What can I do with this score?

[usmleswot]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Hi everyone,
I'm about 9 weeks away from giving my Step 1 and I gave NBME 12 today only to end up with a score of 192. So feeling super bummed. I've just finished the Kaplan lecture notes and videos. Haven't started First Aid or UWorld. I was just wondering if this is okay? I mean, I was hoping to get above a 240. So should I postpone? Or will the next 9 weeks suffice?

 

[InVivo]

9 weeks should be plenty of time (assuming that it is dedicated study time), but it will be important to re-evaluate your progress as it gets closer to the exam date. If you are not where you want to be with 2-3 weeks remaining, then you can decide to push it back.

Honestly its too early to tell, and you haven't done FA, UWORLD yet. (Do you plan on doing Pathoma too?).

 

[usmleswot]

9 weeks should be plenty of time (assuming that it is dedicated study time), but it will be important to re-evaluate your progress as it gets closer to the exam date. If you are not where you want to be with 2-3 weeks remaining, then you can decide to push it back.

Honestly its too early to tell, and you haven't done FA, UWORLD yet. (Do you plan on doing Pathoma too?).

Sorry, I forgot to add that. I finished Pathoma. As in, I did it instead of Kaplan. The 9 weeks will be dedicated study time.
Thanks!

 

[J ROD]

9 weeks is more than enough time to get ready. I can't say for sure you will get a 240 but you should be able to get over a 220 and pass. First, you have to use FA and UW and get your base into place and then start taking NBMEs about one a week 4 weeks out. Then, see where you stand.

 

[InVivo]

Sorry, I forgot to add that. I finished Pathoma. As in, I did it instead of Kaplan. The 9 weeks will be dedicated study time.
Thanks!

I think you should have a hopeful outlook. 9 weeks is a long time and people have had a lot lower baseline score than you with less study time ahead of them. Make a reasonable schedule and plan to evaluate your progress in 2-3 weeks by using an NBME.

 

[usmleswot]

9 weeks is more than enough time to get ready. I can't say for sure you will get a 240 but you should be able to get over a 220 and pass. First, you have to use FA and UW and get your base into place and then start taking NBMEs about one a week 4 weeks out. Then, see where you stand.

But, that's my point. 🙁. I'm not looking to just pass or scrape through. So, considering my score now, is 9 weeks enough to hit the 240s? I guess it is too early to tell, but thank you for your advice. 🙂

 

[usmleswot]

I think you should have a hopeful outlook. 9 weeks is a long time and people have had a lot lower baseline score than you with less study time ahead of them. Make a reasonable schedule and plan to evaluate your progress in 2-3 weeks by using an NBME.

Yup! Will do. 🙂. You've been very encouraging. Thanks! 🙂

 

[pavel13]

9 weeks is plenty man, in fact it's probably too much because there's really a certain point you hit where you can't study anymore b/c you're just burnt out completely. I say 6 weeks is PLENTY, but then again I guess it varies. (6 weeks DEDICATED lol)

I've got exactly 6 wks until my exam and I'm finished with Pathoma 2x, Uworld 60% complete (all high yield subjects done first), and am finishing my read of FA (with uworld notes of course). Stick to First aid, pathoma, and Uworld...especially uworld. Keep in mind Uworld is best utilized as a STUDY TOOL, not necessarily as a marker for progress. Use NBMEs to see your progress.

My fellow study-goer for the Step read through FA Pathoma and Uworld one time completely through, and he took an NBME and barely broke 200. Then he read through FA and Pathoma again, and it made a huge difference and got about 221 on his second NBME. You gotta keep reading FA and know as much of it as you possibly can. On the first read through, don't expect to do so hot on the NBME (unless you're a smart pants!). But i truly believe you will see a big difference after your second read through, and again third (if you have time).

Read through FA at least 2x with your uworld notes and pathoma at least once, and you'll be golden. I'm sure you can get a 240 with these resources...it's just a matter of how hard you study and learn all of the material. To be honest the most important thing (in my opinion), the last 2-3 weeks before the exam - do First Aid reviews PLUS alottttt of questions. Constantly constantly constantly do questions!! I'ts the best way to do well on the Step!

 

[J ROD]

It is really hard to say. Based on ability so far a 240 might be up near his limit maybe a 250. Got to do more work first. Can you, yes.....will you do not know. 9 weeks is more than enough time.

