zako
Forum Newbie
Topics: 1
Posts: 15
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Hello to everybody reading this topic!
Preparation --> After I graduated last summer, I decided to take it slowly step by step...Without the usual hurry of step prep...So I started reading on avarage 20-30 pages a day with my goal being 700-1000 pages per month...Of course everybody can understand that it was not the actual pre-test preparation because of its sloooow rate...What I read during that time:
NMS Medicine
NMS Obs & Gyn
BRS Surgery (General and Specialties)
Kaplan and Sadock's handbook of psychiatry
Blueprints series including cardiology and neurology
Lange Clinical Neurology
Kaplan Medical Ethics
Kaplan Flashcards (diagnostic tests)
First Aid
Besides that don't forget that I already had a 1,5 year old daughter and in November I received another gift in the form of a son So for a test prep it was a real chaos all the time, but it was nice
So February arrived, I mean the middle of February when I decided that it was time to take it really hard (I had my exam scheduled on April 8)..I did the Kaplan lecture notes...Followed by Step-up to USMLE step 2 and First Aid...That took approx. 1 month, or less I think...Then I purchased UW Q bank and did it in 8-10 days (all unused, timed) with an avarage of 84%...After that I immediataly bought Kaplan Q bank and did it in the same time period as UW with the cummulative performance of 86% (one more correct question and it would have been 87%)...Then I reviewed my incorrect answers of the Kaplan Q bank, but had no nerves to do the same with UW...In the remaining 10 days I did the Kaplan notes again + Kaplan Flashcards (physical diagnosis, diagnostic tests and pharmacology)...For the last day I was just answering my sisters questions regarding best treatment and diagnostic test options...and the last day was the day I went from Georgia to Armenia to take the exam...What I think is that Kaplan notes should be the mainstay of prep in Surgery (no other book needed), Peds (do not waste time doing Blueprints or BRS), Obs & Gyn (both NMS and Blueprints are good, but Kaplan is also good so you can skip those two) and Psychiatry, Ethics, Epidemiology (may be better to add some chapters from kaplan and sasock's handbook)...For medicine it should still be the mainstay of prep material, but It needs supplementation from Qbanks, possibly FA and some books like FA, but definitely not Blueprints...you can read some chapters such as Rheum, Cardio or Endo from NMS, but do not touch oncology, hematology, neurology, dermatology or renal...Neurology blueprints is also a good addition to the preparation...
Exam date --> I couldn't sleep well, woke up at 8 a.m. (test was at 10 a.m.) had a breakfast and left fot the test center...I did 5 blocks without a rest (did that in approx.3 hours), then had a short (15-20 min rest) and then did the other 3 blocks without a break..Actually I came out 2,5 - 3,5 hours earlier than expected and the test center workers thought I couldn;t write anything...lol...Well I wouldn't say that the real exam is like UW or Kaplan...UW looks the same as actual exam, but the content I would say is pretty different...kaplan looks not like actual exam, but the content is also not like actual exam...For me both UW and Kaplan are of same strenght and weakness...I recomment doing both, as that gives you an extra 2300 questions of practice...Do not expect that you will get the same material on the exam...I don't know NBME or USMLE CD as I didn't do them...I think that UW score overestimates actual one (according to score convertors) and Kaplan does the opposite...And one more, don't believe that UW is superior to Kaplan, as my sister did only Kaplan and got 262/99...
Test questions Medium lenght > short=long
Medium > Easy > difficult (30-9-7 in a 46 Q block for example)
Most likely diagnosis > Next Step in management > best initial test
A few X-rays and CT/MRIs...A few actual disease pics...and 2-3 media files...(don't panic even if you do not answer them correctly, that won't have any significant effect on your score..but if you answer them correclty that will definitely increase it)
Now I am writing a Prep Book for Internal Medicine Specifically designed for the USMLE Step 2 CK exam...That book will cover all the essential topics (including best next steps and so on) covered in many many books seperately, but now it will be united in one complete book...Coming Soon
Any questions....I am here listening and answering to you....Zurab from Tbilisi,Georgia
There is a sample of my book attached...
Attached Files:
GASTROENTEROLOGY.doc (166 KB, 143 downloads)
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| yarab99
Forum Senior
Topics: 11
Posts: 150
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well done ,,CONGRTULATIONS,,wow never heard of a score that high...im starting my prep soon,,,so which book do u rocommend for internal medicine??? ill be waiting for ur book ,,,,hope to use it for my exam,,will it be done before july??? good luck ...and thanks
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| yarab99
Forum Senior
Topics: 11
Posts: 150
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sorry ..forgot to ask u...which book do u recommend for suplement..FA or secrets or crush..or...what??? thx in advance
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| hir
Forum Newbie
Topics: 0
Posts: 157
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congratulations, great score!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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| drshvetasm
Forum Elite
Topics: 19
Posts: 232
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wowww what a score!!!
