USMLE Official 2018 Step 1 Experiences and Scores Thread

[Foot Fetish]

I've always wanted to start one of these...So here we go!

My stats:

M2
Test time: June 2018
Goal score: 270

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[21Rush12]

I think they mean that your score on UW2 is usually close to your real score unless you are scoring >95%tile or <60%tile on the practice test.

Exactly correct yes, there’s a Reddit thread floating somewhere but I don’t know how to use reddit

 

[swivelj]

Creeped on this thread forever and wanted to give back.

UW 83%

NBME 13: 238
NBME 15: 244
UWSA 1: 254
NBME 16: 257
NMBE 17: 240
NBME 18: 257
UWSA 2: 260

Real deal: 261

BnB, Pathoma, Sketchy and Rx for 6 weeks then started Uworld and NBME's over the next 5-6ish weeks.

Never opened first aid other than to cross reference some psych stuff. I just could not get anything out of using this resource-- drove me nuts from day 1.

I think if I could do anything different it would be to start BnB day one along with classes.

During dedicated I used Anki as a way to keep a schedule for reviewing material. I would make a card that said "BnB WBC disorders" and would just re-read the ppt for that lecture as the card came due-- did the same thing for Sketchy and Pathoma. This really helped me keep the first 6 weeks of content review long-term, and also cut down on the card making process.

I was one of those people that it would take 10-12 hrs a day to do 80 uworld questions. I read slow but did a lot of cross-referencing/relearning during those days as well.

The best thing I did was work hard in the first 1.5 years-- learning our class material. I think if one were to mature their Anki cards as I laid out above, along with learning their lecture material at a high level.... you have a great shot to reach your potential.

 

[Mantis_TobogganMD]

US DO
6/25–267

UWSA 1-4 weeks out-273
UWSA 2-1 week out-269
NBME 15-18 Last one the Thursday before all around right a 260
Free 120 95+% 3 days before

 

[Epicurusall]

US DO
6/25–267

UWSA 1-4 weeks out-273
UWSA 2-1 week out-269
NBME 15-18 Last one the Thursday before all around right a 260
Free 120 95+% 3 days before

mind sharing a more detailed writeup of your prep? did you do anything M1 or during the year for M2 alongside class studies? what was your dedicated like?

 

[.hematoma.]

Looking at peoples' score progressions, I think I must have really choked on test day and not realized it. I'm seeing tons of people who had NBME scores in the 210s, 20s, 30s end up with a final score in the 250s. And people who averaged in the 250s on NBMEs seem to be getting 260s on the real deal. It is very clear that NBME underpredicts, so the fact that I scored exactly at my average must mean I really messed up. The weird thing is that it didn't feel that way when I got out the test. Now I'm starting to wonder if I accidentally omitted questions or accidentally clicked the wrong choice. Now that I think about it, I distinctly remember one marked question where I went back to review it, and the selected answer choice was something other than what I remembered choosing. I fixed that one, but maybe there were others that I didn't catch.

These are probably just the rationalizations of a sore loser, but still...I am tempted to pay the $50 for a score recheck. I know on their website it says that this has never resulted in an actual score change, but their website also says that they never recycle questions from old forms, which was patently false.

lmao, just... lmao. I forgot why I spend more time on reddit than SDN.

 

[21Rush12]

lmao, just... lmao. I forgot why I spend more time on reddit than SDN.

Apparently I was the last straw that led him to post this

 

[coldcase331]

Apparently I was the last straw that led him to post this

Yeah, guess both of you are going to do family med in wyoming

 

[21Rush12]

Yeah, guess both of you are going to do family med in wyoming

I’ll save you a parking spot...right up front in the reserved spaces.

Edit: sorry I checked and it’s 250+ parking only.

 

[TheBoneDoctah]

Just finished so here’s my write up.

First block felt fine and marked probably 6 questions.

Blocks 2-4 got progressively tougher and almost didn’t finish on 4.

After lunch started block 5 and it was easier, but then 6/7 were tough again. On the tougher blocks I was marking 10-15 questions, but then I missed some I didn’t even mark.

