Official 2010 USMLE Step 1 Experiences and Scores Thread

[FMD212]

Good luck all. I have my exam end of March and hope to be the 1st one to post here for 2010.

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[Mr hawkings]

I just wanted to post my score for all the average students on here!

I took the exam june 28th and got a 221. My average UWORLD score was in the mid-high 50s - I only completed about 60% all in tutor mode. I had in the 40s on Kaplan and completed only 10%. I read through first aid twice thoroughly. I did not use any other resources.

QUOTE]

Thanks for not calling that a mediocre score

 

[happypuppet]

Long time lurker. Happy to finally have the opportunity to post here. I started reading these threads casually at the beginning of my 2nd year to start gathering books and form a rough study plan, and it has seriously been one of THE best resources through my Step 1 studying (in conjunction with FA and UWorld, haha). Now, I want to return the favor.

As a disclaimer, I go to a "top tier" med school, but pretty much am the most mediocre of mediocre students at my school. We have a P/F curriculum, and as a result I don't stand out in either a good or bad way. I'm a fairly good test taker, but in the case of Step 1, I think hard work >> good test testing skills.

The numbers:
NBME 3 (3 months out): 207 (i think?)
NBME 4 (5.5 weeks out): 225
UW #1 (4 weeks out): 225 (this really irked me)
UW #2 (3 weeks out): 242
NBME 6 (2 weeks out): 251
Free 150 (1.5 weeks out): 87% (~253 medfriends)
NBME 7 (1 week out): 262 (!!??)
Real Deal: 255/99

UWorld: 70% cumulative, timed, random. Started out in the high 50's, hovered around high 70s-low 80's in the last 2-3 weeks.

I had about 5 weeks to study after school let out, and I spent ~12 hrs/day studying, though I would say maybe only 8-10 of those hours were very focused. I knew from the onset that I've never been a very efficient studier, so I altered my study schedule accordingly.

I think the most important thing to realize at the beginning is to DO WHAT WORKS FOR YOU. It gave me a headache to hear so many differing opinions. YOU know how you learn best. If something isn't helping you learn, try something else. Don't do it just because someone else said it was helpful. Having said that...here is my experience:

Resources:
I think in terms of resources, LESS IS MORE. Stick to the basics. You will just overwhelm yourself by trying to cover too many bases. SDN for the most part agrees that First Aid + UWorld + RR Pathology = Success. I bought a lot of supplemental books at the beginning (HY Anatomy, HY Behavioral, RR Biochem), and pretty much didn't touch a single one. These are the resources I actually used:

-FA 2010--tried and true, the highest of the highest yield material.
-UWorld--I tried Kaplan, I tried RX. Wound up basically wasting a bunch of $$$ and only doing UWorld, which is the BEST.
-BRS Physiology--fantastic review of physiology
-RR Pathology + Audio--great resources, but I didn't treat it as the bible like a lot of other people.
-DIT Course

Other resources I kind of used:
-CMMRS--I suck at memorization. This book was fun and memorable. I really enjoyed microbio by the end.
-Microcards
-Pharmcards

Study Schedule
Like they say over and over again, the best preparation is working hard during your first two years. I was never the smartest, but I stuck to my guns and followed our school curriculum while a lot of other people checked out early to study exclusively for the boards. I'm sure many of them did well, but don't think that the only way to do well is to blow off your schoolwork.

Throughout 2nd year:
I started reviewing FA and RR Path and BRS Physiology during in conjunction with whatever organ system we were doing at the time. I never annotated anything and read through everything only once, just to make sure I was getting the important points and big picture throughout each block. I casually listened to corresponding portions of Goljan audio at the gym, but ended up mostly just reading trashy magazines and watching the news and totally ignoring Goljan. I know everyone LOVES both his RR book and his audio, but I didn't really get the hype. I also read through maybe 1 chapter of CMMRS every so often and tried to remember the bugs. This made learning micro at the end a lot easier.

I started with Kaplan Qbank questions around March, and got through ~500 Q's before quickly realizing they were horrible. I then proceeded to buy RX, and used that until mid-May (did maybe 30-40%). I did all of these Q's in TUTOR MODE. I didn't start UWorld until my dedicated study period (something I would have done differently if I had to do it again).

Also starting around March, I decided it was time to get serious. I started annotating my FA slowly with BRS Phys and RR Path. This was basically the only other pass I did of RR Path besides for casually reading it during the school year. I wrote in what I thought was important to remember, and never touched the book again. I also pretty much ignored the first several chapters. In retrospect, I think it was a great resources, but I personally thought it was too detailed for what you actually need to know, and I really didn't like the format. To each his own.

By the time I started my dedicated study time, I had done a very slow, first pass of FA for understanding, but didn't retain much of it.

During my 5 week study period:
I started UWorld and did at least 50 questions a day in timed, random. I was one of those freaks who spent ~3hrs/block reading each explanation in detail regardless of whether I got the questions right or wrong. This was probably the most high-yield portion of my studying. Closer to the test date, I did 100 Q's/day, which ate up my entire morning and the beginning of my afternoon. Again, I didn't mind the huge time commitment, because it was the best learning tool for me. During the actual exam, I felt at ease, because it really felt like 7 blocks of UWorld. A lot of questions seemed familiar/similar. My only regret is that I would have gone back and re-done my incorrects, but I ran out of time.

I did the DIT course as my 2nd pass of FA. This gets mixed reviews, and I certainly got sick of Dr.Jenkins' incessant yapping after awhile, but personally, I thought it was a great way to force yourself to get through ALL of FA. The active learning and constantly repetition was very helpful for my relatively bad memory, and it made me go through portions of FA I hated and dreaded. Given the amount of time it took, I'm sure I could have learned a lot on my own as well, but having some guidance made me feel better at least on a psychological level, and its quick pace forced me to try and keep up. The success of this course comes with an understanding of your personal learning style.

I think I had ~2.5 weeks after DIT before my test date. I did a 3rd pass of FA, and another pass on sections I felt weak on. The last few days before my test date, I went over super high yield memorization heavy subjects to cram into my short term memory (micro, biochem, pharm).

My Actual Test:
I don't really think it's useful to give specifics of my test, because after reading a billion of these, it's very obvious that everyone's test is different. It did seem that this year, they increased the amount of anatomy (I had ~25 questions or so), some of which are incredibly obvious and some of which are obscure and absolutely impossible. My specific test had a bunch of "left field" questions that really threw me for a loop: a lot of weird embryo gene specifics, a lot of skin pathology/treatments. I didn't have a lot of biochem/molecular bio like some people (thankfully). But like I said, this is a crapshoot, and I think I wound up with a good mix a questions. My first few sections were relatively easy (I only marked ~5-7 per section), but by the last few sections, I was easily marking 15/section. I also started to run really low on time, which was something that never happened to me on UWorld or practice tests, most likely because I was subconsciously trying to be super careful on the real thing.

