Official 2014 Step 1 Experiences and Scores Thread

[900829]

Too early? Pff nah it's not.
It's our time to shine bright like a diamond!
It's our time to make step 1 our Goliath.

. . . and may the odds be ever in your favor.
WE GOT THIS!

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[900829]

No one is saying that you shouldn't set goals, nor *lower* expectations. I'm saying that you have to respect yourself and where you are. FA + 10,000 questions seems like a pretty easy formula until you try and find out : you don't have enough time, you're missing some major concepts, you don't have the money, or *it just isn't working for you*.

If you try your best, and you get a 230, then you should be dmn proud of that 230, no matter what anyone else says or scores.

Lol it's not like you have a choice. You have to be proud because you can't retake it. . . but thanks for clarifying your point. I agree with u.

 

[DCBFan]

With 12 weeks of dedicated study time and rx 100% completed, would it be more advantageous to complete uworld 2x or complete uworld + kaplan bank? Clearly, kaplan would be done prior to uworld.

Good question. I'm in a somewhat similar position and I'm curious what the consensus is.

 

[targ489]

With 12 weeks of dedicated study time and rx 100% completed, would it be more advantageous to complete uworld 2x or complete uworld + kaplan bank? Clearly, kaplan would be done prior to uworld.

I'm in almost the same boat here, minus the 12 weeks. Anyone got advice?

 

[Phloston]

I'm in almost the same boat here, minus the 12 weeks. Anyone got advice?

If you can, USMLE Rx is > to Kaplan QBank if you have to choose one or the other.

 

[addy]

This is the most ridiculous comment I have ever seen from you. I agree with Snuke, actually. I had set out to break 250 before I started my dedicated study period, but I underestimated how much actual studying it would take to get me there. I only started to break 250 on my practice exams about 2 weeks out (started with a 215 baseline 6 weeks out). You are not "practically guaranteed" anything. This type of comment is what causes people to have unrealistic expectations of what they can expect on the real deal, and it implies that anyone who scores below a 250 is incompetent or didn't study correctly. Come on, dude.

I agree wholeheartedly and I'm glad you said this...I had pretty bright friends who did all 3 banks, hammered fa, u world and still only managed high 230s on their practice tests and the real thing

 

[900829]

Goddammit!
Can y'all just let people set their goals? Who cares if their goals are "unrealistic"? You do not personally know these people and their capabilities.
About 15 - 25 people posted 250 and above goals, out of thousands who are expecting to take the steps this year and y'all are fussing.
Just do you and be encouraging!

 

[Transposony]

I think the point some people are missing here is:

If you can stay committed during MS2 and complete USMLE Rx + Kaplan QBank + UWorld (reading all of the explanations for both incorrect AND correct questions), you're practically guaranteed a 250+.

IMHO different people have different interpretation of "doing" certain things. The USMLE forums are full of posts like " I did FA 10 times +UW X times and failed/barely passed/did not get 250+/etc etc............
What these people don't get is that it is KNOWING something AND ability to apply that knowledge (harnessed by doing QBanks) is what gets you that 250+ on the real deal.
Some people confuse memorizing FA as compared to knowing FA. Memorizing FA may get you a 220 (if all else goes well) but not 250+ unless you KNOW every concept mentioned in FA inside out.
Don't get me wrong, FA is a great review book BUT it is a REVIEW book. As Conrad Fischer famously said " You can't review what you never knew".

 

[Snuke]

Goddammit!
Can y'all just let people set their goals? Who cares if their goals are "unrealistic"? You do not personally know these people and their capabilities.
About 15 - 25 people posted 250 and above goals, out of thousands who are expecting to take the steps this year and y'all are fussing.
Just do you and be encouraging!

Dude, chill out. Take a step away from the computer. No one is dissing anyone, no one is fussing.

I am personally very happy for everyone who scores well because I respect the amount of time and dedication that takes. Their doing well does not take away from me and how I will do. It sounds like we are all on the same page in terms of encouraging everyone to do as well as they can.

There is no need to get angry or annoyed.

 

[Transposony]

That list doesn't say it (unless I'm blind), but one of the really HY tidbits for Step1 is that Varicella (chickenpox) is a reportable disease in the US.

