Ask Me Anything About the NBDE Part 1

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Thunderdome23

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Hi All,

I recently got my score back from the NBDE Part 1 and got a 90! I want to use this thread to help anyone with any questions on how to tackle this exam. Ask away!

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Just a word of advice for everyone out there who is freaking out about boards (as I did too of course), IT IS NOT THAT HARD, as long as you study for it. Just read all of nbde first aid and supplement it with wikipedia, okeson, or USMLE first aid for the topics you had trouble with. Then do practice exams, with heavy focus on 2004 and 1998. If you do all this I guarantee you will be just fine. The boards tests these topics at a very basic level. The only tricky questions on the boards are ones you wouldnt know even if you studied more, because they are just worded in a tricky way. Just do your best on these questions and hope that you get them right. It doesnt make a huge difference if you dont. Because I know for certain that i screwed up on a lot of questions, even ones that I did know, just because I was feeling tired by the end of the 8 hours. But I still managed to get a 90. Could I have done better if I had a better nights rest before hand, yes. Would I have done better if I had studied more? No. I spent 5 weeks and did everything I sayed in the beginning of this post and there wasnt a single topic on the exam that I wasn't familiar with. You will all do fine, you'r all gunners if your on sdn, so I have faith in you!
 
Hi,

I wanna thank u for ur reassurance, this is all what I need right before my exam, just wanted to ask u, did u get many questions with calculations?

thanks
 
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I would be just rewriting First Aid if I told you all the important stuff for cardio and pulmonary. There really is no short cut around it, just know everything in First Aid for these subjects, it's actually not a whole lot. As fo occlusion, if you don't feel you learned it from Okeson than try wheelers, but don't waste time reading everything about it if you have a good grasp. It's tested at a basic level.
Thanx a lot for ur reply:)
 
hey thnder ...is mosbys review for nbde part 1 useful? if yes which chapters??

eh, I bought it and then realized it is way too detailed on some sections and not nearly enough on others. The book is just hard to memorize because it's so wordy and they don't emphasize the important points as well. In my opinion the NBDE first aid is better.
 
Hi,

I wanna thank u for ur reassurance, this is all what I need right before my exam, just wanted to ask u, did u get many questions with calculations?

thanks

You're very welcome, I'm happy to help. I did not have a single question with a calculation. Just concepts.
 
Thanks, I'm not sure what "I-K" means, but all I can tell you is that I mainly used the 2004 pilot exam and the 1998 exam and that was enough. Also, I used the NBDE First Aid Book and the USMLE First Aid Book for everything. They gave me everything I needed for all subjects. Good luck!

thanks a lot.
just another question. is this FIRST AID for nbde part 1 wat you were mentioning all this while ?
there's another Q n A FIRST AID for NBDE part 1 too. wondering if that is required.

what are the areas of interest in anatomy, pls elaborate, the topics ,i know its tough, but in general, if you can, that would be really nice.

kaplan review notes, is that reliable and good source ? it seems like a 600 and odd pages book.pls suggest
 
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hey

Im not clear that in what depth am I suppose to read brain?
should I be reading all the tracts and pathways...in detail?
was reading today from dent essentials and usmle frst aid...Im still nt clear about the high yield topics...other than neurophysiology...

could you please suggest me imp topics...
 
thanks a lot.
just another question. is this FIRST AID for nbde part 1 wat you were mentioning all this while ?
there's another Q n A FIRST AID for NBDE part 1 too. wondering if that is required.

what are the areas of interest in anatomy, pls elaborate, the topics ,i know its tough, but in general, if you can, that would be really nice.

kaplan review notes, is that reliable and good source ? it seems like a 600 and odd pages book.pls suggest

