an
Forum Guru
Topics: 19
Posts: 437
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well guys it's finally done...I am an old graduate(2001), started studying for step 1 in may 05. My study material basically included the Kaplan lecture notes, also used BRS for patho and physio, and kept referring to Robbins and Ganong. For questions i used the Kaplan Q book, NMS, pretest, Q Bank(took it for a month, about 2 months before my exam),USMLE CD, Blackwell Online, Kaplan simulated and the NBME forms 1 and 2. Finally, also used First Aid as review(would read it after every reading of Kaplan LN, which i read 4 times).
my exam was as expected, bulk being patho and physio with lots of endocrinology, renal stuff...i feel there were some correlelated qu from the nbme forms...the exam is not long, i took 5-7 min break after each block to go to restroom and keep consuming fluids/energy bars..and i still gave up almost 30 min of break time at the end...
my advice to exam takers is to make a schedule and stick to it, solve lots of questions, start evaluating urself early( after 2nd reading), be active on forum(it helped me, there were more than a couple of qu I remember that stuck in my head from this forum and I had them on the test)..i guess i owe a lot to this forum which kept me sane through some trying moments..
good luck to you all...i will be glad to help if you have any queries.
Edited by an on 11/05/05 - 06:50 PM
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| zzpearl
Forum Senior
Topics: 52
Posts: 142
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Congratulations!!
Would you like to commend more on the practice questions ?
What do you think are must to do? What are kind of waste of time?
I have done 70% of the webpath qs. and now I am doing KaplanQ Bank, Q book, Kaplan simulated , and will do USMLE CD, NBME forms 1 and 2. Are these enough?
How about the NMS, pretest, , Blackwell Online? What is you score on Q bank ( 2 months before exam) ?
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| cyra
Moderator
Topics: 29
Posts: 844
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Congratulations an!!!!Great score!!
I assume blackwell online is the free simulated exam?...it seems to have disappeared from the website though...saw it a few weeks back...but checked again and its no longer there...
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| an
Forum Guru
Topics: 19
Posts: 437
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thanks...
zzpearl..i think the q book, qbank and nbme are a must do...i scored roughly 80% in q book, q bank first time had an 81, but i solved it like 2-3 times and in the end the cumulative went upto 89%..NMS and pretest, i had old editions and i really didnt like them so much but solved them nevertheless...nbme are really fantastic, i did both of them a week before my exam...i have put my scores in the exam score thread...i really think the more qu u solve, the more it prepares u for D-day,...in my last 2 months i tried to solve about 200 qu daily, kept repeating them over after i finished once...q book, qbank, usmle cd, the tests at the end of brs patho,physio
yeah, blackwell online seems to be out...it was a good free test...cyra good luck to u...u seem to be in great shape and i hope ur exam goes well too
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| ARJ
Forum Guru
Topics: 133
Posts: 792
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Congratulation!!!!!!!! Great Score...........All the Best for your Future Endeavor.................
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| farjoudi
Forum Junior
Topics: 8
Posts: 40
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Congratulations an!!!!Great score!!
dear my freind
i also graduated in 2002. i confused about the good reffrence book for usmle book
please kindly send me the name of book that you study for step 1
thank you so much
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| kingsofke
Forum Guru
Topics: 24
Posts: 715
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Congratulations for your excellent score. After all your preparation you mentioned it was coming  Join in on step2 ck ,hopefully see u there.
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| luci
Forum Senior
Topics: 11
Posts: 44
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dear an, I loved your message.congratulations!
I have a few questions -are kaplan pharmacology lecture notes enough ? what about anatomy-neuranato, histology kaplan lectures did they cover the information required?
have you tried bss questions?
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| an
Forum Guru
Topics: 19
Posts: 437
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hey all..thanks a lot...
farjoudi..there r lots of review books for usmle..i personally dont think you need to read more than 1...just stick to any one, but add things to it from kaplan LN, or any important points as u solve questions or when u refer to a textbook..i used first aid...by the time u r ready for the exam, u should be really familiar with ur review book and in the last couple of days just try to scan through the entire thing
luci-i only used kaplan...i didnt go for more books because i was scoring alright in q book. Anat, kaplan has good neuroanat but read it thoroughly and solve all those qu at end of chapters, also look at neuroimaging from any of websites. Histo- there's little given in kaplan, but u will find a lot more info in q bank and u can add all these points..they r sufficient for the exam...i didnt solve bss
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I don't believe in miracles...I rely on them. And sometimes, I create my own.
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| cali1997
Forum Senior
Topics: 5
Posts: 38
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Hey, An. Great congratulations!! I was soo excited when reading your PM about your score. You made it with large red flag. By the way, try not to call yourself "old graduate", which made some people (like me ) feel shy 
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| an
Forum Guru
Topics: 19
Posts: 437
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Cali, thanks for ur good wishes, more than anything thanks for being a good friend
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| prader-willi
Forum Elite
Topics: 28
Posts: 364
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congrats an on the great score... all the best...is kaplan notes n goljan audio enuf 4 patho,and kaplan dvd n notes enuf 4 physio...also should high yield be done 4 anat or is kaplan enuf...although ppl tel me anat is low yield...pls guide ....
