black_tulip
Forum Senior
Topics: 14
Posts: 95
|
Took my step 1 on Jan. 27th.
I spent about 350 days for these 350 clicks. If I could start over again, 8 months should be more than enough.
The exam is neither easy nor tough. I had mentally prepared very well before this test, and I kept very relaxed during and after this test. I found this is very important. Sevarl points of Step 1:
1). Try to stick on prepration. You have your goal to be a doc, so you should study hard for this without any hesitation.
2). Try to focus on prepration. Don't let other unrelavant things distract you, nothing is more important than this during this special time.
3). Try to ENJOY your study. Preaparation for USMLE might be very boring and painful, but you can still find something funny or interesting during this time. I like medicine very much, and I am happy when learn something new in here. When I do questions, I find it is something like playing a game or resolving a magic, and I am happy to get the right answer and I am eager to do more. You have your ways to enjoy or try to enjoy this study. This is very important, when you are interested in doing something, you will find your efficency will be significantly increased. It is Positive Feedback.
4). Pace yourself well. Don't study over hard, but efficienctly. This is such an exam that you can't cram even within several weeks. I studied "very hard" till 1:30am within the first couple of months and slept only 6.5 hours a day, but I felt very tired in the daytime (I am a PhD student). Then I went to bed around 11:00pm and got up about 6:00am, studied for two hours in the morning. I felt much better then.
5). Good strategy is crucial. Which books to read? Which questions to practise? How to combinate? You have to select your stype of studing. For my lession, stick on few good notes and read them over and over is much better than reading a lot of books.
6). This exam tests everything, so should we study everyting? No, No, No. First of all, it is impossible to study everyting. Even you stuy for 100years, you can't tough everything, can you? Secondly, it is totally not necessary to study everything. We don't have to answer 95% percent of questions right, 80% is perfectly enough, 70% is good. So, guys, I suggest you to study and focus on high-yield topics first, and then less high-yield, and finally least high-yield. The reason is so abvious, if you study everything first, it will take you long time to go over one time for all subjects, and you will forget many high-yield topics you read several months ago, and when you do questions, you seldom touch these low-yield topics, you will also forget them. Very importantly, you waste a lot of opportunities to do INTEGRATION of all subjects, which is the key point of USMLE. Guys, this worked for me. I read some lowest-yield topics only during the last few days, and I still had some memory of them during the test, and this saved me 2-3 questions in microbiology, 2-3 quetions in pharmocolgy and 3-4 in anatomy. I am very happy of this.
About the exam.
1). Don't skip any subject. Pathology and pathophysiology are the major ones, but you have to study other subjects very well. I learnt from others' experience that sometimes pharmacology or molecular biology or biochemistry is also heavily tested. I like molecular biology and biochemistry since I am a PhD student in the basic medicine and have some knowledge here, and I hope to have more and more of them, like experiment questions and knockout mouse, but I have none. In my exam, pharmocoly was very heavy, at least 50 questions, even I had mentally prepared for this and spent lots of time prepared for pharmocology, I still have 4-5 questions without any clue, but that is what I expected. Pathology and pathophysiology were not so heavy as other students'.
2). Try to relax yourself before, during and after this exam. You have your ways. For me, I try to think: (1). I should at least have no problem to pass this exam; (2). this is only one of big chalenges in my life, why should I be nevous? (3). Try to think this exam as a regualr kaplan test. (4). I know anxiety will make things worse. (5). Try to image and prepare for some potential difficulties and problem you may face during exam, but don't try to scarce yourself.
3). Don't over concentrate in the test, otherwise you will run out of your fuel and be very tired. Try to relax and read the questions in the similar way that you read the practice questions. This will make your mind cool, sharp and relaxed. This also saved me couple of questions and reduced the number of stupid mistakes. for several quetions, when I was about to click the "next", I suddenly found that the answer was wrong, and I should not make this mistake during practice.
My practice performance:
Q-Book: 70-94%
Q-Bank: 73%/100% finished (random 50 questions, five weeks ago)
USMLE CD: 46, 44, 45 (one month ago)
NBME 1: 580 (one month ago)
NBME 2: 630 (two weeks ago)
|
| monica76
Forum Senior
Topics: 13
Posts: 151
|
i am thru with my step 1 and have my result too, was just glancing thru this forum like i used to earlier....and found ur post..so am putting in this note to let all newcomers know that this post wud help them make a good strategy for their prep... and that is the key to a good score along with learning to handle stress and anxiety
|
| black_tulip
Forum Senior
Topics: 14
Posts: 95
|
Thanks. I have learnt a lot from this forum, and just want to pay back :lol:
|
| black_tulip
Forum Senior
Topics: 14
Posts: 95
|
Checked my score report today, not updated yet, so I have to wait for another week. Bless me, guys :lol:
|
| black_tulip
Forum Senior
Topics: 14
Posts: 95
|
used Kaplan notes except pathology.
When I started preparing for step 1, I spent a lot time on Lippincott's biochemistry and Lippincott's pharmocology, but I found it is really a waste of time. They are good text books for these who have little biochermistry or pharmocology backgroud, but if you already learnt biochemistry and pharmocology, and want to take step I, Kaplan is the best one and more than enough according to my experience. I have spent a lot of time on them and finally when I switched to Kaplan, I feel so regretful that I wasted so much time, and then I did not spend one second on them later.
