nyimalay
Forum Elite
Topics: 10
Posts: 285
| | 09/29/07 - 10:27 PM
5 of 8 forum leaders found this post helpful
| #1 |
Dear all,
Thank you very much for your support in my preparation.
Here is my exam experience. I m just glad if this could be of help to someone.
1. Difficulty level: Between UW and NBME but most of the questions were from different point of view. It tested mostly on how well you understand and how quickly you can correlate. A few straight forward questions(e.g. which causes fever?? IL -1)
2. Question length: Majority are not lengthly like UW but even the shorter ones gave me more trouble
3. Time management: Though i had 10 minutes left in each of 5 blocks, it was just enough for reviewing marked items which were about 5 in each block. Last two blocks gave me only 5 mintue left. I found that the last two blocks were tiring. Not sure whether due to difficulty or due to shortage of energy. Also first block was a bit challenging as I was excited.
4. Subject distribution: All subjects were approximately equally tested in my exam. Anatomy gross,CT,MRI, Angiogram images were plenty but not very hard and well covered by those in Kaplan lecture notes. Statistics and Doctor patient relationship questions were of medium difficulty.
5. My opinion: NBME and USMLE CD give exam orientation. UW helps me solidify what I have learned from Kaplan Notes. FA helps to memorize certain things but not give enough concept. If we could skim Kaplan Notes in our last revisions, FA is not an essential.
6. My feeling: Only questions that i couldn't do well are flying in my thoughts. I couldn't guess how good/bad I had done. I think i did wrong in 10-12 out of 50 questions.
7. My suggestion: Please be prepared for lengthy exam and get know your reserve well. I took 2 real length sample exams before. This helped me manage my time well and reduce anxiety in real exam. Sleep well in last 3 days. Don't make a schedule to study till the evening before exam. Make a spare of 2 days. Then if you want, review notes just to sharpen your mind. Do USMLE CD once again near the exam and get familiar with its navigation. Please don't make your brain overwhelmed.
8. My question: How long do i have to wait to get my score?? Do they report by mail or by email. Please share your experience.
Good luck to you all. If you have any question, please let me know.
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| ShweHope99.9998
Forum Fanatic
Topics: 12
Posts: 2,683
| | 09/29/07 - 11:28 PM
3 of 3 forum leaders found this post helpful
| #2 |
Congratulation NML , u did it .
For Pictures , CT etc as you said cover by kap LN , so do u also supplement with net anatomy, web path , golj slides & his rapid review pictures in the book & Robin Big text or Review pictures & etc.
Did u use the kap Med Essential ??
Did you means no FA at all , if will review all kaplan LN in last month ??
Did u use golj audio, live LN, Rapid Review latest 2007, HY 100 p etc & are they useful, helpful for the exm ?
How many times u have review kap LN , dvd , & Q kap book & bank [ if u used ], UW Qs , for how long is the prep in total ?
Thanks & GL  
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| nyimalay
Forum Elite
Topics: 10
Posts: 285
| | 09/30/07 - 06:25 AM
5 of 8 forum leaders found this post helpful
| #3 |
Hi shwe,
I m quite sure I don't need web photos to answer CT, MRI, angiogram and gross sections though I did browse web during prepration. At least for my exam, the pictures are quite simple. For histo images, I think pictures in FA and UW is enough.
For FA, micro, biochemistry, embryo and pharmaco sections are helpful for quick memorization. But you shouldn't use it solely even for those area. I revised Kaplan notes till the last week for good coverage and i found it helped me a lot in exam.
I didn't listen any golgan audio. I read Golgan systemic pathology full notes once. But I found it didn't increase my knowledge much as I have finished second revision on Kaplan and done UW then.
I didn't use med essential. All i use is Kaplan Notes,FA, Kaplan video only for certain sujects. Video are too time consuming and i think i only need those for BS.
