Official 2013 Step 1 Experiences and Scores Thread

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

Phloston

Osaka, Japan
Removed
Lifetime Donor
10+ Year Member
Joined
Jan 18, 2012
Messages
3,882
Reaction score
1,675
I figure now is a good time to jump-start this thread.

Even though some of us who had taken the exam in late-2012 are still awaiting our scores (amid the holiday delays) and could technically still post within last year's thread, it is after all mid-January now, so it's probably apposite that we move forward and hope for a great year.

:luck: Cheers to 2013 :luck:

Members don't see this ad.
 
I would personally go with pathoma and leave yourself more time to study other subjects--Robbins is huge, and while there is plenty of path on the test, don't forget that you are REVIEWING for a standardized test. Unless you don't understand specific concepts, the review books should be sufficient for everything. Plus Dr. Sattar explains concepts superbly.
 
I have the sneaking suspicion that the more ethics questions I do, the more I get incorrect.

edit: Also its incredibly annoying how often question makers seem to resort to using confusing sentences or vocabulary to make a question hard. Its just a pure dick move.
 
Last edited:
Did NBME 11 yesterday and got 264 (680).
Was doing whats left of my uworld blocks today, became extremely irate and apathetic, barely reading stems and rushing them just for the sake of getting it over with hitting 85% and 89% on 4 blocks.

6 days out. Not giving a **** today at all. Not entirely sure why, may be burnt out. Have 7 blocks of uworld left and 1 NBME (12).

Thinking I'll review FA biochem, behavioral science, pharm, micro, anatomy/embryo and maybe GI hormones and CD markers/cytokines over the next 6 days.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
For the USMLE the burden of proof for the correct option is:

(•_•)
( •_•)>⌐■-■
(⌐■_■)

more likely than not.

Also maryjane85 appears to have been right all along.
 
IMO: For class, reading big Robbins isn't a bad way to go. If you like it and learn from it, just do it. However, the closer you get to your dedicated prep time, it's not a good way to utilize your time. Too dense with too much extraneous information. Path isn't the only subject on step1.


DO you think going through all pics of Robbins would be a productive strategy close to the exams? I recently read this somewhere, i think it was modeselektor?

I love pics :love:
 
Almost done this qbank

Peaking on time. I hope its not all the easy questions which have been left over.:luck:

Untitled.jpg
 
Members don't see this ad :)
Is memorizing chromosome numbers in association with important genes (ie, APC on Chromosome 5) high yield? theyre sprinkled throughout FA, but it ends up being a ton of gene/chromosome #combos that you would have to know
 
Is memorizing chromosome numbers in association with important genes (ie, APC on Chromosome 5) high yield? theyre sprinkled throughout FA, but it ends up being a ton of gene/chromosome #combos that you would have to know
I don't know if its high yield or not tbh. It almost definitely won't hurt to know them but anyway by the time your near the end of your prep, you realise that you happen to know most of them (at least the ones that are important) because you've come across them so many times... CF - 7, Rb - 13, p53 - 17, IgH - 14, cyclinD1 - 11, WT1 - 11, VHL - 3, c-myc - 8, ret a receptor - 17, promyelocyte - 15... off the top of my head, could keep going but I've always had a weird talent for remembering stuff I don't really care to remember, and forgetting the stuff I reallllly want to remember... annoying lol.
 
6 days left till the real deal. Not really sure if I should do another NBME or not... keep reading through first aid, but feeling a distinct lack of excitement for it since it just feels like the same thing over and over, even though I may not know every last tiny little detail. Motivation, where art throu?!!?!? :confused:
 
6 days left till the real deal. Not really sure if I should do another NBME or not... keep reading through first aid, but feeling a distinct lack of excitement for it since it just feels like the same thing over and over, even though I may not know every last tiny little detail. Motivation, where art throu?!!?!? :confused:

Going through the same thing man.

