cjlin
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| | 09/22/07 - 10:14 AM
1 of 10 forum leaders found this post helpful
| #1 |
Glad to contribute as this forum helped a lot.
Exam date=8/30/07
Report date=9/19/07
My background:
med student from Taiwan, an above average in the best school here. did top 1% in the Taiwan Step1 equivalent few months earlier.
test taken after the 5th year, which is like M3 in the US system.
I think this is a good timing, since I've got some clinical viewpoint before basic facts fade from my mind.
Preparation time: about 1 year. overall avg 2 hr/day
I started last summer, finished Moore's clinical oriented anatomy during the summer and then Gray's anatomy for student (both are helpful, but not the best way to spend time)
then read FA once.
Then school started. The first 2 months rotation was IM and I spent most of the time reading Harrison's. From Dec to Aug did I really study. I put in 2~3 hours per day, but most of the time I couldn't do more as my attention drifted..
Books used:
ana: Moore's, Gray's for student, Lange Roadmap, HY (both good, with different focus; I prefer Roadmap)
emb: HY
neuroana: HY, a blue book from Lange, guess it's called clinical neuroanatomy.. borrowed
patho: BRS, Robbins review
Physio: BRS
Histo: HY, only once
Pharm: katzung review
Micro/Immune: Lange review
BS: BRS
Biochem: HY, BRS
comprehensive: FA(gold standard for sure), HY (good as a FA complement, only once)
Qs: Qbook (fair), UW(excellent), Qbank(helpful, but poor C/P) Lange Goldberg tests (do not recommend)
For most of these review books I did 2-3 times depending on my strenghth, eg i hardly needed histo, but read 3-4+ times on BS and biochem.
Used UW Mar-May, 68% first round, second round was above 80%
used Qbank Jun-Aug, 72%. did not do second round
most of the time i can finish a block with 20 mins left. rarely doublecheck is my habit
Regarding the test, the first 3 blocks were done smoothly with surplus time.
then ate a little bit
fourth block started to mark and think more often.. break and ate full lunch
fifth was bumpy, break and went to restroom
sixth came smooth again, and went strait to 7th.
the difficulty was between NBME and UW, more like NBME. interface was UW, without pause or stop.
I got several qs almost the same as NBME.
pulm embolism and intestinal ion channels were tested around 5 qs each!!
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| nyimalay
Forum Elite
Topics: 11
Posts: 288
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Congratulation!
One question please.
Did your NBME scores reflect the real exam score.
Thanks,
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| angel^Doctor
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u kind of have some back ground as mine .. with some differnces .. my exam is in 2 days .. hope to do as good as u
congratulations
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| Stepin2007
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WOW congratulation for the AWESOME score... DANG... what were your scores like in NBME (if you don't mind sharing)???
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| beiwen
Forum Elite
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Congratulations!!! what a great score!!!
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| cjlin
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Topics: 2
Posts: 9
| | 09/22/07 - 10:50 PM
0 of 3 forum leaders found this post helpful
| #6 |
forgot to mention I also posted in the score thread, #403 (don't know how to post the link though..)
Step 1 score 3/2: 264/99
Q-bankscore/% complete: 72/100, completed 1 day earlier to exam
NBME 1/ time b4 exam: 660/250 / 4 days prior
NBME 2/ time b4 exam: 700/256 / 20 days prior
NBME 3/ 600/240 / 3 months earlier
NBME 4/ 750/261 / 12 days earlier
USMLE CD/ time b4 exam: did not do (I use Mac)
Kaplan diagnostic: did not do
UW: 68%/100% first time, completed 3 months prior
It seems NBME was closest to the real thing, both Qs and score
i did better than the "UW formula" predicted (somewhere like 230-240)
good luck angel^doctor
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| kity
Certified.............
Topics: 32
Posts: 1,063
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congratulations for the awsome score..
could you please tell me subject wise distributions of exam Qs
Thanks.. Good luck
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| kity
Certified.............
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& could you please tell me this UW formula too which predicts your score...
was wondering what it is since long time
Thanks & congrats again
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| cjlin
Forum Newbie
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Posts: 9
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i'd like to recall this formula but i'm afraid not since i did UW long ago..
i'm sure it's buried in the exam score thread
it's kind of like 2.44*UW+70 or something like that.. not sure..
good luck
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| edie
I can, and I will.
Topics: 26
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Awesome! Congratulations
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| medocuk
IM-RES
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Well done Congratulations.
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| dr ruman
Forum Elite
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oh Lord awesome score,ots lots Congrats,all heartily wishes 4 step 2
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| Jackofknives
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Congratulations, you score seems credible.
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| deja_vu
Forum Elite
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Posts: 345
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Wow congrats for the great score!!
Your formula is just too good [2.44xUW + 70 =real score]
my score was EXACTLY 2.44xUW+70!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If you find the formula for step2 from somewhere please post here..
THanks
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| cjlin
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
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the formula kind of underestimated my score but i am happy with it
thanks to all
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| kity
Certified.............
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Hey cjlin
Thanks for the formula..
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| drmohamed811
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congratulation doc
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| GoodGirl
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Shockingly great score ! Congratulations.
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| alirezajkh
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good luck for step 2
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| jaZjaM
Forum Newbie
Topics: 1
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WOW!!
Coool..Great score..
Good luck fr future..
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| manu_2007
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
Posts: 5
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Hi cjlin, congratulations.I am a first year med student from India. I want to appear USMLE step 1 after my second year. Should I start solving questions from USMLE World Q Bank from now ? You mentioned that you have studied Moore's clinically oriented anatomy . Which portion did you stressed upon ? Didn't you study Ganong in Physio & Lipincott in biochem ? Is only BRS sufficient or Kaplan lecture notes also required ?
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| cjlin
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
Posts: 9
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manu_2007,
Thanks for the questions.
I suggest you start those qbanks after the first read so that you obtain a comprehensive view of the material before being skewed by their qs.
The Moore was read cover to cover, without a particular emphasis. I, however, do not recommend this approach.
My major physio textbooks in school were Guyton and Berne. I had Guyton but did not seriously read it. I did not use Lippincott biochem because it was too thick despite my weakness in biochem. My major prep biochem book was BRS.
I did not use Kaplan at all.
I believe most books are about the same quality. It does not really matter what book you use. I thnk two random books could cover pretty much what is to know. What matters is your devotion and understanding of the material.
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| manu_2007
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
Posts: 5
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cjlin,
Thanks for your response.
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| drpswathi
Forum Newbie
Topics: 1
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great!!! congratulations doc
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| Romantic
Forum Newbie
Topics: 1
Posts: 12
| | 12/19/07 - 12:19 AM
1 of 2 forum leaders found this post helpful
| #25 |
Hi CJLIN! Congratz for that High Score>......Thats really commendable! Sir I am in Final Year student and want to take my step after that probably late 2008. Its my dream rather ambition to achieve that high score as u have.....u've rather really on the top with 264/99 as against others' score like 244/99, 245/99 etc. I would request u to guide me rightly thru to that Score. You said u didnt study Kaplan but I've heard others saying they studied only Kaplan and got 99.....plz reply. I am from Pakistan
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