Dr.Jen
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Hey guy Im planning to take my step 1 in about 3 weeks and I just got a 390 on nbme is that really bad??? Plz guys I would love some advice and help bc I need to pass! I've been doing Usmle world questions alot and I feel like my brain is fried 
any advice I will be happy to get!
What should i do the next 3 weeks- FA, goljan, goljan high yield, webpath, usmlerx, usmleworld ???
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| doctorjoy
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have you completed Usmle world? what is your percentage? how many times have you read FA?
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| Dr.Jen
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yes i'm like 80% done with u world and ive read fa 1x- my percentage in uword is 45% i know thats not so good but I've been learning a lot from the questions- should I do them over or should i do more fa reads
also is Goljan still really high yield? Should I just read the high yields or also his path notes?
Please let me know what you guys think i can do to improve my score from 390 to 490 or above in the next 2 and 1/2 weeks - I could really use some good advice
Thanks Guys
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| doctorjoy
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If you are 80% done with a 45% on UW, I would personally get an extension. If that is not an option, In the next two weeks, try to read FA 2x. If you have the golijan audio listen and follow along in the path book. Make sure to take another test after reading through FA again. Try to complete the last 20% of UW higher than 60%. Make every hour of studying for the next couple of weeks meaningful, purposeful, treat it like your job depends on it. If that appears too much get an extension.
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| Dr.Jen
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hey thanks I was thinking of maybe extending my date for another week but after that i was really hoping to have taken it by the middle of august-
Should i stick with uworld or try to do kaplan q book, or usmle rx or what I'm really trying my best and studying all the time i feel like i keep getting caught up in all the details- should I just focus on concepts or memorize random stuff like HFE gene for hematochromatosis is on chromosome 6- I mean should I focus on physio and path and high yields from the rest or what- I really am starting to feel overwhelmed-
Are goljan high yields really good i haven't done them yet and ive read some people love him and others say take it or leave it?
Thanks again for taking the time to give advice!
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| eddyheart
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Dr Jen, dont worry about that. The real step one exam is easier than all those. If you got 390 in the nbme you should get more than that in the real step 1. I bet that if you do and learn all the pathology questions in UW you'll get a good score.
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| eddyheart
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Dr Jen, dont worry about that. The real step one exam is easier than all those. If you got 390 in the nbme you should get more than that in the real step 1. I bet that if you do and learn all the pathology questions in UW you'll get a good score.
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| Dr.Jen
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Here's another confusion i have- Are the step 1 questions similar to uworld? like in content matter or is it just question style-
Like how sometimes you have to figure out 4 things just to answer one question?
Anyone whos taken the step or knows this I would love to know!
Should i take notes on uworld? on everything or just wrong ones?
Also is it safe to stick with only uworld bc some people use like 4 q banks and that kinda freaks me out
So you guys think I will be ok just learning concepts- like on step are they gonna be like what chromosome has mutation for CF or do they just describe cf and you pick it or what is actually the prob like cftr cl- channels and stuff like that?
Oh and what about the low yield stuff like bichm and anatomy - any suggestions for those?
Thanks again guys and good luck studying!
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| Dr.Jen
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Any advice guys?! I really need some good input!
PLZ
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| gray10
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(uwaverage x2.4)+ 84 = predicted score.
do another nbme to make sure.
askdoctor (search his posts on this web site) has the best advice.
do mcq in subjects not random if you want to increase your knowlegde
quickly.
other people can correct me if I am wrong.
now back to my 2000mcqs
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| usmlekiller
Forum Guru
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[quote=gray10](uwaverage x2.4)+ 84 = predicted score.
that method isnt very accurate.....and it matters how one does the questions as well.....whether random timed unused or marked etc.....best bet is to go with nbme
___________________
FUTURE 99ER
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| gray10
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sorry that should be askdoc not askdoctor
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| sleepy_student
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i'm not totally comfortable telling people what to do, but in your case maybe you should think about extending your eligibility period. try to finish UW qbank, and take more nbme's.
the exam is not always easier than the nbme's or UW, so carefully think about what you should do. but it's completely up to you. some questions ask for general principles and others ask for specific things like mutions.
i thought it was a good idea to take notes on stuff that i didnt know from UW.
well, good luck to u! and make the most of the last few days if you choose to take it!
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| Dr.Jen
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Posts: 20
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Thanks everyone for the input- I think the stress of this all is really getting to me I mean I want to bang my head on the desk most days and I can never sleep- its kinda a bad cycle- what score on nbme should i get to guarantee that i pass with a good score?
I want to pass and do well- i dont have to get 99 but i dont want 75 - God willing i will pass!
ahh my brain hurts
How long is too long to review the uworld q's? I mean i feel like i spend 8 hours reviewing 100 bc of all the info in the answer choices do i really need to know all that stuff- i'm kinda overwhelmed!
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| sleepy_student
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Dr Jen,
i actually used to review questions for about 4 to 5 hrs after doing one block of 50 questions. i know that is a lot of time, but i was nervous about missing any info, so i would read the entire explanations including the wrong ones, and take notes on anything i wasnt sure i had written down. it's definitely exhausting, but i learned a lot of information that way that wasnt found in any of my other books.
