USMLE Official 2018 Step 1 Experiences and Scores Thread

[Foot Fetish]

@Foot Fetish now that you've seen your score, and given that you are one of the hardest working people on this forum, I know you were trying to prove that someone could score >265 with enough hard work and intelligence. Do you still feel like that is the case or do you think there is a certain amount of luck when people are scoring over a certain number?

By the way, great score, congrats.

Thank you. I definitely think there is an element of luck involved when you get into the higher score range. I may have missed the 260s by just a few questions on the real deal. Preparation is 95% of the equation. The rest is a constellation of variables that are not totally in your control on test day -- anxiety, fatigue, unlucky mix of questions, etc etc. That said, I honestly believe that if I had studied for an extra 6 months or so, I could have achieved a 260-something regardless of these wildcard variables. It might sound crazy, but my only regret is that I didn't start Step 1 studying on the first day of M1. I firmly believe that there is virtually no such thing as over-preparing for this test. Though vast, the topics are finite, as are the ways of testing them. The level of sacrifice required to brute force your way to a high score will vary as a function of innate intelligence, with the most gifted people being able to get away with only studying for as little as a few weeks during dedicated. Others may need a full 2 years of focused Step 1 studying to get to the point where they can reliably score a 260+.

In the end, I know that I gave it my all for 12 months nearly nonstop, so I can't beat myself up too much over my preparation. I aimed for the stars and landed on the moon, as they say.

 

[cubsrule4e]

I must admit, I get some kind of sick pleasure watching this kind of thread every so often each year to watch both the over confidence of 260+ scores and the depression of barely passing scores in regards to ultimate career success. In all honestly, any passing score makes you competitive for the basic residencies of FP, IM, ED, etc so there is no reason for hanging your head. Anyone looking for some kind of specialty is pretty safe to pass cut offs with a 230 or higher. Im not saying a 264 isnt "better" than a 238, but as far as applying to your residency of choice, these tests are merely a baseline screening of your capabilities, and if you can pass a minimum threshold then you are still in ok shape for any career path you want. I am not saying this to drag down the highest scores as that is certainly something to be admired for, but in the grand scheme of things, your Step 1 score isnt going to dictate what you can and cant do. So many other factors play a part in who you are and what you have to offer. I am literally mouth-agape at folks lamenting their 230 whose dreams "Are crushed" of obtaining X residency. It simply isnt THAT important. Obviously I was in that situation once and felt the same way, but the point of my post is to tell you thats not what its all about in the end. I will admit with a 233 Step 1 I was nervous about applying to Ophthalmology, but I matched easily and I was certainly nothing special. Its all about your dedication to your intended field of practice, and if you scored lower than you hoped, you just have to make a more concerted effort in other areas if you really want to match in a certain specialty. Congrats to all those who killed the test, and for those who didnt score as high as they'd like, its not the end of the world, youll just have to make it up in other areas with research, time in clinic, LORs, etc. Now go celebrate the end of a stressful several weeks!

 

[Nonam22]

I must admit, I get some kind of sick pleasure watching this kind of thread every so often each year to watch both the over confidence of 260+ scores and the depression of barely passing scores in regards to ultimate career success. In all honestly, any passing score makes you competitive for the basic residencies of FP, IM, ED, etc so there is no reason for hanging your head. Anyone looking for some kind of specialty is pretty safe to pass cut offs with a 230 or higher. Im not saying a 264 isnt "better" than a 238, but as far as applying to your residency of choice, these tests are merely a baseline screening of your capabilities, and if you can pass a minimum threshold then you are still in ok shape for any career path you want. I am not saying this to drag down the highest scores as that is certainly something to be admired for, but in the grand scheme of things, your Step 1 score isnt going to dictate what you can and cant do. So many other factors play a part in who you are and what you have to offer. I am literally mouth-agape at folks lamenting their 230 whose dreams "Are crushed" of obtaining X residency. It simply isnt THAT important. Obviously I was in that situation once and felt the same way, but the point of my post is to tell you thats not what its all about in the end. I will admit with a 233 Step 1 I was nervous about applying to Ophthalmology, but I matched easily and I was certainly nothing special. Its all about your dedication to your intended field of practice, and if you scored lower than you hoped, you just have to make a more concerted effort in other areas if you really want to match in a certain specialty. Congrats to all those who killed the test, and for those who didnt score as high as they'd like, its not the end of the world, youll just have to make it up in other areas with research, time in clinic, LORs, etc. Now go celebrate the end of a stressful several weeks!

But opthalmology for a DO with a 238...? Want there only like 4 DOs total that matched optho last year?

 

[Dr Tony T. Chopper]

Not sure if it's the change in the question pool but this is a very head-scratching group of score reports coming back. More than a few people coming back with scores much lower than the practice test predictions and others blowing Step 1 out of the water much higher than any single practice test. It's just insane

Just a matter of self selection. Complete blow outs and major upsets are usually the only outcomes that warrant enough of an emotional response to post onto a public forum such as SDN.

 

[cubsrule4e]

But opthalmology for a DO with a 238...? Want there only like 4 DOs total that matched optho last year?

