Zanki + Pathoma + Costanzo Notes + Tutor Ppts + Nbme Review + Uworld Review

Detailed USMLE Step one Experience by Dr. Leah Abraham – 247

Hello, anybody! I'm thrilled to be sharing my journey with you lot guys and I promise you can take the good out of it and brand the all-time of these suggestions for your own voyage. Virtually of this is an affiliation of advice I accumulated from this group, various forums, my seniors and of course, my family unit & friends. This is a lengthy postal service, so my apologies in advance, but I've organized it into sections so that you tin can skip ahead to the ones y'all want to read:

Introduction

I'grand an IMG from Bharat who used to be a promising student till I got into Medical school when the pressure got to me, and I've been beneath average or boilerplate at all-time throughout. I was, however, determined to change all that when I decided to do my Pace 1 and it wasn't all a walk in the park. I've been priming myself for preparation since October 2016, but essentially got oriented and started preparing only 9 months back.

Materials Used

Chief Resources – First Aid, UWorld, Goljan

Anatomy – Grayness's Atlas of Anatomy, Google, Anatomy Shelf Notes, few chapters from High Yield Neuroanatomy, and Blumenfeld'due south Neuroanatomy through Clinical Cases.

Biochemistry – A few chapters from Harper to spark my interest + Sam Turco'southward Kaplan videos 2010

Physiology – BRS Physiology and Costanzo for few topics like Acid-Base of operations balance. I read Ganong for a few chapters in which I needed to proceeds confidence in later my NBMEs.

Pathology – Pathoma videos + textbook

Microbiology – Few topics from Microbiology Made Ridiculously Simple + Google and some Microbiology textbooks to become acquainted with images

Pharmacology – Katzung Board Review + Kaplan Pharm for General Pharm and ANS only

Behavioral Science – 100 Cases + BRS Behavioral Sciences + UWorld Biostats Review

The First Three Months

This fourth dimension went in figuring out how to report and what resources to use. Existence a graduate, I felt completely out of touch on with the subjects, peculiarly the outset-year ones.

My friend and I first went through which books we would employ for each subject and counted the number of pages of FA and a secondary book we might use for clearing concepts. That way, nosotros decided an arbitrary number of days for each field of study, and the order to read them in, to roughly calculate how long our offset read would have. This was very of import in helping me stick to a schedule, after getting used to a twelvemonth of haphazard timings in the internship.

1) I started with Biochem FA and tried to supplement information technology with Kaplan videos and its text. On realizing it's likewise time-consuming and FA is mostly enough, I stuck to FA beyond the genetics chapter. It took me almost a calendar month to cease Biochem the first time, as I was still getting used to sitting on a stretch to read, and finding the right atmosphere to study in.

2) In my 2d month, I started with Behavioral Sciences, to mix things upward a bit. Information technology took me most a whole week to cover BRS, and I did not exercise whatever Biostatistics questions, beyond understanding the concepts. I viewed few Kaplan 2010 videos of Dr. Daugherty to improve some basic concepts in Biostats merely did not stick with that either, after iv videos, as it was taking up too much time.

3) v days of Behavioral Sciences later, I switched to Gross Beefcake. I started with BRS Gross Anatomy simply eventually tapered to just FA. Around this fourth dimension, I learn it was important to start UWorld early, and thus subscribed. I finished one-half of Gross Anatomy, using Gray's Atlas of Beefcake, before deciding to change subjects to something more interesting.

4) The side by side two weeks, I clubbed Pharm and Physio topics together and managed to complete both while doing UWorld in parallel. UWorld was initially moving very slowly, as I was quite sensitive nearly the score in each test, wasn't comfy doing more than 15 questions at a stretch and would become saturated apace. Although I did not use videos, I did find Dr. Lionel Raymond's lecture on antiarrhythmics very, very helpful, and it made a hitherto scary topic very doable for me.

5) The side by side calendar month, almost the entirety of it was spent doing Pathology. I read all of Rapid Review by Goljan, while simultaneously watching Pathoma videos. I tried communicable upwards with missed topics in UWorld merely wasn't doing too well stamina-wise. I was post-obit my schedule of heading to the library and studying 6-12 hours a day, with a rest day most weeks. When I had to take long journeys for any reason, I'd listen to Goljan'south delightful audio lectures and nearly times when I was still awake, information technology was an immense pleasure and a bang-up educational experience. Highly recommended!

