Official 2013 Step 1 Experiences and Scores Thread

[Phloston]

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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.

Cheers to 2013

 

[NickNaylor]

Sorry I don't have a constructive comment, but I'm curious--how are you doing UWorld on random if you haven't finished 2nd year (I'm assuming) and haven't seen all the material? Is this common for people to do?

We finished last month, taking step 1 May 3rd. Though I did use the Kaplan qbank intermittently throughout MS2 on random using the topics that we had covered up to that point. Haven't used it since then, though.

 

[calvnandhobbs68]

-And finally, something that I've been struggling with (especially when I get the occasional block I do horribly on): remember that UWorld is a learning tool rather than an evaluation tool. It is meant to teach you and the questions are intentionally difficult to highlight important facts, concepts, etc.. It is not meant to be used as a predictive tool. If you haven't taken a NBME, you will be surprised I think at how simple the NBMEs generally are in comparison to UWorld. Obviously you want to do well, and doing poorly on blocks doesn't give you that warm fuzzy feeling, but as long as you're learning from the questions then UWorld is being used correctly IMO. Multiple people on this forum have stated that they or people they know have various scores on UWorld but still do very well on the actual exam. Everyone uses UWorld differently, so using percentages to predict much of anything isn't that useful.

Obligatory disclaimer saying I haven't taken the exam yet, am by no means a step 1 expert, etc. etc..

The NBME thing is absolutely true. I did NBME 12 the other day and that feeling in UWorld where you're like "I know what bacteria this is but they want what exotoxin this other bacteria has that's like this one....$&*!%" doesn't happen as much. They tend to stop one step ahead of the UWorld questions.

 

[MLT2MT2DO]

Anyone else feel as though they suffer from cyclothymic disorder, secondary to how you do on your Qbanks/NBMEs that day?

 

[Jorje286]

The further in time you get from first seeing your score report, the better you realize your score actually is. Fact.

For psychiatry, a 245 places you in the top-percentile bracket for applicants.

For your "consolation," I've attached the match data from 2009 to this post. Notice where your 245 falls within the psychiatry spread. Congrats on the score.





Yeah, but maybe he wants MGH for psych. I wouldn't doubt that getting psych there could be as hard as getting plastics/derm at other places.

Thanks for the consolation. Yes, that graph is the only thing that has kept my spirits a bit up the last couple of days (any ideas btw why the scores look so different between 2009 and 2011?). Ultimately, I think of it as a personal disappointment more than caring about matching to a specific program.

I came in with high expectations, and I still believe my overall level of knowledge is better than 245. Having to do it in the middle of my OBGYN rotation made things quite complicated, but ultimately I have myself to blame. Tons of dumb last hour decisions. I could write the book on how to mess up your study preparation. I didn't listen to the advice by you and others on sleeping and resting well the night before. I don't know how I thought I could cram in at 100% effort the day before from 7 am till 11 pm and still ace the exam, but the temptation was there, even though it was entirely unrealistic. And let's face it: that's also a big part of what the exam actually measures - expectations and intelligent planning. Now I hope I will learn for the next stage (Step 2). Sorry for the ramble, but this is my way of letting all things out.

 

[Jonari]

-And finally, something that I've been struggling with (especially when I get the occasional block I do horribly on): remember that UWorld is a learning tool rather than an evaluation tool. It is meant to teach you and the questions are intentionally difficult to highlight important facts, concepts, etc.. It is not meant to be used as a predictive tool. If you haven't taken a NBME, you will be surprised I think at how simple the NBMEs generally are in comparison to UWorld. Obviously you want to do well, and doing poorly on blocks doesn't give you that warm fuzzy feeling, but as long as you're learning from the questions then UWorld is being used correctly IMO. Multiple people on this forum have stated that they or people they know have various scores on UWorld but still do very well on the actual exam. Everyone uses UWorld differently, so using percentages to predict much of anything isn't that useful.

Obligatory disclaimer saying I haven't taken the exam yet, am by no means a step 1 expert, etc. etc..

I must be a potato because I think the NBME questions are a lot more difficult compared to UWorld. I wonder what my brain is doing...

 

[CDI]

I must be a potato because I think the NBME questions are a lot more difficult compared to UWorld. I wonder what my brain is doing...