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| new2usmle
Forum Senior
Topics: 48
Posts: 106
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CONGRATS...
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| new2usmle
Forum Senior
Topics: 48
Posts: 106
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CONGRATS.
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| an
Forum Guru
Topics: 19
Posts: 437
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thanks guys..
prader-willi...i did not use goljan or kap dvd so cant comment about them...i can tell u that kaplan notes r enough for physio, but u need to solve a lot of qu especially those CO,VR curves, all those graphs coz many qu were in the form of graphs/curves and if ur not accustomed to them, they appear to be bouncers. BRS physio is very good too.i did not use high yield for anat..i think kaplan anat notes are enough coz thats what i used and my performance profile for anat was in high range. good luck.
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| rapport
Forum Senior
Topics: 9
Posts: 64
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hi an hearty congrats. can u tell me ....for beh.science how u have prepared, and what topics are very important in kaplan LN and in barbara fadem.u said lots of graphs from physiology, then solving q-bank will help for solving graph type question in physiology?and in pharmacology mec.of action is imp, then what about adverse effects..they will ask like mec of resistance and adverse efeects? and they will ask the drug of choicea/or what is co-drug of choice?some people in forum told they r asking the 2nd messenger...but in kaplan they didnt give 2nd messenger etc.
what about genetics and immunology? kaplan is enough?
and u wrote the co,vr curves in physio...what is this abbrevation?
and also i have only kaptests cd, q-book, i dont have kap stimulated...so is there any problem without solving kap stimulated?
so tell me about questions in pharmacology, and from which cd's we should solve graph type questions from physiology and how to study beh.science.tell me about immunology and genetics.
i have 2004 kaplan books...is it ok.
have u read molecular biology?
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| an
Forum Guru
Topics: 19
Posts: 437
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rapport..thanks...i used kaplan lecture notes for beh sciences...i read every page of it 4 times, some topics 5 times..still felt that it was my weakest subject..so brought pretest and solved some qu from it(felt it was a waste of time, totally irrelevant qu)..dont know about barbara faddem..the q bank has lots of qu on curves and graphs(co=cardiac output, vr=venous return)...2nd messengers r found in different places in biochem and physio lecture notes...also first aid has given it...immunology and genetics also from kaplan
i used 2004 books too...
the strategy i used to study was repetition...read few books...but read them till i knew them...some prefer reading many books...whatever has worked for u until now should be fine...
for molecular biology, i found this website pretty good...there r lots of lectures..u can check it out.... http://www.cytochemistry.net/Cell-biology/
good luck
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| rapport
Forum Senior
Topics: 9
Posts: 64
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hai an thanks for ur reply, but u didnt tell about pharmacology, what they asked mostly? for me remebering adverse effects is very difficult...so what we should concentrate in pharma mostly? and is it molecular biology very important like other subjects? because in kaplan they didnt give about that subject. and i dont have kap stimulated series, so it will make any difference if i do only kaptests?
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| rapport
Forum Senior
Topics: 9
Posts: 64
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hi an can u give me web site address for neuro images.because i dont know how to search for neuro images, i will be very thank ful to u.
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| an
Forum Guru
Topics: 19
Posts: 437
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try this one. http://www.vh.org/adult/provider/radiology/Normal... looked at only a few neuro CT,MRI pics
kaplan simulated is only a CD that has a mock test
molecular bio..well my test didnt have a whole lot of them...its in the first few chapters in biochem in kaplan notes
pharm...kaplan and first aid did the trick for me...do them well...very straight forward qu...memorize the formulae to calculate loading dose, maintenance dose, vol of distrib, half-life etc...
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I don't believe in miracles...I rely on them. And sometimes, I create my own.
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| prader-willi
Forum Elite
Topics: 28
Posts: 364
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thanks an... ur good man...for all the detailed advice...i too have decided to do repetitions of few books rather than tryin to read evrything under the sun......all the best ...god bless
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hang on in there......u will survive....
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| sturge_weber
Forum Guru
Topics: 77
Posts: 1,042
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great score, congrats
and all the best for step 2
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| rapport
Forum Senior
Topics: 9
Posts: 64
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hi an, thanks for giving information. but an the site for neuro images is showing error.so can u give any other site name.
and an, then i dont have that kap stimulated cd, u told in that 1 mock test is there.so can i get online that mock test like NMBE? i have only kaptest cd.
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| an
Forum Guru
Topics: 19
Posts: 437
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try this site...http://www.med.harvard.edu/AANLIB/home.html
regarding kaplan simulated cd, i purchased it from ebay...i don't know if its available online..
thanks sturge...good luck to u too
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I don't believe in miracles...I rely on them. And sometimes, I create my own.
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| rapport
Forum Senior
Topics: 9
Posts: 64
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hi an, one more question, i dont have high yield molecular biology book, so i have searched in e-bay and there some 4 books list is there. and never i have purchased from ebay, so how to select which one is more useful from that list. and the books in the ebay are the same books which others have for high yield mol.biology? and iam not living in us..so ebay will send me by post that book?
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