arlete
Intern in 2009!!!!!
Topics: 32
Posts: 2,313
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3 digit=207
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When men make the rules, God decides the exceptions.
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| Tashidondrup
Forum Newbie
Topics: 3
Posts: 36
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Thanks Ask Doc
for your advice. Im very glad you can help me.
I just take the NBME Form 1
and this were my scores (since i have the correct answers for all the blocks)
Block 1: 58%
Block 2: 62%
Block 3: 60%
Block 4: 54%
Overall performance: 58.5%
And their score was 330
For a 3 digit score correlation of 172
Mt exam is in 10 days.
My very bad performance areas are:
-Renal
-Musculoskeletal
-Genetics
-Hematopoietic
Askdoc...what do u think about all this?
This is the correlation of the NBME score
Attached Files:
CBSSA Score.doc (54 KB, 36 downloads)
Edited by Tashidondrup on 01/17/07 - 08:04 AM
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| Tashidondrup
Forum Newbie
Topics: 3
Posts: 36
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This was my analysis of the performance
I think ill delay it for a month.
Now heres the deal.
I think i have 2 problems:
1. When i read the questions, a lot of times when i get it wrong, and after that i read the answer, i discover that i already knew it. Im trying to read more slowly every question i make.
2. There are some areas in wich i really dont know jack about it.
I only have 1 and a half month so, what should i do. Start reading new material now is dangerous right. But there is a strong deficiency, so i dont know. Fisrt Aid is not enough. Should i return to the Kaplan Lectures in those areas?
Thanks.
Attached Files:
score.JPG (52 KB, 55 downloads)
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| arlete
Intern in 2009!!!!!
Topics: 32
Posts: 2,313
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Dear Tashi:
You have to break at least 400 on NBME to pass the test. It's very bad to pass with a low score, people don't call you for interviews and you can not repeat the test. I had 340 on first NBME (form 4), did one month of Kaplan Q-bank, had 430 on NBME (form 1), and my real test was 207/84, after one more month of usmleworld. Not an impressive score, but enough.
I think you need new material, because you're not well prepared yet. Think about Kaplan Q-bank or usmleworld, with a notebook to write down what you feel you don't know yet. During the last week, no new material, only patho, micro, pharmaco.
Good luck, I am praying for you.
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When men make the rules, God decides the exceptions.
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| CristinaCol
Forum Senior
Topics: 7
Posts: 155
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My step 1 took me over a year to prepare. During the 3 weeks previous to my test I sat in front of my computer all day, just doing Q-bank, sometimes 12 hours straight. The day of the test I finished it 1 hour earlier, and I think it was because that hard practice gave me a lot of endurance and taught me to read fast. My final average in q-bank was 71%, and I was freaking out, thinking that my score would be lousy after so much time and study, since everybody told me that the q-bank score + 10 is what you should expect. I got a 92! The key is reading all the explanations, even the ones that you think you know very well. I think that is better than going over the material being so close to take the test. I wish you the best of luck. Bye
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| askdoc
Forum Junior
Topics: 2
Posts: 90
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Dear Tashi,
I'm afraid Arlete is right. You are going to fail this exam. Now whether 1.5 months is enough to remedy problems is doubtful. I've always advised people that it costs about the same time, effort and money to reschedule an exam compared to failing an exam then retaking it, except that retaking it makes your chance for getting into residency that much harder.
3 to 6 months study is enough to get high 90's if done properly. Years of study will not help you pass if done poorly. My own belief is you must reboot. There are others in the same boat as you that I've been helping and they've agreed to restart on a 3.5 month review program I've set up for them. Again I would like emphasize that 3.5 months is an estimate. Always schedule exam to reach a target score rather than schedule exam to finish in a target date. Some will move faster and may not need 3.5 months, some may need longer. But setting a target score by a target date on a per subject basis is the best way to estimate how long it will take for you to achieve this.
You have to change the way you study. 9 months study is more than enough to master step 1 if done correctly no matter how long ago you graduated. My suggestion is this. Let's tackle it one step at a time. Let's start with Patho. we'll try to remedy Patho in about 4 weeks or even less. If we succeed then you decide if you want to continue with the examination, or review the rest of the subjects properly to try to aim for 90++. As for me, I'd prefer to lose my step 1 fees, since if I fail, it's lost anyway. Take it only when you are sure to pass or better yet get a good score.
If you agree, tell me and I'll set your initial patho review. My suggested books for Patho is Robbin's small or big, your choice but I prefer big and Robbin's Review of Pathology qBook. Why? Because after studying Kaplan and Goljan Pathology, you should be doing better than you're doing. If not, it is because you are not really understanding Pathology. Kaplan and Goljan are good but they are abbreviated. Robbin's is very thick because it takes the time to explain everything and in your case we may need to go to that level of studying to improve your score.