You're not the only one. I felt the same way, until I focused on FA more.

In the end, I saw it as two parts, both are needed to do well.

The older NBMEs seemed to ping off fact recall. So, for the most part, grasp of FA = higher NBME. I think this held true even without doing UW. I had done UW but still sucked at NBMEs cause I didn't really hit FA (or Rx). These are also the easier questions on the exam, so its a must do for racking up gimmes.

I think the newer NBMEs are lengthier and deviating towards UW style though. I just briefly saw NBME 15, and felt it was as close as it gets (which I guess should be obvious). UW & the latest NBMEs are more like the regular-to-tougher exam questions.

 

[Jonari]

You're not the only one. I felt the same way, until I focused on FA more.

In the end, I saw it as two parts, both are needed to do well.

The older NBMEs seemed to ping off fact recall. So, for the most part, grasp of FA = higher NBME. I think this held true even without doing UW. I had done UW but still sucked at NBMEs cause I didn't really hit FA (or Rx). These are also the easier questions on the exam, so its a must do for racking up gimmes.

I think the newer NBMEs are lengthier and deviating towards UW style though. I just briefly saw NBME 15, and felt it was as close as it gets (which I guess should be obvious). UW & the latest NBMEs are more like the regular-to-tougher exam questions.

thanks for the write-up and input as usual mang...looking forward to seeing your post on breaking that 220...👍

 

[Geekchick921]

Couple of things based on my time with UWorld (~60% done, all timed, random):

*Snip*.

Thanks, Nick! I really appreciate the advice and the pep talk. I know it's a learning tool, but I still want to see my score go up, ya know? That things I've read since I started come into play, or just that I'm getting a better feel for the question style. Since I made that post, I actually got my best score yet. So... yay!

The NBME thing is absolutely true. I did NBME 12 the other day and that feeling in UWorld where you're like "I know what bacteria this is but they want what exotoxin this other bacteria has that's like this one....$&*!%" doesn't happen as much. They tend to stop one step ahead of the UWorld questions.

Thank the flying spaghetti monster because that makes me crazy!

Anyone else feel as though they suffer from cyclothymic disorder, secondary to how you do on your Qbanks/NBMEs that day?

Most definitely. I was nearly in tears the other day. I'll admit it.

 

[NickNaylor]

Thanks, Nick! I really appreciate the advice and the pep talk. I know it's a learning tool, but I still want to see my score go up, ya know? That things I've read since I started come into play, or just that I'm getting a better feel for the question style. Since I made that post, I actually got my best score yet. So... yay!

Thank the flying spaghetti monster because that makes me crazy!


Most definitely. I was nearly in tears the other day. I'll admit it.

Yeah, doing questions is a beating. When I'm feeling confident after spending a day reading, I just have to do one set of UWorld questions to again have that feeling of getting **** on. Stay strong.

Sent from my Nexus 7

 

[RIPSanto]

Can anyone critique this plan for me? I have done pathoma, FA, and Q-bank throughout second year. I am starting my four weeks of studying now.

I took an NBME and got 219, shooting for 240+

I plan to spend the first 12 days reading FA and the corresponding pathoma sections. At the end of each day, I am going to try to do 30-50 questions of (possibly from Rx, or Qbank) from the section I reviewed that day.

Then for the final two weeks I am just going to do UWorld (gives me about 15 days to do all the questions).

Thoughts?

 

[CDI]

Can anyone critique this plan for me? I have done pathoma, FA, and Q-bank throughout second year. I am starting my four weeks of studying now.

I took an NBME and got 219, shooting for 240+

I plan to spend the first 12 days reading FA and the corresponding pathoma sections. At the end of each day, I am going to try to do 30-50 questions of (possibly from Rx, or Qbank) from the section I reviewed that day.

Then for the final two weeks I am just going to do UWorld (gives me about 15 days to do all the questions).

Thoughts?

Be sure to nail FA (like you'll never see it again) those first 12 days. Hit your weak areas from the NBMEs. I wouldn't spend that much time on Pathoma, esp if you've already read it throughout the year.

As for banks - I feel like UW is worth/deserves more than 15 days, especially after seeing the length of the real exam stems. I feel there's more value in that bank than just acquiring knowledge.

