USMLE Official 2018 Step 1 Experiences and Scores Thread

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correct me if I am wrong but I thought the whole changing the question pool thing started earlier or does it start in May.. can't remember what I read in the email.. but I do remember the July 11th date for all scores coming out
 
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Pityriasis Rosea said:
PS. About the MCAT. Remember they sent us that email that for the very few first test dates, they are raising our scores because they assume that people who opt to take the new exam so early do not represent that normal population of test takers? That was nice of them.
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Wait is this real? I was one of those people and did not get any such email...
 
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orangetea said:
correct me if I am wrong but I thought the whole changing the question pool thing started earlier or does it start in May.. can't remember what I read in the email.. but I do remember the July 11th date for all scores coming out
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Step 1 – Delay in score reporting
Posted: January 24, 2018

Most score reporting of Step 1 results occurs within four weeks of testing. However, because of necessary modifications to the test item pool, there will be a delay in reporting for some examinees who test beginning the week of May 7, 2018. The target date for reporting Step 1 scores for most examinees testing the week of May 7 through early June will be Wednesday, July 11, 2018. For examinees whose circumstances require that they receive Step 1 scores before July 11, 2018, it is recommended that they take Step 1 no later than May 4, 2018.

Although the transition will occur quickly at many test centers, there may be some locations where the changes take slightly longer to complete. The overall transition period will likely last approximately 6 weeks. Please note that scores on new and old exam forms will be comparable.
 
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Lannister said:
Wait is this real? I was one of those people and did not get any such email...
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I just found the announcement

Step 1 – Delay in Score Reporting


Most score reporting of Step 1 results occurs within four weeks of testing. However, because of necessary modifications to the test item pool, there will be a delay in reporting for some examinees who test beginning the week of May 7, 2018. The target date for reporting Step 1 scores for most examinees testing the week of May 7 through early June will be Wednesday, July 11, 2018. For examinees whose circumstances require that they receive Step 1 scores before July 11, 2018, it is recommended that they take Step 1 no later than May 4, 2018.

Although the transition will occur quickly at many test centers, there may be some locations where the changes take slightly longer to complete. The overall transition period will likely last approximately 6 weeks. Please note that scores on new and old exam forms will be comparable.

Examinees should monitor the USMLE website for the latest information.
 
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orangetea said:
I just found the announcement

Step 1 – Delay in Score Reporting


Most score reporting of Step 1 results occurs within four weeks of testing. However, because of necessary modifications to the test item pool, there will be a delay in reporting for some examinees who test beginning the week of May 7, 2018. The target date for reporting Step 1 scores for most examinees testing the week of May 7 through early June will be Wednesday, July 11, 2018. For examinees whose circumstances require that they receive Step 1 scores before July 11, 2018, it is recommended that they take Step 1 no later than May 4, 2018.

Although the transition will occur quickly at many test centers, there may be some locations where the changes take slightly longer to complete. The overall transition period will likely last approximately 6 weeks. Please note that scores on new and old exam forms will be comparable.

Examinees should monitor the USMLE website for the latest information.
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Haha sorry I meant the MCAT thing! I definitely saw that step 1 email, gonna have to wait five weeks for my score.
 
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I think they did this last year as well from what I remember from my friends taking the exam. This is normal and it isn't necessarily a whole new test pool but like someone said above, its just using a few different questions and taking some out.

One of our professors explained it as though we would never even know if they did this without telling us because the test pool is so large anyways that no one would know that they ever changed any questions.
 
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Take my test on Friday, here's what I'm workin with
NBME 15- 238 (6 weeks ago)
16- 252
17-259
18- 255
UWSA2 (2 days ago)- 266

Any advice on what I should do the next few days? Do I need to take another practice test? Is the Free 120 worth it?
Thank you for any advice!!
 
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Ok I just took my UWSA2 (first exam) and got a 235 - exam is in 5 weeks. How realistic is a 260+? I'm a bit surprised that getting 71% on a Uworld exam is "average" but getting 70+% on random blocks is almost 10% above average. Am I missing something or is the curve on UWSA2 kinda rough?
 
