Binz
Forum Senior
Topics: 11
Posts: 92
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been part of this forum for the past few weeks on and off, reading about other's concerns and advice. so, with exam 3 weeks away (aug 26th), i needed something to calm my nerves and figured having an online journal that i can share with others who are in the same boat might help me through this time of frustration and fear. hopefully if i get side tracked someone will take the liberty to $itch me out and set me straight.
a lil about me- 25/F, did 2 years basic sci in caribbeans...average student. took kaplan live prep 6 week course in early june. after that took two weeks off (regretting that) and been studying the last month...w/plenty of distractors (living w/family while studying is annoying sometimes). resources being used (highlighted and marked feverishly) are FA (did first revision), kaplan lecture notes (read them once....not soooo thoroughly), goljan 100 (just got it), goljan audio (just got it), and kaplan qbank (20% done, overall average at 53%....high as 68%, low as 40%). i wasted a lot of time trying out different study methods and now realized i don't need tons of books...just a few good sources.
so, finalized my schedule today for the next 2.5 weeks....started off w/doing 100 random q's today- did horribly (50% and 54%). after that, i thoroughly finished FA anatomy (my 2nd review....amazing how u pick up on things second time through)....did HY info for upper limb in kaplan lecture notes. now, i'm gonna spend the night going through the questions i did earlier today....i tend to do this later on in the evenings cause it takes me forever to review questions....
i've been listening to random anatomy webprep lectures for 30mins or so when i go to sleep....surprisingly i've picked up random facts here and there and hopefully w/goljan audios i'll be able to pick up a whole lot more.
my goal is to raise my qbank score to consistent 70% (i know...aiming high)....being an avg med student, i want to do well on this exam...to make up for it.
tomorrow's goals are:
100 random q's on anatomy, histo, neuroanat.
FA - physio, beh sci (do kaplan's substance abuse chapter), and if i have any energy left...listen to papi for an hour.
well, q bank is calling me.....it's gonna be a long night.
thanks y'all for listening to me babble away....
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| Binz
Forum Senior
Topics: 11
Posts: 92
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well, it's almost midnight and i'm pooped. finished my quota for the day...ALMOST :x i didn't get to go through some 25 explanations....maybe tomorrow. but while going through majority of the explanations tonight, i looked them up in FA...and i did a little survey and noticed that if i knew FA inside out, every word of it....i could easily knock off 60% of question out of 50. why why why didn't i start FA earlier???? #-o :icon_scratch: . okay, so i'm gonna hit the sack, turn on the lovely sounds of webprep....and daydream away about the thorax....see u all tomorrow.
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| Binz
Forum Senior
Topics: 11
Posts: 92
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well, i started the day off w/a dr's appointment....u'all know how long those are. but managed to do random 50 questions (instead of the 100 that i had planned) on anat, histo, and neuro.....eeeks. only got 54%. some of the stuff seemed really new to me ::weird_look:: , and now i'm wondering if i should be spending more time on reviewing details????? i finished my FA physio quota for the day but have yet to get through FA beh sci and molec bio in FA. not to forget the rest of questions i have to review from last night. there's so much to do and not enough time! frustrating as hell. i'm doing in subjects that i don't feel comfy with and the ones i know i should know well i'm doing aweful in. nothing makes sense right now....urgh. okay....really need to get throug material tonight. have a 3 block exam planned for tomorrow. with maybe some goljan's 36pg HY info or yummy protozoans.
g'nit.
binnie
thanks for reading my diary.... 
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| MLF
Forum Elite
Topics: 36
Posts: 386
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Hey Binz, don't worry too much, you'll just worry yourself for no reason, just keep doing what your doing. I always feel that way also that you know certain things and then you dont know others and you keep trying to go back and learn the stuff you dont know, when its better to work on the stuff you do know, know it cold, and keep doing questions, dont give up, just a few more weeks and then you can relax and forget about this....
