klimt
Forum Guru
Topics: 27
Posts: 605
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Well, my turn to take the big scary test has finally come. And I was so terrified of that idea for so long, that when the actual thing really happened, I ended up saying: ‘Wow, actually it’s not as bad as I thought it would be!’ But let me start with the beginning:
I studied for the exam for a total of 8-9 months, on and off. At the beginning of my prep, I had (unfortunately) no idea about the existence this forum, and thus didn’t know the first thing about what serious step preparation means. I did study quite a lot, but my study was totally disorganized and unfocused and I felt like I lost so much precious time! I used Kaplan for everything except Patho, for which I had Goljan Rapid Review + tapes. Plus FA, the book that finally put all my ideas in a logical order! Unfortunately, I only found out about FA when I found this forum, which was end of July, and I decided to buy it asap. Kind of late, last – minute, but better later than never! Anyways, as my preparation had a lot of weak points (mainly based uninformed decisions) I wanna point out 3 main things that I do different if I was to start it all over again (no looking back and no crying over spilt milk, just trying to help other people avoid making the same big mistakes I did!)
1. I was not well informed – and consequently has a personal unrealistic idea about what step and step prep means. I scheduled my exam much too soon, and then kept pushing it forward until there was no time left for me and no other alternative than to take responsibility for my own decisions and go take the test!
2. I started doing MCQ much too late, after 2 readings of Kaplan books, when instead I should have done that from the beginning or at least after the 1st reading
3. I started using FA much too late also, when in fact it is the most important book for the step. This and the Pathology book covered a lot of my exam q, so guys, these 2 books are really a must!!!
So the real study lasted actually 3 months, and it was combined with local graduation and licensing exams. And when I finally finished my first review and took NBME1 (4 weeks before the exam) I got 430 (estimated 81/201) and I realized I was on the edge and I had so little time left to repair the damage! But I didn’t lose heart and kept studying really hard for another 3 and ½ weeks, took NBME2 and got 510 (89/221). That reinforced my self – confidence and although it wasn’t my dream score at the beginning, my extended eligibility period was almost over so it was basically a ‘take it or leave it situation’. So……I took the test.
From reading other people’s exam experiences, I had that idea in my head that it’s gonna be horrifying, worst/hardest thing I ever had to do. And surprise……….it was much easier than expected. Not the actual test, but the anxiety. I got a very good relaxing sleep the night before (with a hot bath, a chamomile tea with honey and ½ a sleep aid – I have chronic insomnias…) And during the whole day, I was very calm, with perfect control of my emotions- no panic attacks, no heart racing, no freaking out. Not even when there was a traffic-jam on the highway and my chances of getting to the prometric in time decreased rapidly. I just knew I was on the right way and I was meant to make it!
About the blocks: Blocks 1,3,5,6 were just like any other blocks I’ve done for preparation: like medium. Blocks 2,4,7 – impossible (I really felt I had no idea about at least half of the questions on these blocks). But that’s still good, I was expecting the whole exam to be that hard, and eventually there were ‘only’ three horrible blocks. And more surprises: most of the questions were short or medium long, like 5-6-7 lines, which made me do really well with time management! Only a few q that were longer than 1 screen and needed to scroll down. I even had an unexpected number of 1-2 lines q, and also one-step q, the really easy direct type!!! Not very many pictures (but many graphs). Few q in anato, embryo, neuranato (yes!!!). A LOT of patho, physio and unfortunately molec biology and experimental pharma. Of course, the big dog was Patho. Whatever book you read for Patho, know it by heart.
I really felt like the exam was, like others have said before, divided in 3 parts: one third direct easy q, one third workable q and one third impossible q. My goal was to do all the easy ones (which I did – thanks to the fact that I was rested and calm) and to work as much as possible on the workable ones. There were some of them that really messed up with my mind, like very weird drug interactions (not from FA). There were q for which I knew the right answer, but surprise! that answer was not among the choices they gave. Few q had an unusual long number of choices. And about the ‘impossible q’ – they were really impossible. I didn’t panic or worry about them (if I didn’t worry before, during the exam it’s too late anyways), made my best guess and moved on. Bizarre graphs with drug X and drug Y doing I have no idea what, bch q about bacteria/viral/chromosome recombination and so on. My honest hope is that at least some of those were experimental q and will not count for the actual score.
