manolok
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I took the exam on June 28th, my 3rd attempt and hopefully my last! Averaged 69% on the Q-bank, form 1=380/186/76%( 4 weeks before the exam), form 2= 410,/195/79-80%, (1 week before the exam). Yeah, i know these pre-test scores aren't that hot but not looking to score high, just want to pass so I can submit my application. Decided to take the exam after reading a couple of posts that said take it if you break a 400, so I did. Again people, not looking to score high, satisfied with whatever scraps NBME thinks i deserve to get. I've been out a medical school for 2 years now, and have got to make the 2007 match. Passed step 2-CS, and have studied for CK but never took the exam.
Up till now my stupid mistakes and I mean STUPID are haunting me.. I studied hard for 2 straight months.. to the point of mental and physical exhaustion 12-14 hours a day. Fought with my family, lost some friendships and just not a pleasant person to be around. Night before my exam, had really bad nerves and only averaged about 2 hours of sleep even after taking 2 sleeping aides, which i think cost my some points do to mental exhaustion on the exam.
The first block was unbelievably hard.. but familiar.. the middle blocks were pretty easy, last block just couldn't wait to be over. Well, the majority of my mistakes were all in the pharm section of FA. In my mind I racked up about 10-15 mistakes.. but also counted alot of stuff I know I got right that only the superb student would know. But see that's my problem, the must knows... i didnt know.. the second and tertiary problems i figured out.. Can you believe they asked me to calculate that damn Hardy Weinberg equation and figure out pH logs??? i thought not in a million years they would ask that crap from me.. since in my previous 2 attempts it was never asked. But I figure they were like hmmmm back again for some more punishment... let's make it harder for him..so i he can fall flat on his face again.. Had at least 12 minutes left over block and marked 10 towards my later blocks.. had enough time to change right to wrong answers hopefully! And thank God i did..coz looked them up later and confirmed that they were right!
Could I have done better if I extended?.. oh hell yeah.. Sine phys was consistently lower performance on both forms.. i read BRS twice before the exam and then if you look on the back of the front cover of the BRS phys book, there is an a list of key points that the USMLE loves to test..I made that my mantra and read those topics 3x before the exam.. and yeah.. Costanzo was true to her word.. But why is it I always get the weird part of the Cardiac cyle??
Here is my breakdown of what i read and what i think you should read..
Biochem/genetics: The new first aid is money..!!! coupled with Kaplan
Molecular: HY, some of those experimental questions come straight out of this book.. and was able to figure out the 2... and if you don't believe me.. remember im the neurotic one.. yeah went to a coffee shop after exam and looked it up.. its there!!! too bad they are going to throw that out..
Micro: Runs the spectrum, very few straight forward questions.. mostly 2ndary and tertiary questions.. know your vaccines and what they are made of.. Kapan, MMRS and or HY micro are money..
Immuno: 2004 Kaplan immuno book is fairly straight forward and has a table on Immunoglobulins that 2005 doesn't have.. get a copy.. HY immuno= succint and complete
Ana=gross/histo/embryo: Kaplan, HY and FA is all you need.. you choose your weapon, spent too much time on histo and cell bio.. not worth it considering I only got 2-3 questions.. and the same kind of questions too.. and the intermediate filaments.. they are on your form 1 and 2.. so knw them..though, I had a weird EM of mine.. and spent 2 minutes.. looking for what i needed to find..
Neuro: HY neuro, nothing else, you will find the neuro portion to be very doable..
Path: Do not waste your time on Kaplan, i repeat do not waste your time on Kaplan, read BRS and only BRS.. I read it once, and paid close attention to the key points.. I spent alot of time on Webpath the last week.. but honestly, the explanation that goes with the pic was more helpful for me.. just my opinion..
BS: easy for me.. Kaplan is all you need for this.. in my case only read FA which is essentialy all you need.. memorize.. the biostats formula's cold..they show up.. without fail.. so don't screw it up.. right it on a note card..and look at it everyday before the exam
Pharm: FA FA FA FA FA FA FA FA FA, oh yeah also if you have time read the Lippincot new drug addendum its roughly 3 pages... 2 questions came from that one.. you can spend three hours and outline that chapter.. you know drug, class, MOA, major side effects. then you can scan it every now and then before the exam.
Phys: BRS for me.. do the comprehensive exam at the end.. kinda like the questions your gonna see on the exam.. Stay away from Kaplan phys Qbank.. too dense.. and way to difficult.. it will kill your morale.. before the exam.. if you have more time.. there is a case book that goes with BRS.. it takes time commitment.. but covers pathophys very well and complete
Boards and the Wards: read this.. the Acid base flow charts are very helpful.. if i had my druthers though, id go with BRS for a 2nd read..