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"Support bacteria, its the only culture some people got."
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| kalsam
Forum Elite
Topics: 31
Posts: 361
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Yeah.. :icon_bounce: :icon_bounce: :icon_bounce: <:flag:>
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"Read Repeat Recall Remember Recognise & Reproduce"
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| Binz
Forum Senior
Topics: 11
Posts: 92
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today i'm really bummed. woke up early to do several blocks in a row of qbank. i did first one (felt pretty ok about it). then i thought i'd cover up my the scores and start the second block right away. so i did...oooh, harder block. well, after finishing my second block i was about to start the 3rd one but i didn't cover my scores from the first two...when i saw the scores i thought i was gonna throw this laptop out the window! :evil: i got 42% and 48% on those two blocks....what the hell happened???? i was so pissed and sad and everything inbetween that i just left everything as is and walked off. i don't understand why i regressed to such low scores that i used to get weeks ago when i barely studied anything :!: so, after lunch i went through the first block and found silly mistakes (very few)...but majority of the stuff i didn't really know. and qbank is supposed to be EASIER than the actual exam. crud :!: w/18 days to go...i can't afford low scores like this.
well, for the rest of the day i still need to review my 2nd block...and do protozoans...
:cry:
Binnie
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| Jsmart
Forum Elite
Topics: 16
Posts: 230
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Hello Binz,
I am sorry for the low score... But do not give up .Just concetrate repeat where you think you don't understand.
I know Q Bank has wierd qs on Physiology, when I did them for the first time,I only ended up with 20% :evil: :evil: :evil:
But later on it was ok my scores improved... :wink:
So keep doing them,concetrate and read carefully the small details in qs.
Lastly ,keep on [-o< [-o< [-o< [-o< [-o< [-o< [-o<
Wish you luck!
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| Binz
Forum Senior
Topics: 11
Posts: 92
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well, yesterday i reviewed the 2 blocks and read a chapter in beh sci and called it a night. woke up sleepy today and as bad as i wanted to crawl back undearneath the covers....i forced mysefl to do goljan's buzzwords for hepatobiliary system....boy, that woke me up! LOL. well, today, i've been pretty good w/ reviewing :icon_study:. i finished kaplan's pharm cns chapter. did 3 chapters in path brs. did 3 chapters in kaplan's beh sci and did some 30 beh sci questions in the book. i still would like to get through another chapter in brs path and in kap's beh sci. i big part of me wants to just give up ](*,) tonight...but i've placed a calendar right in front of me where i study to constantly remind me that the exam isn't too far away and i need to keep going.
see u'all tomorrow.
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| Ahdy2000
Forum Senior
Topics: 5
Posts: 203
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good luck Binnie. Keep on truckin'.
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| Binz
Forum Senior
Topics: 11
Posts: 92
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okey, someone make sense of this insanity....plz. so, i did 2 consec blocks and one after lunch....i got these scores: 66%, 58%, and 52%. am i the only one getting these random scores on qbank or was that pretty normal. w/ 2.5 weeks to go....i need to be consistently hitting at least 70% and when i think i'm close, dohp! down i go. i'm going for a long drive and then hit notes again. need to review my mistakes for 2night and squeeze in path brsh/beh sci.
also, i've notice people saying they've gotten 72 on they Step 1 or something like that....saying they're taking it over again. isn't 72 percentile or even 72% considered passing? please clarify me if i'm wrong.
binnie
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| Binz
Forum Senior
Topics: 11
Posts: 92
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:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:  / / / /
makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside and confident....hmmm, let's see how this goes in few days when i take a full length.
it's 10:30pm and i so want to get through few more chapters in brs path.
this week, i want to finish half of papi's lectures (about 18 hours), definitely all of path brs, kaplan beh sci....and if i could do FA biochem that would be great...not to forget the full length i've planned for sat.
i'm just trying to cover all my bases before the big day.
