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

Phloston

Osaka, Japan
Removed
Lifetime Donor
Verified Member
10+ Year Member
Physician
Gold Donor
Joined
Jan 18, 2012
Messages
3,880
Reaction score
1,676
Members do not see this ad.
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:
 
Sort by date Sort by votes
Jonari said:
super screwed...490 = 219; 44 wrong...sigh...this sucks major ass. 🙁

KUnlemM.png
Click to expand...

When is your step date?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
At least this means you will pass which was a concern of yours a few days ago.

EDIT: I thought your date was further out, sorry.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Goober11 said:
I am sure you are disappointed at least you know what to hit this final week: immuno, cell bio, micro, repro/endo, resp. At the very least this means you will pass which was a concern of yours a few days ago.
Click to expand...

see the post above yours...going through the exam...seemed like it was easier than 12 and 13...bad mental hit
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Jonari said:
see the post above yours...going through the exam...seemed like it was easier than 12 and 13...bad mental hit
Click to expand...

You'll be straight man. You didn't even simulate it properly (5:00 AM wtf/why?) and scored within 5-10 pts of what you've been hitting.

Study the mistakes. Get your sleep on EARLY tonight.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
CDI said:
You'll be straight man. You didn't even simulate it properly (5:00 AM wtf/why?) and scored within 5-10 pts of what you've been hitting.

Study the mistakes. Get your sleep on EARLY tonight.
Click to expand...

yeah im just disappointed...i hated hearing growing up about how:

"this (insert douchebag cousin's name) got this score..."
"this (insert douchebag friend's name) got this score on their SAT"
"this (insert ****'s name) got this score on their exam"
etc etc etc

just wanted to put that to an end and never have to hear it again, even if it's somebody younger and my parents and i are just having a normal casual conversation. hence, sole reason why i wanted to do well. Dad's best friend's daughter got a 255 on her Step 1...could see the level of "damn i wonder if my son will be able to do that" when we heard the score from her Dad's voice...so much was riding on this exam for me
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Jonari said:
yeah im just disappointed...i hated hearing growing up about how:

"this (insert douchebag cousin's name) got this score..."
"this (insert douchebag friend's name) got this score on their SAT"
"this (insert ****'s name) got this score on their exam"
etc etc etc

just wanted to put that to an end and never have to hear it again, even if it's somebody younger and my parents and i are just having a normal casual conversation. hence, sole reason why i wanted to do well. Dad's best friend's daughter got a 255 on her Step 1...could see the level of "damn i wonder if my son will be able to do that" when we heard the score from her Dad's voice...so much was riding on this exam for me
Click to expand...

Haha #DesiProblems man.

No one cares in the end (cept PDs). The goal is to get IN to residency, this is literally just one step.

(And I have 7-8 friends who scored in the 250s+, imagine how it was for me.)
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Jonari said:
yeah im just disappointed...i hated hearing growing up about how:

"this (insert douchebag cousin's name) got this score..."
"this (insert douchebag friend's name) got this score on their SAT"
"this (insert ****'s name) got this score on their exam"
etc etc etc

just wanted to put that to an end and never have to hear it again, even if it's somebody younger and my parents and i are just having a normal casual conversation. hence, sole reason why i wanted to do well. Dad's best friend's daughter got a 255 on her Step 1...could see the level of "damn i wonder if my son will be able to do that" when we heard the score from her Dad's voice...so much was riding on this exam for me
Click to expand...

Lol I've been here b4.......with mom always comparing us to family friends and cousins...i didnt start feeling better until i said F..k em' and not care bout anyone else. Your scores have been above average...I'm guessing this exam was an anomally. Get some rest, look over your weak spots sparingly....and you shouod do fine....and for the love of pit sake..slow down!!!

Getting into med school is quite an achievement!!

