drsafi
Forum Newbie
Topics: 1
Posts: 13
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Dear friends,
I was waiting for the day that I can write you this with joy and pleasure as I finish with my step 1 test that took me so much time and effort ( this is my first post by the way ).
I was graduated 2 years ago, and began studying for step 1 on January this year, I joined a Kaplan course for it, I finished reading the books for the first time after 4 months, after that I began reading them for the second time and doing one block of Qbank every day, but to be honest , i wasted so much time after that , so I finished the books for the second time in august, in addition to few chapters of the first aid. So by september, I had finished the books twice, the Qbook twice , and I had 2 blocks to finish the Qbank (which I didnt ! ), and I have also finished the first aid.
my overall performance in the Qbank was 79%, then in early september I did NBME 2 and I got 680
and just 2 weeks before my test, I almost finished a kaplan book called the Medessentials ( i know its wrong to read new material in that time but it was a summary of kaplan books, it was kinda similar to the first aid ) .
I did Kaplan simulated test 2 days before the big day, and I got 79%
So, I did my test on September 21st, I was kinda relaxed before the exam because of the scores I got which I thought they were ok enough, and I slept at 12 for the first time ( because I used to go to sleep at 2 !!) by using suppression !!, but to be honest, I was shocked during the exam, because I found it so much different than all the questions I used to do before (may be because u r kinda relaxed when u r doing these questions unlike the exam day).
I was really tired, and I found the questions too long, that made me barely finish the block on time ( when I was doing the Qbank, I had like an extra 15 min. before finishing each block).
So I was scared after finishing my test..... but alot of my friends told me that this is normal and everyone feels that way, which really comforted me.
and so I was doin nothing for the past days just waiting......., the result was reported on October 11, and I got it today Oct.17 ............IT WAS 99 ( 249 ). !!!
I am really glad guys, because all the efforts didnt go in vain, and you have to realize that this is not an impossible test to do, actually you can do much more than you would expect if you study the high yield stuff, because you know what ? I wouldnt do the test on my scheduled date without doing the NBME because I thought that I have a lot of stuff to do, which were apparantely low yield.
So the keys to master this test in my opinion are:
1. put sufficient time to study for it, at least 8 hours a day.
2. dont get confused with so many book, instead, focus on ur main books, the first aid and thats it, and for questions do the Qbook and Qbank which I found sufficient for me.
3. and this is the most important...... AIM HIGH, and this is something I learned before. If were aiming just to pass the exam (like I used to do in the first years of medical school ), then most probably u wont pass it, but if u aim above that, then u already achieved passing in addition to good score.
So my friends, good luck with your preparation, and I will be more than glad to help, if u need anything.
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| klimt
Forum Guru
Topics: 27
Posts: 605
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congratulations on your great score! hard work really pays off, doesn't it?
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Traveler, there are no roads. Roads are made by walking.
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| doctor_80
Forum Senior
Topics: 7
Posts: 36
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Hi Dr. ,
CONGRATS !!!!!!!!!!
God bless u for steps ahead.
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| VEDDER
Forum Newbie
Topics: 0
Posts: 6
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hi ...congratulations..great score...
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| vanshita
Forum Guru
Topics: 25
Posts: 863
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Congratulation
great score
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| Nan
Forum Senior
Topics: 12
Posts: 159
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Congratulations! thanks for sharing.
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| zenith
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congratulations! i like your avatar - actually i really like this character in "Scrubs"
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| TALAL188
Forum Junior
Topics: 3
Posts: 38
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cogratulations dear
all the best fr ur next steps
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The great pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do.
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| dr rahil
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
Posts: 3
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congratulation
thats an amazing score.
good luck for step 2
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| v2k
Forum Newbie
Topics: 4
Posts: 25
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Congrats for a terrific score. andgood luck on step 2.
I would appreciate if you can tell me which book to study for pathology. I am really confused. I am listening Goljan audio but should i study kaplan or goljan or BRS ? please give some input
Thanks
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| smal
Forum Guru
Topics: 140
Posts: 727
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congrats
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remedy for weakness is not brooding over it ,but thinking of strength.
