Official 2011 USMLE Step 1 Experiences and Scores Thread

[ProtossCarrier]

Hello everyone. I am a second year who will write the exam in June 2011. Meanwhile let this be a good thread where everyone share their study progress and recent trend of the exam.

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[badlu]

good luck..keep us posted. may god be with you and you get the score u want to get iA.

 

[1badvette]

Thanks , i'm freaking out because i read on the USMLE website that you need to get 60-70% correct on the exam just to pass ..

 

[alternatego]

Thanks , i'm freaking out because i read on the USMLE website that you need to get 60-70% correct on the exam just to pass ..

Take it easy, just hope all went fine.

 

[WonderBoy]

Thanks , i'm freaking out because i read on the USMLE website that you need to get 60-70% correct on the exam just to pass ..

Stay positive, I am sure you did well!

keep us posted

 

[badlu]

Badvette,

I hope you got the score you were expecting. Update us

 

[sooma]

step1s

Congratulations, great score!

what is this "JAMES FIX - NEURO"?

 

[1badvette]

Sup guys .... YES i got my score today 226 thank God , not bad for an avg student from a carib school . ill give a full post of my prep tomorrow . what hurt my score was behavioral sci , i scored below avg with a star on it ;-( all other subjects where above ave with stars in path , pharm , micro/immuno .

 

[badlu]

yay well done Badvette ..good score because of your hard work and my prayers for you today

Looking forward to reading your post tomorrow as I don't have much time left to take my step.

 

[kaleerkalut]

Sup guys .... YES i got my score today 226 thank God , not bad for an avg student from a carib school . ill give a full post of my prep tomorrow . what hurt my score was behavioral sci , i scored below avg with a star on it ;-( all other subjects where above ave with stars in path , pharm , micro/immuno .

Congrats. Sorry but what does the star mean? Thanks

 

[GoSpursGo]

Congrats. Sorry but what does the star mean? Thanks

In a score report sheet, they include how you did on particular subjects with a range of how you did compared to other students (the more questions there were on a certain subject, the narrower the range). If you got stars next to a certain section, that means your range extends beyond the area on the graph that is visible.

Nevertheless, to get a 226 is pretty darn good no matter how you slice it

 

[step1s]

step1s

Congratulations, great score!

what is this "JAMES FIX - NEURO"?

(1) thanks!

(2) its a quick read for basic neuroanatomy with some structural pathology mixed in (i was weak in this)

http://www.amazon.com/High-Yield-Ne...=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1329403233&sr=1-1

 

[1badvette]

Sup guys
I'm gonna give a quick break down of my prep for the exam. I started my prep on Oct 15th took my exam on the 25th of jan . My main resources were 2010 1st Aid , PATHOMA , Kaplan new HY program , Uworld and Kaplan Q bank .

Pathology = Pathoma all the way , he turned from an avg student to wayyy above avg in path , my avg in UWorld and Qbank in path was around 80% . I went over his lectures around 3 times, 1st pass was in normal speed and took me 2 weeks. the other 2 passes were in 1.4 and 1.7 speed . I'm gonna a be a much better doctor because of him .

Pharm = in my opinion was the easiest part of the exam , Uworld makes this subject feel so much harder than it actually is, I had a great prof during my basic science, he was a younger guy that took step one and he really knew what is HY , 1st aid is all you need , I would also do the ANS lectures from 2010 kaplan .

Micro = 1st aid is all you need , this subject was full of so called Buzz words , presentations were all very classic

Immuno = 1st aid and Pathoma was good enough to get a high avg and a star in this topic, make sure you know the immune deficiency and the basic cell markers , complement and cytokines

Physiology = nothing to crazy , Know the GI hormones, PTH effect on Ca and Pa , and HR , TPR and BP effect when standing or laying down, and how to calculate CO using the Fick principle , and changes in renal glomerular dynamics " Afferent and Efferent "

Neuro = I missed a lot of qs here just for the fact the I could not label it on a gross pic, I would know the pathology but would miss the q because it asked to label it on a structure, Loss some points because of this

Anatomy = no nerve injuries , just some wired stuff that you would know if you were taking the class , Loss some points here too

Genetics = I think 1st aid would help u answer 50% of the qs , the other half I would say felt like research type of q, bunch of mice getting injected with stuff .

Biochem = Easy 1st aid is all you need , I almost failed this class during my basic science . don't stress metabolism so much and make sure you know vitamin toxicity more HY than deficiency .

