How I failed Step 1

[godschosenone]

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Seriously, I don't know. I missed by only a few points after scoring 221 (average) on NBME form 1. My exam was neuro heavy with lots of MRIs and bizarre questions. My most recent exam was much easier and much more like the stuff in FA. Having seen 2 real Step 1 exams, I know there is inequity in how the questions get divvied up. Cheers!

 

[Ambs]

You failed on the 2nd one also? Or am I not getting your post?

 

[Scaredshizzles]

He just retook it and is waiting for scores was my take.

Yea, I don't know what was up with neuro but many June test takers complained of it.

 

[futrorthodr]

I took my test early July, and it was also extremely neuro heavy with quite a few WTF questions.

 

[Ambs]

Oh, I see.

I had a lot of neuro on my exam also - pathways, lesions, MRIs, anatomy... (took it in June)

 

[Pinkertinkle]

That sucks, I wish u good luck with the retake.

 

[Taurus]

It's the just the luck of the draw. That's why you have to prepare for everything.

 

[docjolly]

It's the just the luck of the draw. That's why you have to prepare for everything.

This is very true. I don't really care what anyone says, concerning the predominance of path, physio, and pharm. Step I is a mixture of everything, and being strong in 3 areas, while neglecting the 3 (Biochemistry, Anatomy, and Behavior Sciences) is a formula for disaster...

My Step I exam was HEAVILY biochem (btw, biochem = my weakest area👎). But bless the Lord, I passed 🙂

To the OP, how many NBME exams did you take? From your original post, it seems as though you only took one....

 

[domer621]

This is very true. I don't really care what anyone says, concerning the predominance of path, physio, and pharm. Step I is a mixture of everything, and being strong in 3 areas, while neglecting the 3 (Biochemistry, Anatomy, and Behavior Sciences) is a formula for disaster...

Agreed... although most of my test was path/phys/pharm, behavioral science was also well-represented and shot down my score in the end. 😡

 

[EricVorheese]

It's the just the luck of the draw. That's why you have to prepare for everything.

I agree. Based on this thread, one may get the impression that the test really is neuro heavy, but keep in mind that the ppl who responded saying their test was neuro heavy may have done it as a knee-jerk response. Kinda like "oh! this person's test was neuro heavy, mine was too!" and all the ppl who had a lot of neuro end up posting here, while ppl who didn't have a lot of neuro (like me for instance) don't say anything.


for all you know, your specific test may be very well balanced

 

[godschosenone]

This is very true. I don't really care what anyone says, concerning the predominance of path, physio, and pharm. Step I is a mixture of everything, and being strong in 3 areas, while neglecting the 3 (Biochemistry, Anatomy, and Behavior Sciences) is a formula for disaster...

My Step I exam was HEAVILY biochem (btw, biochem = my weakest area👎). But bless the Lord, I passed 🙂

To the OP, now many NBME exams did you take? From your original post, it seems as though you only took one....

I made the mistake of only taking one NBME. And I didn't realize at the time that I took the easiest version. I should clarify that my 1st shot @ Step 1 was Neuro heavy. My 2nd exam was well-balanced. My point (as others have said): Luck of the draw. Plus, you have to prepare for everything and anything. I'd suggest to others not to bother with NBME form 1 - (which I discovered after the fact) - is the first one created and apparently the easiest. I dropped almost 40 points from Form 1 to the real exam (which is unheard of).

 

[Scaredshizzles]

I don't know how fair it is taurus. Very, very few people know anatomy, neuro, and biochem as well as path and pharm going into the test----most people just read FA for first year type topics, not to mention they are a year removed already. So while most people prepare for everything, almost no one prepares as well for those other subjects, because quite frankly they are not all that important....how many metabolic disease patients are you going to encounter on the wards and in practice? Or how many spinal cord hemisections are you gonna see in real life?? You're gonna see a lot of breast cancer though, etc.

 

[blz]

I made the mistake of only taking one NBME. And I didn't realize at the time that I took the easiest version. I should clarify that my 1st shot @ Step 1 was Neuro heavy. My 2nd exam was well-balanced. My point (as others have said): Luck of the draw. Plus, you have to prepare for everything and anything. I'd suggest to others not to bother with NBME form 1 - (which I discovered after the fact) - is the first one created and apparently the easiest. I dropped almost 40 points from Form 1 to the real exam (which is unheard of).

i only took one NBME, form 1 actually. scored 30 points higher than it on my real test.

 

[PeepshowJohnny]

As someone who destroyed neuro in M1 and M2 topics, I still think my Step 1 was too neuro heavy. If they wanted want ot make Step 1 more "clinically relevant" like they want, I'd decrease the amount of neuro questions. Questions about brain vasculature and stroke are okay, as well as cranial nerve lesions. But asking somebody to identify a nucleus on a cut section of a thalamus? Questions like that shouldn't be as common as I've heard of them being.

In my opinion, I'd decrease the amount of neuro and biochem slightly. I think clinically relevant/surface anatomy should be emphasized more. On rotations nobody gives a crap if I can name the three irreversible steps of glycolysis. They want me to tell them where exactly I should stick the central venous catheter.

 

[doctorp82]

i noticed a lot of neuro-musculoskeletal films and such. I heard a couple of high-scoring classmates mention the behavioral science questions threw them off a bit too.

I thought the hard questions were the receptor kinetics/pharm kinetics type questions, because I had a hard time remembering how a Lineweaver/Burke plot works.

 

[mudphudwannabe]

Yeah, I had a lot of behavioral and psych questions that were harder than I expected -- the kind where 2 answers seem right. I was on vacation last week and our held mail wasn't delivered on Saturday like it was supposed to be...so I'm still waiting...

 

[kykie]

i totally agree with you about the exam being neuro heavy!I took my exams late in may,and after the exam, what i was most worried about was the number of neuro anatomy questions, i guess what made it worse was the fact that it was a weak area for me to start with.During my final revison, i tried to focus on it, but i just wasnt able to put all those things in my head.This was reflected in my score report,i had a upper-borderline-lower performance in anatomy and i had a borderline upper in CNS and special systems.
I was abit upset that i dropped 9 points from my NBME,but seeing ur post now, i realize i should feel very lucky!!!!!
I guess what we should learn from all this is that, we cannot afford to be weak in any area on preparing for these exams,because u just never know

 

[godschosenone]

i only took one NBME, form 1 actually. scored 30 points higher than it on my real test.

So b/t you and me, Form 1 is +/-70 points. That's a pretty wide spread.

I blame myself for not doing enough research on the NBME forms. I blame the question distribution method (whatever that is... ) for giving me an imbalance of questions--esp ones I was unable to answer correctly. When it's luck of the draw, which inevitably it is, you must prepare for whatever comes your way. Perhaps I should have done differently. I just hope someone does something a little better so that they learn from my mistakes.