Need URGENT help

[rand0m3dstudent]

Hi there.

I'm hoping someone could help me with this problem. I took NBME form 3 three weeks ago after reading only FA (this was right after school ended) and scored a 232/560. Since then, I've studied pretty hardcore, reading ALL the Goljan stuff twice (500, 100, and 36 page notes), did robbins review, CMMRS, and completed half of QBANK, getting ~75-80%. I knew no behavioral science or anatomy.

I then took NBME form 4, thinking I'd get at least 245+ but I ended up with a 228!

I actually did well on all the heavy cell bio stuff, but everything else went down. Is there something I'm not doing right? I only have 2 more weeks left so I'd really appreciate any responses. Thanks.

 

[stretch210]

What I would do...granted I haven't taken it yet ...

Look carefully at the topics you struggled in on the NBME...review those topics.

Reread FA and do LOTS of practice questions.

 

[rand0m3dstudent]

I did poorly in cardio/pulm and musculoskeletal/skin both times, but I've studied those topics a LOT in between and felt as if I know them pretty well, at least based on my results in robbins review. I also got asterisks (did really well) on over half of the 19 or 20 subsets on both NBME's. So with all that studying I just found it a shock to have regressed as I did.

 

[superoxide]

I did poorly in cardio/pulm and musculoskeletal/skin both times, but I've studied those topics a LOT in between and felt as if I know them pretty well, at least based on my results in robbins review. I also got asterisks (did really well) on over half of the 19 or 20 subsets on both NBME's. So with all that studying I just found it a shock to have regressed as I did.

It might be that you are strong on the path of cardio/pulm, but not on the physio of cardio/pulm and maybe you were tested on the latter part?

I wouldn't be too worried about your NBME 4. Do Form 2 and see what your score is. It seems like performance on Forms 2 and 3 closely predict your actual Step 1 score. Good luck

 

[rand0m3dstudent]

I thought physio was a separate part? I got an asterisk on that too, and the bar was the narrowest of them all. It's just some of the organ systems, as well as anatomy/behavioral, but I figured that goljan would take care of the former quite nicely... Anyway I guess I'll take a shot at form 2 and see how I do. Isn't it supposed to be a little easier than 3 and 4?

 

[superoxide]

I thought physio was a separate part? I got an asterisk on that too, and the bar was the narrowest of them all. It's just some of the organ systems, as well as anatomy/behavioral, but I figured that goljan would take care of the former quite nicely... Anyway I guess I'll take a shot at form 2 and see how I do. Isn't it supposed to be a little easier than 3 and 4?

I found Forms 2 and 3 to be of equal difficulty. Form 4 was definately the weirdest of them all.