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frenchyn said:
What is your thought on whether I should try to finish 3-4 more old NBME on top of the current ones versus doing Kaplan 2-3 weeks before step 1? Thanks🙂
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Old NBMEs for sure. You're likely to get at least a few very similar - if not verbatim - questions from the NBMEs on your real test. A lot of Kaplan questions are sorta out of left field and some of their explanations contradict UWorld. If you don't want to take the whole test in a day then you can just do individual blocks at a time and treat the NBMEs like another Qbank.
 
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where do people get the old NBME's from... if anybody wants to hook it up that would be cool
 
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HybridEarth said:
Ok I just took my UWSA2 (first exam) and got a 235 - exam is in 5 weeks. How realistic is a 260+? I'm a bit surprised that getting 71% on a Uworld exam is "average" but getting 70+% on random blocks is almost 10% above average. Am I missing something or is the curve on UWSA2 kinda rough?
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I wonder if people tend to take UWSA2 closer to the actual test, meaning they're better prepared than they were when they were doing the qbank?
 
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Lannister said:
I'm also trying to figure out what NBMEs to take, and in what order. It sounds like UWSA2 is one of the better predictors so maybe make time for that?
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Uworld sim 2, NBME 16, 17,13 were all within 4 points of my actual score. Uworld sim 2 and 17 overpredicted, 16 and 13 underpredicted. I took all NBME's and uworld sims during my dedicated period. The scores of NBME's/uworld simulations compared to the real deal will vary for everyone. But if you're looking for the best preparation (not for best score prediction per se), do the lower ones earlier and higher ones later. This is because the later NBME's have questions that are more similar to the real exam
 
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First Aid 2018, page 190 says monobactams have "no cross-allergenicity with penicillins," but then it says that their clinical use is "for penicillin-allergic patients."

Can someone clear this up?
 
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banana_pancakes said:
Uworld sim 2, NBME 16, 17,13 were all within 4 points of my actual score. Uworld sim 2 and 17 overpredicted, 16 and 13 underpredicted. I took all NBME's and uworld sims during my dedicated period. The scores of NBME's/uworld simulations compared to the real deal will vary for everyone. But if you're looking for the best preparation (not for best score prediction per se), do the lower ones earlier and higher ones later. This is because the later NBME's have questions that are more similar to the real exam
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That's good to know, thanks! Right now my plan is to pretty much take them in order, but I might take 19 before 15-18 just because I don't want to take it two days before my test and score a 200 haha. Plus I'm hoping that taking it in the middle of dedicated will get me motivated to keep studying, since I'm sure I'll be a little burnt out two weeks from now.
 
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Lannister said:
That's good to know, thanks! Right now my plan is to pretty much take them in order, but I might take 19 before 15-18 just because I don't want to take it two days before my test and score a 200 haha. Plus I'm hoping that taking it in the middle of dedicated will get me motivated to keep studying, since I'm sure I'll be a little burnt out two weeks from now.
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I think that's a great plan! I think most students should do that with NBME 19- you don't want to feel disheartened the week before your exam. I also took uworld sim 1 the week before my test because I heard it over predicted, so I thought getting a great score close to the exam might help the nerves
 
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Foot Fetish said:
First Aid 2018, page 190 says monobactams have "no cross-allergenicity with penicillins," but then it says that their clinical use is "for penicillin-allergic patients."

Can someone clear this up?
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I think this means that if you are allergic to penicillin, you won't be allergic to monobactams (like is the case with cephalosporins and penicillin.)

So in a patient with penicillin allergy, you could use a monobactam.

Someone please correct me if I am wrong.
 
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Lannister said:
:help: Less than five hours into dedicated and I'm already slacking off.
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Hey do you have a general idea of how you're tackling your day to day for dedicated? I am just trying to get a grasp of what works/doesn't work and I though I'd ask those starting their dedicated. Mine is starting soon and so far I was thinking of just reviewing FA /pathoma for a block and doing questions/ review in the afternoon.
 
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orangetea said:
Hey do you have a general idea of how you're tackling your day to day for dedicated? I am just trying to get a grasp of what works/doesn't work and I though I'd ask those starting their dedicated. Mine is starting soon and so far I was thinking of just reviewing FA /pathoma for a block and doing questions/ review in the afternoon.
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I'm approaching dedicated with more of a "what do I want to get done in these 4.5 weeks as a whole" rather than "what do I want to accomplish each day". Right now I'm doing 80 UWorld questions/day and should finish up UWorld by about halfway through dedicated. I'm also planning on watching physeo every day, as well as Sketchy. I think I'm going to try to work through physeo first, because physiology is my weakest subject so I want to make sure I get that down. Once I finish UWorld I'm just gonna keep watching Physeo and Sketchy, and I'll probably either start doing Kaplan again, or just focus on NBMEs and reading through first aid.
 