DO/IMG/FMG obviously represents its own set of challenges, but a 238 will at least get you in the door for interviews. The actual matching process is obviously skewed towards MD/US grads, my point was only that the Step 1 score wont be the only reason you cant obtain your specialty of choice.

 

[Tomas Rosicky]

IMG from India.

Study time - 3.5 months

Materials used - UWorld, First Aid.
Saw Pathoma videos once.

UWSA 1 - 234 (6 weeks out)

NBME 16 - 236 (4 weeks out)

Free 120 - 90% (3 weeks out)

NBME 17 - 246 (2 weeks out)

NBME 18 - 246 (1 week out)

NBME 19 - 236 (4 days out)

NBME Average - 241

Expected Score - 240

Actual Score - 239

A little disappointed, that I didn't hit 240.

Hoping to get Neurology!

 

[Blocked by James]

Always read these threads back when I was planning my study strategy, hopefully someone finds it helpful!

Step 1 Score: 263

NBME 15 (10 wks out): 242
NBME 13 (7 wks out): 248
NBME 16 (4 wks out): 252
NBME 17 (3 wks out): 259
NBME 19 (2.5 wks out): 236
UWSA 1 (2 wks out): 266
NBME 18 (1.5 wks out): 259
Free 120 (1 wk out): 92%
UWSA 2 (3 days out): 256

Rx Qbank: 82%
Kaplan Qbank: 83%
UWorld 1st pass: 85%

Resources
Anki: used from day 1 of med school. First Bros deck, then switched to Zanki after it came out. Kept up with all of my reviews without ever missing a day. The Zanki deck is incredible and I’d say I owe my score most of all to keeping up on the cards.

Qbanks: finished Rx halfway through MS2, Kaplan by the end of MS2, UWorld during dedicated. All timed random. Made Anki cards on every missed question.

Boards and Beyond: used in place of lecture throughout MS2. Highly recommend, much more efficient use of time than lecture.

Goljian audio: 2 passes on commute during MS2. This is the #1 most underrated resource, I loved it.

Pathoma; Sketchy micro/pharm: along with classes throughout MS1-2. Nothing more that I need to say about these.


Dedicated (4 weeks):
Focused on my first pass of UWorld (120q/day). Also kept up on Anki cards and made new cards for everything I didn’t know in UW. Committing the time to Anki during the first two years made dedicated study time pretty stress-free!

 

[QueenJames]

Not sure if it's the change in the question pool but this is a very head-scratching group of score reports coming back. More than a few people coming back with scores much lower than the practice test predictions and others blowing Step 1 out of the water much higher than any single practice test. It's just insane

Only on SDN where 90% of posts will have 90th+ percentile scores lol

People are just afraid of looking dumb or being judged by their scores on here.

I'm not ashamed of my score at all.

I tried my best and I got caught on a bad day. I really do feel like I got ****ed over but I'm over it.

**** happens.

It's how you deal with it that matters.

People will get the courage and post more on here as they see fit.

 

[Cheyenne62]

Uworld - 74%
Cbse - 248 (3.5 wks out)
Uwsa1 -254 (2 wks out)
Nbme 18 - 236
Nbme 19 - 236
Nbme 17 - 246 (1 wk out)
Uwsa2 - 262

Real - 254

Happy. Felt awful few days after test. At least 10 dumb mistakes (1st order gimmes). Could only remember 40 questions and I got about 20 of those wrong. Only had 3 weeks dedicated. Started uworld 3 months before test. Finished it 2 weeks before step. Made flashcards from uworld. Didnt look at first aid until day before test. Only listened to pathoma on drive to school. No sketchy. No boards and beyond.

 

[Step2myLou]

Paying it forward for anyone who is still studying and thinks their goal is too far to reach. I'm a below average student who just barely passed my coursework my first two years. I only started studying for step during dedicated (told myself I would start earlier, but my fellow procrastinators know what's up).

Goal: 230
Pre-dedicated CBSE (12 weeks out): <145, my score was so low, it didn't even register on the scale lol
NBME 13 (9 weeks out): 184
NBME 17 (8 weeks out): 200
UWSA 1 (7 weeks out): 232
NBME 18 (6 weeks out): 211
NBME 16 (3 weeks out): 234
UWSA 2 (2 weeks out): 239
NBME 19 (1 week out): 232
UW average: 63%

Actual: 243. Whatever you dream, it can happen!! Just keep pushing through!

Also my advice to any M1/2s out there, let this be a lesson: CRAMMING IS NOT FUN, YOU WILL REGRET IT. These were the absolute most miserable 3 months of my life. Even if you're a genius, there is no harm in starting your studying early.

Hey! Congrats on the awesome score!! I am in your boat and would love to hear what resources you used and how you studied. Thanks a lot!!

 

[docksan]

Only on SDN where 90% of posts will have 90th+ percentile scores lol

People are just afraid of looking dumb or being judged by their scores on here.

I'm not ashamed of my score at all.

I tried my best and I got caught on a bad day. I really do feel like I got ****ed over but I'm over it.

**** happens.

It's how you deal with it that matters.

People will get the courage and post more on here as they see fit.

The same people who think my score is "terrible" are the same ones who said I'd never get in.