Yes I'm referring to First Aid NBDE Part 1. Nothing is "required" and the Q & A is a source that i did not find useful to me. For anatomy, again, you need to know everything in First Aid. You should know everything about the brachial plexus, know all the innervations of each finger for motor and sensory. Know all the major arteries and veins of the body (don't worry too much about lower extremities, except for the femoral triangle), know all the layers of muscles (perineum, epineurum etc...) know the anatomical differences in the structure of veins vs. arteries, know the anatomy of the respiratory tract, and which parts participate in respiration, know the anatomy of the hear, where the vessels are located and the differences in muscle and structure of atrium and ventricle, know all the bones of the body, know the head and neck down cold: such as all the branches of the major vessels and nerves of the face and the circle of willis, and the triangles of the neck, know major parts of brain (i.e. precentral gyrus, suprachisamatic nucleus, pons, medulla, etc...). Know all the cranial nerves, and their functions and what they innervate....I mean I could go on and on. There is no short cut. The boards i an 8 hour exam that tests a pretty significant breathe of knowledge of the human body. You really need to learn everything in the first aid book, and supplement it with netters atlas. Good luck!
 
hey

Im not clear that in what depth am I suppose to read brain?
should I be reading all the tracts and pathways...in detail?
was reading today from dent essentials and usmle frst aid...Im still nt clear about the high yield topics...other than neurophysiology...

could you please suggest me imp topics...

Know it as in depth as it goes in the First Aid NBDE Part 1 book. USMLE is not a good source for anatomy.
 
Oh I ordered NBDE First Aid from Amazon too just yesterday.......they told me I will be receiving it between 25th of June to 8th of July.......Its long time
 
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Hi All,

I recently got my score back from the NBDE Part 1 and got a 90! I want to use this thread to help anyone with any questions on how to tackle this exam. Ask away!

Hey Congrats for your score......I want to ask something from you.....If I go through my Text Books thoroughly and then memorize the decks and then released ASDA Exams.......Is that good enough? I ordered NBDE First-Aid part1 but it has been 3 years since I graduated I want to have thorough knowledge first.....And so I will read that first-aid in the end......What do you think Is this a good plan?
 
Hey Congrats for your score......I want to ask something from you.....If I go through my Text Books thoroughly and then memorize the decks and then released ASDA Exams.......Is that good enough? I ordered NBDE First-Aid part1 but it has been 3 years since I graduated I want to have thorough knowledge first.....And so I will read that first-aid in the end......What do you think Is this a good plan?

That would definitely set you up for achieving a high score. However, keep in mind that it is more important that you are realistic and use whatever source you decide actively, rather than trying to get through multiple sources. I understand you would like to get a more thorough undertanding of things since you've been out of school for a while, but how long do you plan on studying? Because your plan is very ambitious, not impossible, but here is my suggestion for you:

Go through First Aid first since it is pretty comprehensive and covers everything you need to know in an organized way. Every time you come across a topic that you feel you need more work on, look it up in your old textbook, Wikipedia, and do some decks for it. But if you do this for everything, not only will it be unrealistic for you to retain it all, but it wouldn't be an efficient use of your time. The boards tests at a more basic level than you learned it in school. So I don't necessarily think it's the best use of your time to look back at your books before you have looked at First Aid and gotten a flavor for the level of detail you need to understand things at. Then once you feel that you have covered everything in the First Aid book and supplemented it with other sources, try doing some released exams to see where your weak spots are and go back and fill in the gaps. Then, the last week right before the exam go through several released exams and look up everything you don't know, while committing a lot of the questions and answers to memory (as there are a good number of repeats on the boards). Hope this helps. Good luck!!
 
That would definitely set you up for achieving a high score. However, keep in mind that it is more important that you are realistic and use whatever source you decide actively, rather than trying to get through multiple sources. I understand you would like to get a more thorough undertanding of things since you've been out of school for a while, but how long do you plan on studying? Because your plan is very ambitious, not impossible, but here is my suggestion for you:

Go through First Aid first since it is pretty comprehensive and covers everything you need to know in an organized way. Every time you come across a topic that you feel you need more work on, look it up in your old textbook, Wikipedia, and do some decks for it. But if you do this for everything, not only will it be unrealistic for you to retain it all, but it wouldn't be an efficient use of your time. The boards tests at a more basic level than you learned it in school. So I don't necessarily think it's the best use of your time to look back at your books before you have looked at First Aid and gotten a flavor for the level of detail you need to understand things at. Then once you feel that you have covered everything in the First Aid book and supplemented it with other sources, try doing some released exams to see where your weak spots are and go back and fill in the gaps. Then, the last week right before the exam go through several released exams and look up everything you don't know, while committing a lot of the questions and answers to memory (as there are a good number of repeats on the boards). Hope this helps. Good luck!!

