your opinion pls.....

[amira]

I am grateful.

[FlindersGrad]

It seems like, as you said, you are doing the best you can do. Step one is a difficult exam, but it seems that you are working hard despite your current situation. Also, you still have plenty of time to prepare. You are wise to pick one source and stick with it, but I would advise that you get a copy of First Aid for Step 1 if you don't already have it. It is a great review source of very high yield information, and I think nearly everyone would agree that you need a quick review source that ties everything together. Start reading it early, and make notes in it as you reread Kaplan.
Also, knowing how to take the exam is nearly as important as the knowledge itself. Sign up with Kaplan Q-bank in the run-up to the exam, and work through it relentlessly. This will give you a lot of confidence on exam day (ie, reading questions quickly, extracting important info quickly, learning what tends to trip you up in questions).
At the end of the day you just have to do the best you can and take the exam. I think delaying the exam for months is probably detrimental as you just can't continue to retain the information. However, if you are an IMG you really need to do well on the exam.
I hope this helps. Keep up the hard work, and it will pay off in the end!

[amira]

Thanks FlindersGrad....
I don't have the first-aid yet, but surely i will get one soon. I heard about this book quite sometime ago, but one of my friends told me that I should read this book after I somehow read and absorb the Kaplan lecture notes really well.
But I think I agree with U to start reviewing the first aid soon.
By the way...I have a question about the retired NBME questions. Do U have any idea how good it is, and is it available for sale ???
Thanks again for your sincere opinion.

:D

[FlindersGrad]

I really don't know anything about the old NBME questions. However, USMLE will send you a CD with 3 blocks of real USMLE questions (150 questions). You should certainly do these questions and know them well, as 2 or 3 may be on your actual exam.
As for studying other questions...Kaplan q-bank on the computer (not the book) is very good. I used this a lot in the month leading up to the exam and I think it was a big help. It really tests your overall knowledge well. It also lets you take blocks of questions under exam conditions so you can work on time management. It's good to do lots of these questions so you get use to using the computer, and reading questions quickly. If you can do well on Kaplan q-bank you will probably do well on the real exam.

[amira]

Thank you for your info.
I received email from ECFMG informing me that they received my application forms, and still processing them.
I am getting nervous for the exam.
Pls wish me luck.
Thanks again.

[IMG SURVIVOR]

AMIRA Im also taking the exam in that time period, if you want you can email me so we support each other, you can email me in this website


take care