- Joined
- May 21, 2015
- Messages
- 8
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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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