FragileX
Forum Junior
Topics: 6
Posts: 13
|
*WARNING - THIS IS VERY LONG*
Hi guys, I don't really post on here, but after reading two posts, oneprior to my test and one after my test and seeing how close they matched with what I did and how I felt, I thought I should share my experience.
First is wamba's post: http://www.prep4usmle.com/forum/thread/27785
I was in nearly the same boat as him. I was studying all the material as much as I could, using the Kaplan books, (I had already read Blueprints), doing qbook questions, and some qbank questions. I felt I was doing ok. Then 2 weeks before my test I took NBME 1 and got a 360, which equates to about a 180 on Step 2. I was devastated. I was about to cancel my test and reschedule for a later date. However, reading wamba's post gave me hope for myself. He was able to bring up his score in such a short time and I felt I should try to do the same. I had set my exam date and had been working toward that day and it felt both unnecessary and unhelpful for me to postpone it, even at this late in the study process.
I renewed my effort. I told myself, ok, I'm going to do a lot of USMLEWORLD questions in the next few days and get a feeling for how the questions were asked. Then I would take NBME 2 and if I showed improvement then I knew I could be ok. (I was not hoping for quite the same jumps that Wamba got, but any kind of increase meant progress to me.) So I took NBME 2 and got a 400, which is about a 191 on Step 2. I was still unhappy with this score, it was still teetering on passing/failing especially since it was not a full test.
I was faced with a difficult decision. Should I postpone my test or continue studying and hope for the best? Well, first I needed to be honest with myself. Did I feel I had been studying and knew the information? Could I attribute my low scores to simple not being exposed to enough questions? How was my knowledge base? I answered myself that I thought I had learned a good amount of knowledge and had a good understanding of the topics presented on Step 2. I needed to refine my thinking process more than anything else. I had to get my mind in gear to answer the types of questions Step 2 would be asking.
Like everyone says, you should understand how a problem presents itself and then go stepwise through it: the best initial exam/history findings to guide your differential, then the best diagnostic step to lend evidence to your top differential, and the best confirmatory test to confirm your diagnosis, this then leads to the appropriate treatment modality (acute vs chronic), which needs to be tailored for your patient (young vs old vs comorbid conditions). I took all of this in. Then I received guidance from my girlfriend. She has always believed in me and she told me I could do it, and to work hard. I explained my confidence was shaken from NBME and she advised me NOT TO DO NBME 3 (even though I already paid for it.)
I took her advice. In the following week and a half I went through almost all of USMLEWORLD in a very direct approach. I did 46 questions in a block in tutor mode. Don't do less than the 46, you need to tune your mind to be able to do that many questions at a time. Doing 5-10 questions at a time is a disservice to yourself. For each question, I chose my answer and read the explanations. If something did not make sense to me, I added it to a word document IN MY OWN WORDS tried to make it only 1-2 lines long. I called it my "STUFF I DON'T KNOW" list.
An example would be:
The question talks about a patient who becomes severely bradycardic and what the best initial therapeutic intervention would be. The answer is that atropine is the drug of choice for severe bradycardia. Or another example would be lidocaine is the drug of choice for ventricular tachycardia, EXCEPT if there is associated hypotension or loss of consciousness, that requires cardioversion.
Example sentences on my list:
Atropine is drug of choice for severe symptomatic bradycardia.
Lidocaine is DOC for vtach, except for hypoT and LOC, requires cardiovert.
I use my own acronyms too because putting my notes in my own abbreviations helps me to internalize them better. Anyways, I went through nearly all of USMLEWORLD in this manner. I ended up with 18 pages of single-spaced 8pt lines when I was done. After each day I would review my list of that day. After I finished all the problems I made a new list of this list. This list I wrote out with a pencil and paper, a paraphrasing of my first list, but only the ones on the first list which I had forgotten or didn't understand that well. This new written list was called my "STUFF I TEND TO FORGET" list.
In this way I was only reviewing only the things I had problems with. There is no reason to review the things you already know or understand, that is just wasted time. It makes you feel better because you feel more comfortable, but it doesn't add anything to your knowledge base. Two hours spent on things you already know is a waste compared to spending one hour learning and understanding concepts you didn't know before.
Upon finishing the questions and my lists, and continually reviewing the things I had problems understanding, I felt I had a better understanding of how to attack the test. I also felt more comfortable with being able to call upon my knowledge base in order to answer questions. As advised to by my girlfriend, I opted to NOT TAKE NBME 3. I felt taking NBME 3 and doing not very well would hurt my confidence and effect my score.