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Goljan is a great resource if you use it well in advance. The best recommendation is to start early, use 2-3 resources, commit to them early and often and you will do so well and be so happy with your preparation. I was told by very successful students, it is better to know 2-3 resources 100% than 5 resources 50%. My recommendation is use First Aid, UWorld, Pathoma, Sketchy Micro. Use those resources but respect their breadth of knowledge. You all will do so well in your studying and have fun with the process. You only do this once and it should be a fun time. Enjoy the process and you guys will be happy with your results, I promise!!
 
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"Do you guys make anki cards from NBME questions you get wrong?"

That is a great question. I know a lot of students who did, I feel that NBME is more of a mental preparation than a content preparation. Use it to simulate the environment. I think that I had zero questions from my NBME's but a few from the free practice 120 questions. If you feel deficient in those nbme questions than I would go back to First Aid on those topics rather than focus on a question you may never see again, but if you like using Anki for that reason than go for it!!
 
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Lannister said:
I'm approaching dedicated with more of a "what do I want to get done in these 4.5 weeks as a whole" rather than "what do I want to accomplish each day". Right now I'm doing 80 UWorld questions/day and should finish up UWorld by about halfway through dedicated. I'm also planning on watching physeo every day, as well as Sketchy. I think I'm going to try to work through physeo first, because physiology is my weakest subject so I want to make sure I get that down. Once I finish UWorld I'm just gonna keep watching Physeo and Sketchy, and I'll probably either start doing Kaplan again, or just focus on NBMEs and reading through first aid.
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How is physeo? Worth it to watch over boards and beyond?


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
 
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just_SAIYAN said:
How is physeo? Worth it to watch over boards and beyond?


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
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I watched some physeo along with some of my classes and it is really good and super in depth. I think it helped a lot in classes and I definitely remember a good amount from using it a while back. IMO slightly better than boards and beyond because it goes slower and has more depth.

However, I wouldn't recommend using it during dedicated unless you are weak in physiology and need to improve that aspect of your score.
 
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just_SAIYAN said:
How is physeo? Worth it to watch over boards and beyond?


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
Click to expand...

I think it's pretty decent, it helped me a lot with endocrine and repro. I agree with @Dermpire that it's only worth watching during dedicated if it's your weak spot. It's also super cheap though (always on sale, think I paid $40) so I figured even if I didn't use it a ton I might as well just buy it.
 
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Kaplan Qbank question says that the best way to confirm prostate cancer metastasis to the spine is via PSA. Can someone clarify why a bone marrow biopsy wouldn't be better to confirm metastasis? I learned the latter in class, and First Aid says biopsy > serum markers for any cancer confirmation, so I'm a bit confused...

Edit: the first aid section for prostate cancer says that PSA is still the choice for prostate cancer specifically, so I guess this is just an exclusion to the rule. Good to know
 
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SynapticDoctah said:
I think this means that if you are allergic to penicillin, you won't be allergic to monobactams (like is the case with cephalosporins and penicillin.)

So in a patient with penicillin allergy, you could use a monobactam.

Someone please correct me if I am wrong.
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Huggy said:
Cross-allergenicity refers to when a person is allergic to two separate compounds (e.g. penicillin and cephalosporins) due to an immune response targeted against a protein (i.e. beta-lactam ring) that is present in both substances.

Monobactams do not have identical structural similarity to penicillin, therefore an immune response to penicillin will not also target monobactams. Therefore, if you have a patient who is allergic to penicillin, they can safely take monobactams.
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D'oh. I simply misread it. This is what happens when you average 5 hours of sleep during finals weeks. :smack:

On the bright side, I'm now officially done with M2. It's been difficult transitioning to dedicated mode today right after a final exam. Hopefully I will be able to hit the ground running tomorrow after a proper night of sleep.
 
