zaidsuror
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| | 12/21/07 - 04:21 AM
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This forum is full of great experiences from so many.These posts share alot of things ,yet differ on other issues, sometimes some contracdict others.This may confuse those who seek a gold standard experience or at least a sum of all experiences, in many ways what can be thought of like mtaanalysis.
Therefore, after reading the last 2 year post over and over again, i summerized the most overlapping experiences.
Time for preparation:This differs from one and to one, as it is difficult to recommend a length of preparation that would universally suit all.We do recommend you plan the required time before starting taking into consideration your own experience and the time you can allocate each day.We also do recommend you stick to the plan you develop and to always remember that you can kick in an extra hour every day.
Study materials: There is a unanimous agreement that the material to study for step 2 ck is KAPLAN lecture notes and USMLE WORLD(UW)(as a comlimentry to kaplan lecture notes initially and towards to the end an indicator of your performance). Whether or not the video lectures are worth reviewing is contraversial ,but most recommend Medicine(especially ,CVS,INF,HEM,NEURO,ENDO).Others variably reommend seeing the video lectures of the OBGYN, SURGERY,PEDIATRICS and psychiatry.Some even recommend seeing all lectures more than once.So you can always make up your own decision as to whether they are worth reviewing or not.Remember that their purpose is to help.A smaller group of people do Crush step 2.Fisrt Aid for stpe 2 ck is not very recommended as its contents have been presumed not be to be high yield enough to merit a review.Crush is more popular for step 2
Test:-
A)What tests to take:
1-USMLE WORLD:Simply a must for step 2ck period.Initially it is complimentry to Kaplan lecture notes in the sense it is recomended to do along with your review of the subjects in order to understand the concepts not covered in kaplan and to know your weaknesses early on.This means both right and wrong answers should be fully added and notes taken to be reviewed later.Towards the end your performance indicates your expected perfprmance in the exam.Here,we are refering to the blocks that are mixed/multiple and timed and unused.Overall it seems that for a 99 on the true exam a 65+ on UW is need the higher the better.Note that alone UW score is not The sole or best indicator but it becomes more so when combined with ur score in the other tests.UW also helps practicing on time management.And the format is almost exactly simliar to the Fred system of the real exam.
2- Kaplan Qbook: This book is relativley easy and shouldn't be considered as a simulation of the true exam.It helps Boost your confidence as most students do well on these tests.They have some useful explanations that could be added to the kaplan lecture notes.Most 99 scorers score more than 80 in this book.
3-Kaplan Qbank :In general it is much less popular than the UWorld, its cost effectiveness is contraversial.It is fair to say that it is useful and does help preparing to the exam with some qestions testing high yield topics , but again given UW does the same job much more better. 99 scorers score 70-75% on this test.
4- NMS: I think i have only read a post or two prasing this book.
5- USMLE CD:three tests that should be done shortly before the exam date. Although most claim that the NBME especially form 2 is the single best indicator of your real exam score. In those seeking a 99,however, the three USMLE CD tests on the exam are the single best indicators for getting a 99 or not in the exam. Most 99 scorers get an average of 40-41 (i.e. 87%-89%), the higher the score , the higher the three digit score.This data is based on the last twp years exam scores.
Mistakes in these three tests mean a weakness in the area tested,and it is recommneded you review these areas before you go to the exam.
6--NBME: The considered by most as the single best indicator of your performance and score on the real exam.In this context ,The second form is the one most reliable.
Preparing for the exam day
*To prepare for the exhaustion of the exam, it is recommended to try to simlulate long hours of test taking.
*Most take one day off.
*Have plenty of sleep the day before.To ensure this people tend to sleep increasingly earlier the two week preceeding the exam.
*Make arrangememnts for your accomidation near the test center in advance.
*Go to the center the one time beofre in order to be familiar with the place,the road leading to it,possiblity of traffic and park.
*take your food with you.Most recommend taking a RED BULL along.
THE EXAM:
*Before the exam
Arrive on time.
Relax as hard work always pays off.
*During the block
With all the UW questions u should have done as part of your preparation, you are expected to have mastered how to manage your time in the exam.Those who are successful in handling time suggest aiming at 26 questions in the first 30 min.
But, everyone may have his own strategy.The main point that many have highlighted is that you may face difficulty in time managment,in this case if your planned strategy doesn't seem to work,you can always improvise.Remember.
Audio/video questions ,if present are at the end of the block
*Breaks
when to take breaks is up to you.
In general almost all don't take more than two in a row and some take breaks every block.
You can plan your breaks in advance ,but agian you can alwasy improvise should you feel a need for a change in strategy.