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| Dr.Jen
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Topics: 4
Posts: 20
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thanks sleepystudent!
hey now i don't feel so bad  I definitely am learning stuff- do you think that all the info that was in the explanations of uworld were helpful for the step? like to they ask about similar topics or pretty much the same concepts as uworld ???
Have any suggestions for my next 3 weeks? I got 390 on last nbme 2 weeks ago and I still am bad at bichm- do you think FA is enough for that bc i hope so-
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| sleepy_student
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yeah, i actually thought i was the only one that spent that much time on questions, but i was trying to be as thorough as possible. and i found the random facts in uw very useful. i just made notes in all of my books.
generally, the topics are pretty similar to UW, so if you can understand the questions, answers, and are doing pretty well, then i think you will be fine.
as for biochem, i used FA as a guidline for the general topics of biochem, and then used lippincott and kaplan to actually learn and read the material. if lippincott was too long or complicated for a topic, i read it in kaplan, and vice versa.
i tried to leave two full weeks for review, and read FA, and whatever i didnt understand/remember, or thought was still a little fuzzy i looked up in the review books and re-read.
and try your best to leave a day or two free before the exam, cuz it will be very hard to study anything new, or review anything new the day before, since you might be a little bit anxious or nervous.
and finally, if you havent extended you eligibility period, you can always extend it just in case, but still take your exam in august if you feel ready...you'll just have that cushion to fall back on if u start freaking out and become unproductive.
but i'm sure you will be fine...good luck to you!
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| gray10
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i think sleep st gives good advice.
i would do another nbme.
i am in the same boat as you.so take this advice with grain of salt.
i would say 10% of people fail usmle.
so you need to be out of the bottom 15% percentile on uw to pass.
uw mean should equal uslme mean, using percentile place might give you an idea of sd.
about 200 mcq per day is my limit.
i am listening to goljan audio now to break up my study. i wondered why people like
it but he is very funny, and very very very good at giving you the big picture,
and says usmle will always ask you why? why? why? so think why and concepts for exam.
read " askdoc " posts on this forum. i have read most of study preps and his posts are the
most intelligent reason why, you can or cannot improve your score.
If you have enough time, i think anyone can get a good score.
Unfortunately like you i am running out of time.
hope this helps now back to mcq.
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| Dr.Jen
Forum Newbie
Topics: 4
Posts: 20
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Hey guys so I have come to the realization that I'm gonna extend my exam maybe a week or two - It's just my Gut Instinct right now-
I'm gonna take a practice usmle at the center next week- any suggestions or advice for this? Like anyone know whats a good score on the practice test?
is it easier/harder/what?
Also I am trying to be done with uworld within the next week- Do I need to do uworld more than once??bc I've heard that some people say I should do all questions more than once-
Here is my plan for the next 3 weeks:
I'm gonna review my physio notes and diagrams from kaplan
Review Goljan path slides, notes and high yields
I'm gonna get through FA 3 more times- I've got pretty good notes in there from uworld
And maybe FA cases- I've had that book for a while
Oh and I'm gonna really try to start sleeping like a normal person bc for the last 2 months I lay in bed with random anxiety-like I'm sure someone out there is hopped up on adderall and studying and I should be too- but I'm over that I need my sleep its so essential to me
SO I wrote all this out to hopefully get some constructive feedback from those of you who have taken the exam or know a bunch about it -
Please let me know what you guys think-
Oh and also another random question- I'm not a genius at Stats and I was wondering for the actual exam- If I literally am like what-I have no idea about a question is it better to like consistently pick "D" or should I actually try to reason my way through it??
For the ones that I have no idea should I pick "D" everytime or should I pick something vaguely familar-
I know thats random but I've always wondered that
Ok guys sorry such a long post and I'm eagerly awaiting feedback Please
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| gray10
Forum Junior
Topics: 4
Posts: 73
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my plan.
delay exam
reread all notes one cycle. go for big three, path(40% exam),micro,imm.pharm.
go for high yield topics, then higher yield low yield topics.
pay particular attention to concepts where 80% people got right on uw and i got wrong.
do q banks to increase knowledge ie by subjects.
use goljan audio in breaks. funny and good advice.
use nbme as test.
forget about my uw score.
according to "askdoc" 94% of amgs are passing, and usmle wants 10% to fail.
so i think it is adding harder qs to test. they can only add about 5% new qs per yr so i expect 5% of test well be harder.
so the amgs are working harder means everyone is working harder, so that goes for me too.
overstudy is better than understudying, aim for good score so at least i will pass.
reread "askdoc"
now back to notes.
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| gray10
Forum Junior
Topics: 4
Posts: 73
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guessing,
askdoc says passing score is 55% q s right on hard block
65% on easy block.
my aim is to know 50% of concepts cold
even when your brain is fried which it is going to be for the last 3 blocks.
this is also a timed endurance test, there will be some low yield stuff on exam which requires guessing, so i am going to guess quickly and save more time for next q.
