prader-willi
Forum Elite
Topics: 28
Posts: 364
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this i think IS my contribution to this great and rocking forum--------my exam experience and my result.....
exam taken on april 20
prep time:5 months,1st 3 months-7-8 hrs daily,last 2 months 10 -12 hrs daily,last 2 weeks went absolutely crazy 14-15 hrs daily
my sources
PATHOLOGY:it is the bulk of the exam!!!!u just cant afford to be weak in this subject,try to make it ur strongest one no matter what ,trust me it will pay off in the end.went thru the kaplan notes for patho during the first reading,didnt like it very much...many respected forum members(i ll honor them later) advised me to use either brs or goljan.i decided to do goljan rapid review(300 pg) along with his audio lectures...sure turned out to be my best decision to date....i found his audios mind blowing...so many new concepts,he just corelates everything so well and makes the high yield stuff just stick out in ur head,i noted all the interesting points in the audios and went thru them again in the last 2 weeks. pay special attention to the general patho section,for practice q nothing in this world even comes close to ROBBINS REVIEW OF PATHOLOGY 2nd edition,i bought it on the advice of the great p53 and surely dont repent it,also the patho pretest is in my opinion is the best in the entire series!!!also went thru the webpath images and also those in the robbins big book
PHYSIOLOGY:i think nothing else is required other than the kaplan notes and the dvd...killer combination in my opinion,endocrinology is the bulk asked on my exam pls do it well...also make it a point to go thru all the graphs and formulae in the book very close to the exam keep it fresh in ur short term memory...
PHARMACOLOGY:try to get ur hands on the latest version notes of kaplan....and definately first aid ,i mean the best part about the first aid is that it allows to review pharma very quickly which is of great help wen close to the exam,also went thru autonomic nervous section in katzungs review....good book i recommend it!!!
BIOCHEMISTRY:kaplan notes are more than enough along with dvd
ANATOMY:WELLLLLLL!!!! the notes are good if u can review it along with dr.david seiden videos...the guy is slow but my word !!!what a teacher hope i had one like him in my med school!!!for histology cytology and embryology i think shud be supplemented with the high yield books:HYhisto cyto and HY embryo which i think are the best in the series....pls also try to go thru the grant atlas of anatomy for nerve relations and course....u shud know the symptoms of nerve compression of any damn nerve in the body.....for neuro anatomy the kaplan notes are good enuf...i also suggest goin thru any radio atlas or any online source for ct mri and angiograms..just to have a look and to get acquainted!!!!
MICRBIOLOGY AND IMMUNOLOGY:the kaplan notes are more than enuf...trust me guys no matter how many ppl tell u that these r not enuf...they really are!!!the new immuno notes are much more (200 pg) than the old ones(100 pg) try to get ur hands on them.....also a good supllement is levinson immuno review small but very efficient book,,,infact u can choose either source for immuno
BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCES:the dvd of dr steve daugherty is just outstanding the guy is so hilarious!!!the notes are also good...but my personal opinion.....no matter how hard u prepare for this subject u r gonna get flummoxed by the q on the exam,the boards make it sure,i personally know of only one person who had an asteriks(*) on his scoresheet for this subject,so try to consolidate all the other subjects very well and just pray that the q on ur exam are manageble...although i must add this srictly my opinion and wudnt want anybody to get screwed by tis!!!!!
GENETICS and MOLECULAR BIOLOGY:THE NOTES DO A VERY GOOD JOB ESPECIALLY for genetics,for molecular i supplemented it with HY mol biology
my exam
well the bulk was obviously patho and pathophys...esp female genital,git skin and cns...i had very few graphs on my exam that too some weird pharma and physio q, pharma i think is much easier on the exam than in the kaplan q bank....had lots of ct mri abd angiograms most cud be solved with the stem alone but 5-6 q reqd u to specifically know the answer by looking at the photo,i had some poor quality images on my exam!!!....biochem micro and immuno were standard very similar in style to q bank ....lots of weird patient doctor and ethics q ..i just markes wat i thought was right at that instant and went ahead i really dont think u can prepare well for these q...i had many biostats calculationss...2 were really tricky..i had to clear my laminated pad twice diring the exam.i took a break after every block...had lots of redbull and chocolates in the breaks ...really helped!!!!!still was left with 15 mins break time in the end as i had skipped the tutorial...i had probably psyched myself before the exam that its gonna be a very tough exam and u sure gonns come out crying as i had seen many of my friens do it.....but felt pretty content when i came out of the hall..thought that i had given it my best shot and rest now in gods hands!!!have been restless since then waiting for my result!!!!
