SurReal
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
Posts: 4
|
To Allah (God) whom I thank for everything in my life, and presently for giving me the strength and confidence to study and go through with this exam for the second time. I don't know my scores yet, but I gave thanks no doubt to the Creator for I could not have mastered my anxiety and fear without Him. I would also like to thank all the people on this forum for writing there thoughts and advice about the exam. For each one of you who received good news about passing and who overcame the "USMLE hell only we know too well", I prayed for you and I rejoiced at your triumph, for you all gave me strength. I envied those who could write on the forum with experience and who had great advice to dispense and I longed for the day when my turn would come. I pray that I pass and for everyone around me embarking this exam to pass Inshallah (God willing). <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
First of all, I don't know how this exam has affected each of your lives, but I have felt trapped, I had so much stress I was losing so much hair (thank God I have so much), for I was so unhappy inside, failure does this to someone. I figure if you've failed you have no where to go but up. So for everyone who failed don't despair and don't think it's the end of the world, just remember for you to learn from every obstacle in your life. Find the lesson, take it with gratitude and find hope and soon you shall have your success. I know all this seems so far fetched. I'm telling you I have had negative thoughts, and they didn't get me any where the first time, I had so much fear I finished the blocks with 10-15 minutes left over each time the first time I wrote it. If that wasn't anxiety at it's best I don't know what is.
All I know is that we all share a bond, for those of us who feel the preparation of this exam is consuming our lives. Each time you watch a movie or talk to someone, the guilt that is gnawing away at you for you could have been turning a page or reading something. So my first advice is do away with fear, surrender your will to a Power much Greater than yourself. Find the strength to believe in yourself, and if you can't do that believe in God, for He'll help you. I feel if it wasn't for fear and lack of self confidence we would all be passing. So take a good look at yourself and remind yourself that there is a reason you are pursuing this dream, something about you is going to aid humanity in a way only you can, for me I know I had empathy and if anything was going to set me apart from others with amazing scores it was my sincere wish to help others, and to for fill the dream of becoming a doctor. So know your gifts and believe.
About the exam, it was all over the place a lot of pathology and pathophysiology, Behavioural and cell molecular questions, I had neuro as well. This time around, I even ran out of time, I was actually surprised by this because even with Q-bank I usually have 8-9 minutes left in each block. This time I was rushing to do the last 5-6 questions for like 3 blocks. Please read the questions carefully, even if you have no clue try to make connections, because ultimately they have something in the stem to point towards what they are looking for. I had a lot short one sentence questions, most were pharm. Sulfanylureas, and mechanisms, and FA is very helpful, but I used the BRS cards for pharm and put first Aid info into them. I couldn't look at FA for hours and the rows of drugs, but with flash cards it was easy to go over sections of pharm quicker and easier. So I recommend those cards a lot.
I would like to advise people who are starting their preparations now, to please do physiology in kaplan that was so helpful, and to listen to Dr. Dunn (no relation to the Micro Dunn) from Kaplan is who is an amazing teacher. He repeats himself over and over, so if you are listening or going to the live lectures he is a treat. Kaplan books are first class, these books are amazing, too much to read I know but if you lack the foundation, or need more connections do them. If you open up FA and find it overwhleming, please close it and find Kaplan books because FA is easy to read once you have all the background info. Even if you went over Kaplan once, then FA becomes so much easier to browse through. I remember it was hard for me to read FA, I found myself wanting to do anything but that book. For my first time I realize I couldn't do the kaplan books even though I had them, for they seemed so massive and everyone always did say FA was the key, but if you seriously lack the foundation, haven't done the stuff in eons and are finding FA difficult to decipher, then Kaplan is your best bet. I wish I hadn't taken Kaplan for granted the first time, but if my sad regret is a lesson for someone else then so be it.
Okay I realize I can write for ever, but seriously I studied everyday for like 8-9 hours, worked out for an hour (ran on the treadmill and watched Oprah), this was the highlight of most of my days. There were days I didn't study for like 8 hours, where I dilly dallied and this was always like after two hard weeks of studying, something came over me in the third week. I studied for 3 months and half, didn't do the NBME because I didn't have the nerve. I was going to take my exam no matter what and was in so much fear of it telling me I wasn't ready. I had Q-bank and started it 23 days before my exam, managed to complete 87% of it (average says 67%), I did two blocks of 50 everyday, lowest mark was like 52%, and highest was like 85-90, but consistently got 64. Honestly it also depends on how you feel, take a good look at the mark you get when you are not having a good day (I got like 52%), and times when I thought the block was so hard but had confidence my average would be like 68%. I'm telling you, if you aren't calm and collected on the day of your exam, and if you don't learn to check your anxiety at the door it can definitely affect your performance. So through prayer and what ever other ways you know how to relieve yourself of that stress, I strongly suggest you do it. Okay sorry about the long, post, please feel free to ask me anything. If you can keep me in your prayers I would be grateful, for I pray for all those in the same position as me always.
|
| Doc2378
Forum Guru
Topics: 46
Posts: 688
|
Dear Sureal...HATS OFF to you for speaking from the heart .....and most admirably having the strength to pick up the pieces, when you were the hardest hit!!!!!!!!
I will be surely keeping you in my thoughts, as I am sure many will... after reading your post- for it gives people hope and strength to keep moving even when they are hardest hit.
My regards, respect, and prayers!
___________________
Courage does not always ROAR. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow" - Mary Anne Radmacher
|
| chazan
Forum Senior
Topics: 7
Posts: 53
|
I will pray for you to not only pass but get above 90. You are an inspiration. I wish i knew you so i could talk to you personally. I am going thru exactly what you are describing. Enjoy your break now...and be sure you post your high score when you get it.
|
| drk1980
Forum Guru
Topics: 147
Posts: 1,038
|
surReal, my prayers & best wishes to you for a bright, successful future. your heart's in the right place!
|
| robin082006
Forum Hero
Topics: 471
Posts: 5,123
|
3 and 1/2 months, amazing study time.
___________________
The Key to Succeed is Patience.
|
| ALFA
Forum Senior
Topics: 9
Posts: 87
|
WOW! Great post! thank you for sharing! very inspiring and from the heart. May God bless you with a great score!
|
| dariush
Forum Elite
Topics: 20
Posts: 356
|
thank you SurReal for sharing. we will be praying with you all the time.
wish you the best.
___________________
Allah (God) is watching over us...
|
| KEROCHI
Forum Guru
Topics: 60
Posts: 971
|
I'll be praying for you! Good Luck & thanks for the words. There's truth in every words you said!
|
| sturge_weber
Forum Guru
Topics: 77
Posts: 1,042
|
all the best surreal ....
may god give u very good marks
good luck....
|
| SurReal
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
Posts: 4
|
Thank you everyone for your kind words. It really means a lot to me. Wishing you all to prosper with the grade that will make your heart content. Wishing everyone to pass safely and move to the next level in their studies and career. As for me, I will tell you all in 3 weeks Inshallah how I faired. You are all in my prayers, as a group I pray that we all do well and move from this "waiting place" we are in our lives.
|
| Oluwaseun
Forum Junior
Topics: 8
Posts: 82
|
Its nice to know that other people are going through the same emotional upheavals I have been facing all this while .I am encouraged by your post and assured that you will do well.I will be praying for you I know God will never ever fail us.
OS
|
|
| |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