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HybridEarth said:
Kaplan Qbank question says that the best way to confirm prostate cancer metastasis to the spine is via PSA. Can someone clarify why a bone marrow biopsy wouldn't be better to confirm metastasis? I learned the latter in class, and First Aid says biopsy > serum markers for any cancer confirmation, so I'm a bit confused...

Edit: the first aid section for prostate cancer says that PSA is still the choice for prostate cancer specifically, so I guess this is just an exclusion to the rule. Good to know
Click to expand...

So I think the devil is in the details on this one. I think the answer is alk phos if I remember correctly and this is because it's asking specifically for METZ TO BONE (not prostate cancer in general).
 
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nanan said:
are the scores supposed to come out at different times for every one? I took mine on april 14th, it should come out today but haven't received any email yet.
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That is really weird! I took the exam on the 19th and got the score around 8:45 am Eastern time today! Perhaps they don't come out at the same time for everyone then?
 
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Nephronlearner said:
Just got my score: 257!
Turns out NBME 17, 18 and UWSA 2 are indeed very predictive; NBME 19 underpredicted by 21 for me!
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YAY!! congrats!! Sorry I missed your post when you had put down your NBME scores.. which one was the most predictive for you out of the 3?
 
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orangetea said:
YAY!! congrats!! Sorry I missed your post when you had put down your NBME scores.. which one was the most predictive for you out of the 3?
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I did NBME 13 as a diagnostic - got 219. That was after a month of review of subjects that felt very "distant" to me. That is because I have already graduated from med school and spent the 1st month to re-learn the basics of anatomy, biochemistry, neuroanatomy and immunology (basically went through the shortest review book I could find for each of them).

Then I did the "dedicated" study period using UW and FA as reference:
Did UWSA1 when I was 25% done with UW - got 239
Did NBME15 when I was 35% done with UW - got 236
NBME 16 when I was 50% done with UW - got 246
NBME 17 at 66% of UW - 255
NBME 19 at 80% of UW - 236
UWSA 2 and Free 120 at 90% of UW - 254 and 93%
NBME 18 when I finished UW - 261
 
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Anyone have an opinion on the robbins review patho qbank? Is it any good, or are there any sections that are worth doing? I rarely see them mentioned here.
 
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NBME 18: 226 (taken before dedicated)
NBME 19: 248 (1 month out)
UWSA 1+2: 269, 254 (same day 1 week out)
UWorld: 78% (avg. 87% on last 10 blocks)
Real deal: 250

Was shooting for 255+ but anxiety and insomnia prompted me to move my test date up a week (counterintuitive, I know) to avoid going too long without sleep before taking step. Left UWorld unfinished (had 220 questions remaining), and didn't take the free 120. My standardized testing history says I could have done far better on another day, but I guess I'll take 250 as a win given the god awful mental state I was in. Marked 8-11 per block, knew of 14 I for sure got wrong, probably had about 85% correct overall. Congrats to everyone who got their scores back today, and good luck to everyone taking step in the next few months! One way or another, it all ends up working out 🙂

Edit: Used almost exclusively UWorld, FA, and Sketchy Micro during dedicated. Pathoma is decent for a first pass of most organ blocks, but not nearly enough detail in many systems. Anatomy and ethical questions are a total crap shoot, not sure what resources would provide adequately preparation.
 
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Nephronlearner said:
Just got my score: 257!
Turns out NBME 17, 18 and UWSA 2 are indeed very predictive; NBME 19 underpredicted by 21 for me!
Click to expand...

Is it worth it to take 19 then or did it just mess hard with your confidence? Ive taken all the NBMEs and both Uworld assessments all have been 250+. Take the real deal on weds and was planning on taking 19 this saturday
 
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ohnotornadooo said:
NBME 18: 226 (taken before dedicated)
NBME 19: 248 (1 month out)
UWSA 1+2: 269, 254 (same day 1 week out)
UWorld: 78%
Real deal: 250

Was shooting for 255+ but anxiety and insomnia prompted me to move my test date up a week (counterintuitive, I know) to avoid going too long without sleep before taking step. Left UWorld unfinished (had 220 questions remaining), and didn't take the free 120. My standardized testing history says I could have done far better on another day, but I guess I'll take 250 as a win given the god awful mental state I was in. Marked 8-11 per block, knew of 14 I for sure got wrong, probably had about 85% correct overall. Congrats to everyone who got their scores back today, and good luck to everyone taking step in the next few months! One way or another, it all ends up working out 🙂
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amazing job!! wow if an 85% overall correlates with a 250 there is hope for me :bag:
 
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For anyone wondering about score reporting times and the scheduling permit trick, here is some info from what I've read on a few different forums and from my personal experience.