I was very calm during my actual test, but on the drive home, I started remember all these questions that I had made stupid mistakes on. By that night, I had come up with a list of 15 questions that I had definitely missed. This list grew to 25-30 in the next few days. Basically, I was freaking myself out thinking that I performed much lower than practice test scores. In reality, I probably missed ~40-60 questions on the actual test, and was probably lucky in the respect that a good portion of them were experimental. Proof of my post-exam freakout can be found in the "Stupid Mistakes" thread a few pages back.

All in all, I'm glad to put this era of my life behind me. I found that the NBME's and even the Free 150 were a good predictor of my score as well as that UWorld Formula.

Good luck to everyone still waiting on scores

I have an early morning ahead with OB Surgery Rotation

 

[bojackson63044]

Test date: 6/5/2010
Results: 252/99 (7/14/2010)

Resources used:
-First Aid 2010
-Rapid Review 3rd Edition (Goljan) + Audio
-Kaplan Webprep 2010 + Qbank
-NBME Form 6 (5/9/2010) - 500

Review:
For me, the most useful resource was the Kaplan Webprep package which I received free (I teach MCAT for Kaplan). I have no experience with any other prep course so I can't really compare. But the Webprep video lectures/notes combined with Qbank made the perfect review combo. I have been using FA2010 and Goljan throughout 2nd year for classes, but I started using them for review together with Qbank starting in early March. My routine consisted of reading a chapter in FA or RR and then doing the Qbank questions on the related topic immediately afterwards. I began using the Webprep in early May and found the lecture videos/notes extremely helpful. But I could not finish much of the material due to time constraints. In retrospect, I wish I had started with Webprep instead and used FA2010 as a quick review guide toward the end of the process. Finally, I would save the money on the NBME forms. I did one since my school purchased each student 1 form and it would have been a shame to let it go to waste. But I found the form to be a poor representation of the actual exam.

 

[Bowser Koopa]

Thanks to all the “SDNers” in the past who shared their experiences. I’ve lurked on SDN for a very long time now (even before I took the MCAT) without any contributions. I have benefited greatly from this step 1 forum, and hope that the information below will help future students who must conquer this inevitable obstacle.

First 2 years:
For the M1 and M2 students reading this, I want to re-iterate what many have said on this forum: “Nothing will replace two years of hard work.” I spent most of my first two year using outside resources, and learning things beyond what was presented by my school’s curriculum.

Basic Science Resources used DURING the first two years
Anatomy: Moores, BRS
Behavioral Science: High Yield
Biostatistics: High Yield
Biochemistry: Lippincott, Rapid Review (Lippincott was great resource during our biochemistry course; I read Rapid Review during my dedicated step 1 study since it had integrations)
Embryology: High-Yield
Histology: Wheater’s Functional Histology: A Text and Color Atlas
Immunology: Review of Medical Microbiology and Immunology
Microbiology: CMMRS, Microcards
Molecular & Cell Biology: High Yield Cell and Molecular Biology 1999
Pathology: Big Robbins and the Robbins question book, Goljan’s Rapid Review, Goljan Audio, Webpath (I always read big robbins first, then tackled Goljan’s book and audio, and finally finished it off with the Robbins question book. If I wanted more pictures or practice problems, I used Webpath, PathCONSULT, or the Robbins pathology atlas)
Pharmacology: Lippincott, BRS, Pre-test, Lange Pharm Cards (I preferred the Lippincott book. Pre-test was a great source for practice problems. )
Physiology: Guyton and the question book, Costanzo’s Physiology textbook, Costanzo’s BRS

Specific Systems Resources
Cardiology: Pathophysiology of Heart Disease (Lilly)
Neuroanatomy: Neuroanatomy through Clinical Cases (Blumenfeld), High Yield Neuroanatomy

Step 1 Preparation:
During the first two years, I read the relevant sections of First Aid and Goljan, as well as listen to his audio during each system of my curriculum. I also annotated into my First Aid any information I felt would help remind me about a specific fact or section of First Aid during my dedicated Step 1 prep. In other words, I added notes to clarify facts in First Aid.

I started reviewing for Step 1 in January, with my weak subjects (as judged by my scores from our school’s custom made NBME exams). I read CMMRS and added a few notes or cross-reference pages into my First Aid. After CMMRS, I tackled biochem by reading Rapid Review and added notes to clarify certain sections in First Aid. The next subject I reviewed was immunology. I used “Review of Medical Microbiology and Immunology.” These were the only three subjects I had time for while keeping up with the spring semester curriculum.

At the end of the semester, I had approximately 7 weeks of dedicated step 1 study time. My main resources were:

1) FA 2010
2) BRS Physiology
3) RR Pathology
4) Goljan audio + Goljan path pictures + PathCONSULT
5) USMLE world (you NEED this)
6) Kaplan Qbank (The strengths of this qbank include: video lectures, difficult physiology and anatomy questions. Weakness of this qbank: TERRIBLE explanations)
7) BRS Behavioral
8) HY Neuroanatomy (focused on radioimages, angiograms, etc.)

If there was something I couldn’t remember or didn’t understand, I referred to the resources I used during the first two years.

I approached my studies with a systems-based approach, since my school’s curriculum is systems-based.

For my first pass:

Day 1 = Read BRS, Read FA
Day 2 = Read RR Pathology, Review FA
Day 3 = Goljan Audio, and Kaplan Qbank questions for the system.
Day 4 = repeat with the next system.

When I finished one round of the material I started USMLE world (random, timed, blocks of 48 Q). I read all the explanations, including the questions I answered correctly. I took notes into FA, and copied every figure/graph/table into FA. The notes and drawings I made into FA helped significantly because there were times when I had questions that I did not know, but I could remember drawing some pathway or some chart, which allowed me to choose the correct answer. The reading and copying took approximately three hours (so total time spent per block was approximately 4 hours: 1 hour to do the block + 3 hours of review and annotation)

For my second pass:

Day 1 = Review BRS, FA, 48 or 96 USMLE world questions
Day 2 = Read RR Path + Goljan audio, 48 or 96 USMLE world questions
Day 3 = repeat with the next system

My third and last pass was focused on weak subjects, and finishing USMLE world.

Last three days were focused on behavioral/biostats, biochem, microbiology, immunology, pharmacology, and USMLE world. I studied the day before the exam, as well as the morning of the exam. As someone had already mentioned, why would you not study the night before one of the most important exams of your life? I’m sure most of you studied the night before all those exams you took during your first 2 years. The last 24 hours is the best time to cram in minutia details.

Test Day
My test was scheduled at 9 am. I woke up at 6 and did my final review of the pharmacology chapter in first aid. I also did 24 USMLE world Q’s to warm-up for the day.

I left my FA and goljan in my car, and looked up some stuff in between each block. I knew that people tend to get similar/same questions between each block. If I was unsure about something I had in a block, I looked it up afterwards just so I don’t make any mistakes in case the topic was repeated in my remaining blocks.