Hey, Thanks a lot for your suggestion.....I have booked my test for November 2009....I started studying in mid-April......and I am done with DA like I thoroughly learned Wheelers and then Decks and then ASDA from 1979-2004 and I think I did fine on those papers.....Now I am finished with the thorough learning of Biochem and Physio from my text books.....will finish learning decks by the end of this week and then I have one week for all of those 79-2004 ASDA......Actually I dont feel satisfied till I have learned thoroughly from my text books first.......I will reeive my NBDE First-Aid by the end of this month and then I will learn that for DA, Biochem and Physio......and will start Micro from July.......

So what do you think of this now since I have .....I cant say enough ....but sufficient Time....

And I really want to thank you for your valuable suggestions to all of us who are trying.....
 
bddsgirl,

Thank you, I'm very happy to help. Well it sounds like you are ahead of the game. Do what you feel most comfortable with, but keep in mind that the longer you wait to take the exam, the more time you have to forget material and hence the more energy you'll have to spend retaining the details. If I were you I would most definitely take the exam earlier, like august. You have covered a lot of ground. I know we are both in different boats here, but I only studied for 5 weeks and was totally fine. I think you'll be more than fine. Keep up the good work, and good luck!
 
I tried looking on the decks website but can't find ethics except for 2 corrections. Are we not allowed to provide a link? Maybe PM the link please?
 
bddsgirl,

Thank you, I'm very happy to help. Well it sounds like you are ahead of the game. Do what you feel most comfortable with, but keep in mind that the longer you wait to take the exam, the more time you have to forget material and hence the more energy you'll have to spend retaining the details. If I were you I would most definitely take the exam earlier, like august. You have covered a lot of ground. I know we are both in different boats here, but I only studied for 5 weeks and was totally fine. I think you'll be more than fine. Keep up the good work, and good luck!

Thank you Thunderdome, I know it seems a lot of time but I know I need this time because of those 3 years I wasted....I was totally out of touch......but really hats off to you that you studied only 5 weeks and scored so much.....I just admire you.....I hope I study 5 months and get at least more than 88%....I dont forget to revise everything I have learned till now after every 15 days....and that prevents me from forgetting those things....I just hope this is fine for me......

Hey, do you know anything about Kaplan Dent-essentials book......i just prefer to study from the least number of books but thoroughly.......I have ordered that book too along with first-Aid... what do you say about that book
 
bddsgirl,

Well you know better than anyone what works best for you given your situation, so I'm sure you will do just great. As for dentessentials, I don't have much experience with it as I really focused mostly on First Aid, however, I did use medessentials from time to time, which is almost identical, and I found it somewhat useful for certain topics. However, trust me when I tell you that First Aid and released exams, along with a good anatomy atlas is all you need, content wise, to do well. Best of luck!
 
Hey, Thanks a lot for your suggestion.....I have booked my test for November 2009....I started studying in mid-April......and I am done with DA like I thoroughly learned Wheelers and then Decks and then ASDA from 1979-2004 and I think I did fine on those papers.....Now I am finished with the thorough learning of Biochem and Physio from my text books.....will finish learning decks by the end of this week and then I have one week for all of those 79-2004 ASDA......Actually I dont feel satisfied till I have learned thoroughly from my text books first.......I will reeive my NBDE First-Aid by the end of this month and then I will learn that for DA, Biochem and Physio......and will start Micro from July.......

So what do you think of this now since I have .....I cant say enough ....but sufficient Time....

And I really want to thank you for your valuable suggestions to all of us who are trying.....

i was looking into amazon vs ebay ,for the same book . all i want to know is which edition book did you go in for. i think i saw a 2nd edition in ebay , whereas in amazon they dont describe the edition, atleast its not there on cover page. i wanted to go for a new book. please reply asap.am looking forward to taking the exam in the same time period.
 
i was looking into amazon vs ebay ,for the same book . all i want to know is which edition book did you go in for. i think i saw a 2nd edition in ebay , whereas in amazon they dont describe the edition, atleast its not there on cover page. i wanted to go for a new book. please reply asap.am looking forward to taking the exam in the same time period.