Some of the stuff I was getting tested on I had never seen and another 10 years of study wouldn’t have helped me get the answer. I had some super weird ethics questions and then some of the presentations were really vague where I felt like I had to make big leaps to get to a certain diagnosis.

I never felt so uncertain on any practice test or question block every. Lucky if I hit 240.

 

[negativetrop]

US DO student. Figured this might help some people. My school doesn't give a dedicated board study period unless they let you sacrifice your 3rd year vacation month depending on your grades. So I just started my dedicated in the beginning of January and tried to ignore my classes as much as possible. I figured it's all the same material so studying for boards should allow me to maintain good grades in my classes. It worked pretty well. We had classes right up until mid-may so it was a bit frustrating at times.

USMLE (5/14) - 261
COMLEX (5/21) - 807


NBME 13 (3/21) - 244
NBME 15 (3/31) - 259
UWSA1 (4/7) - 271
NBME 16 (4/14) - 261
NBME 19 (4/21) - 257 - heard this one had a harsh curve and makes people freak out if taken soon before the board so I took it out of order
NBME 17 (4/28) - 252
COMSAE D (5/1) - 787 - school made us take this
UWSA2 (5/5) - 264
NBME 18 (5/11) - 252


Resources:
UWorld - did it once through, then did marked+wrong (like 700), then did 2000 more. Started with 40 per day then after first run through did 80 per day. First run through ended at like 75%, second one 91%.
Boards and Beyond - Best resource out there. Watched about 3-4 hours of videos per day. Took me about 12 weeks to finish it all. Followed along in FA and wrote down everything Dr. Ryan said that wasn't in FA. I wrote this into FA so my FA was marked up like crazy. This helped more than anything. Almost every question on my USMLE was mentioned in B&B. Same with the non-OMM COMLEX questions. Writing it down helped understand it, especially cardiac physiology and neuro stuff. Dr. Ryan teaches you to understand stuff instead of memorize, made everything way easier to learn and answer correctly. If you are on the fence about this watch the samples on youtube.
Pathoma - Watched them along with B&B based on the B&B topic I was on. Finished at the same this as I finished B&B. Also great as everyone knows. First 4 sections aren't really found anywhere else so those were awesome. Didn't read the book. Also wrote down into FA everything Dr. Sattar said that wasn't in FA. I thought B&B covered almost everything that was in Pathoma but there were things that only Dr. Sattar mentioned so very useful overall.
Sketchy - Watched through micro and pharm, but didn't really get much out of it. Kind of overwhelmed by all the different drawings used for memory tools. Lots of my classmates really liked sketchy so if it works for you it's great.
FA - Used this mostly when watching videos. I read through the section briefly before the video (B&B gives page numbers so it's really easy to follow along) and then wrote down all the stuff in the videos into the related section in FA. A month before my USMLE I started reading my heavily marked-up FA to jog my memory. Got through it twice. I think it helped remember some stuff I hadn't looked at in a while, but it's really tedious to read through. Should not be used as a primary resource. Even if you memorize all of it it would be hard to break 240. There is just a lot missing that was in B&B and Pathoma.
Combank - School gave it to us, I found the questions were lower quality than Uworld. Used it mainly for OMM questions. Ended up doing about 1000, usually did 40 a week, 81% overall. In the week between my USMLE and COMLEX, I did a bunch of OMM questions for a refresher and to get used to the writing style.

 

[Step2myLou]

US DO student. Figured this might help some people. My school doesn't give a dedicated board study period unless they let you sacrifice your 3rd year vacation month depending on your grades. So I just started my dedicated in the beginning of January and tried to ignore my classes as much as possible. I figured it's all the same material so studying for boards should allow me to maintain good grades in my classes. It worked pretty well. We had classes right up until mid-may so it was a bit frustrating at times.