Subject Breakdown

Behavioral Science/Biostatistics: I don’t really know if there is a “best” way to prepare for this section. There were many questions where you could narrow it down to two, and you just had to go with your gut. There were also some questions requiring information that can be found in the high-yield book, but not in FA. I had one tricky biostats question, but the majority was straightforward. I had at least 3 behavioral questions in each block. I had around five biostats questions total on my exam.

Biochemistry: Most of my biochemistry was straightforward. I felt these questions were easier than the USMLE world biochemistry questions. I had a few questions on metabolic disorders, lysosomal storage diseases, glycogen storage diseases, etc. FA and usmle world was sufficient for my exam.

Anatomy: Like what most have mentioned already, there were quite a few anatomy questions. There were questions that required knowledge of anatomical relationships, as well as questions requiring you to know classic presentations. All the questions I had testing classic presentations can be found in the blue or red boxes of the Moore’s textbook or BRS anatomy, respectively. It seems like FA was not enough for many people’s exams this year.

Embryology: Very basic for the most part. Like what everyone has said before, FA is enough.

Cardiovascular System: Most of the questions I had tested your understanding of the pathophysiology, using the “arrow” questions. Some were basic, while others were difficult.

GI System: I don’t recall having that many questions in this area. There were a few easy ones dealing with things like H.pylori.

Genetics: I thought these questions were straightforward. Know how to interpret the genograms and calculate probabilities. I had a few molecular questions dealing with signal pathways, as well as molecular experiments. Understand how to interpret results of blots, gels, etc.

Heme/Onc: I thought these questions were straightforward. The questions I had were very basic (hereditary spherocytosis, sickle cell, thalessemias, etc). I spent a lot of time going through Goljan’s audio and the chapters in his book, and it was well worth it.

Microbiology/Immunology: Almost all of the questions were basic stuff (CD markers, IL’s, etc.). FA and usmle world certainly covers a lot of micro. However, I had some questions requiring info not found in these two sources, but can be found in CMMRS. There were a few HIV/AIDS questions. Be aware of all the pathology associated with HIV/AIDS, the CD count for each disease process, and how they appear grossly or histologically.

Musculoskeletal, Skin & Connective Tissue: Know the nerve lesions and their presentations. Derm on my exam was fairly easy. I did not have any questions that flat out ask you to look at the picture and determine the pathology.

Nervous system: You definitely need to know your neuroanatomy (pathways, coronal sections, saggital sections, etc). Some of the questions were complex with long vignettes and you had to piece all the information together and determine where the lesion is located, or what would cause the lesion.

Pathology: Almost all of the systems were well represented. Most of them were classic stuff like sarcoidosis (I had >3 sarcoidosis questions), RA, valvular disease, osteoporosis/osteopenia.

Pharmacology: a LOT easier than usmle world. As most have mentioned on SDN, FA covers most if not all you need to know. Focus on the MOA and side effects.

Physiology: Lots of those arrow questions you see in USMLE world.

Renal/Urinary: Know how to interpret all the elements of a urinalysis. There were a few questions that I was unsure about, and still unsure after researching the topics tested.

Reproductive/Endocrine: Most of the questions dealt with pathophysiology. Lots of arrow questions in this category. Know the HPA axis, hormonal regulation, classic diseases such as Klinefelters/Turners, etc.

Respiratory System: Fairly straightforward. Most of the questions related to some microbiology.

Overall Impression

Overall I thought the exam was fair. My first 4 blocks were fairly easy, and my final 3 blocks were difficult. Almost all of the questions on the last 3 blocks were long vignettes (range: 10-20 lines) and so time became an issue. I was able to finish these 3 blocks, but did not have time to review my flagged questions. Moreover, I was flagging a lot more questions on these blocks (up to 15ish).

USMLE world definitely prepares you well for step 1. In comparison to usmle world questions, my step 1 exam had questions that were easier, same difficulty, or a lot harder. So it was a mix.

There were certainly questions requiring information not covered by my curriculum, FA, goljan, usmle world, or the popular textbooks people use in medical school. Some questions I just knew because of the review papers I read throughout the first 2 years. This is one reason I mentioned earlier that nothing will replace two years of hard work.


What I would have done differently

Definitely trust your instincts when taking the exam. There were several questions where I did not trust myself, and ended up answering them incorrectly. My goal was to break 260, and maybe not going with my instincts prevented me from achieving this goal. Don’t change your answer unless you’re damn sure you should change it.

USMLE world is an invaluable resource. I would’ve started this question bank earlier so I could have time to make a second pass. There were some questions on my exam that were almost verbatim with usmle world questions.

I would’ve taken more nbme practice exams (5 and 6). As some have mentioned, they like to add the exact same questions on the real exam. I definitely had a couple from nbme form 7.

Having knowledge that there was more anatomy this year, I should’ve spent a couple of hours flipping through the blue boxes out of the Moore’s textbook.


Scores
Kaplan % = 73% (timed, subject specific)
USMLE world % = 78% (timed, random) (started at 70%; last few blocks % = 100, 93, 87, 85, 85)
UWSA1 (2 weeks out) = 253 (breakdown: 72%, 70%, 77%, 85%)
UWSA2 (1 week out) = 260 (breakdown: 85%, 77%, 75%, 83%)
Actual = 256/99


Good luck to all those who will take step 1 in the future. If you have any questions, please feel free to PM me.

 

[Kaeko]

Long Post

Test date: 7/2/2010
Results: 247/99/pass

Resources used:
-First Aid 2010
-Goljian (Audio Only)
-WORLD (first pass 53% using timed mode 20Q by category, 2nd pass 89% using timed random 46Q)
-Small amount of KAPLAN Q BANK (~10% completed ~65% in 46Q timed random)

I want to start by saying that I am not the best medical student - at the time of taking this exam (end of 2nd year), I rank somewhere borderline 3rd and 4th quartile at my school which grades the first 2 years. Also, I did not start studying for step until our year ended roughly at the end of May (~4 to 4.5 weeks studytime).

A lot of people that post here are the amazing students that will inevitably get into AOA; and if you are not one of these students, it may be hard to relate to them. Also, a lot of people posting here study months (sometimes years ahead) - you may not have that sort of time left. So if you are reading SDN like I was with the exam a month away and FREAKING OUT at people studying for this exam 3-6 months, even years early, I hope this post can help you as well.

*********

My study schedule was basically to

(1) Speed read FA once - no highlighting, just read it, get big concepts

(2) Read each individual section (e.g. Embryo) thoroughly with notes and highlighting, then immediately doing every question in the World Q bank on that section. Your score will not be pretty - ignore it. Learn from the bank, read the descriptions and especially note the the % correct. If you miss something 80% got right, it's OK, but pay particular attention to it.

(3) Goljian Audio. I only listened and read along with the annotated lecture notes. (I would recommend doing this earlier than I did).

