Jsmart
Forum Elite
Topics: 16
Posts: 230
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First of all I would like to give my THANKS to all of you who have made the day of yersterday possible...I thank God for letting me know this site and having such a Good family 
I am an img who started preparing for this exam for only 3 months because I had a deadline for doing it :roll: I had no choice for time .I had been planning to do USMLE for years and everytime I felt I had no time for it....
So I started Kaplan Webpath and Books Intensively reading like crazy for six weeks for 10-14 hours/day , Did nothing except reading only!
Then I took Q bank for 1 month (2 weeks before the exam)
Ohh I tell you this has helped me where I was wrong , how to handle Qs and more importantly to apply what I know into real thing.
I did 150 Qs everyday and reading all the explanations carefully then I went back to the notes and ead the topics of which I thought I was weak.
I started by getting 60-65% and then at the end the total of 79%
Two weeks before my exam I saw this website !Ohhh It's real a blessing .I didn't know what to do,panicking with only 2 weeks :icon_scratch: I got wonderful and detailed experience from here and that's when I started to hear Goljan lectures (I didn't now if there was a free download) And even if I knew I didn't know if you can listen in the very end of preparation.
Goljan -What Can I say about this man He changed my attitude in the very end as I was about giving up and postporn the test ...
So I had to listen to his lectures everyday for 4 hours..all of them and repeated some of them.I also have his 100,36 HY
This man knows everything about USMLE...when you listen to him I can tell you you will find the exam easier and you know how to solve many many problems...I found exactly like 30 Qs where I could hear his voice and he was like giving the answers to me...I was just smiling when I saw them.
Now the EXAM:
I found it tough,challenging....and you have to scratch your head so many times :icon_scratch: :icon_shake: The only thing I know is YOU HAVE TO KNOW THE CONCEPTS AND THE MECHANISMS...This is from
Goljan and he is right ...
They know you know everything the question is : can you intergrate the things together , can you put them together???That's it !
Anatomy:very few Qs, I had like 20 qs from neuro...know then brainstem where the cranial nerve originate.I was asked the CN VII where it come from..the globus pallidus thing...so concetrate on neuro guys andFA is just enough , the eye-the nerves know then very well..
Behavioural- every block 7-8 Qs mainly dr-pt relationship and I think Kaplan notes and Q bank are good at this.They were not long as I expected and they were direct.Ohhh the Biostat -lots of them and I am always weak with the calculations(I usually hate maths :wink: so I wasn't surprised-I know I did very bad in those Qs )I know for sure I will score low in this...
Biochem-Many many molecular biology mainly from Kaplan notes...many DNA thing and some of them like 5 Qs I didn't waste my time coz I knew it would consume my time.Very strange diagrams :shock: It was heavily tested .There were few from those cycles (please don't waste time cramming them)..I got few Qs from lysosomal diseases(Von Gierkes)
Porphyria,Osteogenesis I , so read the diseases very well.
Micro-it wasn't tough at all just the common bacteria S.aureus,Salmonella,
Brucellosis ,TB,viruses and antimicrobials .Now they didn't ask directly guys:VERY VERY TRICKY ...but they were solvableI think It was fair.
Pathology/Physiology -As usual more than 50% !!! And again so many graphs from physiology.pathology was almost more than 25 Qs from each block .Everything tested....it was tough but I could answer most of the Qs :wink: I thank God for bringing this man Goljan.I can assure you he leads you to answer most Qs ..
Inflammation,cell injury,and those introductory Path thing MANY MANY and Goljan is the answer to this...
Pharmacology :many many Qs were not so bad BUT again bery strange drug X /Y diagrams almost like 15 some of them were very long and in doing them I even lost appetite of before compliting the Qs .Very boring one...I just guessed and moved on and I didn't allow my head to waste time thinking them.
Know the mechanism of Drugs know them very well ..I had 3 diagrams of antifungi drugs :Amphotericin,Ketoconazole, all of them know... very well and I think FA is just enough.
To sum up: It was tough .I just leave everything to God now to decide...
The last block was the TOUGHEST and I was really tired.I am not sure :? :?
For those who are in their final pre.do not worry about time during exam just know the mechanism!!!!!That what matters. LISTEN very careful to Goljan
Ohhh don't get tired with my THANKS :wink: :wink: Thanks everybody .
I am not sure about what I did but your Prayers worked I finished it.
I am waiting for results now Only GOD knows...
Please ask me anything....
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| jesi
Forum Newbie
Topics: 0
Posts: 9
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HI Jsmart,
You got through this exam and I hope that you will sure get above 90...Your exam exp. is really useful.Thankyou so much for the nice description.You told me about group discussions..so, really I want to know that after giving exam...what do you think about those chat sessions?
Please reply.
Thanks
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| tasneembanu
Forum Guru
Topics: 96
Posts: 545
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hi Jsmart,its feels a bit relieved to read ur experience,my exam is on the 31st July,like u said,this forum is like a big family,
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| Jsmart
Forum Elite
Topics: 16
Posts: 230
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Thanks for the comments and for the wishes ...
Yeah , I think the chat sessions helped me .They are good as you feel that you are not alone .They are 2 hours for 2 days per week so I don't think you will loose anything by participating :roll: :roll: .
The main issue like I said is to understand the concepts.
I would suggest you listen to Goljan at least everyday for 3-4 hours prioritise him as now you have few days...I am sure you will get 20-30Qs where you will hear his voice telling u the answers :wink: :wink:
Best wishes and stay cool ,don't worry
[-o< [-o< [-o< [-o< [-o< [-o< [-o< [-o< for you...
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| docarjun
Forum Elite
Topics: 11
Posts: 334
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thanks Jsmart for sharing your experience.
