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I've always wanted to start one of these...So here we go!
My stats:
M2
Test time: June 2018
Goal score: 270
My stats:
M2
Test time: June 2018
Goal score: 270
Last edited:
Oh gotcha, well keep me posted if you don't mind, im going to review all my pharm and then take the second 7 hour diagnostic in two weeks as well. Its good to find someone with same stats and have same goal and time frame. good luck!Not yet! I'm planning on doing my diagnostic at the end of my kaplan qbank so probably in another 3 weeks or so. I'm hoping as I start to finish up the rest of my systems and once I start hitting UWorld that my scores will go up.
Survivors biasIf I remember correctly I got a 253 on NBME 18 which was about 3 weeks out from exam and a 263 on UWSA which was about a week out. I think my success had more to do with the resources I decided to focus on, and choosing to stop studying subjects which I felt comfortable with. Sorry if Im coming across as it being easy - I definitely worked hard during dedicated it’s just my personal philosophy that people work themselves up much more over this test than is necessary.
Wondering what I should plan to do during wrap up the last 10-12 days before exam. I will have done a detailed pass through all material with firecracker, goljan, and finished 2nd pass of Uworld. Have not been using FA as it is redundant with FC. Any thoughts on the best way to rapidly review all the small facts? Not sure if its feasible to go through goljan again in that time period. Considering using FA but worried that it will slow me down as I have not and do not plan to use it extensively. Thoughts?
Wow I have almost identical stats, also 59 percent in Kaplan in December, i have 63 percent in Kaplan q bank, took the Kaplan 7 hour diagnostic got a 66%, did you take the Kaplan diagnostic, i'm taking my step june 8th.
Not yet! I'm planning on doing my diagnostic at the end of my kaplan qbank so probably in another 3 weeks or so. I'm hoping as I start to finish up the rest of my systems and once I start hitting UWorld that my scores will go up.
Starting studying again for USMLE on Monday. Studied for this exam (and COMLEX) last year but didn’t take USMLE after all. Last year I finished UW with 77% average and was scoring in the low 240s on NBMEs.
Plan for this time around us to complete all Kaplan, RX and UW(again) Q banks.
Using Boards and Beyond as my content review.
Goal score: 250
was watching some videos on step 1 today and they started mentioning how if you are just using standard step 1 material (UFAP) you cannot expect to score high since thats what everyone uses so it can only get you an average score. Sorta makes sense if EVERYONE memorized those materials but they said you need to do robbins, etc to get above average score. just here so that you guys can confirm thats BS and i can go back to feeling okay about UFAP + sketchy with a goal of 250. thanks
Couldn't it be explained that some students memorized things better or more systematically? You could argue everyone studies the same thing in school too but there's a bell curve based on how many passes someone wants to go over material or how gifted they are or if they found their most effective study method.was watching some videos on step 1 today and they started mentioning how if you are just using standard step 1 material (UFAP) you cannot expect to score high since thats what everyone uses so it can only get you an average score. Sorta makes sense if EVERYONE memorized those materials but they said you need to do robbins, etc to get above average score. just here so that you guys can confirm thats BS and i can go back to feeling okay about UFAP + sketchy with a goal of 250. thanks
What'd you guys think of the Kaplan diagnostics?
Couldn't it be explained that some students memorized things better or more systematically? You could argue everyone studies the same thing in school too but there's a bell curve based on how many passes someone wants to go over material or how gifted they are or if they found their most effective study method.
People may know of FA, UWORLD, zanki, etc but not everyone dedicates their full effort into it. From what I've read on some breakdowns, some people said they studied those resources but made 1 or 2 passes, others said they had all of FA memorized through bros or flashcards, and some just referenced it. At the same time there are people who have gotten great scores through sheer effort (the most recent post was the person who did like 150k zanki cards and had a strong score before even dedicated. Not everyone puts in that effort or time.