(4) At this point you should have completed the Q bank for WORLD. At this point, I reread FA while repeating WORLD questions in 46Q timed random blocks to build stamina. I would study FA, then when I got tired, do WORLD. Unfortunately, once you have ran through WORLD once, it is difficult to get it to repeat all questions a 2nd time - I ended up biting the bullet and getting another $99 subscription. You will get a lot right simply by memorizing the question - this is OK.

(5) At this point I did KAPLAN for a bit until the exam date. Overall, I got through maybe 3-4 reads on FA, USMLE bank seeing every question at least twice, and Goljian audio only with the lecture notes once, and a small amount of KAPLAN.

*********

If I had to sum up my study strategy, it would be "just know what you're supposed to know" and "learn the exam". I stuck to the basics and the highest yield material possible in FA, Goljian, and WORLD. I relied extremely heavily on WORLD as a learning material, not an assessment tool. WORLD not only gives you questions extremely similar (some exact) on the step, but has great explanations and the % that got it right. The % is very key because it tells you what you're 'supposed to know'. The % correct if you use this method of study will depress the hell out of you - you have to just ignore it and not freak out.

Learning the exam - I'm a firm believer that this exam can be learned. As much as they try to trick you and update it, you can still predict questions - not just topics. WORLD does an eeriely good job of this. Gojlian is extremely high yield for direct question repeats as well. No matter what - at all costs, get through the WORLD Q bank at least once.

*********

Assessments:
NBME1 - 190 (4 weeks out, no studying)
WORLD1 - 224 (2 weeks out)
WORLD2 - 244 (5 days out)
Actual - 247

Between NBME1 and WORLD1, I had sped read FA, reread FA by section, and done the entire WORLD bank by category. Between WORLD1 and 2, I had listened to goljian and reread FA once (huge bump just listeing to goljian seriously, but as others have stated, WORLD exam 2 is very generous). Between WORLD2 and Actual, I burned through the WORLD bank again a 2nd time.

I did a small amount of KAPLAN. I felt the KAPLAN questions were harder than WORLD. My personal theory on why this is the case after years of everyone saying it's too easy is that they got the message and started making a ton of new questions; however, their questions are less rooted on things seen in the previous exams. Given the way I studied (high yield, stuff seen previously on exam only), I obviously wouldn't know as much in a bank with new questions.

*********

If you are like me and have 4 weeks and aren't AOA material, you have absolutely no chance of knowing more than some people on this board. They have been studying for months and are top of their classes. But as hard as step tries to see how much you know, it's only 322 questions and their bank is limited. You cannot possibly know more overall than these kinds of people, but it is still possible to quickly know just as much about USMLE. Stick to high yield (FA, WORLD, Goljian audio at least, maybe BRS path?), know what you're 'supposed to know', and don't panic.

Best wishes to you all and congrats to everyone recovering from Step ~

edits for grammar~

 

[HopefulDoc2007]

The numbers:

(All UW sets were 50 questions, random, 1st time through, did the vast majority of questions between UWSA 1 and UWSA 2 which was ~ 2.5 week period)

UW Overall (1600 questions, ~30% remaining): 72%
UW Last 1450: 74%
UW Last 1250: 75%
UW Last 750: 76%
UW Last 500: 78.5%

NBME 1 (Pre-studying): 214
NBME 6: 229
UWSA 2: 244
UWSA 2 (few days before): 244

REAL DEAL: 254

Congrats to everyone getting this thing done!

 

[sswang00]

Long Post

Test date: 7/2/2010
Results: 247/99/pass

Resources used:
-First Aid 2010
-Goljian (Audio Only)
-WORLD (first pass 53% using timed mode 20Q by category, 2nd pass 89% using timed random 46Q)
-Small amount of KAPLAN Q BANK (~10% completed ~65% in 46Q timed random)
Assessments:
NBME1 - 190 (4 weeks out, no studying)
WORLD1 - 224 (2 weeks out)
WORLD2 - 244 (5 days out)
Actual - 247

Between NBME1 and WORLD1, I had sped read FA, reread FA by section, and done the entire WORLD bank by category. Between WORLD1 and 2, I had listened to goljian and reread FA once (huge bump just listeing to goljian seriously, but as others have stated, WORLD exam 2 is very generous). Between WORLD2 and Actual, I burned through the WORLD bank again a 2nd time.

Kaeko,
Congrats on the amazing score. Just wondering, you finished UWorld 2nd pass in 5 days? Did you read first AID during this time or no?
I have 5 days left and am wondering how to manage my time between FA and UWorld.
And when you redid UWorld, did you reread answer explanations? or just Learning objectives?
I have about 65% of UWorld left and havent been getting to deep into the explanations in an attempt to finish my 2nd pass

 

[rockydoc]

just double checking, but isnt a score above like 235 still amazing? It seems like even the top specialties have avg step 1 scores below 250 for those who match. Is SDN truly that much of an outlier that everyone posting on here is averaging 250+? That's crazy. But congrats to all of you, hopefully I can emulate that in a year.

 

[knuckles]

just double checking, but isnt a score above like 235 still amazing? It seems like even the top specialties have avg step 1 scores below 250 for those who match. Is SDN truly that much of an outlier that everyone posting on here is averaging 250+? That's crazy. But congrats to all of you, hopefully I can emulate that in a year.

Up until recently there were admission requirements to join this forum. You needed to submit your MENSA membership card, fax your your SAT and MCAT score reports (minimum, 1400 and 32), and last but not least, post your score on facebook announcing to the world you're a tool.

 

[aa62]

just double checking, but isnt a score above like 235 still amazing? It seems like even the top specialties have avg step 1 scores below 250 for those who match. Is SDN truly that much of an outlier that everyone posting on here is averaging 250+? That's crazy. But congrats to all of you, hopefully I can emulate that in a year.

its an outlier - selection bias, or whatever you want to call it - most posts are by people scoring 240+...only a few posts by those scoring below 240 (i.e.: the brave ones).

I have to admit, I feel my 244/99 score is dwarfed by some of the scores posted on this website. But rather than developing an inferiority complex, I think its important that people with scores below 250+ (but still really good, i.e.: 225-240), be content with a solid score that will help in landing a great residency...its cliche, but you are only competing with yourself. On a humourous side note, the residency director of a top ER program told me she actually excludes applicants scoring above 250

 

[needinghope]

Hey guys,

I've been a mediocre student throughout my years of med school, mainly B's, and I pulled off a couple of A's while doing research (no publications and I have worked with a organization doing a health education program . While taking the courses, I never really felt satisfied with my knowledge and always felt like I never studied properly. I felt like I didn't know what to study, how to use my resources, and felt like I never had time to finish and would at times panic and feel depressed. I didn't look at the long term result either, namely I wasn't studying for the step 1, but was just studying for my classes.

Now regarding Step 1
- NMBE 7 weeks before studying anything at all: got a 189- I passed, barely. But it gave me some confidence nevertheless.

