zainy
Forum Newbie
Topics: 3
Posts: 33
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EXAM DATE: 19TH MARCH, 2008
GOT SCORE ON: 9TH APRIL, 2008
SCORE: 98/235
I am old graduate, graduated in 2000. For first 5 yrs after my graduation i was busy with my family life, i did not study at all during that period. For last 3 yrs i tried to get back to studies, I was very irregular but atleast i got familiar with basics again, real exam oriented prep was for last 6 months, details r
KAPLAN DIAGNOSTIC: 47 %....6 months b4 exam
FIRST READING: 2 months, used kaplan notes and dvds, for patho i used goljan audio and rapid review pathology, micro from MMRS
SECOND READING: 1.5 months, did Q book with that scoring around 70-75%
USMLE WORLD: Subscribed for 2 months, i did 75-100 Qs/ day , took notes of almost all questions, intitially i scrored around 55-60%, by the end it was 70%, over all 65% unused , all Qs. Very useful tool, a must i will say.
LAST 2 WEEKS: Revised my notes and few imp things.
NBME 2: 2 weeks b4 exam 590
NBME 4: 2 days b4 exam 600
EXAM: It was not as easy i thought it will b, i will compare easy Qs with NBME 2, and hard ones with NBME 4. I will not compare it with u world, may b cuz we get used to uworld after doing some 2000 Qs.
Patho phys was hammered.
I had a lot of immuno and cell biology on my exam, pharm was also more than i expected but was easy and basic stuff.
On Qs with figures, only for hematology diagnosis based on the figure, rest of Qs stem had all the clues.
I had very few biochem Qs, most of them were congenital deficiencies......very easy straight forward Qs.
Epi/Biostats Qs were simple, no lenghthy or hard calculation.
Beh Sc Qs were there in every block , they were weird n tough i think.
MY SUGGESTIONS:
1: Don't study passively, thats waste of time i think, make notes , charts, tables etc
2: Don't start Qs too late, with first read do all Qs at end of chapter, they r must, very valuable info.
3: Do immuno and immune pharm very well, also neoplasia and anti neoplastics(memorise tables given in kaplan notes), nutrition
4: Goljan audio and slides are very helpful, i heard his audio twice.
5: Kaplan lecture notes, goljan, uworld r the three things u need.
Last but not least, this forum helped a lot, i thank all of those who have posted their experiences, they were a great source of motivation for me .
If i keep on adding details, it will get too long. If any one has any Q I will b more than happy to help.
Wishing every one all the best.
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| Ali 200736
Forum Junior
Topics: 3
Posts: 50
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great job zainy.. i am n img from Pakistan patho physio r my strong subjects what would u say that like 50 percent of the questions r from them?
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| jean robert
Forum Guru
Topics: 163
Posts: 671
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CONGRATULATIONS!!!!
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Great works are performed not by strength, but by perseverance.
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| zainy
Forum Newbie
Topics: 3
Posts: 33
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assalam-o-alaikum ali, i m also from pakistan, yes, roughly 50 % Qs r from pathophys and goljan is a gr8 tool for that.
@ jean, thankyou very much.
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| match2010
Forum Senior
Topics: 3
Posts: 211
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congrats !! how many dedicated hrs did you study in last 6 months zainy ?? cuz i have 4.5 months left for my exam so am worried !!
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Target the moon then you will land among the stars.
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| zainy
Forum Newbie
Topics: 3
Posts: 33
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thanx match2010,
it was 8-10 hrs at the begining,
last 1 -1 1/2 month 12 hrs or so.
good luck for ur exam, don't let urself get bored, when u r tired of reading , watch slides like webpath or guljan etc,
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| SOS
Forum Guru
Topics: 17
Posts: 534
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congrats for the great score.
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| bianca99
Forum Junior
Topics: 2
Posts: 79
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Congrats zainy ... thats a great score!!!
Did you also do RR twice?
Its a big book and i dont even know if i can finish it once completely.
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| zainy
Forum Newbie
Topics: 3
Posts: 33
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thanx bianca,
i did not go thru all of the things given in RR, i listened to audio and did those topics from RR. While doing u world, i did frequently tested and my wrong Qs again.
when r u gonna take ur exam?
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| bianca99
Forum Junior
Topics: 2
Posts: 79
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Exam in mid may...
Listened to audios last month..
Could not read the book then so doing RR now...Its huge.
