need advice

[lifeismysterious]

Hi,
i failed step 1 exam thrice. i just dont understand the reason.
my score in
nbme 1&2--90%
nbme 3&4--95%

usmle world--90%

kaplan q bank-98%

yesterday i got my score as fail.its 145/55.
am i eligible for residency even if i pass next time.
do they take me?
what extra preparation should i do?
please advice me.
thank you so muc in advance for ur advice.

[RussianJoo]

Originally Posted by lifeismysterious

Hi,
i failed step 1 exam thrice. i just dont understand the reason.
my score in
nbme 1&2--90%
nbme 3&4--95%

usmle world--90%

kaplan q bank-98%

yesterday i got my score as fail.its 145/55.
am i eligible for residency even if i pass next time.
do they take me?
what extra preparation should i do?
please advice me.
thank you so muc in advance for ur advice.

wait, those are the percent correct you got on these exams? is that the first time you took them? I simply can't believe that if you have a 90% correct average after doing the 2000+ questions in USMLE World using unused all subject timed tests and you can't pass the step1... You're doing something very wrong. I have read a lot of posts and people say that if you're doing the questions for the first time and using unused all subject timed mode and getting above 50% you'll pass the test. Did you do these questions a couple of times before getting the 90%?

If you failed step1 three times already I don't even know if you're allowed to take it the 4th time. There might be a family practice residency somewhere in the midwest that might take you, but it's a long shot. Sorry for the bad news.

[lifeismysterious]

Hi,
that was my first time score only. that is why even i am so depressed failing in the exam.
what should i do to get into residency of any branch?

[nrehil]

I'm really sorry to hear that you failed three times, especially with scores on your practice questions as high as they were. I just wanted to write a quick note to say you DO have a chance at getting residency. And not just at "some family practice residency somewhere in the midwest."

First off, that is an awful stereotype and i'm sorry that the person who wrote it hasn't done their research enough to know that some of the programs in the midwest are among the top rated in the country, such as the University of Iowa being one of the top programs in surgery due to the amount of research they are doing.

Secondly, there are plenty of people who have failed the exam repeatedly and have still matched or scrambled...mostly scrambled, but I know several people who ended up in better scramble positions than those they applied for and didn't get during the match. Also, sometimes when you know someone at a hospital, you have a much better chance of getting a residency at that hospital. I know people think that's cheating or gives an unfair advantage to people with lower scores, but let's not pretend that "selling" the idea that you will be amazing at the job and politics aren't a major part of getting any job in any field.

My advice to you is to keep trying, and to try to do rotations at programs that you want to apply to in the future. If you have already completed rotations, try to apply for an externship/observership. More often than not, people will reward those who have tried repeatedly and eventually succeeded, rather than people who give up, or take for granted what they have acheived.

Best of luck, and please keep me posted on your situation. I'm sure many people have been thru the same thing and would be happy to hear of your success in the near future. Have faith in yourself and everything will fall into place.

-nrehil

[RussianJoo]

this is a quote directly from USMLE.org it can be found in the FAQ part of the website. Is there a limit on the number of times Steps can be taken? Any limits are established by the individual medical licensing boards, and they can vary from three to six times, while a few states have no limit. Once again, you should check this with the FSMB or the individual licensing authority in the state where you intend to apply for licensure.

as you can see each state's licensing board can limit the number of times you're allowed to take each step. Not only that but each individual programs set up application filters that filter out people with either low step1 scores or if they didn't pass step1 on their first try. Since you failed step1 three times already, automatically there will be states where you can't get licensed as stated above. Add to that the many programs that require you to pass step1 on the first try and you're at a great disadvantage. If you're(the op) an FMG which I think you're because most people on valuemd are, your chances of matching into a residency are small to begin with. add to that the you failed step1 three times and your chances have been reduced even more. Program Directors want competent doctors, and failing step1 three times doesn't exactly show that.

Yes there are some lucky people that do match somewhere but those are very few.

I am not trying to disappoint you just being realistic. Also if you're having some much trouble with step1 how will you pass step2? i think step2 is going to be harder.

[RussianJoo]

to the OP i am very surprised that you didn't pass considering your lowest scores on nbme's was 90% correct. I got 84% as my highest mark on nbme's and I did very well on step1. People say that 90% on nbme's correlates to 240 on step1. maybe you panicked during the real exams? Also I don't think I know anyone who got a 98% average on the kaplan qbank the first time they took it and didn't destroy step1. Are you sure you got 98% correct after taking over 2,200 questions in the kaplan qbank? If the stats you're saying are correct you should have not only passed the USMLE but done very well.

I am not trying to start a fight or call you a liar i am just trying to understand how this could happen. NBME's are designed to predict your score, and this is the first time I hear of that the NBME was totally wrong.

[usmlemedicine]

Failing the exam can be stressful. However, you aren't the only one in the situation. And as for the high scores in the NBME, there are many things to explain and take into consideration when evaluating the scores. Things to consider are exam anxiety. Many people are simply not good test takers. All the knowledge in the world won't help, if you have a panic attack or something similar the day of the exam. Whether it's Henry Ford, Einstein, or Bill Gates ( and just google to find a list), many people who succeed in life drop out of taking standardized tests.
But you if you want to pass the exam this doesn't help. Kaplan actually has people trained, to help people pass the usmle. Based on your personal situation, we can actually help. Test taking techniques, conceptual study, and more. There are courses designed for people that provide extra guidance.

As for the NBME, was it your first time taking the NBME? Did you take it under time constraints like the real exam? Also it wasn't the real test, so in cases where test anxiety have a role. Some people do a lot better when they know it's just a practice exam.

You really aren't the only one. But as someone famous that has failed once said in every failure, there is an opportunity.

I won't lie, this definately makes it harder to get a residency. But it most definately isn't the end of the world. It's an exam.

Feel free to respond on the post of PM me for advice.