maha75
Forum Newbie
Topics: 5
Posts: 38
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hi zerocool, sorry to bother you man, but i need ur help/ advise again.
i have almost 2 months for the exam.how would u have planned these last two months if u were in my place.
iam done with another review right now. one more thing, this is my second time preparing,but i had a gap of three months after my results. it took me three months to get to the books again.
pls ur advise will be greatly appreciated,i just have to get done with this exam atleast this time, i hope u understand.
thanks and takecare.
best of luck.
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| zerocool79
Forum Junior
Topics: 8
Posts: 75
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snake0613: thanks for the question, but i'll answer your question in the thread that you started already.
http://www.prep4usmle.com/forum/thread/33178
Edited by zerocool79 on 04/28/06 - 07:27 AM
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| snake0613
Forum Elite
Topics: 97
Posts: 194
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hi zerocool,I cannot find it ,please tell me where it is ,emergency,help me
thanks a lot
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| jaal
Forum Junior
Topics: 4
Posts: 20
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zerocool - i actually want to ask you how many times you went through USMLE Step 1 Secrets???? I also own the book and really like it but feel as though i should read it multiple times!
thanks in advance!
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| zerocool79
Forum Junior
Topics: 8
Posts: 75
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Maha75: maha75 wrote:
hi zerocool, sorry to bother you man, but i need ur help/ advise again.
i have almost 2 months for the exam.how would u have planned these last two months if u were in my place.
iam done with another review right now. one more thing, this is my second time preparing,but i had a gap of three months after my results. it took me three months to get to the books again.
pls ur advise will be greatly appreciated,i just have to get done with this exam atleast this time, i hope u understand.
thanks and takecare.
best of luck.
Do you have a study partner? It's a good idea to try to explain the things that you learn to someone else, with/out your books. If you can organize the information in your head enough to teach someone else, then it shows that you are owning the knowledge. If you just sit and stare at your books, you might fall into the deadly habit of passively learning. It's good to concentrate and think about what you are reading as you read it, and how it makes sense logically. If you can put things together in your mind, it will help to encode it better in your memory.
I recommend trying to recite outloud what you read, maybe 2 minutes after you read... and then maybe when you are in the shower or somewhere without your books, try to recite it again. Mental rehearsal is important. If you realize that you get stuck or can't remember something (i.e. the names of each virus in each virus family), then it's an easy clue to yourself, to go look it up again.
Keep trying to familiarize yourself with the material--enough so that you can explain to someone without your books. If you aren't such an oral/audio learner, maybe try to write out thought pathways or concepts on paper without using your books.. basically i'm just suggeting to try to reproduce the material without using your books. I'd say if you can do this with most of FA, then you will be in good shape.
jaal: I know what you mean about wanting to read Secrtets multiple times--it's so well-written i thought also! It's like it talks about familiar concepts, but it has a knack for highlighting simple facts about something that you never heard of before, which makes the whole topic make better sense somehow.
I only read through Secrets maybe once. And then looked over my highlights a few times in my weaker subjects. I thought that it was a great book for concepts, but it's not really something to memorize. It helps you put things together and teaches you how to think a bit, but overall, i wouldn't say that i had much from it directly... it just really helps you to see the big picture better, which makes studying details that much easier. (sort of like, it's easier to memorize a list of 10 words, than a list of 600 letters)
Edited by zerocool79 on 04/28/06 - 07:52 AM
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| tanu07
Forum Newbie
Topics: 0
Posts: 12
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congrats for the gr8 score.. i just read about ur exam experience,ur advices n then saw ur score..u have analysed things so well.. u r doing an amazing job at helping all those aspiring to ace step1
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| maha75
Forum Newbie
Topics: 5
Posts: 38
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hi zerocool.
hey man thanks for the reply, i had u forgot abt it.
i got what u are trying to say, iam not so good of a teacher, but i find it better to write down a summary of the points i have learned.i will try this out.
thanks again.takecare.and best of luck
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| maha75
Forum Newbie
Topics: 5
Posts: 38
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hi zerocool , sorry to bother u again.
iam studying physiology right now. i had done it last time only from kaplan notes, ppl have suggested me brs physiology. i find it hard to start a different book now. did u go thru this book. is it different from the kaplan notes. how would u supplement from it.also did u try the physiology qbank.or have to heard abt it ? do u think it is worth the 79$?
