pujan
Forum Newbie
Topics: 8
Posts: 42
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Hi All, Feels great to be writing down my experience. Well let me write something how it all went.
Average IMG in Medical School, graduated on September 2007. Studies on/off for 10 months averaging 8 hrs a day, more serious towards the end, like 14 hrs a day.
STUDY MATERIALS:
1. Kaplan series for all the subjects. Yes patho as well, and it's awesome guys. Believe me, the study material is not as important as the time you spend and the concepts you develop.
2. USMLE WORLD- used it as a supplement rather than to evaluate myself. I added every concept I could possibly in my Kaplan notes and FA and revised them over and over. I did UW with my second read by the way, 100 questions a day.
3. First Aid 2007- extremely important. I did FA with every read.
NBME 2- 219/90 ( 4 weeks prior)
NBME 1- 225/94 (2 weeks prior, took it offline and the scores are according to a post somewhere here in this forum.
NBME 3- 225/94 (4 days prior, offline as well)
USMLE CD- 2008- 46/44/46 (2 days before exam)
EXAM SCORE: 233/97
contd.....
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| drlilac2002
Forum Junior
Topics: 19
Posts: 37
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Hi,
Congratulations! How did you integrate Kaplan with FA? Did you read FA first then referred to Kaplan?
Thanks!
___________________
bridging the gap between health care and the poor...
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| pujan
Forum Newbie
Topics: 8
Posts: 42
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CORRECTION: Sorry my exam date was on 31st of JULY 2008 and got my results on 20th of AUG
Hi liliac2002, Yeah I did my first read with lecture notes for every subject, and after my first read of KAPLAN LN was over, I went through FA quickly. You tend to feel that
FA is incomplete when you first read it, but believe me when you go over and over it, after every read, you will feel that it has all the concepts that are tested. Yeah, it's all there.
Would be glad to answer any questions you have. Good luck studying
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| usmlekiller
Forum Guru
Topics: 18
Posts: 1,010
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congrats
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FUTURE 99ER
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| dowjunk
Forum Elite
Topics: 14
Posts: 433
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bingo! congrats!!
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Grad of 2007. Work in progress.......
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| Mahdi
Forum Newbie
Topics: 0
Posts: 12
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I am happy for u
congrats !!
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| pujan
Forum Newbie
Topics: 8
Posts: 42
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Thanks guys. Now a little bit about my exam. I spared the last week for FA only. And do not plan to study anything for the last two days. I kept my cool, and stayed confident. I listened to Dr. Daughtry's lecture on exam prep, read the exam tackling trics in Kaplan Q-
BOOK. It helped me a lot figuring out what the real exam might look like. A day prior I went to the Prometric center to find the quickest way.
EXAM DAY:
Woke up early. Went to bed on my usual time (2 in the morning), thanks to the couple Zolpidem I gulped down. First two blocks were easy and got time to revise all the questions. Marked about 20 in every block. A piece of advice- don't hesitate to mark your questions, even during your practice sessions. And do not spend too much time on a single difficult questions. You can not answer all the questions. I just made my best guess and proceeded on. The third block was extremely difficult and barely had time to review marked questions. The fourth block was quite tough as well. By the fifth block, I was exhausted. Took about 5 mins breaks after every block, and 20 mins after the fourth for lunch. Patho and Physio were mostly tested on my exam, and lots of behavioral science, Micro the least tested I guess. Anatomy, I faced real problems with towards the end, was not heavily tested. About 4 or 5 questions from Neuroanatomy and a couple from Histology, but Brachial plexus was heavily tested. Got lots of questions from Endocrine and Renal in Physiology as well. By the end of the day, I couldn't figure out how I had done. The exam basically tries to figure out your concepts guys. You feel that all the cramming you have done was of no use at all. The other thing that I noticed is that the blocks got more difficult if I did well, and the same concepts were tested over and over in different blocks, I got about 3 on Wilson's disease for example, in different blocks, and with a different vignette. 48 questions a block and one audiovisual. Well don't be scared of the exam folks, work really hard and trust yourself.
Stay confident the day of your exam and sleep well the day before. Work out a schedule so that you can wake up early enough on the exam day.
Lastly I would like to thank all the forum Gurus, you guys are awesome, and this site is great. Good luck studying.
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| SeYYeDo
Forum Newbie
Topics: 6
Posts: 31
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hey
congrats on ur score
i have a quesiton
on ur first read do u memorzie stuff or u just read and understand?
wat i do is only watch the videos for kaplan and understand and i have my FA opened next to me and everytime i see something is mentioned in FA which is mentioned in kaplan as well i mark it and i write the page number in FA so later when im reading FA if i need more explanation i know where exactly to refer to.
but i dont memorize anything.. i just read and understand.
