NBME Self Assessment Flop, WTF!!!!!!!

[MedPuck]

I just took the two NBME exams, one this morning and one yesterday, and got below mean on each (470/460). My morale is shot to $%#^ especially since I take the test this thursday and was aiming for 230 (220 at least!!). I was doing fine on qBank (71%) and have studied so friggin' hard in the past weeks and now I cannot avoid the temptation of questioning my preparedness. I sincerely felt fine beforehand, but obviously not so fine now. I refuse to change my exam date and hope I can somehow defy the correlational theories relating these scores vs. the real scores. 😕

Had to get that off my chest, now back to FA after a few morning beers!

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[BrooklynDO]

I just took the two NBME exams, one this morning and one yesterday, and got below mean on each (470/460). My morale is shot to $%#^ especially since I take the test this thursday and was aiming for 230 (220 at least!!). I was doing fine on qBank (71%) and have studied so friggin' hard in the past weeks and now I cannot avoid the temptation of questioning my preparedness. I sincerely felt fine beforehand, but obviously not so fine now. I refuse to change my exam date and hope I can somehow defy the correlational theories relating these scores vs. the real scores. 😕

Had to get that off my chest, now back to FA after a few morning beers!

dude i cant tell you how many times id get destroyed on one test just to kill the next
dont worry bout it and study...**** will work out alright

 

[Stinger86]

I just took the two NBME exams, one this morning and one yesterday, and got below mean on each (470/460). My morale is shot to $%#^ especially since I take the test this thursday and was aiming for 230 (220 at least!!). I was doing fine on qBank (71%) and have studied so friggin' hard in the past weeks and now I cannot avoid the temptation of questioning my preparedness. I sincerely felt fine beforehand, but obviously not so fine now. I refuse to change my exam date and hope I can somehow defy the correlational theories relating these scores vs. the real scores. 😕

Had to get that off my chest, now back to FA after a few morning beers!

From what I've seen of other people who have taken the step 1 and scored from 400-500 on the NBME assessment, they all usually score at least the mean (217) on the real thing. I say "at least", because nothing is for certain. From personal experience I can tell you that there were a ton of questions on those assessment exams that were frickin' HARD, and not a single question on my step came close to that kind of difficulty (although a small number seemed to be written by a 4-year old, in terms of grammar).

I guess my best advice would be to change your perception of it. Rather than see your score as "oh crap, I don't know anything, I need to study harder or I'm going to fail", look at it as "this is bs, because I know my stuff, and there were a lot of questions on this thing that were ******ed". Trust in yourself and keep to your study schedule. If you feel that there were a lot of heme questions (for instance) that gave you trouble, go back and study a little more on that stuff. I'm telling you, it's all how you look at it. 🙂

 

[MedPuck]

Thanks for the encouragement. I posted the message right after completion and have since cooled down and put in some good physio hours. I will stay positive considering those scores don't count. On the bright side they certainly exposed a few weaknesses (especially M1 curricula ie: cell bio, histo) which I have time to strengthen, Again thanks and sorry for those who had to listen to my mindless whining.

2 questions that I still haven't figured out that showed up on both NBME assessment exams: what is the correct answer to those cell-cell contact radiofluorescence transmission experiment questions (zonula occludens/ macula adherens, gap junctions etc..?) Sorry if that makes no sense but I cannot remember the exact q. Also what cell type in the lung repairs alveolar damage? I may be overthinking an obvious one here. Thanks

 

[BrooklynDO]

Thanks for the encouragement. I posted the message right after completion and have since cooled down and put in some good physio hours. I will stay positive considering those scores don't count. On the bright side they certainly exposed a few weaknesses (especially M1 curricula ie: cell bio, histo) which I have time to strengthen, Again thanks and sorry for those who had to listen to my mindless whining.

2 questions that I still haven't figured out that showed up on both NBME assessment exams: what is the correct answer to those cell-cell contact radiofluorescence transmission experiment questions (zonula occludens/ macula adherens, gap junctions etc..?) Sorry if that makes no sense but I cannot remember the exact q. Also what cell type in the lung repairs alveolar damage? I may be overthinking an obvious one here. Thanks

i could be wrong but i think youre looking for a type 2 pneumocyte, which proliferates as alveoli are damaged.
thats my guess

 

[chef]

i'm sure you'll be fine w/ 71% qbank


however there are 2 nbme exams? i thought there was only 1. can u tell me where i can access all of them thx

 

[Idiopathic]

2 questions that I still haven't figured out that showed up on both NBME assessment exams: what is the correct answer to those cell-cell contact radiofluorescence transmission experiment questions (zonula occludens/ macula adherens, gap junctions etc..?) Sorry if that makes no sense but I cannot remember the exact q. Also what cell type in the lung repairs alveolar damage? I may be overthinking an obvious one here. Thanks

I believe type 2 pneumocyte is correct, in cases of alveolar damage they are greatly increased in number.

Also, the gap junction should be the source of the radioimmunofluorescence data...these are the only direct connections between the interior of cells, most often.

 

[MedPuck]

Chef, they can both be found at the link below:

https://external1.nbme.org/nsasweb/servlet/mesa_main

click "sample assessment" and choose both basic science exams and your timing preference etc... They are each $45 for 200 questions. Hope this helps.

 

[nuclearrabbit77]

do these tests tell you which questions you get wrong and with explanations?

 

[bigfrank]

NO, just a bar graph representation of your strong/weak areas and a score.

 

[EctopicFetus]

Nuclearrabbit... They dont. They tell you which sections you did well on and which ones you dont. Nothing else besides a score and that..