Good luck tomorrow :ç)
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Jonari said:
yeah im just disappointed...i hated hearing growing up about how:

"this (insert douchebag cousin's name) got this score..."
"this (insert douchebag friend's name) got this score on their SAT"
"this (insert ****'s name) got this score on their exam"
etc etc etc

just wanted to put that to an end and never have to hear it again, even if it's somebody younger and my parents and i are just having a normal casual conversation. hence, sole reason why i wanted to do well. Dad's best friend's daughter got a 255 on her Step 1...could see the level of "damn i wonder if my son will be able to do that" when we heard the score from her Dad's voice...so much was riding on this exam for me
Click to expand...

Stop thinking that crap and do your best!
Sleep man. We 've been telling you this the whole week. Why start on 5am?
Just study wrong questions on NBMEs, see some list of forgettables, check if you are set for tomorrow (technically) and go early to sleep. This may get you 10-20 points up.
Don't lose it now.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Jonari said:
yeah im just disappointed...i hated hearing growing up about how:

"this (insert douchebag cousin's name) got this score..."
"this (insert douchebag friend's name) got this score on their SAT"
"this (insert ****'s name) got this score on their exam"
etc etc etc

just wanted to put that to an end and never have to hear it again, even if it's somebody younger and my parents and i are just having a normal casual conversation. hence, sole reason why i wanted to do well. Dad's best friend's daughter got a 255 on her Step 1...could see the level of "damn i wonder if my son will be able to do that" when we heard the score from her Dad's voice...so much was riding on this exam for me
Click to expand...

Sounds like you're putting a bit too much pressure on yourself here. I mean have you ever talked to your parents about how you feel like your scores are compared to everyone else? They might not even realize they're putting that pressure on you.

I'm also not sure why you took an NBME 24 hours before your test since it was unlikely to make you feel any better. Just don't be one of those guys who jumps out a window bc you get a 220...nothing to be ashamed of.

And yes SLOW DOWN. You should not be finishing blocks with 20 minutes left if thats what you're still doing.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Zzmed said:
Stop thinking that crap and do your best!
Sleep man. We 've been telling you this the whole week. Why start on 5am?
Just study wrong questions on NBMEs, see some list of forgettables, check if you are set for tomorrow (technically) and go early to sleep. This may get you 10-20 points up.
Don't lose it now.
Click to expand...

+1

Take the sagely advice of all those before you. Sleep is now the biggest factor between getting a 210 or a 230.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
calvnandhobbs68 said:
Sounds like you're putting a bit too much pressure on yourself here. I mean have you ever talked to your parents about how you feel like your scores are compared to everyone else? They might not even realize they're putting that pressure on you.
Click to expand...

Talking about feelings in a Desi household and parents actually understanding. Man, that'll be the day... :laugh:
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
calvnandhobbs68 said:
Sounds like you're putting a bit too much pressure on yourself here. I mean have you ever talked to your parents about how you feel like your scores are compared to everyone else? They might not even realize they're putting that pressure on you.

I'm also not sure why you took an NBME 24 hours before your test since it was unlikely to make you feel any better. Just don't be one of those guys who jumps out a window bc you get a 220...nothing to be ashamed of.

And yes SLOW DOWN. You should not be finishing blocks with 20 minutes left if thats what you're still doing.
Click to expand...

I should've rephrased, they don't put any pressure on me now, but the years of getting that type of information from my Mom from 1st grade to probably freshman year of college, has been kind of mentally damaging.

Even now in my late 20s, if we she brings up of how a family friend's son who got admitted to Duke - I inherently feel she's comparing me to him. The other day we were in the car, and she was saying how our family friend's son, who is a medical school drop out, and a law school drop out; is so mature and nice, because he did the dishes at a family party. It still got under my skin, and had to call her out to ask her why she was so impressed by it...

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a perfect child, I've had countless number of mess ups during and after college. I just know not getting the score I want, is one step away from getting into a nice prestigious residency.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Jonari said:
I should've rephrased, they don't put any pressure on me now, but the years of getting that type of information from my Mom from 1st grade to probably freshman year of college, has been kind of mentally damaging.

