USMLE Official 2019 Step 1 Experiences and Scores Thread

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getfat said:
Finally finished my first pass of Uworld. 63%. And that was 48th percentile. Was averaging low 70s near the end.

21 Days out from Step 1. Feeling like I could actually pass this thing lol.

Hoping to finish 2nd pass of Uworld over the span of two weeks. So approximately 200 Qs per day. Tough but doable.
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you're definitely going to pass it that is a legit concern.. get going!
 
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EspressoDrip42 said:
According to all the recent write ups on reddit, it seems like the new nbme's aren't all that better in simulating the actual exam than the old ones. Every single write up has been "UW and the free 120 are the closest thing to the real deal".
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Took it yesterday, can confirm.
 
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EMG123 said:
Took it yesterday, can confirm.
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Do you recommend not even taking the new ones then? I have 3 weeks left. Was planning on doing UW2, 18, and 23. Then doing the free 120 in the week leading up to the actual exam. If I can save 60 bucks per that’d be ideal
 
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AnatomyGrey12 said:
Yeah my buddy took it yesterday and said the same thing. That the NBME's aren't really close even though 23 is probably closest, and UW2 is easily the most representative of what it feels like.
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Did he say anything about the free 120? I did so much better on the free 120 than uwsa2 and my exam is in 3 days. Just trying to keep some confidence after that free 120
 
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Guys, calm down about figuring out which is most predictive or whatever. You made your test date and almost certainly aren't going to push it back 3 weeks if you are getting a 230 on practice tests instead of a 250. You guys need some confidence. You put the time in and you will get what you get. The NBMEs are garbage. Do UW and trust it. What you get on a practice test today doesn't have anything to do with next week after you have presumably kept studying hard.

Less worrying/talking and more grinding. Let's go, fellas.
 
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Yeah this whole predictive business is meh. All the NBME's are tilted towards something (like 20 is heavy on immuno, 23 is heavy on anatomy and embryo etc) and you'll do better on some and worse on others. All these count for nothing if you mess up or ace the test. Also now that people are like "uworld 2 and 18 are predictive so imma take them last" is a self fulfilling prophecy as in of course the ones you take closest to your actual test will be taken with a similar level of knowledge...

That being said, just took 23 and dropped 12 points from 20. Life sucks.
 
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just wanted to ramble about a trend ive noticed with my uworld progression as i hit the exact 1k mark for questions completed.

i think its interesting that my # of marked questions (anything im not 10000% sure about) has not really changed at all and stays around 15-18 q/block, but my % correct has gone up a lot within those marked questions (50% to 80+%) probably due to 1) pattern recognition and 2) increasing my time leftover for review so i get more thinking time where it counts

imo, a lot of it has to do with generalizing small details into larger concepts so i can eliminate more answer choices and make more logical assumptions. asking yourself what concept a question may want to test is soo much easier than trying to answer the actual question.
for example:
  • - CCK results in smooth muscle contraction so it probably signals via IP3 because calcium
  • - an anti-inflammatory immunotherapy in RF is probably targetting proinflammatory cytokines like TNFa or IL-1
  • - bronchiectasis, berry aneurysms, diverticula are literally all the same mechanism just in different organ systems - weakness of vessel walls due to something (nectrotizing inflam, unique structure, wall stress etc.) which all relates back to laplaces law that tension will increase with radius.
  • - a random band of tissue is connecting to the umbilicus causing bloody stools in a neonate, what is it made of? I had no clue, but i know they are testing false vs true gi diverticula if one of the answer choices has muscularis in it. neonate = probably meckel's

on the flipside, there are 8 or so questions every block that are purely testing memorization - typically pharm or micro. i've gone from having 5 minutes tops at the end of a block to review, all the way to 15+ minutes just based on reading the last 2 sentences first -> skimming answers -> highlighting the parts of the question more selectively.
for example:
  • - blah blah blah, 5 sentences and a whole bunch of labs only for the second to last sentence to say "he was started on sertraline, what is the most likely side effect he will experience?" ... sexual dysfunction
  • - blah blah blah, 5 sentences on a complicated hospital course then "gram negative diplococci. what is the next step for close contacts/family members" ... rifampin
 
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AnatomyGrey12 said:
Yeah my buddy took it yesterday and said the same thing. That the NBME's aren't really close even though 23 is probably closest, and UW2 is easily the most representative of what it feels like.
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I only did 21 and 22 out of the new set, but 21 was definitely closer to the real thing than 22. I also had an exact diagram from 17, so I wouldn't completely count the old one's out either. I think your plan looks like a good one, good luck!
 
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AnatomyGrey12 said:
Yeah my buddy took it yesterday and said the same thing. That the NBME's aren't really close even though 23 is probably closest, and UW2 is easily the most representative of what it feels like.
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Yeah I agree, it took me a block to get the nerves out but after that it was similar to UW2. I had 3 hard blocks, 3 okay blocks, and 1 really easy block, but that probably depends on individual strengths and weaknesses.
 
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Is there a way to view a list of all the questions with corrects/incorrects marked on your past NBMEs? Or do you have to go through the questions 1 by 1, section by section to review? Was hoping for a nice bird's eye view of my results.
 
