Official 2014 Step 1 Experiences and Scores Thread

[900829]

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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!

 

[Rippy087]

Hey guys, haven't posted on sdn in ages, but I'm taking my step next week on Thursday.
I had one month from the last exam of 2nd year to step 1.

Form 12 (4 weeks to go): 217.
Form 15 (2 weeks to go): 237.
Form 16 (1 week to go ): 251.

I did a super thorough annotation of U-World into first aid. If it wasn't in first aid, I added it, no matter how insignificant it seemed. Literally every single fact from q-bank is in my FA.
I probably averaged around 15 minutes per question due to over-excessive annotation. Looking back on it, it seems like I annotated too much. It took me almost 3 weeks just to read FA and all of my annotations.
During the course of the schoolyear, I listened to all of Goljan 1 time and read about half of the Goljan rapid review textbook. Also watched all of the Pathoma videos 1 time and read the book twice. Haven't touched Goljan or Pathoma during my study period. Total passes through U-world: 1.5 (first pass was 59%, 2nd was 89%).

The plan is to review biochem/genetics today and to do the free 150 tomorrow. The last 4 days will be a dedicated re-read of FA/annotations if possible.

Edit: Just wanted to add a word of advice to all of those studying for the step. DO WHAT WORKS FOR YOU, don't conform to someone else's study plan just because they did well. You need to see which resources work for you and which one's don't/are a waste of time. I bought a whole year of firecracker, but have prob used it for a total of 1 hour. If you don't like Goljan, don't use it. I ended up changing my resources many times over the last few months to find something that worked for me.

I'm not a morning person, and when my study period started, I was waking up at 7 and studying. It just didn't work for me. Now I'm waking up at 10 and starting to study at around noon, and going through till 12-1am. Can't begin to tell you how happy I am that there are afternoon exam sessions.

R

 

[AlmostAnMD]

Wow, nice improvement. My first was 213, taking form 15 next week. Hoping to see the same jump you did. That would be awesome.

 

[notbobtrustme]

I have a question regarding peaking.

I took my school "sponsored" CBSE this Thursday (6 weeks out) and got a 250. I'm not bragging on that-it took enough just to post after seeing some monsters on here. I also realize that it was one test (haven't taken one NBME yet). My question is:

Should I move my test from late June to mid June since I am at my original target (I dream of getting a 250) or gut it out and go big for a 260 and continue? I'm afraid I'll peak and actually hurt my score if I don't take it earlier, but I don't want to regret not getting a better score. I am almost finished with uworld at 72% random, timed. Any advice?

I don't believe in peaking. Either you know the material or you don't. I literally took the path shelf with a migraine and still scored >800 on it.

And FWIW, there's always something you can know better.

 

[Vexare]

I have a question regarding peaking.

I took my school "sponsored" CBSE this Thursday (6 weeks out) and got a 250. I'm not bragging on that-it took enough just to post after seeing some monsters on here. I also realize that it was one test (haven't taken one NBME yet). My question is:

Should I move my test from late June to mid June since I am at my original target (I dream of getting a 250) or gut it out and go big for a 260 and continue? I'm afraid I'll peak and actually hurt my score if I don't take it earlier, but I don't want to regret not getting a better score. I am almost finished with uworld at 72% random, timed. Any advice?

It depends on how much you value the extra vacation time. Some would absolutely move their exam up, but if you're hitting 250 at 6 weeks out then you have the potential to score even higher, so why not aim as high as possible? I would take the CBSE with a grain of salt because people do generally seem to score very well on it, but at the very least it indicates a strong base from which to build on. I'm sure there were some topics you wish you had spent more time looking at before that exam, so I would spend some time tackling those areas and then re-evaluate with an NBME to give you a clear picture of where you stand.

All of that being said, people do peak and there is a point where extra study isn't necessarily going to result in higher scores. At that point you'll be learning unnecessary minutiae in the hopes that those details will show up on your exam and make the difference. The truth is, most people who score at the higher ends agree that the out-of-this-world scores are largely due to getting an adequate amount of sleep to keep your mind clear on test day, avoiding unnecessary mistakes, and getting lucky with a question assortment that plays to your strengths. Out of those 3, only the first 2 are in your control. Sleep largely is up to your personal schedule and how you're feeling the week/night before. In regards to avoiding unnecessary mistakes, here is where you can really push your score up. Once you take an NBME or two, you'll be able to evaluate whether or not you're missing questions because of lack of knowledge or because you're either overthinking questions or misremembering fundamental facts. Either way, all of these things can be addressed by spending more time with Qbanks and FA. This way you'll nail the straight recall questions, and have more time to spend on tough questions that you can accurately reason to the correct answer given a strong knowledge base.