Behavioral = I got killed on this , I think I missed almost ever y qs and I would bet to say I had around 3-5 in each block , I got killed on it because I only spent 2 days and half of the day before my exam and didn not do any of the Uworld qs for this , I think if I spent more time on this subject I would of scored a 240, still can't sleep because of this ..
Some other factors that effected my performance that day , was lack of sleep even took some sleep aid that did not work , room temp was so hot I was sweating , and the one thing that really got to me was the fact heavy construction was going on less than 30 feet from the testing building which really got to be for the 1st 2 blocks after that I zoned out and was able to block the noise , I also missed 4 heart sound qs , they did not give any clues to answer the q .


Some stats :

Uworld 1st pass avg = 71% --> part of that was the high avg in pathology
Kaplan Q bank = 70% on HY mode only
NBME 12 = 240 --> this was a week before my exam
No Mcat
Under grad GPA = 2.9
Basic Sci GPA = 79 %
Step 1 = 226

 

[DIMC]

Thanks for the break down, it really helped.

Did you use Golijan at all? Does Pathoma cover everything? I'm doing Pathoma now and I feel like I still have to go through RR because its lacking a few things.

Also, how helpful was Kap HY? I'm thinking about getting it once I'm done with Pathoma but there arent any detailed reviews about it yet.

Thanks in advance. And Congrats on the score.

 

[stepvictory]

@badvette congrats man ! awesome score

its good to know u did good.

i took the exam yesterday .i found the exam way more difficult than nbme 7&11

it was like uworld .i feel like crap .is it normal ?

 

[1badvette]

Thanks for the break down, it really helped.

Did you use Golijan at all? Does Pathoma cover everything? I'm doing Pathoma now and I feel like I still have to go through RR because its lacking a few things.

Also, how helpful was Kap HY? I'm thinking about getting it once I'm done with Pathoma but there arent any detailed reviews about it yet.

Thanks in advance. And Congrats on the score.

i used Goljan during class , his good but i think pathoma is a much better choice . Pathoma covered everything you needed to know for the exam and is much more structured, on point and HY than any path course out there . The guy is amazing, and the book is easy on the eye . I almost bet he writes qs for both banks, i would hear his voice answering qs lol . I know that’s gona piss a lot of people off , but it almost felt like goljan wanted to show off that he knows so much so he throws everything he knows out there … his book is over kill I don’t care what anyone says

 

[1badvette]

@badvette congrats man ! awesome score

its good to know u did good.

i took the exam yesterday .i found the exam way more difficult than nbme 7&11

it was like uworld .i feel like crap .is it normal ?

it's normal to feel that way , i did and still do LOL ... You will pass if you put in the work .

 

[Munchen]

badvette, did you do the two qbanks in your three month prep period?

 

[MrBeauregard]

badvette, did you do the two qbanks in your three month prep period?

I'm curious as well. Did you study and then answer questions pertaining to that material? I'm doing Kaplan now and entirely random blocks of unused questions at around 65%. Your 70% is good if you did it that way.

 

[1badvette]

Yes i did both in the 3 month of study time i had , i did Uworld in system base and kaplan was random blocks ... both in untimed mode

 

[Munchen]

Yes i did both in the 3 month of study time i had , i did Uworld in system base and kaplan was random blocks ... both in untimed mode

Thanks, and well done mate.

 

[DIMC]

1badvette, how much of a help was Kap HY?

 

[naseeha]

1badvette, what do you suggest for behavioral science? I'm having trouble with those what would do next questions. Is there anyway to prepare for those? Thanks

 

[jpudge12]

To anyone who has taken the step in 2012. Can you confirm this that I hear going around: The first aid is becoming pretty low yield for the step?

Also what good source other than HY molecular is good for molecular?

Those who said the step was no where near the FA also said the test has gone molecular!?...

 

[gravitywave]

to anyone who has taken the step in 2012. Can you confirm this that i hear going around: The first aid is becoming pretty low yield for the step?

Also what good source other than hy molecular is good for molecular?

Those who said the step was no where near the fa also said the test has gone molecular!?...

1/10

 

[jpudge12]

1/10

You mean like 1 outa 10 have this experience right?

If so man, I HOPE I'm not that 1 !!!!!!! jaja

 

[WashMe]

To anyone who has taken the step in 2012. Can you confirm this that I hear going around: The first aid is becoming pretty low yield for the step?

Also what good source other than HY molecular is good for molecular?

