USMLE Official 2018 Step 2 CK Experiences and Scores Thread

[Qester]

As 2018 approaches and people are starting to rev up for their CK studying I figured I would start the 2018 Step 2 CK Experiences and Scores Thread.

As always please follow all of the forum / NBME / USMLE etc.. rules and regulations when posting.


My dedicated starts tomorrow, have about 6 weeks to study over the holidays. Hoping for a 250 +, scored a 26x on step 1.

Good luck to everyone taking the exam in 2018!

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[sss2g2]

Need advice. Scheduled for step II next friday.

Uworld Form 1 (2 weeks ago): 251
Uworld Form 2 (1 week ago): 244
NBME 7 today: 224

My goal was upper 240's/250.

Should I delay? I'm a little burnt out but could delay one week. Not sure if it's worth it. My gave over NBME 7 this afternoon to see whether my mistakes were knowledge gaps or dumb mistakes d/t fatigue

NBME's are notoriously known to be vastly harsh with the curve. I say you average out your UWSA's and that is what your scores should be. Just go over your incorrects on the NBME's and you should be good to go! Good luck.

 

[504196]

You know yourself better than anyone, so take responses here with a grain of salt. I personally think you should take the exam on Friday. I got the exact same scores as you on UWSA1 and 2, and actually did a little worse on NBME 7 (218). I'm also taking CK on Friday. But I have no intention of moving my test date back. A lot of people, myself included, do a lot worse on the NBMEs (especially 7) than the UWSAs. What's more, looking at the people who report their scores online, it seems that most people's CK scores seem to fall somewhere around their UWSA scores. Search on here, Reddit, and other med school forums and you'll see this trend with almost everyone who reports their scores.

I definitely understand the concern. I took NBME 7 a couple weeks ago; it shook my confidence pretty badly, and it took a few days of doing well on UWorld to feel better. What you should do is look at the score reports for the UWSAs and the NBME. Find out which topics you're consistently weaker on and focus a little more on them leading up to the exam. You may get some peace of mind knowing you're hitting your weak points.

Overall, I don't think you should let NBME 7 discourage you. It really seems like it's trash as far as score prediction is concerned. You are most likely ready to take this exam, but you have to go in to it with confidence. Dust yourself off, study hard for the next week, and go into test day knowing you did really well on both UWSAs; you will probably hit your goal score based on that.

Thanks so much for sharing that, I really needed it. I'm taking it Friday. Best of luck to you!

 

[LeSteptaker]

I promised myself that I would write a detailed write-up when I got my result so here it comes,

Background: IMG from Europe
Step 1: 262
Dedicated study time: around 3 months
Step 2: 277

I would like to start by saying that the most important predictor of your score is your background knowledge that you accumulate during medical. I have always been a top 5% med student throughout and that probably helped me the most. Regardless, unlike Step 1 this time I followed the SDN by heart regarding which sources to read throughout the rotations. Instead of using my own schools resources, I strictly adhered to what AMGs have been using throughout the rotations and I absolutely loved it. Shout out to @Antiochos for his recommendations which I found at Step 2 CK 2016 thread, they were absolutely gold. I highly recommend to anyone who would like to go beyond 270 to read that one as well.

Resources throughout my final year in medical school:
Our final year is incredibly busy but I tried to stick by these resources for our schools written exam, and I think they helped me a lot for CK.

IM, I start by using SUTM. I didn't like its format and found it somewhat Goljan RRR which didn't work good for me and switched to IM Essentials by ACP. I absolutely loved IM Essentials. Incredibly high-yield and it comes with extra 500 nicely written questions. I wish I didn't waste anytime with SUTM. I supplemented some topics with OME videos which are great too. I tried OME questions but didn't like them much honestly. Their cases are fine but you could easily find that kind of info in UW.

Surgery: DeVirgilio is golden. Again another amazing book recommended by Antiochos. Very high yield. Definitely recommended. Pestana was also good for a quick review.

Pediatrics: I first started with BRS Peds and found somewhat boring but at the end of my prep I realized that book contained all the info that I needed. I switched to Kaplan LN pediatrics after BRS but didn't like it very much tbh. I should have sticked with BRS peds

OB&GYN: I did Case Files OB&GYN and FA OB&GYN. Retrospectively neither was adequate and throughout my late prep, I realized I was a little bit behind the curve in the OBGYN thus tried to supplement it with Blueprints OBGYN. I loved Blueprints for OBGYN and think that it is high-yield for the exam. I would have sticked with Blueprints for my rotation. I also did UWise OBGYN questions, I think it gave me a slight more confidence in questions

Psychiatry: I did both Lange Q&A, and FA Psych. I think both covered pretty much everything and have no regrets regarding my Psych prep for the exam.

