mufurc
Forum Elite
Topics: 13
Posts: 186
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So my experience
I'll try to make this long story short :wink:
Background:
First of all English is not my first language probably not even the second... ( :| )
I graduated in 2002 from a small European country, working ~ 80 hours (sometimes even more) a week in a research lab in the USA since then.
I started to prepare early last year but I had so many things going on in my life (I had to move twice, I didn't even have a "home" for a month so I stayed at a friend of mine's basement, etc... BTW: Thank you Charles sooo much for sharing your home with us!!!!) I could only take the exam in Dec. 2004
Study methods:
I used Kaplan notes and FA for pharm (that's really all you need for pharm!)
I also had qbank, which was a little discouraging for me because I scored very low at the beginning (~50% ) and even though I ended up getting better scores at the end (~70-80%) my average stayed at 65%.
BUT the real exam (at least mine) was very different from qbank!!!!
It wasn't as hard on the facts as qbank is, and it wasn't as twisted at all.
So DON'T WORRY IF YOUR QBANK SCORE IS A LITTLE LOWER than most people's scores...
I was also listening to Goljan lectures while going to or from work. I think that helped me the most!
That is a must for step 1. I actually did NOT encounter any of "his questions" on the exam but he definitely makes the concepts clear!!
So I was studying about 2-3 hours a day for about 7 month (on and off) and luckily I managed to save all of my holidays in 2004 so I stayed at home in the last 3 weeks and studied 16 hours a day.
I wanted to review everything for the second time over this period of 3 weeks but I ended up finishing the first "read" just 10 days prior to my exam. Actually, when I say "read" I mean "study" or "memorization" not just passive reading because I think that is just a waste of time.
The exam :
I could not sleep the night before.. only an hour maybe...
But believe me the adrenalin will help you stay awake throughout the exam.
I think my exam was well rounded,and absolutely fair. However i thought there were a little too many embryo or "baby" realated questions but nothing really weird. I truly believe it is a fair exam. Not easy though.
I was actually a little angry with myself because I could not recall a few details at the exam, so I missed a few really easy, direct questions... (mainly pharm or micro)
But I think it is absolutely doable exam!!! I'm not saying it is easy, oh no, it's just doable. If you study hard and stay focused you can definitely make it! TRUST YOURSELF!!
Honestly, I felt horrible even prior to the exam and after it... it was even worse. I was absolutely convinced that I had failed.
I got my result 1 month after the exam, and I got 234/95.
I'm absolutely delighted!
I took nmbe1 10 days prior to the actual exam and I got 570 (=234/95)
at that point I thought it might have been just a fluke but no, nmbe is quite accurate.
So my conclusion is :
study as hard as you can. Don't count the hours and don't get disappointed if you can't go through everything many times or you do not score extremely well on qbank. If you stay focused and use your brain not just your "memory-card" you can make it!! (However I do say "repetitio est mater studiourum" (latin) which means repetition is the mother of knowledge!)
IT IS A DOABLE EXAM even if it feels like it's not!!!
Ok, feel free to ask questions!
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| indiandoc
Forum Senior
Topics: 2
Posts: 95
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hi
im very scared coz my exam went on very bad and i dont expect to pass coz i hardly sttudied
so it puts me off
my god i dont know wat i did
most of q i did were guessed
but i just beleive in him
so lets see wat happens
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| mufurc
Forum Elite
Topics: 13
Posts: 186
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Do not worry, that is exactly how I felt after my exam...
Really, I thought I had not been prepared for this exam, so I had to guess a lot.
Did you do nmbe? It has an amazing correlation with your result!
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| indiandoc
Forum Senior
Topics: 2
Posts: 95
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no i didnt
did u and how much did u score
im dead
ill come to know within few hre
please pray
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| nv
Forum Newbie
Topics: 0
Posts: 1
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Indeed, mufurc was working 80 hours a week in our lab and doing a great job at that as well. A real multi-tasker. We are all very proud of you. Good job!
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| Lim
Forum Elite
Topics: 62
Posts: 210
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wow..English is not my first or second language,neither.
a little problem,but i guess it'll be solved sooner or later. (i hope)
your post is very encouring to me.
I wanna follow like you. :lol:
have a excellent day..Bye.
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