Official 2009 USMLE Step 1 Experiences and Scores Thread

[VFib911]

Two days premature, but I thought I would get it started anyway as I just took the exam this morning!!!!!

Overall impressions:
- Path, path, path - been said before and I'll say it again "know it Goljan style"
- Don't forget the biostats. I prob had 10-13 questions here.
- UW is gold... both for content and material presentation. Get comfortable with the interface and it will help you test day as it is very similar.
- FA was very helpful, but I used it for review rather than primary study source.

Today:
- In at 8:30, out at 2:30.Finished each block with 10-15 minutes left.
- Three breaks, one quick trip to the BR, one 10 minute Red bull/ powerbar refresher, and one 20 minute monster/ MetRx "lunch" and walk.
- I didn't find a large difference in content difficulty between the different module. The second-to-last was my most difficult and I was have ing a little difficulty concentrating, but I think my brain was pre-toast.

I'm feeling pretty relieved at the moment as it was not as difficult as I thought it was going to be. In NO WAY was it easy, but certainly doable. I had planned on taking this in July after the COMLEX, but I convinced myself I was not ready for it. Retrospectively, I feel I still would have done well after my COMLEX prep, but the last 6 months has filled in a lot of gaps.

Pre-COMLEX:
- Goljan mp3's 1st and 2nd years commuting to-from school. I did a ton of commuting. Highly valuable.
- Kaplan Biochem DVD(felt it was my weakest) and Micro DVD(lots of content).
- MedEssentials and FA for system-based content review. Big Robbins for reference only.
- CMMRS, know the virus charts, staph and strep algorithms, systemic mycoses, immunocompromised opportunistics.
- Costanza text for physio. Tried to review BRS physio (also Costanza), but I am strong in physio and I felt I was wasting my time.
- Lippincott pharm. Cover-to-cover, but overkill. Easy read though if you know your pharm.
- Kaplan and FA for biostats.
- Flash cards from eBay, both electronic and paper. Great way to review - at least for me - but be aware there are occasional errors. Prob went through 5-7000, really.
- BRS flash cards - Micro, Pharm, Biochem.
- (Savarese for any DO's - know the green book and you are golden.)

COMLEX - 06/08.

Post- COMLEX

UWorld - Thank god I did this. Wish I had done this before the COMLEX. Did tutor mode, took notes, looked each unknown up. I ended up with about 40 pages of topics with key notes written next to each topic. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
HY Histo, Cell Bio, Immuno. By this time it was mostly review, but they all helped tie things together and are quick reads.

One week before test:

Goljan cover-to-cover. Goes quick when it is review.
HY Neuroanat - overkill for my exam. Still good topics if you have the time.
FA cover-to-cover.
Reviewed UW notes/ answers.

UW - 100% completed, overall 68%. Last 450 questions mid 70's. Tutor, random, unused.


That's it. I have been meaning to post this for a while after my COMLEX grade posting, but never got around to doing it... been too damn busy reading. I'll update when result is in.

BTW - anyone know if it takes longer to receive your grade this time of year since fewer people are taking the exam?

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[Fub]

Taking the exam without preparing for it very well is some kinda of a waste of time , the exams is extremely hard , and a lot of pple took it nad got low scores , u should prepare for it and make sure u will do well before doing that step .






USMLE Learning and watching made easy , step 1 USMLE Step 1 Kaplan Video Lectures 2007 DVDr Quality kaplan , step 2 kaplan , step 3 kaplan

 

[Fub]

Just more data to add to this thread:

Study time: 5 weeks, 12 mostly productive hours/day, 1 day off per week
Completed ~70% of USMLE World questions

UWorld question bank average: ~70-75% by the end of studying
UWorld practice exam score: 258

I took Step I in 2/2009 -- my Step I score: 253 / 99

:O , all of that time of studying ? and u mean 99 from 253 full mark ?

 

[Captopril]

Took the exam today. That was one hell of a test. My only advice is to read FA like your life and soul depend on it...because they do.

 

[kryptik]

Took the exam today. That was one hell of a test. My only advice is to read FA like your life and soul depend on it...because they do.

Yes Sir! I know you rocked it.

 

[lila15]

hey guys happy new year

 

[Captopril]

Yes Sir! I know you rocked it.

