USMLE Official 2020 Step 1 Experiences and Scores Thread

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EMDoc22

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Since one hasn't been started, figured I'd start this for all us M2s and M3s taking Step this coming year.

DO student interested in EM. Estimated test date is mid June.

Goal is 230+ but I'd be happy with 225+.

Good luck everyone!

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So my print permit button is still there but when I click, it says my permit is expired? is this the same thing as permit being gone, or do I have to wait even longer for my score.
 
So my print permit button is still there but when I click, it says my permit is expired? is this the same thing as permit being gone, or do I have to wait even longer for my score.

The permit button should disappear completely. I know some people have had theirs disappear pretty late so you could definitely still be getting your score tomorrow!
 
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same exact feeling. Zero clue how it went for me. My entire test was me never being 100% confident in my answrs
Well that makes me feel loads better lol. I thought it was a huge mind game. Gunna be a long wait for them results. Last night was the first time in weeks I actually remember dreaming. I don't think Ive slept well in the last month leading up to it. Now that its over a elephant has just been lifted off my shoulders and I can relax. Comlex on Saturday but I'm finding it hard to care lol
 
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Well that makes me feel loads better lol. I thought it was a huge mind game. Gunna be a long wait for them results. Last night was the first time in weeks I actually remember dreaming. I don't think Ive slept well in the last month leading up to it. Now that its over a elephant has just been lifted off my shoulders and I can relax. Comlex on Saturday but I'm finding it hard to care lol
Yeah i could care less about comlex lmao taking it in 2 weeks but im not gonna study for it
 
So if anyone is open to hearing my views of Step 1, I am finished with it. I kinda blacked out for about 8 hours straight. I literally cannot think of more than 2 or 3 questions total. Definitely of the style of free 120 and newer NBMEs so know those like the back of your hand. I saw maybe 1 or 2 free 120 questions and I think I recognized a repeat or two from the NBMES. Overall I don't feel great about the test but I don't feel like I tanked it either. I flagged anywhere from 8 to 13 a block. Im a slow test taker so ill usually stare at the ones I don't know until something comes to me. Doesn't leave a whole lot of time to go back through them but I had a reasoning for putting an answer down for all but two questions maybe 3 (they were just plain hard haha). Surprisingly pharm heavy. Took easy drugs and asked hard question on their MOA. Definitely doable though. I only googled a handful that I could remember and they were the kind of questions that despite googling still not 100% sure I got it lol. Immuno was out of left field at times but easy at others. People say Pathoma 1-3 is high yield. They are not kidding. Saw maybe 15 to 20 questions that were word for word from King Sattar. Overall it was a challenging test and there was a lot of questions that I was unsure of or felt like I was shooting in dark for but then again I felt like that on NBME and free 120 at times. Just more of it on step. Anxious to get my score back. I don't remember any questions which is weird but I keep getting these PTSD flashbacks and there's a Pitt in my stomach. Then it'll fade and Come back randomly in a few hours. Any advice from me, Know your nbmes and free 120 because that's the style test you're going to get. Just more challenging. Thought my stems were about the same length as them maybe a sentence or 2 more on a couple. No one liners unfortunately


Felt like an extended free120
 
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So my print permit button is still there but when I click, it says my permit is expired? is this the same thing as permit being gone, or do I have to wait even longer for my score.
You were 7/20 right? I was and permit still there.
 
Guys I just had an epiphany-im just realizing that there can be actually up to 11 questions per block of 40 of experimental questions lmao thats a crapton of points that dont count. I think thats why people think they failed when they leave. Like imagine doing a UWorld block and having 25% of the hard/ambiguous questions being thrown out
 
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Guys I just had an epiphany-im just realizing that there can be actually up to 11 questions per block of 40 of experimental questions lmao thats a crapton of points that dont count. I think thats why people think they failed when they leave. Like imagine doing a UWorld block and having 25% of the hard/ambiguous questions being thrown out
Unfortunately it isn't all hard vague questions that get thrown out. I'm pretty sure its 80 predetermined questions of varying difficulty (some easy some medium some hard) that get thrown out. They're just trying to see if they can use them next year. So if 90% of people miss it they won't use it next year and if 90 get it right they still won't use it. They don't want it to be too easy for us haha. But yeah 80/270 is roughly 28% so whatever question you have easy or hard you have a 28% chance of it not counting. I just hope the 80 that get tossed had a lot of my misses lol. I don't think there is any way to really tell how you did. You could miss the same amount as someone who got a 250 and a good chunk of his questions he missed could wind up being tossed and you could miss very few experimental questions and make a 230. It just takes a little luck and a bit of divine intervention lol
 