If you can do 2 banks, FA + Rx + UW.
If time is getting short, FA + UW.
If time is really short, FA.

 

[Bouddha]

Be sure to nail FA (like you'll never see it again) those first 12 days. Hit your weak areas from the NBMEs. I wouldn't spend that much time on Pathoma, esp if you've already read it throughout the year.

As for banks - I feel like UW is worth/deserves more than 15 days, especially after seeing the length of the real exam stems. I feel there's more value in that bank than just acquiring knowledge.

If you can do 2 banks, FA + Rx + UW.
If time is getting short, FA + UW.
If time is really short, FA.

How do you go about "nailing FA (like you'll never see it again)." Are you saying you are actually able to memorize the thing in a 12 day pass? What method do you use to accomplish this?

Thanks.

 

[NickNaylor]

How do you go about "nailing FA (like you'll never see it again)." Are you saying you are actually able to memorize the thing in a 12 day pass? What method do you use to accomplish this?

Thanks.

Yeah I'd like to know too. I just finished my second pass of FA and still don't have a lot of the nitty gritty details down.

 

[CDI]

How do you go about "nailing FA (like you'll never see it again)." Are you saying you are actually able to memorize the thing in a 12 day pass? What method do you use to accomplish this?

Thanks.

Only one way to do it in short time and that's to read it like a book.

I felt like it was so high yield for the gimmes on the exam that you could be drunk at a bar and its still worth your time to look at that book. (I'm also not a 250+ guy though, never even aimed that high, so if that's your target here, better to ping the ijn/Phloston crowd.)

In regards to my specific exam, I felt afterwards that every moment I had spent staring at FA was a moment well spent. Can't really say the same about any other resource.

Realistically, I doubt anyone (except those with photographic memories) would get it all down even after multiple full reads. I'm just saying you have to go in with that mindset (of never seeing it again), otherwise you may put difficult stuff off till "later".

 

[projectlogic]

Only one way to do it in short time and that's to read it like a book.

I felt like it was so high yield for the gimmes on the exam that you could be drunk at a bar and its still worth your time to look at that book. (I'm also not a 250+ guy though, never even aimed that high, so if that's your target here, better to ping the ijn/Phloston crowd.)

In regards to my specific exam, I felt afterwards that every moment I had spent staring at FA was a moment well spent. Can't really say the same about any other resource.

Realistically, I doubt anyone (except those with photographic memories) would get it all down even after multiple full reads. I'm just saying you have to go in with that mindset (of never seeing it again), otherwise you may put difficult stuff off till "later".

That's a really good point.

 

[ManipalAlum]

Took step 1 on tuesday in Chicago. Exam was tough but not impossible. A few hard questions where it was tough to narrow down answer choices, but the easy questions were really easy. Biochem was straight forward. Know your enzyme deficiencies and your golden. Pharm was cake. They test the more common topics (MOA, side effects, interactions). I though Micro was a bit difficult. They didnt use the buzzwords from FA. Described organisms in odd ways. Patho was straight forward as well as biostats. Know your equations (a/a+b) and your set. Recognized quite a number of pictures from NBME's. Got one question word for word from the free 150 q's offered on usmle website

 

[Jonari]

couldn't even study today, don't know what happened. fell asleep at 1am last night and woke up today at 2pm...?? still feeling really tired and whole body is just feeling "bleh". feel like i haven't slept for days...eyes keep drooping, neck hurts, and etc...

mind was so lost today, i couldn't even think or do anything. i think i looked at 2 pages of FA for 7 hours, just being in a state of daze. 9:15pm est right now, about to eat, and go to sleep. hopefully, tomorrow will be a more productive day.

 

[bbaggins]

Just took it. I'm not sure what to think. Obviously I hope that I did well. The first two blocks were much harder than the rest of the test, but I think that is because I started out nervous. I felt that each successive block got easier as I got into a groove. I didn't feel like fatigue or getting burned out at the end was an issue for me, but i specifically made an effort to overload myself the last 2 weeks before my test (except for the very last day, when I rested) with lots of question blocks so that I could build up stamina. I think doing so was a big help.