You do you. Nobody does medicine to impress their colleagues, they do it for the patient. The system literally weeds out the rest.

 

[Newyawk]

@Foot Fetish still out here talking about brute force when he prepared an entire year for this exam. Ever thought maybe it wasnt how much you were studying, but rather the way you were studying? You still did very well, but i think its time you stop propagating this nonsense. Not sure if it makes you feel better about yourself, but when you make posts like that its not about you - its about future test takers. M1s are gonna read your posts and think its wise to ignore their classes from day 1 and just do anki and first aid every second.
@docksan too many people do medicine to impress their colleagues...

 

[docksan]

Well, ask residents what the deal is. Literally nobody will care what you did during med school. They care about your scores and whether you're going to suck to work with or not. If you are going for prestige, sure - but ultimately no one will care.

Those institutions aren't plentiful and the reality is 98% of us are still going to be practicing doctors.

 

[Terence McKenna]

@Foot Fetish still out here talking about brute force when he prepared an entire year for this exam. Ever thought maybe it wasnt how much you were studying, but rather the way you were studying? You still did very well, but i think its time you stop propagating this nonsense. Not sure if it makes you feel better about yourself, but when you make posts like that its not about you - its about future test takers. M1s are gonna read your posts and think its wise to ignore their classes from day 1 and just do anki and first aid every second.
@docksan too many people do medicine to impress their colleagues...

Even a cursory glance at r/medicalschool shows that most of the 260+ scores listed Zanki as one of their primary reasons for scoring highly. I think it's kind of hilarious how you are trying to use a n=1 example to try and discredit something that has so much data behind it. The funny part is, OP didn't even do badly. He actually did extremely well compared to the field. I think deep down you're just bitter that Zanki wasn't around when you took step 1.

 

[Foot Fetish]

To be brutally honest, the only thing that continues to make me feel bad about my score is when I compare myself to other people, like @Blocked by James . First of all, I congratule this individual and am in no way trying to detract from their score, which they worked hard for and earned. I just want to use this as an example. This person's NBME average was a 249 , and they ended up with a 263. My NBME average was a 257, and I ended up with a 257. On the one hand, I did exactly as predicted, but it definitely burns when I compare myself to people who outdid their NBME average by a wide margin. This is precisely why people say there is an element of luck involved. That's life I guess.

 

[Newyawk]

Even a cursory glance at r/medicalschool shows that most of the 260+ scores listed Zanki as one of their primary reasons for scoring highly. I think it's kind of hilarious how you are trying to use a n=1 example to try and discredit something that has so much data behind it. The funny part is, OP didn't even do badly. He actually did extremely well compared to the field. I think deep down you're just bitter that Zanki wasn't around when you took step 1.

Hahahaha. Im bitter with my >265? Yea youre right i really wish i wouldve spent every waking minute doing 4 billion flash cards instead of hanging out with my friends. Keep using flashcards instead of going to class bro let us know how that goes for you

 

[Terence McKenna]

Hahahaha. Im bitter with my >265? Yea youre right i really wish i wouldve spent every waking minute doing 4 billion flash cards instead of hanging out with my friends. Keep using flashcards instead of going to class bro let us know how that goes for you

1. I don't believe you
2. Ok

 

[Epicurusall]

@Foot Fetish still out here talking about brute force when he prepared an entire year for this exam. Ever thought maybe it wasnt how much you were studying, but rather the way you were studying? You still did very well, but i think its time you stop propagating this nonsense. Not sure if it makes you feel better about yourself, but when you make posts like that its not about you - its about future test takers. M1s are gonna read your posts and think its wise to ignore their classes from day 1 and just do anki and first aid every second.
@docksan too many people do medicine to impress their colleagues...

Honestly I find @Foot Fetish 's posts and strategy comforting in the fact that if you grind for your time, you will achieve an excellent score.

I would put more stock in this method than in 'trusting the process' of school curriculum. Yes, @Newyawk , it worked for you, but there are some of us who do not have an excellent pre-clinical curriculum, and are better off cramming flashcards and learning from board prep materials.

Have you ever wondered why the number one cited factor / correlative factor for USMLE performance ISN'T school material / preclinical performance in classes?

Taking a look at my school's curriculum vs board prep resources, it seems we only cover the majority of physiology (not all of it covered in board prep resources) and sometimes only HALF the pathology. I have learned more from these resources and hammered them in from flashcards than from my school material, and typically the only way to understand fully my school material is to hear it or read it from other resources.

 

[BurnedOut]

@Foot Fetish still out here talking about brute force when he prepared an entire year for this exam. Ever thought maybe it wasnt how much you were studying, but rather the way you were studying? You still did very well, but i think its time you stop propagating this nonsense. Not sure if it makes you feel better about yourself, but when you make posts like that its not about you - its about future test takers. M1s are gonna read your posts and think its wise to ignore their classes from day 1 and just do anki and first aid every second.
@docksan too many people do medicine to impress their colleagues...

now dont exaggerate his studying over a year or so. we ALL study a certain number of hours DAILY or pretty much so during the med school. it just so happens that @FF chose what is considered most board relevant and did just that exclusively and was open about it. Whether you read your professor's notes or read UW explanations.... does it really matter? a 3 hr studying is still a 3 hr studying. a 12 hr per day study is uncommon but i assure you there are others out there too. and dude, the number of hours @FF spent on the forums is probably equal to the number of hours, other high scorers (maybe you ;-)) spend to decompress, elsewhere.