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| Dr.Jen
Forum Newbie
Topics: 4
Posts: 20
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Sounds like a good plan gray10- 
I'm thinking i'm gonna just try to reason my way through difficult answers like if it obviously is the answer for a diff question i will just eliminate it- this exam is 700 dollars so I might as well make an educated guess on stuff i'm not sure of- i feel like its better to just try- or let my instinct guide me on those than randomly putting 'D'
About the big 3- I feel like your plan is right on- definitely focus on the Big pic-
Path/phys/Micro-Immuno/Pharm- I was explaining it to my mom:
Physio is how your body works- Path is what happens when physio goes wrong-Micro-Immuno explains the bug/autoimmune rxn- Pharm is how you treat the path
I know that seems kinda confusing but it really isn't
Oh and Biochem is just what happens on a molecular level(for these I am focusing on diseases and enzymes and vitamins) everything else forget it - I am not a chemist nor do I want to be and if I get 80 in a row biochm Eqs then I'm walking out 
Ok back to uworld- me too I don't care about my score I care about learning the concepts-
the people who are like oh my uworld scorei s like 89%- seriously give me a freakin' break - go take the test then
I'm learning 1. to pass this test with a high score and kick its butt
2. to understand medicine- bc you don't have 20 minutes to cram when there is an emergency
So back to my life of studying- by the way do you take days off- or breaks?
I feel super guilty whenever I even take the evening off- but I need some pf changs
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| gray10
Forum Junior
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my break is writing this post.
but is should be listening to goljan audio.
i suggest you do the same.
i was even thinking of going to sleep with it on its that good
except it has more hints on it and more clues, and more learning than
mcqs.
so my only break is with the goljan audio on.
i plan to exercise with audio on.
i am going to eat , sleep goljan audio until i can talk the talk.
and hopely walk the walk.
i do not want to get a bad score and say i did not study.
the difference in good and bad score is what you study then the time you have to
study.
i know someone who get 99, she studied while going to toilet.
now does that make you scared.
i have less than couple weeks, plan to take last week easy,FA
one day memorise formulas and normal values(know normal values cold it will save you time), 1 day rota memory stuff,and one day off.
everyone says its a thinking exam, you will always get 2 or 3 step qs.
i can only maintain this intensity for few weeks and then i am done.
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| medschool4life
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Topics: 3
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Hi....I was in the same position you are in right now......I sat down, took a deep breath and told myself that if i extend the date its ok as long as i take it when i am ready cuz you would rather take it when your ready than taking it when your not sure. I suggest that you extend it for a bit till you feel more confident.
You dont have to score an 85% or more in UW....just keep doing questions till you feel more confident with what your retaining from the questions. I think you are doing just fine by reviewing the explanations properly and understanding it cuz your right you do have to apply this in real life and its better if you understand it now. Just keep your head up, and keep doing questions, read over FA again.....and know that even though this exam is a challenge you can conquer it all you need is confidence!! Good luck studying!
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| gray10
Forum Junior
Topics: 4
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i know your are short time.
so i have reprinted askdoc article here since i want you to read it, i read it many times to stay focused.
GL
quote from askdoc
"I've used this framework for analyzing my weak points throughout my review.
We can divide our whole preparation into 3 parts,
1. Knowledge Acquisition(KA) - This is where you put information into your Knowledge Bank(KB) Most new graduates are extremely fine here (Except if you're one of those who barely made it. Crammed for every test and promptly forgot everything afterwards.sticking out tongue Most Old graduates and some IMG graduates usually have problems here. If your deficiency is primarily here (like me both old and IMGsad), I'm sorry, I don't think there can be any successful prescription but to hit the books.
2. Knowledge Recall or Review(KR) - This is how well you extract information from your KB. Most new graduates have some problem only here. FA and the QBank makes a fantastic tool for improving Recall. So people with problems here usually give fantastic ratings to FA and Qbank.
3. Test Preparedness (TestPrep) - If you are not familiar with CBT, MCQ or clinical slant to questions, this is where your problem is. Problems with sitting for 8 hour exam is also classified here. Difficulty in answereing 2 to 3 step thinking questions also fall here. This is where QBanks are the most effective.
If the problem is primarily in KA, answering 100 thousand Q's will not help, IF your KB is full and you have problems only with KR and TP, hitting the books will be a waste of time. QBank, FA, HY and Flashcards should be the way to go.
How do I know where my primary problem is?
Well a quick way to know is to use an evaluation examination, preferably one that's very near like to the actual exam. (The Kaplan CD examination comes to mind)
If you find while answering the questions that either the choices, the question itself or the pictures makes you think out loud "What the Heck is this?" You have a KA problem.
If most of the time it is, "I know this, but I can't recall how you differentiate between drug A and drug B (or symptoms, presentation, treatment, mechanisms,etc.)" You're having a KR problem.
If you thought you had the answer, then find out it's wrong, but after reading the explanation, you are surprised that you had misunderstood the question, It's a TP problem. Running out of time answering questions is also a TP problem.
As the medical adage goes, from the Diagnosis all things flow. After you've correctly diagnosed your problem, then the treatment is routine.
I'll discuss the solution to each identified problems in my next post and particular strategies you can use to improve your TestPrep ability.
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