I honestly don't remember many specific questions. I had 2 questions that asked about what nerve innervates a particular area of skin. Not what dermatome, but the actual nerve. And I only had 1 heart sound question. It was super easy, and listening wasn't necessary to get the right answer.

I found that on the NBMEs the majority of the questions I got wrong were from thinking about it too much. UW questions are so integrative and require a lot of thinking, so I often had the same mindset when I did NBMEs and would out think myself on a question that wasn't meant to be overly difficult. Practice test scores in order of when taken are:

NBME 5:245
NBME 6:247
NBME 7:254
NBME 11:252
NBME 12:261
NBME 13:261
UWSA 1:265
UWSA 2:265 (I think I got around 85% on both UWSAs, I don't remember the exact percentage)
NBME 15:261
Free 150: 93%

I did UW with classes and got 78%, then 89% with timed/random on second pass during dedicated study. I did about 1/3 of Rx with an 84%. I didn't like Rx that much, especially after doing UW and NBME blocks. Gunnertraining, now firecracker, was a big part of my study plan. It helped me remember a ton of the details. As I was going through UW there was rarely a time when I got a question wrong because I hadn't seen the material. Most of the time when I saw what the correct answer was it was a "oh yeah, of course" moment for me because I had seen it so many times before with GT. So GT put all the facts in my head, then doing UW and NBMEs helped me apply those facts in different situations. I didn't use FA much. Not because it isn't good, but I have a hard time staying very focused when I read from it, so I felt that it would be better to do what works for me. On the first few NBMEs I had some areas that were consistently harder for me, so I made sure to study those topics and they became much easier for me. Whenever I would get a question wrong on UW or a NBME, I would put on a spreadsheet the topic/concept that I misunderstood, why I misunderstood it, and how to think about it more correctly. I reviewed this spreadsheet a few times within a few days of taking the test. Even if I hadn't reviewed it, I still think it would have been helpful to make such a spreadsheet because as I would write out and explain a concept it helped me remember much more than if I just read the UW explanation. I'll post more study strategies if I remember any when I get my score back.

 

[lira126]

congratulations on being done with the real deal! Did you feel that the exam was similar to the NBME's in terms of difficulty and depth of material?

 

[Goober11]

couldn't even study today, don't know what happened. fell asleep at 1am last night and woke up today at 2pm...?? still feeling really tired and whole body is just feeling "bleh". feel like i haven't slept for days...eyes keep drooping, neck hurts, and etc...

mind was so lost today, i couldn't even think or do anything. i think i looked at 2 pages of FA for 7 hours, just being in a state of daze. 9:15pm est right now, about to eat, and go to sleep. hopefully, tomorrow will be a more productive day.

Maybe see it as a day gained for your body and not a day lost of studying. I bet you will wake up tomorrow rested and motivated to make up for the "lost" day. 👍

 

[Jonari]

Maybe see it as a day gained for your body and not a day lost of studying. I bet you will wake up tomorrow rested and motivated to make up for the "lost" day. 👍

lets hope so...back to the grind on an early saturday morning at 6:33EST...sigh just a few more weeks

 

[Looking120]

Just took it. I'm not sure what to think. Obviously I hope that I did well. The first two blocks were much harder than the rest of the test, but I think that is because I started out nervous. I felt that each successive block got easier as I got into a groove. I didn't feel like fatigue or getting burned out at the end was an issue for me, but i specifically made an effort to overload myself the last 2 weeks before my test (except for the very last day, when I rested) with lots of question blocks so that I could build up stamina. I think doing so was a big help.

I honestly don't remember many specific questions. I had 2 questions that asked about what nerve innervates a particular area of skin. Not what dermatome, but the actual nerve. And I only had 1 heart sound question. It was super easy, and listening wasn't necessary to get the right answer.