Thanks man. Sorry about the one-liner, it was 4am over here in Cali and I was lookin to get some much needed sleep. So here is my actual assessment of the test:

The test is fair. It's not easy, it's not really extremely difficult...it's that perfect middle ground that can only be described as fair. If I had to rate it's difficulty I'd put it 2/3 of the way from an NBME assessment to UWorld (the McBurney's point of tests). As one of my teachers described it "when I took the USMLE I felt like I was in a museum, and every question was its own unique piece of art".

Some questions were complete gimmes, and I was getting excited while answering these but then realized these are the ones everyone gets right. I think it's the random killer questions that really determine if you get into the SDN hall of fame.

Every subject is pretty decently represented. People sometimes write "this subject is low yield so don't worry about it" but that's not always the case. In my case there was a fair share of embryology.

Study wise, if you aren't memorizing First Aid, then you might as well just flush your exam fee down the toilet. Someone essentially put out an answer booklet to this exam, so you sure as hell better spend 12hrs a day memorizing it. If you really want to get effective, do the DIT course. You will literally extract every piece of vital information over the course of 15 days. Other than that, UWorld helps...not as much for me as other people claim, but I'm old school in that sense; I can't learn from reading something on a computer screen. If nothing else though, UW helps you get used to 3-4 step questions so that when the real deal throws 1-2 steppers at you, it's no problem.

That's all I got right now, I'll be sure to update when my scores come back. Good luck to everyone starting their prep.

 

[lila15]

hii everyone
i am an IMG passed out in 2009
took step 1 yesterday and i am really thankful to all those who have posted their experiences over here it has been a great source of inspiration for me
reading materials i used
KAPLAN LEC NOTES FOR all but path
GOLJAN RAPID REVIEW nd AUDIO HIGH YIELD GUD STUFF
UWORLD it is an absolute essential tool for learning nd practicing questions try to subscribe for atleast 3 mths, i did UW like more than twice
KAPLAN Q BANK not essential but took it in d last mth cuz i had to practice nd practicing max ques is d key to this test
NBME AN ABSOLUTE MUST HAVE do it on or offline cuz i got so many slides nd ques frm them i did 1 to 4 offline, form 5 nd 6 online
FA 2009- read it like 5 to 6 times but no point in reading without a foundation like kaplan or BRS to support it cuz there is lots to memorise...
ok now d day bfore d exam i was totally relaxed i did very light reading nd i went out for a walk .
on d day of d exam reached test centre bfore time which was a gud idea cuz i got familiar wid d place nd it really helped me to relax a bit cuz juss bfore that my anxiety levels were too high.......test centre was very comfortable nd it put me at ease.
FIRST BLOCK it was quite easy i was doin fine nd after dat i took a ten minute break nd ya i skipped d tutorial ,juss do it day bfore frm d usmle practice test cuz it is ditto juss make sure u check ur headphones rest skip cuz this wil give u more break time......
SECOND BLOCKit was nt so easy infact d toughest for me rest of d blocks were of almost similar difficulty level .........i took break after each block it really worked out well for me cuz by the end of it i was absolutely fresh i had no headaches so plz guys even if u feel fine after 1st block TAKE A BREAK AFTER EACH BLOCK.......during my breaks i munched on chocolates nuts, finished 2 cans of redbull,took light cheese sandwiches nd coffee nd took all this accordingly in all breaks so idea was nt to feel sleepy or hungry at d same time it worked well for me................................
difficulty level of d exam was comparable to form 5 nd 6 maybe a lil harder but ok much easier than UW ques were mstly 2 step reasoning nt much of 3 step reasoning but u gotta think real fast so if u do nt have enough practice wid these que u will be in trouble .........i marked on an average 9 to 10 ques per block nd i was left wid maybe 4 to 5 min after each block.
NEUROANAT- quite heavily tested but all basic concepts so kaplan is gud enough look into d webpath slides once
GROSS ANAT- 1 pelvic ct had to point out gluteus maximus,others were brachial nd lumbar plexus ques some more pelvic anat
EMBROYOLOGY- hardly any
PHARMA- many ques but basic ones ANS then side effects nd stuff so juss do fa nd kaplan is gud too
BIOCHEM-nt too many ques
thankfully my test was nt too mol bio heavy
MICRO-lot of ques kaplan is very gud nd ample for this
10 to 12 biostat ques many doctor pt que they were d worst ones ......
i had repitition of d same concept in many ques for like 3 such set of problems nd 1 CMV slide was repeated for me twice,i got 3 murmurs 2 of them were answerable frm d stem (AS,MR,PDA)I GUESS SO
after d test i felt fine i am nt too sure abt d outcome right now.............
i prepared for like 4 mths plus for this exam it was a very tough time for me but i had a very strong emotional support frm my mum nd dad nd it helped me goin...................at times i felt so depressed nd i thought i cannot do this same way u may feel d same very often do nt loose heart juss think of d better times that will follow subsequently it will pay off it is very natural to feel this way but u have to keep going take a break during such times but dont let it be more than half day cuz it will affect ur pace......i followed a very strict routine nd i did so consistently my father took extra effort in keeping me motivated throughout by constantly checking me nd giving me pep talks nd i am very thankful to him nd my mum had this strong belief in me nd wid all their luv nd support i kept goin on..........consistency is very important i do nt know wot my score is gonna b like but i have no regrets i have given in my best nd life gives us just 1 chance so giive it ur best shot.................throughout d preparation i went for regular jogs it helped to keep me focussed nd fresh do nt waste this time juss listen to GOLJAN he is damn gud nd funny toonow waiting for d results .............i wish all d best to those who r preparin for d step 1 just keep working hard
everyone is welcum to ask ne doubts..........