-I folowed up by studying with Goljan rapid review path (primary source), Kaplan notes (esp for the physio), about 60% ish of Uworld completed with a 56% average, used pharm cards primarily for pharm, and finished maybe 70%
of FA (with minimal annotation, but it seemed the task was overwhelming).

-I wasn't confident but thought I would pass. My score 187/74! I missed by one point.

I don't know how I'm feeling- kind of disconnected from what might be devastation/shame. I thought the exam was a breeze. I will now be left back a whole year and have to study again. I don't know what to do now.

Questions:
1.How should my daily study schedule be like? How should I be thinking while studying. And how long should I now study before taking this again?

2. How does this affect my chances of residency? Esp in GI/Cardio and Neuro? Do you know anyone with a similar experience?

3. Is it better to have a second go at step 1 with a great score than barely pass the the first time?

Thank-you!!!

 

[knuckles]

Drop everything but UWorld and FA. Goljan is superfluous, contrary to many of the posters here. Lots of us only used it during our classes, but strictly as a reference during the step study period. You need to learn FA inside and out and if you can apply it in UWorld, you'll pass.

 

[Concubine]

Drop everything but UWorld and FA. Goljan is superfluous, contrary to many of the posters here. Lots of us only used it during our classes, but strictly as a reference during the step study period. You need to learn FA inside and out and if you can apply it in UWorld, you'll pass.

I agree if your goal is just passing. However, if you want to do well, I think this is where Goljan is money.

 

[The Empiricist]

I was an ok but not great student the first 2 years. P/HP border for almost every class. I assume that puts me right around the middle of the pack in terms of class rank. I just wanted to show everyone that it's possible to make 240 even if you're not doing that great the first 2 years.

UWSA 1 (2 weeks before test day): 220
NBME 6, 7, UWSA 2 (all taken sometime during the last week of studying): high 230s

Step 1: low 240s

I listened to Goljan audio throughout 2nd year but didn't start studying for step 1 until after 2nd year was over. During my 5.5 weeks total of Step 1 study time, I annotated UWorld into FA, made 2-3 passes through FA, and listened to each Goljan audio once.

Maybe you guys who are using 5+ books are way smarter than me, but I found First Aid so dense and full of facts that it was impossible for me to memorize everything. Instead, I think the keys to doing well on the test are getting a certain amount of the facts down, building up your stamina by taking a lot of random timed UWorld blocks, and understanding the concepts. The last one is key - memorization is great but you need to understand the connections too. No need to add extra sources unless you just HAVE to have 250+.

I thought my story was a good one to share because 1) I wasn't a superstar the first 2 years but still managed to get a good score and 2) I made a lot of improvement in the last half of my study period so I thought my story would be good motivation for people who are feeling a little discouraged with their progress.

Moral of the story: it's never over until it's over so keep working hard!

 

[aa62]

Questions:
1.How should my daily study schedule be like? How should I be thinking while studying. And how long should I now study before taking this again?

2. How does this affect my chances of residency? Esp in GI/Cardio and Neuro? Do you know anyone with a similar experience?

3. Is it better to have a second go at step 1 with a great score than barely pass the the first time?

Thank-you!!!

1. if you are taking time off school (which I suggest), you should be putting in 12-14hr a day for about 6-7 weeks; active memorization and reviewing material the last 3 weeks (especially high yield facts from the organ systems - cardio, renal and neuro). Read through Kaplan at least once entirely, and contrast with First Aid - know FA inside and out; make your own notes and put hard concepts into your own words that you understand. Do World with about 60-70% correct (about 100Qs a day), and actually review the questions you get incorrect, to see where you went wrong. Towards the exam (about two weeks), do two-three practice runs with NBME or USWA.

2 and 3. it may hinder your chances, but do not give up hope. I know people who failed step 1 once, did well the 2nd time around, smoked step II, had solid performances in clinicals, and landed great residency spots...all and all: never give up hope.

 

[2012mdc]

Maybe you guys who are using 5+ books are way smarter than me, but I found First Aid so dense and full of facts that it was impossible for me to memorize everything. Instead, I think the keys to doing well on the test are getting a certain amount of the facts down, building up your stamina by taking a lot of random timed UWorld blocks, and understanding the concepts. The last one is key - memorization is great but you need to understand the connections too. No need to add extra sources unless you just HAVE to have 250+.

I used FA and Goljan RR as my two main sources and the I only books I did in full multiple times. Supplemental sources were HY Neuro, HY Biochem, HY Molec, and several different atlases/books/study sheets for anatomy.

I'm believe Path in FA is solid but RR adds another level and does a good job of connecting stuff especially micro with Path. I thought FA was weak in anatomy so I needed other sources. HY Neuro was good for rads stuff, visualization, and some of syndromes. I felt FA Neuro was ok but I was rusty/weak in it so I used HY Neuro at times. Biochem and Molec were some of my weakest earlier on so I didn't want to rely on FA alone for those.

But you are correct - I was using extra sources to get to the 250+ range. And based on my experience/score progression FA+UW would have put me in the 240 range.

 

[tideleonheart]

I agree if your goal is just passing. However, if you want to do well, I think this is where Goljan is money.

Completely agree. Goljan is great for getting a great score. But from 180 to 220 should be FA + Qbank.

 

[MedGeek12]

Drop everything but UWorld and FA. Goljan is superfluous, contrary to many of the posters here. Lots of us only used it during our classes, but strictly as a reference during the step study period. You need to learn FA inside and out and if you can apply it in UWorld, you'll pass.

Hi Needinghope,
I agree with knuckles. Honestly FA plus Uworld is more than enough to score over 220. I am also reading Kaplan medessentials as well.

I recommend you study at a pace that suits you and hopefully you can take some time off from school. Try to study at least 10 hrs a day. I am an average student and it takes me a lot of time to learn (like 6 to 7 revisions usually) so I tried doing 50 questions a day in Uworld and usually about 250 a week with couple days to focus on my weak areas I knew of and first aid plus medessentials. I had scored 188 on schools provided nbme about 4 months ago. Then I took couple months to go over Kaplan videos. Now have been doing uworld questions for the past 6 to 7 weeks and have seen a lot of improvement. When I was about 40% done with Uworld (early July) I took the NBME 7 and scored 500 on it. Now I am about 70% done. Honestly I never thought I would see 220 on nbme after I took the schools provided exam and had lost hope because I studied hard all throughout my classes except for 1st semester. After all the hard work it paid off and now I am here with one week left to take the exam hoping to see a 230+. Hope this helps.

 

[cathbig]

Used the SDN forums A LOT during my Step 1 study, so figure I would go ahead and add my experience for others, too.

