Realistic goal? Comments please

[johndoe3344]

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[shan564]

DIT says that their average score increase over the 3-week period is about 30 points. So it can certainly be done.

As far as how you can improve... it's impossible to say without knowing exactly what you've been doing. A lot of people make a lot of different types of mistakes.

 

[djquickfingers]

I just took an NBME today, and I'm not sure if it's still realistic for me to keep aiming for my goal of 240+. I listed a brief history/studying methods/test scores and I'm really looking for any suggestions/comments.

I'm an AMG and our school gives us an 8 week dedicated study period. I've just been reading FA/pathoma and doing UW/Rx on the side. I take 2-3 days per topic on a combined systems/subject approach and I'm about 1.5 weeks out from finishing everything the first time through (and then last 2 weeks for just annotated FA review + UW).

School administered CBSSA (prior to study, 8 weeks out): 200
NBME 6 (6.5 weeks out): 212
NBME 11 (3.5 weeks out): 224

I'm worried that after having studied for 3 weeks, I only saw a mild increase in my score and that I won't be able to get to 240 by test day. Is there anything I might be missing in my studying? What do you guys think?

It's all about your quality of studying. I'm not sure exactly what you've been doing, but its all about maximizing what you're doing. How is your foundation? What were your weaknesses in these tests? Like the other poster said, its difficult to know exactly how to improve without knowing what you've done so far. However, it is possible to increase your scores, just have to do quality studying over the next few weeks and crush those weak spots

 

[johndoe3344]

It's all about your quality of studying. I'm not sure exactly what you've been doing, but its all about maximizing what you're doing. How is your foundation? What were your weaknesses in these tests? Like the other poster said, its difficult to know exactly how to improve without knowing what you've done so far. However, it is possible to increase your scores, just have to do quality studying over the next few weeks and crush those weak spots

I'm not sure what I've been doing either -- and I think that may be part of the problem

Okay so let's say for the cardio block, I sit there for 2-3 days and I read over/memorize FA twice, listen to pathoma lectures, go back and read over/memorize the pathoma text, listen to some Kaplan pharm lectures, and any remaining time I have, I usually warm up with "just cardio" Rx, followed by cumulative UW blocks of everything I've learned before (don't usually have the time to get to this last part...)

My foundations are fine (I think). I'm top quartile in my medical school. My biggest problems throughout my two years (that I'm running into now) is that I can't remember anything long term no matter how well I memorized it for an exam/during those study days/etc. The few classes that I didn't get honors in were because I failed the final exam from having forgotten way too much. So maybe 3 or 4 days after doing cardio, I'll have completely forgotten where all the murmurs, and where they radiate to, etc. Unfortunately, I don't think there's any magical fix to that, and that's why I built in the last 2 weeks to just sit and recram all of FA.

Regarding weaknesses, I mean on the score report, all but two of the bars that crossed into "borderline performance" were things that I either haven't done yet, or haven't finished doing (e.g. I do embryo/anatomy by system). Of the stuff I did, the bars that crossed into "borderline performance" were cardio and cell bio, both of which I had to move on from before I felt I was ready, so I'll probably spend an extra day or two on those two subjects.

Does that help at all??? I think I'm just confused (and slightly depressed from having my scores not match up to the 250's that seem to be all too common on SDN)

 

[mdeast]

I'm not sure what I've been doing either -- and I think that may be part of the problem

Okay so let's say for the cardio block, I sit there for 2-3 days and I read over/memorize FA twice, listen to pathoma lectures, go back and read over/memorize the pathoma text, listen to some Kaplan pharm lectures, and any remaining time I have, I usually warm up with "just cardio" Rx, followed by cumulative UW blocks of everything I've learned before (don't usually have the time to get to this last part...)