Hey Guys! Just looking for some study advice. I am an US MD student from the northeast. I took a 1 year LOA after my 2nd year ended in May 2017 due to family issues that required my time until the beginning of February 2018. I am scheduled to take step in 11 weeks in the beginning of May 2018 before 3rd year rotations start in the beginning of June. I was an average student during my pre-clinical years but just was met with unfortunate circumstances. I was wondering if doing UFAP + Sketchy + Boards and Beyond would be enough to put me in a position to get a 240 as my foundation is very weak after some time off? I have a red flag on my application from my first year and a remediation in 2 blocks during 2nd year(related to the LOA after 2nd year) so I really need to do the best that I can on Step 1 to salvage my medical career. I know it is a long shot but do you think there is any chance of me possibly matching into anesthesia or EM if I somehow do well on Step 1, Step 2 , Rotations, and get good LOR's? Thank you for taking the time to read this and I really appreciate any advice!!
I think FA is pretty close to comprehensive, but there is a major difference between having it memorized and understanding things well enough to answer tricky questions, and not making dumb mistakes/mixing things up in the heat of the moment. To me first aid is like a study guide that you use to make sure you have seen/understand everything. It is not a primary learning resource because there is hardly any context, just a bunch of facts.
Just go hard. I think it matters most how well you use your materials, not so much what you decide to use. they all have essentially the same core information. test them out and see if you like them.
Thanks for the reply! Would 11 weeks be enough time to get through all of this and be ready for the test? Of course NBMEs and UWSAs will also be done
Hey guys, test is Friday. I just got 243 on UWSA2. I think concentration was a big problem for me because I got 88% on the first block and it was down to 67% on the last.
Anyway, how does UWSA compare these days to the real? I saw the meddit post about it correlating the best these days. Is it still over predicting by 20points? My goal is 240-245.
My UWorld average is around 77%
Hey guys, test is Friday. I just got 243 on UWSA2. I think concentration was a big problem for me because I got 88% on the first block and it was down to 67% on the last.
Anyway, how does UWSA compare these days to the real? I saw the meddit post about it correlating the best these days. Is it still over predicting by 20points? My goal is 240-245.
My UWorld average is around 77%
I'm ~4 months out, and I just finished UWorld with 83.4% cumulative average (all timed; mix of subjects and random).
Do you think I'm on track for a 260+ at this rate?
was watching some videos on step 1 today and they started mentioning how if you are just using standard step 1 material (UFAP) you cannot expect to score high since thats what everyone uses so it can only get you an average score. Sorta makes sense if EVERYONE memorized those materials but they said you need to do robbins, etc to get above average score. just here so that you guys can confirm thats BS and i can go back to feeling okay about UFAP + sketchy with a goal of 250. thanks
If one was taking a CBSE, would this still apply? Are difficulty levels the same pretty much?NBMEs! Memorize them.
I'm ~4 months out, and I just finished UWorld with 83.4% cumulative average (all timed; mix of subjects and random).
Do you think I'm on track for a 260+ at this rate?
Who hasn't started Uworld yet?
Is it feasible to go through uworld twice and all the NBMEs from Mid-March until Mid-June ... give or take 3 months?
Have about 8 weeks dedicated (with a few OPP and biostats public health classes left in those 8 weeks that are only once a week).
Kaplan is complete and USMLE -rx has 500 questions left with which I'll be done by end of february by.
any advice or opinion is appreciated.
Hey Guys! Just looking for some study advice. I am an US MD student from the northeast. I took a 1 year LOA after my 2nd year ended in May 2017 due to family issues that required my time until the beginning of February 2018. I am scheduled to take step in 11 weeks in the beginning of May 2018 before 3rd year rotations start in the beginning of June. I was an average student during my pre-clinical years but just was met with unfortunate circumstances. I was wondering if doing UFAP + Sketchy + Boards and Beyond would be enough to put me in a position to get a 240 as my foundation is very weak after some time off? I have a red flag on my application from my first year and a remediation in 2 blocks during 2nd year(related to the LOA after 2nd year) so I really need to do the best that I can on Step 1 to salvage my medical career. I know it is a long shot but do you think there is any chance of me possibly matching into anesthesia or EM if I somehow do well on Step 1, Step 2 , Rotations, and get good LOR's? Thank you for taking the time to read this and I really appreciate any advice!!
TLDR Is UFAP + Sketchy + Boards and Beyond enough for an average student to get above a 230 and possible match into Anesthesia or EM with a few red flags in preclinicals?