USMLE (5/14) - 261
COMLEX (5/21) - 807


NBME 13 (3/21) - 244
NBME 15 (3/31) - 259
UWSA1 (4/7) - 271
NBME 16 (4/14) - 261
NBME 19 (4/21) - 257 - heard this one had a harsh curve and makes people freak out if taken soon before the board so I took it out of order
NBME 17 (4/28) - 252
COMSAE D (5/1) - 787 - school made us take this
UWSA2 (5/5) - 264
NBME 18 (5/11) - 252


Resources:
UWorld - did it once through, then did marked+wrong (like 700), then did 2000 more. Started with 40 per day then after first run through did 80 per day. First run through ended at like 75%, second one 91%.
Boards and Beyond - Best resource out there. Watched about 3-4 hours of videos per day. Took me about 12 weeks to finish it all. Followed along in FA and wrote down everything Dr. Ryan said that wasn't in FA. I wrote this into FA so my FA was marked up like crazy. This helped more than anything. Almost every question on my USMLE was mentioned in B&B. Same with the non-OMM COMLEX questions. Writing it down helped understand it, especially cardiac physiology and neuro stuff. Dr. Ryan teaches you to understand stuff instead of memorize, made everything way easier to learn and answer correctly. If you are on the fence about this watch the samples on youtube.
Pathoma - Watched them along with B&B based on the B&B topic I was on. Finished at the same this as I finished B&B. Also great as everyone knows. First 4 sections aren't really found anywhere else so those were awesome. Didn't read the book. Also wrote down into FA everything Dr. Sattar said that wasn't in FA. I thought B&B covered almost everything that was in Pathoma but there were things that only Dr. Sattar mentioned so very useful overall.
Sketchy - Watched through micro and pharm, but didn't really get much out of it. Kind of overwhelmed by all the different drawings used for memory tools. Lots of my classmates really liked sketchy so if it works for you it's great.
FA - Used this mostly when watching videos. I read through the section briefly before the video (B&B gives page numbers so it's really easy to follow along) and then wrote down all the stuff in the videos into the related section in FA. A month before my USMLE I started reading my heavily marked-up FA to jog my memory. Got through it twice. I think it helped remember some stuff I hadn't looked at in a while, but it's really tedious to read through. Should not be used as a primary resource. Even if you memorize all of it it would be hard to break 240. There is just a lot missing that was in B&B and Pathoma.
Combank - School gave it to us, I found the questions were lower quality than Uworld. Used it mainly for OMM questions. Ended up doing about 1000, usually did 40 a week, 81% overall. In the week between my USMLE and COMLEX, I did a bunch of OMM questions for a refresher and to get used to the writing style.

Thank you so much for this! I am annotating my FA with BnB and its be come a cluster f**k but Im glad that everything is in one place. Did you watch the BnB videos more than once? Also, what did you do instead of sketchy for the micro and pharm? Thank you!

 

[negativetrop]

Thank you so much for this! I am annotating my FA with BnB and its be come a cluster f**k but Im glad that everything is in one place. Did you watch the BnB videos more than once? Also, what did you do instead of sketchy for the micro and pharm? Thank you!

I watched probably 30% of them more than once. Especially ones I thought were really high yield like brainstem and cardiac phys. I found that the pharm from b&b combined with FA was adequate. B&B adds a lot to the pharm in FA. Same for micro. There wasn't any micro on my exam that wasn't covered by b&b.

 

[PAC2DO]

I watched probably 30% of them more than once. Especially ones I thought were really high yield like brainstem and cardiac phys. I found that the pharm from b&b combined with FA was adequate. B&B adds a lot to the pharm in FA. Same for micro. There wasn't any micro on my exam that wasn't covered by b&b.

A classmate of negativetrop.
Step 1: 245.
Level 1: 695.

Everything he said is true. I would just add few more things. It's ok to postpone your exam if you don't feel ready. I postponed my step 1 2 weeks after getting 210 on NBME 18 (4 weeks out from original scheduled date). UWSA 1 was 235 (3 weeks out) Took NBME 16 2 weeks out and got 225. I didn't feel ready to take the exam knowing I was targeting > 240. I postponed it and took COMLEX before Step which is unconventional. I took UWSA 2 2 days before COMLEX 1 and got 245. Many people will say that postponing it won't help but for my case, it definitely helped. I felt more prepared knowing I did everything I planned. You also need that confirmation from yourself and trust the process.

