Me Me Me!

[anon-y-mouse]

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Sorry, today's my last day before the exam and I'm freaking out / need a thread. I've done 3 NBME's 2, 3, 4 (261, 262, 260), but I don't really trust them, since I've heard the real test had much longer question stems (which freaks me out). Should I do 5 and 6?? That might expose me more to the newer motifs they've been testing.

My situation:

* finished all of uworld (~66 overall, 70's towards the end)
* 243 on that ridiculously hard UW self-assessment
* today I went through my old UW exams
* Have all books, looked through them once (at least briefly)

Weaknesses:

Endocrine, Cardio (the rest I got *'s)

To be quite honest, all those electrolyte up/down arrows freak me out and I haven't fully made myself comfortable with them. Suggestions?

The medulla in cross section (medial/lateral medullary), random brainsteam arteries / strokes. Stupid first aid has zilch on this.

Which NBME to take? 5 or 6?
How to crash review endocrine / repro / acidbase / cardiac arrows?
What can I cram into my head??
and suggestions on HOW TO NOT FREAK OUT?

---

I'm sure it sounds really absurd that I'm freaking out with the practice scores I got, but I really think those were flukes and tested the things I KNEW, but UWorld had so many places where I kept making the same stupid mistakes. So, not too confident with myself.

Honestly, I am aiming for a 220. If I get that, I'll be happy.

 

[lord_jeebus]

If I were you I would not study a minute longer. You might learn a useful fact or two but saving your energy is more important.

If you must, flip through some basic material. You're going to rock this test.

 

[anon-y-mouse]

If I were you I would not study a minute longer. You might learn a useful fact or two but saving your energy is more important.

If you must, flip through some basic material. You're going to rock this test.

AHHH
Sadly the basics are probably what will kill me 🙁

 

[anon-y-mouse]

And how the freak can I tell whether a question was "that easy" / giveaway or whether they were trying to be tricky?

 

[lord_jeebus]

And how the freak can I tell whether a question was "that easy" / giveaway or whether they were trying to be tricky?

If it seems easy, it almost always is.

The big exception might be graphs - check the axes and make sure they're not trying to make a graph look like something different.

 

[rox]

* finished all of uworld (~66 overall, 70's towards the end)

That sounds like 99 to me.

* To be quite honest, all those electrolyte up/down arrows freak me out and I haven't fully made myself comfortable with them. Suggestions?

They are VERY important, I suggest you familiarize yourself with them if you still have time.

Honestly, I am aiming for a 220. If I get that, I'll be happy.

I think you are way above 220 🙂

 

[BillyRubinstein]

Sorry, today's my last day before the exam and I'm freaking out / need a thread. I've done 3 NBME's 2, 3, 4 (261, 262, 260), but I don't really trust them,

Highly unecesary "freak out post".....you will most likely destroy this exam having scored 260 above 3 times straight - go take it and enjoy your summer and pray for the rest of us😛

 

[The Angriest Bird]

All I want to say is "you need to chill, my friend."

You are in such good shape that being this agitated can only hurt your performance.

 

[BrisketAttack]

anony,

I was in the same boat going into my exam. stellar performance on practice exams and no confidence in what they implied (that I was supposed to rock the real test). I will say this though, my last week freakout and mad scramble to study all those small gaps in my knowledge amounted to nothing whatsoever. step 1 is a thinking test. point blank. there's nothing you're going to learn over the next week that you don't already know. I am not trying to sabotage you. you'll see this to be true once you've taken the real exam. i would take Lord's advice and try to focus on calming down and feeling confident. it will serve you better than cramming minutia into your brain.

 

[ZonaRidicularis]

z

 

[DOCTORSAIB]

I've done 3 NBME's 2, 3, 4 (261, 262, 260)

Honestly, I am aiming for a 220. If I get that, I'll be happy.

Guys, is there an e-smack button on SDN?

 

[anon-y-mouse]

I got the perfect solution for you:

Chill Pill 20mg po qd until you get your score. Relax, you're gonna do great.

isn't there an sl form which will work more quickly? 🙂 and don't chill pills predispose to amnesia? haha... j/k. ps: awesome username.

thanks for the advice everyone. i think i'll just review some graphs, because like goljan, i'm totally graph-******ed.

 

[synapse lapse]

Guys, is there an e-smack button on SDN?