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| pujan
Forum Newbie
Topics: 8
Posts: 42
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It's alrite to skim through all the books quickly during your first read. Yeah read the topic on Kaplan LN and watch it's video after, so that you know what extra points you need to add. Use FA to revise and recapitulate. Even if you don't understand FA right now, just read everything. Yeah it's great that you are facilitating your further revisions by marking the important points. I memorized a lot on my second and third revisions. So you're on the right track dude. Stay focused.
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| Iwan
Forum Newbie
Topics: 0
Posts: 3
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WOW! You already took the exam on August 31st? And you got your score too????? But.... We are not there yet, today is still August 27th, Am I in a different world or you are? Correct me please....
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| HGPRTase
Forum Junior
Topics: 6
Posts: 89
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iwan, dude, relax. he meant july 31 
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| SeYYeDo
Forum Newbie
Topics: 6
Posts: 31
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thanx alot pujan.. i really needed someone to tell me that
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| pujan
Forum Newbie
Topics: 8
Posts: 42
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You're welcome my friend.
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| gauri14
Forum Newbie
Topics: 1
Posts: 62
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hi pujan..could u tell me when"S the best time to register for the exam.i just started my prep for step 1??thanx...
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| faiz
Forum Newbie
Topics: 1
Posts: 14
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hii can any1 tell me plzz..what nbme test i should take for test.there r many like medicine n basic sciences 1..6..m scared that if i dnt do good in it..i'll b depressed..n i have 15 days left for my test..it seems that all concepts r vanished from my brain...n those who have given their exam can temme..abt the histopathology slides and gross pathology that i dnt know much about...waiting for any1s reply..thanks..GOD bless u all.
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| faiz
Forum Newbie
Topics: 1
Posts: 14
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n also about genetics and medical biology quetions..they r really toughest part of my study...every1 says that level of question is same as like usmle world...n i found usmle world very difficult...so is that true...
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| pujan
Forum Newbie
Topics: 8
Posts: 42
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Hi Gauri, well you should carefully plan when to take your exams. The best strategy is to count backwards to calculate how much time you have. You have to be ECFMG certified to be on the best position to apply for 2010, so that you get maximum number of interview calls. To be ECFMG certified (that is completed step 1 and step 2 results and Clinical Skills passed), and be able to apply for 2010, you need to have completed your steps and CS by September 2009. So plan your CS for June, because it might take upto 3 months to get your CS results. That means you need to be in the US by june, so you have to have your step2 results by the beginning of June. Assuming that it normally takes 3 weeks to get your results, you need to take your exams by mid may. And depending upon how long you need to prepare for step 2, (it normally takes 3 months at the most)j, you need to take your step 1 within February. That leaves you with 6 months of prep time for STEP 1 starting today. Well it is an ideal time for you to start and head for a 99. Good luck.
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| pujan
Forum Newbie
Topics: 8
Posts: 42
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Hi Faiz, according to a post somewhere in this blog, NBME 2 best correlates with the exam. But I think it doesn't make much difference which NBME you take. And don't worry too much about histopathology slides. The vignette usually provides us with enough clues and you need not be too dependent on the slides alone. Spend a lot of time on text and be calm. You can never know everything and you can't answer all the questions in your exam. Be confident on your concepts and make your best guess, I feel that's the best strategy. Well I got some really weird questions in genetics. The last two chapters of genetics in Kaplan are very important. Don't worry too much about Hardy Weingerg equations and LOD scores. Stress more on modes of inheritances of genetic diseases. The exam is easier than UWORLD. Use UWORLD as a supplement to your books, and not to test yourself. Don't panic, be calm and confident. If you have studied you will definitely do well. Sleep well during your last week, and take an ambien if you have to, and schedule your sleep cycle to match your exam day, so that you have at least 6 hours of sleep. Good luck.
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| uncle SAM watin
Forum Junior
Topics: 22
Posts: 57
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Hi gauri i m thinking of match 2010,i started for step 1 from today if u intrested kindly inform for joint strategy,m from india.
Edited by uncle SAM watin on 09/01/08 - 06:41 PM. Reason: J
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| elihamou
Forum Newbie
Topics: 3
Posts: 8
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can someone plz direct me to the explanation of how to convert my scores on the offline NBMEs to the xxx/yy scale?
thnx!
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