Also, in terms of studying for exam, you have to know your weakness. Find out where you are lacking... Is it the knowledge? it is the application skill? is it the comprehensive skill?? If you are lacking application skill, reading Pathoma or watching BB 1000x will not help you. You need to do more questions and look at the question from different aspect. If it's simply lack of knowledge, then, those resources will help you tremendously.

Also, form a small group of 2-3 friends where you can bounce off ideas. Step 1 is not about straight up memorization. When you don't understand something, make sure you find someone to explain the concept till you understand. A mere memorization of facts will not last in your memory.

Lastly, pick your weapon and master it. I think I used too many different resources and it backfired me. I used sketchy and pathoma heavily during the school year and watched them every morning for 1 hr on 1.5x speed. I also watched the BB 2x. I was also trying to use Anki decks, BRS series, Kaplan biochemistry, etc... I think this was my problem. I personally you can do well without sketchy/pathoma if you used them heavily during your school year as boards questions are mostly 2nd and 3rd order questions.

Hope this helps.

 

[swivelj]

Just finished so here’s my write up.

First block felt fine and marked probably 6 questions.

Blocks 2-4 got progressively tougher and almost didn’t finish on 4.

After lunch started block 5 and it was easier, but then 6/7 were tough again. On the tougher blocks I was marking 10-15 questions, but then I missed some I didn’t even mark.

Some of the stuff I was getting tested on I had never seen and another 10 years of study wouldn’t have helped me get the answer. I had some super weird ethics questions and then some of the presentations were really vague where I felt like I had to make big leaps to get to a certain diagnosis.

I never felt so uncertain on any practice test or question block every. Lucky if I hit 240.

I hate saying stuff like this because at the end of the day no one really knows post-test how they did.

However, I think this pretty much nails how I felt after the exam and had some similar issues during the test as well. The only difference being I always felt uncertain during practice exams or even uworld blocks. I was also consistently wrong too.... whether that was having positive or negative expectations before I saw my scores.

Either way, I have seen you on the boards forever, and I am rooting for you.... I will take the over on the 240 line all day.

 

[TheBoneDoctah]

I hate saying stuff like this because at the end of the day no one really knows post-test how they did.

However, I think this pretty much nails how I felt after the exam and had some similar issues during the test as well. The only difference being I always felt uncertain during practice exams or even uworld blocks. I was also consistently wrong too.... whether that was having positive or negative expectations before I saw my scores.

Either way, I have seen you on the boards forever, and I am rooting for you.... I will take the over on the 240 line all day.

Did you take yesterday as wel?

 

[swivelj]

Did you take yesterday as wel?

No. Took it 6-27.

Thought the same thing you did, it felt like the times I scored in the 240's as far as marking and how comfortable I felt during the exam. I was wrong again.

 

[Nonam22]

Asking for a friend.. Seriously.. Has anyones permits disappeared from taking step july 2?

 

[Newyawk]

lmao, just... lmao. I forgot why I spend more time on reddit than SDN.

i was gonna say i feel bad for him, but then i realized he still did well enough to do any field, hes just being bitter because he didnt meet his own elitist expectations. No pity from me.

 

[jpmiz]

My permit just disappeared! I took it on on 7/6. Definitely getting nervous now

 

[Dr. Shrimp]

Also took it 7/6 and my permit is gone

 

[BurnedOut]

There's an amazing thread on the radiology board by a PD at a top program. detailing his algarithm for how they select interviews. They add step 1 and step 2 scores and use the sum in algorithm that combines with other metrics to give a ranking system. Essentially they cap maximum value of the two scores to not give extra weight to high achievers. 250+ 250 = 500, 255+255 = 510, but a 270 + 270 will still equal like a 515 and not 540. There's essentially no difference at the top level of scores so it's really not something to worry about.