Dedicated Study Time: 4-5 weeks
Books: FA, Goljan RR, CMMRS, RR Biochem, BRS Physiology, HY Neuro, some Lippincott's Pharm
QBank: UWorld
Practice Scores:
3.5 weeks out - UWSA #1 221
1 week out - Free 150 90% (260 I think)
1 week out - UWSA #2 242

Real Deal: 232/99

What I learned:
I had a 4 week plan and ended up finishing it about 2 days shy of the 28 day mark followed by a week of review until the exam. Overall, I'd say the biggest resources for my studying were FA, RR, and UWorld. Everything else was incredibly useful and I'm sure contributed to my understanding and score, but those 3 are essential IMO. UWorld was a HUGE tool in my learning, but I absolute loathed, hated, despised, detested, etc UWorld's very being during my period. I found myself consistently second-guessing myself on questions and feeling like I really didn't have the grasp on the material I thought I did while using UW. However, the msg on the first page is ultimately correct...it is a learning tool, NOT an assessment of knowledge. I can safely say that while I'm glad I never have to use UW again, it was a big part of meeting my Step 1 goal of breaking 230 and in learning the material to the best of my abilities. Also, I have friends that swear by BRS Path, but I much preferred RR to it and found that it enhanced my understanding better than Path would have (I do own both).

The Test:
I'm one of those people who really doesn't freak out for big tests, but there are some nerves the night before and morning of the exam. The exam IMO was 1,000x easier than the UWorld questions and the UWSA's. I was honestly startled at how easy the questions were and the exam overall felt more like the Free 150 than anything else I had taken. Granted, I did not take any NBME's but we had them as tests during our first two years of med school so I didn't feel the urge to go and try them out. My exam was pretty balanced, although it felt fairly heavy on Repro and CV. Overall, not a bad experience and I felt like I did pretty well as I left the test center.

It's getting a bit late in the summer so I assume if anyone is reading this for advice it will be for very late test-takers or for next years batch of poor suckers getting ready for the Step . My biggest piece of advice is to RELAX, the exam is not that bad and studying for Step 1 wasn't nearly as horrible as it was made out to be by most people I talked to beforehand. Other than that, pick your resources well and keep them to a low level...I felt if I had just used the 3 resources I listed above I could have scored about the same. I used FA and RR throughout the year (and BRS Phys to review MS1 stuff) and I felt that was a good prep as well, since by my Step 1 period I had seen most of the material I'd be reviewing at least once or twice.

Best of luck and good wishes to all former and future Step 1 cadets!

 

[mlck]

I only used FA and Uworld and I scored above a 240. I know someone else who only used those two resources and also scored greater than 240. For me, Goljan just gives way too many details and I got bogged down in them. If you study them really hard, I think the FA and Uworld combo is more than enough to achieve high scores.

 

[DivCurlZero]

its an outlier - selection bias, or whatever you want to call it - most posts are by people scoring 240+...only a few posts by those scoring below 240 (i.e.: the brave ones).

I have to admit, I feel my 244/99 score is dwarfed by some of the scores posted on this website. But rather than developing an inferiority complex, I think its important that people with scores below 250+ (but still really good, i.e.: 225-240), be content with a solid score that will help in landing a great residency...its cliche, but you are only competing with yourself. On a humourous side note, the residency director of a top ER program told me she actually excludes applicants scoring above 250

Haha, I can't tell if you're joking or not... but if true, why would she do that?

 

[aa62]

she was kidding of course, but I think what she meant to say is that she wants applicants who are not only smart, but also personable, approachable and work well in teams (which is the epitome of ER)....and not egotistical brains with no bedside manner or communication skills.

 

[Xtrasystolic]

....and not egotistical brains with no bedside manner or communication skills.

In other words, pathologists

Kidding, they're just as awesome as anyone.

Congrats to all those who are done with this test, and the best of luck to all those still to take it.

 

[knuckles]

Well I'm done. I'll be writing my experience in 3 weeks when I get my scores. In the meanwhile, I'll be going through First Aid and UWorld withdrawal. Must suppress thoughts of results too. I don't know how you guys waited for your scores. It's been a day and it's already killin me!

 

[MedGeek12]

Well I'm done. I'll be writing my experience in 3 weeks when I get my scores. In the meanwhile, I'll be going through First Aid and UWorld withdrawal. Must suppress thoughts of results too. I don't know how you guys waited for your scores. It's been a day and it's already killin me!

Hey,

How was anatomy, neuroanatomy and embryo on ur exam? Was first aid and uworld enough for you. I am taking my exam on the 29th and thought I ask. Thanks

 

[knuckles]

More than enough, but look at HY for the images and slices. Beyond that isn't very high yield. You'll be fine with the resources you have. Just make sure to know all the anatomy in FA very well, and be acclimated to chest and abdominal cts.

 

[ikimoh]

Well I'm done. I'll be writing my experience in 3 weeks when I get my scores. In the meanwhile, I'll be going through First Aid and UWorld withdrawal. Must suppress thoughts of results too. I don't know how you guys waited for your scores. It's been a day and it's already killin me!

I was anxious the day after the exam but then the day after that I was in Vegas so STEP was the last thing on my mind. For the following 6 weeks I practiced my mature defense mechanism of suppression, and I did it so well. I didnt know my score was coming out nor was I thinking about STEP scores until the morning of when my classmate mentioned it. It was then that I got all gassy and nervous (I know TMI).

Scored well 244/99 (definitely higher than I imagined ) The wait wont be unbearable unless you make it that way

 

[knuckles]

Haha, thanks for the words of wisdom. How did you feel after the exam?

 

[ikimoh]

Haha, thanks for the words of wisdom. How did you feel after the exam?

Complete uncertainty. I felt it was "easy" compared to the hype previous students at my school were given me..."this test is so hard" "you will have no life because you have to really study a lot for this test" etcetera. I didnt take much heed to the warnings. I study more efficiently when I am relaxed. Needless to say I was very calm throughout the whole 4 week study period I alloted myself. During the exam I took the first four blocks straight (I hadnt realized it at first, it was like I was taken UWorld just as the night before only difference was instead of 30min left in a Uworld block I had about 2 minutes max in each Step 1 block).

Had one block where I "marked" the first 15 questions. I think I almost went into shock at that point lol. Tht was such a beasty block.
At the end of everything, I left with complete uncertainty. I felt it was easier than I thought yet I knew there were a lot of questions I got wrong and completely had know idea. I set my goal at 230...only thing I was certain about was that I passed.

 

[knuckles]

I think I felt the exact same. Seemed like UWorld, with less time to spare. It definitely did not seem as bad as I expected, but I guess only time will tell.

 

[MedGeek12]

Thanks Knuckles.

Im a slow reader as it is...so gotta step it up. I m usually left with 5 mins to spare in uworld and sometimes 10 max.

 

[knuckles]

It may have to do with the fact that you're trying to be extra careful. Even after I was sure I had the right answer, I found myself double and triple checking.

 

[GKavmer]

Got the score back on 7/14/10:

Step I = 251

Scores on q-banks:
UW = 73% (unused, overall. at the end getting around 85% correct)
NBME6= 92%= 251
NBME7= 90%= 251
First Aid Q&A = 92%

Books used:
First Aid 2009, Rapid Review Path, BRS Phys

Hope this will help someone out there. I studies for 3.5 wks and I thought I overdid it.

