feelfeel
Forum Newbie
Topics: 3
Posts: 13
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Hello, everyone,
I took test on Aug 13. I felt awful and was desperately depressed. I had a very nice sleep the night before and I was not nervous at all when I started my test. (Actually I never was nervous throughout the whole test.) Everything was OK in my first block. But I started to feel like daydreaming in block 2 and 3. Just some examples: one question obviously talked about cystic fibrosis and asked what kind vitamin needs to be given to the pt; of course lipid soluble vitamin. There is only one lipid soluble vit. I chose that one, but at the same time asked myself this guy already had lipid absorption problem, how can he absorb the lipid soluble vit? (Am I daydreaming?) One other example was there was a graph about pulmonary function etc. I stared at the graph but my mind was like blocked. The Q asked what kind of lung dz might be? There were 4 obstructive and 1 restrictive. I picked up the restrictive. I think I chose the right answer. The problem was I might be lucky to find the right answers via first sense if I am very familiar with the topics. But for those topics that I am not familiar with, highly possible I pick up the wrong one b/c I was like daydreaming.
Altogether I prepared more than one year for this test with a full time job (post doc, but usually work from 9:00 to 5:00, no way to study during work). My Kaplan cumulative performance was 74%. NBME 1: 245 (three weeks before); NBME 2: 240 (three days before).
I have talked to my friends and still am desperately depressed.
Does anyone have this kind of experience?
Although I know I should forget it b/c it is out of my control, and although I know the right thing to do is to relax and start my step 2 study, I just cannot get rid of it from my mind. What should I do?
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| njcjzy
Forum Guru
Topics: 19
Posts: 737
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If you read through the exam experiences in this forum, you will know that a lot of people had similar feeling as you did after the test, but their result turned out to be fine or excellent.
I understand your dilemma. It is hard to go through this period. This anxiety won't go away till you see your score. But it is a past, you can't change anything now on this yesterday thing. Maybe you can allow yourself sometime a day to surf this forum to relieve your tension, or distract yourself with your work, your family. For the next step study, force yourself to study little by little. We have to get back track for the next one. Best of luck! 
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| rmarchi
Forum Newbie
Topics: 1
Posts: 10
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feelfeel, dont worry....i felt exactly the same way you are. ITs horrible i know, but just hang in there. When your score comes, im sure you will be pleasently surprised, espcially with NBME scores like that.
GL
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| feelfeel
Forum Newbie
Topics: 3
Posts: 13
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Hello, just new update. I received my score report today. It was 251/99. I am very satisfied and totally relieved. I will write my test experience later.
Thanks njcjzy and rmarchi for your encourage.
Open to any questions.
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| edie
I can, and I will.
Topics: 26
Posts: 1,204
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CONGRATS, FEELFEEL That's an amazing score, but your NBMEs predicted your scores to be high  Great job, and good luck for the next phases
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| feelfeel
Forum Newbie
Topics: 3
Posts: 13
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Thanks, edie. Actually I felt very bad after the test, and my advice at that time was NEVER ever underestimate the test and there is no necessary correlation between NBME score and real score. I still think so.
I had almost 3 or 4 nights' nightmares. Now I am totally relieved. I will take a short break to prepare a big presentation which will be next week to impress my boss, so I can ask him to write me recommendation letter for green card application, and start to prepare step II.
I
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| hope4dabest
Forum Elite
Topics: 18
Posts: 435
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Hey congratulations......
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| feelfeel
Forum Newbie
Topics: 3
Posts: 13
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I would like to thank my family for their love, and thank this forum from which I have benefited so much.
I will try to write what I felt important during my test preparation.
Materials
Kaplan notes (everything, except path)
Goljan notes + mp3
BS: Kaplan video ((I love his video. I felt I was watching a comedy show.)
Anatomy: Kaplan video
FA
Kaplan Q bank: 74% 1st round. Felt sick of the Q and not finished all explanations.
NBME block 1: 245 (three weeks before, could not believe it, felt I was not that good, it was pure luck, and postponed my test from July 28 to Aug 13 b/c I thought I needed to work hard on my weak parts)
NBME block 2: 240 (three days before, felt maybe it was real, I was OK)
I started to prepare step 1 last April after my Ph.D. defense. By August when I moved to east coast for my postdoc training, I was through Kaplan pharm (one time), Goljan notes (general + systemic) + mp3 (one time barely), and Kaplan biochem (one time)(I started to be really interested in biochemistry after listening to Goljan mp3. I never felt biochem as my burden.) There is much difference between south and east coast. It took me long time to adapt to the new environment. A lot of personal issues were involved as well. Lab work was exhaustive during daytime. But I still managed to study every night from 7:00 pm to 11:30 pm. Before I started Kaplan Q bank at the end of this March, I had been through Kaplan notes twice and Goljan notes one time. I did Q bank one test each day, more in weekend. I finished Q bank at the end of April. Felt so sick of it, and went back to Kaplan notes Anatomy, Pharma, and Biochem one more time. Started to re-listen to Goljan’s mp3. Suddenly I felt I understood lots of things that I did not understand before. In the last month before my test, I concentrated on Kaplan notes, NBME to try to feel the real test and FA two times.
I had a very nice sleep the night before my test. I was not nervous when I started the test and never was during my test. I did OK in blocks 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6, was daydreaming through block 3 (which made me really scared and depressed after the test), and was very exhaustive in block 7.
After I received my score report, I felt as long as you understand the basic knowledge and concepts, you should do well in real test. Even you may not be in your best state, you still have good chance to pick up the right answers via first sense.
Some other little things: NEVER EVER underestimate the test, nor be scared about the test. Focus on your study and go to take the test. There is no necessary correlation between NBME score and real score. NBME is used to feel real test. It is not a predictor of your performance on real test. For some people, they will do really if they are motivated. But it does not work for me. If I want to do well, I have to be relaxed. I have to totally forget everything before I start to study every night, and that is my best state.
BTW, the reason I like Goljan mp3 is it contains lots of step 2 stuff as well. Acturally I had at least 3 step 2 Q in my test, one about dizzyness (all those possibilies, menier, benigh vertigo, etc), one about pain related to viral epicarditis (forgot the last one); one derma pic (no clinical senario, just a pic and asked you what it might be); some concepts were tested again and again (u can see them in different blocks, but were asked in different ways).
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| Ujk
Forum Guru
Topics: 42
Posts: 446
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___________________
“When a person really desires something, all the universe conspires to help that person to realize his dream.”
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| Stepin2007
Forum Newbie
Topics: 3
Posts: 29
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congrats feelfeel. AWESOME SCORE> GOOD JOB
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| hedieh
Forum Guru
Topics: 47
Posts: 438
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Congrats!
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Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice.
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