make any realizations, or take the test already?

Hey what was your step one score?
If you don’t mind me sharing
I’m in same situation and plan to give xm in 30 days or so
Should I give or postpone don’t know

 

[Hopeful101]

Hey what was your step one score?
If you don’t mind me sharing
I’m in same situation and plan to give xm in 30 days or so
Should I give or postpone don’t know

220.....Do more NBME exams and see. I don't know what you should do if that doesn't help because postponing it into rotations would be rough

 

[hungrydoc710]

NBME's are trash. Bank on UW content.

 

[Hopeful101]

NBME's are trash. Bank on UW content.

Disagree. Do NBME's until you get a handle on the question type because step feels like a combo of UWORLD and NBME.

 

[hungrydoc710]

Disagree. Do NBME's until you get a handle on the question type because step feels like a combo of UWORLD and NBME.

Step felt like Free120. Maybe it was just my form, but it couldn't have felt less like an NBME.
Straight up felt like 7 UW blocks.