Those who said the step was no where near the FA also said the test has gone molecular!?...

I've seen a dozen or more people in my class land in the 250s and 260s using only FA and UW, as long as they had a decent understanding of all the 2nd year course material before starting dedicated step 1 studying.

 

[msbbc833]

@badvette congrats man ! awesome score

its good to know u did good.

i took the exam yesterday .i found the exam way more difficult than nbme 7&11

it was like uworld .i feel like crap .is it normal ?

Do you mean the interface is like uworld or the questions?

 

[stepvictory]

Do you mean the interface is like uworld or the questions?

the question style was very similar to uworld .i mean the way they ask the Question.
and the interface was exactly like uworld ,to the finest detail !

the difficulty did freak me out,but i am confused whether it was really hard or the experimental questions make u feel that way .i will understand better after i get my score .

 

[human being]

i've seen a dozen or more people in my class land in the 250s and 260s using only FA and UW, as long as they had a decent understanding of all the 2nd year course material before starting dedicated step 1 studying

That is interesting

 

[WashMe]

That is interesting

Yeah sorry that looks out of context, I was trying to quote someone in that post but I did it from my phone and I messed it up. I realize it makes me look like a douche, but it actually was in response to a comment someone else made. Just hoping to be helpful. I wasn't just plugging myself, I didn't land in the 260's.

edit: fixed my previous post

 

[human being]

Yeah sorry that looks out of context, I was trying to quote someone in that post but I did it from my phone and I messed it up. I realize it makes me look like a douche, but it actually was in response to a comment someone else made. Just hoping to be helpful. I wasn't just plugging myself, I didn't land in the 260's.

edit: fixed my previous post

I understand. I am sure whatever score you received was a good score.

 

[gumpledrules]

Hi everyone,

I took the Step 1 in few months back. I have benefited from the info and posts on this forum. It's time for me to give back.

Overall Prep time: 5 months ( 3 months dedicated)
UWSA#1- 235
NBME 6 ( 6 weeks before test)- 235/560
NBME 11(5 weeks before test)- 257/650
NBME 7 (2 weeks before test)- 245/600
UWSA #2 - 263
UWorld- started low 70's..finished up avg- high 70-low 80s
Real Step 1 score- 260/89

I used FA, Kaplan and Pathoma. These were my main sources. I referenced Goljans path book, BRS on occasion. Overall, KEY to doing well was Reviewing as often as possible. UWorld was also very helpful, would highly recommend using this Qbank.
Best of luck to you all

 

[Phloston]

USMLERx predicted score: 248

ACTUAL Score: 247

Can you elaborate on your USMLE Rx breakdown? Had you finished all of USMLE Rx? And had it said "248 +/-20 with CI = 95%" ?

 

[rashy]

Hi everyone,

I took the Step 1 in few months back. I have benefited from the info and posts on this forum. It's time for me to give back.

Overall Prep time: 5 months ( 3 months dedicated)
UWSA#1- 235
NBME 6 ( 6 weeks before test)- 235/560
NBME 11(5 weeks before test)- 257/650
NBME 7 (2 weeks before test)- 245/600
UWSA #2 - 263
UWorld- started low 70's..finished up avg- high 70-low 80s
Real Step 1 score- 260/89

I used FA, Kaplan and Pathoma. These were my main sources. I referenced Goljans path book, BRS on occasion. Overall, KEY to doing well was Reviewing as often as possible. UWorld was also very helpful, would highly recommend using this Qbank.
Best of luck to you all

Congratz on the great score! How did you feel after the exam when you came out (and the weeks after)?

 

[Nellyakgo]

How can a 260 3 digit score be an 89 two digit score?

 

[shan564]

How can a 260 3 digit score be an 89 two digit score?

They've changed the 2-digit scoring system to better reflect the fact that it's irrelevant.

 

[Bernoull]

How can a 260 3 digit score be an 89 two digit score?

I don't think any US student cares about their 2 digit score, especially if it's preceded by 260....

 

[smak26]

DO student here, got a 240/99. I was hoping for anything above a 230, so I'm happy.

Used First Aid, Goljan, and UWorld.

If I were to do it all over again, I would've skipped class a lot more and started studying about a month earlier (I have a terrible memory and 1.5 months of dedicated study time didn't feel like enough time to relearn all the stuff I'd forgotten plus learn all the stuff I never learned in the first place...).

Hope the rest of you got the scores you wanted!

