Need advice: Postpone step 1?

[godblessmd]

Hi all Doctors,

I am going to take USMLE 1 in 10 days. I have been using FA, and just started Kaplan Qbank. Now, I still have about 1600 questions on Kaplan Qbank to go. I get only about 45% correct.

WHAT SHOULD I DO?

1) Should I Postpone the exam and lose the fee (since I have already extended once due the health of my Dad) or
2) Just memorize FA and do only High-yield Kaplan Qbank...and take the test?

Also, I have done any NBME.

I don't know what to do, so please HELP. Please!

You ADVICE may change my life and my future patients lives, so please help.

Thanks so much in advance. God bless you!

[devildoc8404]

(Part of me thinks that you are trolling, because this is so bloody obvious/oblivious.)

Um, no. With a current average of 45%, you will almost certainly fail if you take the Step at this point.

You are nowhere near prepared if you "just started QBank" and "have (not?) done any NBME." You would be incredibly, ridiculously, preposterously ill-advised to take the Step right now.

Hell yes, you should postpone the exam! You aren't going to pass it. What possible reason could there be for writing this incredibly important exam if you are consistently scoring in failing range, and you haven't even taken any NBMEs?

Get ready for the exam. If you don't know what to do, repeatedly utilize the search function on VMD until you find out. Then study your butt off until you are scoring in a passing range, and you are passing the NBMEs. THEN write the Step.

Yeah, it's going to cost you money... but that is the price you pay for not being prepared, no matter the reason.

[godblessmd]

Dear Devildoc8404,

Thank you very much for your deep insight. I have been using other review books in addition to FA without practicing questions--and thought those review books would help, but NO. And then I subscribed to Kaplan Qbank two weeks ago, but I knew that I was not going to finish it. So, that's why I am getting stock...and need your HELP.

Since you are very, very good at this and I honestly mean it, would you mind to suggest WHAT I SHOULD DO (e.g. study materials, plan) so I won't be off track again?

Thanks again and God bless.

[devildoc8404]

Whoa there. I am NOT very, very good at this... I am still preparing for my own Step at the end of the summer. I just don't want to see people throwing away their only shot at passing the Step on the first try.

Review books are fine, but the absolute best way to prepare is to do questions. I got the plan below from another individual who did very well on his Step. It is a somewhat similar version to what I am doing, with a few modifications.

1. Read BRS Physiology for the path chapter you want to cover... do all of the questions in BRS Physiology.
2. Read Goljan Pathology for that topic carefully and memorize the charts/graphs/pictures... do the questions in Goljan.
3. Listen to Goljan Audio while following along in the text.
4. Read First Aid for the chapter carefully... do the questions in Rx.
5. Do questions, questions, questions, and more questions. Like, thousands of questions. Literally. USMLEWorld is best.

Good luck. I didn't mean to come off like a jerk earlier, but you seriously DO NOT want to take this exam until you are ready... and with the numbers and level of prep that you were reporting, you aren't ready.

[Doctor Ali]

You have to postpone it. Right now you are in anxiety attack and that won't help you at all. Trust me, you won't regard it.