It took me 6 months to revise Kaplan 3 times. I did downloaded Kaplan Qbank once. UW for 1 month once. All forms of NBME and USMLE CD. As you know well UW is most helpful. I did make own notes from UW explainations
hope this helps, Good luck.
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| Ujk
Forum Guru
Topics: 41
Posts: 445
|
Congratulations & Goodluck
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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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| at peace
Forum Newbie
Topics: 1
Posts: 44
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hey congratulations on getting done..u should expect yur result on the third wednesday after yur exam most prob by email...enjoy some time off and i'm sure u've done very well 
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| anuba
Forum Elite
Topics: 6
Posts: 449
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good luck & now you can relax a little bit.
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| cleopatra
Forum Senior
Topics: 3
Posts: 118
|
Hi Nyimalay U DID IT U R DONE!!
Congratulation and good luck we'll keep our fingers crossed for you
now relax!!!
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| nyimalay
Forum Elite
Topics: 10
Posts: 285
|
Thank you all for your kind words. As you know, waiting time is hard. Thank you at peace for information on result.
Good luck to you all.
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| shwe
Forum Elite
Topics: 10
Posts: 418
| | 10/01/07 - 01:32 AM
2 of 2 forum leaders found this post helpful
| #9 |
nyimalay wrote:
Hi shwe,
I m quite sure I don't need web photos to answer CT, MRI, angiogram and gross sections though I did browse web during prepration. At least for my exam, the pictures are quite simple. For histo images, I think pictures in FA and UW is enough.
For FA, micro, biochemistry, embryo and pharmaco sections are helpful for quick memorization. But you shouldn't use it solely even for those area. I revised Kaplan notes till the last week for good coverage and i found it helped me a lot in exam.
I didn't listen any golgan audio. I read Golgan systemic pathology full notes once. But I found it didn't increase my knowledge much as I have finished second revision on Kaplan and done UW then.
I didn't use med essential. All i use is Kaplan Notes,FA, Kaplan video only for certain sujects. Video are too time consuming and i think i only need those for BS.
It took me 6 months to revise Kaplan 3 times. I did downloaded Kaplan Qbank once. UW for 1 month once. All forms of NBME and USMLE CD. As you know well UW is most helpful. I did make own notes from UW explainations
hope this helps, Good luck.
Thanks NML , thank you for the detail reply , which web u browse during ur prep. When u said review kap till last week means , review all kap 7 subj books, Q book or just review ur all kap books , Q book that u have high light it .
Also you have not do golj .. HY 100 page etc Hy pahe & his slides then.
Thank you, will ask more when have Qs .
Go celebrate, relax few days then if need to do next step/steps , alot now adays are prep next step asap, right away while waiting for exm , so u will b better off from anxiety of being waiting for the result by keeping selg occupied with the next st prep or application depends on ur situation.
GL in ur score
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| medocuk
IM-RES
Topics: 26
Posts: 1,467
|
Result should be out by the 3rd wednesday after your exam day, which translates to 19-22 days depending on the day of the week you took your exam.
They do report it by email which you can acess through oasis, details of which are available on the ECFMG website.
Good luck for a superb score. Thanks for sharing your experience.
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| medocuk
IM-RES
Topics: 26
Posts: 1,467
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And I really should read all the responses before repeating information. :P
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| nyimalay
Forum Elite
Topics: 10
Posts: 285
| | 10/01/07 - 06:16 AM
5 of 5 forum leaders found this post helpful
| #12 |
Hi shwe, I didn't use HY , but i looked golgan slides once during my early preparation. But couldn't revise them near the exam.
To simplify my term, I actually read Kaplan 4 times.
Final reading of Kaplan notes (7 books) was done during the last month. It took an average of 2 days to finish each book. My first read is quite fast. In second read, I went into more detail. By that time i was doing kaplan Qbank that give me better idea of where to stress on. During second read i underlined things to read in third read. I did UW along with 3rd read reinforced by FA. As i mentioned before some portions of FA help me scored up in UW.Then the final read was quite easy by just scanning underlined areas, reading the notes on the margin and looking pictures. I think studying pictures and graphs is important because the exam use them a lot.