havent seen the thread and dont know why a "pd @ a top program" would waste his time on a radiology forum, but i know of multiple non-radiology programs that do care. it may be that the pd of that one program, is still bitter about his own results or feels intimidated by the level of knowledge the super high scorers bring to the table? how can any sane person who understands usmle assume that 2 scores are even similar? would a 250 and a 230 be so similar that they would merit a similar consideration? or 230 and 210... but then also 210 and a 190... score differences of that magnitude do matter.

all this bs about the high scorers being sub-par human beings etc.... that's not something we tend we see even here sdn or on reddit. we have 250+ scorers acting in a most bizarre fashion and never even bothering to answer any of your questions asking for advice and 260+ scorers and the rare 270+ scorers always answering your every single question and leaving priceless recommendations/material for those who havent yet taken the test... bet that it's the same thing anywhere you go. a person with a 260 + deserves the recognition for the achievement and anyone who doesnt take the score into account is doing so due to personal reasons whatever they are. also, what is a "top" program. a "top" radiology program would see many 250s.... but quite likely even more 260+s.

 

[Rahas]

I guess vaccinate for Rabies.

 

[Gurby]

I guess vaccinate for Rabies.

What about the risk of causing autism though?

 

[Furan]

havent seen the thread and dont know why a "pd @ a top program" would waste his time on a radiology forum, but i know of multiple non-radiology programs that do care. .

No you don't, because they don't exist. There's an inherent level of randomness in the USMLE tests that is very clearly defined by their confidence interval, and even explicitly stated in their score reports. Standardized testing is utilized to define a basic level of competency that each program deems necessary for their program; some places this is 210, others it's 250, but there is not a single program in this country where every resident is above 260 (and certainly not because they had a shortage of these applicants).

As someone that scored above 260 I wish it was this easy, but it's not. Spreading misinformation like this only discredits the useful information on SDN.

 

[jpmiz]

I would say vaccinate too since bats are one of the high risk animals and bites may not be noticed even if there is one

 

[FitnessDoc]

Hey guys, just a few days out now. Scores:
NBME16 244
NBME18 242
NBME19 250
UWSA 2 258
Free 120 90%

Anyone wanna guess at where I can possibly land on gameday?

Felt horrible after the exam but ended up in low 250's

 

[BurnedOut]

No you don't, because they don't exist. There's an inherent level of randomness in the USMLE tests that is very clearly defined by their confidence interval, and even explicitly stated in their score reports. Standardized testing is utilized to define a basic level of competency that each program deems necessary for their program; some places this is 210, others it's 250, but there is not a single program in this country where every resident is above 260 (and certainly not because they had a shortage of these applicants).

As someone that scored above 260 I wish it was this easy, but it's not. Spreading misinformation like this only discredits the useful information on SDN.

on a match list that i saw 2 years in a row all applicants were ranked 100 % based on their usmle scores (1 particular specialty). i also happen to have quite a few resident friends in other programs (same specialty) who have told me the same thing. last year you would have been ranked close to the top, right after the 2 guys who had 270+ with a few others with a 260+. step 2 scores werent even listed, it was a simple excel sheet.

also, pls read my post carefully before you delve into what standardized testing is and is not and what programs look into. of course most programs across the country dont even see 270/260+ score applicants. just see it for what it is: people are hiring folks to work with. your personality is assumed to be competitive. very, very few people act like a-holes when interviewing. so how do you tell who is the right fit for you? have you been always right about your first impression? if i were a PD, i too would look no further. grades are an easy and reliable way to screen applicants in ultra-competitive fields.

also a basic level of competency is a very vague definition. if you pass you fulfill that basic level. i bet a good number of students would probably pass without doing a single usmle question bank about half way through m2.

so you think a hypothetical matchup of step1/step 2 scores of 270+/270+ (very rare) and 250+/250+ is equivalent? giants exist, buddy... also, whatever makes you think that all folks make up things on an anonymous forum.

 

[Mantis_TobogganMD]

mind sharing a more detailed writeup of your prep? did you do anything M1 or during the year for M2 alongside class studies? what was your dedicated like?