If my q proficiency was questionable, my anxiety and time management was perfect. And that made me avoid making stupid mistakes, for which I would have been really disappointed. So avoid panic, it won’t do you any good. If anything, it will block your synapses. And I really felt like ‘time flies’. Block after block, I was getting closer to my goal and I kept saying ‘there is hope. It’s not so bad actually’.
I didn’t even realized when the last block was there. I feel like all the simulations I did at home, including nbme, were much more exhausting then the actual exam. I guess it might have been the hypomaniac state due to the exam. It also helped a lot having my faith in God and knowing so many people were praying for me. I even brought a Bible to the test center, along with FA. It really worked for me, especially after the 4th impossible block, when my self – confidence begun to fade. While walking out, I said to myself ‘Thank you God for being there for me every single moment and helping me NOT lose my mind in there. Thank you!’
Well, that’s my exam experience. About my prep (disorganized as it was...), I read all Kaplan 2 times, Goljan Patho 4 times, listened to the tapes 3 times, done FA 4 times (2 extended readings and 2 short ones). For mcq, I did Qbank (70%), Robbins patho, clinical vignettes and also some retired old Q. No time to do usmleworld (unfortunately).
If I had to pick the thing that mattered most during my prep, I would have to say that, bottom line, faith matters most. So have faith, regardless.
If I can help anyone in any other way, please feel free to ask.
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Traveler, there are no roads. Roads are made by walking.
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| young_doc
Forum Guru
Topics: 55
Posts: 732
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Congrats!!! You're exam experience sounds very similar to mine!!! I also came out thinking "it wasn't as bad as i thought it would be"!!!
I wish you all the best, and i'm sure you did awesome!!!
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First Aid is my Bible...
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| vallia
Forum Guru
Topics: 98
Posts: 889
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you're the best, big congrats!
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fight possessed
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| Luckyall
Forum Guru
Topics: 11
Posts: 593
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Wow, really impressive & honest thoughts !
Gob bless your heart !
If you were to repet your prep...would you do Robbins Qs & Qbank twice to shape up your concepts or rather jump on new Qs as UW ?
Best of luck for your score !
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| goodyear
Forum Guru
Topics: 16
Posts: 409
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Congratulations! You deserve a 10 in sharing your honest exam experience.
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| sridevibandaru24
Forum Guru
Topics: 33
Posts: 434
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congratulations! good luck with your score!
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| poli
Forum Newbie
Topics: 1
Posts: 13
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wow! Congratulations your exam experience was very explicite and honest well , I really got som tips from it but I have a question which Goljan book did you read because I am lost among all those Goljan Pathology books . and let me know where I can get it. Thank you if you can help me my e.mail is choleb9@yahoo.com
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| khorshid
Forum Guru
Topics: 32
Posts: 591
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Best of luck :-)
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| step12006
Forum Senior
Topics: 4
Posts: 183
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Very informative .Thanks ! Good luck with scores .
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| klimt
Forum Guru
Topics: 27
Posts: 605
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thanx all of you guys for the support!
Vallia, you've been a great supportive friend, thank you! And hang in there, it will soon be over!
Luckyall, about doing my prep again - God, please NO! But still, if it was to happen, I wouldn't do qbank again. In fact, just before the exam I went thru my mistakes, so now, if I had to do it again, I would have a giant unreal score. So I would go for usmleworld, which, from what I've heard, is hard but good, with very good clear explanations. Actually, I would have wanted to do it during my prep, but the good feedback about it came when it was too late for me to start another qbank.
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Traveler, there are no roads. Roads are made by walking.
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| klimt
Forum Guru
Topics: 27
Posts: 605
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And young_doc, yes our experiences were indeed very similar! maybe this will prevent other people from freaking out about the test! And being at the prometric center before (I only went there the day before, cuz it was in a different country) really helped decrease my anxiety.
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Traveler, there are no roads. Roads are made by walking.
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| dr_ecv
Forum Senior
Topics: 34
Posts: 118
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All the Very best for a good score..
ur exam experience has given me some confidence..I have my exam in 2 months time and I was already getting tensed..that time is less and the exam is the toughest thing in this life..but well u instiled some hope..Maybe it really isn;t so bad...