I've just made a list of things that are volatile: pharm, micro, anatomy, embryo dates, CD markers, cytokines, GI hormones, 2nd messengers, etc, and getting through my notes sheets from uworld.

If I do crack open a chapter its to go over things I forget, like those pesky salivary tumours, hypothalamus etc. I'm gonna do nbme form 12 on saturday, its only one I haven't done. Bas. hor kee karna?

lol. you're a day after me, I felt the exact same way as you do today yesterday. Spoil yourself for a couple hours. Then think about why you did this all in the first place and who you care about. It'll pass and you'll focus again.
 
Last edited:
Read all of first aid again and write down everything you don't 100% know on a separate sheet of paper. You should be able to convert each FA chapter into ~1 page of notes. Then read those set of notes again a couple times.

I honestly felt like my last 2 weeks before the exam were completely "DURRR". It honestly seemed like it didn't make any difference at all. I was simply trying to not forget stuff at that point and it was annoying.
 
Ryan71,

You mind expanding on your exam experience? I know remember reading you were gonna do a write up but I couldn't find it and I wasn't sure if you made a different thread for it.

Thx
 
Hi
I took nbme form 7 today got a 470 ,plz some one phloston or anyone guide me what to do?should I postpone my exam and if yes how much.Weakness is behaviour science
 
What score do you want?
Take another today (a recent one anything higher than 11)
Is it low? Postphone 1.5 months - 2 months.
Get another qbank and focus on FA and that.

Is it where you want it?
Good.
Take another nbme to confirm.
If its still where you want it go write.
 
i was aiming for 230,
what to do for behaviour ?too many weirdo qs there that lost points for me.
why you recommend another one back to back rather than covering weakness?plz explain.
i was getting 90% in uw in stuff i already know even with random mixed.People say do uw at the end ,i have exhausted majority of uw ,shud i redo uw now or start another bank.
 
Going through the same thing man.

I've just made a list of things that are volatile: pharm, micro, anatomy, embryo dates, CD markers, cytokines, GI hormones, 2nd messengers, etc, and getting through my notes sheets from uworld.

If I do crack open a chapter its to go over things I forget, like those pesky salivary tumours, hypothalamus etc. I'm gonna do nbme form 12 on saturday, its only one I haven't done. Bas. hor kee karna?

lol. you're a day after me, I felt the exact same way as you do today yesterday. Spoil yourself for a couple hours. Then think about why you did this all in the first place and who you care about. It'll pass and you'll focus again.
Thanks bro.. actually had some incredibly lucid LSD-esque dreams of giant geese and flying air mobiles last night. Don't know why lol but I woke up at 4am with a kick in my step and blasted through half of the Kaplan Qbook (400 questions) in like 2 hours with the lowest score being 84%, which actually felt really good considering their picky dicky trying to be tricky questions used to always get me and annoy the hell out of me. It kind of relieved that feeling of "oh **** I dont know anything!!!"
Got through a hell of a lot today.. hoping the same to these next 4 days! Fingers crossed!!
 
I'm going to take a dive off the deep end and say if you redo a qbank your percent doesn't mean squat. Your first pass is whats important.

Recognition is easy as hell.

Anyone can get to 230's with a thorough concept of of everything in FA and routine practice of NEVER BEFORE SEEN questions.
 
i was aiming for 230,
what to do for behaviour ?too many weirdo qs there that lost points for me.
why you recommend another one back to back rather than covering weakness?plz explain.
i was getting 90% in uw in stuff i already know even with random mixed.People say do uw at the end ,i have exhausted majority of uw ,shud i redo uw now or start another bank.
A low NBME score is reflective of poor foundational knowledge. I'm not sure what a 470 equates to, but I think around 630-640 and above = 250+. The thing with the NBME's is, even though the questions aren't difficult, its those few questions that can push your score up or down really far because the curve is so harsh.
With that being said, I think its a waste of time to redo questions you've done before over and over (apart from incorrects and marked q's)... sure, your uworld score might look pretty, but you're not really doing your self any favours. You don't really benefit anything. I think you should go back and really start trying to understand the broader picture before adding in all the details. Bones first, then the muscle.
Btw behavioural is a nightmare for me too, totally dreading it and biostat.
 