Truth seeker, I bought it from amazon....it did not specify the edition.....but I read somewhere that both the editions are the same....not much difference and moreover it is much cheaper on amazon.....the rest I can tell you when I receive the book regarding its edition......I think it would be first edition...but trust me I have heard a lot that there is not much difference in the second edition....
 
bddsgirl,

Well you know better than anyone what works best for you given your situation, so I'm sure you will do just great. As for dentessentials, I don't have much experience with it as I really focused mostly on First Aid, however, I did use medessentials from time to time, which is almost identical, and I found it somewhat useful for certain topics. However, trust me when I tell you that First Aid and released exams, along with a good anatomy atlas is all you need, content wise, to do well. Best of luck!

Thanks for your assurance Thunderdome. I just wish I had written this test when I just got out of school....its being so hard to re memorize everything.....but anyways....we should always try to give our best and leave the rest to God....and thats what I am going to do.....take care
 
The raw score is the actual number of questions you got correct out of 400. The composite score is the percentage you got correct plus the curve for that given exam based on how others have performed on it. It is just this composite score that is reported to residencies. These scores are mailed to you 3 weeks after you have completed the exam.
 
Oh Thanks for that information.....I was not aware of that .... I thought that composite score is just the percentage ......hmmm...So it depends on lot of things right?
Ok Thanks
 
The raw score is the actual number of questions you got correct out of 400. The composite score is the percentage you got correct plus the curve for that given exam based on how others have performed on it. It is just this composite score that is reported to residencies. These scores are mailed to you 3 weeks after you have completed the exam.

So wats the minimal raw score one should be aiming at while attempting papers? guess a 324 and above, please clarify . i knew the exam score pattern is a percentile based one, having said that, the most determining score is the composite score, huh !!!

and wats the minimum of composite score one should be aiming, in general. I know it would vary on number of factors , difficulty level and standard of examinees taking the exam , still some inputs from you wrt this will surely help .

I wanted to ask you this. While solving the MCQs , in the released papers, is it good if we look at the question from all possbilties , viz, study more on the choices etc, or would that be extra investment of time :confused:

Thunderdome23 , thanks a ton for your informative and prompt replies. Keep up the good job.:thumbup:
 
Truth seeker, I bought it from amazon....it did not specify the edition.....but I read somewhere that both the editions are the same....not much difference and moreover it is much cheaper on amazon.....the rest I can tell you when I receive the book regarding its edition......I think it would be first edition...but trust me I have heard a lot that there is not much difference in the second edition....

thanks for the info bddsgirl.

how many hours of study do you put in daily?

I am on a similar page doing things after getting out of school.
 
hey i gave my nbde-1 last year, got 85 composite, gpa- 4,toefl-105, couldn't apply in schools due to delay of my convocation. this year im planning to apply, but im very much confused that, should i retake nbde-1 or not?
one mind is saying that, retake it, but where to start, its like 1 year bk... will i be able to do it again.
 
Hey, Thanks a lot for your suggestion.....I have booked my test for November 2009....I started studying in mid-April......and I am done with DA like I thoroughly learned Wheelers and then Decks and then ASDA from 1979-2004 and I think I did fine on those papers.....Now I am finished with the thorough learning of Biochem and Physio from my text books.....will finish learning decks by the end of this week and then I have one week for all of those 79-2004 ASDA......Actually I dont feel satisfied till I have learned thoroughly from my text books first.......I will reeive my NBDE First-Aid by the end of this month and then I will learn that for DA, Biochem and Physio......and will start Micro from July.......

So what do you think of this now since I have .....I cant say enough ....but sufficient Time....


And I really want to thank you for your valuable suggestions to all of us who are trying.....

