My USMLE Step 1 Experience, studying and exam experience...

[Coxsuckie Virus]

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So I just took the USMLE Step 1 on Friday. And I have to say it was crazy the differences in how I felt from block to block. Did anyone else have a similar experience? I'll give you some background and then run through my exam experience.

I studied for the Step 1 at a library an hour from my house. I'd listen to Goljian lectures to and from each day over the course of about 30 days. All I did to study was questions, questions, questions from USMLE World, mainly, and Kaplan Q-Bank the last week before the week of my exam.

At the end I was averaging 75% on Kaplan randoms and about the same on UWorld, at my peak I had 3 consecutive 80% on the UW exams and I was in high spirits. I would complete 50 question blocks in about 25-35 minutes with consistancy. The longer I took on blocks, or the more "marked" questions I left for myself at the end of a block, the worse I would do. I found that I would generally get 30% of ?s left unanswered the first time through correct.

I stayed in a hotel with wireless internet the night of the exam as not to have to drive to the test center, and so I could not be distracted in anyway. I got up at 5:30 the day of and just ran through the some UW exams to get my brain warmed up and get used to the computer format again.

I got to the center only to find that their computer screens SUCK. CRT monitors, you'd think with the money they get that they'd have some nice plasma or LCD screens. But these things were old, obsolete flickering POS's that would induce a seizure in a nonepileptic.

EXAM

So I did the first 3 blocks in a row. I believe I only had spare time on one of them, about 2 minutes. And half way through the second block, I felt my heart drop. TIME was FLYING by and I thought I was in a time warp. The question stems were quite long and the groove I found myself in over the course of my studying had simply evaded me. Remember, I was left with ~20 mins of spare time on the Q-banks. I had that feeling that I should just get up and gtfo of here. But I refocused my attention and trudged through it. Feeling clueless for most of the first 3 blocks.

I got hung up on two psycho disorders in those blocks, not to mention the 15-25 WTF?!?! questions I had on those first 3 blocks. ************************************
******************************************************. I'm a *****, I know, but ****, I got 70% my time through the Behaviorals on UW and never looked back. But damn, go over those Behaviorals the day of the exam in the morning just so they're fresh in your head. They're easy points that shouldn't be missed.

LUNCH

I went to lunch and was severely PO'd. With my 30% avg on questions I didn't get my first time through, and I had about 15-25 per block on those first 3 blocks. And was in a time crunch every time. I wasn't happy. So I went back with a full stomach and dove into blocks 4-7.

BLOCK 4, 5, 6, 7

I SCREEAMED through block 4. Only left about 5 marked and was in high spirits through it. I had about 15 minutes left. I knew I did well and took a break. The same thing for block 5 and I decided a break between each block was the best way to go because I was in a groove. By the third block, I was in the zone, cruising along. Block 6 was harder than 4 and 5, but nothing like those first three. Again, I had plenty of time to go for another quick break before that last leg.

Block 7 was the middle difficulty block. 1, 2 and 3 all sucked. 4, 5 and 6, a cake walk. Number 7, somewhere in between. What screwed me in these blocks? Well, 2 questions linger in my mind. ****************************************************************
****************************************************************
****************************************************************... can't remember the options. Y'all can sort that out.

And my last question, I sat there and debated this friggin' question for the last 5 minutes of the last block. It was the easiest question but I just couldn't make the connection, and Goljian had JUST told me the answer the night before.

***************************************


****************** I felt like an dingus about 5 minutes after walking out of there knowing that that was a gimme and I botched it because I sat there and thought about what the lungs would look like in an rh incompatibility...

overall, I feel I did well. Aside from a fe muff ups, which I hope everyone has, or else you're just a robot or something, it was a good experience. I can't wait to get my results...

COMLEX on Wednesday... eeek


I had to edit some stuff out of this post, dont' wanna stir any controversy with anyone who might care.

 

[DOme2009]

wow, sounds like your usmle experience was rough. all i remember was the room being much colder than when i took the comlex there a week before, but luckily i was wearing a long-sleeve shirt. and the morning blocks were harder for me, too. i tried to finish each block in 30 min (marking any q's i didn't know so i could come back and use the left over time to answer them). i think only section 2 was where i got stressed for time (i think i had 1 q left with 2 minutes and i had no idea WTF the question was asking, something about a non-contrast pelvic ct post-trauma and what the id'd structure was... i just sat there and marked c right before time ran out on that block). but the afternoon blocks were tough to get into a rhythm initially (i must have marked the first 15 questions in a row right after lunch), but things smoothed out after that.

just a note for the comlex: there is no block time, only session time (meaning a 4 hour morning session and a 4 hr afternoon session), so you have to pace yourself for each session to stay on pace. i started at 8 am, finished the morning session by 10:30 am, and i was done completely at 1:30 pm. i know, i know, always double-check and blah blah blah, but if i start double-checking, i start second-guessing and that's where i screw up so i thought to leave well enough alone. good luck on your comlex, you'll find this test is very different from the usmle. remember to study your omm, those are "supposed" to be easy points so know your autonomic innervations down cold. rock it!

 

[SoCuteMD]

I remembered SOOO many stupid screw-ups after the exam. Mine were all microbiology (I looked up 5 and I got EVERY ONE wrong). I had reviewed the UWorld behavioral stuff the night before, so that helped. In any case, despite the wrong answers (which nagged me for WEEKS) I ended up doing very well on Step 1.

on the COMLEX