Took Step I today...4 blocks in, suffered a migraine attack

[DrDoogie]

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Hey guys, it's been a rough day. Took the step I today and a few blocks in, had a migraine attack. The exam itself was not a problem (was averaging in the 250s in NBMEs) but the symptoms became unbearable to the extent that I finished block 4 within 30 minutes just going through the last sentence and circling an answer. I simply could not finish the exam despite the painkillers and extended breaks I took. Part of me wanted to get through it and the other part just realized I was not able to. It was a difficult decision but my health is just a lot more important. The Prometric administrator shut my workstation down and gave me a number to call and mentioned she would document what happened.

I think I'm at a crossroads in general with what to do with my life at this point, a semester/year off etc...but in the meantime, does anyone have any experience on what to do with regards to Step I and the ramifications in general (shooting for a very competitive residency is one of my goals)? My eligibility period ends this month. I would ideally love to get it out of the way to be honest but I'm not sure if im physically or mentally up for the challenge.

Thanks

 

[CDI]

Sorry to hear that. I suffer from migraines as well and this was a concern for me during Step 1, and any testing this long, but knowing my trigger and preparing around it worked out for me in the end. Have you ever determined what your migraine trigger might be? Mine is specifically hypoglycemia - drank gatorade every break, and took Tylenol prophylactically between the later blocks.

Is it hypoglycemia? (Did you eat/drink something between breaks?)
Stress-related (Has it happened during exams before)?
Staring at the computer too long (Did you simulate a full-length exam)?