Anesthesiadoc
Forum Newbie
Topics: 3
Posts: 6
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Hello everyone. I have been an observer of this website since I began studying for my USMLE exams. There are so many questions FMGs have with regard to these exams and the process of the Match, etc. that is is nice that there is a place where you can read other peoples experiences and get valuable feedback.
I am a FMG from a country in Central America. I graduated in late July 2003. I took the Step 1 Feb./2004 without really knowing what I was getting into and failed it by one point. At that point I moved to the US and really began my studies seriously.
First of all, you do not need the actual Kaplan courses to pass. Even if you are a FMG. Fortunately, I had the money to pay for such courses but refused to accept that I needed someone else to teach me how to read a book and how to examine and treat a patient. That's just the way I see things. DO NOT get me wrong, the Kaplan courses are very good from what I have heard and they have helped many (FMGs and US Grads) pass their boards. So what I did was the next best thing. I bought my books on eBay. They cost about $300 and came with the Q-Bank and some more CDs filled with questions. A great bargain. I also bought some books that I read where really good. Here is the list of the books and CDs I used for Step 1:
Kaplan Lecture Notes
First Aid
BRS Physiology, Pathology, Microbiology, Behavioral Science
Webpath CD
Q-Bank CD
NMS CD
I studied for about 7 months in total for Step 1. I have to say that the best way (at least for me) to study is to read the books one time, then do all the questions to see how you are doing. There are many important details found only in the questions and I would write every single one of them onto my First Aid. After doing all the questions, I would keep my scores, put them away and read my books again. After I would do the questions again and compare with the ones I kept to see if I was missing the same questions over again. I did this about 3 times and the last month I would just read my First Aid which by then had tons of new things written on it and do just questions. Even if you think you might know a certain subject, there is always a way to ask a question that might make you hesitate. So practicing all the questions for me was the key to passing my Step 1. I passed it on Sept./2004 with a score of 199/81. I know... this score is way below average to what I have seen on these forums. But later on I will tell you why it didn't affect me negatively. So that's how I passed Step 1. I gave the same advice to a friend and he passed it too. So it's not that bad of a plan. Of course, you can add more books if you want, or more questions. I have read that USMLE World has very good questions. I wouldn't know. But I would suggest doing them. The more you do, the better you will become.
For Step 2 CK I studied for less time. I have very strong clinical experience from my medical school that I didn't think I needed so much time. That and that the Step 2 books are by far easier and shorter to read. The books I read where:
Kaplan Lecture Notes
Mock Exam Step 2 by Adam Brochert
USMLE Step 2 Secrets by Adam Brochert
Q-Bank CD
That's it. I did my reading and questions as I had done with Step 1. Reading-Questions-Reading-Questions....etc. I only studied for about a month and a half. I passed on Dec./2004 with a score of 231/94. I would suggest to program Step 2 soon after Step 1 because you have much of your Step 1 knowledge fresh in your mind and there are a few questions on Step 2 that come from Step 1. Believe it or not.
I took and passed my Step 2 CS on April/2005. I honestly did not study much because I feel comfortable in the clinical setting and my English is good. For those of you with problems with clinical experience or the English language, I would suggest practicing with a partner. I have heard of horrible stories of people that have passed the exam.
The MATCH.... Very, very stressful. You might think that after passing the exams that you are home free...nope. Yes, grades of 99 will help a great deal. But for those of us who aren't that smart there is still hope. I am proof of that. When it came time for the Match, I wanted to get into Anesthesia. I know, very, very difficult and competitive. But that was what I really wanted. My second choice was OB/GYN, also hard to get into. So I applied to 50 OB/GYN and 25 Anesthesia. Anesthesia is even harder because most programs ask for at least 1 year of prior Graduate Medical Education from a ACGME accredited program. So I applied to all the Anesthesia programs that did not require this. The money I saved from not paying the Kaplan courses was used on my Match application. It can become very expensive because as a FMG you have to apply to as many programs as your budget allows. I applied to a total of 75 and of those I only got 3 interviews......yes, ONLY 3 interviews. Now do you see why you have to apply to so many. I was heart broken. I got 2 OB/GYN and 1 Anesthesia interview. I believe that your grades do help you get an interview....they catch the eye of the program director. But I think that what helped me the most was my Personal Statement. On all 3 interviews I received compliments on my Personal Statement. OK, so the grades plus the Personal Statement help you get the interview, but you still have to nail it. I read Iserson's Guide and that helped a great deal. I decided to be myself, to TALK with everyone and to be honest. The worst part was that I did not like one of the OB/GYN programs I interviewed with so I didn't even put them on my Match list. I only went to the Match with only 2 programs on my list. Fortunately, I matched this year with Anesthesia. So you see, even though my grades aren't the best and even though everyone I talked to and every book I read said that Anesthesia was all but impossible...I never once gave up. And neither should you. I would recommend trying to get into research because it can help a great deal. I got into research late November of last year so it didn't come out on my ERAS Common Application Form.
I took my Step 3 last month and received my grade yesterday. Passed with a score of 196/80....again, not the best score in these forums. I did as I have always done for my Step preparation....read-questions-read-questions. I studied for about 3 weeks. Again, I have a strong clinical background. So now I'm done with them. I did the exam because I had some time and I wanted just to finish them and concentrate on my residency.
I begin my residency orientation this week and I thought I would take this time to tell you how I passed my Steps and my experience with the Match. I'll try to log in to answer any questions. I hope this is of use/help to someone as some of the forums I have read along the years have been to me.
Keep up the good work and fight the good fight.
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| doctor81
Forum Elite
Topics: 34
Posts: 240
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anasethesia doc
thanks a lot for posting ur experience
all the best for ur residency
congrats on being done with the most consuming exams in every way
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| drhouston
Forum Senior
Topics: 22
Posts: 63
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Thanks a lot for telling us about your exam and match experience in detail. It will surely help many of us. And best of luck for your residency.
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| aimhigh
Forum Elite
Topics: 22
Posts: 148
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Great post!! I will give it five-star! A positive and successful story can give us so much hope! Never give up, I love it!!! Good luck with your residency!
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| Rasul
Forum Guru
Topics: 56
Posts: 485
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Thank You very much, Anesthesiadoc! Good luck!
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| drzhiv
Forum Junior
Topics: 4
Posts: 26
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HI thanks alot for sharing ur experience. i really appreciate ur effort n consistency n its definately a v positive ray of hope for me n many others like me. i have also passed step1 with less score n now i m still preparing for step2ck n couldnt concentrate well may b due to the reason of less scores in step1 n keep on delaying the exam.anyways once again thanx for ur honest n encouraging post. best wishes for ur residency.
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| mal
Forum Newbie
Topics: 6
Posts: 11
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thanks doc for the very valuable post.
I just finished my internship.i am a fmg too.I wanna know if i feel like doin step 2 first since im fresh from clinical subjects.
or is it more sensible to start with step one? can u polease give ur valuable advice? thank u!
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| Doc2378
Forum Guru
Topics: 46
Posts: 688
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Hey Anesthesia doc....thanks for the encouraging post. I also sent you a pm...see if you can write back..thanks!
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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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| Isther
Forum Guru
Topics: 39
Posts: 745
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Nice post, and great experience... Congratulations and good luck...
What advice can U give to make a good Personal statement?
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Useful information for USMLE and the residency matching process at http://www.usmlematch.com
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