kjab
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I used this forum before I took the exam, seeing how people were studying. Thought I should write my own experience as I now have my result.
I spent 2 solid months revising about 6-8 hrs a day with about 1 day off a week. How people write saying they can do 12 hrs a day I do not know, my brain is mush well before then. I went over the USMLE content in the morning by subject (used First Aid as template and added to it using specific books, I added a lot!!) and then did random questions on USMLE world and Q's from Kaplan Q'book in afternoon. Found it very useful to refresh my memory on all subjects every day.
My scores before the exam were:
- USMLE world approx 62% Kaplan Q book 75-80% NBME 1 570 (2 weeks before) NBME 2 640 (1 week before)
Took exam on Dec 22nd and got result on Jan 3rd. It was 99/248 so I am totally over the moon.
My suggestions (for what they are worth):
- Use USMLEworld as a learning tool, score almost irrelevant. Found the q length pretty good in relation to my exam. Kapln q's definitely shorter but at right level. The NBME forms are a good relation to actual score ( I did not originally believe it) Probably take them at 1 - 2 weeks as gives time to concentrate in areas you do poorly Be prepared to be tired in exam. I found it extremely difficult to concentrate for whole time and definitely switched off a couple of times in last 2 blocks. I took a break almost every 1 or 2 blocks just to rest my mind
If anyone has any q's i will try and answer them. Thanks to everyone here for their thoughts but remember not to listen to everyone as some seem super human!
Good luck
P.S. If you scored badly in Step 1 it is possible to pick it up in Step 2 as I got 76 in that stupid exam
Edited by kjab on 02/04/06 - 03:14 PM
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| oct
Forum Newbie
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Congratulation, Kjab. What a dream score!
How many months did u study for step 2 CK?
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| PT+MD
Forum Senior
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Congratulations!!! 
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| sasim
Forum Elite
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Congratulations!!!!!!!!!
What do u suggest about usmle secrets book and crush step2? Is First Aid enough for review? Which other books did u use?
And what about kaplan books? Are they enough?
Sorry for so many questions but i also need to improve my score in step 2. Got 80 in step1.
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| Doc2378
Forum Guru
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Posts: 688
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Congrats Kjab...awesome score there!
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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
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| LisaM
Forum Guru
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Posts: 321
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Congratulations on your perfect score.
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lisa
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| msyamp
Forum Fanatic
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Hi Kjab. Really inspiring story. thats for the tips. will go on with it. if any query will ask you. hope you will be checking your private message
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If you think you can You can! If you think you cant you are right again!!
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| kjab
Forum Newbie
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To answer sasim,
I did use usmle secrets and found it really useful. It covered a lot of the random stuff that the usmle board like to ask. It's hard to know what they want when you trained in a different country. The secrets book was good for filling in this gap. I did not use crush step 2 as I heard it had virtually the same content.
Some other books I used were:- Pediatric Blueprints- can't recommend it enough. Very readable and relevant. Blueprint Q&A for O&G and Psych, very good to make sure revising in right areas. For medicine I used Medicine at a glance (also had Blueprints but found it lacked some of the detail needed). For surgery it was Lecture notes on surgery and I used the surgery Q&A from the Kaplan section. I only used the Kaplan Q&A book which I found best used at the end of a long day b/c the q's are short but relevant.
In total I studied about 2- 2 1/2 months. Definitely I found that long enough because I was going crazy by the end!!
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| sasim
Forum Elite
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Thanks a lot dear friend.
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| 3535
Forum Guru
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Congrats--u are a very special 99percentiler, the way u have sprinted up score from your step1 !!! I too am working and hoping for the same for myself. so i really want to know what kind of step1 Qs came on your 2ck .can u give some examples.
Also, should i revise step1 firstaid+cvs pathophysiology+neuroanatomy before taking up UW.
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"It takes one hour to cut a tree ,but a thousand hours to sharpen the axe."