Even now in my late 20s, if we she brings up of how a family friend's son who got admitted to Duke - I inherently feel she's comparing me to him. The other day we were in the car, and she was saying how our family friend's son, who is a medical school drop out, and a law school drop out; is so mature and nice, because he did the dishes at a family party. It still got under my skin, and had to call her out to ask her why she was so impressed by it...

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a perfect child, I've had countless number of mess ups during and after college. I just know not getting the score I want, is one step away from getting into a nice prestigious residency.
Click to expand...

You need to get off the "prestigious residency" thing because it just makes you sound douchey (whether you mean to or not) which was already touched on in the other thread you opened. Leaving doors open in case you decide you really like more competitive residencies during rotations? Totally legitimate. Trying to get a competitive residency just because you think it's prestigious? Lame. Your interests should be > "prestige" every time.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
calvnandhobbs68 said:
You need to get off the "prestigious residency" thing because it just makes you sound douchey (whether you mean to or not). Leaving doors open in case you decide you really like more competitive residencies during rotations? Totally legitimate. Trying to get a competitive residency just because you think it's prestigious? Lame.
Click to expand...

rofl, i was just editing my original comment...that was supposed to be in quotes. quoting our dean, because i've never heard anybody say "prestigious residency"...
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
calvnandhobbs68 said:
You need to get off the "prestigious residency" thing because it just makes you sound douchey (whether you mean to or not) which was already touched on in the other thread you opened. Leaving doors open in case you decide you really like more competitive residencies during rotations? Totally legitimate. Trying to get a competitive residency just because you think it's prestigious? Lame. Your interests should be > "prestige" every time.
Click to expand...

I totally agree. If you know you'll be miserable at Duke/Harvard/etc. but you'd be happier at a "lesser known" residency, it'd be completely ridiculous to choose the ivory league schools just because of a name... thats 3-5 years of pure misery waiting to happen.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Jonari said:
rofl, i was just editing my original comment...that was supposed to be in quotes. quoting our dean, because i've never heard anybody say "prestigious residency"...
Click to expand...

Ok... long time lurker here. I haven't contributed much here but I am sure I'm not the only one thinking this....

Seriously, chill the f**k out!!! I love this forum because of all the useful knowledge it brings (some of it from you, Jonari) but your constant whining is driving me to drink so I can't imagine how you must feel living with it. Whine, whine, whine, my score wasn't X, I can't believe I got X on this NBME, my friend got X and I'm only projected to get Y.... blah, blah, blah

You've worked hard, I know it from reading all your posts. You know a s**tload of material and I guarantee you're missing questions because you're tired, anxious, and have zero confidence in your knowledge and ability. Stop feeling sorry for yourself, relax a little, stop studying, get some rest, grow a pair of balls (i.e. some confidence), and kick this stupid f**king tests ass tomorrow!

All the sympathy posts and rah-rah-ing "go Jonari" posts in the world aren't going to encourage you or make you do better if you can't look internally, pull your bootstraps up, and walk into this test with a chip on your shoulder and just kick ass.

Anyways, hope the tough love helps. Good luck.
 
  • Like
Reactions: kjr
Upvote 0 Downvote
Jonari said:
I should've rephrased, they don't put any pressure on me now, but the years of getting that type of information from my Mom from 1st grade to probably freshman year of college, has been kind of mentally damaging.

Even now in my late 20s, if we she brings up of how a family friend's son who got admitted to Duke - I inherently feel she's comparing me to him. The other day we were in the car, and she was saying how our family friend's son, who is a medical school drop out, and a law school drop out; is so mature and nice, because he did the dishes at a family party. It still got under my skin, and had to call her out to ask her why she was so impressed by it...

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a perfect child, I've had countless number of mess ups during and after college. I just know not getting the score I want, is one step away from getting into a nice prestigious residency.
Click to expand...

