Janka
Forum Senior
Topics: 30
Posts: 150
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ladies and gentlemen 
finally step2ck is over for me. well unless i failed, lets see.
i will now post my experience. but please don't forget that we don't know my score yet, so don't rely on it and DON'T DO THAT AT HOME until we know the final outcome...
about myself: 5th year medical student in germany. sat step1 in aug2006 - 97/240.
preparation: started usmleworld second week of april. studying full-time in an MD/PhD program - couldn't dedicate much time to step2ck preparation. even in the last two weeks, couldn't fully concentrate. had my normal school classes or labwork until afternoon and then studied for 2ck until midnight. should have started much much earlier. but finally finished UW a few days before exam. in the last 10 blocks or so of unused q had like 63% average, but 83% in the very last unused block.
took all 3 nmbes. nmbe1 on april 17 at the very beginning of my prep - scary 188.
nmbe2 on may 10 or so - 204
nmbe3 two days before exam 254 (!) that made me too confident and lazy i'm afraid.
what else? had blueprints neuro and psych and peds and nms surgery and obg. but didn't use them all that much. just certain chapters in which i felt i was weak. went through the pelvic tumors in obg for instance.
had step2 secrets. was quite useful especially in the last days of my prep when i revised with a very dear friend who asked the questions and made me think and answer.
and of course first aid. with a lot of my own notes. all the notes i took, i would take them only in first aid at the appropriate page.
the exam itself:
found it extremely hard, to be honest. while taking it i had the feeling i couldn't answer a single question right. and time suddenly became an issue, too, which had never been the case in uw or nmbe. always finished the blocks just in time, but no time to go over the marked questions.
had two media questions, both were at the end of a respective block and both were about a heart murmur (i think one was mitral stenosis and one was mitral insufficiency. i hope so at least). no big deal, except that i only had found out yesterday that there is such a thing as media questions....
content:
i had the feeling it was a lot of pharmacology. like weird drugs i had never heard of. but maybe it's just me and those drugs (i don't remember a single one of course) are totally commonplace.
then it seemed quite loaded with stds and incontinence. like 5-7q on the different types of incontinence.
quite some ethics questions. like whether to disclose diagnosis of familial ALS to adult children of a patient who doesn't want them to know they might have it. (what would you guys say?)
and a lot of confusing psychiatry q. mdd vs dysthymic vs adjustment vs..., but much more vague and less straightfoward than in uw.
did go to bed early the day before, but woke up from nightmares about the exam at 4am. nightmares were not about the content though, rather that i couldn't sit the exam because i had not brought the right scheduling permit or something like that fell back asleep at 5.
my only hope now is that while taking the nmbe3 i had had the exact same feeling of total failure and yet ended up with a good score... so... lets see...
i had started out with the goal of beating my step1 score. but now i must say i would be very grateful for anything above 90.
finally, no matter what the score will be, i would like to say a big thank you to everybody on this forum. as with step1 a while ago, p4usmle has been a great help. special thanks to hir, arlete and paheli 
will post more topics as soon as my memory comes back
good luck to you all
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| hir
Forum Guru
Topics: 4
Posts: 525
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wow, u r done!!!!!!!!!!!!!! congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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| KHILADI420
Forum Newbie
Topics: 4
Posts: 56
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congratulations good luck
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| falcon
Forum Guru
Topics: 27
Posts: 478
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Congratulation u r done with the exam. and good luck for the best score.
Could u please tell me , Is there a difference between book Secrets and Crush
GL
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| paheli
It'sAllAboutGoodKarma
Topics: 197
Posts: 2,720
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Hey, Janka! Once again, you underestimate yourself. Don't do that! That feeling of, 'I'll be grateful for anything above...', or 'I just hope I don't fail' etc is very common to ALL of us, and perhaps even you, after your Step 1. But, eventually, the one who has worked hard for this is rewarded with a wonderful score. I believe you will too!
Now, Go and unwind!! 
P.S. I feel the joy and relief in your title, and it does not ring of one who's underperformed.
___________________
Prepare as if you're the worst, Perform as if you're the best! As you dream, so you manifest. So, DREAM BIG!! When you face hardship, remember, God never gives you more than you can handle. Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadows. Internship, Here I come!!