I didn't use FA for Step 2 CK. I don't think CK is a good exam to prepare with an FA like book. I did briefly looked at MTB and felt that those books are absolutely trash. They lack big time in terms of completeness, and definitely don't recommend to anyone.
Dedicated period;

QBanks:

I first did Kaplan QBank in my dedicated : First pass, random, 74%. Unlike others, I liked this QBank and it solidified my rotation. They were updating all the questions while I was doing it so it was not outdated at all. I tried to UpToDate any concepts that I didn't know, and ended up UpToDating (reading the Summary&Recommendation part) a lot of topics while doing this QBank.

UWorld: First pass, random, 88%. As always, this QBank is gold. I was slightly worried that I won't have second-pass chance when I started doing this but I didn't end up regretting doing it only once. For IMGs, I would suggest doing additional QBank instead of going UW twice if you think you are aiming 260+.


Self-assessments:

NBME8 (5 weeks till the exam): 269
UWSA1 (3 weeks till the exam): 281
UWSA2 (2 weeks till the exam): 281


Exam day: I felt some of my blocks were phenomenal but then towards the last blocks I was pretty bad. I didn't think that additional 1 hour would hit me that much but towards the end I couldn't think straight. Retrospectively, I would have done something to increase my stamina like Kaplan Self-assessments etc.

Post-exam feelings: After the exam I remembered around 9-10 50/50 mistakes and felt horrible couldn't wait until the scores are released. Regardless, I ended up doing pretty well. I would say the exam curve is very lenient, and score-wise you would get much more than you would get for Step 1 with the same exam performance.

Thanks for everyone who have generously contributed to this thread that helped me prepare a lot. In an effort of generosity, I would like to help in terms of tutoring small number of IMGs for free (AMGs are free to contact as well but I think I can relate with IMGs better in terms of their hurdles and everything). I am no professional but am a good test-taker and can help with couple of tricks with CK.

Feel free to contact me with any questions!

 

[Army guy]

3 months for step 2??? That’s awesome!

I promised myself that I would write a detailed write-up when I got my result so here it comes,

Background: IMG from Europe
Step 1: 262
Dedicated study time: around 3 months
Step 2: 277

I would like to start by saying that the most important predictor of your score is your background knowledge that you accumulate during medical. I have always been a top 5% med student throughout and that probably helped me the most. Regardless, unlike Step 1 this time I followed the SDN by heart regarding which sources to read throughout the rotations. Instead of using my own schools resources, I strictly adhered to what AMGs have been using throughout the rotations and I absolutely loved it. Shout out to @Antiochos for his recommendations which I found at Step 2 CK 2016 thread, they were absolutely gold. I highly recommend to anyone who would like to go beyond 270 to read that one as well.

Resources throughout my final year in medical school:
Our final year is incredibly busy but I tried to stick by these resources for our schools written exam, and I think they helped me a lot for CK.

IM, I start by using SUTM. I didn't like its format and found it somewhat Goljan RRR which didn't work good for me and switched to IM Essentials by ACP. I absolutely loved IM Essentials. Incredibly high-yield and it comes with extra 500 nicely written questions. I wish I didn't waste anytime with SUTM. I supplemented some topics with OME videos which are great too. I tried OME questions but didn't like them much honestly. Their cases are fine but you could easily find that kind of info in UW.

Surgery: DeVirgilio is golden. Again another amazing book recommended by Antiochos. Very high yield. Definitely recommended. Pestana was also good for a quick review.

Pediatrics: I first started with BRS Peds and found somewhat boring but at the end of my prep I realized that book contained all the info that I needed. I switched to Kaplan LN pediatrics after BRS but didn't like it very much tbh. I should have sticked with BRS peds

OB&GYN: I did Case Files OB&GYN and FA OB&GYN. Retrospectively neither was adequate and throughout my late prep, I realized I was a little bit behind the curve in the OBGYN thus tried to supplement it with Blueprints OBGYN. I loved Blueprints for OBGYN and think that it is high-yield for the exam. I would have sticked with Blueprints for my rotation. I also did UWise OBGYN questions, I think it gave me a slight more confidence in questions

Psychiatry: I did both Lange Q&A, and FA Psych. I think both covered pretty much everything and have no regrets regarding my Psych prep for the exam.