Why all the hate? @FF did exceptionally well. While I do doubt he would have scored a 260+ given his current level unless he got lucky enough to have a form tapered to his strengths, it is entirely doable to get better within 6mos. especially given how hard the dude can work in terms of number of hours per day. amazing. The average USMLE score @ schools where step 1 is taken after a year of clinicals is about 10 points higher than what it was prior to the switch...

in my opinion @FF plateaued @ some point due to whatever reasons but no plateau is permanent if you address weaknesses and @FF seems to be smart enough to do that. besides, USMLE, isnt an IQ test. We have folks here getting a <30 MCAT (like way, <30, which is much more of an IQ test) and then getting a >260. I assure you that those guys probably worked pretty much as hard as @FF. and i know of no one getting >250 and starts studying for the boards a month before. ever seen a 180 NBME @ the start of the dedicated ending with a 250 or higher? so this whole idea of dedicated is a misnomer. dedicated for high scorers is mostly a review of concepts and getting a few new points from the UW, mostly... dedicated for those wanting to pass is probably close to cracking the FA open...

So kudos to @FF. Great job. amazing endurance. I do have a question for you @FF. What would you have differently? AND what else would you have done in addition to what you did in terms of materials covered? Can you retrospectively still confirm that most of the material was in FA?

Thanks

 

[Huggy]

@Foot Fetish still out here talking about brute force when he prepared an entire year for this exam. Ever thought maybe it wasnt how much you were studying, but rather the way you were studying? You still did very well, but i think its time you stop propagating this nonsense. Not sure if it makes you feel better about yourself, but when you make posts like that its not about you - its about future test takers. M1s are gonna read your posts and think its wise to ignore their classes from day 1 and just do anki and first aid every second.
@docksan too many people do medicine to impress their colleagues...

Again, for like my 100th time saying this, I haven’t seen a single report in the 70 pages of this thread (or any past Step 1 thread) of someone claiming to skip classes and “only do First Aid” or “only do Zanki”. This talking point has to stop. It does nothing to support the argument that one should “trust their curriculum.” I hear it from administration all the time and I see it on SDN just as frequently.

 

[FourniersGreenGang]

Congrats on the great scores everyone! I ended up with a 262 which was a little lower than nbme 18 taken a couple days out but I have no complaints! Felt like garbage walking out of that exam so I'm beyond shocked and elated. Congrats everyone who passed on being done with step 1 forever!

 

[Fewa Fibroblast]

Wanted to break 260, got 258 (although i feel i could have done better I have no complaints about the score)
NBMEs average around 255
UWSA 1 = 271
UWSA 2 = 251
Free 120 = 89%
This thread has been very helpful during my prep. Thank you all and Congrats on the great scores.

 

[Dr Tony T. Chopper]

Looks like the SDN average has risen once again this year!

 

[throwaway9999999999]

To be brutally honest, the only thing that continues to make me feel bad about my score is when I compare myself to other people, like @Blocked by James . First of all, I congratule this individual and am in no way trying to detract from their score, which they worked hard for and earned. I just want to use this as an example. This person's NBME average was a 249 , and they ended up with a 263. My NBME average was a 257, and I ended up with a 257. On the one hand, I did exactly as predicted, but it definitely burns when I compare myself to people who outdid their NBME average by a wide margin. This is precisely why people say there is an element of luck involved. That's life I guess.

Oh man same thing is bugging me. My average was a 270 and ended up with a 264 so yeah I'm bitter and sad about those who had a lower average and ended up scoring more than me

 

[Newyawk]

Honestly I find @Foot Fetish 's posts and strategy comforting in the fact that if you grind for your time, you will achieve an excellent score.

I would put more stock in this method than in 'trusting the process' of school curriculum. Yes, @Newyawk , it worked for you, but there are some of us who do not have an excellent pre-clinical curriculum, and are better off cramming flashcards and learning from board prep materials.

Have you ever wondered why the number one cited factor / correlative factor for USMLE performance ISN'T school material / preclinical performance in classes?

Taking a look at my school's curriculum vs board prep resources, it seems we only cover the majority of physiology (not all of it covered in board prep resources) and sometimes only HALF the pathology. I have learned more from these resources and hammered them in from flashcards than from my school material, and typically the only way to understand fully my school material is to hear it or read it from other resources.

Ive never once said to trust the process. I acknowledge that school curriculum is limited and i always advise to supplement with high quality material like pathoma, costanzo, what have you.
When you ignore your school, however, you are just hurting yourself. Preclinical course performance is absolutely correlated with step 1 score. Ask anyone who scored over a 240 and the majority did at least well in their courses if not top of their class.
Yes, working hard is vital to scoring well. The longer and harder you work the better your results will be. But working harder and working smarter are not the same.