Yeah, more whiny bitches. SDN sure is full of them. Boohoo me I got 260, 260, 260 on my last 3 NBME's and am scoring 70% on UW, will I get an average score? These neurotic, absurd people get on my damn nerves. I have seen about 15 posts like this in the last few weeks.

 

[ZonaRidicularis]

z

 

[anon-y-mouse]

Yeah, more whiny bitches. SDN sure is full of them. Boohoo me I got 260, 260, 260 on my last 3 NBME's and am scoring 70% on UW, will I get an average score? These neurotic, absurd people get on my damn nerves. I have seen about 15 posts like this in the last few weeks.

Honestly, I`m not the best or most diligent student. Above average, but there are still so many things I have no clue about, and there are so many people who have prepared much more consistently and thoroughly than I have, and have a broader depth of knowledge (that includes some of you posting here!). I actually found the UWorld self assessment to be really hard, and sadly I`d get questions wrong that 70% of the people got right! So, mixed messages all over the place have been really undermining my confidence.

 

[R_C_Hutchinson]

:

mixed messages all over the place have been really undermining my confidence.

(261, 262, 260)
finished all of uworld (~66 overall, 70's towards the end)
243 on that ridiculously hard UW self-assessment
Have all books, looked through them once

You are in such good shape

If I were you I would not study a minute longer

You're going to rock this test

 

[GynGuy1983]

Honestly, I`m not the best or most diligent student. Above average, but there are still so many things I have no clue about, and there are so many people who have prepared much more consistently and thoroughly than I have, and have a broader depth of knowledge (that includes some of you posting here!). I actually found the UWorld self assessment to be really hard, and sadly I`d get questions wrong that 70% of the people got right! So, mixed messages all over the place have been really undermining my confidence.

1. If you're an above average student, you will achieve your desired score of a 220 or better (214 being average) and that's not factoring in your current NBME scores.

2. Everyone makes stupid mistakes, it's normal. If people didn't, no one would pass this exam.

3. If I were to get 3 consecutive NBME scores over 260, the last thing I would do would be post some b.s. "woe is me" post about how I'm not going to pass. Get over yourself, you know that you are going to at least pass. You would pass if you went in drunk. If your scores were a 190, 195, 185, then I could understand being worried, but with three 260's, you will get absolutely no sympathy from me.

Before I forget, good luck on the exam. You're going to need it (sarcasm)😛

 

[GynGuy1983]

Man that virtual b*tch slap was so hard it even hurt my feelings.

If you ever need a shoulder to cry on, or someone to give you an erotic massage, I'm your man? 😍

😉

 

[ZonaRidicularis]

z

 

[Anaphylactic]

Yeah, more whiny bitches. SDN sure is full of them. Boohoo me I got 260, 260, 260 on my last 3 NBME's and am scoring 70% on UW, will I get an average score? These neurotic, absurd people get on my damn nerves. I have seen about 15 posts like this in the last few weeks.

Preach on, brother. It seems to me that there are 3 types of b!tches on SDN:

1) The >260 b!tches
2) The <200 b!tches
3) The rest are just b!tches

 

[ZonaRidicularis]

z

 

[LUBDUBB]

Sorry, today's my last day before the exam and I'm freaking out / need a thread. I've done 3 NBME's 2, 3, 4 (261, 262, 260)


My situation:

* finished all of uworld (~66 overall, 70's towards the end)
* 243 on that ridiculously hard UW self-assessment
* today I went through my old UW exams
* Have all books, looked through them once (at least briefly)

Dude, I couldn't crack 260 on an NBME even if I had all my books open in front of me.

 

[DwyaneWade]

Sorry, today's my last day before the exam and I'm freaking out / need a thread. I've done 3 NBME's 2, 3, 4 (261, 262, 260), but I don't really trust them, since I've heard the real test had much longer question stems (which freaks me out). Should I do 5 and 6?? That might expose me more to the newer motifs they've been testing.

My situation:

* finished all of uworld (~66 overall, 70's towards the end)
* 243 on that ridiculously hard UW self-assessment
* today I went through my old UW exams
* Have all books, looked through them once (at least briefly)

Weaknesses:

Endocrine, Cardio (the rest I got *'s)

To be quite honest, all those electrolyte up/down arrows freak me out and I haven't fully made myself comfortable with them. Suggestions?

