beta blocker
Forum Newbie
Topics: 10
Posts: 16
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Hi
I sat for the exam yesterday.I would say it was really not what I was expecting.I had been studying for the past 1 year and I really had to struggle to keep on track.I am right now 8 months pregnant.But I gave it a shot.About the exam,the exam was really tough.There was biochemistry and behavioural sciences everywhere.Everyone told me there will be a lot of patho,but there was may be 15 to 20 % patho.Rest was all biocheemistry and statistical questions.There was`not a lot of anatomy but there were CT scans and most of them were of hematomas,cervical fractures.there were some lower limb photos and there were a couple of questions on knee joint.I remember a question where they asked about a posterior knee injury and which structure is damaged.There was another couple of questions about intercostal injuries.There was a couple of questions about an injury that displaces the gastric bubble and colon bubble.there was aquestion about pneumothorax.
in behavioural sciences,there was a lot of biostats.The calculations were very complex and needed atleast 5 minutes a question so for most of them I just randomly clicked.I was really short of time on each block bcz of so many calculations.
there was`a lot of pharma..And 50%pharma wsa about ANS...there were lots of graphs and drugs before and after interpretation.overall pharma is really not enough to be done from just kaplan or lippincott.I used first aid and lippincott but still I was way unsure about majority of questions.
there were lot of micro and immunology.I swear to God,I could never answer those questions of immunology even if I had studies from jawetz.They were really very very conceptual.
behaviuoral sciences had lots of doctor patient relationship.We Imgs are really not at fault.The questions were simply out of our span of knowledge.I couldnot answer a single question confidently.
Biochemistry had alot of molecular biology and real tough one.Sometimes during the test I felt as if they are talking french.There were so long pedigree studies and chromosomal karyotyping that I was simply lost and wasted all my time in thinking about them.My biggest drawback was that I was always short of time.In the end I had to just guess and go on.
physio was full of graphs.There was a lot of acid balance questions but real twisted ones.
patho was all about genetic diseases.but patho overall was not tested much on my exam.So that was`really my drawback.
There was histology and embryology.infact more than everyone told me there would be.Even gross anatomy was less than these two,and even neuroantomy.
over all my test yesterday was very very tough.I really dont think I will do great.I am just keeping my fingers crossed as Allah is the ultimate power.He knows I have worked hard and whatever will happen will be for my best.And my hard work wont go wasted inshAllah.
I really want to say a few words about my husband.He was my strenght all this time.If he was not there,may be I couldnot even do this much.The only thing I am afraid of is to disappoint him.I hope my exam experience helps you all.I wish you good luck.My exam was tough,dont get dishearted that yours will be too.Just put your best and leave the rest to the One who is above all this.I am hoping for the best. 8)
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| ssrpk
Forum Fanatic
Topics: 154
Posts: 2,819
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hey cheer up.....u are gonna get good marks INSHALLAH...
well i just wanna know one thing....i am a student and i hv been preparing for quite some time and getting reference 4m all the text books i can....and this biochemistry and immunology in partciular gets so tuff sometimes...if u were to study from some text books which one wud u recommend....regarding those conceptual questions as u mentioned....this jawetz is definitely not enuff .... ROBBIN's has a pretty big chapter on immunologic disorders....shall i go through them or is kaplan sufficient for them.Plz gimme some advice regarding these 2 subjects
and those radiographic picture from anatomy....were u getting any clue from he question text or does it require some hard hand on CT's
Above all have faith in ALLAH .... u worked hard u won't get disappointed i am sure
All the best
regards 
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life is guud
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| beta blocker
Forum Newbie
Topics: 10
Posts: 16
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For immunology I would really suggest to go into details.And do many questions.Read books that are basics oreinted and then go to the detailed ones.I listened to kaplan lectures for immunology and read jawets as in medical college and I did kaplan in the end.May be my drawback was not doing questions that could tell me how to apply my knowledge.
For pharma,I really dont know.Nothing is sufficient as far as my exam is concerned..same applies for biochem.Do your kaplan and do questions.try to build concepts rather than just memorizing.knowing stuff and then being to apply it is the basis of usmle.But still you can never say anything.I am in US right now and I see medical students here.Our way of studying is totally different .I am not saying that we are less than these people in any way.But they definitely know how to take this exam and for us this is really foreigner.Atleast this is what I felt.
Wish you luck.
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| lmbebo
Forum Elite
Topics: 36
Posts: 338
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cheer up.
At least the exam is over and you concentrate on delivering a healthy baby 
I took my exam on the 26th, and it was tough too. The immuno questions where very conceptual.
I just got a msg too from a friend who took his yesterday and it sounded about teh same as yours.
Anyways, don't count yourself out just yet. We might suprise ourselves and pass
g/l
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| docshah
Forum Junior
Topics: 20
Posts: 56
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Hi, I read your post and hopefully you will do well. I just want to know did you do all the Kaplan notes? As for questions, what questions did you do? I mean did you do all the qbank questions, qbook, etc??? I am just wondering how tough this exam has become. Thank you for your response in advance.
