bluecatback
Forum Elite
Topics: 57
Posts: 48
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Got my score today (99/265).
My review books checklist:
1. I chose one book for each subject according to the ranking of First Aid. (Read them twice 12-6 months before my exam)
2. Kaplan notes (Got them 6 months before my exam, read them twice)
3. First aid (Read it twice)
4. Goljan audio (I didn't have time to listen to Goljan audio, or read Goljan notes)
5. Kaplan lectures (I didn't have the DVD, only had an "audio CD". Only listened to the "child development milestone" lecture)
Edited by bluecatback on 11/18/05 - 07:41 PM
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| azirikani
Forum Elite
Topics: 59
Posts: 188
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congratulations.
Good luck.
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| bluecatback
Forum Elite
Topics: 57
Posts: 48
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My MCQs checklist:
1. Kaplan Qbank (average 84%, 70-94%, last 3 months)
2. Kaplan Qbook (70%-75%, more than 3 months before my exam)
3. NMS
4. NBME (Form 2, 730, 5 weeks before exam; Form 2 & 3, 790, last week)
5. USMLE CD
6. Kaplan simulated CD
I do believe that Goljan audio is very good. However, don't freak out if you don't have time to listen to it.
I used to come to this forum everyday. Thank you guys for your support and answering all the questions I ask.
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| laura_gnaoh
Forum Newbie
Topics: 3
Posts: 21
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Congratulation!
Excellent score. 
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| usmlebaby
Forum Senior
Topics: 1
Posts: 38
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Congratulation and it's a wonderful score!!!
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| sturge_weber
Forum Guru
Topics: 77
Posts: 1,042
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congrats, thats agreat score...
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| vic2005
Forum Senior
Topics: 32
Posts: 82
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Congratulations
You deserve it !!!
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| AAzad
Forum Guru
Topics: 57
Posts: 460
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Congradulations , great score,
and
good luck.
___________________
AAzad
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| drsg103
Forum Newbie
Topics: 1
Posts: 9
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SUPERB!!!!!!!!!! CONGRATS!!!!!!!!!! GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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| prader-willi
Forum Elite
Topics: 28
Posts: 364
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CONGRATS...DUDE....THATS A VERY HIGH SCORE...... .....all the best .
___________________
hang on in there......u will survive....
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| zzpearl
Forum Senior
Topics: 53
Posts: 143
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Bluecatback, Congratulations!!!
Would you like to advice me how to organize the study in the LAST month before the EXAM?
How to bulid up the stamina? Did you do stimulated test (7 blocks continiously in time-limited fashion) before your exam?
Can IMG (FMG) get the NBME form 3?
Thanks a lot
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| karusmle
Forum Guru
Topics: 296
Posts: 1,001
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hi bluecatback,
that seems to be like an amazing score!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!congradulations bluecatback...........even i have the same question , how to organise the last 1 month , and i havent done NMS , how many questions r there in it , r they worth?????i m thinking of concentrating on those topics that i m weak in ,and doing first aid again and again,how many weeks before should i gotta assess with kaplan simulated exam????
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| bluecatback
Forum Elite
Topics: 57
Posts: 48
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During the last month, I reviewed my own notes twice (about 600 pages), read First Aid, finished MCQs, such as Qbank, NMS, NBME, Kaplan simulated CD.
I took lots of notes during my second reading of Kaplan notes. Because I didn't have time to read Kaplan notes one more time, I had to read my own notes instead. I also took notes when I did MCQs.
I used the last 1050 questions of Qbank to do simulated tests (350 questions in one day). I did such simulated tests three times (350X3=1050).
For NBME Form 3, everybody can buy it by paying $45.
NMS has $850 questions. The question style is outdated. I didn't use it as self-assesment. If you finish Qbank, and want to do more MCQs, you can try NMS.
I did Kaplan simulated CD during my last week, only because I didn't have it earlier. I think you can try it before you do NBME.
Just my opinion.
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| zzpearl
Forum Senior
Topics: 53
Posts: 143
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Thanks a lot, bluecatback!
Wow!! you got so many things done in the last month. I need to be more efficient! 
So everyone can buy NBME Form 3 online. Great! That is different from what I heard, Form3 is just a trial product distributed in certain schools.
How do you think about these 3 NBME? Are they similarly difficult? Which one(s) do you suggest me to take? Since I do not think I have time to do all of these 3(maybe 4) NBMEs.
Do you know the difference between different versions of Kaplan simulated CD,e.g. 2000 vs. 2001 ?