 

[Nurse_Elk1ns]

UWSA1 - 266
UWSA2 - 262
Free 150 - 92%
NBME 19 - 252
NBME 18 - 244

Real Deal - 255

 

[Nurse_Elk1ns]

UWSA1 - 266
UWSA2 - 262
Free 150 - 92%
NBME 19 - 252
NBME 18 - 244

Real Deal - 255

I feel like I got kind of lucky, never really been considered a "smart" person

 

[BurnedOut]

Ive never once said to trust the process. I acknowledge that school curriculum is limited and i always advise to supplement with high quality material like pathoma, costanzo, what have you.
When you ignore your school, however, you are just hurting yourself. Preclinical course performance is absolutely correlated with step 1 score. Ask anyone who scored over a 240 and the majority did at least well in their courses if not top of their class.
Yes, working hard is vital to scoring well. The longer and harder you work the better your results will be. But working harder and working smarter are not the same.

Of course in an ideal world we would have teachers like Sattar teaching us all live but generally speaking USMLE curriculum does closely correlate with school material. That is precisely why top students start their dedicated with a 240+/250+/even 260+. Also, top students (like you) are way smarter than the rest of the class AND have the ability to do both the classwork AND the supplemental material. An average student is happy to manage the one or the other. An average student also ends up cracking FA open about 3 months before the exam and starts "reading through it".

Zanki is pretty much all of pathoma AND costanzo. It enables an average student with a high level of discipline master the material that he would never be able to do otherwise precisely because not everyone is as smart as you. I am not saying that a smart individual would not benefit from say, Zanki. I am saying that anki/Zanki is a tool that, if used correctly, and if using the right prep material, can level the field because less "gifted" individuals, some of whom maybe barely got into the med school, now spend their time focusing on high yield information. And precisely because there is a good overlap in what NBME requires and what schools require these studetns can still comfortably pass and oftentimes ace their school tests. Reddit has examples of studetns who ace their individual classes without going to a single lecture. Also USMLE is NOT and IQ test. So there is no way you can answer any of the questions correctly just by "reasoning". You either know an answer or you know why the wrong answers are wrong. so a slow and steady level of mastery can put a person of average ability @ the top if applied correctly.

And yes, you may be an exception that could read a book cover-to-cover and actually retain a level of detail that enables you to answer that 99 % of the questions correctly... and most are not born as lucky. but how is listening to a senile PhDs or MDs talking (I should say READING PP presentations) about their research better than focusing on USMLE? Spend a day listening to them blabbing about their research results? Did I say, "reading their pp presentations"? Well, they do occasionally look @ the students in the class... so you may as well call it interactive...

 

[papito22]

USMD slightly above average scores first two years.

NBME average - 232
UWSA2 - 250 a few days before the exam

Actual score - 221

Very disappointed that I didn't break 230. I felt horrible after the exam. I feel like I got a form that mainly tested my weaknesses. I know I'm still in good shape for IM and FM, but EM is also one of my interests and I was trying to avoid having to fight an uphill battle for that.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

ut EM is also one of my interests and I was trying to avoid having to fight an uphill battle for that.

Congrats on the score. EM is not an uphill battle for you...... 93% of USMDs with between a 220-230 matched.

 

[The_Bird]

Took my exam 06/29. SHOULD MY PERMIT LINK HAVE DISAPPEARED BY NOW??

omg

 

[ac909009]

I am still in shock from my score results yesterday!

NBME 13 (2.5 months out): 184
CBSE (5 weeks): 222
NBME 15: (3 weeks): 238
UWSA 2 (2 weeks): 243
NBME 18 (5 days): 230

Step 1: 254!!!

Felt terrible after finishing the test. I had question flashbacks and restless nights for 2 weeks. I was convinced I scored between 220 and 235. My goal score was 240, so I don’t know what to do with myself now!

 

[papito22]

Congrats on the score. EM is not an uphill battle for you...... 93% of USMDs with between a 220-230 matched.

Thank you for this!

 

[Jhakaasmaan]

NBME 16 (1.5 months): 225
UWSA 1 (6 weeks): 234
NBME 15 (5 weeks): 236
NBME 19 (4 weeks): 223
NBME 17 (3 weeks): 230
NBME 18 (1.5 week): 240
Free 120 (1 weeks): 83%
UWSA 2 (0.5 weeks): 243
UWORLD 1st pass: 72%

Step 1: 237

I'm a bit disappointed given I was hoping for 240+ based on how good I felt coming out of the exam and my last two practice tests. However, I'm glad to be done and finally put all my focus on killing it in the wards.

 

[coldcase331]

Took my exam 06/29. SHOULD MY PERMIT LINK HAVE DISAPPEARED BY NOW??

omg

I think the score cutoff for this week was June 22nd, so I think you should be out next week. Good luck!

 

[Elessar]

NBME average: 258
UWSA average: 262

Rx: 83%
Kaplan: 84%
UWORLD 1st pass: 86%

Step 1: >260

I'm a big believer in Anki - I used the Zanki deck in addition to cards that I made as I went through Qbanks and NBME practice tests. It's a big time commitment (>310,000 reviews and >1400 hours during MS1&2), but worth it if you ask me. My approach has always been slow and steady wins the race - I never crammed, just consistently finished my cards every single day. Also highly recommend Pathoma, Sketchy, and B&B.