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Unfortunately it isn't all hard vague questions that get thrown out. I'm pretty sure its 80 predetermined questions of varying difficulty (some easy some medium some hard) that get thrown out. They're just trying to see if they can use them next year. So if 90% of people miss it they won't use it next year and if 90 get it right they still won't use it. They don't want it to be too easy for us haha. But yeah 80/270 is roughly 28% so whatever question you have easy or hard you have a 28% chance of it not counting. I just hope the 80 that get tossed had a lot of my misses lol. I don't think there is any way to really tell how you did. You could miss the same amount as someone who got a 250 and a good chunk of his questions he missed could wind up being tossed and you could miss very few experimental questions and make a 230. It just takes a little luck and a bit of divine intervention lol
fml nvm haha the most unfair exam on the planet
 
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fml nvm haha the most unfair exam on the planet
Just trust your NBME averages. Everyone ive ever heard from said their UW2 was hit or miss sometimes over predicting by up to 14 points but their NBME averages were pretty spot on within a point or two. Can't stress about it until after your score. I'm trying not to think of it lol
 
Just trust your NBME averages. Everyone ive ever heard from said their UW2 was hit or miss sometimes over predicting by up to 14 points but their NBME averages were pretty spot on within a point or two. Can't stress about it until after your score. I'm trying not to think of it lol
my nbmes were all over the place tho. my closest to my goal and closest to test day were NBME 18 which was 250 and free 120 which was 91%. All my other NBMEs were the new ones and they were in the 230s although they were taken further than 6+ weeks out but if im avging my NBMEs my avg would probably be in the 230s and ill cry if i get under a 240. Last 5 weeks of dedicated I took UWSA1 and 2 NBME 18 and free 120 and those were all near my goal score
 
my nbmes were all over the place tho. my closest to my goal and closest to test day were NBME 18 which was 250 and free 120 which was 91%. All my other NBMEs were the new ones and they were in the 230s although they were taken further than 6+ weeks out but if im avging my NBMEs my avg would probably be in the 230s and ill cry if i get under a 240
If you took them 6+ weeks out I wouldn't take much time worrying about those. Try just the ones within like a 3 to 4 week range. A lot of my knowledge and cramming came within the last few weeks so I would put more weight into the more recent ones. It sounds like you did fine. I personally have no idea how I did but I'm hopeful haha. Literally could be a 230 to a 250. My guesses need to work their magic and either Im gunna be real sad in a couple weeks or real happy but regardless its over
 
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Unfortunately it isn't all hard vague questions that get thrown out. I'm pretty sure its 80 predetermined questions of varying difficulty (some easy some medium some hard) that get thrown out. They're just trying to see if they can use them next year. So if 90% of people miss it they won't use it next year and if 90 get it right they still won't use it. They don't want it to be too easy for us haha. But yeah 80/270 is roughly 28% so whatever question you have easy or hard you have a 28% chance of it not counting. I just hope the 80 that get tossed had a lot of my misses lol
While this is true, I had one that I’m almost 100% sure was experimental. It was so absurd
 
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my nbmes were all over the place tho. my closest to my goal and closest to test day were NBME 18 which was 250 and free 120 which was 91%. All my other NBMEs were the new ones and they were in the 230s although they were taken further than 6+ weeks out but if im avging my NBMEs my avg would probably be in the 230s and ill cry if i get under a 240. Last 5 weeks of dedicated I took UWSA1 and 2 NBME 18 and free 120 and those were all near my goal score
18 is the most predictive and you killed it. I think you're gunna be just fine
 
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While this is true, I had one that I’m almost 100% sure was experimental. It was so absurd
If you read it like 5 times and still had no idea what they were talking about then there is a good chance it was experimental. But at the same time they have to try to distinguish between those people making a 270 and a 265 and that could literally be a couple questions and that's it. You're not designed to kill this test. There's going to be a bunch they don't expect you to get right. The best way to make a good score is to minimize your mistakes on the ones were supposed to get right (missing those hurt because many other students are getting it right) and getting a good chunk of the more challenging ones (which less people are getting right) The wtf questions are just that. You miss those and I doubt it effects your score at all because nobody else is getting it right either haha
 