If I had to do it over again.. and hopefully I won't...
1. stick to one source ONLY! you should see the number of books i have hear in my apartment.. It looks like a medical school bookstore.. and it didnt help me the first two attempts..
2. Don't take it until you break at least 450 or so.. so you have a cushion of a couple of points to make up for the anxiety.. trust me.. if I failed.. it was because of my bad test taking anxiety.. extend it till you get these scores.. if you have deadlines.. well do what i did.. take a risk and study your butt off the last 7 days.. and take it slightly easy the night before
3. First Aid, First Aid, First Aid: I shoulda spent the last two days on this especially PHARM..I screwed up on some easy easy= giveaway questions on my exam.. and hoping it will not cost me instead.. was trying to concentrate on phys, cell and biochem
4. Make your own notes, this wil be your saving grace, 2 weeks before the exam
5. Kaplan q bank= space it out.. finished it early.. and so didn't do that many questions before my exam.. in fact.. only did form 1 and 2 as my question source last month..
6. Do all NBME's in standard mode.. keep a notebook next to you and jot the one's you have to think more than 30 seconds for.. or general weak areas, unfamilar drugs.. look it up a couple showed up on my exam.. from form 2.. but i nailed those.. coz i looked them up.. :-)
7. Stay away from this forum UNLESS your going to discuss topics..or the exam experiences from 99'ers and there prep journals.. they can be helpful! there are alot of neurotic people here like myself.. and it could ruin your momentum and morale.. try to avoid the following posts..
"IM SCARED... 2 days left before exam!! what to do!!!!" or "I FAILED, IM DEPRESSED, CANT STOP CRYING!!!!!!"
these posts will lead to added anxiety which after reading my posts.. you definitely don't need on exam day!
Read them after you get your result to commensurate your misery like i did and may have to depending on the outcome.. in that manner, these posts do help..and only then.. and stop looking at that damn score thread.. that is gonna make you more depressed to see all those 99'ers and there pre-test scores
Well, Im rambling.. hope my post helped a little.. wish me luck guys.. and long live the US IMG!!! America needs us.. don't forget that!.. so keep on getting up after NBME knocks you down even after the second or 3rd try.. I know I will!!!
Peace
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| manolok
Forum Elite
Topics: 74
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correction the lippincot millenium pharm edition is roughly 30 pages
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| robin082006
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Topics: 471
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Thanks for sharing, good luck for your score.
Let us know your score when you get it.
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| study_ing
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Topics: 180
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what do i do..buy the whole bk just 4 days before the exam..is it worth it..any alternative soln??
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| guest007
Forum Senior
Topics: 11
Posts: 106
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manolok,well said.I also stayed away from experiences forum since 1 month before exam date.But i used the behaviourial science ,PHARMAC,biochem and genetics FORUMS till the day before my exam.............and I am glad tht i did.
GL for ur score.
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| study_ing
Forum Fanatic
Topics: 180
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which edition is it..2nd or 3rd or 4th(dunno which ones exist!!)
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| ing
Forum Guru
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Wish you good luck!
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Never give up!!
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| manolok
Forum Elite
Topics: 74
Posts: 239
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Thanks guys all very encouraging! To study_ing; i don't know which edition but it's the millenium edition, defntly DO not buy the whole book, go to the public library or barnes or nobles.. and jot down notes.. its a quick read. But dont buy it.. you will be tempted to read the whole thing.. it'll throw you off..
I'll let you guys know if its a positive outcome .. if not.. you'll hear from me in a couple of weeks when i take step 1 again!
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| tolito
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wish you all the best. i believe you will not go for step 1 again. it is obvious that you will score high. yes lippincot has a way of luring you to read the whole book and that is a drag. we dont need that all in the final weeks of preparation. i have the millenium edition and it is the 2nd. however, i find that the drugs in the new drug section are mostly writtne in kaplan pharma. and there are even some more in kaplan pharm 2002 that are not in lippincott. lippincott has more stories on the drugs though.
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| manolok
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Thanks tolito I'm keeping my fingers crossed.. It's my NBME scores that worry me. But again the neurotic that I am.. looked for people that had same NBME scores.. and suprisingly, they passed and actually passed high! I'm hoping that im not one of the exceptions and bombed. Trying to study for step 2, but really hard knowing that the results are looming of my head. Not scared to take it over again if I have too, but just don't want to re-study all that crap. I wish more people will feed the low score thread.. gives us lower scorers more hope..