I ae some anxiety about ths exam...reading your experience i got some hint about where to work!I will study more for these last days!
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| josh2004
Forum Senior
Topics: 5
Posts: 168
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Thanks for your brief experience of this exam.
Seems to be doable exam.....ofcourse only with hard work!!!..... :wink: but will now only when i will be there!!!!!!!!
Is there anything which you felt you should have done ?just to add up your preperation?
or any more revision for something?
seems kaplan q bank is enough,right?
___________________
99 is 99....no compromise!No matter how much you will have to burn for it!!!!!!!
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| hiwa
Forum Senior
Topics: 15
Posts: 185
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Jsmart congrats for completion of ur test
I heard if u get tough blocks in the last one or two means u have done good in ur previopus blocks, is that true?!
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| josh2004
Forum Senior
Topics: 5
Posts: 168
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I guess it is true for exams like GRE ,GMAT.I had given GRE ,this strategy was there.Your previous question will devide your next question.If you are going towards more and more difficult level that means you are doing well.Because difficult questions have more score.
If getting easy questions,something wrong..!
I was wishing this exam also should have been like that. Because its fun and you know at the end how you perform,immediately!!!
But USMLE is fixed set exam...they have set few sets of qblocks and peple get it randomly.thats it!You wont know how are you doing in this exam!
This is what i heard from my friends who gave it!
If i am doing any mistake,please let me know!!!
___________________
99 is 99....no compromise!No matter how much you will have to burn for it!!!!!!!
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| Jsmart
Forum Elite
Topics: 16
Posts: 230
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Dear all, Thanks for the comments.
To Josh , the exam is doable but as I said it's tough.The concept is what matters.So know very well what you are reading in that way you will be Ok.
I didn't do the nmbe Qs :oops: :oops: but I WISH I DID!!! So please do them and know where you stand before the test.The exam looks familiar with kaplan Q bank(not exact qs but the format is almost the same)
The other thing is Goljan lectures please have time everyday with this man.And whenever he says "BIG TIME" know that there is an answer to your exam there :wink: :wink:
All the best to all of you .In my prayers [-o< [-o<
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| bm
Forum Elite
Topics: 37
Posts: 421
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:icon_bounce:
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| coco666
Forum Newbie
Topics: 0
Posts: 2
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hi, Jsmart.
where did you get the free Goljan lectures ? everybody says he is the best. but where can i get it ? please give me a link. thanks. the exam is only two wks from now .....
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| nuprin
Forum Elite
Topics: 16
Posts: 338
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congrats, jsmart!!!!! all the best for your score. i'm sure you did wonderfully!
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| friscan2b
Forum Guru
Topics: 86
Posts: 447
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Congratulations doc, the best of luck and thank you for sharing your experience with us.
Good luck again!
A.
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| Moni79
Forum Junior
Topics: 8
Posts: 37
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Hello Jsmart,
congratulations getting over your test, I am sure you did great!
I was going to ask you about Goljan 100,36 HY what is that?
thanks
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| Jsmart
Forum Elite
Topics: 16
Posts: 230
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Hello Moni , Thanks for your prayers.
Goljan 36/100 High Yield notes are the notes from dr Goljan with very HIGH YIELD materials covering every subject especially Pathology.
They are very good for review after you have read in deep other resources.
Caan be found at valuemd as free download.
Hope this will help :wink:
Good luck
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| mpendergrass
Forum Newbie
Topics: 1
Posts: 6
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Hey Jsmart,
How did you find Kaplan Webprep? As in, was it worthwhile? (not literally, how do you find it!) Congrats as well! :P
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| Jsmart
Forum Elite
Topics: 16
Posts: 230
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Thanks a lot
Kaplan WebPrep is good for Biochemistry,Molecular Biology,Genetics,Physiology(Endocrinology) .That's what I read most using it .
It's not worthy it with Patho in my Opinion :wink: Better listen to Goljan.
Best wishes
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| ch_chaithujp
Forum Newbie
Topics: 0
Posts: 2
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hi smart!
can u pls tell me how i can get the goljan audio lectures...thank u...
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| Jsmart
Forum Elite
Topics: 16
Posts: 230
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Hello Chait
Go to www.coolgoose.com
Sign in
Click to music
Click Search
type papi
You will have all the lectures
Enjoy listening to Golden lectures :lol: :lol: :lol:
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| Moni79
Forum Junior
Topics: 8
Posts: 37
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Hello Jsmart
I am new in the forum and I'd like to know more about the chat sessions
could you tell me please time and topic?
Thanks so much!
Moni
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| ch_chaithujp
Forum Newbie
Topics: 0
Posts: 2
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hi smart!
thanq,i've started listening to his lectures.he is simply amazing...thanks once again...
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| Jsmart
Forum Elite
Topics: 16
Posts: 230
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Dear Moni , The chat sessions ::argue:: will start on Aug 9 .
I know they will help a lot coz everybody shares what he/she has and it's good for memmorising things.
Just look at the schedule at the beginning of this forum.
Good Luck!
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| Jsmart
Forum Elite
Topics: 16
Posts: 230
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:lol: :lol: :lol: Yeah he is really an Angel to Step 1 takers .
You will be surprised as you will be addicted to his voice after you are thru u don't miss him :wink:
Good luck
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| monica76
Forum Senior
Topics: 13
Posts: 151
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i'm new to this forum, but reading ur experience has made me believe so much more in myself... thanks so much...tried looking for goljan's high yield in valuemed.. but c udnt find it.. cud u guide me a bit more? i have 3 months in fact less than tht b4 my step 1 and am trying to organise myself and know how to do wht in a short time.... really appreciate ur post
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