 

[DRJJ1]

hii everyone
i am an img passed out in 2009
took step 1 yesterday and i am really thankful to all those who have posted their experiences over here it has been a great source of inspiration for me
reading materials i used
kaplan lec notes for all but path
goljan rapid review nd audio high yield gud stuff
uworld it is an absolute essential tool for learning nd practicing questions try to subscribe for atleast 3 mths, i did uw like more than twice
kaplan q bank not essential but took it in d last mth cuz i had to practice nd practicing max ques is d key to this test
nbme an absolute must have do it on or offline cuz i got so many slides nd ques frm them i did 1 to 4 offline, form 5 nd 6 online
fa 2009- read it like 5 to 6 times but no point in reading without a foundation like kaplan or brs to support it cuz there is lots to memorise...
Ok now d day bfore d exam i was totally relaxed i did very light reading nd i went out for a walk .
On d day of d exam reached test centre bfore time which was a gud idea cuz i got familiar wid d place nd it really helped me to relax a bit cuz juss bfore that my anxiety levels were too high.......test centre was very comfortable nd it put me at ease.
First block it was quite easy i was doin fine nd after dat i took a ten minute break nd ya i skipped d tutorial ,juss do it day bfore frm d usmle practice test cuz it is ditto juss make sure u check ur headphones rest skip cuz this wil give u more break time......
Second blockit was nt so easy infact d toughest for me rest of d blocks were of almost similar difficulty level .........i took break after each block it really worked out well for me cuz by the end of it i was absolutely fresh i had no headaches so plz guys even if u feel fine after 1st block take a break after each block.......during my breaks i munched on chocolates nuts, finished 2 cans of redbull,took light cheese sandwiches nd coffee nd took all this accordingly in all breaks so idea was nt to feel sleepy or hungry at d same time it worked well for me................................
Difficulty level of d exam was comparable to form 5 nd 6 maybe a lil harder but ok much easier than uw ques were mstly 2 step reasoning nt much of 3 step reasoning but u gotta think real fast so if u do nt have enough practice wid these que u will be in trouble .........i marked on an average 9 to 10 ques per block nd i was left wid maybe 4 to 5 min after each block.
Neuroanat- quite heavily tested but all basic concepts so kaplan is gud enough look into d webpath slides once
gross anat- 1 pelvic ct had to point out gluteus maximus,others were brachial nd lumbar plexus ques some more pelvic anat
embroyology- hardly any
pharma- many ques but basic ones ans then side effects nd stuff so juss do fa nd kaplan is gud too
biochem-nt too many ques
thankfully my test was nt too mol bio heavy
micro-lot of ques kaplan is very gud nd ample for this
10 to 12 biostat ques many doctor pt que they were d worst ones ......
I had repitition of d same concept in many ques for like 3 such set of problems nd 1 cmv slide was repeated for me twice,i got 3 murmurs 2 of them were answerable frm d stem (as,mr,pda)i guess so
After d test i felt fine i am nt too sure abt d outcome right now.............
I prepared for like 4 mths plus for this exam it was a very tough time for me but i had a very strong emotional support frm my mum nd dad nd it helped me goin...................at times i felt so depressed nd i thought i cannot do this same way u may feel d same very often do nt loose heart juss think of d better times that will follow subsequently it will pay off it is very natural to feel this way but u have to keep going take a break during such times but dont let it be more than half day cuz it will affect ur pace......i followed a very strict routine nd i did so consistently my father took extra effort in keeping me motivated throughout by constantly checking me nd giving me pep talks nd i am very thankful to him nd my mum had this strong belief in me nd wid all their luv nd support i kept goin on..........consistency is very important i do nt know wot my score is gonna b like but i have no regrets i have given in my best nd life gives us just 1 chance so giive it ur best shot.................throughout d preparation i went for regular jogs it helped to keep me focussed nd fresh do nt waste this time juss listen to goljan he is damn gud nd funny toonow waiting for d results .............i wish all d best to those who r preparin for d step 1 just keep working hard
Everyone is welcum to ask ne doubts..........

