kiterunner
Forum Junior
Topics: 14
Posts: 63
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Hi everyone,
I`ve been in this forum for quite a while. My journey is a little different since I`m a full time masters student and I work part time. Thought I`d share my experience and I`d be happy if it comes to anyone's help.
The most important thing that I felt about this test is whatever they throw at you are ALL IN THE COMMON MATERIALS WE USE --- trust me people. Even genetics or molecular biology and all those q`s about mouse or researchers --- if you read your stuff well-- you can reason those out. And by common resources I mean Kaplan, Goljan and FA and the question banks we use (I did only UW and NBMEs though, so can`t comment on Qbank) - but trust me -- they are all there, right in front of our eyes, it`s just how well we know them. They`ll twist them and turn them and present them to you from a completely different angle but they are not impossible. Like if you are studying sleep disorders, like narcolepsy, just don`t look at the signs - know the causes behind those sign/symptoms. If you are studying I cell disease, also know the whole pathway of tagging the proteins before they reach RER.
Some of them tested memory and the qs were u know or u dont know kind. But overall, 95% of all the q`s looked familiar and if your concept is clear you can make them right. If your concept is blurry you`d make the same mistake over and over again- in NBME, in qbanks, in the real thing. SO, please do learn from ur mistakes. Whenever u find out that u have a problem in the concept - make a fresh start, correct urself and repeat it because ur long term memory (the wrong concept) might outlast the new concepts u learn.
Also, use the question banks/resources as a learning tool. PLEASE don`t ponder over reading the explanations and to take notes from them and to revise them. LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES. I did not have the time to go over all the answers of the CD and I got one q from those I did wrong -- and guess what.. I picked up the wrong choice once again.
I know I`m still not in a position to comment on the difficulty level since I haven`t got my scores and I don`t have any idea how I`m gonna score. I found out I made 10-15 dumb mistakes either because i was anxious or exhausted or simply because my mind could not process them in 60 secs or less or because I couldn`t revise those topics before my exam...and ofcourse it`s only the tip of the iceberg- I can never know how many stupid mistakes I`ve done.
Right now I feel like if someone gets A LOT less than what NBME or the usmle CD predicts - I`ll be the one. I did the CD about 6/7 days before exam and got 43,43,43 and NBME from-3 two days before exam (all in timed mode) and got 620. But after taking this exam, I doubt if they are good predictors, at least in my case. There are so many other factors in the real exam - like anxiety and exhaustion and patience and possible hypoglycemia and sitting there for 7 LONG hours while thinking this is "THE THING" really make differences.
Good luck to everyone. I`d post a more articulated and informative version once I get my scores.
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| P4a99
Forum Fanatic
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Thanks for sharing and hopefully your NBME score will be a good predictor. 
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| basophilia
Forum Senior
Topics: 8
Posts: 233
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good luck
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| angel^Doctor
Forum Guru
Topics: 35
Posts: 482
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i can garantee that you'l get a good score.. trust me .. i had the same feeling before .. wish you a great score
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| kiterunner
Forum Junior
Topics: 14
Posts: 63
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Thank you basophilia and praying4a99. Thanks so much angel^doc... I`m trying to keep my mind off but it comes back you know ...
I made a list to revise on the last day, even though I couldn`t finish it since I had other stuff to go thru ... I`m just adding it here, hope it helps someone. (they are NOT in order of importance though)
-translocations
-MEN (I, II, III)
-Oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes
-tumor markers
-receptor chart from HY molecular biology,and mechanism from kaplan
-child development milestones
-HLA associations
-antibiotic and anticancer resistance mechanism
-antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal site of action diagram from FA
-collagen synthesis
-brain tumors
-upper limb and lower limb nerve lesions
-storage diseases (lysosomal and glycogen)
-lineweaver burke plot and enzyme curves
-hardy weinberg equation and calculations
-virus tables from FA (DNA and RNA)
-cell cycle and anticancer drugs
-cell junctions
-vitamin associated w/ enzymes - e.g. TPP w/ pyruvate DH, alpha-KG DH, transketolase and branched chain AA DH --- FA is enough
-table of transformation, transduction and conjugation from kaplan microbial genetics
-auto antibodies from goljan
-high and normal anion gap acidosis (also the flowchart of acidosis and alkalosis from FA)
-enzyme inducers and inhibitors
-interleukins
-sleep, localizing signs (organic disorder chapter from kaplan BS)
-pharyngeal arch and pouch derivatives, aortic arch derivatives, neural crest derivatives
-functions of cell organelles
Edited by kiterunner on 11/11/07 - 02:43 PM
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| darkhorse
Forum Elite
Topics: 56
Posts: 275
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I agree ..its multifactorial....however...unless u had done nbme 3 qs before.....i will be extremely surprised if u dont get 99....there is no exception in my book..GL!
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| ShweHope99.9998
Forum Fanatic
Topics: 12
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Congrat , u've done the test.
U prep well, ur score are 620, even in worst case senario , if u slip abit will be still in flying color , so relax, pray hard , u've done exm already , cannot go back, looking forward to get ur good score .