I didn't use FA for Step 2 CK. I don't think CK is a good exam to prepare with an FA like book. I did briefly looked at MTB and felt that those books are absolutely trash. They lack big time in terms of completeness, and definitely don't recommend to anyone.
Dedicated period;

QBanks:

I first did Kaplan QBank in my dedicated : First pass, random, 74%. Unlike others, I liked this QBank and it solidified my rotation. They were updating all the questions while I was doing it so it was not outdated at all. I tried to UpToDate any concepts that I didn't know, and ended up UpToDating (reading the Summary&Recommendation part) a lot of topics while doing this QBank.

UWorld: First pass, random, 88%. As always, this QBank is gold. I was slightly worried that I won't have second-pass chance when I started doing this but I didn't end up regretting doing it only once. For IMGs, I would suggest doing additional QBank instead of going UW twice if you think you are aiming 260+.

I also did nearly half of CMS (I wish I had time to do all) and 2 NBMEs (I wish I had done NBME 6 as well). I found IM and Peds CMS slightly outdated and not identical to the exam but others were pure gold. Highly recommend it.

Self-assessments:

NBME8 (5 weeks till the exam): 269
UWSA1 (3 weeks till the exam): 281
UWSA2 (2 weeks till the exam): 281

CMSes were ranging around 90% but can't remember all of them honestly.

Exam day: I felt some of my blocks were phenomenal but then towards the last blocks I was pretty bad. I didn't think that additional 1 hour would hit me that much but towards the end I couldn't think straight. Retrospectively, I would have done something to increase my stamina like Kaplan Self-assessments etc.

Post-exam feelings: After the exam I remembered around 9-10 50/50 mistakes and felt horrible couldn't wait until the scores are released. Regardless, I ended up doing pretty well. I would say the exam curve is very lenient, and score-wise you would get much more than you would get for Step 1 with the same exam performance.

Thanks for everyone who have generously contributed to this thread that helped me prepare a lot. In an effort of generosity, I would like to help in terms of tutoring small number of IMGs for free (AMGs are free to contact as well but I think I can relate with IMGs better in terms of their hurdles and everything). I am no professional but am a good test-taker and can help with couple of tricks with CK.

Feel free to contact me with any questions!

 

[sss2g2]

I promised myself that I would write a detailed write-up when I got my result so here it comes,

Background: IMG from Europe
Step 1: 262
Dedicated study time: around 3 months
Step 2: 277

I would like to start by saying that the most important predictor of your score is your background knowledge that you accumulate during medical. I have always been a top 5% med student throughout and that probably helped me the most. Regardless, unlike Step 1 this time I followed the SDN by heart regarding which sources to read throughout the rotations. Instead of using my own schools resources, I strictly adhered to what AMGs have been using throughout the rotations and I absolutely loved it. Shout out to @Antiochos for his recommendations which I found at Step 2 CK 2016 thread, they were absolutely gold. I highly recommend to anyone who would like to go beyond 270 to read that one as well.

Resources throughout my final year in medical school:
Our final year is incredibly busy but I tried to stick by these resources for our schools written exam, and I think they helped me a lot for CK.

IM, I start by using SUTM. I didn't like its format and found it somewhat Goljan RRR which didn't work good for me and switched to IM Essentials by ACP. I absolutely loved IM Essentials. Incredibly high-yield and it comes with extra 500 nicely written questions. I wish I didn't waste anytime with SUTM. I supplemented some topics with OME videos which are great too. I tried OME questions but didn't like them much honestly. Their cases are fine but you could easily find that kind of info in UW.

Surgery: DeVirgilio is golden. Again another amazing book recommended by Antiochos. Very high yield. Definitely recommended. Pestana was also good for a quick review.

