MD & DO Simulating a Full Length

[slowthai]

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Are you guys planning to simulate a full length (7 blocks) at all? Or are you relying on adrenaline to carry you through?

I've heard the training for a marathon analogy to support both sides, lol. I don't know anything about training for a marathon cuz I'm allergic to any form of cardio.

Jokes aside, I feel like doing it once to get a sense for how you might manage it might be good, but at the same time, it seems unnecessary. It's not really something I hear people do too often. I guess it's about learning how to manage your fatigue and pace yourself. Personally, I plan to do this with the NBMEs. They've got 200 qs. It's obviously not the full 280, but I feel it should be good enough.

 

[libertyyne]

I used to do this. I would do a full 200 nbme and then finish it off with two timed blocks of uworld on rando. It was incredibly painful to review afterwards tho, so you might want to carve out another day to review.

 

[longhaul3]

Step 1 is miserably long. Step 2 is longer. Don't put yourself through that more than you have to. The NBMEs are enough if you're a good test taker.

 

[slowthai]

I used to do this. I would do a full 200 nbme and then finish it off with two timed blocks of uworld on rando. It was incredibly painful to review afterwards tho, so you might want to carve out another day to review.

Yeah, my plan is to finish UWorld well before dedicated. If I was to simulate, I would do a UWSA + the Free 120. How far out would you recommend doing it to avoid sabotaging yourself on test day? Like a week?

 

[Ho0v-man]

I didn’t. Once I saw my score on an nbme or a uwsa I just wanted to stop, hug my knees, and cry in the shower. So doing a couple more blocks of UW would have got my laptop all wet.

But seriously, aren’t you like a year out from step 1? No need to worry about this yet.

 

[libertyyne]

I didn’t. Once I saw my score on an nbme or a uwsa I just wanted to stop, hug my knees, and cry in the shower. So doing a couple more blocks of UW would have got my laptop all wet.

But seriously, aren’t you like a year out from step 1? No need to worry about this yet.

The key was not opening the score report from NBME until you were done with the two blocks of uworld.

Yeah, my plan is to finish UWorld well before dedicated. If I was to simulate, I would do a UWSA + the Free 120. How far out would you recommend doing it to avoid sabotaging yourself on test day? Like a week?

IDK, everyone's point of burnout is different. I was doing one once or twice a week during dedicated. Last week i was petered out and never even did the free 120 or the remaining 400 or so uworld questions.

 

[slowthai]

I didn’t. Once I saw my score on an nbme or a uwsa I just wanted to stop, hug my knees, and cry in the shower. So doing a couple more blocks of UW would have got my laptop all wet.

But seriously, aren’t you like a year out from step 1? No need to worry about this yet.

That's true, but I like to plan all the details out well in advance.

 

[FindersFee5]

I used to do this. I would do a full 200 nbme and then finish it off with two timed blocks of uworld on rando. It was incredibly painful to review afterwards tho, so you might want to carve out another day to review.

Did this too because I knew endurance was a weak point for me. My schedule would be: Saturday full NBME + 2 sets Uworld, review NBME, Sunday half day where all I did was anki cards and reviewed the Uworld sets from the day before.

I think it helped, but the bigger thing for building up my endurance was switching up my schedule for the last 2 weeks of dedicated. I went from doing 2 Uworld sets + review every day to a 2 day pattern. 1st day 4 sets Uworld with max 5 minute break between each set, 2nd day review all sets. This daily grind helped me break through the burnout I was previously getting around question 120.

 

[slowthai]

Just wanted to say that I'm happy that I got some of the 2019 step thread heavy hitters to comment. Thread was bananas and I look up to you guys. Made me realize I was "born to gun" @Gurby. Hope to replicate your collective success in the 2021 thread. For the boyssss

 

[wanderingorion]

I did this one time, about halfway through dedicated, to get a feel for it. I recommend it

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

I never did. However I am a tier below the elite heavy hitters commenting above lol

 

[OnePunchBiopsy]

You never have to run full marathons to train for a marathon.

 

[slowthai]

You never have to run full marathons to train for a marathon.

Yes, this is exactly what people were saying. As long as you have some baseline endurance, I feel that you can kick it into high gear on the big day. But of course, knowing that you've made it through 7 blocks and maintained your performance must be reassuring.

 

[slowthai]

Just curious, for those that were running UWorld and getting new questions at the same time, did any of them show up on the exam in some form?

I've heard that for FA, the new stuff they add the year of when you're taking step doesn't even make it on the exam. Could be hearsay, though. Don't really understand that one, because someone must have been tested on that content to be able to report that it should go in FA.

 

[PugsAndHugs]

Regardless of whether you do 4 blocks vs 7 blocks practice, when you do them, make sure it is exactly like how it would be on exam day.

-No water/coffee/drinks by the computer
-No break after the first block, try to go straight into the second block because that’s what you’ll probably do on the real exam
-No phone calls or leaving the house

For Step 1, I did not take my practice exams in serious conditions and only did 4 blocks a day max- and I scored 5-10 points below my average. For step 2, I did USWA + Free 120, almost simulating a full length exam, under serious conditions and I felt a lot more comfortable on exam day vs for step 1.