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| MLF
Forum Elite
Topics: 36
Posts: 386
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Hi binz, actually 75 is considered passing on the two digit score and 182 on the three digit score. Neways, good luck studying, all the best!!
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"Support bacteria, its the only culture some people got."
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| Binz
Forum Senior
Topics: 11
Posts: 92
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so much is going into my head...gotta let go of other info. so, not only have i ODed on caffeine, but also a lot of papi. i finished papi's respiratory lecture. yeah! and i did 2 chaps in kap's beh sci...along w/antimicrobials in kap's pharm + antimicrobials in FA. managed to workout...boy that felt good. so, now, i'm going to hit qbank and review some old questions. by then it should be time to listen to papi's cellular lecture and get some zzzzzs.
thanks for ur support . it feels good to know u'll are out there.
binnie
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| retroviridae
Forum Guru
Topics: 29
Posts: 871
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hey, remember Kaplan questions are harder, NOT easier than the actual test. Well, maybe I shouldn't say harder, but more picky in terms of details needed to be remembered. The USMLE questions will be quite different in character.
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| Binz
Forum Senior
Topics: 11
Posts: 92
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hey retro, thanks for that lil bit of info....kind of makes me feel somewhat good. talked to few friends and found out i am averaging what they were and these fools passed w/descent/abv avg scores. if they can do it, i can.
g'nit
binnie
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| Jsmart
Forum Elite
Topics: 16
Posts: 230
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Good move and keep it up!
Just have positive attitude You can do it too!!
All the best
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| friscan2b
Forum Guru
Topics: 86
Posts: 447
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Hi Binz,
I got mine on 09/07.
Good luck with your prep and your exam, hang in there!
A.
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| Binz
Forum Senior
Topics: 11
Posts: 92
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i had so much to do today that i hardly did anything. woke up early but was sleepy all day long and just bummed around...ouch! not good. i did manage to squeeze in child development, an hour of goljan, and NSAIDs. ..... hey, when u all are doing goljan, are u retaining 100% of everything he says the next day? i listened to his first cellular lecture and i think my subconscious remembers it...but when i tried to recall something he said about sulfa drugs...i just couldn't pull it out of my head. so frustrating...but i hope i'm not alone on that???? hmmm.
tomorrow i'm doing 4 blocks in a row from 9-1pm and then review all of them. at this point in the game, i've only got time to review those that i got wrong and those that i marked because i guessed on the answer. i don't have time to go through each and every question....boy i wish i did though.
it's kind of funny and scary at the same time...i get these weird dreams about the stuff that i'm studying...i sound all intellectual in them, someone who knows everything about anything...but when i pull out of the dream and recall what i was saying or reading....someone of that stuff is very bizarre and some of it is bunch of crap! LOL. i hope i don't get confused with what's true and what's not. that would definitely suck. with almost 2 weeks left, i'm trying to meditate before i go to sleep...so that i can relax quickly......i get these nasty muscle fasciculations in my eyes and my foot that drive me bananas to the point where i want to rip my eyes out!....can't have this happening to me when i'm taking the exam.
docusmle: hang in there buddy...i think all med students have ADD...if they didn't i'd worry.
g'nit
binnie
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| Binz
Forum Senior
Topics: 11
Posts: 92
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 i did 3 blocks in qbank today w/5min break inbetween. for some reason my computer freaked out on me on my 2nd block and had to reboot...and even after that i couldn't see any of the images in the exam! i gave up on that block. so, i got a 56, 48, 50. i thought i was really doing well on my last block, but to my surprise only ended up with 50%!! VDH! just very very very frustrated now...i did i say "very" frustrated? it doesn't even describe how i feel!
so for the rest of the day, doing goljan's cardio audio w/his buzzwords. and at least half of biochem in FA.
need ur opinion...i have 50% of qbank to go...w/my plan i'll finish it by end of next week....should i just do questions as much as i can and then come back to review the explanations later or be thorough right now and not worry about finishing all of qbank...what do u think?
thanks for listenin....
binnie
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| josh2004
Forum Senior
Topics: 5
Posts: 168
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i think do questions with exaplainations only.
that makes more sense also,you should know why you went wrong or how to think to solve the questions.