Since you're already almost done UWorld, I would consider picking up USMLERx and/or hitting Pathoma if you haven't already. Be careful venturing outside of these resources though (unless you do have a specific and significant weakness) because I think you'll find that the majority of information you need to score very well can be found there.

 

[orchitisphlebitis]

I'm wondering if peaking is real as well. My goal, and I would be the happiest man on Earth, is a 250 or higher. I got a 260 on NBME 13 ~5 weeks out. That really made me start to wonder if "peaking" was real. I thought about it a little bit.

I think you have to take a closer look. Many variables go into the score on any given practice test - sleep, a little luck, simulating test conditions; I believe many of those can account for differences in scores, even particularly large ones. Personally, I feel like i still have a lot to learn. Haven't completed a "full" second pass of FA since starting dedicated, and there are a lot of details I don't feel confident on. In that sense, I think I'm grateful to have the extra time. Could I have taken the real test in place of that NBME and gotten a 250+? Maybe, but I sure as hell wouldn't bet on it. I'd rather maximize my chances.

But too much time can definitely hurt someone. If your motivation starts to wane, and you've truly been through all the material, burning yourself out "studying" for two extra weeks will definitely hurt more than help. There's probably a ceiling to how well you can do, but it's likely largely due to your first two years performance and test taking ability. That ceiling is probably >250 for anybody though. In my mind, Step 1 is about unleashing your "potential" so to speak. Part of that equation involves releasing it at the right time for sure.

 

[Apoplexy__]

I have a question regarding peaking.

I took my school "sponsored" CBSE this Thursday (6 weeks out) and got a 250. I'm not bragging on that-it took enough just to post after seeing some monsters on here. I also realize that it was one test (haven't taken one NBME yet). My question is:

Should I move my test from late June to mid June since I am at my original target (I dream of getting a 250) or gut it out and go big for a 260 and continue? I'm afraid I'll peak and actually hurt my score if I don't take it earlier, but I don't want to regret not getting a better score. I am almost finished with uworld at 72% random, timed. Any advice?

I don't believe in peaking. Thinking critically, peaking would be defined as the point where your daily loss of knowledge becomes greater than your daily gain of/reinforcement of knowledge. While it always feels like we forget so much so quickly, I'm very confident that anyone who doesn't burn out, lose motivation, or lose efficacy will always gain something by studying extra.

I got a 255 on my CBSE 9 weeks out and didn't once think to move my test date sooner. Besides the fact that I'm positive I got lucky on that score, and besides the fact that most people seem to drop from their CBSE if they take an NBME soon after (therefore CBSE probably overpredicts), I was confident I could learn more and solidify better from where I was at.

 

[hhh2014]

Hey guys, haven't posted on sdn in ages, but I'm taking my step next week on Thursday.
I had one month from the last exam of 2nd year to step 1.

Form 12 (4 weeks to go): 217.
Form 15 (2 weeks to go): 237.
Form 16 (1 week to go ): 251.

I did a super thorough annotation of U-World into first aid. If it wasn't in first aid, I added it, no matter how insignificant it seemed. Literally every single fact from q-bank is in my FA.
I probably averaged around 15 minutes per question due to over-excessive annotation. Looking back on it, it seems like I annotated too much. It took me almost 3 weeks just to read FA and all of my annotations.
During the course of the schoolyear, I listened to all of Goljan 1 time and read about half of the Goljan rapid review textbook. Also watched all of the Pathoma videos 1 time and read the book twice. Haven't touched Goljan or Pathoma during my study period. Total passes through U-world: 1.5 (first pass was 59%, 2nd was 89%).

The plan is to review biochem/genetics today and to do the free 150 tomorrow. The last 4 days will be a dedicated re-read of FA/annotations if possible.

Edit: Just wanted to add a word of advice to all of those studying for the step. DO WHAT WORKS FOR YOU, don't conform to someone else's study plan just because they did well. You need to see which resources work for you and which one's don't/are a waste of time. I bought a whole year of firecracker, but have prob used it for a total of 1 hour. If you don't like Goljan, don't use it. I ended up changing my resources many times over the last few months to find something that worked for me.