Time of day
First of all, the vast majority of people get their score at 11am eastern time. You'll be emailed by NBME and told your score report is now available online, however, you will not be emailed your score report directly. The email will just let you know that your scores will be posted very soon. Make sure the email isn't in your junk section! You will then need to login to the NBME website (where you registered for the exam) to view your score report. Some people claim their score reports were actually available on the NBME website a few minutes before they got the email... but I strongly recommend not sitting there and just clicking refresh every 30 seconds... you'll go mad!! Try and go do something fun and wait for the email, or just wait until a little after 11am eastern time and then go check the NBME website.

Third or Fourth Wednesday

Test date on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday = results on the third Wednesday (19-21 days after your test)

Test date on Saturday, Monday or Tuesday = results on the fourth Wednesday (22-25 days after your test)

My experience:
A classmate of mine took Step 1 on Friday 4/20/18, so today is her "third Wednesday" and she DID get her scores back.
I took Step 1 on Monday 4/23/18, so today is also my "third Wednesday" and I did not get my scores back.

My scheduling permit disappeared sometime last weekend (5/5/18) and I didn't get my scores back today. So it looks like that isn't very indicative.


For everyone who got their scores back today, congratulations!! I hope everyone is pleased with the results, but if you're not, try and brush it off and not let it get you down. I know that's much easier said than done, and you're certainly entitled to a day or two of being bummed out, but don't let yourself wallow in sadness or pity.

First of all, even if you didn't score as high as you wanted to/what your NBME forms predicted, you still passed Step 1 and that, in and of itself, is an accomplishment worth celebrating! You worked your tail off for weeks and months on end and you passed. You may not feel like being told congratulations right now, but congrats! You should be very proud of yourself and all the hard work you put in. Bear Bryant (college football coaching legend) once said "It's not the will to win that matters, everyone has that. It's the will to prepare to win that matters." You put in the effort and preparation and you passed an incredibly difficult examination. Not that many people in the entire world could do what you just did. Doing so wasn't always fun, let's be honest... studying for step really sucked a lot of the time, but you stuck with it because of the tenacity and drive that you have within you. You can't learn that in a classroom, and residency programs will recognize that when you apply.

Secondly, you are WAY more than just a test score, and residencies will also see that when you apply!! Your clinical grades, reviews, and faculty comments will help them see how great of a med student and person you really are.... and how great of a doctor you will be one day! You'll wow them on your acting internship, impress them on your away rotation, move them on your interview day, and then they'll be begging you to come to their residency program. Keep your chin up. Your Step 1 score doesn't define who you are.

Lastly, you have people all around you who care about you and are so incredibly proud of you and all that you've accomplished. Don't ever forget that. You are not the first, nor will you be the last, extremely talented and smart medical student to make a lower step 1 score than they wanted. You're not alone, and please don't hesitate to reach out to those around you for comfort or help. Doing so doesn't make you "weak" or "dumb" or anything of the sort. We're here for you and willing to help in anyway that we can.

Congratulations on being done with Step 1 and the first two years of medical school. Now go enjoy your clinical rotations and feeling more like a "real" doctor! 🙂
 
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howboutdemaponeuroses said:
For anyone wondering about score reporting times and the scheduling permit trick, here is some info from what I've read on a few different forums and from my personal experience.

Time of day
First of all, the vast majority of people get their score at 11am eastern time. You'll be emailed by NBME and told your score report is now available online, however, you will not be emailed your score report directly. The email will just let you know that your scores will be posted very soon. Make sure the email isn't in your junk section! You will then need to login to the NBME website (where you registered for the exam) to view your score report. Some people claim their score reports were actually available on the NBME website a few minutes before they got the email... but I strongly recommend not sitting there and just clicking refresh every 30 seconds... you'll go mad!! Try and go do something fun and wait for the email, or just wait until a little after 11am eastern time and then go check the NBME website.