Dude, you'll be so much happier in life once you ignore that stuff. Do you man, don't live someone else's dreams. Live yours.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Jonari said:
I should've rephrased, they don't put any pressure on me now, but the years of getting that type of information from my Mom from 1st grade to probably freshman year of college, has been kind of mentally damaging.

Even now in my late 20s, if we she brings up of how a family friend's son who got admitted to Duke - I inherently feel she's comparing me to him. The other day we were in the car, and she was saying how our family friend's son, who is a medical school drop out, and a law school drop out; is so mature and nice, because he did the dishes at a family party. It still got under my skin, and had to call her out to ask her why she was so impressed by it...

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a perfect child, I've had countless number of mess ups during and after college. I just know not getting the score I want, is one step away from getting into a nice prestigious residency.
Click to expand...

:laugh: Med school -> law school -> glorified dishwasher. Sounds about right.

Don't worry about a "prestigious residency" right now. Just get your sleep and know going in, that your NBMEs don't determine your ultimate score. It sounds like you've settled for a 220, when you haven't even taken the exam yet. A score of a 260+ is still (technically) on the table. Go in with the right mindset, get a little lucky and you may wind up surprised with the result. You may need the adrenaline/pressure to force you to perform at a higher level. That's what you need to tell yourself right now.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
he just needs to sleep tonight. The biggest mistake I made was sleeping poorly the night before my exam. If my real score turns out to not match my NBME score, that's the biggest reason. I felt so tired, out-of-whack, and slow on the real thing because of that.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Looking120 said:
Ok... long time lurker here. I haven't contributed much here but I am sure I'm not the only one thinking this....

Seriously, chill the f**k out!!! I love this forum because of all the useful knowledge it brings (some of it from you, Jonari) but your constant whining is driving me to drink so I can't imagine how you must feel living with it. Whine, whine, whine, my score wasn't X, I can't believe I got X on this NBME, my friend got X and I'm only projected to get Y.... blah, blah, blah

You've worked hard, I know it from reading all your posts. You know a s**tload of material and I guarantee you're missing questions because you're tired, anxious, and have zero confidence in your knowledge and ability. Stop feeling sorry for yourself, relax a little, stop studying, get some rest, grow a pair of balls (i.e. some confidence), and kick this stupid f**king tests ass tomorrow!

All the sympathy posts and rah-rah-ing "go Jonari" posts in the world aren't going to encourage you or make you do better if you can't look internally, pull your bootstraps up, and walk into this test with a chip on your shoulder and just kick ass.

Anyways, hope the tough love helps. Good luck.
Click to expand...

👍 A score is a means to an end. I don't plan on telling anyone what I score - except attendings who ask before they write letters and obviously it will be on my applications. It's just a tool to get an interview - it's not supposed to define you as a human being. Do your best - if you get a great score - you have a great tool to get you to the next level. Not so great? Well, it's just one of the tools available - go find another one. No one's goal in life is to score ______ on Step 1 - it's to be ________ kind of doctor. Keep that in mind and you will remain flexible on how to achieve your goal.

Wordead said:
Taking a NBME 2 days before your test at 5 am...JFC. Just shooting yourself in the foot, face, and groin.
Click to expand...

I lol'ed
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
CDI said:
Haha #DesiProblems man.

No one cares in the end (cept PDs). The goal is to get IN to residency, this is literally just one step.

(And I have 7-8 friends who scored in the 250s+, imagine how it was for me.)
Click to expand...

Can I say i totally relate to this.. unfortunately the score they tell my parents is my kid got 99%..
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Jonari said:
yeah im just disappointed...i hated hearing growing up about how:

"this (insert douchebag cousin's name) got this score..."
"this (insert douchebag friend's name) got this score on their SAT"
"this (insert ****'s name) got this score on their exam"
etc etc etc

just wanted to put that to an end and never have to hear it again, even if it's somebody younger and my parents and i are just having a normal casual conversation. hence, sole reason why i wanted to do well. Dad's best friend's daughter got a 255 on her Step 1...could see the level of "damn i wonder if my son will be able to do that" when we heard the score from her Dad's voice...so much was riding on this exam for me
Click to expand...