 

[TheLesPaul]

she was kidding of course, but I think what she meant to say is that she wants applicants who are not only smart, but also personable, approachable and work well in teams (which is the epitome of ER)....and not egotistical brains with no bedside manner or communication skills.

Every time I hear a statement like this, it bothers me just a little bit. Scoring well on tests does not necessarily give someone a greater chance of being socially awkward. I don't know why there's this perception of these "arrogant, socially inept braniacs" running around, when in reality, most people who do well on tests at our level are equally as personable, communicative, and approachable.

 

[username456789]

Every time I hear a statement like this, it bothers me just a little bit. Scoring well on tests does not necessarily give someone a greater chance of being socially awkward. I don't know why there's this perception of these "arrogant, socially inept braniacs" running around, when in reality, most people who do well on tests at our level are equally as personable, communicative, and approachable.

It's just how the other people cope.

 

[aa62]

Every time I hear a statement like this, it bothers me just a little bit. Scoring well on tests does not necessarily give someone a greater chance of being socially awkward. I don't know why there's this perception of these "arrogant, socially inept braniacs" running around, when in reality, most people who do well on tests at our level are equally as personable, communicative, and approachable.

there are certainly a lot of people who are super-smart, and also really friendly, personable and approachable. But of course a stereotype persists, especially with residency directors.

 

[knuckles]

Got the score back on 7/14/10:

Step I = 251

Scores on q-banks:
UW = 73% (unused, overall. at the end getting around 85% correct)
NBME6= 92%= 251
NBME7= 90%= 251
First Aid Q&A = 92%

Books used:
First Aid 2009, Rapid Review Path, BRS Phys

Hope this will help someone out there. I studies for 3.5 wks and I thought I overdid it.

great job man. You must have worked really hard the first two years. Looks like your NBME's predicted you perfectly.

 

[elelith]

To those who have taken the test, how are the blocks and times set now? (I went and took the practice 150 at the Prometric site on Saturday and the test format seemed to be very different than what I was used to on UWorld or the other NBME exams. My total break time for the entire exam was available at start of the exam and it looked like it included time that carried over from reading the tutorial.

I have a few questions about scheduling a practice test at a Prometric Test Center:-

1) I do not see any reference to "practice 150" on the Prometric website. Instead, I find a reference to "Test Drive" http://www.prometric.com/TestDrive/default.htm which is a $30 for a 30-mins. expereince mainly in the registration procedure and a mere 15-min. trial test. I read somewhere in this forum that people paid $50 something for the practice test at a Prometric Test Center instead of $30, but can't retrieve that post now. May be I haven't found the right link to schedule for the "practice 150". Please help.

2) For such Test Drive ($30 for 30 mins), all centers that I came across only offer Tuesday afternoons (4:00 pm or 4:30 pm), but Vaca took the "practice 150" on a Saturday. Question: different centers offer different times?

3) How many questions (per block) and how many blocks are there in "practice 150"? perhaps 3 blocks of 50 Qs each?

4) What info about the test result are available? just a score? total # of Qs wrong? breakdown of the wrong ones by area like the Extended Feedback for NBME 6 & 7?

Many thanks.

 

[knuckles]

https://apps.nbme.org/CBTPSRegistrationWeb/jsp/usmle_CBTPS_registration.jsp

Google is your friend

 

[elelith]

https://apps.nbme.org/CBTPSRegistrationWeb/jsp/usmle_CBTPS_registration.jsp

Google is your friend

Hi Knuckles,

Thank you so much.

 

[elelith]

243/99

Maybe not your typical SDN score, but for a slacker like me, I'll take it!

What amazing progress you have made in just 8 weeks - from 160 to 253 (on NBME 7), and 243 (on the real deal).

Congratulations!

 

[DamndFang]

Rorschach's journal. 7/26/2010.

Used a handed-down study schedule with updated page numbers for ref books. Involved First Aid 2010, Goljan's Path, and BRS Phys. Used BRS Pharm/Micro cards when I got sick of reading.

Total, read all of First Aid anywhere from 3-5 times depending on what material was covered first and what I felt needed to be reviewed. Did all of UWorld, ended up with 59-60% correct. Did a mix of Timed, Tutor, All categories, By subject.

Supposed to take exam around June 22/23 (forget when exactly), but testing site crashed 2 days before and didn't get fixed in time. Ended up taking it July 1st. Too pissed/frustrated/burned out to study for that last stretch. Total study time: 7 weeks, followed by 1 week of figuratively banging head against wall.

NBME Self-Assessment #7 (taken four weeks in): 212 (bleh...).
Actual STEP1 Performance: 228/98 (missed cut-off for 99 by one point, *&^%!).

Glad that's over with.

 

[angleoflouise]

My stats in chronological order:

NBME 1: 207 (before school exam which was also 207) Dec 2009
NBME 2:214 April 15
NBME 5:225 May 15
NBME 6: 236 June 20
NBME7:234 Yesterday. (This has gotten me really upset, as I have the test tomorrow. I was really hoping I would at least break a 240.)

My Question: I still haven't done NBME 4 and I wonder if I should do it? What do you guys think? My test is tomorrow moring. I was hoping that maybe it will calm my nerves if I get a better than a 234.​

My other stats:
USRX: 75% all completed. (248 predicted)
Kaplan Qbank: 71% (243 predicted) Just recently finished.
Blackwell: 78%
Free 150: 87%
Did wiki test prep sometime in February and it predicted me at 229.

As always, any feedback would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[kryptik]

you seem to have done enough nbmes, so i wouldnt worry about that, just brush up and go over the items you tend to forget, goodluck

 

[needinghope]

Thanks guys for your responses! The thing though, is if I used FA, UWorld, RR and Kaplan for clarification, then what went wrong? I really have no clue. I'll give these sources another go, or limit them, as some of you suggested.
However, I guess I should ask how some of you had your study day/ system review scheduled and helpful studying techniques. Thanks a bunch! Also do you think I have a shot for GI residency in the future?

 

[SeeThroughMD]

All right so I took the plunge yesterday and surprisingly came out alive and well. Folks, this test is very fair and doable. If you learned your stuff well this past 2 years, you will do more than fine. All right, the specifics.

My test was scheduled for 8 but I got there at 650 and it wasn't even open yet. So I waited till they opened and they processed me (haha) and I started at 720. They need your permit and valid government ID. They give you a locker to put your stuff and ask you to turn your phone off. You cannot bring anything (besides what I will tell you) into the testing area with you (they make you empty out your pockets everytime you take a break). Anyways, then they take your fingerprints and picture. They will give you laminated paper, where you will write your CIN number (which you use everytime to check in), an eraser and a marker which along with your ID and locker key is all you can take inside.

Time doesn't start until you enter your CIN number. The first block is a tutorial. Don't bother with it (just end the block and give yourself an extra 15 mins of break time added to your allotted 45mins). The only thing I recommend is to put on your earphones and hit next in the tutorial. If you hear a noise, it means your earphones are working. Then you can start your next block. There are 7 blocks with 1 hour allotted to each one. If you finish with time left, it gets added to your break time.

