Official 2008 Usmle Step 1 Experiences and Scores Thread

[lion]

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Greetings my brothers and sisters ,

I am new member here and will be taking my boards in another few months .
I thought I would start a thread devoted to a compilation of 2008 usmle experiences . I don't have anything to report as yet since my test is in a few month but anyone who has taken the test in 2008 please share with us your experience and feedback so we can keep the SDN tradition alive !

Good Luck

"Never , never , never , never Give up ! "

 

[maniax]

I took the Qreview simulation exam yesterday because I felt like I needed to get a little of my money's worth since I paid for kaplan Qreview and ended up only using the Qbank which our school already paid for us before switching over to UW. It didn't give a 3 digit score, just percent correct.
Has anyone already taken both this exam and the actual Step 1? How did it compare? Scores (or in case of sim exam- percent correct) on both would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

 

[MDbt]

I took the Qreview simulation exam yesterday because I felt like I needed to get a little of my money's worth since I paid for kaplan Qreview and ended up only using the Qbank which our school already paid for us before switching over to UW. It didn't give a 3 digit score, just percent correct.

Has anyone already taken both this exam and the actual Step 1? How did it compare? Scores (or in case of sim exam- percent correct) on both would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

It gives you a percentage, which you enter into the "Score Estimator" on the Kaplan Website that converts the percentage into three digit score.

 

[bikedoc1021]

hey guys. not sure if this is the best place to post this question...but oh well. has anyone out there actually used kaplan q-bank and liked it/found it helpful/found it an accurate predictor of your score? if so can you let me know what your stats were. i've been using it for about a week and it seems to be pretty good, but i've never looked at UWorld. I've got four weeks left 'til test day and I'm wondering if I should bite the bullet and switch. Any help would be sweet. Good luck studying.

 

[Blesbok]

do yourself a favor and spend the 90 to make the switch.

 

[lankysudanese]

has anyone out there actually used kaplan q-bank and liked it/found it helpful/found it an accurate predictor of your score?

I am a huge fan of Kaplan qbank: I did 2x50q blocks of random questions daily. completed with 75% overall correct (no repeats). started off in high 60s-low 70s. finished in high 70s-low 80s. predicted score on Score Estimator at the time was 255+. ended with 265.

my advice: definitely finish kaplan since you like it. if you have time when you finish kaplan then you can definitely start UW (even if you are only left with 2-3wks). they are both great qbanks and are a powerful combination. when i was doing my step 1 prep (fall 2007), "the word on the street" was do kaplan along with your reading (i.e. at the beginning) and leave UW until you are done reviewing.

Good Luck

 

[wonderboy00]

hey blesbok, i don't mean to sound nosy, but what did u end up scoring on the real thing? i remember you killed the nbme's so i was just wondering if there was a correlation.

do yourself a favor and spend the 90 to make the switch.

 

[alpha06]

Hey Blesbok:

Looks like everybody is anxious to see/hear your results from step and experiences, books, etc.

Why the suspense? 🙄

Is peds inpatient really chewing up your time....? 🙁
​

 

[jsk27]

What is the best way to do practice questions:

My plan is to study the organ systems mon-fri for 5 weeks, followed by blocks of UW questions pertaining to the subject material I study each day, then do blocks of random questions almost all day sat/sun during those weeks. The 6th week will be entirely spent doing random UW questions hopefully for the 2nd time around and reviewing FA.

My questions are:
-should the mon-fri evening question blocks cover random material, or just the material studied that day?
-Should I be doing random questions EVERYtime I do questions, from the very beginning of my 6 week period?
-Should the weekend questions be completely random, or just cover the subjects studied thus far?
-Is it crucial to finish kaplan qbank in addition to UW, or is it sufficient to just do UW twice and a very small percentage of kaplan qbank?

Thanks!

 

[ASDIC]

What is the best way to do practice questions:

My plan is to study the organ systems mon-fri for 5 weeks, followed by blocks of UW questions pertaining to the subject material I study each day, then do blocks of random questions almost all day sat/sun during those weeks. The 6th week will be entirely spent doing random UW questions hopefully for the 2nd time around and reviewing FA.

