askdoc
Forum Junior
Topics: 2
Posts: 91
| | 07/24/08 - 09:46 AM
1 of 2 forum leaders found this post helpful
| #1 |
It's frustrating to hear people failing multiple times in the USMLE.
If you've failed and would like my help;
Read my post here and in my Blog
Lay out how you reviewed and how this differs from what I've laid out.
I'll help you figure out what's wrong with your review methods and suggest corrections.
Most problems in reviewing for the USMLE is not because you studied the wrong things, but you studied the wrong way. In almost all forums, you see people studying all the same materials but the scores range from failing to 99's. So it's not in what you studied but how you studied that makes the difference. That's what I was trying to point out in my post 2 years ago.
So do not only tell what you've studied but how you studied it, what measures you took to make what you studied stick in your memory and that you can recall them at examination time.
___________________
Step1 99/256, Step 2 99/258, Old IMG, 1989 grad. A man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's heaven for. http://blogs.askdoc-usmle.com
|
| askdoc
Forum Junior
Topics: 2
Posts: 91
| | 07/24/08 - 10:26 AM
1 of 2 forum leaders found this post helpful
| #2 |
All these should be covered in my blog in future posts, but by then it would be too late for some. So I will just post this here in condensed format and it will be discussed in more detail in future posts in my blog.
For the purpose of the USMLE, what you cannot recall in a minute or so, you do not know. It is not enough for you to have read Kaplan, or FA or whatever, but you should be able to recall what you have read. If you cannot answer a question, it is because:
1. you do not know the concept because you have not read it
2. you read the concept but you did not understand it
3. you read the concept and understood it but cannot recall it in the exam
4. you read the concept, understood it and can recall it in the exam given enough time, but of course since this is the USMLE, you never have enough time
In all 4 cases, you don't get points as far as the USMLE is concerned.
Other reasons include,
1. you read it, understood it, can recall it in time, but the question is in clinical vignette format and you are poor in clinical vignettes
2. you read it, understood it, can recall it, but the question require more details than what you've actually read and understood, ie, it requires a higher level of mastery than you've prepped for
3. you read it, you thought you understood it, but actually you didn't because you never tested your comprehension
In all these cases, you also don't get points as far as the USMLE is concerned.
So you see, you could've studied and read all the right stuff, but you still don't get points for them and you could still fail. So it's not enough to study all the right things, you need to study the right way to insure that you covered all 7 situations stated above for everything you've read and studied. Studying the right stuff covers only situation number one.
Hope, I've convinced people that they need to do more than study the right stuff, since it seems most study plans I see in forums involves only what to study and never how to study.
___________________
Step1 99/256, Step 2 99/258, Old IMG, 1989 grad. A man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's heaven for. http://blogs.askdoc-usmle.com
|
| gray10
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
Posts: 50
|
Thankyou askdoc, you have helped me so much.
I wish I had known these things when I was going thru med school.
I urge people to spend the time to read your posts.
I reread them constantly to keep me focused.
I admire you for taking the time to help us.
Your tips on speed reading will stay with me for life.
Take care.
|
| DRFP
Forum Elite
Topics: 13
Posts: 226
|
For the purpose of the USMLE, what you cannot recall in a minute or so, you do not know. It is not enough for you to have read Kaplan, or FA or whatever, but you should be able to recall what you have read. If you cannot answer a question, it is because:
1. you do not know the concept because you have not read it
2. you read the concept but you did not understand it
3. you read the concept and understood it but cannot recall it in the exam
4. you read the concept, understood it and can recall it in the exam given enough time, but of course since this is the USMLE, you never have enough time
In all 4 cases, you don't get points as far as the USMLE is concerned
yes this was pretty much it all of these different times
I did not seriously take the NBME exams ( did 2 online but looked stuff up)
I did the downloads NBME
I did not buy a online q bank used USMLE RX q book ( bad idea) online per what I understand is 100x better
Did not really reread enough, I have attention deficit and did not take meds now taking meds, and family problems
So yea I was a mess.
I think I got it together now 
___________________
you only fail when you give up!
|
| askdoc
Forum Junior
Topics: 2
Posts: 91
|
To gray10: Thanks. It's just that everytime I see somebody fail this exam, I always think what a waste.  This exam is doable if you prepped right. It's quite hard but definitely doable.
To DRFP;
NBME is used to gauge your readiness for the examination, nothing else. All other uses which people tend to use it for is just in my opinion wasting time. So do it if you think you are ready to take the exam and not to see if you are ready to take the exam. If all other parameters indicate that you probably are ready to take exam., then do NBME to confirm it. Look at NBME as the confirmatory or diagnostic test, not as a screening test. Use Kaplan Q Bank or UW Q Bank as a screening test.
