Prior Scores

NBME Shelf Exams
Anatomy – 440 / 63.5
Physio – 350 / 62.5
Bichem – 380 / 63
Behav Sc/Biostat - 480 / 73
Path – 420 / 68
Pharm 460 / 67
Micro/Immuno – 410 / 65
Basic Science Comprehension (PD) – 440 / 66

UW 100% completed
55% average -- 50q/timed/random/unused (1st time)
70-80% -- 50q/timed/incorrect/random (2nd round)

Kaplan Qbook 100% completed
~45% average

What helped (in order):
1. UW
2. Kaplan MCQ’s (Qbook, assessment exams, etc)
3. Kaplan Retreat
4. First Aid
5. Golijan Audio

What hindered (in order)
1. ICM
2. Island Clinicals
3. Case Studies
4. No Glasses - thanks S.G. aka "foghorn" and A.P. aka "failure to thrive"

My Schedule:

I took Kaplan retreat (6 weeks). Everyday I just paid attention to lecture and reviewed the assessment test after subject. I worked out while listening to Golijan. I did no other outside studying after 8 hours of lecture.

I had to take ICM (7 weeks, after kaplan). I was treated like a regular clinical student and learned step 2 material (or at least I assume step 2 because none of that stuff was on my test). Regardless, I completed Qbook during the 7 weeks (one subject per week) and read First Aid. I still worked out while listening to Golijan audio via Ipod

UW (last 2 months)
I also made a notebook of all my wrong answers to read at night. I still worked out while listening to Golijan.

Last week – First Aid

Day before – I applied to for jobs so I had stuff to do after the test.

Day of (2/8/08) – Took a shot in the morning and a 5-10 break after every block.

3 weeks later – 221/91

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EX-IAU student with 221/91 on step 1

wow, you are the man. that is amazing, I hope to score in that region or higher if possible. did you really take the shot in the morning? i guess your my next inspiration. can you explain how the case studies were a hinder? and how did you have island clinicals and how did these hinder also?

i know you told me to look carefully at your note, but i couldn't 'read' where i feel into the picture?!?! I told my deaf dad to send them...my bad...but i still blame the skeleton...

CONGRATS ON THE SCORE BRO...and to the person above...YOU'RE DAMN RIGHT he took the shot...he rolls deep like that...THE MAN

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congrats...and I'm pretty sure he took shots

1. Yes, I was so nervous, I did what I knew would calm me down. I had a Sky Blue bottle from a plane ride left over from when me and the former SGA president (IAUinsider) had a very exciting flight consisting of kicking luggages and screaming in tongues in the middle of the airport. Side note - I know what works for me, don't do mess a good routine if you got one.

2. Case study - During my stay, case studies wasted too much time. I always argued case should be a privilege, not a right because people who didn't want to or know how to present always did a bad job and wasted valuable time out of our already shortened scheduled. My test was VERY detailed and required a deep understanding of the underlying theory and/or concept. In my opinion, time is better spent reading and having a great teacher OR developing a revamped version of case studies that involves more than just presentation, but true interactions and testing. However to end on a positive note, I did have several graphs and images that did strike a memory of the disease and/or pathway presented in case. Use Google images or scanned graphs whenever possible.

3. There's no need for clinical exposure. Even though some of my questions started with a patient in a clinical setting, it always tested the fundamental understanding of the normal, responsive, or disease process and/or testing of it. Again for me, nothing replaces hard core studying, reading, and practice questions.

4. Thanks SG/iauinsder, RS, and iaupremed for the support but I didn't do the best, I hope one of you all score 240+/99 (at least one IAU student, right?). DON'T NEGLECT FIRST AID!!! Everything subject tested was in FA, but not all answers were clearly out of it. UW, FA, and qbook/qbank are the best LAST resources.

5. IRONICALLY, A SPECIAL THANKS TO THE UPPER-LEVEL PERSON WHO ACCUSED ME OF CHEATING, IT WAS ONE OF THE MAIN MOTIVATION TO STUDY.

Here's my breakdown for individual subject in relation to my test as a review after hard core basic science studying I CAN'T EMPHASIS HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO STUDY FOR DETAIL:

Anatomy/Neuro/ Embryo - FA, UW

Most were instant recall but asked/shown in creative ways I haven't seen before. You had to know it cold.

Physio - Kaplan and FA, UW

I bombed the respiratory portion (the only one i failed, on back side of report) and did borderline in GI. I guess that's what cost me a better score.

Path - Golijan, Kaplan, and FA, UW

Nothing unusual, but the pictures rarely helped me. Actually, what was more irritating was being told the disease and asked some detail I had no idea about.

Micro/Immuno - FA and High Yield, UW

Instant recall mostly. There was only one question I distantly remember where I couldn't recognize any of the answers, I swear they made it up.

Behavioural/Biostats - FA, UW, Kaplan

Had more biostats over behavioral. Both easy.

Biochem - Kaplan & FA for the genetics and nutrition portion

This was so hard, but some how I scored well in this area. I had lots of DNA, RNA, translation, transcription crap.

Pharm - FA

Pretty straight forward, but not easy. Mostly ANS and chemo, no side effects/interactions/calculations/etc though.

Hopes this helps, just keep studying! I kept feeling like I was going to fail due to low kaplan and UW scores. Actually, I was so sure I failed after the test I even signed a contract to work 3 days after the test (as an RN, it's easy to get picked up quickly), that's why I just gave up the day before and submitted resumes and watched a movie (i watched juno and felt better about myself by saying i will probably fail, but at least i'm not ugly and pregnant).

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EX-IAU student with 221/91 on step 1

I forgot to mention there are mistakes/missing information in First Aid...

Use this link to correct them...
Errors in First Aid for the USMLE (2007) the rumors were true

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EX-IAU student with 221/91 on step 1

How did you get your NBME scores when the school has a strict policy of not releasing them to anyone? I'd like to know so I can share this information with the rest of the students here.

The former promotion committee head, Dr. S. of Embryo/Anatomy, told me I could recieve grades once in 5th semester. So I asked in writing, in order to prepare for the weakest subject areas.

In my opinion, NMBE shelf exams were the best exams on the island to start preparing for the difficulty of step one. In 5th semester, swith to Qbank/Qbook during Kaplan, and UsmleWorld after Kaplan.

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EX-IAU student with 221/91 on step 1

Thanks for all of your insights, and congratulations on Step One! You're inspiring me to follow in your footsteps -- all except for the pre-exam shot, which would put me on my butt. Best of luck with your clinicals!

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MS-4/6 @ Medical University of Sofia, Bulgaria
M.S. (Health Sciences) - Brigham Young University @ Provo, UT
B.A. (German Language & Literature) - University of Oregon @ Eugene, OR
Navy Hospital Corpsman (Fleet Marine Force) - 2nd Marine Division / 4th Marine Division
"Pains nor toils nor trials heeding, and in heaven's own time succeeding..."
Wm. E. Hickson (1803-1870)

just like to say congreats to you...seems like you worked pretty hard and did very well on the USMLE

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Eat, Sleep, Repeat