Test day:
I arrived to take my exam at 8:30am and quickly reviewed my last minute notes. I then went and began my exam at 9am. My particular testing center had the computer cases on the desk and the fans were old and very loud. Usually I am not bothered by such things, but they were annoying so I opted to use the headphones. I started the exam. I was shocked by how difficult it was. I felt unsure about all of the questions and all of my answers. I was so scared by the end of the first block I was forced to take a break. I went to the bathroom and washed my face and tried to regain my confidence. This was the best choice I ever made. I told myself that I knew the information and that I would be ok. This calmed me down and I was able to relax and get a grip on things. Then I went back and sat for blocks 2 and 3. Another 5-7 minute break, then blocks 4 and 5. Then I took a 30 minute lunch, PB&J and a soda. Then blocks 6 and 7. Then a 10 minute break and block 8.
For me the first block was ridiculously difficult. I'm not sure if it was because I was still anxious or if it was just difficult, but getting past that first hump was very hard for me. After that, all of the rest of the blocks didn't seem too bad because I think I was able to calm down. The only other problem was after block 6. After block 6, my brain was mush. During block 7 I felt my eyes drifting through the passages and myself not really reading. I took 2 minutes to close my eyes and refocus and tell myself to just get through this and then I could rest. After doing that I finished block 7. During my 10 minute break afterwards I splashed my face with water and jumped around outside a little bit to wake myself up for the last block. I finished block 8 and completed the survey and then left the center, I was the last person at the center to leave. I think I was only person taking Step 2.
Test Difficulties:
Honestly, I was surprised by how many of the "matching" type questions there were. I was not expected nearly that many. This was especially daunting for me because I had always had difficulty with that particular question type on both qbook, qbank, and usmleworld. Out of a 46 question block, between 10-15 of them were matching on my test. That is a huge amount I thought. I'm really not sure how to be better prepared for them. Other than that, I think USMLEWORLD does the best job at presenting the question types. I felt my whole test was medicine. I can't remember any specific peds questions, perhaps some scattered ob, a few psych, and the only surgery I can think of came from traumas. This may be different for everyone else, but I had a lot of questions concerning pneumothorax and pulmonary embolisms, either because those are something I always suspect or if they're just heavily tested, I don't know. The length of the questions is on par with USMLEWORLD but is also very variable. Sometimes only 4-5 lines, sometimes huge paragraphs with radiology and labs. In addition, it is always causes an attack of anxiety when you read 10 lines of a presentation and then they GIVE YOU THE DIAGNOSIS and ask a question about the diagnosis, the disease, the treatment, the prevalence, the comorbidities or something from which most of the information given in the question isn't necessary. It seemed like it was just trying to tire you out and waste your time, and you feel annoyed.
Anyways, that's my experience, then came the waiting. During that time, I browsed these forums looking for someone who had a similar experience to mine around the same time as me.
I found hardheard's post: http://www.prep4usmle.com/forum/thread/32948
It matched my feelings nearly word for word, so I felt better. I then tried to drown myself in other things, spending time with my girlfriend, relaxing, eating good food, playing video games, anything to NOT THINK ABOUT THE EXAM. However, I still ended up talking about it a lot, trying to make sure the answers I came up with on the test followed a logical thinking pattern. Even when I continually did this, and felt my answers were logical and correct, I couldn't help but feel scared. I was just hoping I was able to get > 195, and a 200 would be great. I honestly didn't think I deserved much more than that.
My score came today May 12th, 2006. I cringed as I opened the envelope, and my heart was beating so fast that my eyes wouldn't even focus to find the score on the paper.
I got a 219/89, it was more than I could have hoped for, considering my showing on the NBME 1 and NBME 2. My story isn't nearly as good as Wamba's, but I guess it's just another story to add to the list that says "your score CAN increase in your short period of time".
Thanks for your time and I hope my post (although long) was helpful.
Fragile X
Edited by FragileX on 05/13/06 - 12:40 AM
|
| frontal
Forum Guru
Topics: 53
Posts: 421
|
Yes, fragile. Your post, although long, was very helpful. Especially helpful were these lines:
Don't do less than the 46, you need to tune your mind to be able to do that many questions at a time. Doing 5-10 questions at a time is a disservice to yourself.
and
There is no reason to review the things you already know or understand, that is just wasted time. It makes you feel better because you feel more comfortable, but it doesn't add anything to your knowledge base.