I know exactly how this feels but once your done with it and doing rotations it wont even matter anymore.. just try to sleep and any worrying right now isnt going to help tmrw's outcome.. you'll be fine.. have faith
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
A buddy of mine took the exam yesterday..he told me a disturbing trend, which I think echos what a few posters before me have stated: first aid is becoming more and more obsolete.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
dietcoke91 said:
A buddy of mine took the exam yesterday..he told me a disturbing trend, which I think echos what a few posters before me have stated: first aid is becoming more and more obsolete.
Click to expand...

lol trollin brah? If first aid is obsolete, then so is uworld qbank and kaplan q bank. So what do we use?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I think you just answered your own question. Why would you use Uworld or kaplan if First aid was adequate? First aid has a lot of gaps..doing questions is the only way to fill in the gaps
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
dietcoke91 said:
I don't know but he said what other people have said: namely nbme is getting its jollies by asking obscure anatomy questions and vague molecular bio
Click to expand...

I took the test 2 weeks ago, First Aid was still VERY helpful in my opinion, at least in the sense that it provides an outline of what you should be focusing on. I don't remember any strange anatomy or molecular bio questions...every test is different I suppose.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Invin22 said:
I took the test 2 weeks ago, First Aid was still VERY helpful in my opinion, at least in the sense that it provides an outline of what you should be focusing on. I don't remember any strange anatomy or molecular bio questions...every test is different I suppose.
Click to expand...

The questions could have been experimental too...also it's human nature to focus on what you were unsure about
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
dietcoke91 said:
I don't know but he said what other people have said: namely nbme is getting its jollies by asking obscure anatomy questions and vague molecular bio
Click to expand...

The NBME committees are made up of med school professors and clinicians that make the questions. I highly doubt they're doing this on purpose. It could be a shift in the people writing the questions... if thats the reason FA will eventually catch up to the test in future versions and reflect whats on the test.

Until then your best resource is learning thing as well as you can the first two years of medical school. Then read and hopefully RE-memorize the things in FA to reinforce all of that information. If someone's grades sucked the first two years I highly doubt they could really pull it together for the test.

I know I'm stating the obvious here, but I'm trying to be a voice of reason, because statements that say FA is obsolete probably causes unnecessary panic in people who have spent weeks memorizing FA and uworld.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I'm sure you have read in every test preparation book: Anxiety is good. Too much is bad and too little is bad. You need to find your sweet spot of anxiety. You should be pretty happy that the USMLE exam has 103934913194910 resources you can use to study for it. Most are adequate. The material every student studies is essentially the same. More people pass than fail so its a fair exam.

From my own personal experience after studying for a long time and assessing my skills with NBME I found confidence was the deciding factor in the actual exam. The questions on the actual exam aren't as straightforward as Uworld. Most questions have 2 very good choices you just need to have the confidence to go with the one you feel has to 'fit best' with the given information. That takes confidence. You also know that one of them has to be the right answer and there is no negative marking so it's as if the exam is demanding it of you, take your best shot!

After 220-230 it boils down to: luck, your timing, how much sleep you got, your comfort level with the actual exam style and the way they present material, and most importantly confidence.

As for the Desi mentality, your parents(like all parents) only want the best for you. Telling you about a 250 or a 260 is just to give you a level to aim at. If they kept telling you about all the failures and all the 200's you would be happy with a 201 and would probably end up studying in that manner. Take it as a motivational tool. Also, everyone has family problems, you should consider yourself lucky you even have parents that are interested in your future. Complaining and whining about any factors not in your control is silly and a waste of time. In the end YOU will be doing residency, YOU will be treating patients, YOU will be deciding patient management, and YOU will be given the thank you's and all the success that comes with being a doctor.

