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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[username456789]

I wouldn't say it was very little effort. I studied extremely hard for three weeks, but beyond that I just didn't have time because I had to keep up with classes. I can post details about my study schedule if that's helpful for people.

That'd be great if you don't mind taking a few minutes to give us a rundown.

And I agree with others, SDN can make you feel inferior really quickly. What passes for "average" around here would likely be met with a "holy ****" by many of our classmates.

 

[doctor311]

h

 

[hartbot]

Apparently, Jesus has been resurrected in the form of DIT.

 

[vraj]

hello

i wanted to ask students who took step 1 this question:

I took usmle world assesment today and got 570/234. I wanted to ask how this
scores correlate to real exam.

My nmbe form 5 600
nbme 1 620
nbm3 620

your input is much appreciated

 

[humabot]

Apparently, Jesus has been resurrected in the form of DIT.

funniest quote of the year..I had to log in for this one!

Ah, the good ole step 1 days.

 

[illixir]

IMHO, doing uWorld is the part where you really learn. If you feel their discussion of a question is worth going through again, just mark it and highlight the nice bits. Or make a note on it if your using the marking feature to review a specific subset of Q's.

If there is just one or two facts from their discussion/objective, and you think you'd benefit from reading it again, by all means write it down in FA. But to copy something from every question is senseless I think. Just go through the answers, see where you made a mistake, understand why the other options are wrong, etc.

I did that, so a few days out from my test I went through the 400 or so Qs I marked, reading the highlighted bits.

(Think about it - there are, what, 2000+ Qs? If you spent two minutes EXTRA writing the objectives down, thats more than 66 hours. SOOOO not worth it...)

I'm not sure how you're trying to respond to my post. It's not like I'd write down full out word for word the objectives, i just skimmed the objectives anyways since they just said the same stuff in the big long explanation. I'm saying that when I read through the response anything that they said either in the main explanation or about the other answer choices that I didn't know and which I realized was not in FA, I added it in. I also work quickly and I knew where everything was in FA as I was doing it. I never spent more than 2-2.5 hours doing a block of 48 and going over all the answers annotating into FA.

I actually went through and redid all the ones I missed in the bank today like you mentioned since I'm 3 days before my exam. Pretty helpful, surprised how many I forgot seeing I just did them all a couple weeks ago.

 

[username456789]

Do you guys generally do your UW blocks in tutor mode? Or timed mode and then go back through and review/annotate[when applicable] ? Or does this change from tutor to timed as you get further in your studying?

 

[kryptik]

i do timed unused, then review and annotate after the exam

 

[bluntdissector]

I'm not sure how you're trying to respond to my post. It's not like I'd write down full out word for word the objectives, i just skimmed the objectives anyways since they just said the same stuff in the big long explanation. I'm saying that when I read through the response anything that they said either in the main explanation or about the other answer choices that I didn't know and which I realized was not in FA, I added it in. I also work quickly and I knew where everything was in FA as I was doing it. I never spent more than 2-2.5 hours doing a block of 48 and going over all the answers annotating into FA.

I actually went through and redid all the ones I missed in the bank today like you mentioned since I'm 3 days before my exam. Pretty helpful, surprised how many I forgot seeing I just did them all a couple weeks ago.

Sure, 2-2.5 hours is fine! I thought you were spending more like 3.5-4. In that case, I don't see much wrong with your way of doing it at all. I spent about as much per block and it all worked out in the end...I have, however, heard of people we spend a LOT of time filling in all sorts of obscure details, making 100+ page uWorld 'notes' and such. I honestly think that's a waste. Writing downs some things you feel are HY is one thing - making a hard-copy version of World is another entirely...

 

[kryptik]

function of osteroprotegerin, mecA gene, BCL-2, EWS/Fli-1, nitrofurtimox - i got those and I knew them! .. yay!

i just came across this in a uw question. i figured i put that out there for anyone whose sphincter violently contracted like mine did when they first saw that protein . question topic in uw is "RANK and Osteoclasts" if anyone wants to read on it uw q id # 640

 

[vicinihil]

Hey vicinihil,

When you say the Goljan book, are you talking about the Rapid Review Path?

Yes 3rd ed

 

[illixir]

i just came across this in a uw question. i figured i put that out there for anyone whose sphincter violently contracted like mine did when they first saw that protein . question topic in uw is "RANK and Osteoclasts" if anyone wants to read on it

I think we can only locate specific questions on Uworld if we have the question ID #. Or is there some other way.

 

[kryptik]

I think we can only locate specific questions on Uworld if we have the question ID #. Or is there some other way.

the Q Id # is 640

 

[lacrossefiend73]

Quick question about buying UWorld... worth it to buy the Qbank + Self Assessment 1 and 2 package or just stick w/ the Qbank alone?