My questions are:
-should the mon-fri evening question blocks cover random material, or just the material studied that day?
-Should I be doing random questions EVERYtime I do questions, from the very beginning of my 6 week period?
-Should the weekend questions be completely random, or just cover the subjects studied thus far?
-Is it crucial to finish kaplan qbank in addition to UW, or is it sufficient to just do UW twice and a very small percentage of kaplan qbank?

Thanks!

my best advice to you is that....do all the blocks random and timed...you need to have a good RAM in your brain to access diverse information in a matter of seconds....and it will closer approximate your board score as well.

if you want to do blocks via topic wise I wud suggest you get USMLE Rx.

 

[alpha06]

my best advice to you is that....do all the blocks random and timed...you need to have a good RAM in your brain to access diverse information in a matter of seconds....and it will closer approximate your board score as well.

if you want to do blocks via topic wise I wud suggest you get USMLE Rx.

Agreed. But how would you say USMLE RX is? Is it worth it to go through thier qbank?

 

[Rogue Synapse]

hey guys. not sure if this is the best place to post this question...but oh well. has anyone out there actually used kaplan q-bank and liked it/found it helpful/found it an accurate predictor of your score? if so can you let me know what your stats were. i've been using it for about a week and it seems to be pretty good, but i've never looked at UWorld. I've got four weeks left 'til test day and I'm wondering if I should bite the bullet and switch. Any help would be sweet. Good luck studying.

I've got both USMLE World and Kaplan Qbank. Also, a friend of mine has USMLERx, and we do questions together on that sometimes.

I would say that UWorld probably prepares me better. In fact, I've started viewing Kaplan as merely a source of ancillary questions, and begun to focus on UWorld as my primary question bank. The reason I like World better is that the questions are more challenging and less dependent on buzzwords. I get my @ss kicked doing the questions, but I feel like I take more away from doing them than I do on Kaplan's Qbank.

Also, after doing a few sets of system-oriented questions on World and pulling down 40-70% right, I can reliably go to Kaplan and get 80-90% right. It's a huge self-esteem boost to go to Kaplan after working with World. I should add the disclaimer that I started with Kaplan alone with no plans to buy World, then went ahead and bought the bullet after I did a few questions alongside another friend with World and found them to be much more challenging. It worries me how much easier Kaplan is, and I'm kind of glad I'm not relying on it exclusively anymore.

About USMLERx: I feel that this one is lesser in quality than both UWorld and Kaplan Qbank, but it's still nice to be able to do those questions with a study buddy (he's already done them, and we do some of the hard ones he missed) as a source of extra material.

 

[worker_bee]

Anyone else waiting on scores tonight? I have commenced freaking out.

 

[lilzelda2]

Agreed. But how would you say USMLE RX is? Is it worth it to go through thier qbank?

I just got USMLE Rx and it doesn't compare to Usmleworld. World is way better, it makes you think and reason while Rx is simple. I don't even have to read through some of the questions to get the right answer, its just yawn and next.

Do World and Qbank.

 

[alpha06]

I just got USMLE Rx and it doesn't compare to Usmleworld. World is way better, it makes you think and reason while Rx is simple. I don't even have to read through some of the questions to get the right answer, its just yawn and next.

Do World and Qbank.

Cool, thanks for the input! 😀

 

[SOUNDMAN]

Anyone else waiting on scores tonight? I have commenced freaking out.

yea I am as well...very nervous, and hope I have good news to post later. I took it April 29th.

 

[cheeskie]

yea I am as well...very nervous, and hope I have good news to post later. I took it April 29th.

Hello please can anyone tell me if i should go through the hassle of knowing the different divisions of the cranial nerves like GVE,SSA,SVE,etc.I am thinking this is too overkill but just wanted to check up on that.What do u guys think?

 

[worker_bee]

Hello please can anyone tell me if i should go through the hassle of knowing the different divisions of the cranial nerves like GVE,SSA,SVE,etc.I am thinking this is too overkill but just wanted to check up on that.What do u guys think?

I think its more important to know what each cranial nerve innervates. Like if they ask you the afferent and efferent branches of the corneal reflex etc.

 

[Blesbok]

Hey Blesbok:​

Looks like everybody is anxious to see/hear your results from step and experiences, books, etc.​

Why the suspense? 🙄​

Is peds inpatient really chewing up your time....? 🙁​

Actually it is. I have a quiz tomorrow, but I will try to make some time either tomorrow night or thursday with my review.