Pathology: Goljan is a MUST. I got several questions from his notes, and more importantly, he makes the concepts very clear. BRS is also good.
Pharmocology: Kaplan is enough, except the anti-tumor is a little bit not sufficient.
Biochemistry: Kaplan is the best and the only one I suggest, don't waste time on any other source. Genetics is also the best and sufficient in Kaplan.
Anatomy: Kaplan is good, but you may also need HY for gross and embro. Neuroanatomy is the best in Kaplan. Molecular and cellular biology is not sufficient, you need to find other sources.
Physiology: Kaplan is the best for endocrine, other chapters are too long with low-yield questions. So use BRS for other chapter.
Behavior science: Kaplan is the best, but need to questions in Q-bank, and then is enough.
Microbiology: Kaplan is good and enough with good summaries.
For questions: Q-Book is good. Q-Bank is good too but some questions are too picky. You should use during your preparation. Do NBME test 1 and 2!!
|
| wombat
Forum Guru
Topics: 22
Posts: 304
|
I am sure you did great. Praying for you. 
I also got 630 in NBME form 2 last week, my exam is on 3/14. I got 480 when I did NBME form 1 about 2.5 months ago. So I am really curious to see your score. :P
Best of luck!!
|
| black_tulip
Forum Senior
Topics: 14
Posts: 95
|
I am neither happy nor sad about this score.
Best luck to those who are preparing step 1. See you in step 2 forum.
For my experience, please visit
http://www.prep4usmle.com/community/topic16663.ht...
|
| niti
Forum Guru
Topics: 36
Posts: 499
|
Hi black_tulip,
CONGRATULATIONS :icon_salut: its a wonderful score...your exam experience is definitely helpful..
Good Luck for step2..
niti
|
| angelsmile
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
Posts: 9
|
Hi, congratulations for your great score.
When you mentioned low-yield concepts which you studied in the last few days, which kind of books did you use?
Thanks!
|
| black_tulip
Forum Senior
Topics: 14
Posts: 95
|
Hi,angelsmile
as for low-yield concepts, I mean those which are not frequently tested or faced, but still may appear in the real test. I did not pay too much attention to them until the last days. I still used the same books which I listed in my experience.
Good luck to you!
|
| nisha
Forum Guru
Topics: 146
Posts: 919
|
It's time to party! Congrats!
___________________
IM resident
|
| mitty
Forum Guru
Topics: 52
Posts: 376
|
Very nice score!!! Be happy.Your advice is a very nice one too.
___________________
He will make it happen.
|
| KEROCHI
Forum Guru
Topics: 60
Posts: 971
|
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
I WISH THAT WE, THE MOTIVATED TEAM BE CONGRATULATED ALSO IN FEW MOS>>> THANKS FOR YOUR EXAM EXP> TIPS!!!
|
| sumie
Forum Elite
Topics: 33
Posts: 178
|
many many hearty congratulations for ur wonderful score
i am waiting for my score report which has not yet come
good luck for a great future
___________________
sumie
|
|
|
heart felt congratulations to you.
good luck for your step 2
|
| Cordmd
Forum Elite
Topics: 15
Posts: 324
|
Congrats! - way to go!
All the best for the next step!
|
| kmais
Forum Junior
Topics: 9
Posts: 32
|
Congratulations! That is an excelllent score!
My exam is 6 weeks. Any hints?
Thanks.
|
| Perhaps
Forum Elite
Topics: 61
Posts: 162
|
Hi Black tulip
Congratulations! You did so well! Thank you for sharing the expriences.
Could you please advise me what Goljan material are good? Did you use the 500 page notes and the 5 day audio? The notes and audio seem to be a few years old, do you recommend trying to find something newer? Thanks a lot!
|
| valeria
Forum Newbie
Topics: 0
Posts: 5
|
Congrats!!!! is time to take a break now and enjoy what you have done, I'm just starting and I'm pretty scared, I will get study materials within this 2 weeks, Do you have something that I can use?
please e-mail me at anamartin2002@msn.com
Thanks a lot
and Gongratulations again
|
| docsnq
Forum Newbie
Topics: 1
Posts: 19
|
congratulations on passing you step one and best of luck for step 2..
could you plz tell me what subjects or topics in subject are low yied?what are high and what are lowest yield ?
yhanks for ur nice suggestions...waiting for reply...
|
| usmle1
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
Posts: 9
|
Hi, I like your note. It is so clear. You mentioned you practice result. Do you mean every result comes from fresh doing? Or you got final results after repeat testing? thank you.
___________________
There is a will, there is a way.
|
| drpranavkansara
Forum Junior
Topics: 8
Posts: 47
|
hi black_tulip
congrats on your great score
i have just started reading for step 1
i am thinking to buy step 1 dvds being sold on net
containing 180 vedio lectures for about 140 $
is it really worth
very confused please help.
would really appreciate your help.
my mail : pranav_kansara@yahoo.con
have a great day.
|
|
| |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