How did you take breaks during the exam?
thanks again
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| karusmle
Forum Guru
Topics: 296
Posts: 1,001
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bluecatback ,even i took notes during my second reading , but i feel that i didnt know what was high yield at that time ,but still made points which i kept forgetting ,do u think i have to go thro that ???or should i better switch over to first aid(which is really high yield)????
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| Shakeels
Forum Guru
Topics: 27
Posts: 468
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Karusmle, the topics which are HY, you can see in q book and q bank and other good sources of questions. If you have done all those, then you have seen enough HY material.
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| bluecatback
Forum Elite
Topics: 57
Posts: 48
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Yeah, my own notes are probably not high-yield material. Because I didn't write down the most important things in the notes. Instead, I wrote down all the things that I cannot remember.
I planned to read Kaplan notes 3 or 4 times before the exam. However, I was short of time, and had to read my own notes instead.
Taking notes when you study MCQs is necessary, because you probably won't have time to read the "explanations" again.
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| bluecatback
Forum Elite
Topics: 57
Posts: 48
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Hi zzpearl,
I didn't do the whole Qbank during the last month. I bought the 3-month Qbank instead.
NBME Form 3 becomes available to everyone in the middle of October. You will have time to do all 3 forms of NBME, because it only takes 4 hours to finish each form. They are expensive though! ($45 X 3 = $135 )
I used an old version of Kaplan simulated CD (2002 version). Don't know where to find a new version.
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| bluecatback
Forum Elite
Topics: 57
Posts: 48
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The ideal schedule for the exam is:
Block 1: no break
Block 2: 5-minute break
Block 3: 5-minute break
Block 4: 20, or 30-minute lunch break
Block 5: 5-minute break
Block 6: 10-minute break
Block 8: Done!
However, things didn't turn out that way! First, I wasted sometime on tuturial to adjust my headsets, which were really uncomfortable. Then, I got very nervous, and had to take a 10-minute break after the first block.
It turned out that I took a 5-10 minute break after each block, and didn't have time to take a long lunch break.
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| zzpearl
Forum Senior
Topics: 53
Posts: 143
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Thanks, Bluecatback!
We need headset in the EXAM? any instruction in the EXAM to listen?  I thought we will be given earplug only.
Will NBME show the "analysis of your performance" as shown in the Q bank? How do you know your weakness by doing NBME? Because I heard there is NO answer or Explanation for NBME. Did you take notes while doing NBME?
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| bluecatback
Forum Elite
Topics: 57
Posts: 48
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Oh, they gave me "muffling headset", instead of earplug. I had to wear it, because the room was not very quiet. Somebody near me took another exam, and kept making noises by typing.
NBME will show you "analysis of your performance", so you will know your weakness.
I took notes while doing NBME. I did NBME "standard paced", and was only able to take very short notes.
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| drsnq
Forum Elite
Topics: 24
Posts: 168
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bluecatback...did u get any advantage to take note while doing NBME...do u have qs like NBME in real exam...what u suggest is that good to take notes during NBME..
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drsnq
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| ALFA
Forum Senior
Topics: 9
Posts: 87
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Congratulations with a fantastic score!!!!!!!!
Could you please advice what books on Patho are suffice?
Did you read ALL explanations in Qbank or just the ones you got wrong? And were you doing qbank as a learning tool or for self assessment?
GL
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| bluecatback
Forum Elite
Topics: 57
Posts: 48
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drsnq:
For example, if you do NBME "standard-paced", and finish each block in 50-55 minutes, you can use the left 5-10 minutes to takes notes about the questions you mark. You can also do NBME "self-paced", finish each block in 60 minutes, spend 10-20 minutes to take notes, and move on to the next block.
ALFA:
I studied BRS pathology, and Kaplan notes patholody. I didn't have time to study Goljan. I kept regretting that I didn't study Goljan, especially during the last few days before my exam.
I did read all explanations in Qbank, and took notes at the same time. Read my own notes twice before the exam. I always did Qbank randomly and timed. For the last 1000 questions, I did 350 question in one day.
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| zzpearl
Forum Senior
Topics: 53
Posts: 143
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Thanks, Bluecatback.
I also wonder did u get any advantage by taking note while doing NBME? do u have qs like NBME in real exam? I heard some people have same Qs in the Exam as in the USMLE CD.
But I feel it will be very hard for me to take short in the middle of the test or at the last 10 minutes, i know that it will decrease my score and I will get nervous. 
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