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| zerocool79
Forum Junior
Topics: 8
Posts: 75
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maha75: hmm... well the BRS did get a solid A review in FA. That says a lot. HOwever, it's hard to LEARN physio from BRS, it is better for review purposes.
I used Kaplan to teach myself physio. It's really thick, but i thought i understood it pretty well. It took me a while, and i went through it very slowly, and emphasized understanding the graphs.
I didn't do the physio qbank, so i can't speak on that. haven't heard much about it either. Just ask around, and ask your colleagues who are in a similar boat as you--they would know best how to prepare, given your similar backgrounds.
I think it is important to remember to do what feels right for you. If you feel you are learning well from a particular book, then stick to it, and keep yourself on track by making sure you are covering what is in FA--aside from that, which ever book you fancy most, stick with that. Physiology is a science, and you can learn it from any author almost, it's just that some authors resonate better with you, that's all.
best of luck.
Edited by zerocool79 on 04/28/06 - 10:44 AM
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| zerocool79
Forum Junior
Topics: 8
Posts: 75
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I appreciate all the complimentary attention that i am receiving from this thread.
However since this thread is suppose to be posted under the "Exam experience" section, i would like to try to tailor the content to this subject matter if possible.
There is a separate "Support Forum".. and there are also forums for each individual subject. These particular forums may be more appropriate and even more helpful to post your general/subject questions on.
I am flattered that my feedback is so appreciated and sought after, but I think that if you post your questions to the respective forums, you may get a braoder number of responders who may better answer your questions. (if you really seek my personal feedback, then maybe you can send me a private message asking me to check out your question, and a link to your thread)
Thanks again
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| dipti
Forum Elite
Topics: 32
Posts: 237
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thats true zeorcool,but you guides everybody in such a good and understanding practical way that people keep coming .and also everybody is so much impreesed with your thread that they must be feeling assured while taking guidance from you !!i fell that way too
thanks for standing there for us
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| zenith
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Hi zerocool79,
I'm pretty new to this forum and so far, I've been a silent reader, but after reading all your posts from March 1 uptil today (April 28), I just couldn't get away without saying "Thank you!!" I've spent a good part of the day reading all your posts and they have been sooooooo helpful - its amazing how people like you step forward to help out so many others! By the way, congrats on your phenomenal score! It was so encouraging to read that hard work really pays off in the end! GL for Step-II CS and Ck.
I'm an old graduate (IMG) whos' just started studying for this exam and since I'm working full-time (finished my MPH 2 yrs ago and working in a cancer hospital as a Biostatistician), I can barely put in a couple of hours every day and I'm not sure its helping, because my preparation is going at a snail's pace - I haven't yet decided on an exam date - basically I'm studying on and off and if anything, its making me more frustrated. Even though, my signature says - "Success is not a result of spantaneous combustion; you must set yourself on fire!" - I haven't yet set myself on fire!!!!!
Just to let you know, I'm planning to use Kaplan (notes plus DVD's), Goljan (audio+notes), FA 2006, Q Book and Q Bank as my study resources. I'm almost at the fag-end of Physiology and since I'm reading it at such a slow pace, I'm afraid I've forgotten the details in the 1st few chapters, though I haven't done any questions yet, except the Qs at the end of each chapter in the Kaplan book.
Well, I just had a few questions for you - I know you've been very generous with your time and have answered everyone's questions, I'm hoping you'll answer mine as well. How many pages/chapters per day were you reading when you first started studying and towards the end? I basically want to gauge my speed. And did you listen to the Kaplan lectures as well or did you just read from the books? How many times did you read everything? I do hope to hear from you soon.
Thanks once again for being a stalwart for so many of us who are struggling with our own individual weaknesses in preparing for this marathon! God bless you, man!
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| zerocool79
Forum Junior
Topics: 8
Posts: 75
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zenith: I went through most of the kaplan lectures about 6 months before my exam. I took careful notes when I did that so I wouldn't need to listen to them again. Then i just looked over my notes over and over. Repetition is what is important.. familiarize yourself with what the books have.. fluency is the goal here.
