Official 2010 USMLE Step 1 Experiences and Scores Thread

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vicinihil said:
We all know our limits and some like to get started earlier. There's no problem with that. Just remember, the best prep for step 1 is doing well in your classes. That's why IMG's don't do as well as US med students. They have the same resources and certainly the same intelligence but the main difference is their school experience. That being said, enjoy your last year of college or spend it searching this thread. There's a ton of good information on what books to use for what. I think this post is mainly for those that are 2 years your seniors.
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You're right, I'm an IMG and only a small handful of us come to class everyday and study everyday, while the rest of the class are too busy about being popular in the school, practicing for cultural shows, and which party to go to in the weekends. And that's why a small handful of IMGs per school pass the Step 1 with flying colors while the rest have to retake it.
 
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hey guys, stupid question, say in the middle of the block, you really have to go- I dunno, you have diarrhea or something- can you run out to use the bathroom and still have the clock running for that block, or are you finished? thanks
 
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runnerdoc7 said:
I cant log into my NBME exam services site anymore as of today. It sends me directly to a page about registering for Step 2. Did this happen to anyone else? Maybe it means they took the site down while they get the scores ready.
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Mine was like that when I tried to log in earlier today, but now it's back to normal.

I guess they wouldn't let you register for step 2 if you didn't pass step 1, so maybe it is an ok sign.
 
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1nycdoc8 said:
hey guys, stupid question, say in the middle of the block, you really have to go- I dunno, you have diarrhea or something- can you run out to use the bathroom and still have the clock running for that block, or are you finished? thanks
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you cannot leave the room with questions on the screen. There is a button to take a non-planned (or whatever they call it) brake. I believe the clock will keep running and your score transcript will say you took an unplanned brake. so, don't do it unless it's an emergency.
 
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ajank said:
mine was like that when i tried to log in earlier today, but now it's back to normal.

I guess they wouldn't let you register for step 2 if you didn't pass step 1, so maybe it is an ok sign.
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i do not think you need to pass step 1 to take step 2 3 i think you can take them out of order if you school allow or your from another country outside usa
 
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1nycdoc8 said:
hey guys, stupid question, say in the middle of the block, you really have to go- I dunno, you have diarrhea or something- can you run out to use the bathroom and still have the clock running for that block, or are you finished? thanks
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In such a situation, it wouldn't be a bad idea to just, uh, let it go, if you think about it. No "unplanned breaks" or nothing, and you're right on pace with your questions.
 
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Hello,I'm a medicine graduate,planning to write my step 1 USMLE. I wish to apply for 2011 admission.When will I have to complete all my 3 steps to be eligible for consideration?
 
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NorGwynCrab said:
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.
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wat is baseline practise test???.....do v hav 2 go2 UW or some QBANK 2 do it......🙁
 
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fourchambered said:
In such a situation, it wouldn't be a bad idea to just, uh, let it go, if you think about it. No "unplanned breaks" or nothing, and you're right on pace with your questions.
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yeah, i was actually considering bringing an extra pair of underwear and a towel. my test site has a shower in the bathroom so they must see med students shatting themselves quite frequently. if it happens, i'll take a quick shower in between blocks.

...

i'm kidding, but yeah my test site does have a shower right next to the urinal! so weird, lol.
 
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Just saw on the NBME check exam status page

A large number of score reports will be released on Wednesday, July 14. Examinees may experience some delays in accessing their score reports on this date. If you encounter a delay or an error message, please close the window and try again later that day or night
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Getting closer...
 
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I've been told that scores will post at midnight on Wednesday. Does anyone else know if that is true?
 
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jdh19 said:
I've been told that scores will post at midnight on Wednesday. Does anyone else know if that is true?
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I guess I will be hitting the refresh button over and over again starting in 32ish hours.....
 
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I heard that people who took it before the 21st of June will get their scores on july14 and others will get it on july21. Can anyone else corroborate?
 
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Citizenhh said:
I heard that people who took it before the 21st of June will get their scores on july14 and others will get it on july21. Can anyone else corroborate?
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where did u get this info? the website just says "through late june" will get it july 14.

i hope what you said isnt true because i took it june 22
 
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Citizenhh said:
I heard that people who took it before the 21st of June will get their scores on july14 and others will get it on july21. Can anyone else corroborate?
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Would that mean that people who took it the 21st get it on the 14th or a week alter? Where did you hear this from?
 
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jmayer said:
where did u get this info? the website just says "through late june" will get it july 14.

i hope what you said isnt true because i took it june 22
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I took it on the 23rd. I don't think I have the stomach to wait another week after all the anticipation for the 14th. The NBME should do a reality TV show on the 14th.
 
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Bibinka said:
Hello,I'm a medicine graduate,planning to write my step 1 USMLE. I wish to apply for 2011 admission.When will I have to complete all my 3 steps to be eligible for consideration?
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You have to take these three parts, Step 1, Step 2 CK, and Step 2 CS before December 31.