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NecrotizingFasciitis said:
Is there a way to view a list of all the questions with corrects/incorrects marked on your past NBMEs? Or do you have to go through the questions 1 by 1, section by section to review? Was hoping for a nice bird's eye view of my results.
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If you find it let me know. I've had the same problem I literally have to get a piece of paper out to write down the ones I get wrong. Yet another reason NBMEs are ridiculous
 
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You have to go question by question. Thankfully the new NBMEs let you start at the beginning and go all the way through it sequentially so thankfully there is that but no there isn't a page that lets you see everything like what you're describing.
 
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If you're taking 18, testpirates has all the questions w/ answers typed up. I just printed that out (11 ish pages) and went through the exam one by one and marked which ones I got right and which ones I missed. Then studied from the packet. Don't think the new nbmes have answers written up on that website though.
 
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EspressoDrip42 said:
If you're taking 18, testpirates has all the questions w/ answers typed up. I just printed that out (11 ish pages) and went through the exam one by one and marked which ones I got right and which ones I missed. Then studied from the packet. Don't think the new nbmes have answers written up on that website though.
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Id be careful. some of those explanations were incorrect.
 
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libertyyne said:
Id be careful. some of those explanations were incorrect.
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Oh yeah, I noticed that. Never really used the explanations. Just the list of Qs w/ answers as a print out. I found it more efficient to go through the exam and review it that way.
 
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sunshinefl said:
Y’all paying fees to move yours up a day, and I’m here checking availability because it’s the last day I can *push back* my test for free. Feeling like I need every day.
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I ended up pushing mine 2 weeks forward (max possible without paying the NBME). Can't stand the thought of being screenbound for longer. June 4!
 
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sunshinefl said:
Y’all paying fees to move yours up a day, and I’m here checking availability because it’s the last day I can *push back* my test for free. Feeling like I need every day.
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I feel this... It's tough a tough balance between coming to grips that I truly wont learn everything vs the more time will actually improve my score and not ruin my sanity
 
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sunshinefl said:
Y’all paying fees to move yours up a day, and I’m here checking availability because it’s the last day I can *push back* my test for free. Feeling like I need every day.
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i regret moving mine to the last day possible. The last few days have not been very productive and I feel like I have been losing my edge.
 
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Diphyllobothrium latum said:
Thoughts on propranolol for test day anxiety? Thinking of making a trial with 10mg before I start UWSA2 tommorow
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I recommend getting some good, hard exercise in the day before so you get a good night's sleep. Drink some tea. Close your eyes and do some breathing exercises before each block. Take frequent breaks (if that works for you). You'll do fine.

It's rarely a good idea to introduce meds at the last moment.
 
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For those who have taken UWSA2 and form 18, did you feel like the style of the tests were similar? Or are these very different but just so happen to work out to be predictive?
 
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libertyyne said:
i regret moving mine to the last day possible. The last few days have not been very productive and I feel like I have been losing my edge.
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The mental toil is real. While it's easy to feel like we're bleeding knowledge and focus, I think when we sit down and start on Friday morning it will be all systems go and everything will come back.

WE'VE GOT THIS.
 
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Diphyllobothrium latum said:
Thoughts on propranolol for test day anxiety? Thinking of making a trial with 10mg before I start UWSA2 tommorow
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Well, I have asthma so it’s contraindicated lol.

But I agree with @libertyyne, I wouldn’t want to blunt the natural sharpness.
 
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would you all take nbme 18 or 23 as your last nbme? Already doing uwsa2 for predictor, so idk if it would be redundant to do 18 too (since its also known as a predictor)
 
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Diphyllobothrium latum said:
Thoughts on propranolol for test day anxiety? Thinking of making a trial with 10mg before I start UWSA2 tommorow
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I would only take it if your anxiety is actually impairing your performance...which it [probably] isnt with those scores 😉
i slept for 0 hours the night before the MCAT and had 0 mental fatigue - I attribute that purely to the sympathoadrenal surge of test day anxiety.

also the initial lethargy/fatigue associated with a new course of propranalol lasts at least a week from what ive seen in people our age.
 
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Guess I'm gonna listen to all you guys and back off from taking propranolol. I suppose with such a long exam, the jitters you get walking in the test center should be gone half an hour into this right?

Edit: So tired I put a double negative in there and didn't even notice. The burnout is real.

FindersFee5 said:
Holy ****. 268.

Will be writing a very extensive writeup this weekend, but just gonna be happy for now.

Also let's discuss how the new score reports are are ****ing worthless. Literally just says 'same' in every category. Thanks for that, NBME.
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Absolutely killed it! Definitely a well deserved score!
 
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TheVagooseIsLoose said:
I would encourage you to focus more on your weak points and incorrects instead of a complete second pass of Uworld. Now is the time to review your data from the first past, see where you are weak, and hammer that content down with pathoma/anki/sketchy/w.e. That and regular practice exams. Possibly new questions in Kaplan/Amboss/USMLERx if you feel up to it, but be careful. As this thread shows, burnout is real and it sucks ass. Managing your emotions and workload is important.
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Sorry for late reply. Thanks for taking the time to critique my idea. I thought about it and I decided to follow a similar idea.