Nope. I'm a lot worse at straight recall than most of my classmates and definitely have a lot less of FA explicitly memorized. I used Qbanks + Boards and Beyond + FA (and then some review papers when I found topics interesting. I don't like Pathoma or anki, so I'm only doing the first 3 chapters of pathoma), but I was getting in the top 25% on class NBME tests, have an ~85% UWorld and 250 on my first Step practice. The thing is that you don't need to memorize every detail. You need to understand why and then details fall into place. So it's not how much you memorize UFAP that makes the score, it's how you use the knowledge
Couldn't it be explained that some students memorized things better or more systematically? You could argue everyone studies the same thing in school too but there's a bell curve based on how many passes someone wants to go over material or how gifted they are or if they found their most effective study method.
People may know of FA, UWORLD, zanki, etc but not everyone dedicates their full effort into it. From what I've read on some breakdowns, some people said they studied those resources but made 1 or 2 passes, others said they had all of FA memorized through bros or flashcards, and some just referenced it. At the same time there are people who have gotten great scores through sheer effort (the most recent post was the person who did like 150k zanki cards and had a strong score before even dedicated. Not everyone puts in that effort or time.
Nope. I'm a lot worse at straight recall than most of my classmates and definitely have a lot less of FA explicitly memorized. I used Qbanks + Boards and Beyond + FA (and then some review papers when I found topics interesting. I don't like Pathoma or anki, so I'm only doing the first 3 chapters of pathoma), but I was getting in the top 25% on class NBME tests, have an ~85% UWorld and 250 on my first Step practice. The thing is that you don't need to memorize every detail. You need to understand why and then details fall into place. So it's not how much you memorize UFAP that makes the score, it's how you use the knowledge
If one was taking a CBSE, would this still apply? Are difficulty levels the same pretty much?
Yeah I complete agree. Just freaked me out for a minute until I realized that well everyone understands those resources to a different extent
Hmm we dont take NBMEs at my school but for the most part I was doing just class lectures until this year. Added sketchy during IandI and probably was in the top 25% for that block. However, been using pathoma and Boards for organ systems and definitely dropped to 50th percentile for most exams. I'd like to think thats due to our professors not asking questions relevant to boards but who knows. When I skim firstaid I think the understanding I had of material during class comes back but when i do practice questions it usually seems that most questions are just asking for facts not understanding. Sure they arent first order questions but its more of having to remember how 2-3 facts connect than understanding the underlying mechanism.
amazing experience totally motivating and inspiring..btw, in your PDF, you have mentioned that you used conrad fischer ethics cases but there is not a mention about any other resources for behavioural science..did u use just FA and QBANKS for behavioural science? or did u use another resource for them and u accidentally failed to write it in the PDF? thanks for the reply..it will be of great help if u could mention about your resources for behavioural science and when to add RX qbank in the schedule u have writtenGoal: 260+
Score: 265
Studying time: About 14 months
I've written a step by step guide for IMGs; take a look if you are preparing for Step 1.
Thank you for the kind comments.amazing experience totally motivating and inspiring..btw, in your PDF, you have mentioned that you used conrad fischer ethics cases but there is not a mention about any other resources for behavioural science..did u use just FA and QBANKS for behavioural science? or did u use another resource for them and u accidentally failed to write it in the PDF? thanks for the reply..it will be of great help if u could mention about your resources for behavioural science and when to add RX qbank in the schedule u have written
awesome thank u so much bro in your pdf you have mentioned in step 15 that the duration is 15 days and you did kaplan q bank..how many questions did u do in a day for you to complete kaplan q bank in 15 days? did u do kaplan q bank random or subject wise? another question in the last step 18 you mention that we have to go over the notes..what does this refer to? the notes we make from qbank or notes from resources like Kaplan lecture notes/pathoma, etc ?sorry for bombarding you with questions ur PDF is an eye opener to IMG's like meThank you for the kind comments.
No I just did Conrad Fischer's 100 cases and it was enough for the ethics questions; the book gives you some general rules so that you can even answer questions that are totally new.
I suggest doing the second Qbank (either Rx or any other banks) once you are done with UW (either two or three passes).