E. Not enough info to answer the question.

 

[jambio]

How seriously did you take the practice exam? Did you feel prepared to take it? How were your MS1/MS2 grades?

We were required to take a practice NBME at the end of 2nd year, right before dedicated study time started. I got a 185 on that exam (NBME 16), which really freaked me out and motivated me to get my **** together. At that point I had only gone through Pathoma once (throughout the school year) and hadn't cracked open FA or touched any qbank. I studied for 10 weeks (10-12 hours a day) with UWorld, FA(x3), Pathoma(x2), and DIT. I got a 267 on the real thing. It's definitely possible!

I recommend going through UWorld, FA, Pathoma once (that took me 5 weeks), and then take another NBME to assess where you stand. There's no reason for you to worry yet. Good luck!

 

[SBR249]

It is really hard to say. Based on ability so far a 240 might be up near his limit maybe a 250. Got to do more work first. Can you, yes.....will you do not know. 9 weeks is more than enough time.

E. Not enough info to answer the question.

This. 9 weeks of intensive study is probably enough to get a person to the peak-level performance that they can reach. However there's no guarantee that that peak is necessarily 240+. Some people have test anxiety, others just don't do well with standardized exams, others probably didn't learn the material well enough in class and it would be unrealistic for them to expect to fully understand everything during dedicated review.

Best thing to do is to kick review into high gear and follow a plan. I'd personally aim for something like FA 3x, pathoma (book only with notes) 1-2x, UW 1-2x at the very least. After you've done UW 1x, I'd consider adding a bit of USMLERx qbank to mix with the second pass of UW to keep getting some fresh questions. Then 1 practice test every weekend starting after your first pass through FA.

So a sample plan would be:

FA: 1st pass: 3 weeks, 2nd pass: 2 weeks, 3rd pass: 2 weeks (7 weeks total)
UW: 1st pass: 4 weeks (2 blocks a day), 2nd pass (incorrects/marked): 2-3+ weeks flexible depending on how much you marked/got wrong
Pathoma: aim for 1 pass every 4 weeks (1 section every 2 days)
USMLERx: concurrent with 2nd pass of UW, no need to finish

NBME/UWSA every weekend after the first 2 weeks.

6 days of studying a week, 1 day off.

Evaluate after 5 weeks. At that point you should be done FA 2x, UW 1x, Pathoma review 1x, and 3-4 NBME/UWSA. So you can judge based on the trend of scores in UW and the practice tests whether you see an upward trend. If the trend is steady up, then continue on schedule. If the trend is peaking then wait another week and re-evaluate. If it's still peaking, consider moving test up. Re-evaluate every week.

 

[Transposony]

Haven't started First Aid or UWorld.

Therein lies the answer.

 

[rodmichael82]

You can't just say I'm going to dedicate X amount of time and I'll get a 240. Scoring above a 240 requires a little bit of a decent foundation from preclinical years, efficient studying during dedicated time, semi-good test taking skills.

 

[usmleswot]

This. 9 weeks of intensive study is probably enough to get a person to the peak-level performance that they can reach. However there's no guarantee that that peak is necessarily 240+. Some people have test anxiety, others just don't do well with standardized exams, others probably didn't learn the material well enough in class and it would be unrealistic for them to expect to fully understand everything during dedicated review.

Best thing to do is to kick review into high gear and follow a plan. I'd personally aim for something like FA 3x, pathoma (book only with notes) 1-2x, UW 1-2x at the very least. After you've done UW 1x, I'd consider adding a bit of USMLERx qbank to mix with the second pass of UW to keep getting some fresh questions. Then 1 practice test every weekend starting after your first pass through FA.

So a sample plan would be:

FA: 1st pass: 3 weeks, 2nd pass: 2 weeks, 3rd pass: 2 weeks (7 weeks total)
UW: 1st pass: 4 weeks (2 blocks a day), 2nd pass (incorrects/marked): 2-3+ weeks flexible depending on how much you marked/got wrong
Pathoma: aim for 1 pass every 4 weeks (1 section every 2 days)
USMLERx: concurrent with 2nd pass of UW, no need to finish

NBME/UWSA every weekend after the first 2 weeks.

6 days of studying a week, 1 day off.