Prior to dedicated I really focused on doing well in classes. You need to have a really good foundation before dedicated. Second semester of second year I did the Kaplan qbank and rewatched pathoma and sketchy micro.
During dedicated I went through FA ~3 times and went through pathoma again. I did 80 UWorld questions a day, re-did my incorrects and kept doing random blocks up until my test day.

This may sound obvious, but make sure to make time for yourself during dedicated. I took one day off during the week and took evenings off except for flashcards.

PM me if you have more questions; I’m happy to give some advice.

 

[StormRising]

NBME 13: 215
NBME 18: 223
NBME 19: 225
UWSA 2: 234

Took Step 1 today and I honestly feel like I'm going to get 200s. At this point, I just want to pass

 

[Step2myLou]

NBME 13: 215
NBME 18: 223
NBME 19: 225
UWSA 2: 234

Took Step 1 today and I honestly feel like I'm going to get 200s. At this point, I just want to pass

A lot of people feel like that post exam. You probably did better than you expect! Anything suggestions you have for future test takers?

 

[21Rush12]

NBME 13: 215
NBME 18: 223
NBME 19: 225
UWSA 2: 234

Took Step 1 today and I honestly feel like I'm going to get 200s. At this point, I just want to pass

Trust your prep! If you broke 230 on UW2 you’ll break it on the real deal. Congrats on finishing!

 

[BurnedOut]

This comment screams insecurity

so anything that doesnt cater to your wishful thinking screams insecurity?

 

[couch456]

Taking Step 1 in two weeks, need some advice on a lack of progress.

I took the free 120 back in April to get a feel for the exam and scored 79%.

I took a CBSE through my medical school the first week of June to get a baseline and scored 245.
I then started my dedicated, have been using B&B, did all of the UWorld qbank, Kaplan qbank, and sketchy for micro.

After three weeks of studying, the first week of July, I scored 246 on NBME 17.
After almost three more weeks, this week, I scored 246 again on NBME 18.


So... all in all... after 6 weeks of really hardcore studying my score has not moved anywhere.... from June 7th (245 on CBSE) to July 24th (246 NBME 18). The only section I'm consistently scoring low on is anatomy, does anyone have any advice how to improve this section? I've really memorized all of the anatomy in first aid but consistently score poorly on it, what other resources for it are high yield?

 

[21Rush12]

Taking Step 1 in two weeks, need some advice on a lack of progress.

I took the free 120 back in April to get a feel for the exam and scored 79%.

I took a CBSE through my medical school the first week of June to get a baseline and scored 245.
I then started my dedicated, have been using B&B, did all of the UWorld qbank, Kaplan qbank, and sketchy for micro.

After three weeks of studying, the first week of July, I scored 246 on NBME 17.
After almost three more weeks, this week, I scored 246 again on NBME 18.


So... all in all... after 6 weeks of really hardcore studying my score has not moved anywhere.... from June 7th (245 on CBSE) to July 24th (246 NBME 18). The only section I'm consistently scoring low on is anatomy, does anyone have any advice how to improve this section? I've really memorized all of the anatomy in first aid but consistently score poorly on it, what other resources for it are high yield?

246 on NBME 18 is excellent, you’re making progress but these test score scales just aren’t great.

 

[tetanitoxin]

Hey guys, got my step score back last week and wallowed for a bit before posting, but here goes:
UWSA1: 251
UWSA2: 245
NBME 18: 246
Real deal USMLE: 232
In retrospect, definitely should've done more NBMEs, but since all my practice exams were so close together and I didn't feel like I learned much from taking the NBMEs, I skipped out on these. Pretty devastated, was thinking worst case scenario I'd hit at least a 240 and was hopeful for a 250, but nothing to do now. My interests at this point were either academic IM with fellowship after or maybe OBGYN depending how rotations go. As a DO student, do you guys still think these are reasonable to continue for or should I be looking more into a backup? I have some research experience (3 posters, 2 of which placed, but no publications). I know community IM is definitely still on the table, but not sure I'd want to be a hospitalist forever. Thanks for the advice!