 

[78222]

Good luck to everyone waiting up for scores tonight🙂

 

[amandil]

Several of my friends who have received their scores say that they got the score-reporting email on Wednesday around noon. So now I'm not sure if scores will actually be uploaded tonight at midnight. Has anyone been able to access their score immediately Tuesday midnight???

 

[worker_bee]

Several of my friends who have received their scores say that they got the score-reporting email on Wednesday around noon. So now I'm not sure if scores will actually be uploaded tonight at midnight. Has anyone been able to access their score immediately Tuesday midnight???

Man i'm not sure if I can survive another 12 hours.

 

[amandil]

i know, right????

Anyways, I've perused this thread more closely and I think people have found out around midnight tuesdays. So the wait continues... good luck!

 

[78222]

Several of my friends who have received their scores say that they got the score-reporting email on Wednesday around noon. So now I'm not sure if scores will actually be uploaded tonight at midnight. Has anyone been able to access their score immediately Tuesday midnight???

The time of the email doesn't really match the time the score comes online. I checked my score at 5am and it was up (I didn't stay up to check at midnight) but I didn't get my email until 9am or so.

 

[worker_bee]

i know, right????

Anyways, I've perused this thread more closely and I think people have found out around midnight tuesdays. So the wait continues... good luck!

Thanks, good luck to you as well. Less than an hour!!

 

[mdinor]

Feel dumb for asking, but what website do you check to check your grade prior to receiving the email. Mine should come today/tommorrow and I'm just finding out about this tonight. I've looked all over USMLE.org and nbme.org and can't find anything. Could someone point me in the right direction?

 

[SOUNDMAN]

Feel dumb for asking, but what website do you check to check your grade prior to receiving the email. Mine should come today/tommorrow and I'm just finding out about this tonight. I've looked all over USMLE.org and nbme.org and can't find anything. Could someone point me in the right direction?

Login just like you registered for the test, there will be a print score section if it's available. Check exam status on the left will bring up current exams.

www.nbme.org

Start NLES

 

[mdinor]

which website?

 

[SOUNDMAN]

Well scores came back just like everyone else. I have been nervous about this. Not doing well on the MCAT and having a desire to go after a competitive specialty and possibly an MD residency as a DO, I had to do well.

Results: 245/99

Experience post: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=6640516&postcount=204

I'm happy with my score and it's about what I thought it would be regarding UW scores. I did make some stupid mistakes that you'll always want to take back, but it's a great score and doesn't limit any of my opportunities.

PM me with any questions.

 

[Mediculous]

Congrats on an awesome score, Soundman!

 

[chino1]

Well after I had some rest I decided that I can think a bit more clearly now. My overall impression of the test is that sometimes it makes a huge difference what type of exam you get. I got an exam with very little knee-jerk answer stuff and a lot of interpretation. I made a lot of careless errors that im beating myself up over and im not feeling that good about it, infact im pretty pissed off at myself but here is my review.

Biochemistry- FA was enough for all but about two of the answers.

Behavioral- Only had one developmental question the rest were all Doctor-patient scenarios, some of which I thought had a best answer and others where I just had to guess what they were trying to get at. Wasnt worth trying to study for other then knowing a few laws. Some of the answer choices were quite hilarious.

Embryo- FA was enough for most of them.

Biostats- FA was enough.

Phys- Phys is normally my strong point but during a lot of the questions I actually started shaking my head and saying" thats not fair" because I really feel you needed more information to made a decision between two answers. For example, they asked about a molecule's secondary signal but that molecule works on two completely different receptors. That was BS. These questions ate up a lot of my times and caused my to make careless errors elsewhere.

pharm- FA was NOT enough for about 5 of my pharm questions. 3 of which required you to know the MAO of the drug and the drugs isnt even listed in FA, and no it didnt share a common ending with any class.

molecular stuff- This is normally my strong point but I had some weird DNA stuff that I just was unsure of. Including some "hypothetical" mutations and gene translocations which slowed me up. I had a lot of DNA and transcription stuff that involved mutations at multiple locations and its effect, some of the answer choices were a little weird.

Anatomy- I had maybe 10 anatomy questions on my exam, all of which had an x-ray or ct associated with it. The problem was that none of the answer choices had your "classical" findings that you might see with the disorder so I really had to try to think of anything else that could go wrong.

