usmle1
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
Posts: 9
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Wombat,
I have been following your life story. It is very encouraging. Congratulation for your good score.
I am wondering if you can e-mail me renal and hepatic parts of Goljan lectures. I bought it on e-bay. However, the CD misses these two parts. My e-mail xysunny@hotmail.com. thank you very much.
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| summer
Forum Newbie
Topics: 1
Posts: 13
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Hi, Wombat,
You may have not enough words of thankyou from everybody trying to look for good information and encouragement for this test. I really want to thank you very much. I am also a IMG. I finished my residency in 1996. I tried first step in 2001 and failed. I am a busy mom and worker right now, but I can take some time out. I want to ask which one of the Center prep. courses did you take? How worth the time and money is the one with live lectures? Again, thank you. God Bless You.
Summer.
My e-mail address is lula4je@yahoo.com
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| wombat
Forum Guru
Topics: 22
Posts: 304
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Hi drkpp,
I figured it's better to continue our conversation here instead of occupying score thread space. :lol: I don't know about the simulation tests you mentioned. You can always do them if you have finished kaplan simulation/USMLE CD/NBME. It doesn't hurt to do more Qs. :wink:
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| wombat
Forum Guru
Topics: 22
Posts: 304
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I took Kaplan center preparation course. Cost me $3200. I basically watched videos (altoghter 160 hours or so) in their center. Once I was enrolled, I have 3 months access to the center. One set back was I have a full time job, so could only go there after work and on weekends, also during my vacation time. It would be a lot more efficient if I can have more time there. I covered their lectures once. Then when I almost finished with my course, kaplan released new notes and replaced some videos with new ones. So I went through all new videos. Not that many new stuff, I remember immunology and anatomy are totally new. Others are similar. Kaplan people say it would be good to watch videos twice, I think so too but just ran out of time.
The videos are great to listen to, especially if you didn't learn medicine in English. I know you can still manage to listen to the videos without actually getting enrolled in kaplan, however I found one great advantage of going to the center is that you can see people busy studying/watching videos there. I feel to IMGs, what's most different for this exam as compared to medical school exams is that you are by yourself. The first day I was in kaplan, I got greatly inspired since now I see people in same boat as I am. It's always difficult to keep going when you are alone.
I found they have 30 visits program now for both step 1 and step 2. I am thinking about taking limited visit center prep for step 2. Instead of unlimited 3 months access, you will have 30 visits within a 3 months period. The price is half of unlimited one: $1599. I think in this way I may be more efficient. Because I learned from my experience that since I had full time job, I used all the rest of time watching videos. It would be ideal to review the books after lectures but I never did so. With 30 visits program, I can read my stuff, go for the lectures and review after watching the videos. I hope I can finish all lectures within 30 visits. But then again, the worst senario would be to pay for another 30 visit course. That's still same as unlimited access.
I couldn't take live lectures cuz I don't have 6 weeks free time for that. After watching videos, I found live lectures would not suit me. I constantly needed to rewind when watching videos. Can't rewind during live lectures. :lol: I also found I couldn't listen to brand new lectures for 6 or 7 hours in a row. Over all I found I need to study at my own pace and videos are good options.
Kaplan does offer free one day trial. Not obligated to join the course afterwards at all. My friend just went there and they issued him a free one day pass so he can watch the videos and see if he likes it. I think you may want to try this before really decide.
Nothing is impossible. Keep working hard and your score will surprise you. Good luck. 
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| drkpp
Forum Guru
Topics: 45
Posts: 882
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thanx wombat.
i just scored a 80% on the blackwell publication's blueprint Q and A for step1 which is a 7 block exam.
if u took that and remember your score please let me know.
kaplan simulated-68%
nbme-n/a
usmle cd-40/41/40
so what do u think. where do i stand?
i still am debating wheather to take the nbme now or sometime after
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| usmlerock
Forum Senior
Topics: 3
Posts: 93
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wombat ,u said reading kaplan notes 5 times ,can u tell me how ddid u do it?....completing all subjects and then restarting all of them ...or doing physio, for example 5 times in a row.....
thanx in advance
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| wombat
Forum Guru
Topics: 22
Posts: 304
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drkpp, I did take blackwell free simulation test but I didn't know I need to submit the answer every time I chose it, so at the only the last question got scored. I did for nothing and didn't do it again. In my opinion, if you can get 80% in any kind of questions, it's good. USMLE CD is worth doing but not as sensitive to predict your real exam. When my NBME test increase from 480 to 630, my USMLE CD increased from 80% to 85%. So I think for you at this moment, NBME self assessment exam is the best for you to know how you may perform in the real thing. Good luck.
usmlerock, sorry I forot to reply your post. I only read kaplan notes 3 times plus watching the kaplan center prep videos once. Counting them all makes 4 times for me. I did them in the sequence of subjects, that is, to finish one subject after another. I did try to do organ-based reading, but only did them for big organ systems such as cardio, GI, respiratory. I think you can read however works best for you. Just make sure keep reading them. Good luck.
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| summer
Forum Newbie
Topics: 1
Posts: 13
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thankyou for you reply, Wombat. I called Kaplan asking for some information, and they suggested the option of webprep, because I live 100 miles from the ctr. I liked your idea of 30 visits better than web prep. I am just starting this journey, reading FA first. thank you again for your generosity. You will receive double! summer
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| ahmad985
Forum Newbie
Topics: 3
Posts: 5
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my congratulations
i hope i get same score in the future
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| bluntknife
Forum Senior
Topics: 8
Posts: 80
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I have the 2005 kaplan lecture notes and the dvds...i was wondering which would be the most productive way to combine the two,whether it would be a good idea to go through all the dvds first up,do the notes and dvds subject by subject,or whether i should go through the entire set of notes before watching the dvds...since u have watched the video lectures,i would really appreciate ur advice
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| ramtheman
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
Posts: 43
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| drkpp
Forum Guru
Topics: 45
Posts: 882
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hey wombat a question?
do they provide us with a pen and a paper or some kind of note pad to do the calculations and jot down stuff in the exam at the prometric centre.
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| humbty
Forum Elite
Topics: 24
Posts: 135
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Yes you will get a pen and a notepad
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| drkpp
Forum Guru
Topics: 45
Posts: 882
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thanx man
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-Anonymous
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| drkpp
Forum Guru
Topics: 45
Posts: 882
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just took the form 1 of nbme cbssa
got a 590/238
20 days to go for exam. not able to decide what to study and what not to.
give your valuable suggestion.
still not confident in patho as have been using goljian notes and as it is voluminous have only gone thro once
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"Where there is a will there is a way!"
-Anonymous
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| coolbabe76
Forum Guru
Topics: 92
Posts: 635
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thats such a nice score....
what more do you want?
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| drkpp
Forum Guru
Topics: 45
Posts: 882
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also anybody with a decent score in the nbme has done really badly on the real exam?
if there is anybody out there who fits this description let me know where u went wrong and what u should have done
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"Where there is a will there is a way!"
-Anonymous
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| summer
Forum Newbie
Topics: 1
Posts: 13
| | 04/28/05 - 10:45 AM
1 of 1 forum leaders found this post helpful
| #58 |
where can I get the 2005 Kaplan notes and dvd's? I have been looking for this stuff from a realiable source. my e-mail: lula4je@yahoo.com
Thanks!
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