Pediatrics: I first started with BRS Peds and found somewhat boring but at the end of my prep I realized that book contained all the info that I needed. I switched to Kaplan LN pediatrics after BRS but didn't like it very much tbh. I should have sticked with BRS peds

OB&GYN: I did Case Files OB&GYN and FA OB&GYN. Retrospectively neither was adequate and throughout my late prep, I realized I was a little bit behind the curve in the OBGYN thus tried to supplement it with Blueprints OBGYN. I loved Blueprints for OBGYN and think that it is high-yield for the exam. I would have sticked with Blueprints for my rotation. I also did UWise OBGYN questions, I think it gave me a slight more confidence in questions

Psychiatry: I did both Lange Q&A, and FA Psych. I think both covered pretty much everything and have no regrets regarding my Psych prep for the exam.

I didn't use FA for Step 2 CK. I don't think CK is a good exam to prepare with an FA like book. I did briefly looked at MTB and felt that those books are absolutely trash. They lack big time in terms of completeness, and definitely don't recommend to anyone.
Dedicated period;

QBanks:

I first did Kaplan QBank in my dedicated : First pass, random, 74%. Unlike others, I liked this QBank and it solidified my rotation. They were updating all the questions while I was doing it so it was not outdated at all. I tried to UpToDate any concepts that I didn't know, and ended up UpToDating (reading the Summary&Recommendation part) a lot of topics while doing this QBank.

UWorld: First pass, random, 88%. As always, this QBank is gold. I was slightly worried that I won't have second-pass chance when I started doing this but I didn't end up regretting doing it only once. For IMGs, I would suggest doing additional QBank instead of going UW twice if you think you are aiming 260+.

I also did nearly half of CMS (I wish I had time to do all) and 2 NBMEs (I wish I had done NBME 6 as well). I found IM and Peds CMS slightly outdated and not identical to the exam but others were pure gold. Highly recommend it.

Self-assessments:

NBME8 (5 weeks till the exam): 269
UWSA1 (3 weeks till the exam): 281
UWSA2 (2 weeks till the exam): 281

CMSes were ranging around 90% but can't remember all of them honestly.

Exam day: I felt some of my blocks were phenomenal but then towards the last blocks I was pretty bad. I didn't think that additional 1 hour would hit me that much but towards the end I couldn't think straight. Retrospectively, I would have done something to increase my stamina like Kaplan Self-assessments etc.

Post-exam feelings: After the exam I remembered around 9-10 50/50 mistakes and felt horrible couldn't wait until the scores are released. Regardless, I ended up doing pretty well. I would say the exam curve is very lenient, and score-wise you would get much more than you would get for Step 1 with the same exam performance.

Thanks for everyone who have generously contributed to this thread that helped me prepare a lot. In an effort of generosity, I would like to help in terms of tutoring small number of IMGs for free (AMGs are free to contact as well but I think I can relate with IMGs better in terms of their hurdles and everything). I am no professional but am a good test-taker and can help with couple of tricks with CK.

Feel free to contact me with any questions!

Congratulations and thank you so much for your input. I am an IMG would like to ask for your help on how to best tackle this exam. Sending you a PM.

 

[Azmahkiani]

I am an IMG pursuing dermatology residency

Step 1: 256
Step 2: 260

Just got the results today.
Is this still possible ? Should I switch to IM?

You are definitely on par with your scores for derm. We just don't know the rest of your application. Do you have any usce? Any derm related research? What's your yog? These factors will differentiate you from other applicants.

 

[504196]

Any good sources for quick bioethics review? Taking test in 2 days. Just need a light review. Read FA step I bioethics section?

 

[lcdman]

I am a European IMG, working as a researcher in the US, so I was preparing in the evenings after work, for about 3 months. Dedicated study time was 4 days on the week of the exam. I could only go through UWorld once in this time and I didn't have the time to do NBMEs.
Step 1 in December was 242, UWSA1 263, UWSA2 262. The real exam (May 4th) seemed way more difficult, I botched even easy questions and had a hard time. The results came today, 250. Better than what I expected after the exam, at least. I'm planning to go for the alternate pathway in Radiology, so there's still hope.

Good luck everybody!

 

[Azmahkiani]

Sorry
Updated :
I am an IMG pursuing dermatology residency

Step 1: 256
Step 2: 260

Just got the results today.
Is this still possible ? Should I switch to IM?

I graduated at the top of my class in 2016 with a 4.0 GPA, honors in all clinical rotations and was the valedictorian of my medical class.
I am currently pursuing an observership in the US to gain US LORs and hopefully a research year if possible to get some publications

It's not unheard of to land a residency with those stats but the chances are way lower compared to im. If you really want derm and don't mind the possibility of not matching next year then go for it.

You can definitely land im with those stats.