Evaluate after 5 weeks. At that point you should be done FA 2x, UW 1x, Pathoma review 1x, and 3-4 NBME/UWSA. So you can judge based on the trend of scores in UW and the practice tests whether you see an upward trend. If the trend is steady up, then continue on schedule. If the trend is peaking then wait another week and re-evaluate. If it's still peaking, consider moving test up. Re-evaluate every week.

Wow! Thanks for the plan. I'll do as you say and reassess after some time. Thanks!

 

[usmleswot]

It is really hard to say. Based on ability so far a 240 might be up near his limit maybe a 250. Got to do more work first. Can you, yes.....will you do not know. 9 weeks is more than enough time.

E. Not enough info to answer the question.

I never thought 240 or 250 was my upper limit. The reason I put this up is because I wanted >260 and I wanted to know realistically what I can I do with the score I have now. Well, it's safe to say we have established it's too early to tell or as you so eloquently put:

"E. Not enough info to answer the question"

Guess I will reassess in some time.

 

[SBR249]

Wow! Thanks for the plan. I'll do as you say and reassess after some time. Thanks!

No problem, the plan is just a sample framework of what I think is a reasonable plan of intensive review without burnout. It's completely flexible. You can add in pathoma videos if you wish, you can stretch it out a bit if you need more time or add stuff if you find you are going through it too fast, you can reassess at earlier time points such as 3-4 week window etc. The key is you want to feel and see that you are improving. Your UW block scores will be a daily measure and your practice tests will be milestones. If after 2-3 weeks you don't see improvement or upward trend, then you should re-evaluate your strategy and try new things.

 

[Instatewaiter]

Hi everyone,
I'm about 9 weeks away from giving my Step 1 and I gave NBME 12 today only to end up with a score of 192. So feeling super bummed. I've just finished the Kaplan lecture notes and videos. Haven't started First Aid or UWorld. I was just wondering if this is okay? I mean, I was hoping to get above a 240. So should I postpone? Or will the next 9 weeks suffice?

First, I'm guessing by your post that you are not a US citizen; India?

Second, 9 weeks is a very, very long time. To put it in perspective, I spent 33 days studying for step 1...

Your progress is going to depend on a few things- mainly, how much time have you already spent. If you've been studying hard for 3 months then perhaps that 240 isn't realistic. If you just started, it is within reach. Questions and more questions are the way to do well on these exams. The questions and the topics from questions repeat. So by doing questions and diligently reading and understanding the answers, you will pick up a lot of extra points. All you can do is try your hardest and let the chips fall where they may.

 

[pavel13]

Like the poster above me said ^^ - 9 weeks is a very very long time. You will get burnt out (most likely). Take your time, pace yourself..take your days off and breaks properly. I think 6 weeks is the perfect amount, but even then most people are literally dying by the last week before their exam. It's easy to say you're gonna study that long, but very difficult to do. I'm not saying you can't, or that others have not, I'm just saying that it's a long time! Just work as hard as you can but also be careful! Just remember, you have plentyy of time to get your goal score 🙂

 

[J ROD]

I never thought 240 or 250 was my upper limit. The reason I put this up is because I wanted >260 and I wanted to know realistically what I can I do with the score I have now. Well, it's safe to say we have established it's too early to tell or as you so eloquently put:

"E. Not enough info to answer the question"

Guess I will reassess in some time.

Need to get used to those multiple choice questions.....

Nobody can tell you with any accuracy at this point where you can end up. You have not used any of the main sources and built a resume of work. All we can do is say it is possible. Even a 260+.

But, just remember a 260+ is not an easy thing to achieve. We all are smart and SDN makes it seems like a 240+ is average. You can not get caught up on the scores on here. Those that are in here are the top of top and self-select themselves because they are. The ones that did not do as well are not going to post their scores, etc. I am more impressed with the guy that says I got a 218 than another 260+. He had the guts to post a decent score and passing but not off the charts.

Again, the only correct answer to your question at this point is:

E. Not enough info to answer the question.

Good luck in your studies and shoot for the stars and may you land in the heavens.

 

[Lavan]

As above, 9 weeks is not the limiting factor. 6 weeks dedicated is reaching most people's tolerance for study/review. If you can't get a 240 after 9 weeks and doing UW twice, then it probably wasn't meant to be.