 

[MilkmanAl]

I bought the combo. It's tough to beat $15 practice exams.

 

[FeedTheHippo]

anyone expecting scores this Wednesday??

 

[NorGwynCrab]

Here's my study plan, for those who are interested:

I read FA for the first time two months before the test. Then read BRS with FA. I also listened to Goljan on my daily runs. This was during classes, so I did what I could when I wasn't studying for my other exams. When second year ended, I had exactly three weeks to study. Anyway, this is what I did:

1. BRS Physiology: I read this thing at least four times, straight through. Early on, I read a chapter from this, then read the corresponding FA section. I'm a huge fan of this little book, it's great for solidifying concepts.

2. RR Path: Um...not a fan of the outline format. I listened to Goljan audio 1.5x, but didn't read the book much. I tried, but gave up.

3. FA: I'd say I read this thing five times, maybe more. I tried to memorize it. I also tried to read it once more completely through the weekend before my exam, and was so determined to get through it that I was still reading it at breakfast in the McDonald's 30 minutes before the test started. I got through it and lo and behold, there were questions straight from FA I never would have remembered if I hadn't done that final review. So hey, if you want to study right up until the start of the test, go for it. I certainly did.

4. UW: I only had time to get through 80% of it. I tried annotating early on, then gave up on that due to time constraints. I just did the best I could to understand what was wrong/right/whatever. I read every explanation very thoroughly, including questions I got right. I did two blocks of 48 everyday during those three weeks.

So that's it. I'd say FA + UW got me to a good score. I was scoring mid 50s on UW when I started, and high 70s by the end (random, untimed, no repeats). I took one practice test, which was UWSA2 six days out, score was 234. I was so discouraged that I pushed my test back a few days. I didn't have time to take any more practice tests. I had three weeks to cram all this info and I didn't want to waste a few precious hours on NMBE tests that had no answers. So that's all I did. I wish I'd never taken a practice test. It killed my confidence. Just read, read, read. Or listen. Or however it is you study best.

For what it's worth, I'd say I'm a good test taker but a lazy student. I go to a "top" school on the East Coast, although I never went to class or labs or whatever, so that's probably not too relevant. I read textbooks for med school and that's how I passed exams (I always scored about average on tests, maybe a bit above). I really studied hard for this beast, though. I'd say I put in 14-16 hrs per day during my intense study period, with very few breaks (exercised every day, but listened to Goljan while doing so). I really believe it is MUCH better to nail a few, limited resources (ie. FA, UW), than to know esoteric details from many random books.

Anyway, that's my take. I forgot quite a few basic things on the exam, and yeah, an extra week or two might have helped. That's the kind of test it is. Do what you can with the time you have, and don't get discouraged. It takes a few read-throughs, but don't worry, you will get those concepts down. I really felt like I was starting from absolute zero when I opened FA for the fist time (I was too afraid to take a baseline practice test - I knew I'd be somewhere in the 180s range), but it all comes together eventually.

Good luck to everyone! PM me if you have any questions.

 

[DRJJ1]

Here's my study plan, for those who are interested:

I read FA for the first time two months before the test. Then read BRS with FA. I also listened to Goljan on my daily runs. This was during classes, so I did what I could when I wasn't studying for my other exams. When second year ended, I had exactly three weeks to study. Anyway, this is what I did:

1. BRS Physiology: I read this thing at least four times, straight through. Early on, I read a chapter from this, then read the corresponding FA section. I'm a huge fan of this little book, it's great for solidifying concepts.

2. RR Path: Um...not a fan of the outline format. I listened to Goljan audio 1.5x, but didn't read the book much. I tried, but gave up.

3. FA: I'd say I read this thing five times, maybe more. I tried to memorize it. I also tried to read it once more completely through the weekend before my exam, and was so determined to get through it that I was still reading it at breakfast in the McDonald's 30 minutes before the test started. I got through it and lo and behold, there were questions straight from FA I never would have remembered if I hadn't done that final review. So hey, if you want to study right up until the start of the test, go for it. I certainly did.

4. UW: I only had time to get through 80% of it. I tried annotating early on, then gave up on that due to time constraints. I just did the best I could to understand what was wrong/right/whatever. I read every explanation very thoroughly, including questions I got right. I did two blocks of 48 everyday during those three weeks.