I'm not a morning person, and when my study period started, I was waking up at 7 and studying. It just didn't work for me. Now I'm waking up at 10 and starting to study at around noon, and going through till 12-1am. Can't begin to tell you how happy I am that there are afternoon exam sessions.

R

I also read every word on UW and made a thorough annotation into FA. And it may take one whole day to annotate only one block! I am half of the annotation now. Would it be too slow? Is it worth to do so much annotation? Or should I just high light the contents and review them later? My test is 5 weeks out.

 

[addy]

I also read every word on UW and made a thorough annotation into FA. And it may take one whole day to annotate only one block! I am half of the annotation now. Would it be too slow? Is it worth to do so much annotation? Or should I just high light the contents and review them later? My test is 5 weeks out.

Good to hear. It takes me 6-8 hours to do and review a 30 question block. I'm glad I'm not the only one...I'm a year out, though. It has been helpful for me so far...hope it stays that way!

 

[swoopyswoop]

there is literally no reason on earth why you should be spending 6-8 hours or a whole day reviewing one block.

 

[Dr Dazzle]

Good to hear. It takes me 6-8 hours to do and review a 30 question block. I'm glad I'm not the only one...I'm a year out, though. It has been helpful for me so far...hope it stays that way!

If you are a year out, you likely haven't covered half the material in classes. If it's taking you this long it could be cause it's your first exposure to material. I've always been told to use uworld as a review source rather than as a primary learning source for boards.

 

[001100010010011]

there is literally no reason on earth why you should be spending 6-8 hours or a whole day reviewing one block.

If you're looking things up, annotating, making flash cards, etc. and you have time then it shouldn't take more than 3-4 hours/block. If you're on dedicated then it might be wise to re-allocate time. But yeah, 6-8 is a ridiculously long time unless you're doing calligraphy into your FA.

On peaking:

I worried about this and am currently worried about it. My scores have steadily improved but I hit a wall after my final exams and had to back off from questions after finishing UWorld. I spent the last few days going through FA page by page and was worried that I peaked days ago, and that I am forgetting things every time I read a new fact. I am sure this is a common feeling.

Reflecting more on it, I'm going to push aside the idea of "peaking" and focus on building momentum. I plan on hitting questions--NBME's too--over the next few weeks so that I can have enough momentum behind me to barrel through exam day.

If F = m*a and p= m*v, then p = ....just kidding, not even going to bother finishing this dad joke.

 

[Cinematographer]

Looking for some insight/advice from those who have taken the test: Is it possible to see considerable improvement in NBME scores with only 3.5 weeks left before I take the test?

I took NBME 13 two weeks ago and scored a 241. Today I took NBME 15, which must have had longer question stems, because I finished with 2-3 minutes left on each block. My score ended up being a 243. How unrealistic would it be to be at a 250 range if I spend the time I have left reviewing marked questions on Uworld, going through all FA, and putting extra effort on the areas that are costing me points (Behavioral and Gross anatomy out of all things...)?

Any thoughts? Recommendations? Thanks!

 

[MilkIsGood]

Looking for some insight/advice from those who have taken the test: Is it possible to see considerable improvement in NBME scores with only 3.5 weeks left before I take the test?

I took NBME 13 two weeks ago and scored a 241. Today I took NBME 15, which must have had longer question stems, because I finished with 2-3 minutes left on each block. My score ended up being a 243. How unrealistic would it be to be at a 250 range if I spend the time I have left reviewing marked questions on Uworld, going through all FA, and putting extra effort on the areas that are costing me points (Behavioral and Gross anatomy out of all things...)?

Any thoughts? Recommendations? Thanks!

3.5 wks is a lot of time. keep at it

 

[WhizoMD]

My Experience:

Resources: Firecracker, UWorld, Pathoma, Rx, NBMEs, Free 150

Throughout the year:
Firecracker: I started using it during the Post-M1 summer, and used it fairly religiously until ~6 weeks before my test

Pathoma: I largely ignored school lectures and used this + study guides (along with information from firecracker) for lecture exams

UWorld: I did about 25% of it in the weeks leading up to dedicated period

Dedicated:
UWorld: finished the rest of it, taking notes on corrects and incorrects as I went through it (avg. 75%, mostly random/timed)

Rx: completed ~25% of the bank (medium/hard only), stopped because I didn't like a lot of the questions

NBMEs / Free 150:
6 weeks out
NBME 6: 217
CBSE: 230

<3.5 weeks out (post UWorld)
NBME 7: 247
NBME 11: 245
UWSA1: 245
NBME 15: 256
NBME 13: 241
NBME 16: 245
UWSA2: 258
Free 150: 90%

Test day: The test was harder than any of the NBMEs and most similar to NBME 16. I saw a few repeat images as well as a few repeat question stems from the Free 150 and NBMEs, but I don't recall any exact repeats.