The Next Three Months

six) Later covering Pathology, I moved on to Microbiology. I was saturated with reading besides many books and decided to stick to but FA and UWorld for this one. My step on UWorld picked upwards, although my scores withal fluctuated between 50-lxx% on nigh tests. I switched from Timed Tutor to Timed Non-tutor mode and that helped me complete more tests than before. Ten days for Micro later, I switched to Immunology from FA and finished it in some other 3-4 days.

seven) Lastly, I finished whatever topics I'd left stranded in each discipline in the coming two weeks, and tried to focus on completing UWorld and doing one complete read of FA. I struggled with both and took me a whole month and a half to finish them both. I was especially lazy to read FA, equally information technology took too much time to encompass just 3-4 pages, and the lack of progress was discouraging. If yous observe yourself in a similar state of affairs, it'due south completely normal, give yourself a kicking, and stop it off. It only gets better from in that location.  I stuck to FA and UW for topics such equally Psychiatry and Derm.

eight) After completing one round of UWorld, I bought all online NBMEs together, stupidly assertive I could stop them off in a month and a half. I restarted the procedure of doing FA and Goljan equally well. It took me near some other month to go through my marked and wrong questions in UWorld.

Last Trimester

9) My first online NBME, xiii, was a scary experience. I started a block and got also overwhelmed and signed out. I went back in the next day and split it betwixt ii days to alleviate my test-taking anxiety. I managed to score 232.

ten) My revisions continued, with FA and UWorld incorrect withal my primary focus, while trying to improve on my weak areas. NBME xv followed 10 days after and my score came back – 232 again.

eleven) Slightly disappointed at the lack of progress, I decided to give my next NBME sooner, a week afterwards, after trying to stop my revision faster. In the meantime, I got a copy of Pathoma every bit well, to revise Pathology faster, every bit the 2nd read of Goljan was taking as well much time. This time, however, I gave NBME 19 instead of sixteen, by mistake and scored a depressing 211.

12) It took me almost 2 weeks to muster enough courage to attempt the next NBME. I was trying to read more than standard books, believing my entire foundation of Medicine might be shaky. Big mistake. NBME 16, given in very nervous conditions, I fabricated the same number of mistakes – 37 – and scored 223.

13) After hitting a couple of forums to figure out what was going wrong, I realized I'd been neglecting FA and UWorld. Coming back to the main books, I decided I'd book a engagement after NBME 17. 10 days later, my NBME 17 turned up with 28 mistakes and a score of 230. Although 15-xx points beneath my target score, I thought booking my date would aid me focus and jump right in, I kept a month for my last revision.

14) I renewed my UWorld subscription determined to finish the second circular in two weeks. In desperate demand of a conviction booster, I gave my UWSA1 ten days later, halfway through UWorld. I was able to score betwixt 85-97% on nigh tests and managed to maintain a centile score of 96. UWSA one – score 243.

xv) Believing to exist on the right track, I got back to Goljan to complete my 2d read, viewed one topic of Pathoma video daily in the afternoons when my concentration dipped and would practice 5-7 blocks of UWorld daily. I made sure to practice at least ii blocks in succession each time to develop my stamina. Two of my friends and I too started having more frequent discussions and Q&A sessions during our tea breaks, pimping each other on diverse topics. This forced me to confront my weak areas further and sent me dorsum to FA/UWorld each time consolidating a fact I thought I'd learned before.

16) I came down with a fever and lost ten days in betwixt, interrupting my flow. This was more than hard to bounce dorsum from than I anticipated and I decided to postpone my exam by two weeks. My main focus was on completing UWorld, even if I couldn't read all the explanations thoroughly, to instill the confidence that I'd seen all 2488 questions recently.

17) Three weeks before my test I thought it was time for my next and concluding, NBME 18, and I wanted it to go well. In my pursuit of perfection, I spent the entire forenoon reading and revising, and waited until the afternoon to start my test. Big error. I thought I was alert throughout, just after receiving my score, I was shattered; I got 225. Information technology was only later while reviewing my answers that I realized how stupid some of my mistakes were.

18) My confidence taking a terrible beating, I decided to push my date farther, another three weeks.

