exam experience score 90/222

[apoorva]

hi guys
i gave my exam on 10 th march and got score today thats is 2nd april
90/222.
very happy.

books
---------
anat high yield + kaplan+fa
physiology brs physio
biochem------- kaplan is more than enough.read the genetics and molecular bio well.
molecular bio -------- high yield 19th chapter very imp
pharmac------kaplan +fa
pathology--goljan notes+robbins
behav------- brs +kaplan webprep very help full.
micro--kaplan+fa +[ MICRO RIDICULOUSLY SIMPLE FOR MEMORIZATION ]more than enough read it thoroughly
histology---high yield
IMMUNOLOGY---- KAPLAN+webprep[amazing]
webprep was very very helpful and
goljan audio too.
webprep for behav is very good,
as well as pharmac.

DONOT FORGET TO READ GOLJAN HIGH YIELD
ITS GOLD MINE CANT MISS A SINGLE LINE FROM THAT.

THOSE WHO CANNOT TAKE KAPLAN SHOULD GO FOR WEBPREP CD
GREAT.
I LISTENED TO IT 3 TIMES.
1. AT THE FIRST READING
2. DURING Q BANK SESSION
3.LAST 15 DAYS OF EXAM.

I FELT ITS VERY USEFUL.


SCORES
---------
KAPLAN Q BANK 60%
q book 75%
usmle cd 39 ,41,35
nbme -- i month before exam 480
i week before exam 490
not much improvement but i concentrated on weak areas.
bss 75%
nms 77%

STARTED WITH 70%
THEN DROPPED TO 50%
THEN CAME TO 74%
AVERAGE OF 60%
AS PER PEOPLES SUGGESTIONS I CONCENTRATED ON WEAK AREAS.I FINISHED Q BANK 1& HALF MONTH BEFORE EXAM MAY BE THATS THE REASON WHY I GOT SUCH LOW SCORES.
SO Q BANK SCORES DEPEND ON THE TIME WHEN U TAKE.

BOTTOMLINE IS --- USE AS LEARNING TOOL AND THEN CONCENTRATE ON WEAK AREAS.



now the exam

more close to nbme
easier than q bank

i have my score report very similar to nbme .

preparation time
---------------
6 months
4 days a week--4 months for 6-7 hours daily.
last 2 months 12 hours daily.

suggestions
-----------
1. have faith in urself---key to usmle
2,concentrate on weak areas and improve
3.never lose hope
4. donot compare with anyone else
5. i have a personal experience to share , my friend used to get 80% in q bank and i compared and was depressed. but both of us got 90%
so what matters is how well u study and study on weak areas.
5.basics basics
6. exam is more than doable just concentrate and understand the basics
7.start with bss along with the kaplan notes
than after one reading consolidate the the matter
8.try and study witha friend
9.keep studying till the end and never give up.
coz that helped me a lot.
10. its hard to believe for myself that after 60% on q bank i got 90 thats becoz i improved myself laterin the last month.so u can do it too.take my word for it.

now.
1 month before exam
------------------
concentrate on weak areas and stregthen them
consolidate the stuff u know
1 week before exam
----------------
read fa and the imp topics simultaneously from the book u have read for that particular subject.

1 day before exam
-------------
sleep very wellthe day before the exam.very very mip
coz i couldnot sleep the night before the exam
this happened first time in my life.
i slept that night for 2 hours with the plan of postphoning exam coz i need 6 hour sleep to concentrate on my exam
but in the morning dropped that idea and gave the exam straight away.
thanks to my husband and brother.

on the day of exam
---------------
just realax and give your best in the exam.
dodnot change the answers unless u know for 100% that the change is 100% right.
i messed up 4 questions that i can recall.
god knows how many i changed and made them wrong.

do take choclates and ur usual food coz that hepls a lot.
wash your face in the breaks gives u lot of energy and freshness.



so. bottomline is very doable exam.go with confidence and get it.


thanks to luck ra,ani,passmle, ping, arwen,sm, armin, and all of u, i am not very good at remembering names so i would thank all of u for supporting me when i needed it the most.
i would be happy to answer questions feel free to ask.
but i wont be able to come back before 2 pm 3rd april on computer.

thanks to all of u
all the best

[ani]

thanx!that was inspiring.GL

[Anonymous]

where can i find hid hy notes?

[Anonymous]

thanks for the excellent review and congrats on your great score!

[Anonymous]

Instead of Kaplan notes, I am using USMLE road map review books by same authors in Gross, Physio, Pharm and Neuro. Updated vignettes, and questions- Kaplna notes are full of typos

[Anonymous]

check out classifed sections valuemd.com, usmleforum.com

[FARN]

How many times did u study Goljan. .. how different is it from Kaplan Path notes? would you recommend to do so 1 and half month before the exams? I read Kaplan path but i heard so much about Goljan thinking of listening to the tapes now! Plz advise.