So that's it. I'd say FA + UW got me to a good score. I was scoring mid 50s on UW when I started, and high 70s by the end (random, untimed, no repeats). I took one practice test, which was UWSA2 six days out, score was 234. I was so discouraged that I pushed my test back a few days. I didn't have time to take any more practice tests. I had three weeks to cram all this info and I didn't want to waste a few precious hours on NMBE tests that had no answers. So that's all I did. I wish I'd never taken a practice test. It killed my confidence. Just read, read, read. Or listen. Or however it is you study best.

For what it's worth, I'd say I'm a good test taker but a lazy student. I go to a "top" school on the East Coast, although I never went to class or labs or whatever, so that's probably not too relevant. I read textbooks for med school and that's how I passed exams (I always scored about average on tests, maybe a bit above). I really studied hard for this beast, though. I'd say I put in 14-16 hrs per day during my intense study period, with very few breaks (exercised every day, but listened to Goljan while doing so). I really believe it is MUCH better to nail a few, limited resources (ie. FA, UW), than to know esoteric details from many random books.

Anyway, that's my take. I forgot quite a few basic things on the exam, and yeah, an extra week or two might have helped. That's the kind of test it is. Do what you can with the time you have, and don't get discouraged. It takes a few read-throughs, but don't worry, you will get those concepts down. I really felt like I was starting from absolute zero when I opened FA for the fist time (I was too afraid to take a baseline practice test - I knew I'd be somewhere in the 180s range), but it all comes together eventually.

Good luck to everyone! PM me if you have any questions.

nice..................

 

[FeedTheHippo]

9 hours from my results!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I AM HAVING A ****ING PANIC ATTACK!!!!!!!!! THIS STRESS TRUMPS PRE-EXAM STRESS BY 1000000000000 TIMES!!!!!!!!!! I HATE THIS!!!!!!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

ok, I just needed to let it out!! Thank yal!!!! Wish me luck!!!

 

[kryptik]

haha, you really are feeling anxious, good luck buddy, all will be well in a few hours, just come back and give us some feedback, if i remember correctly you are the one that said to just memorize FA, come and reconfirm it to us after your results

PS: benzos help kill anxiety, not that you didnt know lol

 

[metalrex]

9 hours from my results!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I AM HAVING A ****ING PANIC ATTACK!!!!!!!!! THIS STRESS TRUMPS PRE-EXAM STRESS BY 1000000000000 TIMES!!!!!!!!!! I HATE THIS!!!!!!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

ok, I just needed to let it out!! Thank yal!!!! Wish me luck!!!

OMG! Rest easy there, can pretty much imagine what you are feelin but hey you are gonna be fine. can't wait to hear the good news! Good luck dude!

 

[FeedTheHippo]

OMG! Rest easy there, can pretty much imagine what you are feelin but hey you are gonna be fine. can't wait to hear the good news! Good luck dude!

SIX MORE HOURS!!!!

 

[RaraBovis]

SIX MORE HOURS!!!!

lol, your anxiety quashed my preparation anxiety for a bit and made me laugh (ok sorry about that). It gets amusing in here sometimes.
Very good luck to you.

 

[jeesapeesa]

lol, your anxiety quashed my preparation anxiety for a bit and made me laugh (ok sorry about that). It gets amusing in here sometimes.
Very good luck to you.

what time does this **** usually come in?!! hippo has gotten me nervous too.

EDIT: nevermind, i got the answer; had to dig deep in this thread.

 

[metalrex]

Anybody any emails yet? I've been watching this thread intently since morning .....thanks to you guys for rubbing the excitement in

 

[iliketv01]

I just got my score....231/99. It's okay I guess but I was really aiming for the 240. As an IMG would this be enough to get into a good IM residency?

 

[FeedTheHippo]

PASSED! 221/93.. i am chillin with that i suppose! now off to enjoy my life..

btw, for those who want to know how i studied, please look up the forum "just took it"

good luck to all!

 

[metalrex]

PASSED! 221/93.. i am chillin with that i suppose! now off to enjoy my life..

btw, for those who want to know how i studied, please look up the forum "just took it"

good luck to all!

YAY! Aren't you soo glad it's over now!, boy oh boy you musta heaved one BIG sigh of relief!

Congrats and yeah....go on and enjoy your life for REAL now, while we do the exam and wait it out for 2 months for our results I'll remember your advice about the pre-result jitters then

 

[metalrex]

I just got my score....231/99. It's okay I guess but I was really aiming for the 240. As an IMG would this be enough to get into a good IM residency?

CONGRATS!

It's a 99 nevertheless and a decent score, so I would be happy with it.I also think you are safe to give a shot at any good IM program.

One bit of advice though: make sure you buff up your resume too, like with fellowships, research etc,,,all that helps a great deal for IMG's along with stellar USMLE scores.

Cheers bro!