Iii Weeks before the Exam:

19) A proper perusal of Reddit and Educatee Doc Network made me realize all the things I was doing wrong with my NBMEs. I wasn't revising Beginning Assist plenty. I was overthinking and getting distracted by minutiae in NBME questions and marker the wrong answer. My entire approach to answering questions needed to alter. Although I had no NBMEs left to give, I decided I'd give my UWSA 2 all my best.

20) I needed to revise FA at least two more than times. Meanwhile, I needed to take care of my anxiety on test-taking. I booked a engagement for the Prometric center, to give the free 120 (well, non anymore) there. I got acquainted with the centre, its proceedings and got to plan my real exam day better. I scored 80% on this and went back home.

21) I also started using the search feature on UWorld more than afterward finishing it the second time, to revise related questions together, whenever I didn't feel similar reading FA. Thankfully, FA cover-to-cover was moving way faster, and I decided to accept fun with it by 'discovering' new things in diagrams/corners/weird places and making a contest of it with friends. We maintained a WhatsApp grouping from then, to post these 'new' facts, cementing our need to hit the books equally frequently as possible.

22) I as well covered UWorld Biostats review one time to consolidate my understanding of concepts, and it helped immensely in bumping up my performance in the final exam. I read 100 cases for Ethics, and also went through a few erstwhile NBMEs to improve my exposure to questions. Finally, I too went through USMLE-Rx Qbank for selected topics which I needed to improve my conviction in – Genetics, Psychiatry, Immunology, and Behavioral Sciences.

23) Finally, I gave two NBMEs to simulate an 8-hour test – I did non calculate the score. I gave UWSA 2 and some other offline NBME 2 days later on. Unfortunately, I had a glitch with my internet, and 22 questions I'd answered did not go submitted in my first block. I ended up scoring 228 with the omissions, only counting the number of correct answers I would have submitted and comparing my performance with friends', I presumed my score was somewhere between 240-250.

Last 5 Days

I stuck to very chop-chop breezing through FA, using the newly released Flashcards feature on UWorld and also referring notes I'd made earlier to improve my visual retentivity. I besides kept mentally practicing the act of being in the exam center, planning my breaks, imagining diverse what-if situations (what if I get stuck with a question, what to do if I experience saturated, what if I feel sleepy, etc.). Although scared strong, I learned how to optimize my anxiety and when to accept a break and just sleep on information technology. The concluding solar day, I really did not want to read annihilation but ended up going through old notes till dinner. Whether or not that helped or harmed me is debatable, just it was plenty for me to remind myself that I'd washed everything I could till then.

Exam Day

I went at that place not as well early, and kept a water canteen and some snacks exterior, before stuffing my pocketbook into the locker. After the biometric registration and security bank check, I went in familiar with the environment thanks to the Prometric practice session. More importantly, the interface looking like the UWorld one fabricated me feel like I'm merely taking UWorld tests in a much quieter, improve-controlled environment.

I divided my exam as Check headphones-skip tutorial → 2 blocks → 10 min break → two blocks → fifteen min interruption → 1 block → x min pause → 1 block → Remaining break fourth dimension (most 25 minutes thanks to time added from the blocks) → the Last block.

Each security check took almost 5 minutes, and the short breaks left me with plenty fourth dimension to only make a visit to the ladies' room and freshen up, take a sip of water and get back, I had a sip of Red Bull after my 4th block, which helped me remain alert without going overboard in that location onwards. I had another sip merely before going in for my final block likewise.

I came out feeling similar I knew most of the topics covered. Anatomy and Behavioral Sciences were mostly straightforward and minimal. I was heavily tested on Blood and Endocrine systems. Nigh Micro and Pharm questions were things I'd remembered seeing in FA.

Virtually chiefly, I was just happy I was done.

The Effect

Yesterday, I got my score report, it'due south 247.

I couldn't be more thankful for the wonderful score, especially later on the scare my NBMEs gave me. I would really like to stress on the fact that while NBMEs are pretty predictive in pointing out your weak areas and the likelihood of you getting a similar score if you lot repeated your performance on the examination 24-hour interval, it really is not a final judgment. With the right support, I was able to overlook my bad scores and focus on merely improving. Take it equally an indicator that something needs to change and be harsh, still kind, on yourself every bit needed. Naught helped me more than the self-awareness where I needed to be improving and what bad habits needed to be chucked out the window. There is no room for cocky-compassion. My concluding score is 22 points higher than my last NBME – it's definitely possible to whiz by your expectations.

