Step II Nmbe?

Started by Tastebuds
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Tastebuds

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I have not taken an NMBE as of yet because I have read various things on this forum about them not being representative for step 2. I take my exam on thursday and am wondering if I should take an NMBE. I do not want to take it if it will freak me out so close to the exam.

Can anyone shed some light on whether I should take an NMBE so late in the game or dont bother with it. For anyone who has taken step 2, did it help at all? Kind of freaking out because I have not taken one :scared: Probably, because I took 2 NMBEs for step 1.

Any advice would be helpful.

thanks
 
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I'm not really sure how it would help you at this point. I think these tests are better for an assessment of how you are doing overall rather than helping you or helping direct your study. Some folks may think differently, but I would just say keep studying other material because it will waste a half of a day of study time if you take one of those forms.
 
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I agree with the above post.

The question is what you are looking for.
If you need a moral booster a NBME test with a good score might help, but there´s also the possibility it might give you just an average or low score, leaving you demotivated for the last few days before the real test.

I would advise to try something like 8 blocks of UW simulating an exam day (because fatigue can be a real issue) or to recapitulate your notes, flashcards, Step2 Secrets/Deja Review etc...

I know it is tempting to try a NBME to get a glimpse of what your score could be, but i don´t think it´s worth 45$ at this point.
 
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Thanks for the advice guys. I may have screwed myself by not doing an NMBE and that is my worry. I dont know how much the NMBEs helped me for step 1 and that is why i considered not doing them this time, especially after reading posts stating they are not representative of the real test.

I will definitely do as many questions as I can to simulate the test, because fatigue is a very big concern for me.

Were all the questions a page long on the real test??

thanks again for the advice guys
 
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Tastebuds said:
I have not taken an NMBE as of yet because I have read various things on this forum about them not being representative for step 2. I take my exam on thursday and am wondering if I should take an NMBE. I do not want to take it if it will freak me out so close to the exam.

Can anyone shed some light on whether I should take an NMBE so late in the game or dont bother with it. For anyone who has taken step 2, did it help at all? Kind of freaking out because I have not taken one :scared: Probably, because I took 2 NMBEs for step 1.

Any advice would be helpful.

thanks
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The way I see it is there are two possible outcomes if you take it:
1-You get a good score. This gives you reassurance and makes you feel better for the test.
2-You get a disappointing score. If you can move the test, you can try to review more your weak points.

In my case I have a week to go and I took NBME 1 last week and got 540 (227). I did well on medicine and peds but poorly on OB/GYN. I've studied OB/GYN these last 3 days and will take NBME 2 and see how I do.

In any case, good luck in your test!
 
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