Path- I had a lot of path, alot of it was do-able but I had some questions where they said " Person died and on autoposy that found this, what was the underlying cause of this picture" and then they would give me a picture which I hadnt really every seen before. I had a good amount of leukemias lymphomas that required interpretations of the blood smear however some you could get from the history

Micro- FA was enough for all but one bug. Mostly bacteria and fungi, one or two virus questions

Immuno- Im not sure I would have done anything differently with my studying but again I was guessing on a lot of these because they didnt ask you many facts about immuno and some of the questions were just weird. One of the quesions I had to look up in a pubmed search because it wasnt in any of my texts(ok that one I could believe may be experimental but the others were more legit)


After its all said and done I should have taken this exam a month ago. I dont feel that any of "detail" studying I did this past month really got me any points. My exam was mostly interpretation. This exam in no way showed what I was capable of or how much information I actually knew. I made too many careless errors which are driving me crazy.

The exam that I took was much more challenging then any of the NBME exams. I felt that NBME exams had easy questions and then medium hard questions. This exam had easy and hard questions, very few inbetweens. The questions were longer then I was expecting.

This is going to be a very very long 8 weeks. Still hoping that this july 16th nonsense only applies to those people who had audio/visual, ha yea right.

After I get my scores I will post how I studied and all test results. Best of luck to everyone.

That described my day exactly. I took the test this morning and have been pretty frustrated ever since. There was so much itty bitty crap that wasn't related to medicine in the slightest. The questions seemed to be either pretty easy or else weren't even in any of the review books. I made lots of mistakes and have found 8 or 9 questions that I got wrong already. I too feel that I should have taken this exam earlier since all my recent studying (mostly first aid as a touch up) didn't seem to help at all. For what it's worth, I did all of Qbank and all of Uworld, I took NBME I in February and scored a 238, NBME II in April for a 252, and NBME IV a week and half ago for an 800/>265. I thought I was ready. Today I felt terribly unprepared.

 

[Blesbok]

dont over analyze. i got about the same on my 3 nbmes and walked out of the exam feeling like i ****ed up a few questions that i should have gotten but i ended up ok.

 

[worker_bee]

Got my score last night, as expected. First of all I want to thank the posters on this forum - I learned a lot of useful information from here while studying and don't know what I would have done without it.

I'm gonna try to tailor my experiences post to people who were average during the first two years of medical school but have high hopes for the step 1, since that described me. First, my stats:

1st 2 years of med school: average, as noted
NBME 1: 184 (before studying)
NBME 2: 236 (4 weeks before test)
NBME 3: 244 (1 week before test)
NBME 4: 257 (4 days before test)
Free 150: 90% (4 days before test)
Step 1: 261

Here's my advice to future test takers in my position:
1. Take your time. If you have holes in your knowledge, it means you'll have to invest time into learning things that someone who aced the first two years might know already. I spent 9 weeks studying for the boards, don't feel that it was too long at all. I've heard the conventional wisdom of "more than 6 weeks is too much" - that might apply to some people, not everyone.
2. Be a human being. It seemed to me like a lot of people on SDN posted about spending 12 hours a day studying. That might be good if you're doing a quick 4 week run through of things before the exam, but if you've got a longer course ahead of you, or if you are learning some things for the first time, I think you need to treat this less like a sprint and more like a marathon. Take care of yourself. I probably studied 7 hours a days or so, but I was never tired and learned a lot every day. Also, take care of your loved ones (parents, SO, etc.) This gets to be hard on them too.
3. Come up with a way to retain (not just read). For me it was to annotate from my supplemental books into first aid. Then I would go through first aid with a blank sheet of paper and for every statement in the book, I would write down a question for myself on the paper. I'd then take that sheet of paper and try to answer the questions on it one by one. Each time I got one right I'd cross it off. I'd keep going back through until they were all crossed off. This way, I ensured that every fact in first aid had been through my head at least once. I'm not necessarily recommending this to everyone - its what worked for me. But everyone does need to come up with a way to learn that allows for retainment.
4. Don't let USMLEWorld or Kaplan Qbank freak you out. I thought both were harder than the real thing. In world I was still in the mid 60's leading up to the exam. I don't think scores in world are predictive of anything, but they are a great way to learn and to organize information in your mind so you can answer real questions. Just don't let it rattle you.
5. In terms of return on your investment of time, first aid is the most high yield. Don't use too many books if it means you aren't getting the high yield stuff down cold.