I've pasted these because I think they're significant and should help those who're just about to take the exam...I know about achilles and Rasul, but I'm sure there are others also. You mentioned another very important point- " you read 10 lines of a presentation and then they GIVE YOU THE DIAGNOSIS and ask a question about the diagnosis, the disease, the treatment, the prevalence, the comorbidities or something from which most of the information given in the question isn't necessary."
They shouldn't do this. But all we can do is find a way to tackle this and a good way was suggested in one of our forum posts: reading the final question first. Not everyone maybe comfortable with this, but it maybe a good idea when the questions are like those you've described: really long.
I'll take the exam in another 5 or 6 months. The issues I face at the moment are different: mainly problems with concentrating and inability to sit for long. But the experiences you guys mention guide us and give us a feel of what the exam is going to be like. This is important to everyone. Please mention two more points- your preparation time in months and hours/day spent studying.
Finally, thank you for the post, congratulations on your score and good luck with the journey.
|
| nithu
Forum Elite
Topics: 15
Posts: 200
|
Hi,
That was an excellant post.Thanks for ur advice.
Congratulations on ur score
|
| icycool
Forum Junior
Topics: 2
Posts: 24
|
thanks fragileX!
ur post was really helpful.i think sometimes taking the exam at ur set date is almost a leap of faith ,no less.
congratulations for ur score.
could u tell us how long u took for ur prep and ur typical days study schedule?thanks
|
| som
Forum Guru
Topics: 59
Posts: 308
|
congratulations for acing this exam.
that's an amazing post. Hope n faith is what makes u move ahead. thanks for the advise on how to tackle the last days before exam.
|
| 3535
Forum Guru
Topics: 19
Posts: 297
|
congrats and enjoy.
Can u pl tell me what was your UW score before your nbme1. Also, you have said that
I renewed my effort. I told myself, ok, I'm going to do a lot of USMLEWORLD questions in the next few days and get a feeling for how the questions were asked
May I ask you if you had finished UW completely before nbme1, made notes,and revised your notes before nbme 1.
I am about to complete UW and quite nervous after reading your post that how you were finding your prep ok, until u took nbme 1.I am also feeling not very geared up for the exam. I read a bit here&there, and feel quite ok w/ whatever i score in UW. If I get a low score, i am so calm and tell myself- no problem, UW is just a learning tool.But after reading your post i think i shouldnot wait for nbme results to shake and wake me up. Right after completing my UW,and before its expiration, i should see for what exact reasons i got those qns wrong.Then rectify the techniques.
If u answer my qns about your UW, it'll be helpful for me.Thanx.
___________________
"It takes one hour to cut a tree ,but a thousand hours to sharpen the axe."
|
| hitensoni
Forum Newbie
Topics: 0
Posts: 4
|
friends what is NBME 1 and 2 that he is talking about. Sorry to ask but I dont know.
|
| cyra
Moderator
Topics: 29
Posts: 844
|
Great post!Thankyou for sharing!
hitensoni: NBME are self asssesment exams that you can buy online at : www.nbme.org
|
| hitensoni
Forum Newbie
Topics: 0
Posts: 4
|
Thank you cyra.
I wish I had found this place sooner. I was hiding in my shell lonely and discouraged.
|
| hardhead
Forum Senior
Topics: 21
Posts: 152
|
Congratulations!! well done !! i haven't got my score back but if i see anything close to an 89... ill be blown away.
___________________
"Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must do."
|
| FragileX
Forum Junior
Topics: 6
Posts: 13
|
frontal wrote:
Please mention two more points- your preparation time in months and hours/day spent studying.
I studied for about 2 months for about 8 hours a day, with some breaks during study time. I tried to get my brain used to the "time zone" of 9am-6pm because that's when I was going to be taking my test. I tried to concentrate on Kaplan [which I think is more than adequate]. However, if I had it to do over again, I would have done more questions sooner.
3535 wrote:
Can u pl tell me what was your UW score before your nbme1.
Prior to nbme 1 my scores in UW were usually almost always around 50-55%. Later on, I really did not pay much attention to my USMLEWORLD scores since I did it on tutor mode, but I would say it was between 55-60%, sometimes as high as 70 or as low as 45. It just varied I think. I always did 46 questions using all subjects.
3535 wrote:
May I ask you if you had finished UW completely before nbme1, made notes,and revised your notes before nbme 1.