Nice report but your english style of writing
is bad I found that it was hard to follow and it looks
as if maybe english is not your first language
but if it is well,,,it just doesn't look
that well to be writing like that,,,nd=and juss is just you get what i mean

 

[WittyUsername]

It's been a great year! Great job everyone! Thank you all so much for posting on here: This kind of information is really valuable for those of us who are preparing for the Step 1.

Can't wait to read the 2010 thread!

 

[lila15]

hey hii
well sorry for the excessive use of slangs and shortforms , english is not my mother tongue but i use it more often than usual ,i am used to writing this way online so sorry people ......

 

[k87]

no need to be sorry its all good..congrats for ur exam

Happy New Year everybody!!

 

[ChimpanzeeMinky]

nice report but your english style of writing
is bad i found it hard to follow and it looks
as if maybe english is not your first lang
but if it is well,,,it just doesn t look
that well to be writing like that,,,nd=and juss is just you get what i mean

haha. Irony.

 

[DRJJ1]

haha. Irony.

say something important no irony except you seem
like you have something to say but having trouble

 

[McGillGrad]

say something important no irony except you seem
like you have something to say but having trouble

Play nice.

 

[McGillGrad]

Study wise, if you aren't memorizing First Aid, then you might as well just flush your exam fee down the toilet. Someone essentially put out an answer booklet to this exam, so you sure as hell better spend 12hrs a day memorizing it.

I don't agree that FA is really that crucial towards the end. I stopped looking at it for the last couple of weeks expect for an odd referencing whilst doing questions. I certainly did not memorize the book. Then again, I probably completed 4000-5000 questions during my study period, so that may have offset abandoning FA.

 

[ar2388]

I don't agree that FA is really that crucial towards the end. I stopped looking at it for the last couple of weeks expect for an odd referencing whilst doing questions. I certainly did not memorize the book. Then again, I probably completed 4000-5000 questions during my study period, so that may have offset abandoning FA.

what resources did you use for all those questions?

 

[Captopril]

I don't agree that FA is really that crucial towards the end. I stopped looking at it for the last couple of weeks expect for an odd referencing whilst doing questions. I certainly did not memorize the book. Then again, I probably completed 4000-5000 questions during my study period, so that may have offset abandoning FA.

Yeah I have friends who did the same..I guess to each his own. In my case I was getting 210-220s on NBME before I started going at FA hardcore. Once I did that, it bumped me up to the 240s. I hope this reflects on the real test.

But as you said, some people get the same affect from UWorld q's...so to all those reading my exam/prep experience, keep this pearl in mind.

 

[McGillGrad]

what resources did you use for all those questions?

I used an adjusted Taus method with an addition of more questions and Goljan audio from beginning to end in the final 2 weeks.

