Hi everyone,
I debated posting my score and a write-up because I feel like I'm kind of late to the game, and it seems like some people get annoyed with people who have never posted and then bust into the party all like HAYYY GUYS CHECK MY SCOREEEE.
However, this thread was pretty quiet this Wednesday and I pretty much have read the entire 104 pages of it over the past couple weeks while waiting for my score, compulsively comparing NBME scores and step scores and on and on, trying to give myself some reassurance! I've gained a lot from reading previous posts, and so thought I should contribute something to those still waiting to take the exam or waiting for your results. I honestly can't add much study advice to what has already been said here, my wisdom and advice seems to pale in comparison (seriously, just go read Phlostons PDF
.wow!). But, I can offer my stats (because honestly, that's what I always skipped to anyways) and a few other things to encourage those still waiting! I took an NBME after each pass through First Aid, and taken in this order:
NBME 6- 207 (after first pass, about 2.5 weeks in)
NBME 7- 228
NBME 11- 247
NBME 13- 247
NBME 12- 254
uWorld avg- 74%, timed, random, first pass
free 150- 91% (three days before exam)
Step 1- 264
If you want to feel encouraged....
- My first NBME was only a 207! And this is after already studying for 2.5 weeks. So know that you certainly can improve by leaps and bounds throughout your prep.
- My final score was 10 points higher than my last NBME! (I attribute this partially to the super fast read through of FA I did in the last 2 days before my exam- it boosted my confidence and everything felt fresh in my mind for exam day).
- You don't need to buy a million textbooks and review books. I used First Aid and uWorld for the core of my prep. I had done Pathoma along with my Path course, but didn't re-watch the videos during my study time. I learned the most additional information from uWorld Q's and felt like I had a strong basic sciences background, so I'm sure that helped. But still, I didn't read any complete textbooks during my prep. The closest I came was with Goljans Rapid Review, which I actually wish I had purchased sooner!
- My study timeline was just under three months (Caribbean IMG). I had been told 3 months was far too quick to take the exam for an IMG, but that is absolutely not true. It's completely up to you how hard you will work in basic sciences and how hard you will study for this exam. I wanted to do well in step 1 from day 1 basic sciences, and I carried that attitude with me for the next 2 years. It's a knowledge-based exam; hard work can go a long ways towards a good score, regardless of who you are or what med school you go to. Sure, natural intelligence and great education will help, but they are not the whole story.
Honestly, I did not expect my score to be quite so high. I used to think you'd have to be a genius to break 260, and I am by no means a genius. I know how to work my butt off, but a genius, no. I was aiming to break 250 and would have been pumped to get that. I did feel good about the exam itself (which actually REALLY worried me) but you just never know what to expect, some people walk out feeling like crap and walk away with 270 so I don't know how much "feelings" actually depict your score.
To sum it up, don't freak out or get discouraged about this exam. I mean, my summer sucked and I may have been brought to tears more than once, so don't get me wrong, you shouldn't brush it off. But I made it through still in one piece. To me, the Step questions felt a lot like uWorld. Use NBMEs to show you where you're at, and if you're doing consistently well, then have confidence in yourself!! I feel a little bad seeing as I am completely contributing to the reporting bias here, but like I said I hope to encourage others like I was encouraged from this forum! If I can do it, you can too
Cheers to 2013 