I had done about 300 questions in UW prior to doing nbme1. I did about 300 more between taking nbme 1 and nbme 2. Most of my note taking and revising came after nbme 1. (I had made notes on UW questions prior to nbme 1, but not in the same concentrated fashion as I explained.)
I think UW is correct in that it is a learning tool. The real key is, am I getting the right answer for the right reasons? When I got the wrong answer, can I correct that bad thought process and get it right on the real test? I think UW is best at teaching us how to attack the questions the real USMLE will give us. Memorizing all the facts won't help as much as being able to read a question and attacking it correctly in a stepwise fashion to draw out the correct answer.
hitensoni wrote:
friends what is NBME 1 and 2 that he is talking about. Sorry to ask but I dont know.
I think cyra answered this already, but it's called the Self Assessment Services:
http://www.nbme.org/programs/sas/sas.asp
hardhead wrote:
Congratulations!! well done !! i haven't got my score back but if i see anything close to an 89... ill be blown away.
I'm sure you did great bro! It's just always nice to know we're not alone.
FragileX
|
| frontal
Forum Guru
Topics: 53
Posts: 421
|
Only 2 months? I'm amazed!
Great job!
|
| sasim
Forum Elite
Topics: 7
Posts: 126
|
COngratulations on getting a very good score with just 2 months of preparation. Your post has given me a hope for my own exam which is in two months.
Thanks for sharing your experience.
|
| mu
Forum Senior
Topics: 21
Posts: 85
|
what books did you study?
|
| ansate
Forum Newbie
Topics: 0
Posts: 3
|
Hello,
thank you so much for such a wonderful post. It gives me new hope, as I am in a similar predicament. I am 10 days away from my exam and unfortunately, rescheduling is not an option. I've made notes from UW, and have used that as my main prep. I found the NBME to be somewhat more difficult the UW, especially since it seems more integrated, and has a different spin on the questions (less direct than UW and more mechanisms, my lowest score).
I want to ask for some advice on these last crucial days. I have only taken the 1st NBME, and am feeling discouraged by the score. I feel that the Qs from UW helped, but, I have not completed all of it, but want to focus on the high yield for now (skipping derm, some preventative, and a few other topics that I haven't touched).
Did you feel Secrets convered the principals adequately enough for the real exam? I haven't started it yet, but am considering if it will help solidify concepts....
May I ask you if you felt that the NBME practice test was useful in terms of the real test asking the questions the same way, and in terms of the content being represented equally? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!
Best of luck in all your endeavors, and congrats on your score!!
|
| acetheboards
Forum Newbie
Topics: 1
Posts: 8
|
Hi Anset, ,im about to take step 2 soon and have been trying to take notes on UW. I hurt my hand today and it doesn't look like I'll be able to do what I wanted to do. I saw that you said you took notes on UW and studied off them. If there is anyway you can email me your notes I would appreciate it. I will pay you for your trouble if you want. Please help me! I would really appreciate it! My email address is anjalimarwaha@yahoo.com . Thanks!!!!!
ansate wrote:
Hello,
thank you so much for such a wonderful post. It gives me new hope, as I am in a similar predicament. I am 10 days away from my exam and unfortunately, rescheduling is not an option. I've made notes from UW, and have used that as my main prep. I found the NBME to be somewhat more difficult the UW, especially since it seems more integrated, and has a different spin on the questions (less direct than UW and more mechanisms, my lowest score).
I want to ask for some advice on these last crucial days. I have only taken the 1st NBME, and am feeling discouraged by the score. I feel that the Qs from UW helped, but, I have not completed all of it, but want to focus on the high yield for now (skipping derm, some preventative, and a few other topics that I haven't touched).
Did you feel Secrets convered the principals adequately enough for the real exam? I haven't started it yet, but am considering if it will help solidify concepts....
May I ask you if you felt that the NBME practice test was useful in terms of the real test asking the questions the same way, and in terms of the content being represented equally? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!
Best of luck in all your endeavors, and congrats on your score!!
|
| nauman_416
Forum Junior
Topics: 15
Posts: 30
|
hi,
Fragile > congrats......... i want to know that if u have done only Questions in these 2 months or u also did Kaplan Notes etc.
|
| yogidoc
Forum Newbie
Topics: 0
Posts: 2
|
Hi FragileX
Good job, bro!! What material do you recommend to study before UW and Qbank etc.? Did you go thru kaplan? How about CMDT and blueprints?
|
|
| |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
