arlette
Forum Newbie
Topics: 1
Posts: 6
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i had step 1 last nov 16, checked oasis dec 9, it says i passed! i'm so happy! i'm still waiting for the score report...
well i have been a silent observer in this forum for about a month now, and i must say that i regret not to know about this forum while i was studying for the test. i only knew about this site on the day after my exam! people here are so helpful and supportive of each other... so i would like to share my exam experience with you.
i'm a mother to an 18 month old girl, and its really hard to study and watch out for a toddler like her, but as everyone said in this forum - prayer, hard work and patience are the main key to achieving your goal.
for step 1, i studied about 4 months and used the ff:
First aid
patho -- BRS
physio -- BRS
biochem -- digging up
micro -- MRS
kaplan q bank for 1 month
usmle cd
little of webpath
i just passed board exam in my country last feb2004, maybe my review there also helped me in my step 1.
on the day prior to my exam, i didn't get enough sleep because my daughter got sick. i was scared that i would fall asleep on my exam day, but luckily (may be due to anxiety) i didn't. the exam was difficult for me, and sometimes i only got around 5 minutes left, so i haven't checked the items that i marked for review. I couldn't even remember most of the questions, i think i just went on with the flow...
after the exam, i think i only remembered 5-10 questions... they were all wrong! i felt so stupid at that time, i really don't know what would happen to me.
then the next day, i found out about this forum and it helped me a lot! i read that many people here are on the same boat as i am, i've realized i'm not alone! so i started to relax and play more with my little girl, go to the mall, spend time with family... PRay, Pray and PRAY!!!
and now the prayer was answered!! 
it's my chance to pay it forward... if you have any questions i would be happy to answer!!!
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| arlette
Forum Newbie
Topics: 1
Posts: 6
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i got my score report today. its 191/78, not a high score, but im still thankful that i passed!
do you think i would have a chance to get a residency with my score?
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| CruiseMissile
Forum Junior
Topics: 10
Posts: 67
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I think people with your scores match all the time, it's just that low scores limit your options (what/where) somewhat. It always helps to strengthen other parts of your application (step 2, visa issues, research, US clinical experience, LORs etc) and promote the factors that make you an attractive candidate to PDs.
Congratulations on passing, btw!
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| mandyk
Forum Newbie
Topics: 3
Posts: 15
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Hi Arlette ,
Congratulations on your success!Lot of my friends did get into residencies with similiar scores .So keep your spirits high and all the best for next step.
I am amazed how you could find time to study while taking care of a toddler. :icon_salut: I am in very similar situation.It would be great if you could tell me how you made a schedule to study while taking care of your dear daughter.How many hours you put in every day .Any valuable tips would be appreciated.
congrats again!You deserve the best! :P
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| mjl1717
Forum Hero
Topics: 958
Posts: 5,463
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Congratulations -Its ALWAYS commendable when someone can care for a toddler and pass!! Let us know how you did it!! :idea:
___________________
Smell the coffee! "Is That an Osler move??"
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| arlette
Forum Newbie
Topics: 1
Posts: 6
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thanks everyone for your support! i really appreciate it! 
mandyk, i studied roughly about 4 months, but got serious on the last 2 months only.
looking back, i don't know how i did it! i did not have a fixed schedule for studying, and to make things more difficult, i breastfeed my baby! she doesn't want milk from the bottle... so everytime she's hungry, i stop reading/studying.
the best time for me to study is when she is sleeping... that would be around 2-3 hours in the morning, and 1-2 hours in the afternoon! sometimes at night, when i don't fall asleep while breastfeeding her, i read. maybe that's the answer --- read when you can!!! read read read even if you're not sure your brain got it all :!:
one month before my step 1, i got qbank and luckily my daughter liked watching cartoons wiggles and barney stuff. so while she's busy watching,
im busy studying! :lol:
well mandyk, i don't know if i helped you in any way... just ask me anything id be happy to answer!
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| KEROCHI
Forum Guru
Topics: 60
Posts: 971
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congrats arlette,
wow that's an accomplishment!! What a great Xmas present huh!!
What books did you study? Did you have to reread them if you did how many times . Pls give us some more tips?
Did you just focused on pathophysio?
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| arlette
Forum Newbie
Topics: 1
Posts: 6
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thanks kerochi! yeah it is a great bday and xmas present for me!
if you look at my first post, i've written all my review materials. i read FA 3x, the rest of the books just once. did qbank one month, finished all the questions and explanations but did not have the chance to repeat it.
in my opinion, the topics are equally distributed so focusing on pathophysio ONLY might not work. behavioral science and pharma questions showed up a lot in my exam , you might want to focus on it too.
i guess there's no specific review material that can answer all the usmle questions. the key is to stick with what you have and with what you're comfortable reading/reviewing.
for me -- first aid, qbank and the usmle sample questions helped a lot.
i did not do nbme or goljan so i cannot comment on that...
good luck!!!
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| KEROCHI
Forum Guru
Topics: 60
Posts: 971
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Thanks a lot arlette. I appreciate your answer.
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| mandyk
Forum Newbie
Topics: 3
Posts: 15
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Thanks for your reply.You are an inspiration for me. i just started working on step 1 about a month ago basically only 2-4 hrs per day trying to make more time gradually.I have similiar feeding situation with my girl so day care is not a good option.I graduated about few years ago so i have start from scratch as far as basic sciences are concerned .
How many hours in average did you study in a day how much material did you cover in one day(in chapters )
Rest apart ,you surely have strong will power .
Cheers
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| arlette
Forum Newbie
Topics: 1
Posts: 6
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mandyk,
as i've said, i had no fixed schedule as to how many hours i've studied. usually when the timing is right, i finish around 1-3 chapters of a book each day.
with qbank (since it was only for a month), i did 150 questions a day. i even used the tutorial part (not the timed part) only because i cannot predict when my daughter will cry or wake up.
but if you can do qbank timed, the better. it really helps in your pacing when answering in the actual exam. i think doing a lot of questions is a good practice.
i know you can do it. just believe in yourself!
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| mandyk
Forum Newbie
Topics: 3
Posts: 15
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Thanks for your reply.All the best for your next step & Happy holidays
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