As for Pharm, yeah, FA and Kaplan are more than enough! just picked a copy of Lippincotts coz i read a fellow poster's post and said it was high yield..
Peace
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| intern_doc
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Topics: 98
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manolok...
I DO NOT WANT TO SEE YOU ON FORUM 1 AGAIN...EVER....I MEAN IT..
sounds like you did VERY well this time. Look like I am in the same boat as you. My exam is coming up end of August. I failed it before, kinda scare, but this time I used kaplan DVD as a main source. My weak area was physio and cell/histo. Do you think that Kaplan is enough if I dont use the HY materials ? I had the kaplan physio, but the question is tough as hell....
Good luck on a GOOD score..
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| intern_doc
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manolok...
I DO NOT WANT TO SEE YOU ON FORUM 1 AGAIN...EVER....I MEAN IT..
sounds like you did VERY well this time. Look like I am in the same boat as you. My exam is coming up end of August. I failed it before, kinda scare, but this time I used kaplan DVD as a main source. My weak area was physio and cell/histo. Do you think that Kaplan is enough if I dont use the HY materials ? I had the kaplan physio, but the question is tough as hell....
Good luck on a GOOD score..
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Please call me by my first name on March 17 - Dr.
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| dr.barbie
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Topics: 6
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OMG, I'm totally in the same boat. American IMG with same NBME scores and took it on June 28th! I'm with you on the fact that FA is key for Pharm!!! I don't care about scores at this point either, just want to pass and move on with life.
Best of luck to you! I hope that neither one of us will be on this forum(step 1) again.
By the way, there's a new question bank out there that I think is as good as Qbank, it's USMLE RX, it's from the makers of FA. I had already finisher qbank with a 66% average and wanted fresh questions because doing the wrong ones again was just making me depressed.
Anyway, I think it's great that you posted your experience, I think we need more people out there not getting a 99. or a 600 NBME posting. We can all learn from one another.
Best of Luck!
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| manolok
Forum Elite
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Posts: 239
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You guys are making me feel a whole lot better.. just to address the reply posts individually,
1. To intern_doc..LOL your post made me crack up! I don't want to be here again either.. but i've been an active observer/participant here and if I do pass.. Like to come back and elaborate more on my experience anything to help out others.. not a gunner like that.. I can relate with your situation coz my weak areas were exactly the same phys and cell/histo. Personally, you have enough time, I would do questions on histo.. what I did.. was I took a cd-rom of BRS/cell bio/histo and did all the questions WITHOUT reviewing the book. That to me was helpful, i did it in tutor mode.. and VERY HY! I didn't care if I was averaging 20's-80's, the point was i got to see micrographs.. and lots of stuff on celly cycle and those god damn intermediate filaments! so i pretty much aced that part of the exam. you need to get a copy of that HY cell/molecular.. there were 2 questions on my real exam that were lifter straight from that book.. the concepts were there and good thing i skimmed over that book the night before.. because they made questions out of those two concepts.. that is what i was referring to when i said that even the superb student wouldn't figure that out.. unfortunately, i think that is going to be an experimental batch.. will get thrown out.. so to answer your questions.. don't stress out too much about histo and cell but if you want to improve your score on pre-tests i would use a different source then kaplan for histo and cell bio.. and again you have enough time, cmon.. for phys.. yeah the questions are tough.. but stick to what is familar.. but remember neurophys is NOT covered in Kaplan.. and had 2 to 3 questions on that.. How are your NBME's!! good luck!!
2. dr. Barbie: you are in the same boat.. and you know what just came across that new qbank.. tried the sample quesetions.. wow, in the event that i have to take this 'frickin exam again..im gonna make usmlerx q max my starting point.. very much like the real exam! in Fred format and also references FA.. sigh why didn't I.. do that before my exam! why???!!! I called ecfmg.. and they said they update everyday now.. whatever.. sometimes they dont know what they are talking about.. they also said i cant take the exam till Oct, if i fail.. so, plan B.. take step 1 on oct 1... and give it 2 and half months and this time.. you BET im gonna be one of those 99'ers.. but again.. i'll take a 75% I need to prioritize step 1 so i can interview... and have my step 2 pending.. Where are you in all of this? Is it just step 1 your waiting for? CS? well good luck.. yours should update before me or at the same time.. so take a deep breath and wait for your red screen to pop up.. hehehe good luck..
PS im getting someone to check for me coz cant deal with the disappointment again.. of letting me re-apply again.. in the back of my head. i feel they are waiting for me and my credit card.... sigh.. the neurosis!! ok guys..ciao.. hit me back with any questions or insights..
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