Just got wrecked by first NBME...please advise

[nm825]

---

Members do not see this ad.

I just took a NBME and got a 211 (for what it's worth, I got a 239 of UWSA1 last night). I'm really down in the dumps about this.

My dedicated time is just beginning; I have 6.5 weeks until the real thing.

So far in the last month, I've done all organ systems besides Repro, Heme, and Endo; I haven't don't any Biochem or anything before the organ systems in FA.

I'm about 60% of the way done with UWorld.


Is it possible for me to improve 20-25 points in the next 6.5 weeks, or should I consider postponing my test?

 

[Rahas]

From what I've seen people regularly improve 20-30 points or even more during dedicated. Also your dedicated period is longer than average and you've already gone over a significant amount of UW. No reason to consider postponing at the moment imo.

I think AMGs will be able to give better advice though.

 

[ikat]

I think you will definitely be able to improve, especially with 6.5 weeks to go- I was in a similar spot when I took my first NBME and was very discouraged, but saw significant improvement on the rest of my NBMEs/UWSAs taken within the following 1-2 weeks. I don't think one NBME by itself is necessarily predictive, especially when taken at the beginning of dedicated- could just have been heavy on content you haven't covered yet, or one with a harsh curve (I've heard NBME 19 scores in general are much lower than the other NBMEs for some reason). Good luck! 🙂

 

[quincyfuturemd]

I just took a NBME and got a 211 (for what it's worth, I got a 239 of UWSA1 last night). I'm really down in the dumps about this.

My dedicated time is just beginning; I have 6.5 weeks until the real thing.

So far in the last month, I've done all organ systems besides Repro, Heme, and Endo; I haven't don't any Biochem or anything before the organ systems in FA.

I'm about 60% of the way done with UWorld.


Is it possible for me to improve 20-25 points in the next 6.5 weeks, or should I consider postponing my test?

Just to throw in some encouragement with a similar experience, I started off with a 249 UWSA1 and then got a 225 on my first nbme and since it was a big drop I was pretty bummed out too. A few weeks later on the next nbme I got a 236 and then jumped to the 240s (ranging from 240 to 248) a couple weeks after that. In total about 2 months from the 225. I wouldn't worry about postponing this early on and 211 isn't a bad baseline at all.

Edit: I had also finished uworld before my first online nbme which helped alot

 

[tank1828]

I just took a NBME and got a 211 (for what it's worth, I got a 239 of UWSA1 last night). I'm really down in the dumps about this.

My dedicated time is just beginning; I have 6.5 weeks until the real thing.

So far in the last month, I've done all organ systems besides Repro, Heme, and Endo; I haven't don't any Biochem or anything before the organ systems in FA.

I'm about 60% of the way done with UWorld.


Is it possible for me to improve 20-25 points in the next 6.5 weeks, or should I consider postponing my test?

What percentage right was the 211?

 

[LyMed]

You'll be fine. I got a great score and I failed my first test. I think you're in great shape to improve. Make sure you check your progress with NBME and look at your weak spots.

 

[nm825]

What percentage right was the 211?

~76%

 

[nm825]

just an update: I took nbme 15 one week after the original post and got a 230.

I took NBME 17 today and got a 240.

 

[LyMed]

Good job, bud. Keep working hard.