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| wasedf
Forum Newbie
Topics: 1
Posts: 9
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Amazing score Zako,
Big time congratulations!!! Looking forward to your book. I'm sure it will be a hit.
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| nany
Forum Guru
Topics: 13
Posts: 1,059
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congratulations  , great score
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" You Are Limited Only By What You Think " .........Dr.Sharvil (99er forum member)
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| inkspot
Forum Guru
Topics: 23
Posts: 542
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ahem ahem !!!!!!
congratulations
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Aagae Aagae Dekho hota hai kiya !!!
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| genbot
Forum Elite
Topics: 11
Posts: 490
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You guys are amazing. What a score! Congratulations!
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Step1 267/99. Step2 269/99. Match 2009. MAY THE FORCE BE WITH ME (The one they call the strong nuclear force!)
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| white-rose
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
Posts: 11
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Wow Congrats! That's a brilliant score!
How many times did you go over the kaplan notes?
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| zako
Forum Newbie
Topics: 1
Posts: 15
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Hi again...
1) for internal medicine I recommend Kaplan lecture notes + Qbanks (both) + FA (if you wish you might add Blueprints neurology, and Cardio, Rheum, Endo, Gastro from NMS)
2) as a supplement I recommned (internal medicine as stated above), peds nothing, surgery nothing, psychiatry - kaplan and sadock's handbook of psychiatry, and obs&gyn - nothing but may add either blueprints or NMS...as a general supplement i recommend doing FA (not management oriented but good overall)
3) I did Kaplan notes 2X (in a 2 month period, one in the beginning and one in the last 10 day)
4) My book will be ready in about 3-4 months, I guess so...
5) thanks all
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| KHILADI420
Forum Newbie
Topics: 4
Posts: 36
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congrats you have such an amazing score... i have never even heard of such a high score. good luck on your upcoming book.
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| inkspot
Forum Guru
Topics: 23
Posts: 542
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please dont mind but is this the book advertisement? you are newbie !!! few posts.
i hope you take positive criticism
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| zako
Forum Newbie
Topics: 1
Posts: 15
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inkspot --> I just tried to help people, so never mind i won't upload any more It was not an advertisement (as you can not advertise what is still not born)
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| genbot
Forum Elite
Topics: 11
Posts: 490
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Shouldn't be a bad book comin from you i'm sure. Good luck with writin a fantastic one.
Just being a little curious...would you mind sharing your step1 score with us...i'm doin a small lil research collecting scores...i hope you dont mind
___________________
Step1 267/99. Step2 269/99. Match 2009. MAY THE FORCE BE WITH ME (The one they call the strong nuclear force!)
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| zako
Forum Newbie
Topics: 1
Posts: 15
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genbot --> of course i will tell i passed it in november 2004 (i was 20 then) and got 258/99 and my sister had 248/99 on her step 1...i hope it will help your research
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| genbot
Forum Elite
Topics: 11
Posts: 490
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Oh thats a long time ago. But thanks man, thanks a lot. And good luck with your future endeavors.
___________________
Step1 267/99. Step2 269/99. Match 2009. MAY THE FORCE BE WITH ME (The one they call the strong nuclear force!)
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| inkspot
Forum Guru
Topics: 23
Posts: 542
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im sorry zako if i offended you.
please do help the community and congratulations once again for your and sisters brilliant scores.
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Aagae Aagae Dekho hota hai kiya !!!
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| zako
Forum Newbie
Topics: 1
Posts: 15
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it's ok inkspot...I will help as much as I can...and I hope you get a great score on your CK exam as well
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| zako
Forum Newbie
Topics: 1
Posts: 15
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wow...already 46 downloads...I will update later as I finish the GI section...I hope you guys find it helpful than any other Book you have ever heard of in your whole USMLE life
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| yarab99
Forum Senior
Topics: 11
Posts: 150
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well im waiting for the rest of the book,,,,cardio and neuro specially...
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| inkspot
Forum Guru
Topics: 23
Posts: 542
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great notes keep them comming in !
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| hitesh
Forum Senior
Topics: 42
Posts: 160
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That's a good score. Congratulations! I'll be watching this thread
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| zako
Forum Newbie
Topics: 1
Posts: 15
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Thank you guys a lot!!! Remember, I am always ready to answer any question you might have...
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| mikhail
Forum Newbie
Topics: 8
Posts: 29
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zako
you are super man, with a MIG-HT engine
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