Wikipedia confirms it though.

Well caught. That was the wrong link.
I have corrected the link.

 

[900829]

Dude, chill out. Take a step away from the computer. No one is dissing anyone, no one is fussing.

I am personally very happy for everyone who scores well because I respect the amount of time and dedication that takes. Their doing well does not take away from me and how I will do. It sounds like we are all on the same page in terms of encouraging everyone to do as well as they can.

There is no need to get angry or annoyed.

Woosah. . .
Definitely not angry.
Everyone talking about "realistic goals" just need to do their own thing and be encouraging to others, that's all.

 

[yippiekiyay]

So I'm kinda new to the Step forums..been in denial about having to do this so anyway please don't judge my low level of knowledge

I was just wondering do you just follow the NBME threads to help find out answers to questions you got wrong after taking the NBME exams with the extended feedback? or are there other ways of finding out the correct answers? It just seems pretty mean of them to not give explanations….

Thank-you kindly in advance!

 

[Flamen04]

For all of you doing Qbanks right now:

Do you read first aid then do a set of questions? Or do you do the set of questions then review first aid?

 

[ChessMaster3000]

I have a 9am exam scheduled, which goes until 5, but may need to be free by 4:30 or so. Can I just show up to prometric at like 8:30 or even earlier and start my test?

 

[Shadowmoses]

Friends,
Going to take the test this summer, havent picked the exact date yet. Started USMLERx last week. I have a goal to break 240.

 

[Transposony]

I have a 9am exam scheduled, which goes until 5, but may need to be free by 4:30 or so. Can I just show up to prometric at like 8:30 or even earlier and start my test?

You can try but don't count on it.
They might let you start early if they have a vacant spot in the test room.

 

[Transposony]

So I'm kinda new to the Step forums..been in denial about having to do this so anyway please don't judge my low level of knowledge

I was just wondering do you just follow the NBME threads to help find out answers to questions you got wrong after taking the NBME exams with the extended feedback? or are there other ways of finding out the correct answers? It just seems pretty mean of them to not give explanations….

Thank-you kindly in advance!

Everyone was once new............and we certainly not judges of anyone's knowledge.
However, we can help each other to get our desired score(s).
Regarding NBMEs, there are is no way AFAIK to finding possible answers except dedicated NBME thread.

 

[yippiekiyay]

Everyone was once new............and we certainly not judges of anyone's knowledge.
However, we can help each other to get our desired score(s).
Regarding NBMEs, there are is no way AFAIK to finding possible answers except dedicated NBME thread.

I thought so…it's at least something I guess. Thank-you!

 

[001100010010011]

Is there a dedicated NBME thread floating around somewhere?

 

[NeuroLAX]

Is there a dedicated NBME thread floating around somewhere?

Here is a general NBME thread: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/thr...cores-and-trends.525730/page-56#post-11242267

Discussions:
NBME 12: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/nbme-12-discussion.818602/page-9#post-14033082
NBME 13: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/nbme-13-discussion.895890/page-11#post-14455586
NBME 15: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/official-nbme-15-discussion.989343/page-9#post-14635041

 

[Modeselektor]

yes, you must bust your ass for 250+.

This is my anki record from when I started up. It was not a strange thing to spend 300-400 minutes on JUST ANKI. This isn't including qbanks, reading, and MAKING questions (another 3 hours to make cards).
You must bust your ass beyond what you previously thought capable.

If you have the drive, the goal, and a plan you will do it.
I've had kids ask me "How do I get motivated?"
Wtf? Anyone can work when they are motivated. Its when you set a STANDARD for yourself that you make sure you get the work done, regardless of motivation.

I am way more ****ing proud of my @$$ busting and work ethic during this period than my score. The journey > the end.

Someone once said:
You do a satisfactory job, you get no reward, you may even suffer a loss
You do a good job, you get a satisfactory reward
You do an excellent job, you get a good reward
You do an outstanding (standing OUT from Everyone who did excellent), you get every damn thing you want.

 

[J ROD]

For all of you doing Qbanks right now:

Do you read first aid then do a set of questions? Or do you do the set of questions then review first aid?

I review the material and then do the questions. Doesn't make sense to me to take the questions first. Cant determine what you know. Just read the explanations after the questions.