Can you finish Robbin's Patho in 4 weeks? Well, I did my Patho mastery in 3 weeks while doing Kaplan QBank at the same time. Robbin's Patho in 4 weeks is just moderate pacing. So I believe it's doable.
Askdoc
PS. if you also have BRS Patho, it will be even more super.
PPS. If you master Robbins Patho, you will also automatically do better in Micro-Immuno, Biochem, Physio and Genetics, since this is also covered in Robbin's Patho.
___________________
Step1 99/256, Step 2 99/258, Old IMG, 1989 grad. A man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's heaven for. http://blogs.askdoc-usmle.com
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| laura81
Forum Elite
Topics: 32
Posts: 175
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welll..im almost in the same boat as Tashi...i was scoring really low in UW..in the begining 38..then raised to 40-48..yesterday i got 63 today 58..anyway...its improving ..but yet its still low...howerver im doing also robbins Q..and im getting there above 70..which i think its ok...
I am aiming for 2008 match..and im running out of time..can u pls guide me how should i schedule all exams , to be on time..and also get above 90....My step 1 period is jan-march(ive extended it )
PLS HELP ME!!!!!!!!
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| laura81
Forum Elite
Topics: 32
Posts: 175
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today ive started with a 56 in UW..its low but its better than 38 or 40...and i still have 60% of UW to do...do u think i still have a chance? this is the first qbank im doing...i plan on doing some kaplan qbank too..after ill finish this one..
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| Tashidondrup
Forum Newbie
Topics: 3
Posts: 36
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Thanks to all the people who is helping me.
I did an insight review, and i tried to discover what i was doing wrong.
Well i think i was very anxious about i was running out of time, and since my first post in this forum, my goal has been try to know if i pass or not, and not really making a good review of the learned material.
Im doing UW now, but now with every Q i fail, i go to First Aid and for my surprise, a 70% of the failed ones, are the ones that i left blank (without highlighting, because i thought wasnt important or because i didnt understand the subject).
Im trying now to UNDERSTAND the whole concept. In the past reviews i was just trying to memorize the right answer, but i think that is like to memorize a random number, now im reading the whole concept and im asociating the question and the answer related to that, to a bigger picture.
I think i can improve a lot in 1 month, at least i hope for. Im gonna try this, if im not prepare at the end of the road, ill pospone it again. but im confident im doing some new stuff here. I still have problems in understanding where they want to go with the question, since when i read the answer a lot o f times i knew what they were asking, but im trying some technics here to resolve that, if they succeed ill share with you.
Thanks to all again for helping me.
I really appreciate ur help.
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| askdoc
Forum Junior
Topics: 2
Posts: 90
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To Tashi: Glad you decided to concentrate on studying things in more detail and on not taking the exam until you are sure you can get a good score. There are more than one way to ace this exam. Good Luck on your road to discovery. However, one word of caution. The reason you are always down to last 2 choices is that in well-constructed questions, there are at most 1 correct answer and 1 good distractor. Although the other choices are also distractors, it is very hard to have a lot of good distractor in each questions. The choice of distractors are usually based on the following;
1. A common misconception
2. An old belief about some medical concept that has radically changed recently
3. Minute detail that differentiates between 2 concepts.
The best way to eliminate distractors is to know enough about concepts to readily know the difference between choices. Trying to find specific patterns in the way questions are constructed to guess at the correct answer is not effective. Why? Patterns in Question Construction do occur. If you look at UW, there are patterns in the way they construct distractors. Kaplan QBank also have their own patterns which are entirely different from UW. Therefore, discovering these patterns will not help you in the actual exam since a different group of people constructed the examination and the pattern may actually be different.
To CristinaCol: Doing Q's to raise one's score is effective for some but not for others. I've seen people who got 99's even high 99's doing that while others failed the exam. The problem is by the time you know if it worked for you or not is maybe after the examination where the consequences whether positive or negative are not alterable.
To Laura81: If you really want to score over 90++ you need to do above 80% in Robbin's QBook . One of the person currently following my study plan was not able to score a passing mark either in Kaplan QBank or NBME after 9 months of study. She has just told me that she is now consistently doing over 80% in Robbin's QBook on first tries for all topics except 2 and that she'll be able to meet the 4 week schedule for patho and probably the 3.5 months schedule for step 1. She's using Robbin's Pathological Basis of Diseases for her review.
___________________
Step1 99/256, Step 2 99/258, Old IMG, 1989 grad. A man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's heaven for. http://blogs.askdoc-usmle.com
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| Tashidondrup
Forum Newbie
Topics: 3
Posts: 36
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AskDoc
What im trying to do is like a protocol for answering the questions i dont know for sure.