 

[NYmedstudent94]

Even a cursory glance at r/medicalschool shows that most of the 260+ scores listed Zanki as one of their primary reasons for scoring highly. I think it's kind of hilarious how you are trying to use a n=1 example to try and discredit something that has so much data behind it. The funny part is, OP didn't even do badly. He actually did extremely well compared to the field. I think deep down you're just bitter that Zanki wasn't around when you took step 1.

omg. I'm so mad at myself for not sticking with zanki starting summer before 2nd year. Tried cramming it starting 4 months to my test but obviously that didn't work out well at all.

To anyone reading this who is taking step next year or whatever:

I'm going to reiterate what the poster above me said. Everyone that I know who broke 250 on step all had one major thing in common: consistency and discipline. They never crammed, but got to the point that they were just chillin the days before the test. >1year in advance they dedicated just a little bit of time, but every. single. day. Regardless of holidays, or lecture test days. After several months of doing this it just became routine, like brushing teeth.

These people were so well-rounded and had such a solidified knowledge base that it didn't matter what was presented on test day or what topic was emphasized...they were going to break 250, and many of them broke 260.

I was the opposite. I changed my study plan every other day, crammed, stress studied, utilized several resources, was all over the place. Crammed before my test, scored over 20 pts lower than my nbme average (which those scores were all over the place). I'm starting third year fresh with lessons learned, gonna be utilizing Zanki for Step 2 with UW and OME, and praying that I can really make a great comeback this year and get a score that I'm beyond proud of.

 

[Step2myLou]

I am still in shock from my score results yesterday!

NBME 13 (2.5 months out): 184
CBSE (5 weeks): 222
NBME 15: (3 weeks): 238
UWSA 2 (2 weeks): 243
NBME 18 (5 days): 230

Step 1: 254!!!

Felt terrible after finishing the test. I had question flashbacks and restless nights for 2 weeks. I was convinced I scored between 220 and 235. My goal score was 240, so I don’t know what to do with myself now!

Thats an amazing jump! Congrats!! Mind sharing your study resources and study schedule? Thank you!!

 

[FAdoc2020]

hey everyone! here is my write up. I hope it helps at least some one, though i know everyone studies differently.

NBME13: 240
NBME15: 236
NBME16: 240
NBME17: 240
UWSA1: 254
NBME18: 240
NBME19: 248
UWSA2: 254

ACTUAL Step 1: 257 (6/21)


So a fairly big jump from NBMEs but hovered around my UWSAs. I think the actual test was very similar to UWorld question banks.

Sources: Pathoma!!!!!!! First Aid, SketchyPharm, SketchyMicro, USMLE Rx, and Doctors in Training (towards the end)

So to start I listened to sketchy micro the summer before year 2. This gave me a pretty good base on micro which is a notorious topic on step. I will say it does not cover 100% but it really does do a good job on giving you a good understanding. Starting year 2 I began listening to chapters on USMLE Rx of the First Aid book. Found it extremely helpful and was able to listen to most of it by December. I completely bought into Pathoma at the very start of medical school and am so thankful I did. I think the biggest help i can give is Listen to the first 4 chapters of Pathoma as much as possible. Of course, every chapter is great but there is something about those first 4 that keep popping up. My school gives roughly 8 weeks for dedicated study but I tried my best to add at least 1 or 2 hours a day for boards starting year 2 (this progressively became about 4 hours per day on boards once I got to January). I also listened to SketchyPharm throughout the fall of my 2nd year to get a good base on pharmacology (definitely does not give 100% of material and the videos can be painful to get through but this source still helped me a lot). I did all of this while doing question banks like UWorld and TrueLearn(ok bank but w.e.)

What i wish i could have done differently: bought into a physiology source like physeo or costanza

Bottom Line: buy into a pathology source (Goljan or Pathoma), physiology source, a microbiology source, a pharmacology source, and reference First Aid as much as possible.

Believe me, If i can do well on this test anybody can. Anything is possible and thank you all for your support. Good luck to every one taking this beast in the future and who are waiting for their scores. no matter what, everything will work out

 

[FutureDO88]

Hi all,
I took NBME 16 before taking the COMLEX and made a 173 and then just took NBME 17 today well after COMLEX and made a 182. My comsae score was a 445 before taking the COMLEX in case you are wondering. I was curious if anyone has taken the USLME exam during rotations and is there any advice any of you can give me to increase the score? I have a goal of 220+. My ultimate goal was orthopedics but it seems too far away to even reach at this point. We do get our COMLEX scores back on July 26th.

Thanks!!

 

[Newyawk]

Just to put it out there, I did half of zanki for biochem only. Never touched it until right before dedicated. Got 260. Zanki is great, but its not the end all be all. I truly believe 260+ scores are possible without crushing zanki every night after your lectures during M1/M2

These dudes love talking about the success stories that used zanki. How many others used zanki and didnt do well? How many never touched zanki and killed it (me and a friend who scored >270 as 2 examples)...

The people who do poorly rarely post in-depth study methods bc they think its worthless to others when in fact it demonstrates usually that every resource produces variable results...

