good luck

[ohthatmedic]

to all the 5ths: good luck today on the NBME comp! y'all are gonna rock it!!!!!!!

[mario345]

to all the 5ths: good luck today on the NBME comp! y'all are gonna rock it!!!!!!!

the reality will set in once they check their email.
17 people have to return to saba.

[KarmaInsight]

the reality will set in once they check their email.
17 people have to return to saba.

17 people failed the NBME? Couldn't they just take them ahead of time so they know the answers? All the NBME answers can be found online.

[amyames]

17 people failed the NBME? Couldn't they just take them ahead of time so they know the answers? All the NBME answers can be found online.

I had always heard, and then because of this assumed, that NBME has two sets of tests. One for the general public to buy at $45 a pop, and one set that schools use to test their students at the end or near end of basic sciences. But apparently, from what I have heard, on comp day for the 5ths....many students said that if you had taken any of the online comps, ie paid the $45, you would have passed the comp Saba administered because there were so many questions from the online versions.

this in my mind defeats the purpose of moving away from kaplan to the NBME's. NBME comp was supposed to be a better predictor for the students and now it seems pretty useless if students can pony up the money (or use the internet) to simply memorize answers from the different forms. this neither helps the students, nor the school because students leave the island with a false sense of satisfaction and the admin has data that says students rocked the comp when in fact people were memorizing answers.

I'm not saying people in 5th did this...I'm just saying from what I heard if you did the online versions for practice sake you were much better off because some of the exact same questions showed up on the comp. how does this help students in the least? NBME's are useful to gauge your progress as you study, and if students are now taking the online NBME's in order to pass the comp so as to get off the island.... what use are the NBME's going to be for them once they leave? Sure, you don't memorize all the answers to every form, but having done the forms before doesn't leave you with a good predictor as you study for step....

it just seems silly to me that NBME would give out comps to schools that had the same questions as the ones online....don't they realize students are gonna pony up the money to do those as practice?

then again...questions from the online comps do appear on the actually step 1, or so I hear....so maybe this is all a moot point and I should just politely stop this ranting...... as for the 17 supposed failures....soooo sorry to hear that!!!! what is going to happen to these folks? will they have to take kaplan all over again? is the school having kaplan at the end again as they did in the summer? but to those failures.....use this is as an opportunity to really focus on your weak points and go kick butt!!! you'll have more motivation to study and show everyone that a fail on the comp doesn't mean a fail on the step 1! so go hit it hard, and then make saba proud with fantastic scores on step 1! much luck to all.

[KingMo]

17 people failed the NBME? Couldn't they just take them ahead of time so they know the answers? All the NBME answers can be found online.

Ha. Kinda defeats the whole purpose of the exit exam.

[KarmaInsight]

Ha. Kinda defeats the whole purpose of the exit exam.

Yeah but do you wanna get outta jail or not?

[mario345]

I am just speechless as to what has happened. There is so much that we can say and 'whine' about, but I dont think that we are allowed to (or we can). Students are honestly scared to voice themselves because they know what might happen.
They are just shocked.
I just cannot imagine getting home with such happiness until I open my email and find out that I have to return. Its crushing.
There are people who cheated and made it through. People who got 770s because they memorized the answers from the forms. I dare them to take the actual USMLE tomorrow and get a 265. I dare them. I will give them a $1000 dollars if they do so. I cannot believe that some people left for home early and wrote the NBME with their books open and dont have to come back, whereas students who practically lived at the library and watched Kaplan videos and tried to do it the right way got stuck with 340, etc because they refused to cheat and/or save the NBME forms for when it matters.
I am just shocked that this exam is still legit. It should be nullified as students had access to them [btw, NBMEs are floating around with full answers]. We were NOT told about the minimum cut off, because the dean told us that this will be a 'pilot' program and used to collect data for NBMEs given to next semester students etc. The admin lied to us and most of us feel very cheated and hurt by this. Even those who managed to pass are shocked because it could have been them. People did NOT treat this exam like a regular block exam. They did not re check their answers etc 2-3 times etc because they trusted what they were told, and that is: its an exam to gather data for comparisons next semester onwards.
If only he had told us the cut off before (like a 45% for kaplan), then atleast people would have concentrated more and gotten 3/4 more points and made it through. Many people are in 340s.
I agree, if someone gets a very low score, then there should be done something about it. But NO ONE has the right to toy with our life.

[mario345]

Ha. Kinda defeats the whole purpose of the exit exam.
exactly. its crazy man, im telling you.

[mario345]

17 people failed the NBME? Couldn't they just take them ahead of time so they know the answers? All the NBME answers can be found online.
we had the nbmes on our computer before the semester even started. people downloaded them with full answers. however, most of us never touched them because:
a) it would be cheating, and you are only cheating yourself
b) we did not know that we will be getting one of the forms 1-6
c) because of point b, there is no point in wasting a VALUABLE resource which predicts your actual USMLE score by +/-5 point.
d) we trusted our admin to do what they had said - but they totally did a 180 on us.

[rdecastro]

Hmm. 20 or more students transfering away from Saba, and 17 having to return to retake the NBME?

Well, that helps balance the bottom line....

What does the NBME have to do with medical education? Nothing. Not required for licensure anywhere, not a pre-req for the USMLE's.

Schools can dress it up with any noble-sounding tripe they want but it seems it's all about the cash.....After all, Saba's President has to pay for his new jet somehow, and losing $150K in one semester because of the environment doesn't quite pay that bill, does it? After all, they have to save their money - can't waste it on things like redesigning the web page (which looks as bad today as it did 4 years ago).