I Got 93 in anatomy
studying Achland videos head neck complete set.trunk,upper limb
Brs anat for CNS
USml 4 hr video for histolgy
Usml 2 hr video for upper limb and embry
For Revision i did decks and old questions
Thats it
YOu can finish in 5 days flat if you do it
 
thanks for the info bddsgirl.

how many hours of study do you put in daily?

I am on a similar page doing things after getting out of school.

Truth Seeker, I am studying 5-6 hours every day.....but from July I am going to Increase my hours of studying to atleast 8-9 hours a day....

So when are you writing your test.....I am writing in November 2009.

So have you just started studying or have you finished some subjects?
 
I Got 93 in anatomy
studying Achland videos head neck complete set.trunk,upper limb
Brs anat for CNS
USml 4 hr video for histolgy
Usml 2 hr video for upper limb and embry
For Revision i did decks and old questions
Thats it
YOu can finish in 5 days flat if you do it

Hey, Thanks a lot for that information....
 
So wats the minimal raw score one should be aiming at while attempting papers? guess a 324 and above, please clarify . i knew the exam score pattern is a percentile based one, having said that, the most determining score is the composite score, huh !!!

and wats the minimum of composite score one should be aiming, in general. I know it would vary on number of factors , difficulty level and standard of examinees taking the exam , still some inputs from you wrt this will surely help .

I wanted to ask you this. While solving the MCQs , in the released papers, is it good if we look at the question from all possbilties , viz, study more on the choices etc, or would that be extra investment of time :confused:

Thunderdome23 , thanks a ton for your informative and prompt replies. Keep up the good job.:thumbup:

First of all, yes a 324 is a good raw score, it would give you a composite score of about an 88 or 89. And yes, it is also very useful to understand the other answer choices when looking at the MCQ's from released exams. It will take a good amount of time, but it helps a lot sine those are clearl subjects they deem testable and will most likely have other questions in the same arena. Good luck.
 
hey

Ive got the old edition of first aid..is there much difference?
amazon sucksssss, they mailed the old edition,,,
 
hey

Ive got the old edition of first aid..is there much difference?
amazon sucksssss, they mailed the old edition,,,

I think Amazon`s got only the old edition.....i am waiting for my book too so I think I will get the old edition too.....BUt its okay I dont think there will be much difference.....
 
hey

do u think tht on xam questions are beyond the information given in decks and frst aid?

do u think tht being thorough with decks and frst aid can help in gettn 90+

and obviously old xams...
do u have ny idea about the kaplan q bank, do u knw anyone using tht,,is it helpful?
 
hey

do u think tht on xam questions are beyond the information given in decks and frst aid?

do u think tht being thorough with decks and frst aid can help in gettn 90+

and obviously old xams...
do u have ny idea about the kaplan q bank, do u knw anyone using tht,,is it helpful?

Most of the exam questions are within the range of information provided in the decks and First Aid. If you just used these resources you'd probably score in the mid 80's. However, it's the more difficult questions that bump you into the 90+ range. In order to get these right you have to have done some released exams and have studied topics from these exams. I do know one person in my class who used Kaplan Q Bank and said it was useless.
 
so according to you,i should read all the xtra topics present in the released xams..
also do u think doin xams as old as 1990, would help?
 
Thanks, the best book for any tmj stuff including laterotrusive and mediotrusive movements is hands down "The Management of Temporomandibular Disorders and Occlusion" By Okeson
thanx and one more question,where did u study dental anatomy,it is very less in firstaid and review book,do we have to refer wheelers?
 
Truth Seeker, I am studying 5-6 hours every day.....but from July I am going to Increase my hours of studying to atleast 8-9 hours a day....

So when are you writing your test.....I am writing in November 2009.

So have you just started studying or have you finished some subjects?

i havent taken the test date, but instead of procrastination i would prefer to say in the same time frame . I dunno if thats a good time frame given thati havent studied anything, getting back on track is tough. Good to know abt you , you seem to be already in a steady state .

Biochem which book are you keeping as standard?
 
Most of the exam questions are within the range of information provided in the decks and First Aid. If you just used these resources you'd probably score in the mid 80's. However, it's the more difficult questions that bump you into the 90+ range. In order to get these right you have to have done some released exams and have studied topics from these exams. I do know one person in my class who used Kaplan Q Bank and said it was useless.

