labana
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
Posts: 14
| | 02/20/07 - 05:22 PM
0 of 2 forum leaders found this post helpful
| #1 |
hi to all of you.
i am a silent reader of this forum.
graduated 4 years back did residency in pediatrics from my home country. Then came to canada on student visa. at present doing Post graduate diploma in Diagnostic cardiac sonography.
Cleared MCCEE and MCCQ part1.
thought of giving Usmle few months back.
Started with step 2 ck 1st.
preperation time- 4 months (along with my clinical placement in cardiac sonography)
Exam date- 15 JAN 2007
Books- only KAPLAN notes( revised 4 times)
MCQ- UW(revised twice), Q book and blue prints.
UW- 70%(TIMED), Q BOOK- 80%, did not used NBME AND Q BANK.
I felt the exam was not that tough which i expected.
when i was doing UW, i was getting problems related to management of time. i used to do 3 to 4 sets(46q) cont. timed. but i use to miss some questions. later on managed it very well.
UW is the best source for MCQ.
during the examination -
i finished 1st block in 40 min. 2nd block in 45 min . rest all other blocks in 45-50 mins. i had 1and half hour extra besides the break.
the questions were definately very long but learnt during UW sessions how to glance at the sentences and lab values.
i think one of the best way to do UW is to do 3 to4 sets(46) cont. without break.
after the examination at least thought that i will get above 95.
but according to my UW performance i under performed.
got score report on 7th feb.
since then i was eagerly waiting for the mail crossing my hands.(in fact for me the toughest time was this and not the pre- or during examination). usually it takes 5 days for the letter to reach canada, but for me it took 2 weeks.
any ways got the score- 236/96
preparing for CS(few days left).
all the best to you all.
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| sarika
Forum Guru
Topics: 195
Posts: 1,200
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hi labana congratulations on a great score...Can you tell us how long the questions were exactly.Like usmleworld questions are usally 5-6 lines excluding lab values, so longer than that?
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| npas
Forum Senior
Topics: 8
Posts: 198
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congrats..from a long time we were getting to see only negatives about the exam on this forum..ur post comes as a relief..all the best for ur cs..
cheers
npas
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| labana
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
Posts: 14
|
hi sarika,
average length of questions- 12 to 14 lines(excluding lab values)
least- 3 to 4 lines
highest- 25 to 27 lines
i had observed that questions starting from jan 2007 are longer and a bit tricky.
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| ash123
Forum Newbie
Topics: 6
Posts: 38
|
congratulations Labana, are you from GMC mumbai?
I have my exam in 6 days i am just revising my UW notes any advice?
thanks
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| labana
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
Posts: 14
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hi ash123
no iam not from GMC mumbai
just do UW REVISION
at least 15 to 20 questions will appear from UW.
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| dr.shailu
Forum Senior
Topics: 26
Posts: 192
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congratulations labana
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| nierss
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
Posts: 13
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congratulations.
Do you want to share you MCCQE score? Thanks.
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| labana
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
Posts: 14
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hi nierss
MCCQE- 500
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| vanshita
Forum Guru
Topics: 21
Posts: 812
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Congratulation
GOOD LUCK for CS
thanks for sharing your experience with us
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| arlete
Intern in 2009!!!!!
Topics: 30
Posts: 2,208
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Congratulations, great score!
___________________
When men make the rules, God decides the exceptions.
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| doctor75
Forum Senior
Topics: 14
Posts: 58
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congrats labana,great score.was the exam tougher than UW?
any tips on readn the questions faster?
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| labana
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
Posts: 14
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hi doctor75
sorry to reply you late.
if i give UW RATING(toughest)- 8 out of 10
then step 2 ck is 6 out of 10 on an average
there are few steps by which you can increase your speed.
1) firstly read all the choices
2) read the last line
3) when you are reading a question dont read it scan it, means skip the words of common english lanuage. for example:-
Q) A 60 year old man, h/o ischemic heart ds., is brought to emergency department in unconsious state. he fell down while trying to clean the window.you examine the patient and he is unconsious, bruised. his PR-- BP---( ALL THE VITALS).
now in this question, what do you think you should keep in mind-
60, IHD, fell, unconsious etc.... and try to make a picture with the help of these skaned words. process it and at the same time you already have the idea of what are given choices. start eliminating them as you go down the question.
4) the above process means 1st reading of that question.
50 % of questions can be done this way. now you will ask what about other questions or what about if i could not eliminate.
then go for 5th step.
5)2nd time reading of Question means reading once again those scanned words, not the whole question . if still you dont know the answer then look at the answers and few of the options will be odd man out. the rest of the options read next step.