Score: 245

240+ was my goal for the past ~2 years so I was very happy to end up there. I have nothing but good things to say about Firecracker, it provided a structured, relatively painless way to learn and memorize the content. By spreading the review out over the course of ~10 months I was able to get through it and achieve a decent score without overburdening myself for any significant period of time. I worked hard consistently, but never too hard.

 

[Lefty Doodle]

Hey,
I'm sorry if this is something that has been asked before. I'm at the beginning of my dedicated study and First Aid just seems like so much. So what I've been doing is making flash cards of things I don't know as I read each section (kind of akin to what I do when I'm on my last pass of school lecture material). At this point though it seems like it's either do Pathoma or review the flashcards--I can't do both. So what do you think, should I do Pathoma now and then review the flashcards with my second pass of FA? I am spending the rest of the day doing 2 blocks of Uworld a day (so read FA + 2 blocks of Uworld +pathoma or flashcards=1 day). I did very well in path (honors) without touching pathoma (the videos put me to sleep) so I'm stalling a little with that.

Thoughts? I'm a little anxious because I got 207 on my school NBME in March and only went up to 211 by the beginning of dedicated study! I was very weak on biochem and anatomy though and am trying to rectify that now.

 

[Raqam4]

Hey,
I'm sorry if this is something that has been asked before. I'm at the beginning of my dedicated study and First Aid just seems like so much. So what I've been doing is making flash cards of things I don't know as I read each section (kind of akin to what I do when I'm on my last pass of school lecture material). At this point though it seems like it's either do Pathoma or review the flashcards--I can't do both. So what do you think, should I do Pathoma now and then review the flashcards with my second pass of FA? I am spending the rest of the day doing 2 blocks of Uworld a day (so read FA + 2 blocks of Uworld +pathoma or flashcards=1 day). I did very well in path (honors) without touching pathoma (the videos put me to sleep) so I'm stalling a little with that.

Thoughts? I'm a little anxious because I got 207 on my school NBME in March and only went up to 211 by the beginning of dedicated study! I was very weak on biochem and anatomy though and am trying to rectify that now.

Tbh it depends on what works best for you. If you learn best by making flashcards, do that. That said, Pathoma is a very valuable resource and shouldn't be overlooked.

On a related note, did anyone who used DIT think their biochem section was a little too detailed? I'm 1 week out and it's kicking my butt. Wondering if I should just focus on the FA biochem section instead of getting bogged down in more details than I need.

 

[luckyducky87]

Congrats to everyone on your scores! 🙂 Do you guys know if Tues/Thurs scores are coming out 3 or 4 weeks after exam lately?

I took mine Tues (4/22) and results came out on the 4th Wed (5/14) if that helps!

 

[1dayatatime]

SO i noticed that microcards uses the actual viral names like "morbillivirus" - do you think we should know these? I've heard of people memorizing the microcards tables but they also say - and positive stranded and whatnot -- i don't think i've seen an nbme q that asked for anything beyond "single or double stranded and RNA or DNA" - should we know the + or - sense as well? Aaah so much info!!!

 

[Apoplexy__]

SO i noticed that microcards uses the actual viral names like "morbillivirus" - do you think we should know these? I've heard of people memorizing the microcards tables but they also say - and positive stranded and whatnot -- i don't think i've seen an nbme q that asked for anything beyond "single or double stranded and RNA or DNA" - should we know the + or - sense as well? Aaah so much info!!!

I wouldn't bother. I don't think I've seen any non-FA virus names in any UWorld or NBME Q's. There are certainly far more high-yield things to study and you could probably deduce the virus's identity through other clues in the stem anyway.

 

[NastySpice]

IThe truth is, most people who score at the higher ends agree that the out-of-this-world scores are largely due to getting an adequate amount of sleep to keep your mind clear on test day, avoiding unnecessary mistakes, and getting lucky with a question assortment that plays to your strengths. Out of those 3, only the first 2 are in your control.

This summarizes my feelings exactly.

I took Step 1 on May 5th, and point three is weighing heavy on my mind right now, lol.