My foundations are fine (I think). I'm top quartile in my medical school. My biggest problems throughout my two years (that I'm running into now) is that I can't remember anything long term no matter how well I memorized it for an exam/during those study days/etc. The few classes that I didn't get honors in were because I failed the final exam from having forgotten way too much. So maybe 3 or 4 days after doing cardio, I'll have completely forgotten where all the murmurs, and where they radiate to, etc. Unfortunately, I don't think there's any magical fix to that, and that's why I built in the last 2 weeks to just sit and recram all of FA.

Regarding weaknesses, I mean on the score report, all but two of the bars that crossed into "borderline performance" were things that I either haven't done yet, or haven't finished doing (e.g. I do embryo/anatomy by system). Of the stuff I did, the bars that crossed into "borderline performance" were cardio and cell bio, both of which I had to move on from before I felt I was ready, so I'll probably spend an extra day or two on those two subjects.

Does that help at all??? I think I'm just confused (and slightly depressed from having my scores not match up to the 250's that seem to be all too common on SDN)

Re-read that. I go to a Top 5 school. Our average score is usually in the low 230s (not 250s). Yet everyone matches well here and is happy.

There is a skewed sense of what a good score here is on this board. Partially, there are a lot of international medical students that post here where it does really matter to do very well in order to secure a US residency spot. There are also a lot of people here who only want to match into ultra-competitive specialties.

To be completely honest, a 224 is a good score. Don't let anyone here tell you otherwise.

 

[johndoe3344]

Re-read that. I go to a Top 5 school. Our average score is usually in the low 230s (not 250s). Yet everyone matches well here and is happy.

There is a skewed sense of what a good score here is on this board. Partially, there are a lot of international medical students that post here where it does really matter to do very well in order to secure a US residency spot. There are also a lot of people here who only want to match into ultra-competitive specialties.

To be completely honest, a 224 is a good score. Don't let anyone here tell you otherwise.

Unfortunately for me, I don't go to a top 5 school. To even have a chance of matching to the same place as you, or someone from your school, I'd actually have to do a lot better on my boards.

But that's neither here nor there.

 

[mdeast]

Unfortunately for me, I don't go to a top 5 school. To even have a chance of matching to the same place as you, or someone from your school, I'd actually have to do a lot better on my boards.

But that's neither here nor there.

I actually don't think this is true to be honest.

 

[VisionaryTics]

I actually don't think this is true to be honest.

Look at your match list, then look at a mid-tier state school match list.

 

[futuredoctor10]

Does the School administered CBSSA give a three digit score? Just curious.

And is that an actual NBME or retired NBME questions? (why is it CBSSA)?

 

[missmedschool]

Does the School administered CBSSA give a three digit score? Just curious.

And is that an actual NBME or retired NBME questions? (why is it CBSSA)?

The CBSSA is available to medical schools straight from the NBME... but only to medical schools. Students can't get them separately. They are retired questions and simulate the exam (It's a 4 hour exam). It does give a 3 digit score exactly similar to NBME self assessments with the score report breaking down individual subject scores. The only difference with this is that only medical schools have access to them.

I took the CBSSA in March.

 

[kaleerkalut]

The CBSSA is available to medical schools straight from the NBME... but only to medical schools. Students can't get them separately. They are retired questions and simulate the exam (It's a 4 hour exam). It does give a 3 digit score exactly similar to NBME self assessments with the score report breaking down individual subject scores. The only difference with this is that only medical schools have access to them.

I took the CBSSA in March.

Is it the same for all schools. Mine was freaking hard!

 

[futuredoctor10]

The CBSSA is available to medical schools straight from the NBME... but only to medical schools. Students can't get them separately. They are retired questions and simulate the exam (It's a 4 hour exam). It does give a 3 digit score exactly similar to NBME self assessments with the score report breaking down individual subject scores. The only difference with this is that only medical schools have access to them.

I took the CBSSA in March.

Cool thanks for the reply!

Is it the same for all schools. Mine was freaking hard!

Oh the CBSSA administered is the same for all schools? Didn't know that!

 

[johndoe3344]

Is it the same for all schools. Mine was freaking hard!

I would actually want to take it again right now, just to see how much I know now compared to before I started studying