Oh yah, dont fret... you will be ok... if anything i think everyone has the exact same feeling as you :oops: as they come out of the exam, EVEN the ones that kick butt! So chances are you probably did fine! Cheer up and enjoy your baby and congrats!
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THINK POSITIVE, FEEL POSITIVE, BE POSITIVE!!!!
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| Angeles
Forum Senior
Topics: 15
Posts: 137
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Hey Beta Blocker...I donot think u should use this nickname, as I can hear ur tachycardia from here ..I am sure that u will do OK inshaa allah..every body had this feeling after thier exam, but at last they surprised themselves with high passing scores!! stress is not good for ur baby .. just take a break and relax and let us take the advantage of ur exam experience :lol: ..
Ok here is a question for u..Did u have lots of Radiographs, CTs, MRIs, Patho and Micro slides on ur exam? and more important, did u have to identify structures or abnormalities in these things to answer the question? Do u think that we should give special attention to radiographs and CTs or slides?
One more question...which of the question sources u did was reflecting the actual exam formate more?
At last, best wishes for u again..Take a break and relax, u need it before u start studying for step 2 cuz I know that u will pass with honor inshaa allah..Allah never waste a good work!!!
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ALLAH IS SUFFICIENT FOR ME, NONE HAS THE RIGHT TO BE WORSHIPPED EXCEPT HIM, UPON HIM I RELY AND HE IS LORD OF THE EXALTED THRONE.
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| beta blocker
Forum Newbie
Topics: 10
Posts: 16
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There were questions which were not straight forward.One thing i can tell you all is that there will be slides but not very easy ones.But I will tell you honestly that the slides are not important.usually in the question there is always a clue.So if your theory is good,you should not have any problems in picking up the disease.Virology was tested heavily on my exam.As an img,really forget about answering those questions.
The boards loved to ask cellular level physiology and patholgy.
As far as what is the test closest to this exam,I would say usmle CD 100%,and nbme form one.
I had many repeat questions from these two.
Q bank I would say,dont rely on that.your scores on q bank may be very good or very bad,but nbme tells you the exact point where you stand.
There are a few things I really want to advice on the test day.The break time was a real issue for me.They dont telll you how much time is left for your break.They will just show a total time left.So you must have to keep track of your break time.secondly I would suggest that you try to do questions a bit faster in the start bcz the start questions are easier in every block.In this way you will save time on the end questions or the questions with calculations where you know how to solve but dont have enough time to do them.i would say in your last month,just try to focus on time management.Its all that really matters in this test.
good luck all.I hope i could be of any help.Just remember me in your prayers.
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| wombat
Forum Guru
Topics: 22
Posts: 304
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Don't worry. All my friends walked out of the exam feeling that a lot of stuff they had no clue what they are asking for. Still they all did fine. Relax and have some fun.
Can you tell us how much you score on NBME form 1? Did you do form 2 as well? thanks.
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| Angeles
Forum Senior
Topics: 15
Posts: 137
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Thanks beta blocker, that was of great help for me, I was really worried about the slide thing, but now I will go on more confident..Best wishes for u!!
___________________
ALLAH IS SUFFICIENT FOR ME, NONE HAS THE RIGHT TO BE WORSHIPPED EXCEPT HIM, UPON HIM I RELY AND HE IS LORD OF THE EXALTED THRONE.
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| adi:)
Forum Newbie
Topics: 0
Posts: 2
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hi,
i have taken my step 1 exam on feb 28th too(michigan).. i felt the exam was pretty vague and i really ran short of time..i had to blindly take on some q's running short of time .... overall all i wasnt happy , normally i had lots of time when i did online q bank(kaplan) even when the doctor patient relations questions were too long in q bank and none of the q's so long in the actuall exam.i felt the exam was pretty tough,not tough to be precise but vague so i dont know whether i put the right answer or wrong with that time pressure. Even with q's i knew, but needed time to do the time clicked on very very fast..so i have no idea at the end of the day whether i put the right answers or just blind answers,so will have to wait fr the scores...i was dazzed at the end of my exam and even now .it was a hard work of so many months and feel like a damn stupid not knowing whether i messed it up or evryone are finding the q's now a days a bit tough...
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| boston34
Forum Junior
Topics: 9
Posts: 44
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You guys did your best . Leave everything to fate now. Think positive. Best of luck!
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| usmleed
Forum Elite
Topics: 53
Posts: 189
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hey i took my exam on the 28th too (atlanta) and my experiences were pretty similar to yours .infact i was so nervous that i wrote the wrong answers to many easy questions and that is giving me a bad feeling.my paper was pretty vague too.lots of physio graphs, immuno that went over the head and bare minimum of patho,lots of biostats questions having calculations doctor patient questions,pharma drug interactions.basically what i felt was that the books were one step behind what was being asked.its like this : if u know all the concepts in the book u will be able to form an idea of what they are asking and be able to answer it most probably.if u dont know ur books well u wont have a clue.its very important to have a clear mind during the exam.the worst thing u can do is panick so please dont panick.and best of luck to all of u out there .
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