Thanks bro.. actually had some incredibly lucid LSD-esque dreams of giant geese and flying air mobiles last night. Don't know why lol but I woke up at 4am with a kick in my step and blasted through half of the Kaplan Qbook (400 questions) in like 2 hours with the lowest score being 84%, which actually felt really good considering their picky dicky trying to be tricky questions used to always get me and annoy the hell out of me. It kind of relieved that feeling of "oh **** I dont know anything!!!"
Got through a hell of a lot today.. hoping the same to these next 4 days! Fingers crossed!!

That feeling of "**** I don't know anything", is at least partly of having an unoccupied short term memory. haha.

lets do it bro. We gonna destroy this computer test, tear it up and spit it out. My only wish is that we were taking it together in the same center so we could grab some beers after.

Behavioral is completely random for me as well. Whats right in one question is wrong in another.
 
Last edited:
That feeling of "**** I don't know anything", is at least partly of having an unoccupied short term memory. haha.

lets do it bro. We gonna destroy this computer test, tear it up and spit it out.

Behavioral is completely random for me as well. Whats right in one question is wrong in another.
Hell f***** yeah!!! Thats exactly what's going to happen. No doubt. Put in the work, reap the rewards. :thumbup:
 
:(Got 254 (640) on nbme 12 . Made some dumb mistakes. meh. I'll be more careful exam day. I lost 4 questions because of lack of attention. Not knowledge.

Sleep. Revisions.

3 days.
 
Last edited:
:(Got 254 (640) on nbme 12 . Made some dumb mistakes. meh. I'll be more careful exam day. I lost 4 questions because of lack of attention. Not knowledge.

Sleep. Revisions.

3 days.
Stop boasting now and take the test:laugh::)

Shubh Ichavaan..........;)
 
I'm going to take a dive off the deep end and say if you redo a qbank your percent doesn't mean squat. Your first pass is whats important.

Recognition is easy as hell.

Anyone can get to 230's with a thorough concept of of everything in FA and routine practice of NEVER BEFORE SEEN questions.
thanks and good luck ! we all know you will do great
chakdaypathay that's what u say in situations like these right?..just learned the other day:naughty:
 
Last edited:
thanks and good luck ! we all know you will do great
chakdaypathay that's what u say in situations like these right?..just learned the other day:naughty:

lol haha.

yeah. That's a saying. It's basically the punjabi way of saying "**** it, just do it"

You'll do great. Just keep going. Someone once this exam's like a turkey, you gotta cook it till its done just the way you like it, then eat it.
 
Feeling pretty good, managed to review a lot in the space of 3 days, and a nice extra 4 point jump on the last NBME ;). 2 days left.
Makes me feel like I can maybe, posssssssibly, break in 260 with a little luck and good tidings. Although, I would still be very content with anything above 250.
Stress levels not too high, but it always seems to pop up and run my head into circles thinking about all those pathways and minute details just as a I put my head down to try get some sleep :eek: haha its tough to switch off sometimes!!
 
A low NBME score is reflective of poor foundational knowledge. I'm not sure what a 470 equates to, but I think around 630-640 and above = 250+. The thing with the NBME's is, even though the questions aren't difficult, its those few questions that can push your score up or down really far because the curve is so harsh.
With that being said, I think its a waste of time to redo questions you've done before over and over (apart from incorrects and marked q's)... sure, your uworld score might look pretty, but you're not really doing your self any favours. You don't really benefit anything. I think you should go back and really start trying to understand the broader picture before adding in all the details. Bones first, then the muscle.
Btw behavioural is a nightmare for me too, totally dreading it and biostat.
470 is equal to 217.
yeah .Are calculators allowed?also is the exam adaptable or is it random bunch of qs thrown at ya?i know u are right each qs weighs different in nbme .I don't know how it is in real deal....
 
hmm. took nbme 5 and got even lower 630 (252). Exam is in 2 days. I think I may have to postphone it as I appear to have fallen out of peak. Thoughts?
 