 

[barrelofmonkeys]

Just checked my score report (5/4 exam) and thought I'd share. I'm consistently terrible at NBME exams (see past Step I post) and want to give hope to those who are worried. I took 4 weeks of dedicated study time and went through a second pass of UWorld (first pass was during clerkships) in timed, random blocks for an average of ~80%.

NBME 6 (12 days out): 226
NBME 7 (9 days out): 226
UWorld Self-Assessment 1 (2 days out): 269
Step 2 CK: 256

I really only used UWorld supplemented by FA Step 1 for reference. I didn't feel like buying a new textbook, and it was also nice to review charts and diagrams I had already memorized before.

It's hard to articulate how the real exam felt because it was mostly an exhausting blur. There was a nice spread of gimmies, super-convoluted-just-guess-something questions, and ones that I didn't get the first time and left blank but went back after the block and figured out. I felt ok immediately after the exam, and then the usual post-exam dread starting building up on the drive back home. Remembered about 10-12 questions I wasn't sure of that I looked up and got wrong.

I would say that what helped me tremendously was building up my endurance by going through 4-5 UWorld blocks without breaks at home. By the end of my dedicated period, I could regularly finish a UWorld block with 20 minutes to spare. On the real exam, I consistently had 10 minutes left to go back to the few questions I'd skipped. On the real test, trick yourself into believing that every answer you put down is 100% correct - it really helps with morale. Also I'd suggest leaving the 2 part questions for last because if you get the first question wrong it feels really ****ty and sets you up poorly for the rest of the block.

Happy to answer any questions!

 

[sss2g2]

Just checked my score report (5/4 exam) and thought I'd share. I'm consistently terrible at NBME exams (see past Step I post) and want to give hope to those who are worried. I took 4 weeks of dedicated study time and went through a second pass of UWorld (first pass was during clerkships) in timed, random blocks for an average of ~80%.

NBME 6 (12 days out): 226
NBME 7 (9 days out): 226
UWorld Self-Assessment 1 (2 days out): 269
Step 2 CK: 256

I really only used UWorld supplemented by FA Step 1 for reference. I didn't feel like buying a new textbook, and it was also nice to review charts and diagrams I had already memorized before.

It's hard to articulate how the real exam felt because it was mostly an exhausting blur. There was a nice spread of gimmies, super-convoluted-just-guess-something questions, and ones that I didn't get the first time and left blank but went back after the block and figured out. I felt ok immediately after the exam, and then the usual post-exam dread starting building up on the drive back home. Remembered about 10-12 questions I wasn't sure of that I looked up and got wrong.

I would say that what helped me tremendously was building up my endurance by going through 4-5 UWorld blocks without breaks at home. By the end of my dedicated period, I could regularly finish a UWorld block with 20 minutes to spare. On the real exam, I consistently had 10 minutes left to go back to the few questions I'd skipped. On the real test, trick yourself into believing that every answer you put down is 100% correct - it really helps with morale. Also I'd suggest leaving the 2 part questions for last because if you get the first question wrong it feels really ****ty and sets you up poorly for the rest of the block.

Happy to answer any questions!

Congratulations!! How much of FA for Step 1 did you have to use. What topics would you say to review. Any other advice on how to prepare for this test in retrospect. Also that is a massive jump between NBME and UWSA

 

[EL823]

Took my exam on May 4. Received my score yesterday:

NBME 6: 258
NBME 7: 235
NBME 8: 256
UWSA#1: 261
UWSA#2: 262

Step 2: 262

I used Doctors In Training (definitely was overkill, but I used it for Step 1 and didn’t want to change) and went through Uworld a second time.

 

[barrelofmonkeys]

Congratulations!! How much of FA for Step 1 did you have to use. What topics would you say to review. Any other advice on how to prepare for this test in retrospect. Also that is a massive jump between NBME and UWSA

I spent an hour going through each page in FA and placing post-it notes on concepts that I didn’t know well enough and needed to review. Basically skipped the nitty gritty of the Biochem and Micro sections, you def don’t need to know those topics in such detail for Step 2.