Good luck to all future test takers, and I'm happy to answer any questions people have.

 

[SOUNDMAN]

Great job and congrats!👍

 

[Treg]

I took mine today. As a student at a Canadian school, I was pretty freaked about taking step 1 since our curriculum doesn't really prepare you at all (no biochem or detailed pharm). I have also been out on a research year between MS2 and MS3, so I am bit displaced from med school curriculum. Here are my thoughts:

1. I ended up taking the 7 x 50 question exam - they said that the new version (with less q and the audio/visual q) had been sent to the wrong address, and I am glad. I am wondering if this will impact when I get my score back, I guess I will have to wait and see.

2. I though all but one block of the exam was much easier than the usmleworld blocks I had been doing. Here is what I remember:
-Lots of endocrine, detail oriented but fairly straight forward.
-Maybe 10 micro questions. a couple of virus ones. 2 questions on antibiotics (which one to use, how does one work).
-Very little in the form of calculations. I think I only had one probability of inheritance and an odds ratio.
-Physiology was sometimes easy, sometimes really blah (details of kinesin and NMJ)
-I have a PhD in immunology. The immunology questions were easy for me but would probably have been quite tricky for a lot of people. I lucked out a bit here.
-Path was really straightforward. I don't remember there being any diseases that didn't pop out at me right away.
-I marked 10-14 for each block that I was unsure of. During the break I would look over my notes, just for my own curiosity, to see if I was wrong or right or if I should have known it better.

I walked out feeling pretty good. i finished each block in around 40 minutes, took a 5-15 minute break, and left by 2.

I am SOOOOO glad to be past this beast. Hopefully my score satisfies me...

Study materials:
FA 2006 (fine for the most part)
Goljan path (the red one)
Lange pharma cards
BRS physio
Crash course pharm
RR micro
FA cases - I really liked this book, good for reviewing things as a whole. Really helped me I think.
Goljan slides (definitely helpful)

and for what it's worth, MCAT 37R. I had a hard time with UW, ranging between 50-68% over the last week, but I was not doing random sets, just working the weak areas. I felt my exam was much easier than UW.

My additional 2 cents - I really learned a lot studying for this test, and a lot of concepts were solidified. And it feels so great to be done. I still can't believe it.

 

[lankysudanese]

NBME 1: 184 (before studying)
NBME 2: 236 (4 weeks before test)
NBME 3: 244 (1 week before test)
NBME 4: 257 (4 days before test)
Free 150: 90% (4 days before test)
Step 1: 261

amazing improvement in NBMEs leading to a grande finale. if anything, this is testament to how optimizing prep strategies and resources can lead someone from almost passing (184) to rocking the test (260+).

strong work worker_bee

 

[windycityguju]

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

exam date: April 30th
score reported: May 21st

prep time: 6 weeks kaplan + 2 months serious studying
material: kaplan vids/ live lecture/ notes, goljan lectures (while following along with notes), personal notes from my UW incorrect answers, lots and lots of prayer

USMLERx (completed one month before;mixed/timed)- 57%
USMLEWorld (completed 1 day before;mixed/timed)- 55%
USMLE CD: 40 (only did 1 test)
NBME 2 (2 weeks prior): 198

didn't do: FA, kaplan Qbank, Qbook (few Qs here and there), kaplan simulated, RR

actual score: 219 / 91
(Alhamdulillah)

although not much of a participant, I found this forum extremely helpful. toward D-day, i found myself referring to this site in an almost OCD manner (which I don't recommend for anybody else.) sure, my score isn't stellar amidst all the 99's here, but it's a long way from the gross underpreparation of my medical school in addition to family life (being married n all). Once again, thanks to all in this forum for keepin hope alive.

 

[Blesbok]

My schedule
http://i32.tinypic.com/29f9le8.jpg

General
I woke up every morning about 30 minutes early and ate a decent breakfast and watched a little tv. If I found myself playing on the internet too much I blocked it using my router. During all my studying I typed all my notes into microsoft one note so that I could search and keep everything organized. I used two computers while doing UW, so that I could type on one while reviewing on the other. I even went as far as using a camera to take a screenshot of UW pathways if I couldn't find a version on the internet that suited my needs.