well got my result today may 24 2006:246/99
im happy that all the hard work finally paid off
many ppl to thank 53 thank u so much for evrything !!!!! i mean everything right from the robbins book to last minute advice as how to utilise time well...i wonder if i ll ever get the oppurtunity to meet u personally and thank u!!!
zerocool79:u are a guru for every one!!!!ur crystal clear thinking and thoughful advice all the time to all on this forum!!!really u r a godsend to all newcomers to this forum...i regret that that i acme across ur post in my latter stages of prep
muadt:dude thanks for all the last minute advice..it really helped me cool down and regain my composure and confidence.....shukriyaaaa..dil se
shakeels:thanks for sending me the physio q bank and goljan audios....u r such a sweet heart..aapko bhee shukriyaa
also hearrtfelt thanks to reet,mazinger ,robin,star1,busymom,cyra,malinda,tolito,kingsofke,reddoc and many others whose names i cant really remember right now..sorry but thanks
wat i wud recommend:kaplan q book-very good source of practice q slightly easier than exam but same styling of qs,kaplan q bank-worthall the money in my opinion...good q ,better answers and the best performance analysis..absolutely rockingreally helped me to streamline my prep in the last month to concen trate on my weak areas,robbins review-nothing makes ur patho stronger than this book,just amazing,the style and content of the q is sooooo usmleish,goljan audio-i highly recommend it even if u r goin thru brs or kaplan,grant atlas-just see thru it quickly the images do stick in ur memory i must say,high yield books-very good for mol biology,histo(first 5 chapters,pay special attention to electron micrographs),embryo.....levinson for immuno:very good concise book makes it very interesting....nbme practice test-very close to the exam although no q were repeated on my exam,did form 2 19 days befrore exam score 600(240)..do any form( preferably 2 or 3) atleast 2 weeks before the actual exam so that u can review ur weak areas in the time closest to the exam
I THOUGHT I WUD WRITE A SMALL POST WEN I STARTED OFF BUT CANT HELP IT GUYS!!!!SORRY BUT THIS FORUM HAS REALLY HELPED GET THIS SCORE AND I WANNA GIVE MY 2 CENTS BACK!!!
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hang on in there......u will survive....
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| star1
Forum Guru
Topics: 93
Posts: 826
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Well done dear..... I was thinking that you will get 99%
many many congrat to you ...................................
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| star1
Forum Guru
Topics: 93
Posts: 826
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Well done dear..... I was thinking that you will get 99%
many many congrat to you ...................................
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| mazinger
Forum Guru
Topics: 46
Posts: 916
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My heartiest congratulations PWilly... wow amazing score... Im glad you deserve it...
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| vanshita
Forum Guru
Topics: 21
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congratulation thanx for sharing your experience
GOOD LUCK for other exam
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| raves
Forum Elite
Topics: 21
Posts: 219
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thanx prader-wili for this post n CONGRATULATIONS on this great score,u surely deserve it boy(or girl).all the best for the future.
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| robin082006
Forum Hero
Topics: 471
Posts: 5,125
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Congratulations and thanks for sharing your experience.
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The Key to Succeed is Patience.
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| vanshita
Forum Guru
Topics: 21
Posts: 812
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can you tell me if you remember
genetic and molecular biology questions are really tough
because i m weak in this subject always confused
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| tolito
Forum Fanatic
Topics: 119
Posts: 2,159
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congtatulations praderwilli. you could not have scored less. thanks for writing your experience. very illuminating and encouraging.
wish you the best in step 2.
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| general malaise
Forum Guru
Topics: 14
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congratulations on an awsome score!!! wish u the best of luck for step 2
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| farjoudi
Forum Junior
Topics: 8
Posts: 40
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Good job my friend,
Please let me know, Is there any significant change in new immuno notes(2004) compare to old one.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
How about pharmacology?
I have Kaplan note 2002 .Do you think that it is necessary to change some of them with new edition.
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| kulmur
Forum Senior
Topics: 1
Posts: 28
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wow prader willi fantastic job........ur advice is really good too...will definitely pick up robbins review...thanku and good luck for future steps.....CONGRATULATIONS!!!!
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| macrolide
Forum Newbie
Topics: 1
Posts: 15
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congratulations !! u did a great job!!
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| Desi_527
Forum Junior
Topics: 15
Posts: 40
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 Congratulation,,,,its simply gr8,,,,can u tell me how long it takes to get result after ecfmg update,,,
very well done ,,u did it,,Congs again
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| zenith
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congratulations!!! thanks for your detailed post - was really helpful. wish you a phenomenal score on step II as well.
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| zenith
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prader-willi: i searched for Robbins Review of Pathology on Amazon - got 2 results: one was called Robbins Review of Pathology which was just about $5 and the other one was called Robbins and Cotran review of Pathology, 2nd Edition and was about $40 - can u please let me know which one did you study from?