I used qbank as learning tool,i think it will be useful to me.I havent gien my exam till now.
So cant say exactly.
But i will insist you go through explainations.Till next week you have plenty of time.
If you are in full flow ,you can finish it well.
Good luck!
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99 is 99....no compromise!No matter how much you will have to burn for it!!!!!!!
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| Binz
Forum Senior
Topics: 11
Posts: 92
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today i have the amotivational syndrome. i finishd my quota for yesterday...but haveen't really accomplished much today. my mind is drifting away to all other things besides the mle. waiting for scores of my school exam to get back on monday....nerve wrecking. so, if i can finish molec bio by tonight (FA + kaplan HY info)...then i won't kill myself tomorrow.
weekend plan is to get through goljan's cardio, FA path and FA Biochem and DSM-IV in kaplan bs book.
lator gators....hope u'alls prep is going well.
binnie
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| Binz
Forum Senior
Topics: 11
Posts: 92
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been out of sight for few days...was studying fine this weekend. i went through half of my full length exam on sunday (pseudo-testing conditions...timing my breaks, etc.)...when after lunch, we had a fire in our apartment...so, things got a little crazy for the past few days. have only fulfilled 80% of my quota for the past 2 days. starting tomorrow, the war is on...it's boot camp from tomorrow til next tuesday. (exam on thursday). so, i'm not sure if i'll be updating this journal regularly....but will def visit the site daily to see how others are doing.
the plan for the battlefield:
wed-fri
goljan- 5-6 hours of lectures/day
fa - 3-4 hours/day
qbank- 2-3 hours/day
next saturday doing another full length exam & review
sun-tue- cover weak areas, FA, and goljan's HY & find time to go through the USMLE STEP 1 CD that ecfmg mailed.
wed- pray, pray, pray, pray......and read...so that i don't go crazy! maybe even listen to papi before bed.
thursday- war begins!
binnie
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| transco
Forum Newbie
Topics: 3
Posts: 5
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GOOD LUCK! keep at it and keep ur head up high! we're thinkin bout ya!
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| MLF
Forum Elite
Topics: 36
Posts: 386
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ALL THE BEST!!!
___________________
"Support bacteria, its the only culture some people got."
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| Binz
Forum Senior
Topics: 11
Posts: 92
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...well, i realized that i was more focused (and calmer...don't know why) when i had this diary thing going...and w/5 more days to go...i need to be honest w/myself about where my time is going.
so, today i had planned on finishing all of FA path (ya right!...that didn't happen...though, finished half of it). did 75 Q in qbank (got 54% on random 50q and 72% when i did path only (25q)). urgh!
so, here's the game plan for the next few days and let's see how i live up to it:
sat.
goljan (5 hours)
FA path (finish it!)
3/4 blocks in qbank
sun.
goljan (5 hours)
FA Physio
FA Behsci
2 blocks in qbank
mon.
FA pharm (CNS, Antimicrobials)
FA Micro
3 blocks in qbank
tue.
FA Biochem
FA Anat
(might look over HY info for neuroanat in Kaplan book)
2/3 blocks in qbank
wed....don't know what i'm doing but definitely listening to papi from 6pm-?
thr....test day
so....if anyone has any suggestion/input if i should focus on one thing more than other (genetics vs. gross anat????)...or if i should add something in my last minute prep......that you found helpful in your preparation...feel free to tell me.
okay, i still need to finish reviewing today's exam and listen to papi before i go to bed.
also, any suggestions about whether i should squeeze in the 36pg goljan notes??? what do u think?
thanks guys...
binnie
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