I took NBME 15, and got a 230, then got a 241 on NBME 16. Wasn't shooting for an out of this world score.... but I made a lot of unnecessary mistakes on NBME 15 and 16 - my mistakes weren't for lack of knowledge, so I thought a great score on the real thing was possible.

On my exam, I honestly felt like I got served with the hardest questions possible. It was significantly harder than both NBME 15 and 16 - really not comparable. I am really, really, hoping that the curve works in my favor if I did get questions that medical students struggled on, nationally.

BUT my worry is that it wasn't actually hard, and that it just so happened to test everything I didn't know.


Rant / vent #2 - alright so I am one of those people who remembers the whole test after taking it. I did a fair bit of googling after the exam (in order to assess how I did) and I have myself at about 37 wrong, so far (I made a word doc, don't judge me lol). I'm not stressing, don't get me wrong, I haven't looked up any questions since a few days after the exam and I'm chilling until my score comes.

I mean, if those were the only 37 I got wrong, or all were experimental, then I'm sitting pretty. But at first what concerned me was just how many of them were unnecessary mistakes. Nonetheless, I was locked in during the exam - so it wasn't for lack of focus. The "epiphany" I had after the exam, and that I'd like to share in this thread (lol), is that there really is no zen or focus that gets you past these "mistakes" (beyond just focusing hard as you normally would). But rather, if you know something, decently, but not well, there is that chance you just "miss it", in the heat of the moment. Hindsight is 20/20, and in hindsight you think that you just had a brain fart... but in reality, you didn't know it as well as you ought to have.

 

[Bojack Horseman]

CBSE a few months ago before starting uworld- 210

nbme 12 two weeks and 5 uworld blocks later - 211

Took nbme 11 last week and got a 241.

Took nbme 16 today and got a 245.

I felt horrible after taking 16. I thought the questions were vague and somewhat obscure. I was convinced the whole time that I had been studying wrong and that my score was definitely going to drop from form 11. I guess I can see why everyone says that it's most like the real exam.

I've got about 3 weeks to go with ~70% completed on uworld at 70% correct timed/random. Other than uworld I do a little bit of picmonic and (usually unsuccessfully) make myself read first aid. I spend a lot of time reviewing uworld blocks and looking through first aid based upon the questions I get to compensate for my difficulty reading first aid 'cold'. If I do 2 blocks a day, that's usually the only studying I do for the day. It probably takes me 4 hours per block including the review. 8 hours of studying per day is all I can manage. I don't know how people manage to study for 12-15 hours a day. That's insane.

Hoping to do 3-4 more nbmes/UWSAs, finish uworld, and make a complete pass of first aid in my final week.

 

[Vexare]

I mean, if those were the only 37 I got wrong, or all were experimental, then I'm sitting pretty. But at first what concerned me was just how many of them were unnecessary mistakes. Nonetheless, I was locked in during the exam - so it wasn't for lack of focus. The "epiphany" I had after the exam, and that I'd like to share in this thread (lol), is that there really is no zen or focus that gets you past these "mistakes" (beyond just focusing hard as you normally would). But rather, if you know something, decently, but not well, there is that chance you just "miss it", in the heat of the moment. Hindsight is 20/20, and in hindsight you think that you just had a brain fart... but in reality, you didn't know it as well as you ought to have.

Nicely put. I think this is part of the reason why the NBME has been phasing out buzzwords because it does little to test your understanding of the basic sciences and has more to do with your memory of these associations. This is probably why Pathoma and UWorld are so important because they emphasize underlying mechanisms rather than rote memorization. Although we may all strive to avoid unnecessary mistakes, it's true that in the heat of the moment some things will escape our attention. I think several posters have commented that it's only a few days/weeks after the exam that they realized the key to solving some of the questions they missed. I tend to remember exam questions too so I understand where you're coming from but remember that in a test with 322 questions, a large number incorrect can still translate to a good score. To that end, I wish you all the best in getting the score you want and thank you for sharing that insight with those of us about to be in your shoes very soon.

 

[Renaissance Man]

alright so I am one of those people who remembers the whole test after taking it. I did a fair bit of googling after the exam (in order to assess how I did) and I have myself at about 37 wrong, so far (I made a word doc, don't judge me lol). I'm not stressing, don't get me wrong, I haven't looked up any questions since a few days after the exam and I'm chilling until my score comes.