Best of luck.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
👍


drk said:
I'm sure you have read in every test preparation book: Anxiety is good. Too much is bad and too little is bad. You need to find your sweet spot of anxiety. You should be pretty happy that the USMLE exam has 103934913194910 resources you can use to study for it. Most are adequate. The material every student studies is essentially the same. More people pass than fail so its a fair exam.

From my own personal experience after studying for a long time and assessing my skills with NBME I found confidence was the deciding factor in the actual exam. The questions on the actual exam aren't as straightforward as Uworld. Most questions have 2 very good choices you just need to have the confidence to go with the one you feel has to 'fit best' with the given information. That takes confidence. You also know that one of them has to be the right answer and there is no negative marking so it's as if the exam is demanding it of you, take your best shot!

After 220-230 it boils down to: luck, your timing, how much sleep you got, your comfort level with the actual exam style and the way they present material, and most importantly confidence.

As for the Desi mentality, your parents(like all parents) only want the best for you. Telling you about a 250 or a 260 is just to give you a level to aim at. If they kept telling you about all the failures and all the 200's you would be happy with a 201 and would probably end up studying in that manner. Take it as a motivational tool. Also, everyone has family problems, you should consider yourself lucky you even have parents that are interested in your future. Complaining and whining about any factors not in your control is silly and a waste of time. In the end YOU will be doing residency, YOU will be treating patients, YOU will be deciding patient management, and YOU will be given the thank you's and all the success that comes with being a doctor.

Best of luck.
Click to expand...
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Jonari said:
Does the step ask tricky questions like, "antibodies with high specificity, to which of the following, are diagnostic for rheumatoid arthritis?"

a. centromeres
b. double stranded DNA
c. citrullated proteins
d. Fc portion of IgG
e. mitochondria
f. basement membrane
Click to expand...

I just got this question on UWorld and you worded it totally incorrectly here.
It says "Ab with high specificity to this patient's condition are mostly likely to react to which of the following?" -- not high specificity to which Ag, as your question says.

This makes it a lot more straightforward, it says right in FA that Anti-Citrullinated peptides are most specific for RA.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Does anyone have a range of where your actual score will fall in relation to your latest nbme that you have taken? Ie. +\- 10 points? Best case/worst case

I've heard uwsa can can have a huge discrepancy. Not sure how close the nbme's are?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
dietcoke91 said:
A buddy of mine took the exam yesterday..he told me a disturbing trend, which I think echos what a few posters before me have stated: first aid is becoming more and more obsolete.
Click to expand...

How many times did your buddy take the test? I'm only about average in biostats but I'm pretty sure it's impossible to have a trend with x=1
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Jonari...you need to postpone your exam as your NBMEs are far from your goal. I noticed you wrote than you did not read FA even once. You need to memorize it. Best of luck dude
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
stronghold said:
Jonari...you need to postpone your exam as your NBMEs are far from your goal. I noticed you wrote than you did not read FA even once. You need to memorize it. Best of luck dude
Click to expand...

I was thinking the same thing but not because he hasn't read all of FA yet (I know a couple of ppl who didn't even LOOK at first aid and ended up with pretty good scores). But it sounds like his self-esteem at this point is a little shaky and not to disrespect or anything, from what he said earlier, he sounds like a very sensitive guy....so it might not be a bad idea to postpone the test for another week or two until he regains his self-confidence.

Good luck either way.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Transposony
Official 2024 Step 1 Experiences and Scores Thread
Replies
0
Views
2K
Transposony
Transposony
D
Step 1 and Level 1
Replies
1
Views
3K
DOcSto
D
C
Step 1 tutor available!
Replies
0
Views
1K
chauhanjugalkishor
C
A
USMLE Step 1 resources for sale
Replies
0
Views
2K
accurate_branch20
A
G
  • Question Question
USMLE Out of time and not ready for Step 1. Have I screwed up?
Replies
0
Views
679
genteel-mug-sting
G
Top