In the first place i ask myself, what they are trying to evaluate, or what concept they require i must know. After that i pick the first answer, or the first choice out of 2 and i read again the question as is that answer was the right one, and i evaluate if this answer makes sense, and i do it with all the others, and is working because suddenly one sounds more logical than the others. With this im simply taking all the answers in consideration, and since my BIG PROBLEM is not taking the choice with calm, now im doing better. Im in 46% with my last 6 and i know is a modest improvment, but gives me hopes for keep trying. Im still using "unused Qs" and the pool of Qs is well balance.
Godspeed to all.
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| kamyabi
Forum Junior
Topics: 1
Posts: 113
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Dear askdoc,
I am glad that you are visiting this thread. I respect the way you are helping everone here.
I want to know what is your 3.5 months study plan ?
I am at my 1st read right now and according to your valuable advice I am reading very carefully trying to understand every concept . I am not in a hurry to take my test but want to have a target date to finish my prep , lest I slack.
How should my studies be like after finishing my 1st read ? Thanks in advance.
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Success does not come to those who wish for it, but to those who work for it.
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| askdoc
Forum Junior
Topics: 2
Posts: 90
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To Tashi: That's good to hear. Actually, that's one pattern that seems to be universal to all. A lot of times, you can get the answer to questions by being aware of the central concept being tested. One of the advantages of UW QBank. Some are really easy and you can get the answer even without really reading the whole Q. Some are harder but can still be deconstructed that way. But in Step 1 actual exam, my experience is that probably less than 30% of the q's can be deconstructed this way. Maybe people who know more concepts than I did when I took the exam noticed more. The other 70% are more or less a bit too complex in construction to be easily analyzed in that manner.
Now considering all answers one by one is also a good way to get the correct answer, however, due to time limit in actual exam, the possibility of running out of time by doing that for majority of the Q's in that manner is possible. However, doing it that way in practice exam is a very good way to discipline and hone your thought process. That is part of the reason why I advocate not timing yourself when you are doing q's for KR, and only timing if you are doing q's for TP.
To Kamyabi: Being an old grad and not yet finished with your learning process, You cannot use the 3.5 month study plan. This process is for people who already know the concepts, they just need to remember them for the exam. Actually there are 4 types of Recall.
1. Immediate Recall. These are concepts you can recall with a snap of a finger. This is the type of recall you need for most of the concepts tested in USMLE to do well in the exam.
2. Aided Recall. These are concepts you can recall with some cues. That's why mnemonics are a favorite. That is also why q's are increasingly 2 to 3 steps since the choices for a typical q can aid recall. Also slower than immediate recall, hence a time killer in a timed exam like USMLE.
3. Familiar Recall. These are concepts you are familiar with but a little faded. Requires a lot of prompting and cues to remember. A lot of times when you learn new concepts, but forget it after sometime, it is in the form of familiar recall.
4. Learnable Recall. These are concepts that you have learned a long long time ago that you've literally forgotten. However, it will be easier for you to relean them than those who did not know about them in the first place.
The 3.5 months program presumes that most of the concepts tested by USMLE are already in your head in the first 3 forms of recall. It tries to drive as much information as possible into immediate recall for use in the actual exam. Since you are an old grad, who has forgotten a lot of concepts already and has a lot of new concepts to learn, You cannot begin the 3.5 months program until that phase is finished. My own learning phase took 4.5 months and I did the 3.5 months mastery program in 2.5 months. So finish your learning phase, then we can do the 3.5 months mastery program.
___________________
Step1 99/256, Step 2 99/258, Old IMG, 1989 grad. A man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's heaven for. http://blogs.askdoc-usmle.com
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| kamyabi
Forum Junior
Topics: 1
Posts: 113
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Thank you very much askdoc for your kind reply.
I understand and agree with what you said. My study pace is very slow right now as I have picked up the books after a gap of many years. Hope I can go faster as my studies proceed.
I hope you will be here to help me when I finish my 1st read and would be able to take some time out of your busy residency schedule
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Success does not come to those who wish for it, but to those who work for it.
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| Tashidondrup
Forum Newbie
Topics: 3
Posts: 36
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Hey Askdoc
I finished the UW with 42% in my last 6 mixed blocks. But i got to tell you something.
After that, i discovered as i said before, my mistakes. In the last 50000 Qs i reviewed, i was reading only the right answer, not even the other choices. As a result, i was studying, i was memorizing like a chimp, questions, and not concepts. Now im in my second review of UW and with every wrong answer i study, not the right answer but the concept, and im starting to see some improvements. Now in my last 6 blocks (anatomy, behav sc biostatistics) i have a 87%. I know is the second time, so is not a parameter, but i can see that i simply know more. Ill take NBME form 3 when i finish this, so i hope im gonna do it better this time. Thanks for ur interest.