 

[astrocreep96]

Hey everyone - a bit of a silly question: would someone mind posting links from amazon for the recommended Micro Cards and Pharm Cards? I keep hearing about these but there are a variety of publishers and I assume a specific one is what is commonly referenced.

 

[kryptik]

Hey everyone - a bit of a silly question: would someone mind posting links from amazon for the recommended Micro Cards and Pharm Cards? I keep hearing about these but there are a variety of publishers and I assume a specific one is what is commonly referenced.

this is the micro set http://www.amazon.com/Microcards-Re...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262816559&sr=8-1

 

[astrocreep96]

this is the micro set http://www.amazon.com/Microcards-Re...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262816559&sr=8-1

Great success! Thanks.

Kind of dug around for the Pharm cards - seems there are a couple or three camps on that one, I'll probably pull the trigger on Brenner.

 

[vRecklinghausen]

Just received my scores today and I am totally ecstatic.

Test Date: 12/11/2009

Resources Used: Kaplan videos, books and my notes from the basic sciences. NEVER read FIRST AID. It still looks as if brand new.

Questions Bank(s): USMLE world (a great way to learn. as its administrators say do not use this tool to assess your prepardness rather use it as resource to acquire the knowledge u didn't get elsewhere).

UW Cumulative Percentage: 70% (48 question blocks-timed, most blocks towards the end were random as opposed to those in the beginning which were more subject specific (~2-3 subjects per block)).

NBME 7: 640 (estimated step 1 score was 253, three days before the real deal)

Step 1: 252/99

Good luck everyone.

 

[Torquer]

congratulations vReckling! hellova first post

and loads of to captopril! been reading your posts for quite some time and am glad you kicked butt.

 

[Captopril]

congratulations vReckling! hellova first post

and loads of to captopril! been reading your posts for quite some time and am glad you kicked butt.

Thanks man I appreciate it. Butt kicking hasn't been established yet, but I appreciate the sentiment

 

[salimdmc]

Hi everyone,
I got my result yesterday and score is
260/99

 

[PistolPete]

Wow, congrats salimdmc! Care to say which resource you thought was the most important during your preparation for the exam?

 

[salimdmc]

Wow, congrats salimdmc! Care to say which resource you thought was the most important during your preparation for the exam?

Dear all,
I used kaplan lecture notes (except pathology ) + video lectures, Goljan high yeild notes + lectures, USMLE world and FA.
Took only one NBME (form 2), and it was offline so my peformance was seemed to be ~ 88%.
USMLE Sample Q = 44, 46, 42.
I used also UW offline questions 2 times and my performance was about ~ 65%.

If possible learn Ganong phys (only principles and the summary of all entries) latest edition if you want to cover all, because only this book can cover the molecular biology or pathophysiology!

If you more enthusiastic read Robbins pocket companion!
Bye the way, is there anyone here live is bloomington/ indiana?
I have some USMLE study stuffs for sell ( message privately only)
Thank you all for all of your support.
bye and take care,

 

[Captopril]

First off congrats on an amazing score. Very well done.

However....

If possible learn Ganong phys (only principles and the summary of all entries) latest edition if you want to cover all

...I can't really get behind that. Wayyyyy overkill.

 

[McGillGrad]

First off congrats on an amazing score. Very well done.

However....



...I can't really get behind that. Wayyyyy overkill.

The OP is probably a FMG so he studied for 6 months or so. Explains why he has time for big books.

 

[Captopril]

The OP is probably a FMG so he studied for 6 months or so. Explains why he has time for big books.

I'm also an FMG who studied for about 6months, but I don't think I'd have time for anything remotely close to Ganong. Nor do I think it's necessary. To all the FMGs considering reading something like that: Cost/Benefit ratio sucks on those big ***** books.

 

[Captopril]

big ***** books.

Wow, really?

 

[McGillGrad]

I'm also an FMG who studied for about 6months, but I don't think I'd have time for anything remotely close to Ganong. Nor do I think it's necessary. To all the FMGs considering reading something like that: Cost/Benefit ratio sucks on those big ***** books.

You would be surprised how much you can gain in the long run by reading through source material as opposed to review material. If I would have had 6 months, I would have read through the big books.

 

[salimdmc]

First off congrats on an amazing score. Very well done.

However....



...I can't really get behind that. Wayyyyy overkill.