 

[Snuke]

For all of you doing Qbanks right now:

Do you read first aid then do a set of questions? Or do you do the set of questions then review first aid?

I read First Aid and then did that section in Rx. I never finished a section in Rx in by the time I finished reading it, so I'd keep the questions in that section as I moved on. For example - I started with pulm. After I reviewed pulm, I started doing pulm questions in Rx as I started reviewing cardio. After I finished cardio, I was doing cardio and pulm questions, etc.

For Uworld, the best predictor is to do it all on random, so I started that after I went through FA and Rx. Everyone is going to do it differently - it's whatever works for you.

 

[Bancrofti]

How much notes do people typically take with Goljan? I just finished the audio and my plan was to listen to it again as I now start to incorporate the Rapid Review text into my studying, but when I think back on it, there isn't that much that I would feel I would have needed to write. The things he clarified for me the explanation was so good that I remember it and he even says that all the points me makes are in the notes so I don't know if I should bother with it. + I bought the newest addition so I'm assuming any further clarifications would be in there...

Only thing I'm worried about is the times he mentioned the things he included that are part of step 2 and not 1. Ain't nobody got time for that.

Got through it pretty quick by listening on 1.4 speed during gym sessions and whenever I had time to waste, but I rather listen to real music again since that seems to be one of my few outlets that might keep me normal until the summer.

 

[Snuke]

How much notes do people typically take with Goljan? I just finished the audio and my plan was to listen to it again as I now start to incorporate the Rapid Review text into my studying, but when I think back on it, there isn't that much that I would feel I would have needed to write. The things he clarified for me the explanation was so good that I remember it and he even says that all the points me makes are in the notes so I don't know if I should bother with it. + I bought the newest addition so I'm assuming any further clarifications would be in there...

Only thing I'm worried about is the times he mentioned the things he included that are part of step 2 and not 1. Ain't nobody got time for that.

Got through it pretty quick by listening on 1.4 speed during gym sessions and whenever I had time to waste, but I rather listen to real music again since that seems to be one of my few outlets that might keep me normal until the summer.

I use my Rapid Review for my weak points, otherwise it sits in the corner and collects dust. At this point in the game, it's too late for me to go through it. Even before it was too late, it's still so much material. I'm sure some people get through it and annotate, but for me, it functions as a reference when there is confusion.

 

[Bancrofti]

Thanks. It's definitely a ton of material, but I'm hoping I can get through it. The only sources I'm using throughout this whole term are 1st aid and Pathoma as a reference. Pharm is really the only course I need to study for in depth, so I'm hoping that gives me the time to get through RR.

 

[Snuke]

Thanks. It's definitely a ton of material, but I'm hoping I can get through it. The only sources I'm using throughout this whole term are 1st aid and Pathoma as a reference. Pharm is really the only course I need to study for in depth, so I'm hoping that gives me the time to get through RR.

Using RR as a study material is not a bad idea, but I would be careful to still learn everything possible in your classes. Too many concepts that you need to have learned by the time you get to my point, you have to have laid the foundation for in your classes. Even Goljan doesn't always go that in depth.

 

[Renaissance Man]

@Modeselektor what Anki deck are you using for Step 1 studying?

 

[Modeselektor]

I had made my own anki deck for step 1.

 

[Good Mans Armor]

I am way more ******* proud of my @$$ busting and work ethic during this period than my score. The journey > the end.

 

[coolcatrina]

Hey guys, i am an IMG taking test this jan 27 th. So far i've taken nbme 5 (210 - early december), nbme 7 (232) , uwsa1 (231) . i am two weeks out now, i am thinkin of hammering through uworld one more time , is that Effective use of time ?
Or should i just stick to FA + UW notes
I am hoping to score above 240 + please advise !

 

[Dr joji]

Encouraging thread liked

 

[madcowz]

How are y'all simultaneous balancing step prep and classes? I had a beautiful schedule all laid out, but it's going to crap now that classes have started. I'm really struggling to get through the required bullcrap plus start reviewing old concepts. Any secrets to success?

 

[Bojack Horseman]

How are y'all simultaneous balancing step prep and classes? I had a beautiful schedule all laid out, but it's going to crap now that classes have started. I'm really struggling to get through the required bullcrap plus start reviewing old concepts. Any secrets to success?

