Dinie
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I can't describe how I feel. I'm elated and I still can't believe it!!!!!! When I wrote my exam experience right after the exam I omitted my prep since mine is a sort of different story. But now I'm so elated and feel like writing it all. Most of my time in the forum was spent on exam experiences and I received a lot of motivation from them. I hope this will help somebody in the same way.
First of all, I need to thank everybody who has a part in my success;my parents,my two kids, this forum, my friend who is currently finishing up residency and above all my husband who was my role model for hard work and perseverance. Without his support, I wouldn't really have made it.
I'm an IMG graduated in 1998 (I can't bring myself to use the word 'old' on me ) worked in my home country for 5 years . In 2003, my husband got a PhD position in US. I came to US in Dec 2004 in the hope of getting a PhD position in microbiology. Did GRE and TOEFL and applied to the same university but my personal statement gave me away. Infact the admission committee directed me to the USMLE path. That is how I happen to consider USMLE.
Total prep time -1 year
studied 1 -3 hours in the night at first without much focus for about 7 months; wasn't sure what to do just read through Kaplan books (2000 edition) and did some old Q bank questions. My husband doubted that I will ever do step 1 Things seem too far and I was discouraged by the fact that I had to start things from scrap again. It was like going to med school again with a pre schooler and a toddler and nobody else to support.
However about that time one of my batch mates doing residency moved to a near by hospital. Seeing her working and enjoying it, gave me a real drive to start over. From august 2006 I started to work seriously. First thing I did was sitting at the computer and reading everything about USMLE. I found this forum and found out about Kaplan and Goljan lectures and about first aid. Got myself 2006 first aid and subscribed for Kaplan Q bank too. Since my son too started to go to preschool, I got 4 hours of uninterrupted morning time to study. That was really a luxury!
For that 5 months, I worked 6-7 hours a day.
My resources:
Goljan high yield notes, general and systemic path notes, Goljan audios (listnend once following the notes and then listened 2 more times on the go) I loved them because they helped me remember and integrate facts BIG TIME. Consequently path was one of my strongest areas.
Behavioral Science in medicine by Barbara Fadam -read twice cover to cover out of interest (I've worked in psychiatry back home and plan to find residency in psychiatry). You really don't need it. However my other strongest areas were BS and micro immunology.
All the others - Kaplan (2000) books once
First aid 2006 (excellent for last minute revision. read twice) After the exam marked the Qs I got. I've marked about 250 including 2-3 exact pictures. However please don't get mislead because you really need to understand the concepts behind them. Most useful part in FA was anatomy (excluding neuro), pharm, and biochem. Not enough high yields for path , neuro, physio, molecular and cell biology, ethics.
High yield for neuro anatomy and anatomy - They didn't go to minute details in neuro. There were lot of schematics, CTs and gross specimens. Overall, I had about 30 - 40 Qs in anatomy and neuro. Most anatomy could be answered from FA. High yield neuro was great for pictures.
Listened to pharm and biochem Kaplan lectures since they were my weak areas. They were great especially autonomic pharm, antimicrobials and CVS. I got lot of genetics Qs and had Qs on almost all molecular biology tecnique. Biochem Kaplan lectures cover them nicely.
Kaplan Q bank 2006 - Found very helpful, difficulty of my exam was similar (some Qs were much easier than Q bank)
NBME form 3 (10 days before) 570/235 (exactly corresponded to my scores. Format and difficulty was very similar too. may be I got 2-3 very similar Qs.
My overall impression is that this exam is lot easier than most of us think. They don't split hairs but ask basics. You get some weird Qs(may be 20-30) but nobody gets everything correct out of 350 MCQs. Overall I think the difficulty is even less than Kaplan Q bank. Honestly, I felt like a 99 when I stepped out of exam hall. I don't know may be I just got lucky
I want to thank this forum once again and wish you all best of luck with your work. I will be happy to answer any Qs if you have.
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| me007
Forum Guru
Topics: 72
Posts: 803
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Congratulations!
Best of luck on Step 2 and all your plans!
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| jamdoc
Forum Elite
Topics: 30
Posts: 244
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congrats on gr8 score
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| unique1
InGodITrust
Topics: 19
Posts: 1,405
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Congratulations !!!!!!
