new_n_lost
Politically InCorrect
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I found this one to be informative so i m shifting it here.
Actual Exam: 200/83
NBME: In the 500's, don't recall exactly.
USMLEWorld: 60%-70%, untimed, but not tutor mode.
My advice (such as it is)...
I had something of a fiasco during my first attempt wherein the power went out at the Prometric center for about 3 hours.
Apparently they have back-up generators that keep the servers (but not the terminals you sit at) going. So, as the hours dragged on, we were given options.
Initially, we were told to not to talk, and just to sit in the waiting area. Then, as it got hotter and hotter (this is Louisiana, in the summer), we were told we could void our exam, and have it rescheduled.
The situation got a bit out of hand as time went on. People began going out to lunch and talking on cell phones.
Not knowing what to expect, and dreading a report of "irregular behavior," I sat tight, and finished the exam when the power came back on. Bad move. I failed by one point.
I began a letter writing campaign hoping (like some other people on this site) to get my score altered. After all, there were extenuating circumstances, and I was within the SEM. No luck.
I got an official letter describing the situation that I can append to my file, but the score stands.
Stepping back, I regrouped and reassessed. That first Step 3 was nerve-wracking. I felt as if I didn't know much, and that the best I could hope for was to barely pass. My USMLEWorld scores for the first try were in the 50% range. Not good.
I'm a psychiatry resident. Time was going by, and more and more medicine was fading out of my head.
I passed both Step 1 and 2 fairly well on my first attempts. For both of those I devoted a full 6 weeks to study. I realized that to pass comfortably I would have to do the same things again.
So, I arranged vacation/leave enough for 4 weeks free, plus a week for the Premier Review course.
Here's my advice. This is your career. Don't screw around. Your residency program will survive without you. Do what you have to do to get a solid chunk of uninterrupted study time.
Find one, solid source of material. For me, the Premier Review materials were great. Much more detailed than First Aid and whatnot. I endeavored to LEARN. That is, not just to memorize, but to fill in the gaps in understanding that I still had.
So, when I didn't understand something I went to the Merck Manual. If that still didn't help, I used my Despopolous Physiology. I made sure I knew exactly what was going on. Then, my foundation reinforced, back to the Premier Review.
I went over those materials probably 5-6 times. It got to the point where I would rarely straight up not know something. I would do a question in the USMLEWorld, not know the answer, BUT...I would know what they were aiming at. I would simply be missing a detail or specific.
I could actually see in my head the page from the Premier notes where I would find the answer. Quite simply, you have to know your Medicine.
If there is a secret it would have to be consistancy. That is, use a source that is not too dilute (First Aid), and not too dense (Harrison's), and know it inside and out.
Sure, do questions. I did all of the USMLEWorld. Some I even did twice. But questions aren't enough. You have to know your Medicine.
As to the CCS cases. If you know your Medicine, you'll be fine. The problems may arise if you don't have any clinical experience. I would seriously advise FMGs to NOT take Step 3 prior to residency. Or, at least an externship, or something like that. You need knowledge. But, you also need to know how a hospital runs.
The notes I used put everything in the appropriate context. Next test, next step, best test, that sort of thing. You have to know it.
The test is difficult. Don't underestimate it. If you're a psychiatrist, you forget the medicine. If you're Medicine, you forget the psychiatry (and the Ob, and the Surg). Probably medicine residents are in the best position. But, even they are not bulletproof.
So, the USMLE people will gladly take your money, and re-grade your exam. It won't make a difference. You will still be held to THEIR standards, but they are not concerned about yours. Re-grades, appeals, all worthless.
Study. Study hard. Take time off. Use up vacation time. Whatever you have to do. Treat it like a job. After all, it is your job!
KWBum
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FORUM RULES-- Those who believe in telekinesis, raise my hand. I get enough exercise just by pushing my luck --P4U World.." The pure and simple truth is rarely pure and never simple."
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