Things I Wish I'd done Differently

Taken NBMEs much earlier. I could have probably saved some time and effort past taking a baseline NBME, every bit they helped me improve sympathize which areas needed more focus. Fifty-fifty doing an offline NBME before might help much more than doing naught at all, as it orients you towards the examination itself, and yous can fine-melody your test-taking strategy and thinking along the style.

Not been overwhelmed with UWorld. I used to go upset with the scores and would end upwards non doing UWorld for days or weeks in the showtime. I let my ego and anxieties go far the way of genuine learning. UWorld, the first time is simply for learning and to improve your examination taking stamina. Even if y'all score 0 on a test, you should come away having learned 100% and that is the only progress that matters.

Taken better notes to revise ameliorate. Despite having delved into the depths of certain topics, I couldn't retain 99% of it. Certain notes of UWorld objectives, FA pathophysiology & immunology, that I'd fabricated later, really helped me in the last few days of the exam. I couldn't exist happier with my score, but i wonders how much more than they could have pushed the limit. In that sense, keeping meliorate notes would probably accept helped me more than I idea in the beginning. More than than anything, it gives you a sense of having covered many topics merely before your examination, providing you aplenty conviction to slay the test. And if this exam had to be narrowed downwards to one affair, information technology all comes downwards to genuine confidence.

Used flashcards meliorate. I am not very well-versed with using flashcards equally a study method and was very apprehensive. It was only when UWorld introduced the feature 10 days earlier my test that I realized information technology'due south potential. Make your own, preferably, and become through them periodically. The USMLE might be largely clinically-oriented, but in that location is nonetheless a mount of facts and figures that need to be but memorized. There is no other way to retain interleukins or monoclonal antibodies or embryological derivatives, which are all very loftier yield and flashcards are surprisingly constructive. If it works for you, don't hesitate.

Lastly, understood how to improve exam-taking strategies. I believed knowing facts and finishing on time was all that information technology took to score well. Everything from how yous read the question to what gild you practice it in can brand a difference.

My own method toward the end of it was to read the concluding line first or read enough to run across if I tin answer before I endeavour to read from meridian to lesser. Also, instead of looking to run into if the answer choices made sense, I would have an answer ready in mind and go looking for it in the choices. This profoundly reduced inaccuracies that came from the emptying method. Emptying was used as a last resort only. Very chiefly, I marked the answer only when I was sure of it, or would leave it for review. I did not waste time if I got stuck and moved ahead chop-chop, leaving the time after attempting the last question in the block to mull over difficult questions. Marking a question, you're unsure of increases your bias toward that choice, and often y'all as well end upwardly changing the correct reply to a wrong one, if at all. It's better to requite yourself fourth dimension to call back through unsure answers and select what you're nearly at peace with, in the finish.

I'grand eternally grateful for the camaraderie and generosity shown past the members of the group and would accept traveled in an entirely different direction if not for the advice and experiences I've read here – sincerely Thank you. All-time of luck to all those yet to accept the examination! Have faith, and go in and come out with your head held loftier

A Conversation

Zoe Ali – Take a bow! By far, the most eloquent and well put together feel. The get-go of your experience sounded simply similar mine. Surely a huge majority of the people would be able to relate to your experience as well. You ought to be extremely proud for breezing past your NBME scores in the stop.

Also, I am post-obit SDN for over a twelvemonth at present and I couldn't agree more with you. In that location's just so much knowledge (not the theory i) you tin can gain from the American students. But if our fellow IMG'due south realized.

Author – Cheers, for the extremely kind words! Yes, SDN and Reddit are very useful when it comes to understanding how their organisation works and how American Medical students work through their organisation!

One of the reasons I decided to postal service my experience here was my NBME scores – most of the people hither with good scores usually had predictive NBME scores, which was very scary for me till I opened my score report, irrespective of how comfortable I felt on the day of the examination. If this account helps 1 person experience reassured that NBMEs aren't the cease of everything and there is withal a lot that can exist washed, I'd be happy. It helps to be aware of your shortcomings while preparing and reminding yourself of your strengths while taking the exam

If this feel helped you lot, make sure to check out the following experiences:

USMLE Stride 1 Experience – 250 – Dr. Hemel Ahmed

USMLE Step 1 Experience – 247

USMLE Step 1 Feel – 268 – Dr. Sara Khan

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Source: https://usmleexperiences.review/detailed-usmle-step-1-experience-dr-leah-abraham-247/

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