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Yes! 11 eastern time! Right on the dot. You should be getting an email very shortly alerting you of the release
Wonderful. I’ve been in orientation all morning so idk if my permit Everr disappeared. Feel like I’m going to poop hard and vomit at the same time. Sorry if I’m a failure mom and dad
 
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Wonderful. I’ve been in orientation all morning so idk if my permit Everr disappeared. Feel like I’m going to poop hard and vomit at the same time. Sorry if I’m a failure mom and dad
same :( good luck homie! zero clue how i did. My score could literally be anything lol
 
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Wonderful. I’ve been in orientation all morning so idk if my permit Everr disappeared. Feel like I’m going to poop hard and vomit at the same time. Sorry if I’m a failure mom and dad
Felt pretty terrible too before the score release. Couldn't imagine being on rotations or having orientation. I just spent my morning before score release watching Youtubers apologize for past crazy comments.
 
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The button had not but I couldn’t access it anymore. Someone I know had said that they had seen permits disappear the day Off so I was still holding onto the hope, looks like it isn’t happening though
Ah okay. Yeah that button has to completely disappear. Man that's infuriating.
 
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lol 209......am i ****ed for IM programs?? I was hoping to do oncology eventually. Specifically lookin for non-malignant IM programs lmao
 
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lol 209......am i ****ed for IM programs?? I was hoping to do oncology eventually. Specifically lookin for non-malignant IM programs lmao
Im sure for community IM without being picky on location you should be fine man but dont quote me on that. Was that score within your confidence interval on the reddit predictor?
 
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Im sure for community IM without being picky on location you should be fine man but dont quote me on that. Was that score within your confidence interval on the reddit predictor?
I actually didn't use the predictor much cuz i realized it wasn't accurate for lower scores :/ **** me though.
 
I actually didn't use the predictor much cuz i realized it wasn't accurate for lower scores :/ **** me though.
IM is weird though it probably has the widest range of competitiveness of any specialty where the top programs are like derm and ortho competitive and the lowest tier are like peds and FM competitive. From my knowledge I dont think IM is out of reach but do not quote me. Check FRIEDA online. Also you have clerkship grades letters and Step 2 so dont get too bent out of shape. Congrats on passing one of the most difficult standardized test in the world!
 
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Recent test takers - what does the exam feel the most like? Free 120, new NBMEs, old NBMEs, UW, UWSA?
I hate saying this but my form felt like a combo of free 120 and new NBMEs. I really dont think the new NBMEs are predictive though unless youre knocking them out of the park. the exam just felt how I felt while I was taking the harder new ones but I probably got a harder form. It didnt feel like the old nbmes (too easy) and it didnt feel like UWorld at all (UWorld gives you enough info to narrow down your answers). The form I had the entire time I was not 100% comfortable with my final answer choices. I walked out feeling like ****
 
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New NBME + free 120
Both the questions and answer choices felt vague

I hate saying this but my form felt like a combo of free 120 and new NBMEs. I really dont think the new NBMEs are predictive though unless youre knocking them out of the park. the exam just felt how I felt while I was taking the harder new ones but I probably got a harder form. It didnt feel like the old nbmes (too easy) and it didnt feel like UWorld at all (UWorld gives you enough info to narrow down your answers). The form I had the entire time I was not 100% comfortable with my final answer choices. I walked out feeling like ****

Well, ****... How does it compare to the UWSAs?
 
Well, ****... How does it compare to the UWSAs?
You cant compare by asking people. Everyone gets a different form. Some people get easy or more fair forms that are exactly like Free 120 or more like UWSA1 or 2 and others get hard af forms that feel like the new NBMES. Id say just dont worry about it and go in and take it
 
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Thank you both, I'm hoping it looks the most like 18 :p But I know the form varies. Just suffering a case of 1-wk-out anxiety!
 
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I dont think the new forms are that predictive though for people scoring under 250. I think the exam felt like the newer forms but i dont think theyre predictive. just my opinion lol
Yeah A lot people I talk to say NBME undershoots and UW overshoots. Id much rather get undershot then over lol
 
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