 

[CyrusHabs7695]

What are this years test-taker's opinion on Firecracker? Would you start from Day 1 of m1 and stretch it out


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[FourniersGreenGang]

What are this years test-taker's opinion on Firecracker? Would you start from Day 1 of m1 and stretch it out


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

I tried it but not a fan. Too long of stems to be very useful imo. Stick with Bros or zanki if you want to study using spaced repetition. It will stick much better and hammer home the necessary points more efficiently .Plus it's free

 

[The.Supinator]

I am still in shock from my score results yesterday!

NBME 13 (2.5 months out): 184
CBSE (5 weeks): 222
NBME 15: (3 weeks): 238
UWSA 2 (2 weeks): 243
NBME 18 (5 days): 230

Step 1: 254!!!

Felt terrible after finishing the test. I had question flashbacks and restless nights for 2 weeks. I was convinced I scored between 220 and 235. My goal score was 240, so I don’t know what to do with myself now!

you my friend SHOWED UP on game day!! congrats!

 

[The Knife & Gun Club]

Took UWSA #2 today, definitely harder than UWSA1. That said I'm pretty stoked because it's basically in line with NBME 18, which makes it hard to brush 18 off as a fluke.

At this point I just can't wait to be done with the damn thing lol. All I need is 230+ so that I can comfortably match EM without having to "explain" my score or try to "compensate."

Of course with all the recent doom and gloom in this thread I could technically still drop 50 points and pass by 1, so thats good I guess...


NBME 13: 200 - 12 weeks out, baseline before any studying

CBSE: 213 - 8 weeks out (studying with classes for 1 month)

NBME 15: 217 - 8 weeks out (back to back with CBSE)

NBME 16: 221 - 4 weeks out (1 week into dedicated)

UW SIM 1: 249 - 3 weeks out

NBME 18: 242 - 2 weeks out

UW SIM 2: 245 - 1 week out

NBME 13: 200 - 12 weeks out, baseline before any studying

CBSE: 213 - 8 weeks out (studying with classes for 1 month)

NBME 15: 217 - 8 weeks out (back to back with CBSE)

NBME 16: 221 - 4 weeks out (1 week into dedicated)

UW SIM 1: 249 - 3 weeks out

NBME 18: 242 - 2 weeks out

UW SIM 2: 245 - 1 week out

USMLE: 240 - 0 weeks out

All in all very happy with my score.

I came out of the test feeling absolutely terrible so I’m really happy I didn’t bomb. It’s not a score that will turn heads, but it won’t hold me back at all but the most competitive of programs/fields. I went in just hoping for a 220 so I could do EM, and I got that.

I guess if I could say one thing about this whole process, it’s that I don’t like it. In a tough-to-put-my-finger-on-way, it just seems wrong to have so much tied up in one score, one number, or one day. It seems wrong to me, both as an applicant and for the system overall, to put such weight in any lone criteria. And I say that as someone with an good score. People aren’t numbers.

Congrats to everyone who got their scores yesterday, I’m happy for you all.

 

[yungmoney2021]

Thought I'd share my results since I've gotten a lot of advice from this site. Had to take a day to decompress from the shock

NBME 13 (8 weeks out): 240

UWSA 1 (6 weeks out): 260

NBME CBSE (school exam; 4.5 weeks out): 248

NBME 15 (3.5 weeks out): 244

NBME 16 (3 weeks out): 250

NBME 17 (15 days out): 257

UWSA 2 (12 days out): 264

NBME 18 (8 days out): 250

Free 120 (4 days out): 91%


Step 1 (June 15th): 257

Some info about me...I've always been an okay, but never a super amazing standardized test taker. I scored a 506 on my MCAT and barely got into a "bottom of the barrel" school. But I think this was a big source of motivation for me.

I started FA and UW in January, followed along M2 classes with pathoma and sketchymicro/pharm. Those are the only resources I used. Up until January, I only focused on doing well in class. Same story with M1 year, only focused on class notes and didn't use any supplemental material besides some BRS physio here and there.

I walked out of test day feeling like I got hit by a truck. I probably flagged 15-20 questions per block on average. It felt like I was guessing on half the exam. Probably 35/40 of my stems on each block were huge paragraphs (longer than UW). I actually ran out of time on 1 block and randomly clicked answers for 2 questions without even reading the stem. I spent 4 weeks contemplating the possibility that I failed.

I hope this can be a source of motivation for those who didn't do well on the MCAT, go to a "low tier school", or walked out of that test feeling like they just took a log up their rear. It is possible!

Congrats to everyone who took this beast! And if you didn't hit your goal score, don't throw in the towel. I know the feeling of a disappointing test score, and as much as it may feel right now that it's the end of the world, it isn't. Keep your chin high and continue trying to become the best version of yourself you can be!

 

[TheIllusionist]

Thought I'd share my results since I've gotten a lot of advice from this site. Had to take a day to decompress from the shock

NBME 13 (8 weeks out): 240

UWSA 1 (6 weeks out): 260

NBME CBSE (school exam; 4.5 weeks out): 248

NBME 15 (3.5 weeks out): 244

NBME 16 (3 weeks out): 250

NBME 17 (15 days out): 257

UWSA 2 (12 days out): 264

NBME 18 (8 days out): 250

Free 120 (4 days out): 91%


Step 1 (June 15th): 257

Some info about me...I've always been an okay, but never a super amazing standardized test taker. I scored a 506 on my MCAT and barely got into a "bottom of the barrel" school. But I think this was a big source of motivation for me.