By the way when read I cell or sleep narcolapsy , to know deep , detail behind it , are they all in kap etc resoureces u have mentioned or nee dto expend as neede to any HY small to mid books like BRS or review like Levison for micro MMRS or big texts like Robin , Ganong .
After rest for few days do post ur prep, exm experinces in detail , thanks.
GL  
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| kiterunner
Forum Junior
Topics: 14
Posts: 63
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thanks dark horse... I didn`t see the q`s before. It`s just that I made so many dumb mistakes ....
ShweHope99.9998 -- they are all in Kaplan FA or Goljan ... I did not listen to all the previous test takers who said the same thing ... I looked at micro Levinson, Katzung pharm, lippincott biochem when I first started my prep. But after taking the exam I realized how true they were.
Repetition is the key. Thats the only way to put them in your long term memory. And depending on your retaining capacity doing 2 or more times of the resources are necessary.
And one final tip - pls pls do one extra reading of kaplan biochem (mol. bio and genetics) and goljan. Like if you do 2 readings of each subject do 3 readings of these 2 (goljan and biochem)
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| ShweHope99.9998
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Thanks kiteR . Now I am in same boat as ur 1st prep so, am still in same mind , will see after my exm , will say might say same to fellow prepper .
Anyway for now, am still too young not to venture & study like ur 1st prep
When you say Golj , is that means which excatly eg audio only or RR or HY of his notes then which pages HY eg 100 , 36 etc , or his 350 Q old CD, or live lecture notes of his etc?? , Thanks .
Also Kap means 2007 books or video or KME etc or what exactly of kap LN etc ??
In FA means FA regular 2007 one or FA Q Ans case books or online FA usmle RX etc ??
re Qs UW , how many times have to be , timed or untimed, mix or subj or system wise ??
NBME are dl version or online ?
Where exact the dl nbme you use from, where is the ans, explain u sue from ?
Then when say review CD u meant usmle CD ? or not ?, if it is .. where the answer, explaination for CD is u use from .. ? online ... kap web free answer explaination or not ??
Thank you & GL
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| kiterunner
Forum Junior
Topics: 14
Posts: 63
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Hey ShweHope99.9998
I used kaplan 2004 notes and FA 2006 edition, but if I could I`d definitely have used the latest editions. I had the videos and I only watched the physio during the very first phase but I did not have the time or patience to watch all of them. I had the medessential and was tempted to go over it but didn`t have time.
Goljan - his audios are super ... I listened to most of them, but didn`t have enough time to listen to all of them. I inherited his live lecture notes and used those, but from what I`ve heard they are not too different from the RR. I also looked at his slides while listening to some of his lectures and those were really helpful. Goljan 36 pg is a gem too. But again, I did not have enough time to go thru it (just looked at the tables in neoplasia that`s it). If I had time I`d definitely have used it during revision.
I did UW timed unused mixed 50 q blocks. My percentile was 70 at the end. Whatever mode u use, be sure to use it as a learning tool. Please don`t be lazy to read the explanations of the wrong and marked question as u do each block and do take notes for them.
I solved dl NBME 1, 2 and 4 with a very good friend and we both decided to take the form 3 online to assess ourselves.
And by CD I mean USMLE CD , yes. It has the answer keys at the end of each block and i guess you can get the explanations from kaplan. I regret not going over the explanations as I missed a q from the CD 
I hope it helped. Thanks for the wishes. Good luck with ur prep.
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| ShweHope99.9998
Forum Fanatic
Topics: 12
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Wow , Thanks a lot , ur reply are detail , prompt like ur prep posts , very motivating , encourage us to do those resources , thank you .
Thanks , I will save money , do only form 3 online then .
It helps alot , ur welcome & thank you for ur wish too
GL in ur score
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| kiterunner
Forum Junior
Topics: 14
Posts: 63
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 got my score dear friends 243/99 ..... shouldn`t have doubted NBME thanks so much to all ... this forum rocks
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| Ujk
Forum Guru
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Congratulations
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| paheli
It'sAllAboutGoodKarma
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good job, congrats!!
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| inkspot
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congratulations u have got it.
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| kiterunner
Forum Junior
Topics: 14
Posts: 63
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Thank you UJK, Paheli and Inkspot. Best of luck to all of you. I`m so in debt to to all the people who posted their exam and prep experiences in here. Even though I didn`t have too much time to post, I found a great study partner in this forum with whom I shared my journey with. Thank you all once again.
P.S. Paheli - love ur tagline
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| acintya
FOCUS on your Goal!
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Congratulations kiterunner!! What an achievement, despite being a full time Masters student as well as working part time....you really deserve an applause
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| keepgoing
Forum Fanatic
Topics: 104
Posts: 2,230
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kiterunner wrote: got my score dear friends 243/99 ..... shouldn`t have doubted NBME thanks so much to all ... this forum rocks
congratulations!!!
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| milee99
Forum Guru
Topics: 49
Posts: 1,087
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congrates!!
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