I found that on the NBMEs the majority of the questions I got wrong were from thinking about it too much. UW questions are so integrative and require a lot of thinking, so I often had the same mindset when I did NBMEs and would out think myself on a question that wasn't meant to be overly difficult. Practice test scores in order of when taken are:

NBME 5:245
NBME 6:247
NBME 7:254
NBME 11:252
NBME 12:261
NBME 13:261
UWSA 1:265
UWSA 2:265 (I think I got around 85% on both UWSAs, I don't remember the exact percentage)
NBME 15:261
Free 150: 93%

I did UW with classes and got 78%, then 89% with timed/random on second pass during dedicated study. I did about 1/3 of Rx with an 84%. I didn't like Rx that much, especially after doing UW and NBME blocks. Gunnertraining, now firecracker, was a big part of my study plan. It helped me remember a ton of the details. As I was going through UW there was rarely a time when I got a question wrong because I hadn't seen the material. Most of the time when I saw what the correct answer was it was a "oh yeah, of course" moment for me because I had seen it so many times before with GT. So GT put all the facts in my head, then doing UW and NBMEs helped me apply those facts in different situations. I didn't use FA much. Not because it isn't good, but I have a hard time staying very focused when I read from it, so I felt that it would be better to do what works for me. On the first few NBMEs I had some areas that were consistently harder for me, so I made sure to study those topics and they became much easier for me. Whenever I would get a question wrong on UW or a NBME, I would put on a spreadsheet the topic/concept that I misunderstood, why I misunderstood it, and how to think about it more correctly. I reviewed this spreadsheet a few times within a few days of taking the test. Even if I hadn't reviewed it, I still think it would have been helpful to make such a spreadsheet because as I would write out and explain a concept it helped me remember much more than if I just read the UW explanation. I'll post more study strategies if I remember any when I get my score back.

What was the timeframe for your NBMEs and UWSAs? Also, congrats in advance, sure you did great.

 

[bbaggins]

congratulations on being done with the real deal! Did you feel that the exam was similar to the NBME's in terms of difficulty and depth of material?

It is really hard to say. I know some people say one is much more like the real thing than another, but I felt that they were all pretty similar.

What was the timeframe for your NBMEs and UWSAs? Also, congrats in advance, sure you did great.

I took 5 end of February, then the rest 1-2/week after that.

 

[jenniferleigh]

I take my NBME on Monday. I feel nervous and not even sure what to do for the next 2 days. I have slacked off this week. I am just glad it will be done soon. I am hoping to score a 235.

 

[JP2740]

couldn't even study today, don't know what happened. fell asleep at 1am last night and woke up today at 2pm...?? still feeling really tired and whole body is just feeling "bleh". feel like i haven't slept for days...eyes keep drooping, neck hurts, and etc...

mind was so lost today, i couldn't even think or do anything. i think i looked at 2 pages of FA for 7 hours, just being in a state of daze. 9:15pm est right now, about to eat, and go to sleep. hopefully, tomorrow will be a more productive day.

Lmfao, don't take this personally. I really hope you do well but this post was just funny/scary/ridiculous. The **** med students have to go through

 

[Jonari]

I take my NBME on Monday. I feel nervous and not even sure what to do for the next 2 days. I have slacked off this week. I am just glad it will be done soon. I am hoping to score a 235.

Good look J.Lo - which one are you taking, if you don't mind me asking? I was going to take one tomorrow, but kinda slacked this week. Was pushing maybe 5 hours max/day.

Lmfao, don't take this personally. I really hope you do well but this post was just funny/scary/ridiculous. The **** med students have to go through

True, but it'll be worth it in the end. 😀

 

[JP2740]

I'm planning on reading 1st aid + 4 q banks tests (2 Uworld + 2 kaplan) + 1 goljian lecture + 1 pathoma chapter a day. Delusional???

 

[MLT2MT2DO]

I'm planning on reading 1st aid + 4 q banks tests (2 Uworld + 2 kaplan) + 1 goljian lecture + 1 pathoma chapter a day. Delusional???

Depends on when your test is

 

[MedicineMike]

DO student...Been through FA 1.5 times (haven't touched biostat chapter) and just finished NBME 6 with a whopping 203. I have 6 wks til my test and I am kind of freaking out now!! That test was sooO biostat heavy it was ridiculous btw.

Should I just keep on chugging w/ UW and FA??

 

[step1april2013]

DO student...Been through FA 1.5 times (haven't touched biostat chapter) and just finished NBME 6 with a whopping 203. I have 6 wks til my test and I am kind of freaking out now!! That test was sooO biostat heavy it was ridiculous btw.