Dont even know how much time i should give this book
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| Ali 200736
Forum Junior
Topics: 3
Posts: 50
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zainy what would u suggest about the last 4 weeks what to do uworlds sumtimes makes me feel ashamed of myself howz the real exam compared to uworld..can u give me sum insite in to the exam how r the questions like?
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| zainy
Forum Newbie
Topics: 3
Posts: 33
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ali, exam Qs r very much like NBME, abt 40 Qs in each block r easy, difficulty level abt NBME 2,. Rest of them r a little harder.
FOR LAST 4 WEEKS:if u r done with all uworld Q bank, do system wise revision and do wrong and marked Qs again.Do NBME, and work harder on ur weak areas.
@BIANCA, pathophys is major bulk on exam, so don't hesitate in spending time on preparing it, i m preparing for step 2 and every day i spend 1/2 time on Medicine(abt 50% on step 2) and 1/2 on rest of subjects.
good luck to both of u
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| bianca99
Forum Junior
Topics: 2
Posts: 79
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Thanks a lot zainy..
Good luck for step 2!!
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| Ali 200736
Forum Junior
Topics: 3
Posts: 50
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thanks alot zainy best of luck for ur step 2
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| target
Forum Elite
Topics: 3
Posts: 572
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Hi congrats! How would you advise going about UW - tutor mode or timed.......if going along with first read. You didnt use first aid at all? Good luck with step2
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In Him I trust !
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| zainy
Forum Newbie
Topics: 3
Posts: 33
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thanx target,
i started uworld in timed mode, unused all Qs till i was done with all Qs. While revising wrong n marked Qs i used tutor mode.
I did not use first aid, i think its easier to go over same books second time than stating a new one, plus i don't like format of first aid.
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| mr.lonely
Forum Newbie
Topics: 1
Posts: 29
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zainy .what abt behaviral science.its kind complex ! which book u used while preparing
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| Ali 200736
Forum Junior
Topics: 3
Posts: 50
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Zainy i wanted to know that when people say that usmle world is a must a great source does that mean they cover all the essentials on the real exam apart from sum weirdo questions?
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| doctor123
Forum Senior
Topics: 12
Posts: 271
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 comgrats man. U did it
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ALLAH; guide me to the Path of Success.
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| dowjunk
Forum Elite
Topics: 14
Posts: 319
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Congratulations Zainy! Best of Luck for step2................
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Grad of 2007. Work in progress.......
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| match2010
Forum Senior
Topics: 3
Posts: 211
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you are the true motivation for all of us .....i havnt been working since my graduation and studying for step1 ....i was always worried that there might not be too many ppl like me who are sitting at home and just studying but i guess a score like that offsets evrything !! goood luck with ur step 2 .
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Target the moon then you will land among the stars.
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| zainy
Forum Newbie
Topics: 3
Posts: 33
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thanks all, the experiences shared on this forum helped me a lot, i got the road map i needed to study and then do well on exam, cuz just studying is not enough to do well on exam, i will b very happy n satisfied if some one takes any advantage of my experience too.
@ LONELY: i did not use any other book than kaplan.I read notes well(listened daugherty twice),did q-book, and then uworld, went thru all the explainations well,
@ ALI: i think it covers almost all topics, do the xplanations very well. even if u did the Q right.What i used to do was making notes of any thing i thought was new for me or was confusing.
@ MATCH 2010: You made my day, good luck with ur step 1,
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| harridoc
Forum Newbie
Topics: 1
Posts: 3
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great score , a big congratulations.. i have been preparin 4 step 1 since 2 months now n find goljan rapid rewiew 2nd edition a little time consumin . i intend to take my exam late june , plz suggest is kaplan lec notes 4 patho with goljan audio will suffice ? plz reply
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| zainy
Forum Newbie
Topics: 3
Posts: 33
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i think it will be sufficient Harri, for cardio and hematology do RR.
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| Ali 200736
Forum Junior
Topics: 3
Posts: 50
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Aslam O Alaekum zaini how is it going i hope u r enjoying ur success..zainy i have read brs patho plus listened to goljan audios n took notes of everything when listening to goljan audios..i have done kaplan q bank n usmle world n now i am doing my 3rd revision n now i am thinking as if brs patho has been a waste of time coz goljan audios plus kaplan q bank n usmle world have been perfect in making my patho really strong..please give me n honest opinion that shud i let go brs path or should i do it
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