I would say to focus on knowing cold the main 3-4 characteristics of specific diseases. Wiskott-Aldrich? You should instantly recall thrombocytopenia, eczema, recurrent infections. Membranous glomerulonephritis? Associated with SLE, Hep B, solid tumor. What would help me identify a certain disease from all others? Memorize that. Also if a disease has a specific treatment (ie vitamin A for APML), know those too - these are easy questions to get right. For any “next step” questions, if the patient is hemodynamically stable and not actively dying, the best answer is usually something less invasive and diagnostic, like imaging studies. I also made Anki cards for concepts I noticed I was getting repeatedly wrong in UWorld and reviewed those every other day. By the end of dedicated I had about 300 cards and took a couple of hours going through them.

Most of the Step 2 exam is going through a long, confusing stem and identifying 3-4 characteristics that lead to the correct diagnosis/next step. Much of the time the question itself isn’t difficult; the test writers just present the material in a very convoluted way and you have a minute and a half to figure it out.

In hindsight, would probably have not taken the NBMEs...cost:benefit ratio is too high. Hope this helps!

 

[alstigy]

My biggest problem with CK like most people is the length of the vignette. Would it be a good idea if I bought a month subscription of Rx just to stimulate a full 8 block test a week before the exam or should I just do uworld blocks? I've done uworld 2.5x

I bought Rx for the same reason during step 1 and it really helped me gain stamina, did 2 full stimulation tests 2 weeks before the real deal.

 

[sss2g2]

I spent an hour going through each page in FA and placing post-it notes on concepts that I didn’t know well enough and needed to review. Basically skipped the nitty gritty of the Biochem and Micro sections, you def don’t need to know those topics in such detail for Step 2.

I would say to focus on knowing cold the main 3-4 characteristics of specific diseases. Wiskott-Aldrich? You should instantly recall thrombocytopenia, eczema, recurrent infections. Membranous glomerulonephritis? Associated with SLE, Hep B, solid tumor. What would help me identify a certain disease from all others? Memorize that. Also if a disease has a specific treatment (ie vitamin A for APML), know those too - these are easy questions to get right. For any “next step” questions, if the patient is hemodynamically stable and not actively dying, the best answer is usually something less invasive and diagnostic, like imaging studies. I also made Anki cards for concepts I noticed I was getting repeatedly wrong in UWorld and reviewed those every other day. By the end of dedicated I had about 300 cards and took a couple of hours going through them.

Most of the Step 2 exam is going through a long, confusing stem and identifying 3-4 characteristics that lead to the correct diagnosis/next step. Much of the time the question itself isn’t difficult; the test writers just present the material in a very convoluted way and you have a minute and a half to figure it out.

In hindsight, would probably have not taken the NBMEs...cost:benefit ratio is too high. Hope this helps!

Thank you so much!

 

[carbonic_anhydrase]

I haven’t taken the test yet but wanted to share my experience so far with you bc I was in the same boat. I finished 3rd year with about 65% of uworld done and took nbme 6, got about 205. Then I took a 4 week light elective and finished uworld. Took UWSA 1: 238. So I think it’s possible to raise your score quite a bit by the end of May as you finish up uworld

Posting some update-1 month after
I got 203 on Nbme 6,I finished uworld with 63% correct.
Nbme 8 -226
UWSA 1 -240
Uwsa 2 -237
Exam next week.
Praying for 240!!


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[goal270]

Posting some update-1 month after
I got 203 on Nbme 6,I finished uworld with 63% correct.
Nbme 8 -226
UWSA 1 -240
Uwsa 2 -237
Exam next week.
Praying for 240!!


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

I have the EXACT same scores as you, except I didn't give NBMEs. My exam's next week too!! Lets hope all goes well for both of us!

 

[electrolight]

Goal score 250+
Step 1: 243
Nbme 6 228
Uwsa1 240
Uworld first pass 65%

3 weeks to go. I'm really hoping to jump up and peak last minute.

 

[Dr.Jekyll75]

Would you guys still recommend doing NBMEs? ive noticed they have been underpredicting a majority of people. Should i just stick to the two uwsa ?

 

[LeSteptaker]

Would you guys still recommend doing NBMEs? ive noticed they have been underpredicting a majority of people. Should i just stick to the two uwsa ?

I would still do it as additional question sets yet wouldn't rely on NBME's prediction for my score as it underpredicts. UWSAs are more accurate in terms of score prediction.

 

[carbonic_anhydrase]

I just used nbme as a learning tool to better understand my weak areas,but didn’t pay attention to scores(but first nbme 6 fail was frustrating though )


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[Dr.Jekyll75]

I just used nbme as a learning tool to better understand my weak areas,but didn’t pay attention to scores(but first nbme 6 fail was frustrating though )


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

I would still do it as additional question sets yet wouldn't rely on NBME's prediction for my score as it underpredicts. UWSAs are more accurate in terms of score prediction.