Take Step 1 and Step 2 CK as soon as posssible, and then complete Step 2 CS before the end of the year.

You can take Step 1 and Step 2 CK in Makati, but Step 2 CS has to be taken in the US. You need to do the application paperwork today if you are really serious about the 2011 Match. Otherwise your next deadline will be Dec 31, 2011 for the 2012 Match.
 
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I'm on service from like 5 am to 7:30 PM so I don't have time to worry about step even if I was concerned haha. I guess I'll check my score when I have a free moment on Wed maybe.
 
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Deferoxamine said:
That's pretty much what we did last year:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=645746

You guys should do the same. And pack some benzos - it's gonna be a long 2 days.
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That thread just cracked me up :laugh:

Well it was funny till the reports started being posted. That's when I noticed some of the unfortunate outliers who did quite poorly compared to their practice tests...which got me back to the state I was in before viz. :scared:

So there's no point in staying up till midnight EST even if I will be getting mine through ECFMG I guess...
 
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Xtrasystolic said:
That thread just cracked me up :laugh:

Well it was funny till the reports started being posted. That's when I noticed some of the unfortunate outliers who did quite poorly compared to their practice tests...which got me back to the state I was in before viz. :scared:

So there's no point in staying up till midnight EST even if I will be getting mine through ECFMG I guess...
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haha, I had the exact same psychological process while reading that thread as you
 
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drizzt3117 said:
I'm on service from like 5 am to 7:30 PM so I don't have time to worry about step even if I was concerned haha. I guess I'll check my score when I have a free moment on Wed maybe.
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I'm sure you will find a spare moment! I will be constantly checking on my phone😳
 
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DrVanNostran said:
I'm sure you will find a spare moment! I will be constantly checking on my phone😳
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Have you tried to access the website from your phone yet? I tried today, and it gave me an error message about security. I have an iphone. This is frustrating, because I'm rounding on Wednesday morning and will have to wait several hours if I can't check with my phone.
 
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jace's mom said:
Have you tried to access the website from your phone yet? I tried today, and it gave me an error message about security. I have an iphone. This is frustrating, because I'm rounding on Wednesday morning and will have to wait several hours if I can't check with my phone.
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Yeah it is working fine on a blackberry. Try emailing the the login link to yourself and accessing it through the link.

https://apps.nbme.org/ciw2/prod/jsp/login.jsp
 
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Come on ECFMG even the Spanish have won their first world cup ever since their first appearance in 1934 and you're making it seem like we're past 90 already.

Hey! Who's up for killing their last few minutes THIS WAY?
 
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DrVanNostran said:
I took it on the 23rd. I don't think I have the stomach to wait another week after all the anticipation for the 14th. The NBME should do a reality TV show on the 14th.
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I took mine on June 25th, and I'm hoping my score will be up tomorrow!!! It looks like on last year's thread, some of the "last Friday" people didn't get scores. Gosh... another week would be torture. 😱

It also looks like the west coast people got their scores at 8 am... so maybe I'll at least know whether or not they're coming early in the day!
 
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Corker said:
I took mine on June 25th, and I'm hoping my score will be up tomorrow!!! It looks like on last year's thread, some of the "last Friday" people didn't get scores. Gosh... another week would be torture. 😱

It also looks like the west coast people got their scores at 8 am... so maybe I'll at least know whether or not they're coming early in the day!
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haha I hate being in the eastern time zone. Makes me wait longer for everything!
 
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it's 10:55 in Texas...hoping scores are released in 5 minutes. I can't wait till the wait is over.
 
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Corker said:
I took mine on June 25th, and I'm hoping my score will be up tomorrow!!! It looks like on last year's thread, some of the "last Friday" people didn't get scores. Gosh... another week would be torture. 😱

It also looks like the west coast people got their scores at 8 am... so maybe I'll at least know whether or not they're coming early in the day!
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took mine on the 25th too. contrary to what you observed, i noticed everyone who took it on the 26th last yr got their score on the 15th date. so i think we have a shot! prayers, prayers, prayers.
 
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Delilah said:
took mine on the 25th too. contrary to what you observed, i noticed everyone who took it on the 26th last yr got their score on the 15th date. so i think we have a shot! prayers, prayers, prayers.
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That's encouraging! Thanks!!! 🙂
 
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NBME's website is now letting me request documents...and score report is an option, but no scores on the site yet...i can feel my stomach auto-digesting 🙁
 
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bluemonkey said:
NBME's website is now letting me request documents...and score report is an option, but no scores on the site yet...i can feel my stomach auto-digesting 🙁
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Mine's ECFMG and they're stubborn as hell. Atleast they should have put my exam date on that tab! What? Does that mean I ain't getting my scores?

I don't need a heart attack right now.
 
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