The medulla in cross section (medial/lateral medullary), random brainsteam arteries / strokes. Stupid first aid has zilch on this.

Which NBME to take? 5 or 6?
How to crash review endocrine / repro / acidbase / cardiac arrows?
What can I cram into my head??
and suggestions on HOW TO NOT FREAK OUT?

---

I'm sure it sounds really absurd that I'm freaking out with the practice scores I got, but I really think those were flukes and tested the things I KNEW, but UWorld had so many places where I kept making the same stupid mistakes. So, not too confident with myself.

Honestly, I am aiming for a 220. If I get that, I'll be happy.

 

[DwyaneWade]

OP, yes you should be worried.

The recent USMLE exams have been much more difficult than any of the NBMEs or the UW Assessment. Your 260s mean nothing, most people score 100 points lower on the actual thing. You should worry about passing, I would recommend pushing back your date (even if you have to pay) to avoid taking this exam again, you do not seem well-prepared at all.

 

[2cr8tive]

lol take it easy on the poor dude... he's just nervous like the rest of us 🙂

 

[GynGuy1983]

Proooooobably shouldn't have ended that with a question mark... just sayin'. lol

My bad love, I'm beat 🙁 Can you give me a massage?

So I guess that means...
200< PIMPS < 260

Keep your pimp hand strong..

It's hard out here for a pimp. . . My trick whoopin' days have been limited due to studying 🙁

OP, yes you should be worried.

The recent USMLE exams have been much more difficult than any of the NBMEs or the UW Assessment. Your 260s mean nothing, most people score 100 points lower on the actual thing. You should worry about passing, I would recommend pushing back your date (even if you have to pay) to avoid taking this exam again, you do not seem well-prepared at all.

+1

I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one that's actually willing to put him in his place.

 

[laputan]

Honestly, I am aiming for a 220. If I get that, I'll be happy.

This is an unfortunate post, but do post your study methods & exam experience after you're done!

Most would predict a 260, but based on a 42T mcat, easily getting through big textbooks like Moore and Robbins over 2 years & even summers, and near perfect NBMEs, I'm betting 270.

 

[osli]

Most would predict a 260, but based on a 42T mcat, easily getting through big textbooks like Moore and Robbins over 2 years & even summers, and near perfect NBMEs, I'm betting 270.

Ouch! Makes me wonder... could that first post even be for real? Surely not.

 

[anon-y-mouse]

Ouch! Makes me wonder... could that first post even be for real? Surely not.

🙄 ugh, I am always misinterpreted.

This is an unfortunate post, but do post your study methods & exam experience after you're done!

Most would predict a 260, but based on a 42T mcat, easily getting through big textbooks like Moore and Robbins over 2 years & even summers, and near perfect NBMEs, I'm betting 270.

Thanks for the (equivocal?) confidence! I hope it works out that way. yes, for full disclosure, I did read big Robbins a few times over the course of the year (I really really love the way it`s written), but I hardly paid attention to physio and biochem while preparing for the USMLE. I have a horrible study ethic and did not do the whole "cardio day" "gi day" etc. structure that seems to be pretty ubiquitous around here, got distracted fairly easily and there are definitely holes in my knowledge. For example, I didnt feel like finishing off reading a chapter in CMMRS a few weeks ago, and still havent read it, and so my knowledge of parasites for the test is going to be limited to what I remember from class. I doubt people should really use me as their role model for anything in terms of learning, but I will certainly post about my test.

lol take it easy on the poor dude... he's just nervous like the rest of us 🙂

thank you 😀

update- so I did nothing today except watch superbad and bake cookies while glancing at RR path pictures. best day ever! I will post on my test tomorrow.

 

[tacrum43]

Honestly, I`m not the best or most diligent student. Above average, but there are still so many things I have no clue about, and there are so many people who have prepared much more consistently and thoroughly than I have, and have a broader depth of knowledge (that includes some of you posting here!). I actually found the UWorld self assessment to be really hard, and sadly I`d get questions wrong that 70% of the people got right! So, mixed messages all over the place have been really undermining my confidence.

Um...didn't you get like a 40 on your MCAT back in the day? And with three NBME with a 260+, I'm sure you have nothing to worry about. Except maybe whether you would rather do your derm residency at Harvard or Johns Hopkins.

Seriously, you're a genius. Just accept it already.