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| Luckyall
Forum Guru
Topics: 11
Posts: 593
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Ohh, klimt, sorry, im 200% sure you'll pass with a great score... didnt mean to suggest " what if YOU flank ".. no way... was just trying to get an honest thought of what were you regret or do more if you were given 2 more months or so !
For example i took CS first soo soon as i got out of the ex center... i kindof figured it out whats that all about, wht were my own prep mistakes and so on... so , yes, that is what i basically meant !
But im looking forward to hear great news from you ! I know i will !
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| zenith
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thank you for sharing your experience so explicitly. i'm sure u'll pass with flying colors. good luck!
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| smal
Forum Guru
Topics: 140
Posts: 727
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congratulations on ur completion ,
gl with ur score
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remedy for weakness is not brooding over it ,but thinking of strength.
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| unique1
InGodITrust
Topics: 19
Posts: 1,405
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Thanx for sharing your exam experience and very helpful tips.
GL for a brilliant score.
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| ManuNastai
Transilvanian..
Topics: 55
Posts: 838
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Congratulations!! You're one of those who crossed the finish line, now! I hope you'll get the huge score you want, for you truthly are one of "the forum Greats" as it was stated earlyer arround here.. I keep my fingers crossed for your score. You made me realize one thing: the faith in God get's you to click on the correct answer when you guess, it makes you walk out of that dreadfull room after a lousy block and puts the smile on your face when you get the score report. I kinda forgot that... I put my studying before that and I hope it's not too late. Thanks for opening my eyes!
It's neary ovet for me too: I've it on November 16th... maybe I'll postpone it for a week... wish me luck
PS: if I change my exam date a week later (and it's still in the elihibility period), do I have to pay for it?
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"Love is the only inflamation of the heart that drains in the vagina" (translation after Dr Petre Florescu, Professor of Pathology, UMF "Iuliu Hatieganu", Cluj Napoca
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| klimt
Forum Guru
Topics: 27
Posts: 605
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Thank you everybody! I know I did not do my best in there, and not because I didn't study hard, but because I didn't have proper orientation and guidance until I found you guys on this forum. So I'm glad I could help a little bit, it's the least I can do. And plus, 'God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change...' - so no looking back, just looking forward!
For ManuNastai: you can still change your date without paying if it's more than 5 business days before, but are you sure you wanna do it? Could you possibly study in 1 week what you couldn't study all those months (i assume) of prep? So maybe you should try to get the most of the 3 weeks you have left (it's enough to do final review) and resist the temptation to postpone it. Maybe 1 additional month could indeed raise your score, but 1 week will only exhaust you and prolonge your agony...have faith in God and have faith in yourself!
And one more thing: I'm not a forum great and never want to be. We are all doctors, therefore we are all great and we are here to help each other. The rest is just not important...
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Traveler, there are no roads. Roads are made by walking.
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| jole
Forum Elite
Topics: 12
Posts: 274
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congratulations klimt!! one of the nicest exam experinces i've read so far.very honest and educative.Thank you and good luck in your score.
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Never underestimate the power of prayer.
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| goodyear
Forum Guru
Topics: 16
Posts: 409
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Great klimt!! I knew it! You did great! Congratulations!!
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| MRMAVERICK
Forum Guru
Topics: 42
Posts: 746
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best of luck
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| RayBerg
Forum Senior
Topics: 32
Posts: 150
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Klimt, congrats! You mentioned that you did Goljan 3/4x. What Goljan are you referring to? Are you talking about Rap[id Review or are you talking about the condensed notes floating around the internet. Be sure to let us know how well you did. I know you rocked that test!
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| klimt
Forum Guru
Topics: 27
Posts: 605
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Thank you friends!
RayBerg, I did Goljan Rapid Review, 4 times indeed. Very good book!
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Traveler, there are no roads. Roads are made by walking.
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| shalini.ravi
Forum Senior
Topics: 17
Posts: 153
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thanks a lot for sharing your experience...it was one of the best i ever read..i want to ask u if there are any downloads for nbme...
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| sam27
Forum Senior
Topics: 3
Posts: 124
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hi klimt congratulation did u get your score.god bless
sam27
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