Should I just keep on chugging w/ UW and FA??

you should do more biostat questions until your comfortable. Also, i doubt it was just biostat questions that you were getting wrong to end up with a 203. I believe a 203 is around 48-50 questions that were answered incorrectly. Definitely keep chugging at FA until you are sitting at around a 230

 

[MedicineMike]

you should do more biostat questions until your comfortable. Also, i doubt it was just biostat questions that you were getting wrong to end up with a 203. I believe a 203 is around 48-50 questions that were answered incorrectly. Definitely keep chugging at FA until you are sitting at around a 230

51 to be exact!... I've done half of Rx and switched over to UW and still have ~1400 questions left to go.

And yeah it wasn't just biostat. I am apparently VERY unethical as well. I don't get it...usually I get all of those consent/ethics questions right but not on that test. Where can I learn about this kind of stuff? Oh, and PPO vs HMO vs whatever?

 

[step1april2013]

51 to be exact!... I've done half of Rx and switched over to UW and still have ~1400 questions left to go.

And yeah it wasn't just biostat. I am apparently VERY unethical as well. I don't get it...usually I get all of those consent/ethics questions right but not on that test. Where can I learn about this kind of stuff? Oh, and PPO vs HMO vs whatever?

Kaplan qbank has very good ethics questions. PPO vs. HMO is something I would google until I understood it well. I was taught the payer systems in school, so I'm at an advantage

 

[jenniferleigh]

Good look J.Lo - which one are you taking, if you don't mind me asking? I was going to take one tomorrow, but kinda slacked this week. Was pushing maybe 5 hours max/day.



True, but it'll be worth it in the end. 😀

I am taking the actual Step. I did all the NBMEs except 11 and have scored 235 on my last 3. I haven't taken one in over a week though because I want to believe I can score above 240. Positive thinking goes a long way. Just hope I didn't slack off too much this week.

 

[calvnandhobbs68]

Kaplan qbank has very good ethics questions. PPO vs. HMO is something I would google until I understood it well. I was taught the payer systems in school, so I'm at an advantage

Here's this really random page about PPOs vs HMOs but it does a good job explaining why HMOs would cost less for the patient

http://www.solveyourproblem.com/health-insurance-guide/PPO-HMO.shtml

 

[JP2740]

Depends on when your test is

June 21, Dedicated begins May 11

 

[CDI]

I am taking the actual Step. I did all the NBMEs except 11 and have scored 235 on my last 3. I haven't taken one in over a week though because I want to believe I can score above 240. Positive thinking goes a long way. Just hope I didn't slack off too much this week.

I think you'll crank it out! Just glance at those volatile FA topics if you're unsure what else to do. And (probably) most important of all now, be sure to sleep well!

 

[Greenbayslacker]

Has anyone on SDN gotten above a 280? There were 2 or 3 people from my school that did last year so I'm guessing there must be at least a few on SDN. Or maybe even the legendary 290+?

 

[CDI]

Warning: Please ignore if you're a gunner, or only want the 250+ score posts.

Just checked my score. Got a 217.

As I've said all along, I stand for the average (okay, slightly below average) man.

Not thrilled but not upset either. I'm an IMG and 4 yrs post-pre-clinical years, so I knew I'd struggle with this.

I was aiming for a 220 (The program I want to go to has a 210 cutoff.) and walking out I felt I was somewhere between a 208-214 (that's the range I told my family).

I think with a little more time (and esp. by working through NBME 15) I could have minimized horribly easy FA recall errors and hit a 230. I know 7 recall questions I botched for sure which kept me from the US average 224.

My NBMEs were so low for so long (a pathetic 160-190 range), I was already burnt out from my earlier attempt at prep before I came on SDN, got advice (Thanks Phloston & nikmad!), and my score shot up 30-40 points.

My performance chart shows that I'm towards the higher performance in nearly everything which I found strange. The only noticeably weaker one was cell bio & histo (always sucked at that) even that is middle to high though.

I've been looking forward to making up ground with CK, and plan to hit that hard...240+ or bust!

Thanks again for everyones help in this thread! I know to some my score is so low its offensive to post it and I apologize but I'm done & moving on!

 

[Jamiu22]

Warning: Please ignore if you're a gunner, or only want the 250+ score posts.

Just checked my score. Got a 217.