 

[agranulocytosis]

 

[Its_MurDAH]

Um...didn't you get like a 40 on your MCAT back in the day? And with three NBME with a 260+, I'm sure you have nothing to worry about. Except maybe whether you would rather do your derm residency at Harvard or Johns Hopkins.

Seriously, you're a genius. Just accept it already.

The op isn't looking for reassurance. He is looking for praise.
He gets turned on by it. Now that you've said the G-word he got what he wanted.

 

[anon-y-mouse]

The op isn't looking for reassurance. He is looking for praise.
He gets turned on by it. Now that you've said the G-word he got what he wanted.

wtf? w/e... all right. maybe I ought to just get a new user name or something, I feel like I've been branded with some sort of scarlet letter. just because I happen to get lucky a few times, doesn't mean it's going to happen ALL the time and there are times in the past where I haven't been lucky at all... and I definitely feel that my prep hasn't really added up, despite my NBME scores. haven't you ever felt like an impostor at med school, like you've just somehow slipped through, when other people are a lot more diligent than you are? just going to the library freaks me out for this reason. for the record, I wasn't looking for praise. if I'm clearly skeptical of myself, no amount of it from other people is going to shatter my opinion, I'm not some axis II narcissist (despite the title of the thread...🙂). I was just looking for last-minute suggestions and ways to relieve stress.

 

[Its_MurDAH]

wtf? w/e... all right. maybe I ought to just get a new user name or something, I feel like I've been branded with some sort of scarlet letter. just because I happen to get lucky a few times, doesn't mean it's going to happen ALL the time and there are times in the past where I haven't been lucky at all... and I definitely feel that my prep hasn't really added up, despite my NBME scores. haven't you ever felt like an impostor at med school, like you've just somehow slipped through, when other people are a lot more diligent than you are? just going to the library freaks me out for this reason. for the record, I wasn't looking for praise. if I'm clearly skeptical of myself, no amount of it from other people is going to shatter my opinion, I'm not some axis II narcissist (despite the title of the thread...🙂). I was just looking for last-minute suggestions and ways to relieve stress.

I don't want to get into a whole thing here bud but I think I should just let you know since, for some reason, you haven't figured this out in your life. There is nothing more people hate than a person who does well in academics but then just nonchalantly brushes his/her success off as luck or "cramming". If you worked hard for your sh1t then be proud of it. If you didn't, then keep it to yourself.

No one wants to see a person with 260s on their NBMEs claim that he just wants a 220 and oh how nervous I am because I don't know much at all but I somehow managed to score 3 SDs over the mean 3 times in a row anyway, what luck! lol?! and somehow I also got a 40+ on the MCAT but that's just because I had my rabbit's foot with me and not because I studied for it or anything.

And, no dude there is no way someone like you can feel like an impostor. You claim to have read big robbins TWICE and then chalk up your success to luck? Are you kidding me? Having read Robbins throughout the year for Path, I personally know how much time goes into that sh1t so how can you even claim that you "slipped through the cracks". You are making it worse for yourself when you actually try to justify the fact that you are just looking for people to sing your praises.

You are smart, that is undeniable (gettin a boner yet?) but you are still a tool in my book.

 

[osli]

I don't want to get into a whole thing here bud but I think I should just let you know since, for some reason, you haven't figured this out in your life. There is nothing more people hate than a person who does well in academics but then just nonchalantly brushes his/her success off as luck or "cramming". If you worked hard for your sh1t then be proud of it. If you didn't, then keep it to yourself.

No one wants to see a person with 260s on their NBMEs claim that he just wants a 220 and oh how nervous I am because I don't know much at all but I somehow managed to score 3 SDs over the mean 3 times in a row anyway, what luck! lol?! and somehow I also got a 40+ on the MCAT but that's just because I had my rabbit's foot with me and not because I studied for it or anything.

And, no dude there is no way someone like you can feel like an impostor. You claim to have read big robbins TWICE and then chalk up your success to luck? Are you kidding me? Having read Robbins throughout the year for Path, I personally know how much time goes into that sh1t so how can you even claim that you "slipped through the cracks". You are making it worse for yourself when you actually try to justify the fact that you are just looking for people to sing your praises.

You are smart, that is undeniable (gettin a boner yet?) but you are still a tool in my book.