LOL, the group faculty photo is almost 3 years old (I remember when it was taken)...half the professors aren't there any more. Not counting the ones who just left.

All schools are businesses. Not all are as blatent as Saba.

[thedirtychemist]

In my opinion, it is the best student resource for predicting your scores on the actual step. Mine was within 5pts actually.

As far as it goes for the 17 returnees, it may be best for them to reassess their study skills because if you're not able to pass the NBMEs - chances are great that you're not able to pass the step.

No matter how I look at it, if one failed the exam, that it is that sole person's responsibility. Sure the school is easy to blame with all the drama that's been going on; however, the studying is all up to the test taker. The sooner we own up to our shortcomings, the sooner we would be able to alleviate them. It sucks to have to repeat the exam, but that's always been the rule. In fact, most people use this to pressure themselves into striving for best.

If you cheated, then live with your shame. No one really cares about these island exit exams like rdecastro says. Your step score will reveal your true score.

[mario345]

In my opinion, it is the best student resource for predicting your scores on the actual step. Mine was within 5pts actually.

As far as it goes for the 17 returnees, it may be best for them to reassess their study skills because if you're not able to pass the NBMEs - chances are great that you're not able to pass the step.

No matter how I look at it, if one failed the exam, that it is that sole person's responsibility. Sure the school is easy to blame with all the drama that's been going on; however, the studying is all up to the test taker. The sooner we own up to our shortcomings, the sooner we would be able to alleviate them. It sucks to have to repeat the exam, but that's always been the rule. In fact, most people use this to pressure themselves into striving for best.

If you cheated, then live with your shame. No one really cares about these island exit exams like rdecastro says. Your step score will reveal your true score.
^no one knew the minimum score to pass before hand. it was arbitrarily assigned after the scores were in!!

and by the way, we only had three weeks to study for the usmle. remember, we didnt have the kaplan ball rolling at the beginning of the semester. it was a big mess up.

[mario345]

...and exactly, no one cares about these exit exams. so why are the students being asked to come back then!? they are to return to take the nbme at school. to my knowledge, they cant take it from home.

[thedirtychemist]

Yah, quite a mess.

I suppose the best we could do is wish everyone the best of luck with trying to get through.

If you're curious, round 185 is the passing score for the boards according to my reports sheet for the exam that I took as of july 2008

[JeebusLives]

Damn our class got owned. DAYUM!

To all the cheaters proud of your scores, its better to get owned now then later on the actual exam. ;)

[JLea]

17 people cleared the island with all the signatures they needed to get and turned in their residency papers...

Now, after they get home, they are given an arbitrary cut-off to determine that they "failed" the comp exam and they have to come back?

What, will they have to reapply for NA residency, etc?

I'm sorry to hear that guys, you really deserve better.

[ohthatmedic]

good luck to all the students who gotta go back to saba and all those that MUsT take a review program

can't believe the school is making ppl take review program. so wrong

[amyames]

good luck to all the students who gotta go back to saba and all those that MUsT take a review program

can't believe the school is making ppl take review program. so wrong


what do you mean the school is making people take a review program? as in, if you didn't pass the comp you have to come back to saba now no matter what or if you don't want to come to saba you have to take some review program in the states?

for those that didn't pass, a review program might not be a bad idea, but I feel bad for those folks that didn't plan on taking a review program and now have to incur these added costs. with the loan situation as it is, I bet some of these students can't afford a review program! spending $4000-$6000 may not even be in the budget. what is the school doing for those students who are tight on money?

as said, a review program might not be a bad idea for these folks, but I have had friends who really wanted to go to a review program and didn't have the funds to do so. they instead had to make a detailed study plan and do step 1 prep on their own, but these people passed with flying colors and did much much better than they ever dreamed they would..so it's all not about a review program...it's about having a solid study plan and sticking to it.....so the school MAKING these students take a review program seems kinda harsh....it can be done on ones own as long as one works hard and has a solid set of study materials.

[Boulderunner]

People keep throwing around the number 17, but I dont understand how this number got out. Does any one have a copy of the infamous email that was sent out telling students that they had to come back. I took the NBME but never got any email telling us what the cutoff score was or that 17 people failed.....Im not saying its not true, but did only people that failed get the email?

[amyames]

People keep throwing around the number 17, but I dont understand how this number got out. Does any one have a copy of the infamous email that was sent out telling students that they had to come back. I took the NBME but never got any email telling us what the cutoff score was or that 17 people failed.....Im not saying its not true, but did only people that failed get the email?


it seems only people that failed got the email. those below a certain number have to come back to the island no matter what and take kaplan again free of charge, I believe below a 340, and those between a 340 and something must do something....ie come back to the island and apparently now take review course per what ohthatmedic is posting and then come back to the island to take the comp again.

i know this because i've seen the email myself that tells the students what the average, the cutoffs are..but I don't remember that email saying a person had to take a review course, but I could be wrong.....

but i'm not going to post them unless said person wants me to. other than that, i wish everyone the best of luck in step prep!

[mario345]

People keep throwing around the number 17, but I dont understand how this number got out. Does any one have a copy of the infamous email that was sent out telling students that they had to come back. I took the NBME but never got any email telling us what the cutoff score was or that 17 people failed.....Im not saying its not true, but did only people that failed get the email?
only those who failed got the emails.