Freaking out - need advice!!

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nope80

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I am scheduled to take the exam in exactly 3 weeks. I have been studying for 2 and am consistently at a 50-55% on UWORLD. This is on stuff that I've actually studied. No matter how much harder I study, my score doesn't budge. I'm really starting to flip out because the exam is getting closer and closer. And there are topics that I have yet to study. What do you all think? Am I in a really bad position? Any advice? Anyone in the same position and pull it off???

Pleeeease help!!!
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I have been having the same problem. My UW scores have not moved at all in 7 weeks (I've basically finished it), but I have just been trying to not let it get to me. The good news is that my practice exams have improved, so something must be working. I just try to keep in mind that UW is a learning tool and not supposed to be an indicator of success.. so try to learn from it and try not to get too frustrated! :luck:
 
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nope80 said:
I am scheduled to take the exam in exactly 3 weeks. I have been studying for 2 and am consistently at a 50-55% on UWORLD. This is on stuff that I've actually studied. No matter how much harder I study, my score doesn't budge. I'm really starting to flip out because the exam is getting closer and closer. And there are topics that I have yet to study. What do you all think? Am I in a really bad position? Any advice? Anyone in the same position and pull it off???

Pleeeease help!!!
Click to expand...
At least your scores aren't going down...!

Just kidding. But not really.

How are you doing on practice exams? Are you running out of time when you're doing UWorld questions? Are you missing questions because you didn't know the content, misread the question, or made a silly mistake?
 
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I guess I'm just nervous that there isn't enough time?? Is three weeks enough? I have only done 35% of uworld so far.

No, I never have an issue with time. I'm always done way early. The questions I get wrong, are usually the more random details that I haven't studied or did study at one point and just don't remember.

I just don't have if I am going to have enough time - it seems like everyone else on here has been studying for twice the amount. I'm really starting to lose my cool:(
 
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UW is supposed to cold clock you with a sucker punch, kick you in the genitals while you're down, wait for you to finally get back up, then put a sledge hammer to your dome.
 
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Captopril said:
UW is supposed to cold clock you with a sucker punch, kick you in the genitals while you're down, wait for you to finally get back up, then put a sledge hammer to your dome.
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Oh good, then it's working. OP: I'm in the same position. I'm in the 50's, random and timed. About 2 weeks into actual studying. I'm getting creamed, but finally my scores are starting to stabilize a bit more (before they were everywhere). Haven't taken a practice NBME yet because I'm too chicken.
 
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silas2642 said:
Oh good, then it's working. OP: I'm in the same position. I'm in the 50's, random and timed. About 2 weeks into actual studying. I'm getting creamed, but finally my scores are starting to stabilize a bit more (before they were everywhere). Haven't taken a practice NBME yet because I'm too chicken.
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In the same position here. Exactly 3 weeks out, UW scores having stabilized into the 50s. I feel like my fund of knowledge is expanding but UW is showing a knack of bringing of questions on things I just simply do. not. know. and my scores seem stuck in the 50-60 range (I'm almost always within 3% of the mean score on my blocks).

My NBME scores are up but still well below my goal. Eeesh.
 
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Just starting to study for the test, 4 wks out. I have yet to read first aid but I worked real hard in pathology this year, esp this quarter. I'm in mid 50s usually. There is a ton of stuff that I don't yet know that I hope is covered well in First Aid, but I think that having a pretty good grasp on pathology has helped me make educated guesses or at least eliminate a few options each time. Maybe you should take a day or two off and go through BRS path or Golijan path, then start back up with UW and see if your scores improve.

Good luck!
 
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how does your school even allow 7 weeks to study for USMLE? That's awesome.

I wish I had 7 weeks for USMLE :)

You shouldn't really look too much on your % score for USMLE World, especially since you do everything by section, which is not fully indicative of what the test will be like. Secondly, one of my friends who took the exam, recommended that I focus on "less actual studying (reading)" and more learning from questions and reading the answers (right and wrong).
 