^Whats you target score? I'd advise against postponing. You've come this far, you've got the knowledge. Don't risk the info decaying by delaying.. ;)
 
470 is equal to 217.
yeah .Are calculators allowed?also is the exam adaptable or is it random bunch of qs thrown at ya?i know u are right each qs weighs different in nbme .I don't know how it is in real deal....

Basically 7 hours of questions in a real **** storm of an exam lol but yeah its all random questions.
Btw a 217 isn't too bad, your really not far off the average. Now if you gave yourself an extra 2 months you could buy yourself an extra 20 points or so (if not more, depending on how hard you'll be willing to push)

Edit: No calculators, just the one on the software.
 
hmm. took nbme 5 and got even lower 630 (252). Exam is in 2 days. I think I may have to postphone it as I appear to have fallen out of peak. Thoughts?

I personally think that the peak everyone seems to be talking about might be more spread out than you think.

Before you postpone, take a newer nbme that you were putting off to the end?
 
Yeah I thought about. Won't be postphoning it. The new NBMEs 13 and 15 I scored 264 on last week. The day before each of those I quickly skimmed through all of FA. I think its all I really need to do to peak again.

Its been too long. I don't want to risk decaying other knowledge. You guys are right. Thanks. Worst comes to worse, doing in the 250's is more than enough. Hopefully internal med isn't that competetive. :)
 
Just think of it this way, you've cushioned yourself to AT LEAST get 250. Anything above that & it will be a crime for you to stick yourself in to IM haha I'm prob heading down that road myself btw.
This exam is all about psyche and mindset man, don't hinder yourself by inducing a self-inflicting mental block. You need to be in the zone to get all those lil details that just jump out from deep in your subconscious.
Get yourself pumped, you're going to crush it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
hmm. took nbme 5 and got even lower 630 (252). Exam is in 2 days. I think I may have to postphone it as I appear to have fallen out of peak. Thoughts?
DONOT Postpone or else you will induce blocking,keep reading FA you will do great
good luck
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
**** yeah man. Gotta do it. Gonna do it. Destroy the limiting beliefs. I refuse to postphone. I can't anyways haha. Checked the dates, next open slot is dec 17. Fuuuuck that, got no question banks left, no NBMEs left, no UWSAs, nothing left at all.

NBME has a cool thing were they tally your last 6 forms and gives you a really nice progression. I'm looking at the areas I fell off on, they ain't at all what I thought they were, they were strong areas at one point and I may have just left them out in my revisions. It turns out the areas I thought I was weak in are strong now from all the revisions.

 
haha cool ****. As I'm going over these "weak chapters in FA" I've decided to negatively highlight: Instead of underlining/highlighting things I don't know confidently. I'm blacking out everything I know for sure. :D

feels way way way...better. far less tense now. Casually reading and enjoying the progressive blackening of FA.

thank%20god.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
haha cool ****. As I'm going over these "weak chapters in FA" I've decided to negatively highlight: Instead of underlining/highlighting things I don't know confidently. I'm blacking out everything I know for sure. :D

feels way way way...better. far less tense now. Casually reading and enjoying the progressive blackening of FA.

thank%20god.jpg
This is a great strategy! Thanks for the idea.
 
haha cool ****. As I'm going over these "weak chapters in FA" I've decided to negatively highlight: Instead of underlining/highlighting things I don't know confidently. I'm blacking out everything I know for sure. :D

feels way way way...better. far less tense now. Casually reading and enjoying the progressive blackening of FA.

DO you read your FA as a pdf?
 
Top