Can you please suggest something for Biochemistry-Physiology, both are vast. Its practically impossible to follow guyton as a standard book at this stage, and biochem also no clue for that.
 
Just a word of advice for everyone out there who is freaking out about boards (as I did too of course), IT IS NOT THAT HARD, as long as you study for it. Just read all of nbde first aid and supplement it with wikipedia, okeson, or USMLE first aid for the topics you had trouble with. Then do practice exams, with heavy focus on 2004 and 1998. If you do all this I guarantee you will be just fine. The boards tests these topics at a very basic level. The only tricky questions on the boards are ones you wouldnt know even if you studied more, because they are just worded in a tricky way. Just do your best on these questions and hope that you get them right. It doesnt make a huge difference if you dont. Because I know for certain that i screwed up on a lot of questions, even ones that I did know, just because I was feeling tired by the end of the 8 hours. But I still managed to get a 90. Could I have done better if I had a better nights rest before hand, yes. Would I have done better if I had studied more? No. I spent 5 weeks and did everything I sayed in the beginning of this post and there wasnt a single topic on the exam that I wasn't familiar with. You will all do fine, you'r all gunners if your on sdn, so I have faith in you!


hey thunderstorm,thanx for ur support.

i am really impressed by your post,this is my second time ,first time i got just 80,i didnot do firstaid that time,so am doing first aid this time,i dunt have much time for exams,planning to give in aug mid as i dont want to be late for schools,
so seriously tell me,
can i finish it,i have nearly 2 months,i am studying almost 6 to 7 hour daily,i am studying first aid,decks ,usmle firstaid,and asda,
just tell me how to plan,
hope u will help me
if u have any materials,forward me to [email protected]
thanx in advance,
 
hey

do u think tht on xam questions are beyond the information given in decks and frst aid?

do u think tht being thorough with decks and frst aid can help in gettn 90+

and obviously old xams...
do u have ny idea about the kaplan q bank, do u knw anyone using tht,,is it helpful?

Hi

I used the Kaplan Q bank and found it absolutely usless, I tried to use it as a study tool and read all of the explanations but it was actually a waste of time since the Kaplan lecture note book was my main source anyway, most of the questions are just difficult and they let u down, nothing is better than doing the old exams and if u have the chance reading the expalnations for the answeres.
 
Hey Thunderdome, is there a place to go and find the corrections for the First Aid? I am just very weak in some areas and don't know if I will catch them and I don't want to be memorizing the wrong info. I mean did you find like 2,20, or like 200? Thanks!

Also for Thunderdome and xactreality, when yall talk about doing the old exams and reading the explanations... where are the explanations at? Did yall order them from ADA and the explanations came with them or do you just mean using wiki for them?

Thanks so much for all the help and CONGRATS on the test being over!
 
i havent taken the test date, but instead of procrastination i would prefer to say in the same time frame . I dunno if thats a good time frame given thati havent studied anything, getting back on track is tough. Good to know abt you , you seem to be already in a steady state .

Biochem which book are you keeping as standard?

Truth Seeker,
I have done Physio from Guyton and Biochem from The text-book I used In my school in India....

I am finished with one time learning for both the subjects and the dental decks and now I will revise both of them again and then go through Released Papers.....

Do not worry even I am studying these after 5-6 years since I graduated 3 years back....So getting back on track is not tough ...you only need strong determination for that.....So put your best efforts....God Bless
 
Truth Seeker,
I have done Physio from Guyton and Biochem from The text-book I used In my school in India....

I am finished with one time learning for both the subjects and the dental decks and now I will revise both of them again and then go through Released Papers.....

Do not worry even I am studying these after 5-6 years since I graduated 3 years back....So getting back on track is not tough ...you only need strong determination for that.....So put your best efforts....God Bless

ohh thats really great!!!
am just starting and biochem man somebdy's gotta gimme a spanking to make me do it.
btw where does one get the asda released papers explanations from ?any idea ??? am jus starting and everything is soo vast.......... :-(
 
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