240 is a great score. Where did you match? I would like to put things in perspective to know where a score of 240 will get you and what speciality? Thank you.

 

[235009]

240 is a great score. Where did you match? I would like to put things in perspective to know where a score of 240 will get you and what speciality? Thank you.

AhoyMateys was last seen: May 5, 2014

 

[fiestyusmle]

Ok so here is my advice for step: My usmle score was 269/99. Main advice is DO MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF QUESTIONS!! Not once did I read/study goljan rapid review, goljan audio or BRS physiology. I spent the vast majority of my time doing questions. I know its hard to tell on forums which people are just geniuses but let me tell you I am NOT one of those people. In terms of intrinsic IQ/memorization skills I am very average for a medical student. I have to study much harder to get the same grades as those "genius" people in my med school class.'..​

Refer to my previous posts for what I was scoring on NBME's, uworld percentage etc. ..​

More Hx-I have had about a year of clinical experience before taking the step.Yes it helped a little bit. When I first started clinics I studied my ass off.
but still performed very average on shelf exams (70's range). But my last clinic (medicine) I switched to a new system where I only did questions to study and I did NO reading whatsoever-only questions. My shelf score for medicine=99. So, I continued this method for step and as you can see it paid off immensely..
.
No only do questions, but whenever you miss a question or learn something from a question write it down on a separate sheet of paper. This is SO important and valuable and high yield-because later on you can read over these notes (write maybe a sentence max for each question short notes-they add up quickly) and remember what you learned from a question a month or two ago..
.
.
Now yes you should still go through first aid because this is the most high yield of any source. But go through it fast-limit yourself to ONE WEEK going through first aid. No you are not going to learn even 50% of it in that week but you will learn a little bit and reinforce and learn more by doing questions. I used goljan/brs only to look up things I was unsure about from questions I did-I repeat-use these only as a reference! Question banks (except for uworld) are notorious for having errors so if you aren't sure about something yes look it up in goljan/first aid/brs or Wikipedia (my personal favorite). .
After the first week of going through first aid my advice is the following: do 200 questions a day. This is very doable and you will still have time to write.
short notes for the questions you do. I would do the following question banks in this order.


1st: UsmleRx-an easier question bank, has some errors but relatively fewish compared to other qbanks. In the explanation for the question it has the first aid page image to view. Good for learning more from first aid.


2nd: Kaplan. Also fewish errors compared to other banks. Questions more picky but overall a good qbank. .


3rd: robbins rapid review qbank. Would recommend purchasing online subscription so you can go back and do the questions you missed. DON'T purchase subscription to usmleconsult. This qbank is SO INCREDIBLY ERROR FILLED. I started doing this qbank and got frustrated after 1 day because of the incorrect questions and massive amounts of errors. I don't care that goljan approved it, he has obviously never done a single question from this bank. It is a horrible question bank I repeat don't waste your money. If anything your score will decrease by doing these questions because the answers are incorrect and the explanations are WRONG..


4th: Uworld. Do this one last so it is fresh. MARK the questions you got right but only because you guessed or weren't really sure about the answer. Go back and do these in addition to the ones you missed. .


While doing qbanks do ALL of the nbme's, the free 150 as well as the two uworld assessments. In the beginning I did these tests every two weeks. Towards the end I did a couple of week including two full length test simulations.


Ok that is my advice. Not saying this will work for everyone, but for me as a student who has a hard time memorizing information this is finally the system that worked for me. As you can tell I'm not one of those superstars that has always done amazing on shelf exams etc that test knowledge. (if anyone wants to know my MCAT score was 34). After doing average on shelf exams I took a risk and changed the way I study and it has paid off. Please let me know if you have any questions about this method-but I think many people would benefit from studying this way..
.

Seriously almost every question I had on my actual exam I felt like I had encountered a question testing similar concepts before. I had very few WTF questions but had I not done so many questions I would have had many many more WTF questions. A theme I saw on usmle forums is people who.
were scoring around 270ish all did at least 3 or 4 question banks-not just.
uworld. .


Good luck to everyone!.



.

Hi Mary Jane

I have done uworld 5 times and rx once but i still manage to scrape only a 200. I think its coz of big gaps and the method of study.I just kept reading fa and doing uworld and rx. maybe I have to finish up a question back in a short duration and then give an nbme and see how i do .I've been studying for 2 years now. I'm going to try out ur method and do kaplan and robbins as well . hopefully it works. If u have any suggestions for me pls let me know . Thanks in advance .