RUDOLPH
Forum Junior
Topics: 13
Posts: 36
|
i wanna know what you think of this.....
i had 94/226 in step 1 and really wanna score 99 in step 2.
nearly finished UW with 64% and kaplan simulated with 73%. no time to do UW again so will just read notes that i've made.
plan to take NBME in 2 days and step2 in a week after that.
is it okay? i mean am i on track? should i take form 1 of NBME first or juat take form 2 due to shortage of time?
pls comment and recommend.
thanks..
|
| DaddyO
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
Posts: 27
|
Hey man! I think that you are just fine to take form 2. If something happens and you don't score as highly as you want then you can always take from 1 afterwards. From what I've heard from 2 is the most accurate for Step 2 but I didn't take any of the NBME's before I took step 2 so I can't comment from personal experience. It sounds like you are on track and should do fine.
Here's the thing: are you going to take the exam no matter how well you do on NBME? Are you working on a tight deadline and need to take it in a week no matter what? If so, then I might just skip NBME and stick with practice tests from UW. Cause if you are going to take the exam no matter how well you do on nbme then you are just taking it to reassure yourself that you are ready so there really is no need to take it if you are going to take it on your test date no matter what. Now if you have some extra time and really want to get a 99 and can reschedule if your nbme result is for example a 95 then take it. I just find that a lot of people take it to boost their confidence instead of as an assessment.
Your UW score is good. And honestly it would probably serve you best to review UW notes the last week and if you didn't take notes then look on this forum cause someone named "drvanir" or something like that has posted a lot of well organized high yield topics and I mean well organized. Some of them are like 2,000 facts from UW and there are summaries from other sources too like Kaplan, etc.
And step 2 is much different than step 1 in that no matter how hard or how long you study it is hard to come to a definitive answer. What I mean is most of the questions are vague and I found that when I took my exam that all of the intensive studying I need the days before the exam didn't help at all cause the exam doesn't deal with exact facts like step 1. It is best to just go over all your summary or notes that you have of all the material the days before instead of trying really hard to memorize concepts or to read content specific things. I just remember thinking to myself when I was taking the exam that I could have really taken it an entire month early because all of the intensive studying to nail down every detail just doesn't help. The exam is so vague that getting a brief lay of the land and understanding concepts is the most important.
And by vague I mean that they will ask a question and for example will give you only 2 symptoms of a certain disease when you really need 3 to clinch the diagnosis, and then in the same ? they will give you 2 more symptoms from another disease and then one symptom from another disease and one symptom from another and you have to somehow figure out which symptoms are the most important.
For example: Let's say that the answer to the question is cardiac tamponade, well the question will never, in my case, give you beck's triad but will instead read something like this:
A 40 yr old male presents to the ER with a BP of 90/40, a temperature of 101 and with chest pain. On physical exam the pt. has crackles at the bases bilaterally, a red rash on the upper extremities bilaterally, and a noticed JVD. The patient has no tachycardia but does have some swelling of the right lower extremity. Lab results showed thrombocytopenia and a normal white cell count. EKG was normal. The patient has a history of MI 8 years ago, Diabetes Mellitus diagnosed 10 years ago and a BMI of 29. No other abnormalities were noted. What is the most likely diagnosis:
A. Pnemothorax
B. Cardiac Tamponade
C. Myocardial Infarction
D. CHF
E. Cardiac Contusion
F. Aortic dissection
G. Pericardial effusion
H. Pleural Effusion
My point here is that they give you two common symptoms of tamponade the JVD and hypotension, two or three symptoms of pneumonia with fever, chest pain, adventitious lung sounds but pneumonia isn't a choice, two symptoms of DIC with thrombocytopenia and the rashes but not enough of other lab findings to diagnose, one symptom of MI with chest pain but a normal EKG, 2 or 3 symptoms of CHF with crackles, JVD, and swelling in one leg but the pt. has never been diagnosed with CHF and only one leg is swollen, and then 1 symptom of many other possible choices.
These are the types of questions that I had 99% of the time. I actually counted one question, yes one where I could actually come to a definitive answer, you know like when they actually give you all three parts of beck's triad and you know it has to be tamponade. But get used to these types and honestly I looked over some NBME questions and didn't see many that were written like this. And trust me after you take your exam you will come back and post that most of the questions were a lot like the one I just made up.
Tried to help you as much as I could but honestly I think you'll be fine. All the best and good luck.
|
| arlete
Intern in 2009!!!!!
Topics: 30
Posts: 2,240
|
Yes, it's possible to reach 99 at the point you are now.
___________________
When men make the rules, God decides the exceptions.
|
| GLO MD
Forum Guru
Topics: 9
Posts: 818
|
You can do it. Just take one NBME form, the last one (I don't even remember how many are them) but always go for the last number. GL you will do great I bet.
___________________
Keep your eyes on the stars, but remember to keep your feet on the ground....Theodore Roosevelt
|
| RUDOLPH
Forum Junior
Topics: 13
Posts: 36
|
thanks GLO MD, arlete and daddy0. esp daddy0 for the comprehensive reply.
you guys are encouraging! i like it here.
and daddy0 i really plan to take step2 in a week, unless i get a horrible score in NBME.
have really no idea what text to read, cuz i feel i need to read everything and there isn't time for that.
was wondering if taking the last no. form (thats 3 i guess) and not doing well shouldn't ruin whatever little confidence i have. thats why thought of form 1 or maybe 2.
|
| arlete
Intern in 2009!!!!!
Topics: 30
Posts: 2,240
|
form 3 is misleading, don't take it!
___________________
When men make the rules, God decides the exceptions.
|
| DaddyO
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
Posts: 27
|
Keep your confidence because I think you're going to do well. Just focus and believe that all of your hard work is going to pay off and it will. I'll write more later to respond to your last post because I think I can give a little insight. Good luck my friend.
|
| love4med
Forum Newbie
Topics: 3
Posts: 7
|
hi arlete... u said form 3 is misleading... in what way?? too easy or too hard?? thats the only one i took like more than a month back and didnt take one again after that... my exam is in 3 days...so quickk relpy please! maybe i should take another one tom? thank u =)
|
| arlete
Intern in 2009!!!!!
Topics: 30
Posts: 2,240
|
I improved from 530 in form 1 to only 560 in form 3 after 4 months. A friend of mine freaked out because because she got a very bad score in form 3 (390) and she was about to sit for the test. Then she did form 2 and got 630.
My score was 257/99.
I would do another NBME, if I needed confidence.
___________________
When men make the rules, God decides the exceptions.
|
| RUDOLPH
Forum Junior
Topics: 13
Posts: 36
|
hi friends.
have a big confusion.
took NBME form 1 today and scored 580.
have 1 week to go before the exam. should i take form 2 at the earlest and then give the books a final look or first read and then take form 2?
pls suggest..
|
|
| |
| | | | | | | | | | |