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| Janka
Forum Senior
Topics: 30
Posts: 150
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thank you hir, khiladi, falcon, and paheli!
falcon, i didn't use crush so i'm afraid i can't comment on it. as for secrets, i'd say it's a good supplemental source but i wouln't rely on it too much. i mean sometimes it felt a little superficial. but the q&a format is good to practice with a friend.
paheli my dear, i still don't feel i did well. the questions felt extremely hard... but i'm so glad it's over i almost don't care about the score 
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| falcon
Forum Guru
Topics: 27
Posts: 478
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Thanks very much Janka
Good luck for ur best score
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| Janka
Forum Senior
Topics: 30
Posts: 150
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just wanted to update you guys:
my score report just came in and i have...drumroll....... 237/98!!!!
it's 20 points less than nmbe predicted and it's also less than many other people in this forum get but
I
AM
SOOOOOOO
HAPPY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
thank you all so much. will be happy to answer questions.
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| mintx
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
Posts: 24
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Janka we're in the same boat ,though, my score will be available wendnesday next week, so nervous !
Actually , on the day i took my exam ,I took one tablet of 10 mg propanolol to control my nervousness ,but it really blocked my sense of survival .
best lucks to you !
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| docdoc9
Forum Guru
Topics: 63
Posts: 524
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Congrats Janka
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| Janka
Forum Senior
Topics: 30
Posts: 150
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thanks guys,
mintx try not to think about it... concentrate on other things and before you know it it'll be next wednesday and you'll be sharing with us your fantastic results!
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| paheli
It'sAllAboutGoodKarma
Topics: 197
Posts: 2,720
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Janka, I have to say this: Told you so! Congrats, my friend!
___________________
Prepare as if you're the worst, Perform as if you're the best! As you dream, so you manifest. So, DREAM BIG!! When you face hardship, remember, God never gives you more than you can handle. Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadows. Internship, Here I come!!
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| Ivonne
Find a way or make one
Topics: 58
Posts: 1,654
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Congratulations!!
___________________
"Believe you can and you're half way there."
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| Janka
Forum Senior
Topics: 30
Posts: 150
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thanks a lot paheli and ivonne!
paheli my dear, many thanks for all your support on this journey! i am convinced you will beat my score and make me very proud
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| heartblock
Forum Junior
Topics: 8
Posts: 63
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congrats
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| AnneGermany
Forum Guru
Topics: 37
Posts: 598
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Hi Janka,
congrats, congrats, congrats!!!!
I´m from Germany too and went to Marburg University. Graduated last year. Did Step 1 last March, now CK on July 1st.
You rocked it, hope, I can follow your path!!!!
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| falcon
Forum Guru
Topics: 27
Posts: 478
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Hi, Janka
Again Congratulation, Could u please tell me how u improved ur NBME score.
Best of Luck for ur residency
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| Janka
Forum Senior
Topics: 30
Posts: 150
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danke anne and thanks falcon!
anne i'm sure you'll do great on july 1st! drücke dir die daumen
falcon, i basically did nothing but working myself through uw. nmbe1 was before starting uw, nmbe2 was halfway through and nmbe3 was after finishing uw. good luck!
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| paheli
It'sAllAboutGoodKarma
Topics: 197
Posts: 2,720
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Janka, do you mean you did not use Kaplan notes?
___________________
Prepare as if you're the worst, Perform as if you're the best! As you dream, so you manifest. So, DREAM BIG!! When you face hardship, remember, God never gives you more than you can handle. Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadows. Internship, Here I come!!
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| Janka
Forum Senior
Topics: 30
Posts: 150
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paheli my dear, yes indeed i did NOT read kaplan notes...no time and no motivation....
to everyone preparing: please don't follow my bad example... i'm sure the notes are very helpful... i just did not have the time necessary, especially after a looooong day of clinic and research...
but maybe my example will help you feel less scared if you don't manage to get through the notes in time before your exam... if that happens, don't panic, think "janka made it without the notes somehow, and i did go through some of them so i'll do at least as good as her"...ok?
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