As I've said all along, I stand for the average (okay, slightly below average) man.

Not thrilled but not upset either. I'm an IMG and 4 yrs post-pre-clinical years, so I knew I'd struggle with this.

I was aiming for a 220 (The program I want to go to has a 210 cutoff.) and walking out I felt I was somewhere between a 208-214 (that's the range I told my family).

I think with a little more time (and esp. by working through NBME 15) I could have minimized horribly easy FA recall errors and hit a 230. I know 7 recall questions I botched for sure which kept me from the US average 224.

My NBMEs were so low for so long (a pathetic 160-190 range), I was already burnt out from my earlier attempt at prep before I came on SDN, got advice (Thanks Phloston & nikmad!), and my score shot up 30-40 points.

My performance chart shows that I'm towards the higher performance in nearly everything which I found strange. The only noticeably weaker one was cell bio & histo (always sucked at that) even that is middle to high though.

I've been looking forward to making up ground with CK, and plan to hit that hard...240+ or bust!

Thanks again for everyones help in this thread! I know to some my score is so low its offensive to post it and I apologize but I'm done & moving on!

Congrats CDI... even though it's not the score you had hoped for... but you stared the beast in the eye and passed! Now on to step 2!! prep early and study hard... and your 240 will be earned! Good luck buddy

 

[Manu9]

Congrats CDI on being done ! That itself is such a huge accomplishment.

 

[ijn]

Has anyone on SDN gotten above a 280? There were 2 or 3 people from my school that did last year so I'm guessing there must be at least a few on SDN. Or maybe even the legendary 290+?

I have a hard time believing there were three 280s at the same school. How many kids got 260 and 270 at your school? I know that year my school had 4 260s+ and we're not highly ranked. There are 141 US medical schools. In 2011 there were 468 US seniors with >260+. That's roughly 3 per school on average.

My estimate based on 2011 NRMP data is that there were roughly 15 kids with 280+, 81 kids in the 271-280 range, and 372 in the 261-270 range.

 

[Greenbayslacker]

I have a hard time believing there were three 280s at the same school. How many kids got 260 and 270 at your school? I know that year my school had 4 260s+ and we're not highly ranked. There are 141 US medical schools. In 2011 there were 468 US seniors with >260+. That's roughly 3 per school on average.

My estimate based on 2011 NRMP data is that there were roughly 15 kids with 280+, 81 kids in the 271-280 range, and 372 in the 261-270 range.

Of course I have no way to know for sure, but i know 2 people claimed to get 280+ from last year (believable, considering they were both AOA), and 1 guy who got a 270+

 

[Phloston]

Has anyone on SDN gotten above a 280? There were 2 or 3 people from my school that did last year so I'm guessing there must be at least a few on SDN. Or maybe even the legendary 290+?

If one literally gets a 100% on the USMLE Step1, his or her score would theoretically be a 292, not a 300.

 

[jpudge12]

Warning: Please ignore if you're a gunner, or only want the 250+ score posts.

Just checked my score. Got a 217.

As I've said all along, I stand for the average (okay, slightly below average) man.

Not thrilled but not upset either. I'm an IMG and 4 yrs post-pre-clinical years, so I knew I'd struggle with this.

I was aiming for a 220 (The program I want to go to has a 210 cutoff.) and walking out I felt I was somewhere between a 208-214 (that's the range I told my family).

I think with a little more time (and esp. by working through NBME 15) I could have minimized horribly easy FA recall errors and hit a 230. I know 7 recall questions I botched for sure which kept me from the US average 224.

My NBMEs were so low for so long (a pathetic 160-190 range), I was already burnt out from my earlier attempt at prep before I came on SDN, got advice (Thanks Phloston & nikmad!), and my score shot up 30-40 points.

My performance chart shows that I'm towards the higher performance in nearly everything which I found strange. The only noticeably weaker one was cell bio & histo (always sucked at that) even that is middle to high though.

I've been looking forward to making up ground with CK, and plan to hit that hard...240+ or bust!

Thanks again for everyones help in this thread! I know to some my score is so low its offensive to post it and I apologize but I'm done & moving on!

