DrVirgo
Forum Hero
Topics: 1008
Posts: 3,191
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Passed! 
Let me know if I can help in answering any of your questions.
DrVirgo
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Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.
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| KEMC Lahore
Forum Newbie
Topics: 6
Posts: 23
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HI
Congrajulation. Can you please tell me when did you take your test. I took it on Aug.20th and waiting for result anxiously.
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| DrVirgo
Forum Hero
Topics: 1008
Posts: 3,191
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Hang in there.
My results took over 8 weeks to come in...
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Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.
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| Justice
Forum Guru
Topics: 98
Posts: 1,774
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Man, congratulations!!!
when did you take your exam?
J
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Don't live in a town where there are no doctors
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| doc_clotaire
Forum Guru
Topics: 158
Posts: 1,177
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Congrats !
Tell us about your full experineces and some advices please ?
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| neuroblastoma
Forum Guru
Topics: 97
Posts: 966
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congratts doctor
Tell us about your full experineces and some advices please ?
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yahoo mesenger and skype ID asdvsd2003
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| Justice
Forum Guru
Topics: 98
Posts: 1,774
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Last sentence in doc_clotaire's and neuroblastoma's posts are uniquely the same...
Same person???
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Don't live in a town where there are no doctors
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| Hotobhaga
Forum Elite
Topics: 41
Posts: 180
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justice has good observational skills!!!!!!
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USMLE preparation is all about discovery. Discovery of your own capabilities....Julia Perch MD (iprep)
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| vanshita
Forum Guru
Topics: 21
Posts: 808
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Congratulation GOOD LUCK for match
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| DrVirgo
Forum Hero
Topics: 1008
Posts: 3,191
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I took my exam at the end of May... I know it was a long time ago but I didn't want to post my experience or say anything till I had the result... I got my score in mid-August.
I prepared about a month and a half for this exam... I used First Aid, and I also borrowed someone's Kaplan book (similar to FA, so not necessary, but good to have).
First I familiarized myself with the exam, and how it is run, -this is explained well in FA -first few pages
.
Then I went over the notes on general H&P. from head to toe...
After that I just did cases, cases, cases!!!
Know the mnemonics like LIQORAAA, PAM HITS ROSS FOSS, and all those... I think I posted them somewhere on this board a while ago...
I started by reading the FA cases, and trying to write the note by myself with the history, physical, DD and Orders. This is ok to do in the beginning, but if you really want to simulate the exam, get yourself a standardized patient, and have them say, do or act out what is in the book. I used my mom for the female cases and brother for the male cases... For the sheet I used a normal folded up bed sheet, and for the gown I used a large men's button down shirt, which I told them to put on backwards with the buttons in the back, and button ONE of the buttons (so I could simulate opening and closing the gown)... For the exam table I used a reclining chair or bed. I also had all the other tools like an opthalmoscope and otoscope (cheap from e-bay), and the other stuff like cotton, q-tip, etc... It was weird in the beginning, but it worked.
There is no substitute of this type of practice and it HELPS!!! For example, if you are just sitting at your desk studying for this exam, imagining yourself with a patient, you won't know what you might do right or wrong when you are actually with a patient (e.g., small things such as undoing the gown or forgetting to cover the patient, or wash your hands, etc)...
And TIME YOURSELF accordingly! I found that I was able to remember and do everything correctly with infinite time, but when it was timed I had difficulty, so I worked on this till I perfected it (e.g. 1 minute at the door, 5-6 min for Hx, 7 min for physical, and 1-2 min for closing) -don't forget to wash your hands between the History and physical... At the end, leave enough time if you need to counsel for smoking cessation, alcohol, drugs or safe sex practices.
Make sure you do ALL the cases in FA... Imagine ANY possible scenario. The CC will be just one line like: 43 year old male with abdominal pain and nausea (NOT specific like 43 year old White man with RUQ pain, Nausea, vomiting, and headache for 2 days)...
Remember you are not there to "diagnose"... ALL the cases are some weird mixture of a disease or condition... Your job is simply to narrow it down to a list of a few possible DD's and order the tests to figure out what is going on.
As for difficult questions, they are not that bad... Always give reassurance, NEVER lie, and always be empathetic and kind.
Thats all I can think of for now...
I'll post more as I recall anything else thats important.
Feel free to ask me anything you want.
Good luck everyone...
This one is doable!
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Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.
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| scooby
Forum Junior
Topics: 11
Posts: 42
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congratulations DrVirgo...and tx for the useful info
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| medocuk
IM-RES
Topics: 26
Posts: 1,519
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Congratulations. well done.
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| linaorvos
Forum Elite
Topics: 47
Posts: 258
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Congradulation， and thanks for sharing your experience!
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| DrVirgo
Forum Hero
Topics: 1008
Posts: 3,191
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Thanks and good luck to everyone
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Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.
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| new77
Forum Newbie
Topics: 1
Posts: 7
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Hello. Can you tell me? Does many IMG take CS in Houston? I failed in Philadelphia, only I was IMG other were AMG. CPs were Americans. I think they failed me CIS. I want to take CS in a place where many IMG and CPs used to IMG.
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| DrVirgo
Forum Hero
Topics: 1008
Posts: 3,191
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new77 wrote:
Hello. Can you tell me? Does many IMG take CS in Houston? I failed in Philadelphia, only I was IMG other were AMG. CPs were Americans. I think they failed me CIS. I want to take CS in a place where many IMG and CPs used to IMG.
Hi, I'm sorry you failed.
It has nothing to do with the location of the exam. You might find more IMGs on a certain day compared to AMGs and vice versa at the same center.
Just study again, practice cases and your English if thats a problem. Get someone to study with or get yourself a volunteer SP.
Good luck.
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Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.
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