This is for all the normal people out there...
I am an average medical student. Standardized tests have never been my thing. Studied pretty hard for step I, ended up with a 217/88. Not great, but for someone who sucks at MC tests, I was fine with that. I want to do ortho however so I studied my balls off for step 2. Finished 95% of UW, ended up at 62%. Read through FA twice, Crush once and secrets once. I also did the NMS question book (tough but really good by the way)...I was praying for a 230+. Had I gotten that, I would have been doing cartwheels. Shelf scores: (OB -60, Peds- 65, psych - 64, Surg - 53 1st try <ouch>, 65 2nd try, FP - 71, medicine - 80) Like I said, MC tests are not my thing, but I was encouraged by my medicine score so I took an easy first rotation as an M4 and studied til my eyes bled.
Scores came back a week ago: 226/93. Still stings a little because I was so close to making it happen. In any event that's my story, even if you suck at MC tests, this thing is doable...I wish I could be like everyone else here and study for 4 hours a day for 10 days and then be disappointed with my 258/99. Good luck to everybody studying...it's bad, but nowhere near as bad as step 1