I suppose I should take one then. so this is going to sound neurotic but Did you guys redo uworld after finishing all your shelf’s ? I’m doing everything on timed and random I’m hitting btw 65-80% on each block. My test is in four weeks and I only have two of those weeks as dedicated the other two are in radiology you think I should push it back? my uwsa 1 I got a 242 and that was last Sunday, trying to get a 250


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[A$AP]

Sorry
Updated :
I am an IMG pursuing dermatology residency

Step 1: 256
Step 2: 260

Just got the results today.
Is this still possible ? Should I switch to IM?

I graduated at the top of my class in 2016 with a 4.0 GPA, honors in all clinical rotations and was the valedictorian of my medical class.
I am currently pursuing an observership in the US to gain US LORs and hopefully a research year if possible to get some publications

Every year US grads with scores/grades higher than that go unmatched in derm. It is insanely competitive, and the other very competitive specialties (optho, plastics, IR, urology, etc) are along the same vein. As an IMG, it's gonna be 3x harder right off the bat. I'm not gonna say it's impossible for an IMG to match, but I would point you toward the derm match thread on this forum where experienced people say, well, pretty much that it is. If you really really really want it, then obviously take your shot. But it would be cruel to let a fellow student do so without giving fair warning

 

[Jay2910]

What order should I be taking these practice NBME?

 

[Azmahkiani]

What order should I be taking these practice NBME?

6,7,8

 

[Mass_Effect]

What order should I be taking these practice NBME?

NBME 7 is the toughest so maybe that one last.

 

[Azmahkiani]

NBME 7 is the toughest so maybe that one last.

I like a bit of a confidence boost near my exam and taking nbme 7 will most likely ruine your mojo.

 

[Phe0chroma]

Mostly lurker here trying to get a handle on things before I get too deep into the month. Only have 3 weeks left and have taken 2 NBMEs and completed 30% of UW as a second pass so far (first pass on untimed tutor 73%).

NBME 6: 209 (36 wrong)
NBME 7: 235 (32 wrong)

I was ecstatic about the second NBME today until I saw that I got 32 wrong (doesn't seem like a huge improvement). I've also noticed my UW avg on my second pass isn't going up much even though I'm reading MTB and secrets in the evenings. I have been reading specific sections of MTB and then don't see those sections improving when I do UW the next day (ie. spent 2 days on OB and that was my lowest scoring section on NBME 7). Any advice on what I should be doing?

 

[Azmahkiani]

Mostly lurker here trying to get a handle on things before I get too deep into the month. Only have 3 weeks left and have taken 2 NBMEs and completed 30% of UW as a second pass so far (first pass on untimed tutor 73%).

NBME 6: 209 (36 wrong)
NBME 7: 235 (32 wrong)

I was ecstatic about the second NBME today until I saw that I got 32 wrong (doesn't seem like a huge improvement). I've also noticed my UW avg on my second pass isn't going up much even though I'm reading MTB and secrets in the evenings. I have been reading specific sections of MTB and then don't see those sections improving when I do UW the next day (ie. spent 2 days on OB and that was my lowest scoring section on NBME 7). Any advice on what I should be doing?

Seems like you are right on track. Don't worry too much about nbme 7. Just keep doing what you are doing and take nbme 8 next week or one of the uwsa.

 

[Mass_Effect]

Just did UWSA 1 and got a 252 (really surprised about the result based on how I felt when I was taking it)... hoping for a >250 on the real deal in 4 weeks!
What do ya'll recommend I do for the next 4 weeks? I'm currently reviewing OME and the UWSA 1... gonna do UWSA 2 in 2ish weeks.
I think my biggest problem is making stupid mistakes... any tips on how to avoid these?

 

[swishhh11]

I did UWSA 2 and scored 237 but I had already taken it the month before, I didn't review it or looked up questions I could remember that had given me trouble so I'm not sure if it's over predicting my score or not :/ anyone else having this problem?
My test is this week but I don't know if I should extend or not.

 

[Dr. So Strange]

Hi Guys,

I am a foreign grad who recently received his step 1 score, which was a bummer 228 . I am taking the CK in around 5-6 months, I really need to be 270+ which sounds impossible given my step 1 score, what is the best approach to get such a high score ?

