Frustration! in need for advice

[stranger2]

I took NMBE 1 two weeks ago,2 last week and 4 today...and my scores were around 520 not improving a lot... which corresponds to 224 or so (90 percentile). My goal is to break 230 (95 percentile), I have been studying for this exam for a month and half... I got a week left b4 exam! any advice?

[wcb22]

the good news is this... if you just took form 4 and still maintained the 520 level, you are in good shape. it's the hardest of the 4. don't feel discouraged. looky here... (these are very recent)


Just got my scores back. I studied 5 weeks (~7-8 hours a day), mainly out of First Aid, and was aiming for a 230.

Test Date: 6/21/06 (received 7/14 in mail)
Score: 240/97
QBank: 66% (complete)
NBME 1 (6/4): 450 (206)
NBME 2 (6/11): 510 (221)
NBME 3 (6/14): 520 (224)
NBME 4 (6/14): 490 (216)


Here are my numbers:

235 95 June 02,2006

kaplan qbank, 100% done, 63%

NBME tests:
test 1: 380 12/31/2005
test 2: 420 4/2/2006
test 3: 480 5/1/2006
test 4: 570 5/26/2006

Special thanks to wombat
Thanks to nan, tolito, dipti, hodgkins,4mymd,fruit,26 *****,USMLEGladiator,zzzz,seems,goodgod,vallia,alr , and all people who watched and helped me.


Thank you everyone for providing support and advice,,

I took my exam on 15th june,,,,,,,,

Did kaplan books and combined it with first aid in second reading,,,,,,,Did three readings as a whole,,,listened to the kaplan dvd's in first reading,,,,,,,,although looked at biochemistry,physiology and behavioural sciences lectures again in second reading,,,,,,,,Did Robbin's book of pathology in seconmd reading(1200 questions)

Did q book of kaplan with third reading,,,,,got between 75 to 85 most of the times,,,,,,,

Started online q bank afterthird reading one month before exam,,did it in time mode subjectwise,,,got average of 76%,,,finished it in 20 days,,,,,

NBME 1,,,,88,,,,,,on 11th may

NBME 2,,,,93,,,,,,,,,on 2nd june

NBME 3,,,,,87on 3rd june(internet connection was very bad that day,,interrupted my test and made me anxious)

NBME 4,,,,,,92 ,,,,,,on 12th june,

Did kaplan simulated two weeks before exam,,,,,,,,got 75%

Took practice exam at centre,one week before exam,,,,,,got 82%

ACTUAL STEP 1 SCORE 94(231)

Good luck to all .....




i thought this forum was useful so i'll contribute my experience.

step 1: 232

kaplan qbank overall: 67%
kaplan full length: 67%
nbme 1 (1 month prior): 510 - about 221
nbme 4 (2 wks prior): 530 - about 224
free 150 usmle practice questions: 72%
nbme 3 (1 wk prior): 610 - about 245


i thought nbme questions were much more relevant than qbank. according to qbank i was predicted at a low pass, but the nbme predicted significantly higher. nbme 3 must have been a fluke for me, it got my hopes up a little but i am still satisfied with my score. in retrospect my most useful resources were rapid review path and goljan, questions from robbins review of pathology, brs phys, and of course first aid. i thought kaplan was way too detailed and nitpicky, i.e. good for learning but not necessarily predictive, not sure if it is worth the $. would not have bought it had my school not forced us. i wish i had taken more time to do nbme form 2 and then go over every single question in all four forms of the nbme. maybe i would have done better. anyway, nbme's are the way to go. work hard and don't read too much into your qbank scores.
good luck.

[md90]

congrats wcb22!!! best of luck in your future exams... and now you can relax and enjoy life before the next exam...

wcb22-where did you get those correlations? do you have any more to share? please

[wcb22]

md90, sorry, i should have been more clear. those aren't my scores, but i'll be reporting here soon enough.

(my nbme's are as follows:

460 on nbme form 2, i only had 2-3 hours of sleep, but forced myself to do it. 500 on nbme form 3, plenty of sleep. lesson to self, get some sleep, and relax, it makes a huge difference. hopefully with a little more prep, i'll be a little higher. my goal is to be in the 90s, that's all. i could have a 90/222, or a 96/238. it's all the same to me (not really though, hehe).

and more, you bet there's more, here's where those came from

http://www.prep4usmle.com/forum/thread/10309

[md90]

sorry wcb22... "jumped the gun" OR am a fortune teller... would go for the later...

[wcb22]

you always have a kind word to say md90.