jayakrishna
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Topics: 30
Posts: 113
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Hi guys and gals
here is an account of my experience with the exam.
i studied for nearly 6 months. I did Kaplan videos highlights 3 times and the livelecture notes.Tried to master the notes. I did blueprints with a view to add to the kaplan notes.I then turned to Kaplan q bank, and USMLEWORLD q bank,NMS book, Kaplan q book. I did then, the crack the boards q book too.(Nearly 6000 Questions) .Just before one month of the actual exam and then again one week before the exam, I did the NBME tests I and II under standard pace , scored 520 and then 540.
Exam experience.
Questions appeared generally much longer than what they appeared in the kaplan q bank.They resembled the USMLEWORLD q bank questions,and doing them was great help.Mostly newer questions judging the clinical acumen, not just memory and recall. While I was in 7 th block of my exam, powerfailure occured and luckily for me, it was for all the people.So, exam was frozen, and they managed to get it started 15 minutes later.It was good in oneway that I got breathing space, but lost momentum at the same time. My scores in Kaplan q bank ranged from 80 to90%.USMLEWORLD qs only 60 to 70%.I suggest each and everyone to do TIMED tests , all subjects and then gauge themselves for the progress.Doing NBME tests is a must.They are the most EXAMLIKE questions.......Again do these under stipulated time. I am waiting for the score now,and hoping to do well.
Hope this helps someone.....
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| ampicillin
Forum Newbie
Topics: 4
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how long it took you to go back thru a 50 questions test-takes me long time to get thru questions...
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| Anil Kumar980
Forum Senior
Topics: 15
Posts: 130
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Thanks for your experience.Youll surely get a 99 after that solid prep
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| anne
Forum Elite
Topics: 41
Posts: 348
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thanx jayakrishna for sharing ur experience. wish u all the best for ur result.
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| bluestar
Forum Guru
Topics: 236
Posts: 724
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"jayakrishna" wrote:
Hi guys and gals
here is an account of my experience with the exam.
i studied for nearly 6 months. I did Kaplan videos highlights 3 times and the livelecture notes.Tried to master the notes. I did blueprints with a view to add to the kaplan notes.I then turned to Kaplan q bank, and USMLEWORLD q bank,NMS book, Kaplan q book. I did then, the crack the boards q book too.(Nearly 6000 Questions) hi, jayakrishna, I've two questions,
1, Are there many overlaps between Kaplan Q bank and Q book?
2, did you use kaplan's livelecture audio? I find it hard to only read the basic points from Kaplan note. But then I find Kaplan's audio not correlates with its note. Which supplement do you think would help me understand Kaplan's note? Thank you!
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| jayakrishna
Forum Senior
Topics: 30
Posts: 113
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there are no overlaps between kaplan q bank and q book. I could not recall one single instance of a question from q book getting repeated in q bank.They are all distinct.It is a good idea to make your own qs. while reading the material.I listened to kaplan step 2 videos (centreprep).I could not complete them in one month.Most of them are useful, with CONRAD FISCHER being my alltime favaourite.He teaches Medicine in a such a way that you retain most of it.Since I have done already my MD , I am familiar with most of the topics, and that helped. Keep USMLEWORLD in mind prepare questions on all topics, YOU WILL DO WELL.
MOST COMMON QUESTIONS ARE
1.WHAT IS THE MOSTLIKELY DIAGNOSIS?
2.WHAT IS THE BEST INITIAL TEST?
3.WHAT IS THE BEST TEST?
4.WHAT IS THE NEXT BEST STEP IN DIAGNOSIS?
5.WHAT IS THE NEXT BEST STEP IN MANAGEMENT?
6.WHAT IS THE MOSTLIKELY TEST TO HAVE GIVEN DIAGNOSIS?
7.WHAT IS THE BEST INITIAL THERAPY?
8.WHAT IS THE BEST THERAPY?
9.WHAT IS THE BEST PROGNOSTIC FINDING?
if YOU keep these questions in mind and keep asking yourself these questions about every single disease , you are on your way to CRUSH the boards!
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| jayakrishna
Forum Senior
Topics: 30
Posts: 113
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Thanks Anne for the wishes.All the very best for your exam.Letme know if I could help you in anyway. I am fond of teaching........
