Thank you ValueMD Family, I got 218/88

[wcb22]

Well folks, here it is.


STEP 1 score: 88/218

NBME form 2: 460 (taken 6 weeks before)

NBME form 3: 500 (taken 4 weeks before)

USMLE CD: 38/40/40 (3 months/ 1 month/ 2 days)

Q-bank, ended up in the 70%-80% range avg.

BSS (Board Simulator Series) books (did 3 out of the 5), 60-63% avg.

Blackwells 350 Q test (http://www.lww.com/medstudent/usmle/), all in one setting, 2 months out. 73%

I didn't sleep one wink the night before (which is why I probably didn't break 90), but drank 4 Tab energy drinks throughout the day of the exam, and ate chocolate after every break. My exam was evenly distributed, I felt like it was probably an easier version, but maybe that's why my score isn't in the 90s. This is okay, as I'm going for Internal Medicine at a middle-tier university program, and then I'll probably pursue a fellowship in infectious disease. Some people feel awful coming out, and still get 97/240. To get a hard version of the exam isn't always a bad thing. NBME's are the best predictors. You might hope for a miracle, but most likely it will hover right around your NBME.


I go to CAHSU, one of the smaller schools. This was okay with me, as I enjoy smaller classroom sizes. I like that professors know me by name, and I can ask questions throughout lecture without feeling awkward about interrupting them. Neurons make important synapses when a question is sparked in your mind, and you get an immediate answer.

I've experienced education at the undergraduate university level, and community college level. Community college professors knew my name, but at the university I was known as "A9203" (as you go down the grade list and find your name). And if you have a question, there is a TA available from 3-5 pm after lecture.

Organic Chemistry II was like this, 300 people in the class, taught in an auditorium, only 10-15 get As, and the class average is a C+/B-. If the average is higher, the grade police will come around and get on the professor's case. So for me to end up with a 3.2 GPA, and a degree in Chemistry, didn't seem so bad to me, but US med schools think otherwise.

So SGU and ROSS didn't appeal to me as much (but this might be the perfect choice for you). SABA was appealing, but my wife didn't like the island situation, so we compromised on Belize. Afterall, she is suffering through 4 years of med school with me. I feel like my school prepared me enough to pass my boards. I think I needed the extra prep (reading through 2002, and 2005 kaplans, doing DVDs, q-bank, no Kaplan course though) to do relatively okay for my goals (I did beat the US med school student average afterall, barely though ;)). And something else I didn't do: CHEAT. Please don't cheat guys, you will suffer for it later on. The passes in those classes that I could have "honored" are now badges of honor for me, because I stayed true to my principles.

Anyway, choosing a med school is a very personal/family decision. I just don't like all the school bashing. Just study. Study, study, study. Watch the State Licensure Forum, make sure you are informed. Make sure you can practice where you want to practice.

Good luck to everyone here, I hope you continue to study hard, and do well on your exams.

[anencephalic]

Congrats, Bro!!

[wam_256]

:thumbsup: ....excellent!!!!

[stephew]

well done and thank you for sharing.
S.

[Mr. Rolon]

:lolup: you deserve it my friend!!

[IMG SURVIVOR]

:flag: Its time to celebrate

[MDiva]

Nice! Thanks for sharing you experience, it means a lot to those of us that are in the preparation stage.

Congrats!!!!!

[wcb22]

thanks a lot you guys. i've been on this forum for 3 years now, and 1 year before i started med school. i realized FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, before med school even started, how challenging this exam would be, and what it would require me to do to do well. i read First Aid, and listened to Goljans lectures the summer before i began med school. i've always studied for step 1 along with my normal studies, even if it was only for 20-30 minutes/day set aside to keep reading First Aid, or going over HY facts.

But I thank steph, teratos, tommyk, and many others, for showing me early on what it takes to be successful.

it's scary to go to a foreign school, go into large amounts of debt, and hope it all works out in the end. it was always a comfort to have people on the forum contributing who are on the other side, who have made it.