I started FA and UW in January, followed along M2 classes with pathoma and sketchymicro/pharm. Those are the only resources I used. Up until January, I only focused on doing well in class. Same story with M1 year, only focused on class notes and didn't use any supplemental material besides some BRS physio here and there.

I walked out of test day feeling like I got hit by a truck. I probably flagged 15-20 questions per block on average. It felt like I was guessing on half the exam. Probably 35/40 of my stems on each block were huge paragraphs (longer than UW). I actually ran out of time on 1 block and randomly clicked answers for 2 questions without even reading the stem. I spent 4 weeks contemplating the possibility that I failed.

I hope this can be a source of motivation for those who didn't do well on the MCAT, go to a "low tier school", or walked out of that test feeling like they just took a log up their rear. It is possible!

Congrats to everyone who took this beast! And if you didn't hit your goal score, don't throw in the towel. I know the feeling of a disappointing test score, and as much as it may feel right now that it's the end of the world, it isn't. Keep your chin high and continue trying to become the best version of yourself you can be!

Too many people have this high MCAT high STEP1 fallacy. The two are VERY different

 

[Shahmar97]

NBME 13: 200 - 12 weeks out, baseline before any studying

CBSE: 213 - 8 weeks out (studying with classes for 1 month)

NBME 15: 217 - 8 weeks out (back to back with CBSE)

NBME 16: 221 - 4 weeks out (1 week into dedicated)

UW SIM 1: 249 - 3 weeks out

NBME 18: 242 - 2 weeks out

UW SIM 2: 245 - 1 week out

USMLE: 240 - 0 weeks out

All in all very happy with my score.

I came out of the test feeling absolutely terrible so I’m really happy I didn’t bomb. It’s not a score that will turn heads, but it won’t hold me back at all but the most competitive of programs/fields. I went in just hoping for a 220 so I could do EM, and I got that.

I guess if I could say one thing about this whole process, it’s that I don’t like it. In a tough-to-put-my-finger-on-way, it just seems wrong to have so much tied up in one score, one number, or one day. It seems wrong to me, both as an applicant and for the system overall, to put such weight in any lone criteria. And I say that as someone with an good score. People aren’t numbers.

Congrats to everyone who got their scores yesterday, I’m happy for you all.

Congratulations!!! Can I ask you which video lectures you used ? And where I can download them? Thanks!

 

[mk2015]

I wasn't planning on doing any sort of a write-up, but since I stalked this thread pretty heavily throughout dedicated, I might as well.

NBME 13 - 173 (6 months out)
UWSA1 - 247 (~3 months out - I don't remember exactly when I took this)
NBME 15 - 230 (5 weeks out)
NBME 18 - 230 (4 weeks out)
NBME 16 - 250 (3 weeks out)
UWSA2 - 232 (2 weeks out)
NBME 19 - 238 (1 week out)
Free 120 - ~85% (2 days out - don't remember the exact score)

UWorld - 66% 1st pass (timed, random); 85% 2nd pass (only completed about 1/3 of qbank on 2nd pass)

Step 1 - 250s

For some background, my arbitrary goal was 240 but I would have been fine with a 230. Based on my CBSSA/UWSA, etc I was expecting to score somewhere in the 230s. My preclinical grades were usually just barely above the average at my school. Standardized testing isn't really my thing (below average MCAT) but it's not something that I would say I specifically struggle with.

Resources:
-The major resources I used were Boards and Beyond (watched about 90% of the videos, did not do the questions), Sketchy (finished all of Micro, most of Pharm, very little Path), UWorld (obviously).
-Other resources were First Aid (I really didn't use FA heavily and only started looking at it about 2 weeks before my exam), USMLERx and Kaplan QBanks + Robbins Questions (went through these by block with the systems-based curriculum; used Rx very lightly during dedicated to review specific weak areas).
- I think that I was getting close to "resource overload" as I really struggled to try and get through everything at the end. I would think that UFAPS is plenty for this exam and I could have answered at least 80% of the questions if I knew those resources cold. That being said, I relied heavily on B&B and think it was incredibly helpful if you like video series.

My thoughts on the exam:
I thought it was really fair, but difficult. There were many questions where I felt like I knew exactly what they were getting at, but the answer choices were presented in a way that I wasn't familiar with or I was just missing one detail to be able to answer confidently. I still felt pretty good leaving the exam - I felt like there wasn't a whole lot more that I could have done to prepare. I knew of 4-5 questions that I definitely got wrong, but I also felt like I got a fair amount of my "guesses" correct. There's definitely a component of luck involved.

I'm obviously ecstatic and very grateful that luck was on my side and I don't know that any of this is especially helpful since I overshot most of my practice tests by a considerable amount. Congrats to everyone for getting over this monumental hurdle!

 

[popopopop]

Too many people have this high MCAT high STEP1 fallacy. The two are VERY different

Data from my own school by the course director tells us the same thing, the lower mcat students can get high step scores.