I took my breaks after each 2 blocks, I wasn't tired after the first 2 blocks but I took a break nonetheless, So 2 blocks, break, 2 blocks, break, 2 blocks, break. last block. This helped because I wasn't even tired after the last block. For food, I had a good breakfast. I didn't bring a big lunch or anything. When I studied I used to snack on nuts and dried fruit so I brought that. They say it helps to bring what you normally snack on while studying. During each break, I ate a little bit, I used the bathroom (even if I didn't have to go) got some water, and walked around outside for a bit in the sun.

Ok, now the meat of the email, the test. Honestly, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Of the questions: 10-15% were ridiculously easy, 20-25% were the hard ones (of these, 1 or 2 were WTF is this english?, and the rest were the ones that only 30% get correct in UWorld type). The rest were mediocre where if you study well, you should be fine (these were usually 2nd-3rd order questions). Stem-length-wise, the test resembled NBME 7 the most (as in some were long and some were 2-3 sentences max but more of the long ones--hint: it really helps to read the last 2-3 sentences first because it helps you know what they want and sometimes they give you the diagnosis so you don't have to waste time reading and figuring it out yourself).

Some blocks were easy overall (I finished block 3 with 30 mins to spare) and some hard (block 4 with 5 mins to spare). I had, I would say, about 4-5 qs per block that had slides that weren't very hard and on which the stem really helped.

My test was heavy on pathophys and physiology (lots of up and down arrows). I also had a ton of immuno (they asked everything from simple mechanisms to detailed molecular and cellular interactions) but this could just be selective memory and know that not all the tests are the same. Everything else was evenly distributed, even embryo had a fair amount. There was CTs, X-rays, MRIs, and gross for anatomy and neuroanatomy (some hard, some easy). Micro and pharm weren't as detailed as I thought they would be (again not all tests are the same).

The questions are mostly conceptual, as in can you put together everything you've learned and answer this question (you can't go back and see if you got it right in FA because it's not that simple) and the general part of FA (before the organ systems) is most important I would say. Behavioral was simple (even the stats and epidemiology were very simple like PPV, specificity stuff, hard-weinberg type). Biochem could have been harder but thankfully it wasn't. Like I said, it was fair overall.

Oh, I had two audio questions which I thought were hard. It was the one where you move the stethoscope around the chest area.

My stats:
3/15-NBME 4: 231 (16 wks out)
4/30-USMLERx: 71% (9 wks out) (100% complete)
5/3 - NBME CBSE: 233 (9 wks out)
5/22-UWSA 1: 236 (6 wks out)
5/30-Free 143: 87% (5 wks out)
6/6 - NBME 3: 231 (4 wks out)
6/6 - UWSA 2: 244 (4 wks out)
6/20-NBME 5: 238 (2 wks out)
6/23-UWorld: 73% (2 wks out) (100% random, tutor)
6/26-NBME 6: 242 (1 wk out)
7/2 - NBME 7: 251 (4 days out)

Btw, this forum has helped me immensely. Thank you guys for everything. Good luck to all those who still haven't taken it and those awaiting their scores.

Score: 242/99. Thanks you guys for all your help.

 

[Healix]

Lurked a lot on these boards and got loads of valuable info of them as an FMG...
Got my score today, third wednesday after taking the test.
Used Goljan's voice and book, FA and Uworld. Went through the books three times, once through all uworld questionts and once through all marked / wrong questions. This equalled half the bank, as i liberally marked everything where i wasn't 100% sure of the answer.
I am German, and we have question databanks on CD for our exams. As we still take paper exams and are allowed to take home the question "books", the CDs contain original questions for about 10 years. As i did all those questions for our first national exam, i had a lot of practise doing many questions fast. I finished 48 question blocks on Uworld in 35 minutes average. It was nice to have that much time on the actual exam. Finished and left the building at 5 hours and 20 minutes. I felt it was a very fair exam, perhaps a bit heavy on pregnant women and children as cases. Some weird behavorial questions, one of three areas without star in the report. Didnt have the obscene amount of anatomy some report here, didnt even have a single question stuck in my mind, and the last time i saw a cadaver was 4 years ago. Definitely okay.
Didnt want to spend any money on practise tests after the considerable amount spent on uworld, the test itself and books.
Only took the free 150 at 93% two days before, Uworld was finished with 74% average. I learned up until the exam, its just how i usually do it. Would be nervous if i didnt.

Actual result: 260/99

If i go working in the states, i would aim for EM or peds, so im really pleased

 

[DraKanka]

Hey all! I got my scores back today, 3 weeks after the exam and got a 235/99. I was really happy about it and thought it was a great result! Im an IMG and dont know a lot about scores. After reading all of your experiences I feel my score is way below... my happiness dindt last long...!!

I still think it has to be a good score. In the report it says average is arround 224? How can it be all of you guys got >245!! Its like you got all the best results or everybody in america is getting those scores..?

haha its like I dont really know how happy should I feel.. very strange situation!

its OB/GYN very hard for us-IMG with this score?

 

[kryptik]

^ this is SPARTA!!!!

on a serious note be happy with that score, i will kill to get more than 230

 

[trueDJ]

For all future test takers, I'll add one data point: for me, the most accurate score predictors were NBME 6 and 7, along with the free 150. Surprisingly, all 3 of these tests predicted within a few points of each other on the medfriends site, all in the high 250's/low 260's. Note that I took all 3 of these practice exams during my last week of studying (of 6 weeks total), thus their predictive value may have been the best simply because I took them at the very end of my studying. Regardless, they were superb predictors. MCAT was the worst predictor, and uworld % landed somewhere in between (both of these underpredicted my real score).

Yes, I can confirm that the FA-Uworld-Goljan trifecta was amazing, I can't stress how important it is to study hard during M1 and M2. I had a handful of questions during which I could practically hear one of my M1 profs voice, as the answer came not from the resources above, but from an M1 lecture. For realsies.

Fwiw, supplemental resources I used in addition to the trifecta were: CMMRS, RR neuro (great, but prob only if you used it during neuro class), HY cell & mol bio (NOT worth it, IMO), micro cards (pretty handy), BRS physio (not the end all be all physio resource, but good for quick review if you already know your stuff), BRS anatomy (just for quick "wht was that innervation again?" stuff), and some M1/M2 notes.

Note: I DID NOT start dedicated studying for step 1 until after my M2 finals. However, I used Goljan throughout M2 year, annotating along the way. This was the best decision I made. Otherwise, I hadn't cracked FA or a qbank til after finals. So I'll reiterate, M1 and M2 classes are really the best prep of all. After that, it's all about getting those details crammed away. Feel free to PM if you want any details. The posts on SDN were an invaluable resource for me. Thanks to all the regular contributors!!! You guys make this site why it is.