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| new2usmle
Forum Senior
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wow,congrats...well u sound like a super human to me.Welldone
my question: nbme doesnt offer explanations,wat do u do to the unsure questions.
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| kjab
Forum Newbie
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For 3535: Cant really think of any step 1 q's that came up. Certainly none in a particular area that you could revise. I did not revise any topics of step 1 and I did OK (especially as my step 1 mark was so weak) I would recommend learning some neuroanatomy as it just helps when it comes to central lesions.
For new2usmle: I revised the whole topic that the nbme form said I did poorly in. The exam helped me concentrate in the areas I should revise just before the exam (it is not possible to revise everything 1 week before)
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| docdvk
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
Posts: 5
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hey kjab,
congrats on the awesome score.....esp since u prepared in such less time!ur truly an inspiration!
have kaplan notes for step 2 ck...planning on buying FA n step 2 secrets....will tht b enough?
thanx!!
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| frontal
Forum Guru
Topics: 53
Posts: 421
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Wow wow wow! 99. That coveted figure. Congratulations.
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| Rasul
Forum Guru
Topics: 56
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Congratulations! Your score makes me feel good-it's not necessary to study 10-hours per day to get high score!
Coz quite frankly I feel guilty-jus tlike You, I can't study for more than couple of hours.
Again, congratulations!
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| p53
Forum Guru
Topics: 51
Posts: 804
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Congratulations, kjab, for the great score!
and thanks for sharing your prep & exam experience.
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"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler." - Albert Einstein
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| kjab
Forum Newbie
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For docdvk I think that it is good to do a question bank like UW. It is good practice and it gets you thinking. And don't forget about the nbme forms All the best
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| anaghap
Forum Newbie
Topics: 1
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Thanks Kjab. Your message has made my day and inspired me brought up my spirits to read for Step 2 which I was contemplating after my scores on Step1 which I receivesd yesterday. I got a 80 on Step 1 
I have exactly 3 months to prepare for Step 2 which I plan to take in August. I am an International graduate and so worried of my scores. I shall work hard on the step 2 and try for the perfect score. Can you give me some more tips on how to get started for Step 2. Also which book do you receommend for MEdicine Is Kaplan OK. I have got the Blue Prints shoudl I start reading them right away? Please write to me asap looking for more encouraging hopes from you.
Thanks again a whole lot
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| 3535
Forum Guru
Topics: 19
Posts: 297
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donot do the mistake of not leaving enough time b/n Finishing UW and exam, so that you r not able to revise UWnotes again.Take uw asap.your step1 is still fresh in your mind.
all the best.
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"It takes one hour to cut a tree ,but a thousand hours to sharpen the axe."
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| yareli
Forum Junior
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Congratulations!
what did you do different this time? I got 77 in step 1... and I have been feeling that even if I do my best I will get the same results so I have not been studying as I was for step 1. I do not know what I did wrong I believe I did everything I read in this forums and I prepared for a much better grade... so I want to do my best and make sure I dont make the same mistakes I did for step 1
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| kjab
Forum Newbie
Topics: 1
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For yareli
I preferred the Step 2 exam becasue I found it much more interesting to revise for and that it was very relevant. Step 1 was a lot more detail about basic sciences that I had ever learned at my English Med School. I was basically teaching myself the material for Step 1. However, in Step 2 I had covered almost all of what I was meant to learn so I found that I was revising topics not learning for the first time. How confidence in this exam, especially if you have already graduated and worked as a doc as I had done. The exam is long, hard and tiring but definitely within any doctors grasp because all it is testing is your ability to be a good clinical doc (not a science geek like Step 1)
All the best
P.S. For anaghap. I talked earlier about what I used. I can not recommend UW highly enough. It gets you into the practice of doing questions. Also the NBME forms are amust to see where you are in terms of knowledge
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| bilal75
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
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hi, i have a question..... i am really bummed out on form 1 on my nbme i got a 410 and then on this one i got a 350. i am scheduled to take the exam on june 6th..... shouuld i delay it? my exam period ends in august.
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