I was only studying maybe 2-3 hours until 2 months before. Then I started getting stressed, and naturally put in my time since studying was the only thing that eased the anxiety. In my last 4 weeks, i was putting in average 10 hours a day... just because i crammed Qbank in 2 weeks, and then had a lot of ground to cover still when I was done with that.
This is not to give the false impression that i crammed my studying into the last month. As i mentioned, i read Kaplan and listened to the lectures about 6 months before. For the most part I had the big picture, i just didn't decide to sit down and learn the details until later in the game.
As far as how many times I read something varied... somethings i read a LOT, and others just maybe a few times. It depends on how comfortable you feel with a subject. I just keep looking over something, and checking back to it as many times as it takes, until i know what is on the page. I'd say it's more about quality of reading, rather than quantity--if you can get something the first time, it won't 'matter how many times you read it...and if you read unattentitvely then 5 readings could still be rather fruitless.
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| zenith
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Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions - really appreciate all your help!
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| qwert6
Forum Junior
Topics: 4
Posts: 30
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Dear zerocool.. i have been reading your posts and have found you to be really helpful.. my exam is 13 days from now and i just had my panic attack as i realised eventhough i had read through things , i had not really memorised them..i justneed a few words of advise as to how to plan my studiesfor the next remaining days..
i have also gone through first aid once.. i scored 540in nbme 4... any help would be greatful..
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| dipti
Forum Elite
Topics: 32
Posts: 237
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hey zerocoll,desperately need your help.i have one month to go.got very pooe performance on nbme 3.actually i postponed my exam due to that.i am down on molecular,genetics,BS........please guide me.
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| zerocool79
Forum Junior
Topics: 8
Posts: 75
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awert6: so you are about a week away. that panic attack you had 2 weeks before your date i think is somewhat normal. i had the exact same panic attack. so you are now 1 week away. i trust that you have kept studying, and looked over your weak areas, and started memorizing things to exam caliber. Try to build fluency and make connections and get your hands on any sort of "recent concepts" of recent tests as reported from recent exam experience posts. This will give you an idea of what question topics are floating around on the USMLE qbank currently. Just stay focused, and try to start waking up early, and going to bed early. Don't stress too much if you can (i'm sure you're laughing when you read that, because it's almost impossible to be calm huh?) I think getting excited is part of the fun though--it helps you to have the energy to study extra and more than normal. Stay focused, and keep looking over first aid. In your last week, you might want to look over Blueprints Qbook. It's short, 350 questions about high yield points that you are probably already familiar with. It's a nice confidence building book right before your exam, and it might even nab you a point or two of the factoids that might come up. Good luck, and sorry for the delay in my response, my mind has been on a big vacation.
Dipti: you have 1 month. that is a lot of time believe it or not, granted you are solid in your ground work studying. so for Behavioral try to get through High Yield, it has the highest ranking in FA now, and it's thin and concise. Once you get through that, you shouldn't be so weak in that area anymore. as for molecular and genetics... check out FA in the biochem sections, and memorize that autosomal dominant dsorders that are all listed in FA.. the mneumonic i thought of is : MTV FFAAHHNN, like "MTV fan." .. but then don't forget about von Willebrand's is also autosomal dominant. i'm not sure why it's not listed on the AD (autosomal dominants) page in FA. If you have time, try to read through the molecular High Yield, it pretty much covers all the lab techniques and stuff that I suspect you may be weak in. Pay special attention to the last chapter of that book. Other than that.. keep plugging away, and keep flipping through your books, even if you think you know everything in there.. build fluency. It's not just about "knowing" anymore, but rather it's about fluency. so keep looking over familiar material and be conscious of what you are doing.. don't just let your eyes glaze over it because it's familiar. when you take your boards, they will demand your mind to be sharp, even if it's a familiar topic. start to practice being focused every time you study. good luck.
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| qwert6
Forum Junior
Topics: 4
Posts: 30
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thanks zerocool
i am trying to keep my cool and trying to study
thanks for the help
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| dipti
Forum Elite
Topics: 32
Posts: 237
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thanks zerocool.i will do that.
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| jaal
Forum Junior
Topics: 4
Posts: 20
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hey zerocool,
if you have the time....i wanted to know your opinion about what this person had to say:
*********************
Thanks!
Edited by P4a99 on 06/14/08 - 01:04 AM. Reason: took out a link (spamish)
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