6) what ever options (choices for answers) are given definately has a clue OR triad or something.....( at least i know this much that all the USMLE questions has to have a clue ,95% of the time) for example-
Mitral valve prolapse-----systolic clik, increase of murmer while performing valsalva.(most of the other murmers are opp.)
7)if you still dont know the answer that means for that particular topic your concepts are vague. thats the reason some candidates say its vague. i beleive if there is a question there is a answer. otherwise there lies a fault with in us not on the examiners. one should point fingers on oneself and learn. thats called learning.
8) regarding lab values.(60% questions with lab values are normal) scan fast and pick up the relivant but yes one should be well versed with the normal values.
9) practice lots of questions.
though i did only UW and Qbook(main books) but i did a lot of questions from blue prints, swansons, pre tests etc... in total i did approximately 7000 questions.
10) take up any medical topic from any book. try to read fast and try to scan that paragraph and take out the main words and the meaning.
if you do these 10 steps
you can make sure not only your time management will be perfect ,at the same time one will ahead for a great score.
thats it.
take care
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| yu
Forum Junior
Topics: 2
Posts: 26
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Hi, Labana:
I am studying for CK an MCCQ part 1 now, and use UW, Kaplan Notes and Toronto Notes as major study materials. Can you tell me what else I can use for MCCQ part 1 test?
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| labana
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
Posts: 14
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hi yu
toronto notes are more than enough
mcq are a bit different in MCCQP1
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| nierss
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
Posts: 13
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My QE part I is 530. Then I did NBME, just got 80 something....frustrated, so I postponed my CK.
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| labana
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
Posts: 14
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i beleive that USMLE pattern of examination tests your logical,stamina and fast reaction. the canadian examinations do not testify those measures. if you do last 10 years question for MCCQE , one can score very high marks. the criteria of giving residency to IMG in canada does not depend on score. there are bleak chances to get in to the canadian residency if you are IMG.
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| snowdrops
Forum Senior
Topics: 5
Posts: 134
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labana wrote:
i beleive that USMLE pattern of examination tests your logical,stamina and fast reaction. the canadian examinations do not testify those measures. if you do last 10 years question for MCCQE , one can score very high marks. the criteria of giving residency to IMG in canada does not depend on score. there are bleak chances to get in to the canadian residency if you are IMG.
Could you please tell me where I can get those old questions for MCCQE?
I am using UW now, but I am worried MCCQE questions are some kind of different from usmle questions.
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| muzammil
Forum Guru
Topics: 16
Posts: 654
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congrats labana and best of luck for u cs
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| xwxf
Forum Senior
Topics: 16
Posts: 71
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hi, labana, what is the best resource for surgery?
Thanks
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| labana
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
Posts: 14
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kaplan is sufficient for surgery. usually questions for surgery are just 20%. kaplan almost covers every thing.
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| sima
Forum Senior
Topics: 11
Posts: 114
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hi labana,i am doing only UW,do u think i shud do crush,thanks for every word u write,very encouraging,this morning i felt hopeless,i did kaplan so many times,with lot of patience and lot of effort but still i wasn't scoring high.thanks alot now i feel there is a ray of hope.freinds i was thinking otherwise ,to change profession..............i was feeling i never undertsand wht q asks,will i ever have courage to take this exam. thanks labana, sarika.
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| labana
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
Posts: 14
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hi sarika
i appreciate your hard work
if you think that you are not getting the required scores than one has to change the strategy rather than books. i beleive reading one book many times has a lot to offer rather than reading different books and getting confused.
the key to examination is doing a lot of questions and revising the same. for example if you are doing UW. revise at least twice and at last moment revise only those questions which you think you can do mistakes in spite of revising. make a small note of that and attach to the page of concerned topic in kaplan.
then take up another reliable question bank and do the same(may be kaplan q bank)
the idea is if you can do 5000 questions and if for example each question has 4 to5 choices(interpreting and going through each choice from the notes). it means ideally you did 5000* 4= 20,000 questions.
i guarrante you if you do this way no body can stop you from acheiving a brilliant score.
have faith on your self. its easy to say this line but i have an idea for you. stand in front of mirror and look your self and think at the same time that god has sent you on this earth for a purpose and now what you are doing is the same. i always say to my self that above this examination i had come on this earth to serve and heal others.
slowly you will gain confidence and you will start loving what you are doing.( other way i call it rewarding oneself and same time praising lord and his creation.)
take care.
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| labana
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
Posts: 14
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does any body know whether USMLE step 2 ck pattern changed from last year. is it difficult or easy in comparison to last year.
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| just do it
Forum Senior
Topics: 24
Posts: 139
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Congrats !
GL for the next steps!
I liked your way of explaining the importance of exam --time Mx strategies. kudos!
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