You don't have to do UW to get this exam. I got my 99 / 256 in step 1 without UW , it wasn't available then. You can use it, and it's more efficient if you are going for 90++ but otherwise Kaplan would do just as well. When my Kaplan scores were hitting 84 and above, I felt I was ready for the test. I took NBME form 1 only and 740 confirmed my readiness for the exam since I was aiming for a 99. 600 was enough for a 99, but I would have postponed if I got less than 660. Why? since I decided I want only a 99, and I'm giving myself a 10 point leeway (600=240 and 660=250) to make sure I make it to a 99 no ifs ands or buts.
You're right, the brain is like a muscle and you need to exercise it if you want it to perform right in the exam. So if you read my post in what to do, I emphasized reading, recall, reading, recall cycle per topic so you train your mind to recall what it has read. I also emphasized doing throw away q Banks to exercise your mind's ability for random recall needed for the examination.
As I stated in my blog and post here on information recall. I'm quoting:
"In order to do well in the exam, you need to put as many information in Immediate recall as much as possible. Now about 1/3 of Step 1 is pure recall. Another 3rd requires some analysis but if you can recall it you can answer it. Now about 1/3 requires extensive analysis and since you have about a minute to answer the questions, the faster you can recall the information, the more time you have for analysis. Fast recall is also very important in the first 2 types of questions since it will give you much more time for the more difficult part of the examination that requires more extensive analysis."
Therefore, practicing recall, and making sure you can recall information is important. Also in the same post, I've outlined the different types of recalls and how it affects your overall performance.
Then lastly, important to simulate the actual examination so you get used to the test experience and environment. You will never be completely relaxed when taking the examination, which is even undesirable, but you will not be as tense and you can concentrate on doing well in the exam rather than the mechanics of the exam.
When I took the examinations, I also had family problems. About a month before I was scheduled to take Step 2 CK, my father had a stroke and being the doctor in the family, I was expected to pull him through which thankfully he did about 2 weeks later. But you could imagine the pressure everyone brought to bear on me. People were shaking their head if I even tried to review a few hours per day in the hospital. Even then I got 1 99/258 in Step 2 CK a month later. Compartmentalize your problems from your review, I know its not easy but doable. If you cannot, then you have no choice but to give up on the exam because you'll fail it again and you can't afford to.
___________________
Step1 99/256, Step 2 99/258, Old IMG, 1989 grad. A man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's heaven for. http://blogs.askdoc-usmle.com
|
| DRFP
Forum Elite
Topics: 13
Posts: 226
|
Thanks, I have a Board q program too, its a little old ( 2002 I think) but I have set it up for Biochem right now to exercise on that today.
___________________
you only fail when you give up!
|
| sarah99
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
Posts: 26
|
thanks alot askdoc....i have a qsregarding recall ..i tend to forget the first subject by the time i reached the 7th one...what shud i do...i have seen that 2 months is the limit ,anything after 2 months i forget what shud i do
|
| askdoc
Forum Junior
Topics: 2
Posts: 91
|
hi DRFP; Good for you. When you restart reading the texts, after each section, write out an ouline of that section. Then go through your outline and try to recall other information not in your outline. That will strengthen your memory and recall of those information. When you reveiw after finishing the whole subject, go through your outline, trying to recall the extra information. If you fail to recall them, reread those section, if you can recall them, then go to next section and so on and so forth
to sarah99: Go to my blog, this link
http://blogs.askdoc-usmle.com/how-we-learn
read the comments section not the posts itself, regarding how to improve memory and recall. Try it out. see if your memory and recall improves.
DRFP: read the above post's comment section too, not the post itself, OK
___________________
Step1 99/256, Step 2 99/258, Old IMG, 1989 grad. A man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's heaven for. http://blogs.askdoc-usmle.com
|
| DRFP
Forum Elite
Topics: 13
Posts: 226
|
To DRFP;
NBME is used to gauge your readiness for the examination, nothing else. All other uses which people tend to use it for is just in my opinion wasting time. So do it if you think you are ready to take the exam and not to see if you are ready to take the exam. If all other parameters indicate that you probably are ready to take exam., then do NBME to confirm it. Look at NBME as the confirmatory or diagnostic test, not as a screening test. Use Kaplan Q Bank or UW Q Bank as a screening test.
Yes this is what I did so wrong, It was to myself and I suffered for it.
My punishment is
700 again
Take the test again 3rd time
explain to the residency programs about my stupid decisions ( unwise)
Others learn from me, this test is no joke.
Medical School testing did not prepare me for this.
___________________
you only fail when you give up!
|
| askdoc
Forum Junior
Topics: 2
Posts: 91
|
Hello everyone,
I would like to announce that I'll be offering a free prep course to people who have failed Step 1 at least once. Only 6 people will be accepted to the course to start September 1, 2008. Go to my blog for more details.
Remember, it's primarily for people who have failed at least once and its FREE.
askdoc
___________________
Step1 99/256, Step 2 99/258, Old IMG, 1989 grad. A man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's heaven for. http://blogs.askdoc-usmle.com
|
|
| |
| | | | | | | | | | |
