Is it possible to take the NBME basic science subject exams on my own?

[sunealoneal]

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I was looking at the website, but I could only find pages talking about practice Step 1 exams. I want to be able to take the basic science subject exams and see how I do compared to my peers nationally. Is this possible? Slash is there another resource I can use to compare my performance nationally?

 

[Frazier]

I was looking at the website, but I could only find pages talking about practice Step 1 exams. I want to be able to take the basic science exams and see how I do compared to my peers nationally. Is this possible? Slash is there another resource I can use to compare my performance nationally?

Sure. Take a CBSSA*. If you score a projected 180 you suck. If you score a projected 250, you're baller.

*they also give you a pwrformance breakdown by subject.

 

[sunealoneal]

I should make myself clearer, I meant the subject exams, not the cumulative ones.

 

[fssca20]

I don't think you can do this, and if you could..what a tremendous waste of time. If you really want a rough idea of where you're at then just get USMLE-Rx or Kaplan Qbank and do all the questions in that subject. You'll see roughly how you stack up, and you'll actually be able to read explanations and learn something. NBME subject exams are used by different schools for different purposes. Some might give them as a final exam worth 30% of your grade, and others just merely require you take it. Thus, the score you get, while probably the best available approximation, isn't necessarily entirely meaningful anyway.

 

[Flamen04]

Sure. Take a CBSSA. If you score a projected 180 you suck. If you score a projected 250, you're baller.

You can definitely get a projected score of 180 and still score a 250 on the real thing so idk what you're talking about

 

[Frazier]

You can definitely get a projected score of 180 and still score a 250 on the real thing so idk what you're talking about

I never said one couldn't do that.

It is so very unlikely that a person takes nbme 16 (for example) on Tuesday scoring a 180 and then scores a 250 the very next day on the real thing.

Even if your next post is going to be "that's what I did!"...doesn't matter, still so very unlikely.

 

[Flamen04]

I never said one couldn't do that.

It is so very unlikely that a person takes nbme 16 (for example) on Tuesday scoring a 180 and then scores a 250 the very next day on the real thing.

Even if your next post is going to be "that's what I did!"...doesn't matter, still so very unlikely.

Yes, but the OP also never said he would take one NBME one day and the real thing the very next day. Your comment served no purpose and only would discourage him if he scored a 180 on his first practice test.

 

[Frazier]

Yes, but the OP also never said he would take one NBME one day and the real thing the very next day. Your comment served no purpose and only would discourage him if he scored a 180 on his first practice test.

Yes? ...and I never said OP did. I was replying to your non sequitur.

Actually OP said they wanted a snapshot of where they stand against their peers across the nation.

NBME shows a breakdown by subject as to how you performed compared to the larger field (ie below average, borderline, above average).

It would be exactly a snapshot of their strengths and weaknesses across subjects.

You are being confrontational and not even for something meaningful, as you are wrong. Your posts have served no purpose as you are making up the argument from thin air.

 

[mcloaf]

I don't think you can do this, and if you could..what a tremendous waste of time.

This.

 

[sunealoneal]

I don't think you can do this, and if you could..what a tremendous waste of time. If you really want a rough idea of where you're at then just get USMLE-Rx or Kaplan Qbank and do all the questions in that subject. You'll see roughly how you stack up, and you'll actually be able to read explanations and learn something. NBME subject exams are used by different schools for different purposes. Some might give them as a final exam worth 30% of your grade, and others just merely require you take it. Thus, the score you get, while probably the best available approximation, isn't necessarily entirely meaningful anyway.

This.

Thanks guys. I'll do some Q-banks this summer.

 

[mcloaf]

Thanks guys. I'll do some Q-banks this summer.

My quote was only in reference to not doing subject exams. Doing qbanks during m1 summer is probably also a waste of your time assuming you're not in a curriculum where you get thorough pathology and pharmacology instruction during the first year.

 

[fssca20]

My was only in reference to not doing subject exams. Doing qbanks during m1 summer is probably also a waste of your time assuming you're not in a curriculum where you get thorough pathology and pharmacology instruction during the first year.

There is some truth to that, but I'm also of the opinion that you can never do enough Qbank questions. Keep in mind that the Qbanks (and Step 1) often integrate various topics into a single question. So an anatomy question can be presented within the context of path/pharm, and if you haven't yet taken those subjects, probably won't be able to answer the question. Thus, don't be discouraged if your average is at or below other students.

 

[sunealoneal]

My was only in reference to not doing subject exams. Doing qbanks during m1 summer is probably also a waste of your time assuming you're not in a curriculum where you get thorough pathology and pharmacology instruction during the first year.

We have a systems curriculum, so we've done relevant path, micro, pharm in each of the systems we've done so far.

 

[mcloaf]

There is some truth to that, but I'm also of the opinion that you can never do enough Qbank questions. Keep in mind that the Qbanks (and Step 1) often integrate various topics into a single question. So an anatomy question can be presented within the context of path/pharm, and if you haven't yet taken those subjects, probably won't be able to answer the question. Thus, don't be discouraged if your average is at or below other students.

I also think more questions is better, I've done Rx and Kaplan and am now doing UWorld. I just don't think it makes any sense to do questions before you've been taught the requisite material to answer them. At least for me much of the value of questions is showing me the gaps in my existing knowledge, it seems less useful if the takeaway from doing a question is just "I haven't taken pharmacology yet." That being said, it's kind of moot since it sounds like what I'm saying doesn't apply to OP.