CONGRATS!!!!!!! 👍

 

[CDI]

Congrats CDI... even though it's not the score you had hoped for... but you stared the beast in the eye and passed! Now on to step 2!! prep early and study hard... and your 240 will be earned! Good luck buddy

Congrats CDI on being done ! That itself is such a huge accomplishment.

CONGRATS!!!!!!! 👍

Thanks! Knowing how many people seem to genuinely have trouble passing this exam, it's not even fair for me to be upset with my score.

Just one thing I feel I should mention - for those who are in similar shoes. (<230) Don't set your targets 'low', no matter what your NBME/early UW scores look like. Keep a killer mentality with this exam till the end. I had zero confidence after getting horrendous scores on my NBME (186). So, I set a low target of 220.

I sought out advice here, and then just hit FA + UW...within a month I jumped to a 207 and then a 221 after that. I STILL had room to improve. I also don't believe I had actually peaked in terms of ability. The problem now was that I became complacent, with having crossed that 220. Setting this goal, before using the right method of study, actually hurt me in the end. I didn't push myself the last 3 weeks the way I did prior to that.

Moral of story: Aim stupidly high, regardless of what you think you are capable of. The NBMEs will put you in your place anyways.

For CK, I won't have any hard target score, I'll just go till I burn out or I drop dead from trying to annihilate it.

 

[Phloston]

Congratulations, CDI. I've sent you a PM btw.

 

[CDI]

Congratulations, CDI. I've sent you a PM btw.

Thanks Phloston! Looking forward to seeing how you crush CK next!

 

[Bouddha]

Warning: Please ignore if you're a gunner, or only want the 250+ score posts.

Just checked my score. Got a 217.

As I've said all along, I stand for the average (okay, slightly below average) man.

Not thrilled but not upset either. I'm an IMG and 4 yrs post-pre-clinical years, so I knew I'd struggle with this.

I was aiming for a 220 (The program I want to go to has a 210 cutoff.) and walking out I felt I was somewhere between a 208-214 (that's the range I told my family).

I think with a little more time (and esp. by working through NBME 15) I could have minimized horribly easy FA recall errors and hit a 230. I know 7 recall questions I botched for sure which kept me from the US average 224.

My NBMEs were so low for so long (a pathetic 160-190 range), I was already burnt out from my earlier attempt at prep before I came on SDN, got advice (Thanks Phloston & nikmad!), and my score shot up 30-40 points.

My performance chart shows that I'm towards the higher performance in nearly everything which I found strange. The only noticeably weaker one was cell bio & histo (always sucked at that) even that is middle to high though.

I've been looking forward to making up ground with CK, and plan to hit that hard...240+ or bust!

Thanks again for everyones help in this thread! I know to some my score is so low its offensive to post it and I apologize but I'm done & moving on!

Congrats! There are a lot of people on here who are gifted and don't realize that everyone can't get a 250 plus. You improved massively over your earlier NBMEs, and essentially hit your goal. Awesome job, now go destroy CK.

 

[CDI]

Congrats! There are a lot of people on here who are gifted and don't realize that everyone can't get a 250 plus. You improved massively over your earlier NBMEs, and essentially hit your goal. Awesome job, now go destroy CK.

Thanks Bouddha! I'd agree with that...to an extent.

Looking back, hindsight 20/20, specifically at my NBME trajectory having not peaked, I think my limitations in scoring higher were more do to my lack of guidance and proper planning (early on). That led to a very unfocused approach where I kept switching between resources and doubting my methods. (My UW cumulative was a 54%, I was projected a 206.) That being said, it was due to the guidance here on SDN which led to me actually passing and falling in that middle 68%. ;-)

With the right methodical prep from the start, I think I would've been able to join the 240 or even 250+ crowd. I took my exam a bit early because my target program(s) don't require that high range of scores (and for my own sanity). Further, I would have been in danger of not being to apply this year.

Glad I at least have a shot to prove myself with CK now. Good luck to everyone out there still tackling this beast.

 

[Charlie Hustle]

I've got a question for you guys:

My exam is 3 months away. I have finished USMLERx and I'm 68% finished with Kaplan. Should I go ahead and purchase the 3-month subscription to UWorld and get started on it ASAP, or would I be better served to finish up Kaplan and then buy the 2-month UWorld subscription?