..Only if one tries to cover the whole syllabus. Do u think any one can cover the whole syllabus? so.. the decision is up to u.

Off course Ganong is not necessary for prep in 3 months or less. But if you want to become familiar with experimental or most difficult questions, I think Ganong only have the answer.
For example:
1. connexion relation with deafness
2. Ghrelin relation with appetite.
Both appear in my exam and I believe they are only adequate treated in ganong, not even the HY molecular biology/ big robbins can cover these.

I am only being truthful, not to intimidate anyone. I think those have got high scores either have read some bigbooks, or they already mastered it before the prep ,LOL.

The core materials I used were kaplan lecture notes (except pathology ) + video lectures, Goljan high yeild notes + lectures, USMLE world and FA.
thank u all.

 

[bluntdissector]

I'm also an FMG who studied for about 6months, but I don't think I'd have time for anything remotely close to Ganong. Nor do I think it's necessary. To all the FMGs considering reading something like that: Cost/Benefit ratio sucks on those big ***** books.

Have to agree.

I had around 5 months, as an IMG, but that means 5 months of CLASS, I only had a two week holiday in there. I wouldn't have had the time to go through such a big one - I only went through review sources. Some weeks I had to study for course tests and clinical assessments, some weeks I could focus on USMLE. Don't think it would've made a difference if I had 6-8 weeks full time building up to the test.

And my score was similar.

 

[HazomboL]

Hey everybody..

As ever, this forum has been excessively helpful in my preparation. I will try to summarize my experience, but first here are the scores:

1- USMLE world:
First run: random misc questions in timed-mode.
Finished 100% with an average score of 70%
Then: finished marked and incorrect items, culminating in an average of 74%

2- USMLE simulated exam no.1: 248 (3 weeks before exam)
3- USMLE simulated exam no.2: 261 (1 week before exam)

The real deal: 261/99

I relied on Kaplan for many, but not all, things.. It was great for physiology, a little redundant, but even the low yield parts were nice to 'understand' better.. It was great with pharmacology, not bad with genetics (although the redundancy was high and confusing at times).. Pathology from Goljan.. great, especially when you've taken step 2 first (becomes a piece of cake).. Microbiology from Kaplan, but found it monotonous to a great extent and hadn't it been for my step 2 experience and First Aid, it would've been bad. Biochemistry was quite good.. I relied on step 2 BG and First Aid for behavioral and Stats..

I went through all the subjects in details by watching videos, etc.. after each subject, I'd answer its MCQs from Kaplan's Qbook.. I started solving U-world after that.. as always it's indispensable.. and as you can see, its simulated exams are quite accurate (predicted my score to the digit).. Although I recommend doing it earlier, I only did FA after I finished U-World.. I created my own pneumonics and made use of my solving experience. It was good.

I recommend regulating your circadian rhythm a couple of weeks before the exam. Don't abandon your sports schedule, keep jogging till the night of the exam. Have fun on regular intervals. Try to sleep well before the exam - to do that, I stop studying on the noon of the day before the exam. But, for all the people who get insomniac on exam night (like myself), don't worry.. if you've studied well the last few weeks, the data will still be there and you'll do fine. Just stay in good spirits and be optimistic. The best scenario, though, is to get some good night sleep.

Good luck everybody!

 

[lila15]

@hazambol- hey hi when did u take your step 1 exam as in the date and when was your score reported ?did they send you an email regarding the result.......and ya congratulations for yout great result

 

[Captopril]

Thanks man. Sorry about the one-liner, it was 4am over here in Cali and I was lookin to get some much needed sleep. So here is my actual assessment of the test:

The test is fair. It's not easy, it's not really extremely difficult...it's that perfect middle ground that can only be described as fair. If I had to rate it's difficulty I'd put it 2/3 of the way from an NBME assessment to UWorld (the McBurney's point of tests). As one of my teachers described it "when I took the USMLE I felt like I was in a museum, and every question was its own unique piece of art".

Some questions were complete gimmes, and I was getting excited while answering these but then realized these are the ones everyone gets right. I think it's the random killer questions that really determine if you get into the SDN hall of fame.

Every subject is pretty decently represented. People sometimes write "this subject is low yield so don't worry about it" but that's not always the case. In my case there was a fair share of embryology.