 

[eggvmd]

Did anyone take the exam on May 7th and still didn’t get the score ??? I’m so frustrated...

 

[womanofscience]

Did anyone take the exam on May 7th and still didn’t get the score ??? I’m so frustrated...

Received the notification email at 1045am last Wednesday. You may also find your scores if your school posts that information on your med school online portal....

 

[Virgo32]

UWSA 1 216
UWSA 2 212
NBME 8 213
what should I do? I have only 2 weeks left for real exam and I took all SA.

 

[Azmahkiani]

UWSA 1 216
UWSA 2 212
NBME 8 213
what should I do? I have only 2 weeks left for real exam and I took all SA.

When did you take these?

 

[Virgo32]

When did you take these?

UWSA 1 and 2 in March. NBME 8 today.

 

[Azmahkiani]

UWSA 1 and 2 in March. NBME 8 today.

Ya tbh you need to sit down and figure out whats going wrong with your strategy. You should have improved plenty of you are studying since March. Look at your assessments and figure out your weak areas and hit them first. I don't really know what your study plan is so that's all I can say atm.

 

[Virgo32]

Ya tbh you need to sit down and figure out whats going wrong with your strategy. You should have improved plenty of you are studying since March. Look at your assessments and figure out your weak areas and hit them first. I don't really know what your study plan is so that's all I can say atm.

thanks for your help. really appreciated. I have used only UW.

 

[Dr.Jekyll75]

thanks for your help. really appreciated. I have used only UW.

Have you watched OME at all ?

 

[Iloveolives]

Hey guys!
Exam on Monday, freaking out. Any input would be appreciated!

Step 1 score - 248
NBME 6 (May 4) - 232
NBME 8 (May 17) - 239
UWSA form 1 (May 28) - 260
UWSA form 2 (May 30) - 260
NBME form 7 (May 30) - 237

I'm an IMG and aiming for a 250. Think it's possible or should I postpone?

 

[Azmahkiani]

Hey guys!
Exam on Monday, freaking out. Any input would be appreciated!

Step 1 score - 248
NBME 6 (May 4) - 232
NBME 8 (May 17) - 239
UWSA form 1 (May 28) - 260
UWSA form 2 (May 30) - 260
NBME form 7 (May 30) - 237

I'm an IMG and aiming for a 250. Think it's possible or should I postpone?

You got this! Trust your assessment scores.

 

[Iloveolives]

You got this! Trust your assessment scores.

My NBME score are what worry me most!

 

[mj2323]

My NBME score are what worry me most!

A lot of people would die to score the way you are scoring right now. UWSAs are most predictive so go with that score. If you think you have peaked, take the exam ASAP.

 

[alstigy]

Hey guys!
Exam on Monday, freaking out. Any input would be appreciated!

Step 1 score - 248
NBME 6 (May 4) - 232
NBME 8 (May 17) - 239
UWSA form 1 (May 28) - 260
UWSA form 2 (May 30) - 260
NBME form 7 (May 30) - 237

I'm an IMG and aiming for a 250. Think it's possible or should I postpone?

You're good for Monday, both of your uwsa are consistent which give a closer value to the real exam. NBME 7 is known to be highly under predictive, I'm not even going to do that test.

If I were you I'd go right the test now!

 

[LeSteptaker]

Hey guys!
Exam on Monday, freaking out. Any input would be appreciated!

Step 1 score - 248
NBME 6 (May 4) - 232
NBME 8 (May 17) - 239
UWSA form 1 (May 28) - 260
UWSA form 2 (May 30) - 260
NBME form 7 (May 30) - 237

I'm an IMG and aiming for a 250. Think it's possible or should I postpone?

NBMEs are likely underpredicting, I would go ahead with the test based on the assessments. You'll likely get 250+

 

[Virgo32]

Have you watched OME at all ?

no, I didn't.

 

[Dr.Jekyll75]

no, I didn't.

id recommend. it sounds like you need to build up your foundation a bit. but watching ome may set you back for testing though... theres a ton of videos. I watched his stuff during 3rd year clerkship to understand common presentation and pathophys basics

 

[Jay2910]

The UWSA . . .do they have answer explanations? Or not?

 

[alstigy]

The UWSA . . .do they have answer explanations? Or not?

Yes, they do.