 

[Furan]

Hey guys, got my step score back last week and wallowed for a bit before posting, but here goes:
UWSA1: 251
UWSA2: 245
NBME 18: 246
Real deal USMLE: 232
In retrospect, definitely should've done more NBMEs, but since all my practice exams were so close together and I didn't feel like I learned much from taking the NBMEs, I skipped out on these. Pretty devastated, was thinking worst case scenario I'd hit at least a 240 and was hopeful for a 250, but nothing to do now. My interests at this point were either academic IM with fellowship after or maybe OBGYN depending how rotations go. As a DO student, do you guys still think these are reasonable to continue for or should I be looking more into a backup? I have some research experience (3 posters, 2 of which placed, but no publications). I know community IM is definitely still on the table, but not sure I'd want to be a hospitalist forever. Thanks for the advice!

Academic IM is definitely still on the table, but you'll likely need to settle for less desirable locations. OB/Gyn you're still in great shape. Keep pumping out research, work hard on Step 2, and you'll have no trouble matching a place that fits your goals.

 

[21Rush12]

Hey guys, got my step score back last week and wallowed for a bit before posting, but here goes:
UWSA1: 251
UWSA2: 245
NBME 18: 246
Real deal USMLE: 232
In retrospect, definitely should've done more NBMEs, but since all my practice exams were so close together and I didn't feel like I learned much from taking the NBMEs, I skipped out on these. Pretty devastated, was thinking worst case scenario I'd hit at least a 240 and was hopeful for a 250, but nothing to do now. My interests at this point were either academic IM with fellowship after or maybe OBGYN depending how rotations go. As a DO student, do you guys still think these are reasonable to continue for or should I be looking more into a backup? I have some research experience (3 posters, 2 of which placed, but no publications). I know community IM is definitely still on the table, but not sure I'd want to be a hospitalist forever. Thanks for the advice!

I agree 100% with @Furan, I know it’s disappointing compared to the practice NBMEs but you’re still in good shape to pursue what you’re interested in.

 

[Gurby]

Hey guys, got my step score back last week and wallowed for a bit before posting, but here goes:
UWSA1: 251
UWSA2: 245
NBME 18: 246
Real deal USMLE: 232
In retrospect, definitely should've done more NBMEs, but since all my practice exams were so close together and I didn't feel like I learned much from taking the NBMEs, I skipped out on these. Pretty devastated, was thinking worst case scenario I'd hit at least a 240 and was hopeful for a 250, but nothing to do now. My interests at this point were either academic IM with fellowship after or maybe OBGYN depending how rotations go. As a DO student, do you guys still think these are reasonable to continue for or should I be looking more into a backup? I have some research experience (3 posters, 2 of which placed, but no publications). I know community IM is definitely still on the table, but not sure I'd want to be a hospitalist forever. Thanks for the advice!

I'm so sorry... What do you think happened? You mention more NBME's - do you think you just got lucky on 3 the practice tests you took? Was performance anxiety a factor, etc?

 

[tetanitoxin]

I'm so sorry... What do you think happened? You mention more NBME's - do you think you just got lucky on 3 the practice tests you took? Was performance anxiety a factor, etc?

Thanks for the encouragement guys. I know this probably isn't what you want to hear, but I honestly have no idea what happened. I was anxious during the test, but figured everyone is and didn't think that that would be my downfall, but maybe it was. I've always considered myself to be a pretty good standardized test taker and usually score above my practice test scores (on the MCAT and SAT). Timing wasn't an issue for me, I had tons of time leftover. I think maybe I got lucky on all the practice tests, because taking the practice tests I never felt good about them until I saw my score and was always pleasantly surprised. I felt pretty bad about the USMLE leaving it as well, but since I had felt that way during my practice tests I figured that it would all work out. I'm glad to know my goals are still attainable though, as I wasn't gunning for anything super competitive, but am definitely discouraged that I'll now have to really up my app in other areas and look outside the programs I was really set on trying for. I find out how I did on COMLEX thursday, and if I really underscored that too, I'd maybe chalk it up to anxiety, but not really sure where I went wrong at this point.