Simulate the exam by doing 7 blocks of 40 questions each, in 8 hours, it will take about 7-8 days. And review the questions on the same day plus the day after each test.awesome thank u so much bro in your pdf you have mentioned in step 15 that the duration is 15 days and you did kaplan q bank..how many questions did u do in a day for you to complete kaplan q bank in 15 days? did u do kaplan q bank random or subject wise? another question in the last step 18 you mention that we have to go over the notes..what does this refer to? the notes we make from qbank or notes from resources like Kaplan lecture notes/pathoma, etc ?sorry for bombarding you with questions ur PDF is an eye opener to IMG's like me
wow superb thanks a lot..did u annotate ur uworld notes in FA or you wrote the UWORLD notes separately in a book? thanks once again..wishing u all success god blessSimulate the exam by doing 7 blocks of 40 questions each, in 8 hours, it will take about 7-8 days. And review the questions on the same day plus the day after each test.
Take notes while doing UW and review them at least two times before the exam.
congrats on score, what did you think of those Kaplan behavioral questions, where they representative of the real exam?Thank you for the kind comments.
No I just did Conrad Fischer's 100 cases and it was enough for the ethics questions; the book gives you some general rules so that you can even answer questions that are totally new.
I suggest doing the second Qbank (either Rx or any other banks) once you are done with UW (either two or three passes).
July 16 2017 NBME 13: 219.
Nov 22 2017 NBME 15: 228.
Dec 27 2017 NBME 16: 232.
Jan 15 2018 NBME 17: 230.
Jan 19 2018 NBME 18: 225.
UWSA 1 245, UWSA 2 243. Both in January 2018.
UWorld 71 % first pass.
Free 120: 80 % (january 2018).
1,5 weeks dedicated.
Jan 25 2018 Step 1: 251.
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July 16 2017 NBME 13: 219.
Nov 22 2017 NBME 15: 228.
Dec 27 2017 NBME 16: 232.
Jan 15 2018 NBME 17: 230.
Jan 19 2018 NBME 18: 225.
UWSA 1 245, UWSA 2 243. Both in January 2018.
UWorld 71 % first pass.
Free 120: 80 % (january 2018).
1,5 weeks dedicated.
Jan 25 2018 Step 1: 251.
.
Amazing, congrats on crushing your predictors! Did it feel like you did as well as you did coming out of it? .
Wow, great experience! How did you feel after the exam?
Was your dedicated 1.5 weeks or 15?.
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Thanks.
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Dedicated was 1.5 weeks.
I had a great feeling after the exam, and a great feeling during the exam.
The first block was really difficult and I marked around 15-20 questions. In the following 6 blocks I marked around 5 questions (and guessed on 1-2 questions).
Time was not an issue. I had time to recheck all questions, had time to check marked questions multiple times, and had extra time for time consuming difficult physiology and stats questions.
How was the difficulty and style compared to uworld/nbme's..
What resource do you feel prepared you best for the exam? Might I ask what you did during your final 10 days?..
The most striking difference is the style of the questions. The easy questions look very much like easy NBME questions, i.e. easy recall. However the hard questions had much more emphasis of understanding and of mechanisms rather than recalling obscure facts as in hard NBME questions. I believe that this played much more into my strengths.
Half of the questions reminded me of NBME questions and half of nothing I have seen during my preparations.
What resource do you feel prepared you best for the exam? Might I ask what you did during your final 10 days?..
Did you finish all of bros and that pharm deck before your first NBME score of 219?The resources that prepared me best were the anki decks from. Brosencephalon and "aervien + tracymcgrady 1991 step 1 pharm".
I started using them for my regular classes 1.5 years before the exam and committed fully 6 months before the exam.
I also had great use of Goljan audio, listening while walking the dogs.
In my last 10 days i studied 16 hours a day, concentrating on my weak areas (anatomy, histology, biochemistry).
I nerver read First Aid from cover to cover and I didn't do all of Pathoma..
Did you finish all of bros and that pharm deck before your first NBME score of 219? ..
So like you said in your above post, bros was the main reason your practice scores started rising and you ended up doing well on the real thing? What do you think was responsible for your baseline score? ThanksNo. That was basically when I started getting serious with Anki. At the end (around december) I repeated around 400-500 cards each day.
I have a hard time taking practice test serious though and usually did the NBMEs in half the allotted time.
I was pretty sure that I would do better on the real deal. I allways sharpen on real tests.
..
So like you said in your above post, bros was the main reason your practice scores started rising and you ended up doing well on the real thing? What do you think was responsible for your baseline score? Thanks ..