People who started out with low practice test scores- study plans

[PlasticC]

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Is there anyone here who started out with low NBME scores and saw big improvements? I'd like to hear how people went about getting their scores up. When I look through the Official Step Scores threads and NBME scores thread, all I see are people who started off high!

I took my first practice exam (not an NBME) and got a 160, so I know I have a lot of work to do to bring my score up, but it would be great to hear from people who were able to make great improvements in their scores.

I don't have a target score yet, because I don't really know what's realistic, but I am going to work my tail off to pass this exam. I have about 8 weeks, so I need to structure my study period well, and it would be good to see what has worked for people in their prep. So far I'm planning to use Taus method, with only 2 run throughs and then the last 2 weeks.

Thanks!

 

[kryptik]

started with a 180 on nbme 1 before starting taus, 217 on nbme 3 halfway through first pass, and 226 on the free 150 sample questions after first pass. will take another nbme once classes are done with.
Taus is a good plan for 8 weeks you should see some major increase in scores.

 

[PlasticC]

started with a 180 on nbme 1 before starting taus, 217 on nbme 3 halfway through first pass, and 226 on the free 150 sample questions after first pass. will take another nbme once classes are done with.
Taus is a good plan for 8 weeks you should see some major increase in scores.

that's really encouraging, you've improved a LOT with your first pass! thanks for the info

 

[kryptik]

once you brush up on 1st year material like anat, biochem, nutrition your scroes will come up a bit, good luck, check out the "nbme progression thread", has tons of advice http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=525730

 

[metalrex]

started with a 180 on nbme 1 before starting taus, 217 on nbme 3 halfway through first pass, and 226 on the free 150 sample questions after first pass. will take another nbme once classes are done with.
Taus is a good plan for 8 weeks you should see some major increase in scores.

Now THAT'S inspiring progress.I was wondering how much time you took with first pass? I have kinda created a hybrid 1st cum 2nd pass with some modifications of my own here.5 weeks out until D-Day.

Nice going kryptik👍

 

[metalrex]

Don't worry about your first test much.I pretty much bombed my first sim with NBME too -but it's kinda good cuz it got me working hard😉 The bottomline is taking cue from it to work REALLY hard on your weaknesses.

I have said it earlier and I will say it again: no score is far fetched or unrealistic, it could be a modest or an outrageous score you wanna have but ultimately this exam is all about those who can continue runnin despite the many setbacks you will face along the way.Its not about brilliance but sheer hard work.

With that said, yes do plan your strategy well.One word of advice, keep taking NBME's as your diagnostic tests to gauge your progress- and you always have your fellow SDNers to offer sagic wisdom too!

Good luck man!

 

[RapidReview]

Is there anyone here who started out with low NBME scores and saw big improvements? I'd like to hear how people went about getting their scores up. When I look through the Official Step Scores threads and NBME scores thread, all I see are people who started off high!

I took my first practice exam (not an NBME) and got a 160, so I know I have a lot of work to do to bring my score up, but it would be great to hear from people who were able to make great improvements in their scores.

I don't have a target score yet, because I don't really know what's realistic, but I am going to work my tail off to pass this exam. I have about 8 weeks, so I need to structure my study period well, and it would be good to see what has worked for people in their prep. So far I'm planning to use Taus method, with only 2 run throughs and then the last 2 weeks.

Thanks!

do a search for zagdoc- I believe he started off with a lower score and scored over 240(?) on the real thing.

 

[kryptik]

Now THAT'S inspiring progress.I was wondering how much time you took with first pass? I have kinda created a hybrid 1st cum 2nd pass with some modifications of my own here.5 weeks out until D-Day.

Nice going kryptik👍

i started taus mid january and finished just last week, was doing it on my free time as classes was in full swing

 

[kryptik]

do a search for zagdoc- I believe he started off with a lower score and scored over 240(?) on the real thing.

zagdoc is a beast, he made tremendous progress its more of an exception than the rule though yet very inspiring heres his story http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?p=8292712#post8292712

 

[scowdeva]

I started with a 170 on my school administered CBSE. After two weeks of dedicated study (probably ~10 hrs a day, organ systems structured), I took an official NBME to see where I stood- estimated 215.

Not great, but I have 4 weeks left and have only went over cardio, pulm, renal, and GI. Once I get the micro, biochem, nutrition, heme/onc, and musculoskeletal looked over, I'm planning on taking another NBME to gauge where my weaknesses still are (hopefully with another 2 weeks left to improve on them).

I am using RR Path, BRS Physiology 4th ed, and First Aid as my only 'true' sources. If I don't understand something one of them says, I have a stack of 'reference' review books I'll look it up in, or just wikipedia it.

Everyone does not start with super high scores (my pretty good MD school had a class average of 180, with the high being 230ish). Once you brush up on the random things you've forgotten since the beginning of first year, you can get a major jump in your score. Then ya gotta just keep on keepin on to push it higher!