Lunch break in the longest break ALL take.Most take it after the fourth block and allocate around 20 minutes for it.
Some believe, as the exam advances you tire more easily,hence, need more breaks and fofor longer times.
*Exam difficulty
Most say it is easier than UW ,but harder than Q bank and very likely to form 2 of NBME.
Some say it is much easier than UW while others say it is harder than UW and covers different subjects.It is true that those whosay the exam is very easy do most of the time get very high scores in a three digit sense ,but this doesn't mean that those who find the exam diffcult and long get low scores.No, from what most posts write, you can predict the score by reviewing the (USMLE WORLD-USMLE CD-NBME SCORES),and those who have the high score stated above are expected to get a high score even though the experience was unpleasent.THE BOTTOM LINE IS FOR GOOD STUDENTS NOT TO PANIC UPON FACING A DIFFICULT BLOCK ,THEY ARE LIKELY GETTING THE ASNWERS RIGHT.THEY HAVE A HISTORY OF HIGHLY INDICATING TESTS SPEAKING FOR THEIR PERFORMANCE.
Always remember that there are questions that don't count.So don't dwell about difficult questions too long.Read it, reason an answer and then pick a choice.
As a general rule don't change answers ,unless you came upon something in the vignette you had missed and you choose a new answer with solid eveidence at the back of your head to support.otherwise your much more likely to change right to wrong than wrong to right.
At the end of the exam ,go out and celebrate you have done all you can and God alwasy rewards hard work.
SCORE REPORTING:
The score is reported the first Wednesday after 21 days around 8- 9 a.m. eastern time.This timing is so punctual you can actually see it in most posts.
Edited by zaidsuror on 12/21/07 - 02:10 PM
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| caduceus
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well first aid is a lot better...just read the recent reviews...and in support forums...
otherwise gr8 work...
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| falcon
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Hi, zaidsuror
Thank. very good analysis
Did u listen all DVDs.
GL for ur residency.
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| zaidsuror
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Dear Falcon,
Personally, i listened to All medicince,OBGYN and psychiatry and ethics.I was told surgery didn't add much that isn't already discussed in the vignette section,so i didn't do it and this worked for me very well.I did ,however receive wierd post op not covered by kap or uw.I watched first 2 Ped ,but found them very boring and time consuming, so didn't do the others.
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footsteps on the sands of time are not made by sitting around.
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| falcon
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Thanks very much, zaidsuror
GL FOR UR RESIDENCY
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| usmle_exam
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thanks for such a comprehensive review...god bless and good luck
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| zaidsuror
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Does anyone ,who scored 99 and knows others who have scored 99, know when to take the NBME and in what order?
Is the third really relatively easy and not very indicative of one's performance in the exam?
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| arlete
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NBME (3) was the most difficult and less predictive for me.
I took NBME (1) one month and (3) 2 weeks before the test.
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| Ivonne
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Nice analysis Zaid, thanks!
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| inkspot
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thanks for the post
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| caduceus
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zaid...can u tell me what should be avg score in all nbme forms and kaplan simulated to get 99?
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| zaidsuror
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dear caduceus_indya ,
Im sorry,but i didn't do the NBME.So i lack accurate information about the test and the scores that predict a 99.
I have noticed that most students including 99 scorers write their score and beside it the assumingly corresponding three digit score.For example a 630 would equall like 248.You can check the exam score thread to have a better idea on the NBME scores that 99 scorers get.
I would like to refer to the fact that these tests alone are not the strongetst predictors of the actual score,however, your performance on the USMLE cd and UW together are stronger indicators of ur real score.
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| caduceus
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what about kaplan simulated?
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| zaidsuror
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In the Kaplan Simulated test ,how much you score doesn't necessarily predict you real score.In general examinees get somtheing above 80,but there have been scores as low as 65-70.I guess the higher you get above 75 the better in shape you are.
Again If anyone ,who scored 99 and knows others who have scored 99, knows more about the Kaplan simulated score that best predicts a 99, We would very much appreciate your contribution.
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| zaidsuror
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Although almost most of the general information is included in this topic , there are other issues like when is it best to take the NBME and what score in each form reflects a 99?
I hope that the issues not covered in this topic be added by a reliable source.
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| kaphoury
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if i didnt do kaplan q bank, is it risky to set the exam without it???
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| zaidsuror
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Dear kaphoury,
Not necessarily,as long as you have a good time plan arranged.It is however,strongly recommended as stated above to do USMLE WORLD ,initially as a complimentary to kaplan lecture notes and later as an indicator for your performance in the exam.This together with the usmle cd score , most accurately reflect how you will do in the exam.
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