Why I said FA is not essential is because it doesn't contain more information and I couldn't rely soley on it even in final revisions. Exam tested a lot of concepts and I m sure if i didn't revise Kaplan I wouldn't have been good enough for some questions.
I m sorry i couldn't mention which particular website is helpful. Sometimes i used google image, typed in the word 'vertebral angiogram', then see it. But the gross and radiological images in Kaplan Anatomy well cover my exam which included at least 7 gross and radio images. All you need is to master just 2-3 sections of brain. For example, the coronal section including basal ganglia and internal capsule, the saggital section including thalamus, corpus callosum and ventricle etc, and basal view of the brain stem with cranial nerves.
Thanks for your encouraging words. I will move on to step 2.
Good luck.
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| nyimalay
Forum Elite
Topics: 10
Posts: 285
|
To medocuk,
Thank you very much. I sat the exam on Friday. So this wednesday is my first wednesday. Wow ! I have to wait next two weeks.
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| dr ruman
Forum Elite
Topics: 32
Posts: 368
|
congrats!thx 4 such nice detail and description,wish u alllllllllllllllllll beat
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Living each day as a preparation for the next is an exciting way to live. Looking forward to something is much more fun than looking back at something—so lets do it together
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| dr ruman
Forum Elite
Topics: 32
Posts: 368
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ops i mean besttttttttt
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Living each day as a preparation for the next is an exciting way to live. Looking forward to something is much more fun than looking back at something—so lets do it together
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| beiwen
Forum Elite
Topics: 23
Posts: 238
|
Congrats! Good job and good luck with the score!
They send you an email stating your score is available on line. In my case, I got that email on the 3rd wednesday after my exam date.
again, good luck!!
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BW
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| ShweHope99.9998
Forum Fanatic
Topics: 12
Posts: 2,683
|
Thanks very much NML , thanks for the clear detail reply , & you're welcome .
GL in ur score & st 2 prep
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| nyimalay
Forum Elite
Topics: 10
Posts: 285
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I just got my score report. 260,99.
Thank you all in this forum.
I will be here if you have any questions.
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| angel^Doctor
Forum Guru
Topics: 35
Posts: 480
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wooow amazing , congratulations , u earned it
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The more I know, the more I don't know!
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| angel^Doctor
Forum Guru
Topics: 35
Posts: 480
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4 some reason , this is my 4th wed and no score reported yet! let's wait and see
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The more I know, the more I don't know!
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| Ujk
Forum Guru
Topics: 41
Posts: 445
|
Congratulations!!
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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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| m_l_e
Forum Newbie
Topics: 3
Posts: 14
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a big big congratulations!!!!!
u did it!!!!
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| Mydream
Forum Elite
Topics: 10
Posts: 331
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CONGRATULATIONS for the AWESOME score !!
cud u tell me what was ur cum performance in UW ?? thanks.
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"your results in life are always directly proportional to the amount of effort and hard-work that you put in"
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| hope4dabest
Forum Elite
Topics: 18
Posts: 436
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Congratulations..gr8 score
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| nyimalay
Forum Elite
Topics: 10
Posts: 285
| | 10/17/07 - 01:05 PM
2 of 2 forum leaders found this post helpful
| #25 |
Thank you all.
Here is my performance profile for your correlation.
UW cumulative score: 76% (unused, timed) 100% completed 1 month before the exam.
NBME form 3 (on line) : 680,253 (2 weeks before the exam)
NBME form 1 (downloaded): 182/200
NBME form 2 (downloaded): 184/200
NBME form 4 (downloaded): 184/200
(form 1,2,4 were done during last week before the exam)
USMLE CD: 43,47,44 (2 days before the exam)
Kaplan Q bank: very variable scores as i did it in early preparation time. (60% to 80%)
Good luck to you all.
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