I'm trying to divide my time in half between review and class, but it probably looks more like this:
Test every 4 weeks
-1st two weeks 75% step / 25% class
-2nd two weeks 25% step / 75% class. Also, most of the step in the 2nd two weeks is going to be for that system.

 

[targ489]

Hey guys, i am an IMG taking test this jan 27 th. So far i've taken nbme 5 (210 - early december), nbme 7 (232) , uwsa1 (231) . i am two weeks out now, i am thinkin of hammering through uworld one more time , is that Effective use of time ?
Or should i just stick to FA + UW notes
I am hoping to score above 240 + please advise !

Do more NBMEs if you can. From what I understand that's the best idea.

 

[001100010010011]

How are y'all simultaneous balancing step prep and classes? I had a beautiful schedule all laid out, but it's going to crap now that classes have started. I'm really struggling to get through the required bullcrap plus start reviewing old concepts. Any secrets to success?

60% Step, 40% class. Luckily, they overlap.

 

[yippiekiyay]

I'm doing ~10hrs step study a week on top of my school stuff.. I already had school stuff down to just during the week so now I'm doing an hour extra a night and a half day on Sunday.. well, that's the plan anyway.

 

[PiBond]

Does anyone have any good recommendations for Pharm? It's my weakest area and I've got my test in ~2 months

 

[Phloston]

Does anyone have any good recommendations for Pharm? It's my weakest area and I've got my test in ~1 month

Lange pharm cards are solid. But if your exam is in a month, it's too late to be supplementing with resources external to QBanks and FA. The only thing you should be focusing on is memorizing the pharm at the end of every chapter in FA, as well as in the pharm chapter itself. FA + what you see in QBank questions is sufficient for Step1.

 

[Phloston]

I was talking to an MS4 at the hospital today who scored a 248 on his Step1. He sounded proud that it was because he had gone through UWorld 3x, but I was just thinking to myself that if he had done UWorld once and had instead worked through Rx + Kaplan, he would have scored much better. So to answer your question, don't do UWorld for a second pass unless you've already finished Rx and Kaplan QBank.

And btw, what you learn for your Step1 will really pay off in your IM rotation.

 

[Mindset]

I am planning to take my step 1 in two months. I have not started preparing and it's been a while since I last looked into the material.

I'd appreciate advice on what to focus on in a short time to get a high score (240-260).
Rough plan is to go through: FA + Pathoma + UWorld +/- Goljan audio.

-Is FA good in biochem, micro, physiology and pharma?

Thanks!

 

[900829]

Does anyone have any good recommendations for Pharm? It's my weakest area and I've got my test in ~1 month

Greetings mate,
I did kisspharm, and I found it helpful.

 

[Prince090]

Lange pharm cards are solid. But if your exam is in a month, it's too late to be supplementing with resources external to QBanks and FA. The only thing you should be focusing on is memorizing the pharm at the end of every chapter in FA, as well as in the pharm chapter itself. FA + what you see in QBank questions is sufficient for Step1.

Hi,

What is your opinion regarding kaplan pharma cards ?

 

[001100010010011]

And btw, what you learn for your Step1 will really pay off in your IM rotation.

Really? That's very encouraging. I want to know this stuff cold, and it helps knowing I'll actually be called to use it on rotations.

 

[Phloston]

IM is largely a rotation where you improve your clinical exam and management skills, and you don't learn those through QBank questions and FA. You need to get your hardcore studying of disease processes, pharmacology, microbiology, etc., out of the way before third-year so that you're able to focus on perfecting your clinical exam once you're seeing patients every day. Once you're in the hospital, if you get bogged down with mechanisms, basic DDx or pharmacology, you're backtracking. Learn that stuff beforehand.

Even though I only got a 262 on Step1, I can say that studying hard for Step1 will pay off in terms of coming up with DDx and solid answers when you're put on the spot. It will show on the wards who has studied and who hasn't. And when you're doing your rounds with the attending/residents, you'll be able to ask the right questions and understand why they make their clinical decisions.