Was thinking the same thing. And yes, I think that feeling the need to put yourself down (when you are in like the top 1%) so that others can build you up may well be a psychological disorder. And if not, at the very least... people hate it, much more so than they hate someone who is smart, knows they are, does well, and does not apologize for it.

You aren't branded from the past... you're branding yourself now.

 

[PeepshowJohnny]

Yeah, I don't want to pile on, but I feel I have to say my part.

Listen, there's a lot of smart people on this website. We get 240's, 250's, 260's every year. And I guarantee all of us have felt the terror that "This will be the one I screw up."

I felt it before Step 1. I felt it before each of my shelf exams this year. I felt it before every anatomy test first year and plenty of other big ones first and second year. Talking to my friends who are high achievers, they've felt it too.

There's nothing wrong with feeling that way. There's nothing wrong with desiring reassurance.

It'd be fine and honest to say "I'm afraid I can't live up to my potential. I know people have high expectations for me on this exam." People still may razz you, but I guarantee most of us understand the feeling

But the way you've phrased the post rankles people. Getting 40+ on the MCAT, getting 240+'s on self assessments and NBMEs that's not luck. That's skill and knowledge. You know and I know that in all honesty you're going to not be happy with an "average" 220. Saying "Aw shucks, I did awesome in the past, but it was all luck!" just sounds either naive or manipulative.

Again, I don't want to beat up on you because I felt the same way. But you're going to continue to annoy people through your whole career if you keep this attitude. Next year people will roll their eyes when you say "I'm worried about my peds shelf. I really struggled on rounds and I haven't studied that much!" but you answer every pimp question on rounds or in lecture. Or say "I'm really scared I'm going to fail boards!" even though you're the darling of the residency program.

 

[78222]

Preach on, brother. It seems to me that there are 3 types of b!tches on SDN:

1) The >260 b!tches
2) The <200 b!tches
3) The rest are just b!tches

tru dat

 

[anon-y-mouse]

Yeah, I don't want to pile on, but I feel I have to say my part.

Listen, there's a lot of smart people on this website. We get 240's, 250's, 260's every year. And I guarantee all of us have felt the terror that "This will be the one I screw up."

I felt it before Step 1. I felt it before each of my shelf exams this year. I felt it before every anatomy test first year and plenty of other big ones first and second year. Talking to my friends who are high achievers, they've felt it too.

There's nothing wrong with feeling that way. There's nothing wrong with desiring reassurance.

It'd be fine and honest to say "I'm afraid I can't live up to my potential. I know people have high expectations for me on this exam." People still may razz you, but I guarantee most of us understand the feeling

But the way you've phrased the post rankles people. Getting 40+ on the MCAT, getting 240+'s on self assessments and NBMEs that's not luck. That's skill and knowledge. You know and I know that in all honesty you're going to not be happy with an "average" 220. Saying "Aw shucks, I did awesome in the past, but it was all luck!" just sounds either naive or manipulative.

Again, I don't want to beat up on you because I felt the same way. But you're going to continue to annoy people through your whole career if you keep this attitude. Next year people will roll their eyes when you say "I'm worried about my peds shelf. I really struggled on rounds and I haven't studied that much!" but you answer every pimp question on rounds or in lecture. Or say "I'm really scared I'm going to fail boards!" even though you're the darling of the residency program.

Thanks, this is really good advice. For the record, I didn't put my MCAT score up here, but that isn't really relevant. Surprisingly I took all my med school exams fairly lightly (though I still did fine) and didn't show the 'omg, freakout' attitude that so many people around me had, and ended up being the one rolling my eyes at the people around me. I read Robbins because I felt like it could make me a better doctor, not for some school exam, and so I retained only the things that were really relevant to me, and not necessarily the nit-pick details of little clinical significance. Something just snapped in me for this test, when I realized that maybe some small detail about, say, the PAS stain could show up, and I wouldn't know it because I hadn't reviewed as diligently and thoroughly as everyone else around me. Part of it is my insecurity about my work ethic and difficulty doing things just because I 'have to'. I don't think I belong in the league of people who fare well on tests because I'm definitely lacking in a lot of ways, and I'm scared it's going to catch up with me someday. Anyway, you have a really good point, and fortunately I'm not like this in person. Thanks for listening to my bitchfest everyone, I will definitely choose my words much better next time.

(though, yes, honestly, I would be happy with a 220!)