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| jayakrishna
Forum Senior
Topics: 30
Posts: 113
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Hi Anil,
Thanks for the best wishes. Inshallah, if your words come true, I will give you a big big treat , no matter wherever you are.
ALL the very best for your exam.....
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| bluestar
Forum Guru
Topics: 236
Posts: 724
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Hey, jayakrishna, Thank you very much for the reply! So you listened to *Kaplan's highlight video* instead of the Audio lecture of 68 hours? Do you have any idea about the audio lecture of 68 hours? Also, do you know where I can get kaplan's Q book? I've found everywhere but didn't have any luck.
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| jayakrishna
Forum Senior
Topics: 30
Posts: 113
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It is indeed a stressful experience to do 46 questions in given one hour time.If asked to do them in some 70 minutes would be a lot easier !!.Yeah, we tend to lose questions as we are apprehensive and obviously are not our best during the exam.The key is to experience the sterss as many number of times as possible before the exam,so that we hopefully get used to it (at least to an extent).Length of the questions is a REAL issue. Level of difficulty is not.We , after extensive review of these subjects can manage most of the questions, and obviously some of them just test your memory and are very easy......but to get them most of them right with in the allotted time is ..........ISSUE!
It is like scoring 350 in allotted 50 overs. ........You should keep scoring all the time, to keep the asking rate down, and with out losing toomany wickets (here, too many questions.!!)
ALL the very best for your exam.
Let me know if I could do some help to you
Take care
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| jayakrishna
Forum Senior
Topics: 30
Posts: 113
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Initially it was just kaplan highlights ( i did them 3 times, and memorised most of it if not all ).Then during the last stages of my preparation, I saw step 2 videos for a month. Obviously ,longer duration with videos would have been helpful, but then I did not have time.
Regarding Kaplan q book, It is available on at E-bay.
Hope this helps
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| bluestar
Forum Guru
Topics: 236
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then what's the long Kaplan video are you referring? How long is it? Is it like highlight video that's seen on PC? Same professors? Does it come with corresponding notes/slides? sorry that I only knew there's a kaplan audio out there. If you no longer need your Kaplan Q book, can I get yours? :roll: Thank you very much for the reply!!
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| jayakrishna
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Topics: 30
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I am referring to the same video they show in kaplan centre. I used medpass (ONE MONTH).Same professors but it follows the notes in all subjects.VERY VERY USEFUL.If you can afford that, it is extremely useful, especially if you are taking the exam long after your graduation. I finished my MD in 1999,so lost touch of Gyneacology and Surgery. It was simply superb in Gynaecology. Regarding my step 2 q book, I am sorry, I have not got my results yet, and more over my wife is preparing for steps now.Good news is that , it is officially available for just more than 25$ on net.Goodluck..........
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| bluestar
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oh? so you enrolled in 2 CK CenterPrep 30 Visits? Ppl are selling 9 DVD for step2 videos of 140 hours and I guess that is the one you are saying. Where did you find Q book sold for $25? I only found it combined with other stuff that I already have or they are sold for real expensive price at ebay. If you could kindly guide me? Your info has been extremely helpful, thank you so much and wish you best luck with the score!
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| vyseerx
Forum Guru
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Hi Bluestar,
here is the link for your step 2 q book. Goodluck on your exam...........
http://www.prep4usmle.com/books/0743262395/
take care
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| bluestar
Forum Guru
Topics: 236
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hey, vyseerx, Thank you soooooo much!! I thought none of kaplan's stuff is sold on Amazon.
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| tasneembanu
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Topics: 96
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thanks jayakrishna for ur experience,i just wanted to know whether Kaplan books alone would be enough,what else would u recommend?i have 4 months for preparation.
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| jayakrishna
Forum Senior
Topics: 30
Posts: 113
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It depends.If you are just out of the medical school, or if you have already done your postgraduation, then Kaplan is ENOUGH. This , I tell as I assume that you have enough of residual knowledge to understand and retain most of the concepts in Medicine.If you find it difficult to understand what is being told on tape and have hard time memorizing facts,then proably you need bigger text books.(CMDT the best).If it is that you have already mastered Kaplan material and looking for some more extra information, then you can turn yourself to Blueprints.There are essentially same as Kaplan , but a little more comprehensive.If you realise that they are the books for step 2 and 3 , YOU WILL HAVE ADDED motivation to study them!
all the best
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