I used FA and very thorough review of UW for everything, so I will only list the other stuff.

Biochem - I felt very weak in this subject as I hadn't studied it in the last year and I wasn't especially good at it the first time around. I skimmed through both BRS biochem and goljan biochem and each took about a day to skim through. Most of my biochem work came from thoroughly reviewing UW as I went through it. If it had to do with a pathway I would put the pathway in my notes and review it multiple times through the week.

Behavioral Science - high yield BS. The reason it is spread over a few days is because I had other stuff going on that week. I wish I would have read HY more thoroughly.

Micro - I started used MMRS but gave up on it because it wasn't dense enough, so I used UW and I would write down all the bugs that were in each question and the information presented. I then used microcards to make sure I wasn't missing over anything.

Gross - specific things like the brachial plexus, etc in BRS anatomy. I don't feel that there is enough high yield stuff outside of FA that it warrants a lot of attention.

Embryo - HY embryo

Neuro - HY neuroanatomy and a neuroanatomy atlas with some CTs (forget the name).

Psych - HY psych

Immuno - nothing outside of FA and UW

Organ systems - I always started by going through FA. I then read through goljan thoroughly. During the review hour at night I would skim over BRS to make sure I covered everything. If I didn't make it all the way through BRS I would finish reviewing it that weekend.

Genetics - The only extra source I used was the goljan (path and biochem) chapters on genetics.

Review - Every saturday I would thoroughly review my notes from the week and previous weeks. If I didn't finish on saturday I would go a little ways into sunday. By the end of my review, my notes were 225 pages of outline style notes and it took me 2 days to review it. My final week, I spent 2 days (sunday/monday) reviewing my lesser subjects according to the NBME in first aid. Then I spent 2 days (tuesday/wednesday) reviewing my notes. Then I spent thursday doing some questions and reviewing the stuff that I had highlighted in my notes and I quit at about 6. I went to bed at 10 and took some lunesta since I have trouble sleeping before big things. I woke up at 6, took a shower and had a good breakfast.


I know that I don't have a whole lot of insight into how to do really well that hasn't already been reiterated 100 times, but I just want to emphasize how important thoroughly reviewing UW is while you are studying. Quality, not quantity. I honestly think that anyone can do very well with just FA, UW, and goljan, although some of the other books like HY BS are very helpful.

Also, before you start studying, set a schedule and stick to it. If you don't get all the way through something, set a review day each week and go back to it then, but don't continue into time that you have allotted for another subject.

 

[Mediculous]

Come on, Blesbok, at least a hint? Don't make us(and by us I mean me) beg...

 

[Blesbok]

i got a 262, 1 point less than my last nbme. the only reason i havent told on the board is because some people from my school know who i am on here and i dont want the whole school to know my score.

 

[Mediculous]

Sorry about that then. You can edit your post if you want---I'll retract my nosiness 😳
Congrats, by the way!!!

 

[agranulocytosis]

i got a 262, 1 point less than my last nbme. the only reason i havent told on the board is because some people from my school know who i am on here and i dont want the whole school to know my score.

"Oh that guy, Blesok? Yeah, what a *******." At least you'll be going off to clinicals soon (if you haven't already) and you'll see far less of them than you have the previous 2 years.

 

[lankysudanese]

i got a 262, 1 point less than my last nbme. the only reason i havent told on the board is because some people from my school know who i am on here and i dont want the whole school to know my score.

so they must have known how you killed the NBMEs, and by not posting your score you just make it look like you didn't perform on the real thing. but on SDN, the only street credit one gets is his/her score, and prep advice is taken more seriously when it is backed up with a killer score.

much congrats dude.

 

[g6pddfishnc]

.

 

[blz]

Wow, looks like blz really hit the nail on the head there! Congrats Blesbok, and thanks for sharing your schedule.

haha awesome.

i only said that as a joke cus it was one pt less than what i scored.

congrats dude!

 

[farnsworth]

Got my score last night, as expected. First of all I want to thank the posters on this forum - I learned a lot of useful information from here while studying and don't know what I would have done without it.