I mean, if those were the only 37 I got wrong, or all were experimental, then I'm sitting pretty. But at first what concerned me was just how many of them were unnecessary mistakes. Nonetheless, I was locked in during the exam - so it wasn't for lack of focus. The "epiphany" I had after the exam, and that I'd like to share in this thread (lol), is that there really is no zen or focus that gets you past these "mistakes" (beyond just focusing hard as you normally would). But rather, if you know something, decently, but not well, there is that chance you just "miss it", in the heat of the moment. Hindsight is 20/20, and in hindsight you think that you just had a brain fart... but in reality, you didn't know it as well as you ought to have.

That is a hell of a memory to have! I am sure you did just fine. I am lucky to remember 2 or 3 questions post-exams.

 

[Apoplexy__]

I felt horrible after taking 16. I thought the questions were vague and somewhat obscure. I was convinced the whole time that I had been studying wrong and that my score was definitely going to drop from form 11. I guess I can see why everyone says that it's most like the real exam.

100% felt the same. For what it's worth, the curve on NBME 16 is more generous -- you could probably get another 2-4 Q's wrong on 16 and get the same score as another NBME. It's interesting that what everyone says about 16's difficulty is statistically backed.

 

[handsofblue]

I spent a ton of time reading this thread, so thought I'd un-lurk and contribute to the SDN skew.

Background -

Pass-fail school. I was pretty consistently in the top quartile for the first two years, but didn’t bust my butt to get the top scores. Toward the end of first year I started doing “light” step prep. I used Pathoma and First Aid alongside classes, and slowly worked my way through Rx, doing 10 questions a day. Starting second year I would meet up with some similarly nerdy classmates on the weekend and have Q-Bank Sunday, where we would all do a random block (I used Kaplan for this) and then spend an hour discussing the most interesting questions. This was actually a fun, low-key way to ease into step study.

By the time I finished second year, I had been through Pathoma and FA a couple times, had finished Rx and most of the Kaplan questions, and had dabbled in Goljan audio and the Robbins question book. Our school gave us some sort of practice baseline NBME, and my score scaled to a 243.

Dedicated 5 weeks, 8 hours a day, 7 days a week–

First Aid – It is not perfect. It has a ton of errors, the mnemonics strain credulity, and at times you will want to set it (or yourself) on fire. But it is a great framework. Go through it enough times and you will have a physical sense of where information in located, something you can’t get from flashcards. My last week I did a slow read-through and wrote down everything I didn’t know cold, then went over these condensed notes several times.

UWorld – 83% correct, all random timed blocks. Upward trend, averaging 89% toward the end. I did two blocks a day and went over wrong answers, annotating detailed notes into a Word document. I liked this better than annotating FA, because I had a very condensed resource that I could go over many times before the test. There were several questions I got right on the actual test due completely to specific UW questions.

Pathoma – It’s as great as everyone says. Went through each section during the school year and again during dedicated prep. Absolutely worth it.

BRS physiology – A surprisingly dense, thin volume. This definitely fills in the gaps from FA, and is a short enough read to make it high yield. I read the renal chapter twice, because I think it’s a tough subject that FA certainly doesn’t cover completely.

Lippincott Microcards – Went through these 2-3 times, nice way to solidify the bugs from FA. Mostly used these when commuting or when I wanted to study lying down (pro tip: this is generally not a good idea).

Lange Pharm cards – Went through these 4-5 times. Worth it.

I did not do any NBMEs. This was partly because I was/am broke. Also, I figured that it wasn’t worth the time investment to see a few questions that might pop up on the real exam. I had always heard that UW was harder than the real thing, so I figured I would be fine come test day.

Test day -

Tossed and turned all night, got maybe four hours of sleep. First block: these questions are… different. Not harder than UW, but different. Familiar material presented in really weird ways, plus some really out-there questions. Lots of ethics, but that of course varies from person to person. Tougher than expected, but walked out feeling pretty good.

Advice

1. Start early. Just 10 questions a day, glance through FA, do some flashcards. It doesn’t have to be hardcore, but start early and you’ll have a solid foundation when you get to your dedicated prep period.

2. FA + UWorld + Pathoma + BRS physiology = gold. Any questions on the real thing not in these resources were so far out and weird that I don’t think I would have gotten them from using other resources. Focus on a few.

3. Take detailed notes from UWorld/FA, and go over them frequently! These were high yield for me.

4. Take some NBMEs. I didn’t, and I was surprised (though not discouraged) on test day. Best not to be surprised. The question style is very different from UW! While UW may have been harder based on material, the real deal felt trickier somehow.