[zenphonicgirl]

Congratulation...that's awesome and good luck for your next step...of course, dont forget to pray for all of us who's still strugglin' here

:D

[stephew]

that's very sweet; thanks wcb and very well done.
enjoy your success.

thanks a lot you guys. i've been on this forum for 3 years now, and 1 year before i started med school. i realized FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, before med school even started, how challenging this exam would be, and what it would require me to do to do well. i read First Aid, and listened to Goljans lectures the summer before i began med school. i've always studied for step 1 along with my normal studies, even if it was only for 20-30 minutes/day set aside to keep reading First Aid, or going over HY facts.

But I thank steph, teratos, tommyk, and many others, for showing me early on what it takes to be successful.

it's scary to go to a foreign school, go into large amounts of debt, and hope it all works out in the end. it was always a comfort to have people on the forum contributing who are on the other side, who have made it.

[Jakajaka25]

Good Job! Congrats.

[radgirlbadgirl]

Congrats!!! Dude. You deserve it.

[sarahtarah]

congrats!
so your advice to current med school students would be?

[wcb22]

advice...

set aside time every day to study step 1, starting with semester 1, even when med school feels overwhelming. even if it's only 20 minutes/day. try to do a certain amount of step 1 questions each week (say, 100 questions/week).

read first aid many, many times. i would say almost every single word is HY.

i read kaplan 2002 (subject based books), and kaplan 2005 (organ system review). 2005 was a little cumbersome, too many details. but when you've read a lot, you will read first aid over again, and you could write in a lot more details into the margins of first aid, just from memory, because first aid is grossly deficient in many details. immunology is becoming a lot more HY. neuro images are more HY now. forget all the behavioral from BRS and kaplan, you might get 1 question from these sources. instead, read this...

U of W School of Medicine Bioethic Topics (http://depts.washington.edu/bioethx/topics/)

on my NBME, i scored borderline-low on behavioral. then i read this site, and i got asterisks, high performance, on behavioral on the real thing. it's HY!!! they don't care about the "old" behavioral science, they like the new bioethics and doc patient relationship.

take an NBME 2-3 months before your exam, work on the weaknesses. take another one to see where you are at just before the exam.

and finally, try to sleep the night before. your brain needs to "re-set" itself with some REM sleep, and some deep sleep (delta waves). i got zero sleep the night before, WITH 3 diphenhydramines. i could not get my nerves calmed down. try to get a good sleeping schedule down before the exam, and get a sleeping aid that works.

i know i would have been in the 90s if i slept, even just a little bit. just make every day count, keep reading, study hard, keep to a schedule, don't give up, have faith, it will all work out. it's just a stepping stone.

[md90]

:-rainbow CONGRATULATIONS!!!! Way to knock out the step 1... and best wishes to you in your medical career. Thank you for sharing your experience... :p :D

[jameslynton]

Well Done!!!!

['cuse]

Wow, Congratulations!!! Thank you for sharing your experience.

I met you in this forum when I was afraid & doubtful about going to CAHSU. You always gave me true honest opinions whenever I asked for your advice. I deeply appreciate all your help.

Again, congratulations and good luck on your other steps! :D

[crackmle]

i bet if u had sound sleep before ur exam day u wud have scored high as 99 and dont worry 88 is not that bad is juz 2 minus 90 ;)..be positive! very good dont worry! thanks for sharing ur experience..u r real hard worker and dedicated med student...goodluck for step 2!

[tommyk]

Dear wcb22,

It is people like you that keep me alive and happy. May God Bless you in every single thing that you do!

Sincerely,

Tommyk

[wcb22]

once again, thanks you guys, and nice to see you back tommyk. and advice to all, tommy's concepts are HY!! he knows the mind of the NBME. they might start recruiting him to write questions for step 1.

[ICUUCme@]

Hi,
Guy I just got accepted to Belize but after reading this thread I am worried. Plese some one tell me how is belize rated as of now and is it a good school to go to becaue if i go and not be sucessfull at it I am gonna in a big trouble from my parents. Thanks.