I'm gonna try to tailor my experiences post to people who were average during the first two years of medical school but have high hopes for the step 1, since that described me. First, my stats:

1st 2 years of med school: average, as noted
NBME 1: 184 (before studying)
NBME 2: 236 (4 weeks before test)
NBME 3: 244 (1 week before test)
NBME 4: 257 (4 days before test)
Free 150: 90% (4 days before test)
Step 1: 261

Here's my advice to future test takers in my position:
1. Take your time. If you have holes in your knowledge, it means you'll have to invest time into learning things that someone who aced the first two years might know already. I spent 9 weeks studying for the boards, don't feel that it was too long at all. I've heard the conventional wisdom of "more than 6 weeks is too much" - that might apply to some people, not everyone.
2. Be a human being. It seemed to me like a lot of people on SDN posted about spending 12 hours a day studying. That might be good if you're doing a quick 4 week run through of things before the exam, but if you've got a longer course ahead of you, or if you are learning some things for the first time, I think you need to treat this less like a sprint and more like a marathon. Take care of yourself. I probably studied 7 hours a days or so, but I was never tired and learned a lot every day. Also, take care of your loved ones (parents, SO, etc.) This gets to be hard on them too.
3. Come up with a way to retain (not just read). For me it was to annotate from my supplemental books into first aid. Then I would go through first aid with a blank sheet of paper and for every statement in the book, I would write down a question for myself on the paper. I'd then take that sheet of paper and try to answer the questions on it one by one. Each time I got one right I'd cross it off. I'd keep going back through until they were all crossed off. This way, I ensured that every fact in first aid had been through my head at least once. I'm not necessarily recommending this to everyone - its what worked for me. But everyone does need to come up with a way to learn that allows for retainment.
4. Don't let USMLEWorld or Kaplan Qbank freak you out. I thought both were harder than the real thing. In world I was still in the mid 60's leading up to the exam. I don't think scores in world are predictive of anything, but they are a great way to learn and to organize information in your mind so you can answer real questions. Just don't let it rattle you.
5. In terms of return on your investment of time, first aid is the most high yield. Don't use too many books if it means you aren't getting the high yield stuff down cold.

Good luck to all future test takers, and I'm happy to answer any questions people have.

you're officially my inspiration, my NBME's have been pretty close to yours so far (based on time from the test)....man I'd love to get anywhere within 15-20 points of your Step I! Congratulations!

So far I've been doing:
NBME 4 = 238 (5 weeks out)
NBME 1 = 247 (2 weeks out)
UW (75% complete) = cum. ~65%, recent: ~75%+/-

I'm pretty nervous, I feel overwhelmed and underprepared and it's in 2 weeks. Just trying to keep on keepin' on the best I can, but I'd really like to do well obviously. Thanks for the advice (and if anyone else has any opinion on my outlook I'd welcome them).

 

[Pewl]

I just took Form 1 about 2 weeks into studying. I heard that NBME 1 overestimates your score, so i'm kinda worried with my 228. Is it possible to hit 240 on the real thing with about 4.5 weeks left to study?

 

[worker_bee]

you're officially my inspiration, my NBME's have been pretty close to yours so far (based on time from the test)....man I'd love to get anywhere within 15-20 points of your Step I! Congratulations!

So far I've been doing:
NBME 4 = 238 (5 weeks out)
NBME 1 = 247 (2 weeks out)
UW (75% complete) = cum. ~65%, recent: ~75%+/-

I'm pretty nervous, I feel overwhelmed and underprepared and it's in 2 weeks. Just trying to keep on keepin' on the best I can, but I'd really like to do well obviously. Thanks for the advice (and if anyone else has any opinion on my outlook I'd welcome them).

Everyone feels nervous 2 weeks out. But, based on your nbme's and UW stats, it sounds like you've got a real solid knowledge base. Just remember that when you go in on test day, and be confident. With those stats, you'll be ready to handle the tough but possible questions. The tough/impossible questions - no one can handle, so no need to worry about them.

 

[worker_bee]

I just took Form 1 about 2 weeks into studying. I heard that NBME 1 overestimates your score, so i'm kinda worried with my 228. Is it possible to hit 240 on the real thing with about 4.5 weeks left to study?

Yea, definitely possible.

 

[Blesbok]

i went from a 230 on nbme 2 with 4 wks to go to a 262 on the real thing, so i would say it is more than possible.

 

[Pewl]

i went from a 230 on nbme 2 with 4 wks to go to a 262 on the real thing, so i would say it is more than possible.

Wow, that's highly impressive. Did you make any significant adjustments to what you were doing previously?