 

[iliketv01]

Thanks metalrex! just out of curiosity what year are you in?

 

[metalrex]

Thanks metalrex! just out of curiosity what year are you in?

MS 2 just done ! Gotta get that beast of an exam outta my way soon enough and be a proud third year soon

July 14th: gonna be in your shoes drooling with pre-result jitters

 

[metalrex]

I just got my score....231/99. It's okay I guess but I was really aiming for the 240. As an IMG would this be enough to get into a good IM residency?

maybe you should make a post # 2 of your study plan here !

 

[iliketv01]

lol...someone just PM'd me about my study schedule. I took the kaplan 7 week live course in newark, nj. For me, it was worth it. They reviewed alot of high yield stuff, they ask relevant questions during the lecture, and some of the prof. were awesome (Dr. Barone especially). I would recommend after each class transferring notes to FA and doing Uworld questions and the kaplan Qbook q's. Don't get the kaplan Qbank, it's not worth it in my opinion. I also feel you get alot out of the live lectures compared to just the videos, they def. are not the same. After the classes end, cram for two weeks with the notes you transferred into FA and do Uworld.

On a side note, my version of the exam started getting heavy with gross anatomy q's in the later blocks. I didn't focus on gross anat in my studying and I feel that is what eventually kept me from getting the 240 I wanted. But every version of the exam is different.

Good luck metalrex! Get the 240 that I wanted!

 

[RaraBovis]

lol...someone just PM'd me about my study schedule. I took the kaplan 7 week live course in newark, nj. For me, it was worth it. They reviewed alot of high yield stuff, they ask relevant questions during the lecture, and some of the prof. were awesome (Dr. Barone especially). I would recommend after each class transferring notes to FA and doing Uworld questions and the kaplan Qbook q's. Don't get the kaplan Qbank, it's not worth it in my opinion. I also feel you get alot out of the live lectures compared to just the videos, they def. are not the same. After the classes end, cram for two weeks with the notes you transferred into FA and do Uworld.

On a side note, my version of the exam started getting heavy with gross anatomy q's in the later blocks. I didn't focus on gross anat in my studying and I feel that is what eventually kept me from getting the 240 I wanted. But every version of the exam is different.

Good luck metalrex! Get the 240 that I wanted!

congrats on the score. too bad kaplan doesn't do live lectures in my country and charges a hell lot for just playing the dvds. they're so shi**y. How many weeks/months in all did you take to prepare?

 

[iliketv01]

After the 7 week course I took an extra 3 weeks of cramming but I think I really just needed the two.

 

[metalrex]

lol...someone just PM'd me about my study schedule. I took the kaplan 7 week live course in newark, nj. For me, it was worth it. They reviewed alot of high yield stuff, they ask relevant questions during the lecture, and some of the prof. were awesome (Dr. Barone especially). I would recommend after each class transferring notes to FA and doing Uworld questions and the kaplan Qbook q's. Don't get the kaplan Qbank, it's not worth it in my opinion. I also feel you get alot out of the live lectures compared to just the videos, they def. are not the same. After the classes end, cram for two weeks with the notes you transferred into FA and do Uworld.

On a side note, my version of the exam started getting heavy with gross anatomy q's in the later blocks. I didn't focus on gross anat in my studying and I feel that is what eventually kept me from getting the 240 I wanted. But every version of the exam is different.

Good luck metalrex! Get the 240 that I wanted!

Wow, anat heavy?!!! i plan to juggle the BRS ANAT summaries at end of every chapter and some pics from HY anat, do you think this will cover good ground?

Gee, thanx for the 240 heads up, gonna be top of the world with that score!

 

[iliketv01]

Know your arm and leg nerve and artery distributions as well as your hand muscles and their nerve supplies. Know if a certain part of the arm is injured what nerve or artery is likely to be injured. I would stick to FA and Step 1 secrets clinical anat section for the anat.

 

[DRJJ1]

PASSED! 221/93.. i am chillin with that i suppose! now off to enjoy my life..

btw, for those who want to know how i studied, please look up the forum "just took it"

good luck to all!

you said on your prev post you re going into this exam expecting nothing less than a 235 so are you happy with your score 221 or,,,,,,,,?

 

[Ableton]

you said on your prev post you re going into this exam expecting nothing less than a 235 so are you happy with your score 221 or,,,,,,,,?

Shut up dude.. seriously, no one likes a smartass.

Congrats FeedTheHippo, go party!!

 

[metalrex]

Shut up dude.. seriously, no one likes a smartass.

Congrats FeedTheHippo, go party!!