Actual score: 262

 

[1dayatatime]

can someone who has kaplan qbank please tell me how many q's they have for Molec bio? I'm trying to find a source with lots of q's on this.

also, does anyone know how many q's are actually experimental? it's not like the mcat where one entire block is experimental right? it's more like a few q's per block?

 

[Donald Juan]

can someone who has kaplan qbank please tell me how many q's they have for Molec bio? I'm trying to find a source with lots of q's on this.

also, does anyone know how many q's are actually experimental? it's not like the mcat where one entire block is experimental right? it's more like a few q's per block?

What they deem "molecular biology" is only 32 questions. If you want to count biochem, genetics, and cell bio with it you have 169 questions.

 

[1dayatatime]

Donald Juan, you're back! I noticed you've been quiet lately - studying probably!

 

[Bancrofti]

.

 

[NastySpice]

That is a hell of a memory to have! I am sure you did just fine. I am lucky to remember 2 or 3 questions post-exams.

Haha thank you!!

Unfortunately, I only possess a photographic memory when I'm on an adrenaline rush (such as during the Step 1 exam), lol. I'm really much more average when sitting down and studying at 9am on a Wednesday, lol.

 

[Delacroix22]

I really liked Lange's pharmcards, especially more the Lippincott's. They're very high yield drugs, and they are made of heavy paper, so you can write and take notes on them. It's easier using these then flipping to the end of every chapter in FA to review your pharm.

Just a quick comment

I actually really hate these Lange pharmcards. They really have some gross shortcomings I've noticed.

Just off the top of my head:
- No mention of increased frequency of opening of GABA channel with Benzos
- No mention of duration of opening with Phenytoin(oops meant Phenobarbital)
(Seen SO many questions doting on this point)
- Says that zolpidem binds to the same spot as GABA (I guess is nitpicky, but it absolutely doesn't, if I remember correctly, has it's own spot)

IDK pharm is my thing - got a 100% on our shelf exam - it just clicks with me.... and I've been very critical of these cards so far. Very vague.

 

[1dayatatime]

32 is actually a fair number...almost a whole block of experimentals?!

Also, I have the lange cards to and I agree that they're kinda odd and seem to focus on diff things than FA sometimes. That said, I still used most of them during class.

I don't know the point about Phenytoin - could you enlighten me please?

Also...hmmm, i thought zolpidem bound to the GABAa spot that benzo's did, at least that's what FA seems to say.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Hahaha I wasn't even aware there was a test to apply for fellowships. There truly is no end to standardized testing in medicine.

There's not a specific test to apply for fellowships but most if not all residencies have in training exams yearly.

In some residencies that exam is simply a way to monitor your own progress. However in surgical training the exams are required and although they are not supposed to be used in this fashion, they can be used to determine who will be promoted to the next year and for fellowship applications.

 

[Apoplexy__]

There's not a specific test to apply for fellowships but most if not all residencies have in training exams yearly.

In some residencies that exam is simply a way to monitor your own progress. However in surgical training the exams are required and although they are not supposed to be used in this fashion, they can be used to determine who will be promoted to the next year and for fellowship applications.

Ah, I see. Bottom line: Never slack in medicine.

 

[Delacroix22]

32 is actually a fair number...almost a whole block of experimentals?!

Also, I have the lange cards to and I agree that they're kinda odd and seem to focus on diff things than FA sometimes. That said, I still used most of them during class.

I don't know the point about Phenytoin - could you enlighten me please?

Also...hmmm, i thought zolpidem bound to the GABAa spot that benzo's did, at least that's what FA seems to say.

Oops I meant Phenobarbital - common mistake I have to mentally be aware of lol

I might be making stuff up about where Benzos and Benzo-like-hypnotics bind

Benzos don't bind AT the spot where GABA binds, they work allosterically at the BDZ1 site of the GABA receptor. They don't actually OPEN the Cl- channel. Neither does Phenobarbital, but at high doses it actually CAN open the Cl- channel by itself.... important distinguishing point.

And Zolpidem and Esczolpone (or whatever) I think bind to an even different spot other than BDZ1, or a super specific point of BDZ1, or maybe it's not even elucidated yet.... seen different explanations

.... BUT ANYWAY

.... thinking of swapping these cards out for my PharmMNEMONICs I used during the year

 

[tantacles]

My greatest fear is that my test will go like this:

Ten more days.

 

[1dayatatime]

yo do any of you guys have trouble sleeping at all? anyone know what the highest dose you can take of ambien/zolpidem is at one time? i.e. has anyone taken over 10 mg and been fine (Not OD'd)?