I'll admit that I'm absolutely worthless on the wards in terms of doing a proper exam, but at least I can spend my time practicing that stuff and seeing patients, as opposed to having to review what bullous pemphigoid is.

Questions off the top of my head that I've been pimped on so far in just four days of IM:

Relation between fish oil and the prostate?
DDx for diffuse abdominal pain? (pt ended up having anterior rectus sheath hernia)
Causes of clubbing? (attending obsessed over congenital heart disease and endocarditis)
How long do CABGrafts last for?
Why is iron a Tx for restless leg syndrome?
What would you look for on an EKG to support LVH?
What would you look for on an EKG to support RA dilatation/hypertrophy?
A guy is put on nitrates and diltiazem and gets sinus bradycardia overnight. Intern wants to lower the diltiazem dose but the attending says not yet. Why?
95F with osteoporosis is put on vitamin D (but not calcium). Intern says he thought bisphosphonates were overkill so didn't recommend, but attending says pt should get one. So question is: when are bisphosphonates indicated?
Medicine chart with a few drugs on it, including a dihydropyridine Ca2+ blocker and atenolol. Which drug is more constipating? Atenolol.
Which nerve do you worry about having been damaged with an orbital fracture?

Weird things I saw: middle-age woman with a temporal lobe AVM causing SIADH. Concomitant thiazide and diarrhea helped precipitate hyponatraemic seizure. Also a guy with a kidney infection, but it started as shooting pain along his anterior/medial thigh.

Coolest thing I saw: woman with bullous pemphigoid with a flare up due to non-adherence to her prednisolone. But she had (+) Nikolsky sign and I noticed she had an oral lesion (just to show Step1 pigeonholes things sometimes, since PV, not BP, would present with those two findings).

 

[mcloaf]

Even though I only got a 262 on Step1...

Props to you for having the cojones to post here after such a low score...

 

[ChessMaster3000]

Props to you for having the cojones to post here after such a low score...

cmon give him a break, he's just trying to be modest.

 

[mcloaf]

cmon give him a break, he's just trying to be modest.

Hah, not trying to be mean. Just find it amusing and very SDN to see "260+" preceded by "only".

 

[Renaissance Man]

Two questions:

Has anyone found good Anki decks for Pathoma?

Random question: If you could master one organ system for Step 1, which one would you pick and why?

 

[voicesinmyhead]

Questions off the top of my head that I've been pimped on so far in just four days of IM:

Relation between fish oil and the prostate?
DDx for diffuse abdominal pain? (pt ended up having anterior rectus sheath hernia)
Causes of clubbing? (attending obsessed over congenital heart disease and endocarditis)
How long do CABGrafts last for?
Why is iron a Tx for restless leg syndrome?
What would you look for on an EKG to support LVH?
What would you look for on an EKG to support RA dilatation/hypertrophy?
A guy is put on nitrates and diltiazem and gets sinus bradycardia overnight. Intern wants to lower the diltiazem dose but the attending says not yet. Why?
95F with osteoporosis is put on vitamin D (but not calcium). Intern says he thought bisphosphonates were overkill so didn't recommend, but attending says pt should get one. So question is: when are bisphosphonates indicated?
Medicine chart with a few drugs on it, including a dihydropyridine Ca2+ blocker and atenolol. Which drug is more constipating? Atenolol.
Which nerve do you worry about having been damaged with an orbital fracture?

Weird things I saw: middle-age woman with a temporal lobe AVM causing SIADH. Concomitant thiazide and diarrhea helped precipitate hyponatraemic seizure. Also a guy with a kidney infection, but it started as shooting pain along his anterior/medial thigh.

Coolest thing I saw: woman with bullous pemphigoid with a flare up due to non-adherence to her prednisolone. But she had (+) Nikolsky sign and I noticed she had an oral lesion (just to show Step1 pigeonholes things sometimes, since PV, not BP, would present with those two findings).

woaa not a clue for most of these questions. Can i ask the answers to some of these interesting ones?

And you mean the patient had +nikolsky and oral lesions, with a diagnosis of BP and not PV? *throws FA away*

 

[900829]

Two questions:

Has anyone found good Anki decks for Pathoma?

Random question: If you could master one organ system for Step 1, which one would you pick and why?

1.) Nah
2.) Renal, cos it's interesting.