Timeline for USMLE step 1 prep with CBSE in mind?

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Burly23

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This message thread is for Phloston. Current third year international medical student finishing in June here. Was planning to write my step 1 sometime in 2018. My school requires that I score at least a 65% on the CBSE exam in order to be able to take the step 1, and this exam is given twice a year - October and March. So my original plan was to take the CBSE in October 2017 and hope that I pass it and then book my step 1 for 4-6 months (so March-april maybe)? Although having previously taken the CBSE last march to see how it was, I scored in the high 40's which estimates about a 140ish on step 1 (although given I had only finished about half of the curriculum of pathology and pharmacology at out school at this point so the score was no surprise). Just wondering now how I should go about prepping for the CBSE exam coming up in October in order to score at least a 65%? I know first aid and UWORLD are essentials and so I thought I would spend the bulk of my time learning first aid and using USMLE RX as an adjunct? Would getting through all of USMLE RX while simultaneously going through FA by October give me a solid chance at scoring a 65% on the CBSE (btw, I believe a 65% on the CBSE correlates to a 190-194ish on the step1)? or should I just begin with UWORLD seeing that it is the staple for step 1 prep? Or do you recommend I change my plan completely? Any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated seeing that I am already quite frustrated by my lack of ability to plan and having a general feeling that I somehow am not "smart enough" to get a competent score for this exam.

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Hey man i'm in a similar boat. I'm an international med student, my school requires me to get a 72% on CBSE though. Our CBSE is offered anytime of the month, we just have to notify our school that we're ready.

Anyway I'm doing UFAP, because i know not only will covering UFAP get me to pass CBSE, but it'll also get me ready for the real deal simultaneously. I don't see why you should have a different strategy for CBSE from Step 1.
 
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Hey, thanks for the reply. You have a good point, although I've repeatedly read on this forum that UWORLD should be one of your "late" resources because it is so essential and high-yield, and so ideally I'd want to hold off from UWORLD until 3-5 months from my exam. And I can't write my exam before passing CBSE, let alone book it, as I'll be booking it without the guarantee of passing. So my question really is if USMLE RX will be enough for me to get 65% on the CBSE this October, because if I end up passing this October, I'd book my Step 1 for 4-5 months later and then begin on UWORLD relatively soon. I hope I'm clear enough because the situation is a little confusing.
 
Hey, thanks for the reply. You have a good point, although I've repeatedly read on this forum that UWORLD should be one of your "late" resources because it is so essential and high-yield, and so ideally I'd want to hold off from UWORLD until 3-5 months from my exam. And I can't write my exam before passing CBSE, let alone book it, as I'll be booking it without the guarantee of passing. So my question really is if USMLE RX will be enough for me to get 65% on the CBSE this October, because if I end up passing this October, I'd book my Step 1 for 4-5 months later and then begin on UWORLD relatively soon. I hope I'm clear enough because the situation is a little confusing.


Oh okay! Sorry i didn't understand your question earlier! Yea I think doing Rx along with FA and pathoma should easily be able to get you to pass CBSE. I'm half way done Rx and noticed a significant improvement in my understanding of the material. I highly suggest you do an NBME before attempting CBSE. That's what my plan is, to not write my CBSE until I pass an NBME. Because if you can pass NBME, that means you can easily pass CBSE. It'll be an added confidence booster for me and it'll make me certain that i'll pass the damn thing since our school only gives is 2 attempts, then it's either you leave or repeat MD5.
 
Oh okay! Sorry i didn't understand your question earlier! Yea I think doing Rx along with FA and pathoma should easily be able to get you to pass CBSE. I'm half way done Rx and noticed a significant improvement in my understanding of the material. I highly suggest you do an NBME before attempting CBSE. That's what my plan is, to not write my CBSE until I pass an NBME. Because if you can pass NBME, that means you can easily pass CBSE. It'll be an added confidence booster for me and it'll make me certain that i'll pass the damn thing since our school only gives is 2 attempts, then it's either you leave or repeat MD5.

Ahh perfect thats what I needed to know, thanks for your input, really. I think thats a great idea to do an NBME...I'll definitely end up doing one to see where I'm at before taking the CBSE.

@Phloston from your experience of prepping for the step and doing USMLE RX, do you think this is possible as well, or would you recommend I do something else?
 
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