 

[Step2myLou]

Hey guys, got my step score back last week and wallowed for a bit before posting, but here goes:
UWSA1: 251
UWSA2: 245
NBME 18: 246
Real deal USMLE: 232
In retrospect, definitely should've done more NBMEs, but since all my practice exams were so close together and I didn't feel like I learned much from taking the NBMEs, I skipped out on these. Pretty devastated, was thinking worst case scenario I'd hit at least a 240 and was hopeful for a 250, but nothing to do now. My interests at this point were either academic IM with fellowship after or maybe OBGYN depending how rotations go. As a DO student, do you guys still think these are reasonable to continue for or should I be looking more into a backup? I have some research experience (3 posters, 2 of which placed, but no publications). I know community IM is definitely still on the table, but not sure I'd want to be a hospitalist forever. Thanks for the advice!

Congrats! That is a very respectable score and would love to be in your shoes! Do you have any comments on what you thought of the exam and any suggestions for future test takers? Thanks!

 

[tetanitoxin]

Congrats! That is a very respectable score and would love to be in your shoes! Do you have any comments on what you thought of the exam and any suggestions for future test takers? Thanks!

Thanks! If I had any advice for future test takers, I would say try to give yourself some wiggle room between your practice exams and what score you need for what you want to do. I knew I wasn't gunning for anything competitive and my practice scores were going well, so during the last couple weeks I think I slacked off and wasn't as worried about improving anymore since I was very happy with where I was score wise. However, you never know what will happen on test day and it's easy to underscore on the real thing. So try to keep pushing and improving as much as possible all the way to the end and avoid getting complacent.

 

[gucciaka2pac]

What time do scores get released on Wednesday?

 

[jpmiz]

What time do scores get released on Wednesday?

Usually around 11 am eastern

 

[The.Supinator]

Well its been a great ride, the step was doable!

NBME 15: 205 (2 months out)
NBME 13: 236
NBME 16: 236
NBME 17: 224
NBME 18: 232 4 days out
NBME 19: 224
UWSA1: 241
UWSA2: 237

Game Day: 232

The exam is a lot of prep so start early and master the material early, good luck to all and see you all in step 2 side.

 

[breezy16]

Well its been a great ride, the step was doable!

NBME 15: 205 (2 months out)
NBME 13: 236
NBME 16: 236
NBME 17: 224
NBME 18: 232 4 days out
NBME 19: 224
UWSA1: 241
UWSA2: 237

Game Day: 232

The exam is a lot of prep so start early and master the material early, good luck to all and see you all in step 2 side.

Wow, thats spot on your average (minus your pre-dedicated score)
Great job, man. It's finally over!!

 

[jpmiz]

I’m devastated. I scored thirty points below my practice test average. A 207. I’m a DO and I’m worried al my options are gone but family med

 

[The.Supinator]

Wow, thats spot on your average (minus your pre-dedicated score)
Great job, man. It's finally over!!

Thanks man! I appreciate it, and yes FINALLY!

 

[Gurby]

I’m devastated. I scored thirty points below my practice test average. A 207. I’m a DO and I’m worried al my options are gone but family med

Brutal. I'm so sorry. Do you have any thoughts about what went wrong?

 

[jpmiz]

Brutal. I'm so sorry. Do you have any thoughts about what went wrong?

I can’t think of anything. I wasn’t stressed, I didn’t have any problem on timing. I have no idea how this could happen. I never thought it could. I’m at a loss for what to do now

 

[Step2myLou]

Well its been a great ride, the step was doable!

NBME 15: 205 (2 months out)
NBME 13: 236
NBME 16: 236
NBME 17: 224
NBME 18: 232 4 days out
NBME 19: 224
UWSA1: 241
UWSA2: 237

Game Day: 232

The exam is a lot of prep so start early and master the material early, good luck to all and see you all in step 2 side.

Congrats on the score!! Mind doing a brief write-up on what you used and any advice for future test takers? Thank you!