Bye 
Edited by Tashidondrup on 02/01/07 - 11:13 PM
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| laura81
Forum Elite
Topics: 32
Posts: 175
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hey Tashi how is it going?
I am doing Qbank now, exam in 10 days....and my scores are around 70..is that good? Im so scared...can anyone tell my how much should i expect in real exam if i have 70 in qbank ( i only did pathophys, bioch, biost, and some patho)...can i hope for a 90+??Thanks
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| laura81
Forum Elite
Topics: 32
Posts: 175
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i did NBME1 ..from a saved version..and i got 75% ,..is it bad?? I want a 90+ score and i have exam in a week..PLS HELP
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| laura81
Forum Elite
Topics: 32
Posts: 175
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anybody who can give me an advice???
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| Tashidondrup
Forum Newbie
Topics: 3
Posts: 36
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Hey Laura
NBME doeast gives you the secret how they calculate the scores
but when i got 59%, it was 330 in their score (200 to 800), and that was equivalent to the USMLE 2 digit score of 74. So i dont know it would be great to have more feedback about % and NBME score. I hope this helps as a base for you.
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| laura81
Forum Elite
Topics: 32
Posts: 175
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i read on some forum about the conversion.."your score multiplied by 3" ..in your case..59x3=177...its close i think..dont have the conversion chart..but i think its around 70 (the 2 digit score )
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| Tashidondrup
Forum Newbie
Topics: 3
Posts: 36
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Well
i made the exam 2 days ago. And let me tell you...it is very close to the NBME practice test....but harder. I was very amaze with some questions, of never being heard about the topic.
Well i dont know i felt it like a roller coster, starting with a moderate one, going harder to the 3rd, and after that going easy to the 7th.
I got a lot of C´s in the 6th block, i was stranged by that. I got like 30, i cant just recall exactly, but the point is that there were a lot. (luckyly is my guessing letter).
Im gonna do the oasis trick in 4 weeks. it is a long wait. Im starting to study the step 2 in 5 days.
There is only a problem if i fail. I really woudnt know where to start if i fail it. Why?
well i reviewd the Qs after the exam, and most of the Knowledge i got, i got it right, but...what about the other ones i didnt have the idea...Where that came from. That info wasnt on the first aid.
And what u think i should do? retake the step 1 if i fail it or go for the step 2?
Edited by Tashidondrup on 03/05/07 - 08:16 AM
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| Tashidondrup
Forum Newbie
Topics: 3
Posts: 36
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Im going for Step 2 now, i still dont have my scores, but i want to start right away.
Can someone tell me what a good plan or aproach to Step 2 Ck is?
i mean, kaplan, Qbanks, UW?
what is the best combination?
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| blossom16
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
Posts: 15
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[quote=Tashidondrup]Thanks Ask Doc
for your advice. Im very glad you can help me.
I just take the NBME Form 1
and this were my scores (since i have the correct answers for all the blocks)
hey tashi,
you said you had the answers to form 1? do you think you can send me those answers? i've done form 1 but i don't have the answers and i'm short on time so it'll be difficult to look up each and every answer (i've looked up one block)
i would really appreciate it. if you can then please pm me thank youu !!!
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| Tashidondrup
Forum Newbie
Topics: 3
Posts: 36
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Well
Bad news, my scores were reported yesterday, and when i went to the IWA, let me re apply for the Step 1, so that means, i failed.
There are some concerns about lots of things.
First of all what are the real opportunities of getting a residency in the US when u failed once. I know they know how many times u did the exam before u pass.
And second of all, what i did wrong. I studied for a complete year, and i failed, can that be corrected? i know the answer is yes, there is always a solution for everything, but what do i have to do?
Should i just review what i learned? or maybe i should use another books for the review, like not using again the First Aid, and using the similar book from Kaplan. I am a little bit disappointed, i would like to think i have the strength, but my doubt comes from the reality of am i going to get a residency? Replies will be much appreciated
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| tg250
Forum Newbie
Topics: 0
Posts: 27
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hello tashi, dont give up...dont take step 2 as it might be a big disappoinment to you...concentrate on step 1. take step 2 after you passed step 1. step 2 is another beast so be very careful.
i followed this thread and learned a lot. i failed step 1 twice(am old graduate) .i prepared 3 months and my exam wil be tomorrow. so far this is how i fare..q bank ave. 53(40% done)..took nbme Form 1 this morning... 350. So way below passing... chances are i will fail it again if i take the exam tomorrow. or if i gamble , barely passing..i guess my 3 months preparation is not enough.I discovered qbank and nbme lately and i didnt do them on my previous attempt.
Plan: defer exam...study for another 3 months or more...aim for 65 % higher on kaplan and 400 (or higher)on NBME.
Dont lose hope ..It will come to pass...i've experienced it and so many in this forums.
happy studying...learning is fun.
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