So new plan for next 18 days. Focus on my weak points. Which looks like Immunology, Biochem, Biostats and Physiology. I'm planning on taking NBME 18 on Sunday. So i'm going to spent the next four days in that order.
263740

263739

Based on my break down probably going to focus only subjects that i'm below 50th percentile right now. Which is honestly alot haha.
 
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One thing I was debating was doing only Uworld questions on subjects that i was deficient in. So for example, do 40 blocks of biochemistry only.

Has anyone done something similar? I'm worried it might be as helpful as timed random style I did during the first pass.
 
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getfat said:
One thing I was debating was doing only Uworld questions on subjects that i was deficient in. So for example, do 40 blocks of biochemistry only.

Has anyone done something similar? I'm worried it might be as helpful as timed random style I did during the first pass.
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I’m still on my first pass for uw but I do this for Kaplan each day for my weak subjects on tutor mode. Just to get pattern recognition down.
 
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getfat said:
One thing I was debating was doing only Uworld questions on subjects that i was deficient in. So for example, do 40 blocks of biochemistry only.

Has anyone done something similar? I'm worried it might be as helpful as timed random style I did during the first pass.
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I did this for most of my first pass of UWorld (timed) & thought it was really helpful for subject review. You'll probably get destroyed at first (if it is a truly deficient area) but it's really satisfying at the end when you have reviewed a lot of the relevant material & are starting to score a lot better in an area you were previously bombing.

IMO it's a good idea. Might wanna throw in the occasional set of 10 on random/untimed to break up monotonous studying to keep you on your toes/thinking about all the systems.
 
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getfat said:
Sorry for late reply. Thanks for taking the time to critique my idea. I thought about it and I decided to follow a similar idea.

So new plan for next 18 days. Focus on my weak points. Which looks like Immunology, Biochem, Biostats and Physiology. I'm planning on taking NBME 18 on Sunday. So i'm going to spent the next four days in that order.
View attachment 263740
View attachment 263739
Based on my break down probably going to focus only subjects that i'm below 50th percentile right now. Which is honestly alot haha.
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You could definitely get bio stats biochem and behavioral science up. Boards and beyond for biochem and behavioral science and the YouTube videos for stats. I also bought the uworld biostats questions and those were really good.
 
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redsox93 said:
You could definitely get bio stats biochem and behavioral science up. Boards and beyond for biochem and behavioral science and the YouTube videos for stats. I also bought the uworld biostats questions and those were really good.
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What all does UW biostats come with?
 
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Hey all, if you only had time to do 5-6 of the NBMEs/UWSAs, which ones would you choose? Right now I’m thinking of dropping UW1 and NBME20 and/or 24.

May still use UW1 for questions if I finish up UW with extra time to spare if it is one I choose to drop.

Thanks!
 
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tf21594 said:
Took the test today! The exam is very fair. only a few questions left me completely lost. Y'all are gonna do great! I'd be happy to answer any questions or anything about the exam!
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Anything you would have done differently in your studying?
 
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tf21594 said:
Took the test today! The exam is very fair. only a few questions left me completely lost. Y'all are gonna do great! I'd be happy to answer any questions or anything about the exam!
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we only get so much time. Did you skip the tutorial to get extra time? If so, was the interface similar enough to uworld that you weren’t lost?
 
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Been lurking on this forum for a while, just got my score back today (took exam on 5/3) and wanted to share my experiences and relieve some anxiety for people who are doing fine in UWorld but unhappy with their NBME's. I didn't kill step, but my NBME's were way lower than what Uworld was putting me at. For some reason, NBME's and I never clicked, and I am still mystified how people do so well on them. I'm going against the grain on SDN when I say this, but NBME's are trash. Short, often unclear and vague questions with no explanations to the answers, curves steeper than the grand canyon, and $60 a pop. I felt they were not representative of my ability and I finally have proof lol.

Here's my scores, my goal was 240 but I'm happy with a score above 220
Real thing - 237
NBME 18 (3 weeks out) - 211
NBME 21 (2 weeks out) - 217
NBME 20 (1.5 weeks out) - 221
NBME 22 (1 week out) - 221
Free 120 (1ish week out) - 84%
UWSA2 (1 week out) - 243
UWSA1 (a few days out) - 262
UWorld - 70%, only had time to get through about half of it though and was averaging upper 70's for my blocks by the end

Overall, my exam was very fair. The questions themselves mostly felt like UWorld with a hint of NBME. They're generally shorter than UWorld, but much more clear than NBME. It also targeted a couple of random topics pretty heavily that I'm glad I went over. Obviously FA was a must, but there were some questions that were literally right out of Pathoma, I also can't talk up sketchy pharm or micro enough, I was able to either immediately pick the right answer and move on or narrow down answers because I could picture the drawings. I also bleed Anki and made my own cards from FA, pathoma and sketchy and UWorld and reviewed those pretty much every day without fail, which helped a ton.

More than happy to answer any questions, keep plugging along everyone and go slay this thing!
 
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