 

[greg1184]

Frankly I am amazed at how many people get 230s in their school provided test BEFORE any studying. Maybe it is a fault in my school's curriculum, but we have a modular style of classes. In other words we "binge and purge" information, and each test is at the end of each module. So by the end of 2nd year, I have forgotten most of everything. But the encouraging part is that feeling that "If I have studied, I would have known this". This is why I know my score will improve significantly as I study. I already have gone from 165-170 to 192 before I have even studied Neuro, Pharm, behavioral.

 

[MilkmanAl]

If you consider how few people get 230's on the real thing (probably about 5000 or so), it should be pretty obvious that most do not score that well on their CBSEs. You have to remember that the people who report their scores on SDN are generally exceptions to the rule.

 

[Perrotfish]

If you consider how few people get 230's on the real thing (probably about 5000 or so), it should be pretty obvious that most do not score that well on their CBSEs. You have to remember that the people who report their scores on SDN are generally exceptions to the rule.

Yeah I need to remind myself of this whenever I read these threads. I want a 230 (and I still need to add 14 points in 2 weeks to get there), and that seems pathetic when I read about all of these people that got that on their first practice test, but then I look back at my schools stats and realize that if I even beat the national average I'd be in the top 40% of my school.

 

[username456789]

I haven't taken an exam yet, but I'll be doing an NBME (probably 3) this saturday and I'll at least know where I stand and how big of a ditch I'm standing in. I started trying to do a Taus first path since February . . . can't say I stuck to it 100%, but I got through a good portion of it (our curriculum's March-May is fairly loaded, so I was trying to learn somewhat high yield information for the first time, which didn't leave a ton of time for me to be consistently going back through old stuff I guess). Anyway, I'm more or less done with what I'll do as a "first pass" and starting sunday (after I take my diagnostic) I'll be gearing up full force. But so far my qbank practice scores aren't predicting anything impressive, so I doubt I'll be one of these "I took my first diagnostic a month out and got a 240" types.

 

[metalrex]

I haven't taken an exam yet, but I'll be doing an NBME (probably 3) this saturday and I'll at least know where I stand and how big of a ditch I'm standing in. I started trying to do a Taus first path since February . . . can't say I stuck to it 100%, but I got through a good portion of it (our curriculum's March-May is fairly loaded, so I was trying to learn somewhat high yield information for the first time, which didn't leave a ton of time for me to be consistently going back through old stuff I guess). Anyway, I'm more or less done with what I'll do as a "first pass" and starting sunday (after I take my diagnostic) I'll be gearing up full force. But so far my qbank practice scores aren't predicting anything impressive, so I doubt I'll be one of these "I took my first diagnostic a month out and got a 240" types.

Just go with it dude ,don't worry about the score much, just take it as a guide to where you should focus on.

I am no 'hey I just scored 240 on my diagnostic!' mastermind either but my first sim taught me what I should be working on...and I am taking it from there.I plan to take another test soon, maybe the free 150 this saturday to see how far I've progressed.Can't say I have been having a good feeling since that dismal test I had 10 days ago but I feel I have fair share knowledge on my weaker points atleast.

Good luck and remember keep runnin,don't run outta steam 👍

 

[mahsa.mahsa]

Is there anyone here who started out with low NBME scores and saw big improvements? I'd like to hear how people went about getting their scores up. When I look through the Official Step Scores threads and NBME scores thread, all I see are people who started off high!

I took my first practice exam (not an NBME) and got a 160, so I know I have a lot of work to do to bring my score up, but it would be great to hear from people who were able to make great improvements in their scores.

I don't have a target score yet, because I don't really know what's realistic, but I am going to work my tail off to pass this exam. I have about 8 weeks, so I need to structure my study period well, and it would be good to see what has worked for people in their prep. So far I'm planning to use Taus method, with only 2 run throughs and then the last 2 weeks.

Thanks!

how was your exam?
I'm a grad int student and just took NBME7 as diagnostic test ,my score is 130🙁
I want to know how much bad it is,and how much time I need to improve it?

 

[J ROD]

how was your exam?
I'm a grad int student and just took NBME7 as diagnostic test ,my score is 130🙁
I want to know how much bad it is,and how much time I need to improve it?

First, this thread is 4 years old. They are probably residents by now or med school casualties.

130 is pretty low. I do not know anyone that has made that low. BUT, if you have not done much prep, then it means you just have more room for improvement.

I would say give yourself a good 8-12 weeks. I think you are going to need a bit more review than most.

I would try something like DIT to get a strong base and let them almost teach you FA. Also, get Rx and do that along with each section to make sure you are getting the info. That should take about 4 weeks.

Then, take another NBME to see where you are. Then, set a schedule and work on going through FA (x3) and Pathoma (x2) along with UWorld. Then, starting working in the later NBMEs 13 15 16 towards the end of your studies.

A lot of this depends on your base.