- Joined
- May 21, 2015
- Messages
- 8
- Reaction score
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Need input. It has been a terrible bumpy road, but close to the end.
I'm an international med student and still going through classes (quarters not semesters and only 2 weeks vacation in between quarters), plus my time is crazy limited (also have a child). So far I have done Kaplan lectures (long time ago) x1, DIT x1, Pathoma x1, USMLERx videos x1, UWorld x1, Lippincot's Micro flashcards x1, and Lange Pharm flashcards x1.
I started my first pass of FA a month ago (taking WAY too long! But I have tons of notes from UWorld, USMLERx videos, and Pathoma) still have from Neuro and on to go through memorization process. I average 24 pages per 6 hours for a good study for the FA.
My slow slow slow progress (delayed due to pausing for finals, hospitals, family care, etc., then resuming again):
5/25/2015 NBME 11: 164
6/12/2015 NBME 15: 175
10/17/2015 UW First Pass: 53% (I always did random and timed full blocks. Averaged mid to high 60's during the end, I attribute this to starting the memorization part of FA). Currently on 2nd pass (random and timed), averaging 73%.
11/22/2015 UWSA2: 201 (image and info on this below)
Note for last assessment: Started dedicated time during Sept 2015. During this test I was sick to my stomach, nervous, couldn't think straight, and was exhausted by the third block! I was my worst enemy during that (like a physiological "moment of truth" freak out!). Went from 64%, to 59%, to 48%, to 54% during the blocks. I missed very easy questions due to misreading the question and feel that this is not a true representative of my actual score. I have not been doing 3-4 blocks of questions, starting that today. I know my weak areas are biochem, physio, pharm, and endocrine, so that is accurate. The other borderline subjects, I feel confident that when I finish my thorough review of FA for those sections (neuro and beyond in FA organ systems) they will increase to high or borderline/high.
Exam is in about 3 1/2 weeks.
Plan:
UWorld: 5 hours per day 3 random/timed blocks and to review all wrong and flagged
Biochem: 2 hours per day Kaplan lecture notes (only chapters 8-18, the true biochem chapters) and respective FA Biochem
Pharm: 2 hours per day DIT Pharm (I like their recall process) and respective FA Pharm
FA: 2 hours dedicated to continue memorization process
General Principles: 2 hours FA Basic Sciences book? (I have NO idea how to increase this score! Should it increase with a good Biochem, Physio, and Pharm study? If so, this book will be eliminated from my current plan) Need input on this.
Physio: 1 hour per day Lippincott Physio cards
Please suggest! Need input, I'm kind of lost and need that extra push. I know I can do it, just need to drill on Biochem and those other General Principles.
Sorry for the long post, but please input 🙂
I'm an international med student and still going through classes (quarters not semesters and only 2 weeks vacation in between quarters), plus my time is crazy limited (also have a child). So far I have done Kaplan lectures (long time ago) x1, DIT x1, Pathoma x1, USMLERx videos x1, UWorld x1, Lippincot's Micro flashcards x1, and Lange Pharm flashcards x1.
I started my first pass of FA a month ago (taking WAY too long! But I have tons of notes from UWorld, USMLERx videos, and Pathoma) still have from Neuro and on to go through memorization process. I average 24 pages per 6 hours for a good study for the FA.
My slow slow slow progress (delayed due to pausing for finals, hospitals, family care, etc., then resuming again):
5/25/2015 NBME 11: 164
6/12/2015 NBME 15: 175
10/17/2015 UW First Pass: 53% (I always did random and timed full blocks. Averaged mid to high 60's during the end, I attribute this to starting the memorization part of FA). Currently on 2nd pass (random and timed), averaging 73%.
11/22/2015 UWSA2: 201 (image and info on this below)
Note for last assessment: Started dedicated time during Sept 2015. During this test I was sick to my stomach, nervous, couldn't think straight, and was exhausted by the third block! I was my worst enemy during that (like a physiological "moment of truth" freak out!). Went from 64%, to 59%, to 48%, to 54% during the blocks. I missed very easy questions due to misreading the question and feel that this is not a true representative of my actual score. I have not been doing 3-4 blocks of questions, starting that today. I know my weak areas are biochem, physio, pharm, and endocrine, so that is accurate. The other borderline subjects, I feel confident that when I finish my thorough review of FA for those sections (neuro and beyond in FA organ systems) they will increase to high or borderline/high.
Exam is in about 3 1/2 weeks.
Plan:
UWorld: 5 hours per day 3 random/timed blocks and to review all wrong and flagged
Biochem: 2 hours per day Kaplan lecture notes (only chapters 8-18, the true biochem chapters) and respective FA Biochem
Pharm: 2 hours per day DIT Pharm (I like their recall process) and respective FA Pharm
FA: 2 hours dedicated to continue memorization process
General Principles: 2 hours FA Basic Sciences book? (I have NO idea how to increase this score! Should it increase with a good Biochem, Physio, and Pharm study? If so, this book will be eliminated from my current plan) Need input on this.
Physio: 1 hour per day Lippincott Physio cards
Please suggest! Need input, I'm kind of lost and need that extra push. I know I can do it, just need to drill on Biochem and those other General Principles.
Sorry for the long post, but please input 🙂
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