[godzfav]

congratulations

[Mawdy]

Hello,

I'm looking at attending AGU or CAHSU in Belize. I like the small class sizes of both schools. I'm an older student and the main reason, aside from class sizes, is I want to be closer to my family during the basic sciences. I would welcome all input as to the pro's and con's of both school from current students or those who are now in clinicals.

[MDiva]

Hi Mawdy,

Your answers about this school in Belize can be found by posting your queries in the CAHSU/Belize forum on this site.

[IMG SURVIVOR]

BUMP, nice experience and story.
And he have not forgotton the people behind him, he still helps in the step1 forum.
wcb22 or WBC :0)
thanks for the help and keep it up for step2

[Florence007]

Smart!Wish you good luck for ur next step!!

[wcb22]

hey thanks guys, i thought my step 1 score thread was dead. it's been revived, haha.

well this was almost a year ago, so i'll let you know how step 2 goes here soon. i'm taking it in july. already did CS, it was a cake walk, just read first aid step 2cs, and pretty much all the cases are in there.

i'm doing kaplan and usmle world for step 2ck. IMG survivor, good luck as you prepare for step 2ck. we're matching 2008, getting ready for ERAS?

[wam_256]

Excellent wcb22. Keep up the good work my friend!!!

[Captainwada]

congrats....time for STEP2!!! who wants to join me?!>?!?

[wcb22]

don't you just love those red letters? i was supprised that the results were in 1 month, wow, that was fast.

Your Most Recent USMLE™ Step 2 CS Score
Exam Date: 16 May 2007 Score Report Date: 20 Jun 2007

Our records indicate that you have already passed Step 2 CS or the ECFMG Clinical Skills Assessment (CSA®). The USMLE Policy on Reexamination generally does not allow applicants to retake Step 2 CS if they have already passed this exam or the ECFMG Clinical Skills Assessment. There are, however, certain exceptions to this policy:

Exception #1: Applicants who have already passed a Step or Step Component may retake that Step or Step Component if they need it to comply with a time limit of a medical licensing authority for completion of all Steps or a requirement imposed by another authority recognized by the USMLE program for this purpose.
Exception #2: For the purposes of ECFMG Certification, ECFMG requires that applicants pass those USMLE Steps or Step Components required for ECFMG Certification within a seven-year period. Effective June 14, 2004, applicants must pass Step 1, Step 2 CK, and Step 2 CS within a seven-year period for ECFMG Certification; this new seven-year requirement applies to applicants whose earliest USMLE passing performance that is valid for ECFMG Certification took place on or after June 14, 2004. Prior to June 14, 2004, ECFMG required that applicants pass Step 1 and Step 2 CK within a seven-year period for ECFMG Certification; this prior seven-year requirement continues to apply to applicants if their earliest USMLE passing performance that is valid for ECFMG Certification took place before June 14, 2004.
Exception #3: According to ECFMG policy, passing performance on administrations of the ECFMG CSA that took place before June 14, 2001 is valid for three years from the date passed for the purpose of entering programs of graduate medical education (GME). If an applicant's CSA pass date expired before entering a GME program, the applicant must revalidate this date by passing a subsequent exam, if he/she wishes to enter such a program. An applicant whose CSA pass date has expired and who plans to enter a GME program may take Step 2 CS for these revalidation purposes. If you still wish to apply for this exam based on one of the reexamination exceptions outlined above, you may proceed with your on-line application. For Exceptions #1, #2 and #3, you must submit documentation supporting this exception. Note: You may only request the exception at the time that you apply for the previously passed exam. Exceptions to the reexamination policy are not approved prior to your submitting the exam application. Click here (https://iwa2.ecfmg.org/csexceptions.asp) for a list of appropriate documentation and complete instructions on how to submit the support documentation.

[HHN786]

congrats..

[IMG SURVIVOR]

KEEP it up, you are doing great for residency next year.

[drborges]

congrats, i m starting, can any body explain me about NBME

[jsang083]

Do you know if is easy to get licensed in Canada?

[rajaneep]

Thats great. Thank you.