 

[MilkmanAl]

you said on your prev post you re going into this exam expecting nothing less than a 235 so are you happy with your score 221 or,,,,,,,,?

Yeah...that was a bit of a kick in the balls, whether it was supposed to be or not. Poor form. I second the motion in favor of partying.

 

[iliketv01]

Out of curiosity does a 99 two digit score hold any relevance to a PD? Even say with a 231 three digit score?

 

[ScubaStarved]

CONGRATS!

It's a 99 nevertheless and a decent score, so I would be happy with it.I also think you are safe to give a shot at any good IM program.

One bit of advice though: make sure you buff up your resume too, like with fellowships, research etc,,,all that helps a great deal for IMG's along with stellar USMLE scores.

Cheers bro!

[Referring to the 231/99 above]

After the passing score increase from 185-188... Wasn't there a handful of posters here who "definitively" stated that the new 99 is a 236+? They even went so far as to call someone out for "lying" about a 230/99, if I remember right.

I don't think this matters at all, but I remember the conviction (and condescension?) with which they repeated this claim was a little strong, even for SDN. Goes to show that we (or at least those posters) have little clue how NBME comes up with the 2 digit score.

 

[DRJJ1]

Yeah...that was a bit of a kick in the balls, whether it was supposed to be or not. Poor form. I second the motion in favor of partying.

don t post stuff like this
if you know its gonna kick
you there
but it wasn t meant to be a kick just
needs some input going forwrd

 

[iliketv01]

So does that 2 digit score have any relevance? I mean I keep reading posts about getting kudos for having that 99 but I don't get what it means? Don't most residency programs focus on the 3 digit score?

 

[username456789]

This is likely a ******ed idea, but it'd be kind of cool to have a thread with everyone's scheduled test date (anyone on here who wanted that info available) and then have it filled in with their scores as they come in. Just like an easy reference to see how everyone did. And maybe a mod or the OP could update the very first post as people post scores.

Or not. It seemed like an interesting idea to me.

 

[metalrex]

[Referring to the 231/99 above]

After the passing score increase from 185-188... Wasn't there a handful of posters here who "definitively" stated that the new 99 is a 236+? They even went so far as to call someone out for "lying" about a 230/99, if I remember right.

I don't think this matters at all, but I remember the conviction (and condescension?) with which they repeated this claim was a little strong, even for SDN. Goes to show that we (or at least those posters) have little clue how NBME comes up with the 2 digit score.

It surely is true and valid that a 230+ can indeed be a 99 and we all have seen em come, I think it's outrageous for someone to be condescending to a test taker who has 230+ as 99.We slog long and hard for the real thing, but how many of us really understand the intricate curves that dictate the gaussian pattern for the particular test we wrote? It all differs based on the so called difficulty level or so we deduce.As a matter of fact, if my understanding is correct , I think 230/99's goes to show that you triumphed over a harder paper or atleast while being pitted against other test takers...so any 99 is definately something to be very proud of.

I wouldn't care much about the 3 digit score, as long as the next two digits are a 99, it validates a BIG party ,lol

 

[Psychotropic]

Took it on 4/22. Got the score back today after a long day on the wards.

254/99. You know, I was going for a 300 so I'm a bit disappointed. I recommend studying 5 years in advance and not waiting until your senior year of college. Total let down. I'm being sarcastic if you're not catching my vibe.

For real, I am elated. I worked hard, but not SDN insane, and it paid off. Basically Goljan Audio + Rapid Review + FA + U World=WIN. I'll discuss more detail later, but I need to get some sleep.

 

[badasshairday]

Took it on 4/22. Got the score back today after a long day on the wards.

254/99. You know, I was going for a 300 so I'm a bit disappointed. I recommend studying 5 years in advance and not waiting until your senior year of college. Total let down. I'm being sarcastic if you're not catching my vibe.

For real, I am elated. I worked hard, but not SDN insane, and it paid off. Basically Goljan Audio + Rapid Review + FA + U World=WIN. I'll discuss more detail later, but I need to get some sleep.

Awesome! Details please after you sleep!

 

[McGillGrad]

[Referring to the 231/99 above]

After the passing score increase from 185-188... Wasn't there a handful of posters here who "definitively" stated that the new 99 is a 236+? They even went so far as to call someone out for "lying" about a 230/99, if I remember right.

I don't think this matters at all, but I remember the conviction (and condescension?) with which they repeated this claim was a little strong, even for SDN. Goes to show that we (or at least those posters) have little clue how NBME comes up with the 2 digit score.

I stand by my post. There is no logical reason why a 230 or 231 would be a 99. If someone could get a screen shot of the score page, then I may shut my mouth.

Otherwise, it is a type or a lie.