Third or Fourth Wednesday

Test date on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday = results on the third Wednesday (19-21 days after your test)

Test date on Saturday, Monday or Tuesday = results on the fourth Wednesday (22-25 days after your test)

My experience:
A classmate of mine took Step 1 on Friday 4/20/18, so today is her "third Wednesday" and she DID get her scores back.
I took Step 1 on Monday 4/23/18, so today is also my "third Wednesday" and I did not get my scores back.

My scheduling permit disappeared sometime last weekend (5/5/18) and I didn't get my scores back today. So it looks like that isn't very indicative.


For everyone who got their scores back today, congratulations!! I hope everyone is pleased with the results, but if you're not, try and brush it off and not let it get you down. I know that's much easier said than done, and you're certainly entitled to a day or two of being bummed out, but don't let yourself wallow in sadness or pity.

First of all, even if you didn't score as high as you wanted to/what your NBME forms predicted, you still passed Step 1 and that, in and of itself, is an accomplishment worth celebrating! You worked your tail off for weeks and months on end and you passed. You may not feel like being told congratulations right now, but congrats! You should be very proud of yourself and all the hard work you put in. Bear Bryant (college football coaching legend) once said "It's not the will to win that matters, everyone has that. It's the will to prepare to win that matters." You put in the effort and preparation and you passed an incredibly difficult examination. Not that many people in the entire world could do what you just did. Doing so wasn't always fun, let's be honest... studying for step really sucked a lot of the time, but you stuck with it because of the tenacity and drive that you have within you. You can't learn that in a classroom, and residency programs will recognize that when you apply.

Secondly, you are WAY more than just a test score, and residencies will also see that when you apply!! Your clinical grades, reviews, and faculty comments will help them see how great of a med student and person you really are.... and how great of a doctor you will be one day! You'll wow them on your acting internship, impress them on your away rotation, move them on your interview day, and then they'll be begging you to come to their residency program. Keep your chin up. Your Step 1 score doesn't define who you are.

Lastly, you have people all around you who care about you and are so incredibly proud of you and all that you've accomplished. Don't ever forget that. You are not the first, nor will you be the last, extremely talented and smart medical student to make a lower step 1 score than they wanted. You're not alone, and please don't hesitate to reach out to those around you for comfort or help. Doing so doesn't make you "weak" or "dumb" or anything of the sort. We're here for you and willing to help in anyway that we can.

Congratulations on being done with Step 1 and the first two years of medical school. Now go enjoy your clinical rotations and feeling more like a "real" doctor! 🙂
Click to expand...
Thank you for this! Really needed a reminder of how much there is outside Step. Before starting dedicated, my school warned everyone to stay off forums like SDN, but honestly, y'all were the folks keeping me sane during the long wait. I'm mostly a lurker these days, but pretty darn grateful for this community!
 
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Nbme 19 (40 days out): 230
Nbme 17 (2 weeks out-offline): 15 wrong answers
Nbme 18 (6 days out): 250
Uworld average: 83%
Real deal: 256

It's a tough deal but hard and smart work pays off. There are of course questions you'll never be able to prepare by looking at the classic books for step1 prep, and so my advice would be to accept it. There are a set of questions that are almost impossible to simply know the answer to (unless you've skimmed every possible ethics/behavioural ecc. paper in circulation). Just focus on those that on the simulations you got wrong not because you didn't know the subject at hand, but because of fatigue/misinterpretation ended up costing you a point. Those are the ones that at the end determine a large chunk of your score.
 
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Mikeyyd34 said:
Is it worth it to take 19 then or did it just mess hard with your confidence? Ive taken all the NBMEs and both Uworld assessments all have been 250+. Take the real deal on weds and was planning on taking 19 this saturday
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I think NBME 19 is worth taking. The style of questions on my Step 1 exam felt most similar to NBME 19. I have no idea if that's the case for everyone, though! That being said, the real test had a lot more ridiculous questions (and the average question was more difficult) so the scoring curve has to be SIGNIFICANTLY more generous.
If the rest of your scores are in 250s, there is an extremely high chance your real score will be as well, regardless of what you do till the test day. If you do decide to do NBME 19 just know that it can underpredict by >20 points and don't take the score seriously; do it to see the question style (length, way of asking questions, etc)
 
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