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| elissa
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
Posts: 49
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Lovely post, congratulations!!
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| Summer.Thunder
Forum Elite
Topics: 71
Posts: 180
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were you a top or an average student in your med. school?
sometimes people get good scores because they were already very good at med. school.
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| Saleem
Forum Newbie
Topics: 4
Posts: 9
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congratulations
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| Diego Casali
Forum Elite
Topics: 7
Posts: 234
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Congratulations.
Good luck for your Step 2 CK exam.
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| drsafi
Forum Newbie
Topics: 1
Posts: 13
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Thank u all dear friends,
and to answer ur question summer thunder,
honestly, I wasnt that good in medical school during the time when we were studying basic sciences.
There is a relation with recent graduation, but I think it also depends on how to deal with the materials of step 1, for me I used one source that I thought is enough, without being distracted by so many books for the same subject, and of course......AIM HIGH !
Good luck to u all.
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| flyingpenguin
Forum Newbie
Topics: 6
Posts: 27
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congratulations! Good luck on step 2.
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99/pending/pass/??/graduation in 2002/no PhD/observership/need visa
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| amarah2705
Forum Newbie
Topics: 0
Posts: 3
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congrats for ur great score!
im new to this forum
i just started preparing for step 1
can u pls suggest me the materials to study for each subject
i would be thankful to u
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| drsafi
Forum Newbie
Topics: 1
Posts: 13
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Thank u amarah,
well again, for all the subjects, I used Kaplan books and watched their videos,
the first aid, and doing questions from Qbook and Qbank
that's it !
many guys here in this forum are talking about Goljan notes, but I havent seen them.
Good luck for ur steps ahead ....
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| amarah2705
Forum Newbie
Topics: 0
Posts: 3
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thanks for ur response
many people suggest to study high yield series for neuro & molecular biology can u pls tell me how far r those needed for reference and also about lippincot for pharma.
one more thing from where can i get good images & pictures for anat & path?
if u can pls guide me i'll be really thankful to u.i'm really scared of this exam
looking at the bulk to study.
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| drsafi
Forum Newbie
Topics: 1
Posts: 13
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Well, I didnt use other books, so I dont have an idea about these books, I'm sorry.
But if u r studying Kaplan books, then they r more than enough, and u will only need to study the first aid, unless u r studyin other books, then I'm not sure if they r enough or not, or whether they r easy to study or not.
regarding images and pics, honestly I didnt pay that attention to them only reviewed the pics in the first aid, bcz most of the times the question stem will guide u to the answer before seeing the pic, but there r some web sites for these pics I'm sure the guys in this forum know about them.
Finally, u have to pay attention to the diagrams and figures in the books, esp neuroanatomy, e.g. the ventricular system in the brain, these stuff r really imp.
ok take care
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| amarah2705
Forum Newbie
Topics: 0
Posts: 3
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thanks drsafi for convincing me that kaplan notes r sufficient.
right now i'm following those only . i dont have any other books,
so i was confused wether to buy or not.
thanks for ur advice
goodluck for ur step-2ck
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| Slacker
Forum Elite
Topics: 29
Posts: 141
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Congratz. ur story is truely inspiring to me, cause i'm sort off in the same path as u, but haven't taken step 1. What i wanted to ask you is were u doing the QBank questions subject by subject or random?
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| MRMAVERICK
Forum Guru
Topics: 42
Posts: 755
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congratz
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| drsafi
Forum Newbie
Topics: 1
Posts: 13
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Dear Slacker,
I started doing the Qbank after finishing the books for the first time, I was doing it as one block a day in addition to reading the books for the 2nd time, I was doing that randomly, so that when u read the books for the 2nd time, u know where to focus.
But I couldnt finish the Qbank, bcz I was kinda lazy, and I still have 2 blocks to finsh it 
Good luck
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