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Yeah I'm usually in the 50s to low 60s... but got a couple blocks of 35~40s these past couple days

haha I'm screwed :laugh:
 
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nope80 said:
No, I never have an issue with time. I'm always done way early. The questions I get wrong, are usually the more random details that I haven't studied or did study at one point and just don't remember.
Click to expand...

At the very beginning, I tried slowing it down a bit and I did get maybe one or two extra questions right. If you just take an extra few seconds per question, you can try to use those few seconds to approach the question from another angle, and then something might pop out at you. You're right though, I feel like I know so much more than I did when I started UW. And the things that I know, I know with more confidence... but UW always finds little things that I don't know!!! I think that's why we pay them to write the questions though...

Ihateverbal, my school actually only gives us 5 weeks and most of us take a week of vacation so that's 4 weeks. So most of my classmates and I actually started studying during our last trimester. Wednesday and Friday and then I'll be done. It's been a long couple of months... :)
 
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Hey guys. Same boat. Always in the 50s. sometimes I get that great test where i am in the 70s or the horrible test where I score 40% :-(. I have been writing down most of what I have been getting wrong so I hope to learn those answers and review the wrong questions again for each subject. I really don't have a clue as to what to do. Any advice would be great.
 
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Ihateverbal said:
how does your school even allow 7 weeks to study for USMLE? That's awesome.

I wish I had 7 weeks for USMLE :)

You shouldn't really look too much on your % score for USMLE World, especially since you do everything by section, which is not fully indicative of what the test will be like. Secondly, one of my friends who took the exam, recommended that I focus on "less actual studying (reading)" and more learning from questions and reading the answers (right and wrong).
Click to expand...

Meh, Im on my 2nd week of studying and i already want to take the damn test. I cant imagine the torture of 7 weeks of studying. More vacation time does sound nice though.
Keep doing mostly UW questions and supplement with FA/Goljan, FA is useless to study dry from. Ive found that after doing 2-3 full blocks a day of questions and studying the answers, reading FA is more efficient. Granted I did some prereading of Biochem/BRS path/ BRS physio during my last block of the year.
 
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nope80 said:
I am scheduled to take the exam in exactly 3 weeks. I have been studying for 2 and am consistently at a 50-55% on UWORLD. This is on stuff that I've actually studied. No matter how much harder I study, my score doesn't budge. I'm really starting to flip out because the exam is getting closer and closer. And there are topics that I have yet to study. What do you all think? Am I in a really bad position? Any advice? Anyone in the same position and pull it off???

Pleeeease help!!!
Click to expand...

Try to get the questions down to 2 answers. I routinely look for the best 2 answers. On UW, it's very hard to get it down to 1 answer on all of them. I feel like I know about 40% of the answers, and guess w/ 2 options on the remaining 60%. Don't get discouraged...just hang in there and do your best. Do a post-mortem after the exam.
 
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After studying my worst subjects my score went up a lot. For me that was biochem, genetics, immuno, and pharm. If you haven't already studied your worst subjects, get it to it and your score should improve. Take a few days, don't rush, and don't do questions if you don't want (at least that's what I did). Don't study things you already know. And I too get nervous when I find out people have been studying months, but 90% of US med schools give <6 weeks which is really all we need!
 
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Did you change your schedule around a bit to do this? I'm just so nervous about the time and feel so pressured! Yes, my weakest subjects are constantly coming up. Micro, genetics, random biochemistry. ugh...
 
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UW can't communicate and doesn't have a conscience. It will relentlessly assault you with brain tumor questions no matter how many times you yell at it that you haven't studied that yet . . .
 
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What you mean I'm not alone in this world of 50% right on UW.... And here I was thinking it was JUST me (reading some posts here will do that to you).

Anyhow in other news, apparently 'cancer is BAD' and 'RBC's (whatever THOSE are) can have a lot of strange problems with metal and getting bitten???'
 
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thank god there are other ppl in my boat, i have the exact same scenario, been studying 2 wks, have 3 wks left and consistently making 50% on UW
 
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