Skip to main content

Step 1: 257

Step 1: 257
NBME 13: 184 (6 months before) without UW
NBME 15 (offline) 236 (1 month before)
UW first and only pass: 72%
USMLE Rx: 68%
BoardVitals qbank: 83%
UWSA1: 251 (3 weeks out)
UWSA2: 241 (10 days out)
Free 120: 81%
Materials:
Kaplan LN 2016, videos 2014
DIT 2015
FA express videos (waste)
Boards and beyond (bought subscription) (best resource I could hear Dr Ryan's voice answering questions)
Qbanks
Kaplan online (got a free subscription due to hurricane Maria): physio; anatomy; behavioral;
UW: one round started subject wise but added every subject as I went through FA and finished random
RX/BoardVitals: subject wise time on to improve stamina; BV very useful for cardio ; ethics and anatomy, RX useful for micro and pharma
Other resources
Anki: found out about this 4 months before but just used last 2 weeks (mistake): lolconatops micro; shelf notes for anatomy and Lightyear (BNB) for everything else,
100 cases Conrad Fisher
GOLJAN audios and book (last two months)
Pathoma (I liked it but I found BnB better)
BRS physio
If you are looking for a post about taking the exam after 6 months and just know FA and UW; please scroll down; my journey started on January 2017; studied up to march 2017 and had to stop due to many health issues; got pregnant and had an horrible pregnancy but somehow I managed to keep doing some questions from pastest qbank; started studying again on October 2017 and studied until delivering my baby on Dec 8th; then I had a pelvic fracture and was bedridden four months; I thought on give up but after considering I can't imagine doing anything else and as I am already living here in US due to marriage I had to take the chance and do this. (yes I am another old graduated; mom and housewife); at that time took NBME 13 after 4 months without studying and failed (184); I felt so sad but a friend of mine old graduated like me matched on IM last year with 213 on step 1; I decided to keep pushing; at that time a friend recommended BNB, and I started quizzing FA with SP; I started UW and didn't take any assessment until I decide I was ready; did some old Nbme but got 65 wrong on Nbme 3 (2 months before) i was crushed; I thought I knew stuff; I was expecting 20 wrong or somebut my advisor told me not to do old nbmes because the questions are weird; I focused on BNB fa UW and other qbanks on test day I took propanolol 20 mg; I was calmed; got out 1.5 hours before time; I was feeling confident; I can say the 2 most important resources were BNB (the questions are good; that was the best invested money), and Anki; I didn't do other Nbme because my advisor told me why are u losing 4 hours taking an assessment if you have to reinforce things; I focused on forgettable list from FA; and watched 3 first chapter of pathoma.
I can say I didn't do anything special; I knew I was able to get 230 by myself but God wanted to give me 257; I praise him and give him all the glory!
And yes: we; the old graduated moms; stay at home or working wives can do it!
Things i would do different: not doing Kaplan; repeating BNB and start Anki from the beginning

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

USMLE Step 1 experience Artush Grigoryan 269

Artush Grigoryan    Step 1 score- 269 I’m from Armenia, Yerevan , 22 y.o. Studying in Yerevan State Medical University (7 th (the last year) year medical student) Started my preparation in September 2015 (total 11 months) . Before that I red Biochemistry , Anatomy , and Immuno+Micro Kaplan LNs, without paying attention to details ,, (just red once) . On Sep 1 started Biochemistry Kaplan classroom anywhere 2014 and LNs– 11 days Then 2 days for Biochemistry section from FA and DIT 2014 Then 3 days for Histology (Kaplan LNs) + 8days for Anatomy (Gross+Neuro) Kaplan classroom anywhere + LNs + UW Biochemistry section (22 questions a day /total-11 days) A day for watching Test taking strategies and Managing your USMLE study timeline videos from Kaplan classroom anywhere 2014 (KCA-2014) Then 3 days for Immunology (KCA-2014)+ LNs ,   + Anatomy UW (20 Qs/day) A day for FA+DIT2014 Immunology (first videos(DIT) then FA) Then 7 days for Microbiology (KCA-201...

Khan's Cases: Medical Ethics

Maryam Arshad and Sajid Khan present real-life ethical  scenarios tested commonly on the boards. We started a segment about  illustrious Kemcolian authors , last year. Today, we review Khan's cases: Medical Ethics 101 which is co-authored by Maryam Arshad (Class of 2010) This book charts ethical problems faced by a doctor in his daily life in a question and answer form. Throughout the book, authors Maryam Arshad and Sajid Khan pose usmle style questions and then provide thorough explanations backed with actual life incidents. The topics covered in the book include Autonomy, Beneficence, Substituted Judgment, Consent Issues, difference between major and minor in life threatening cases, abortion and other board-relevant medical ethics issues.  The authors set out to give the students an easy-to-read book and as well as give him a USMLE experience with every question and in doing so they help a student come to grips with the common setbacks and mis...

HAKUNA MATATA : Story USMLE from 135 to 239 Alhumdulilah.

This post is for you if, you: Have been preparing for the USMLE step 1 for over 2 years Have had several breaks and had to pick up from scratch again every time Have other responsibilities that you cannot excuse yourself from (by this i am pointing towards desi married girls) Were not an academically exceptional student in medical school I always told myself that when i score well on the Step 1, i shall reach out to everyone who maybe (even remotely) are in a place similar to mine. I want to encourage you to keep working at it, to not lose hope and to know it will pay off. Before i start off, i want to stress that Step 1 is NO JOKE. It’s an exam that truly tests you on every level. It tests your memory, understanding, concepts, concentration and patience. Do not take it lightly, do not disregard an mcq or topic thinking less of it (for lack of better words lol) or thinking it’s beyond your comprehension. That said, also engrave it into your mind- there is NO shortcu...