 

[Etorphine]

not the place for med advice my friend^

 

[1dayatatime]

should i ask the sleep doc forum?

 

[001100010010011]

yo do any of you guys have trouble sleeping at all? anyone know what the highest dose you can take of ambien/zolpidem is at one time? i.e. has anyone taken over 10 mg and been fine (Not OD'd)?

No, but I could take a sh*tty history of your sleep disorder.

 

[1dayatatime]

lol

 

[NeuroLAX]

This isn't Erowid. FYI, the FDA is requiring the manufacturer of eszopiclone to lower the recommended initial dosage from 2 mg to 1 mg. If you're having problems sleeping, go see a physician.

 

[Newyorkgiants]

Took the exam this past weekend and all I can say was WOW! I took NBME 7 and 13 and scored 235+ on both but after this exam I felt like I got hit by a bus. Obviously there were some gimmes on it but there was a lot of questions on things I have never seen. The problem is on some of the weird and obscure questions I looked up I got them right, but unfortunately on some of the easier questions I overthought the question and I got them wrong. I am worried the crazy ones I got right are experimental and the easy ones I got wrong are not so now I will be penalized for that. I also think that I had two of the exact same question on the test. Hopefully I can get at least 227 but we shall see in 3 weeks.

 

[Donald Juan]

10mg is regularly given for zolpidem

 

[Timma!]

About to start UW and had a quick question.

Which is better and why:
1) to annotate in FA or a
2) annotate/ take notes in a separate binder?

 

[Bojack Horseman]

About to start UW and had a quick question.

Which is better and why:
1) to annotate in FA or a
2) annotate/ take notes in a separate binder?

I don't think one way is better than the other necessarily. I know people who do it both ways and still do well.
Personally, I like to look things up in first aid and underline/circle in a special uworld color. I write a little bit if a topic isn't explained well or if there is information missing, but I don't go crazy with it. I tend to write a lot of page numbers so that I can quickly flip to a pertinent topic that relates to an entry, but I try not to overdo this either. I like to "control f" a PDF copy of first aid to find page numbers. It's quicker than using the index and it helps to make connections between topics, especially early in your studies.

 

[Dr Dazzle]

I don't think one way is better than the other necessarily. I know people who do it both ways and still do well.
Personally, I like to look things up in first aid and underline/circle in a special uworld color. I write a little bit if a topic isn't explained well or if there is information missing, but I don't go crazy with it. I tend to write a lot of page numbers so that I can quickly flip to a pertinent topic that relates to an entry, but I try not to overdo this either. I like to "control f" a PDF copy of first aid to find page numbers. It's quicker than using the index and it helps to make connections between topics, especially early in your studies.

Any idea on where to get a PDF copy of FA 2014?

 

[NeuroLAX]

Any idea on where to get a PDF copy of FA 2014?

Found this on usmle forums:

http://www.mediafire.com/download/djffduivu8bd913/First Aid for the USMLE Step 1 2014.pdf

 

[Vexare]

About to start UW and had a quick question.

Which is better and why:
1) to annotate in FA or a
2) annotate/ take notes in a separate binder?

I wondered the same thing before starting so I'll tell you what I did in case it's helpful to you at all. I think whether or not you annotate into FA should come down to how well you know FA. Although there were some sections of FA I hadn't studied before I started UWorld, I felt familiar with a majority of the book so I decided to annotate separately. This saved me a lot of time (typing is > handwriting) and most importantly, if I were to look through my annotations, I'd have a really succinct list of topics that were personally high yield for me. Had I annotated into FA, I would have the benefit of having everything in context, but when I wanted to review, I'd have to go through all of FA to find my annotations. If you do your annotations in a different color I'm sure they'd be easy to find, but I just felt it was much more productive for me to have a list of notes all in one place that I could modify as I liked, add pictures from online etc. This is also probably because the idea of reading puts me to sleep.

On the other hand if you don't feel comfortable with FA then you should probably annotate into FA and revise your annotated copy as much as possible.

 

[LightHouse123]

So quick question, does anyone know if there is a "transcribed Pathoma lecture." (i.e document containing his actual words as opposed to the accompanying textbook)

I paid for the videos, but I made the mistake of just listening to them often without taking notes of high yield associations. Now with Step 1 so close, I want to make several quick passes of the HY materials without dedicating so much time. Although listening at 1.7x speed will take ~20hrs, I would be nice to just fish out the HY things quickly by reading.

Does anyone know of such a thing existing??