Study wise, if you aren't memorizing First Aid, then you might as well just flush your exam fee down the toilet. Someone essentially put out an answer booklet to this exam, so you sure as hell better spend 12hrs a day memorizing it. If you really want to get effective, do the DIT course. You will literally extract every piece of vital information over the course of 15 days. Other than that, UWorld helps...not as much for me as other people claim, but I'm old school in that sense; I can't learn from reading something on a computer screen. If nothing else though, UW helps you get used to 3-4 step questions so that when the real deal throws 1-2 steppers at you, it's no problem.

That's all I got right now, I'll be sure to update when my scores come back. Good luck to everyone starting their prep.

237/99

not the greatest score in history, but not the worst either. In all honesty I had my hopes set on a 240+, but this will do.

Thanks to everyone here for the interest and support.

 

[kryptik]

let me be the first to say congratulations!

 

[Captopril]

let me be the first to say congratulations!

Thanks man I really appreciate your words of encouragement throughout my wait period

 

[lila15]

just got my score 247/99 yipeee!!

 

[McGillGrad]

237/99

not the greatest score in history, but not the worst either. In all honesty I had my hopes set on a 240+, but this will do.

Thanks to everyone here for the interest and support.

Congrats! Now that you have your 99, you can go on build a great application with a 99 on step 2 and awesome clinical evaluations.

 

[wAyRadikull]

Hey Cap, strong work bro. Keep up the good work and make sure you stick around to help us out haha. Now that you're done slaying the beast and have a wealth of knowledge, I think you should be the one to pop off the "Official 2010 Step 1 Experiences and Scores Thread"!

 

[HazomboL]

@hazambol- hey hi when did u take your step 1 exam as in the date and when was your score reported ?did they send you an email regarding the result.......and ya congratulations for yout great result

Well, I took my test on the 15th of December 2009 and the results were reported on the 13th of Jan, 2010 - a week later than I expected, but probably owing to Xmas break..

Good luck, pal..

 

[username456789]

Thanks man I really appreciate your words of encouragement throughout my wait period

Great job, man. Keep in mind this is SDN, so even the best scores tend to make you feel like a mere mortal.

I'm about 6 months out and dreading the time between now and the end of June . . . .

 

[Captopril]

Congrats! Now that you have your 99, you can go on build a great application with a 99 on step 2 and awesome clinical evaluations.

Hey Cap, strong work bro. Keep up the good work and make sure you stick around to help us out haha. Now that you're done slaying the beast and have a wealth of knowledge, I think you should be the one to pop off the "Official 2010 Step 1 Experiences and Scores Thread"!

Great job, man. Keep in mind this is SDN, so even the best scores tend to make you feel like a mere mortal.

I'm about 6 months out and dreading the time between now and the end of June . . . .

Thanks guys, I will definitely stick around in this forum since I extracted so much from it. Looks like me and McGill are the old fogies who can't let go of our youth

 

[Ad33L]

Can anyone please tell me what this "TAUS METHOD" of studying for step 1 is???
Thanks.

 

[tideleonheart]

Can anyone please tell me what this "TAUS METHOD" of studying for step 1 is???
Thanks.

With a simple search for "Taus Method" and about 30 seconds of time, I found this:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=6192274&postcount=12

 

[kryptik]

^^ I havent taken the test yet but it comes down to this:
If you are an IMG and feel you need a more comprehensive review, you get the kaplan lecture notes(replace the path with rr) and videos and do the qbook or qbank.
After that you use first aid/rr/DIT mainly and kaplan for reference or clarification while doing usmleworld questions.
Keep it simple

 

[kryptik]

.....2. Ghrelin relation with appetite.
Both appear in my exam and I believe they are only adequate treated in ganong, not even the HY molecular biology/ big robbins can cover these...

ghrelin i believe is covered in brs physio and first aid

 

[deleted103644]

ghrelin i believe is covered in brs physio and first aid

Ghrelin isn't in BRS Physio or First Aid 2009 or Goljan. Neuropeptide Y either for that matter (at least they have leptin, but that entire pathway is lacking). For a quick reference, wikipedia is surprisingly good... could be even better if we improved it, eh?

List of human hormones