Thanks.
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| spitmetal
Forum Guru
Topics: 25
Posts: 635
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if i have kplan notes 2004 do i nedd 2006??????
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NEVER REGRET IF U DID YOUR BEST--"THE PEOPLE WHO CAN'T DO SOMETHING WILL KEEP SAYING THAT YOU CAN'T DO IT.....BUT REMEMBER YOU CAN DO IT!!" by Dr. Luck a member of this forum
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| ralux
Forum Senior
Topics: 5
Posts: 59
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congrats!!!!!!!!!!Great score, but i was sure u gonna get a fatastic score!!! Great job!!! Many thanks for your post and good luck with step 2!!
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| sam27
Forum Senior
Topics: 3
Posts: 123
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Heary congratulation for such a great score .u r amazing man .your hard work paid of.I needed one help regarding how did u used kaplan DVD did u take notes when u listened to the lecture or just listening pls help me with that. should i read kaplan lecture notes first or do kaplan video and lectures simultaneously i really need your advice in this thank u for all the help.Best of luck for step 2 God bless u
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| sam27
Forum Senior
Topics: 3
Posts: 123
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Hearty congratulation for such a great score .u r amazing man .your hard work paid of.I needed one help regarding how did u used kaplan DVD did u take notes when u listened to the lecture or just listening pls help me with that. should i read kaplan lecture notes first or do kaplan video and lectures simultaneously i really need your advice in this thank u for all the help.Best of luck for step 2 God bless u
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| quarks04
Forum Newbie
Topics: 1
Posts: 3
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Congratulations to your awesome score and thanks for your detailed prep-information!!!
Would you like to sell some of your prep material?
Thanks in advance!
email: am4dragon@gmx.net
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| sonaliraj99
Forum Senior
Topics: 39
Posts: 132
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congrats.......... i gues u must b enjoyin now!!!! i'm 43 days away frm my boards..'m almost done wid sec read(2 more days).....d final days... wat shud d routine b like?? i'm scorin 66% in path in qbank.. 27% comp.. is there stil hope pf improvin it??? qbank has many MCC or most likely type q... does d xam also have them???? thanku n good luc...........
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| surgery
Forum Junior
Topics: 0
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Congrats for the great sure
Best luck for others exams
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| prader-willi
Forum Elite
Topics: 28
Posts: 364
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thank u all u guys for showering sooo much appreciation on me!!!!!!now for ur queries
vanshita:try to get as many readings of these 2 subjects as u can...i know exactly how u feel as i went thru the same feeling during my prep...believe as u go thru the notes again and again u understand them better,i was learning new points even during my third time so dont worry just keep at it and u ll get a grip of it see the high yield mol biology book if u can it gives good pictoral descriptiuons which stick in ur memory
farjuodi:yes dude the immuno notes new one has almost 100 pages addition to it plus a few new chapters in them try to get those....about pharma i myself used the 2001 notes but suplemented it with the new first aid ...try it out if ur not comfortable about it then go for the 2004 notes although i wudnt break my head over it
desi_527:depends on which part of the world u live in...goin by ur name u seem to be from india...it took me 14 days oasis updated may 10 score received may 24....depends on the mood of ur mailman...im so sure my mailman must have been driven away by our fearsome neighborhood dog who has special appetite for mailmen!!!!
zenith:the book im talking about is robbins and cotran review of pathology 2 nd edition authors edward klatt and vinay kumar isbn no.9780721601946....hope this helps...tell me if i cleared the confusion or just addedto it!!!
spitmetal:2004 notes more than enough....read them weell man !!!thats more crucial ...all the best
sam 27:i did it this way......wud listen to the dvd and keep the notes open at the same time....anything that appears interesting or catches my attention wud jot it down in small print in the big margins provided in the book.....no matter if the stuff u ve written is already in there,atleast u get satisfaction of having covered all the topics.....hope this helps....i suggest u do it ur own way and wat u r comfortable with...all the best do tell me if my method works for u!!!thanks for the blessings....may god bless u too
quarks04:all my material was already booked 4 months ago!!!sorry
sonaliraj99:cmon girl 43 days is very long time ....surely u can improve ur patho score.....focus now,try to finish the q bank and see the assessment profile.....66% is not bad but im sure u can strengthen ur patho in 43 days.....try to review the notes that u ve used..also listen to goljan audio atleast once it will surely open ur eyes....after u feel confident i suggest u do nbme since u have time on ur side its good u ve completed ur second reading and u still have quite some time...i know it sounds tough but try putting in more hours and study with greater intensity...sure u can relax after the exam!!!...hope this helps!!
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| vanshita
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thanx
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