Boy O Boy , your story souds so much like mine. I wish end of my story would also be like yours 
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| docash
Forum Junior
Topics: 13
Posts: 61
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WOW on this amazing score!honestly your post has motivated me even more.Best of luck for step2 n keep up good work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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| Ancylostoma
Forum Guru
Topics: 42
Posts: 642
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Congrats !! Hope you get a wonderful step 2 score
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| Luckyall
Forum Guru
Topics: 11
Posts: 593
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Congrats ! Good luck on st 2, you will do great
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| Dinie
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Thank you all very much. You guys have always been encouraging in your posts!
Hi, Unique 1, of course. If I can do it, why not you Best of luck!
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| NE
Forum Guru
Topics: 53
Posts: 504
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Congratulations!
Best of luck for step 2!
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| hypomanic
Forum Senior
Topics: 11
Posts: 153
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Congrats on the 99!!You are an inpiration for those who with other responsibilities giving the MLE !Best of luck for step2
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Life is short, the Art long,opportunity fleeting experience treacherous, Judgement difficult - Hippocrates
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| rhdb
Forum Newbie
Topics: 3
Posts: 19
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congrats
your experience is so inspiring and the way you have described it is superb.no doubt you are a genius.
thanks and best of luck for the rest of journey
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| botox
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
Posts: 15
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when did a 236 equal a 99 ?!?
It used to be 244+ = 99.
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| zenith
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congratulations!!! your story was really motivating. if one puts one's mind to something, then is there anything unachievable??? well done, dinie.
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| inkspot
Forum Guru
Topics: 30
Posts: 589
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hey congratulations ! great score!
i was just wondering what is the minimum 3 digit score required for a 99!
last time i heard was 244 ! please update me
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| Dinie
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Thank you all for the nice words.
Infact, it took me by surprise when I noted 236=99! True its the lowest I've heard. 
But my understanding is that a 3 digit score for a particular percentile can vary with the difficulty index of the test and perfromance of the other candidates. Even the score report says that this profile should not be compared to those from other step 1 administrations.
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| MRMAVERICK
Forum Guru
Topics: 42
Posts: 749
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dinie can u tell that wat was mean and SD for your exam-
if difficulty level had changed than mean and sd wud have been affected and 3-digit score wud be low too
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| Ancylostoma
Forum Guru
Topics: 42
Posts: 642
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thats what I think too, she had a harder test, so she needed less right, maybe people are performing poorly on the exam so the curve is better. Whatever it is, I hope I can get a 236 99 too(or higher).. Once again, congrats ...
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| Dinie
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Mean and SD are 217 and 23 respectively.
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| MRMAVERICK
Forum Guru
Topics: 42
Posts: 749
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but look the mean and sd havent changed it means exam was nt tough-its simply because the coorelation has changed
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| Ancylostoma
Forum Guru
Topics: 42
Posts: 642
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lol does this mean its a better time to take the test ? Hope soo
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| MRMAVERICK
Forum Guru
Topics: 42
Posts: 749
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yup ankylo-50 percent of people are still scoring 217 which was previously 88-same was the situtaion last year 217 mean and 23 sd
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| MRMAVERICK
Forum Guru
Topics: 42
Posts: 749
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99 is coming down each year-1st they used it to lower by 1 or 2-this time they have jumped by 8-
and it cant be possible that 4 prople who have posted their scores ,taking exam in different regions of world have difficult exam
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| Dinie
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I just took one look at my score report again. I think I have made a misinterpretation. What it actually says is "For recent administrations, the mean and SD for first time examinees from US and Canadian med schools are approximately 217 and 23 respectively." In that case it doesn't give the exact mean or SD for one particular test.
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| maliy30
Forum Newbie
Topics: 0
Posts: 1
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Congratulation Dinie..really great work!
I`m kinda like you IMG,so I`d like to ask you from where I can get the Goljan audio¬es besides I`m studying from FA besides NMS will this be enough?
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| babydoc4usmle
Forum Guru
Topics: 18
Posts: 634
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congratulations Dinie, it's bad that my experience is not like yours, but it's good you have a great score - great job
good luck on your next steps
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