BOTH Class of 2018 Board Study Group

[gobigorgohome22]

Hey fellow Class of 2018ers!

I hope everyone is enjoying the last free summer of your lives!

As the start of 2nd yr gets closer, I have started thinking a little about the infamous STEP 1 exams for USMLE and COMLEX (I'm an Osteopathic student). I thought it might be a good idea to have kind of a study group here to help keep me in check and keep each other in check as studying starts and decided to create this.

I would like to open this up to both USMLE and COMLEX discussion.

So, how's everyone spending their summer? Started thinking any about the hell that is going to be coming up over the next year?

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[GVSULakers9456]

CONGRATS on being done!!!

We would love to hear about the test day experience and thoughts on the exam after you've recovered!

Thanks!

The exam was pretty fair, I felt. Less straight-up fact recall than NBME 16 or 17, a lot more questions that required more thinking similar to NBME 18 or UWorld. Questions stems were longer than most NBMEs, but not as long as some of the really convoluted UWorld ones. However, unlike UW they usually didn't actively try to trick you. I have no idea how I did, I know I definitely missed quite a few but I ended up marking around how many I usually mark on NBME/UW blocks so i'm hoping for a solid score (and a nice curve!). Even if I didn't know the answer to a question, I did feel that the vast majority of the content was in First Aid, Pathoma, or UWorld. Taking the exam really puts into perspective how big of a content pool it really is - there were things that were extremely high yield in FA that I hammered in that weren't even remotely tested. It's the luck of the draw, really. Ethics questions were either really easy or really hard, didn't find too many in the middle. The rest of it was probably split around 10-20% gimmes, 40-50% medium difficulty, 20-30% relatively hard or time-consuming thinking problems, and then around 5-10% ones that were just prayers. Of course, this varies based on your preparation and strong/weak points. This is more of a psychological thing, but the UWorld interface on the real deal is so much nicer than the archaic practice NBME one, so I found myself being able to focus much easier. The pictures were actually bigger too, so I didn't have to bust out the magnifying glass.

The day was grueling, but the thought of being almost done kept me going. I took a 5 minute break after pretty much every block including a longer one after block 4 to eat some lunch. It helps to walk around a bit, stretch, use the restroom and decompress after each set of questions. Go outside if your testing center allows you to and get some fresh air every 1-2 blocks. Finished with still over 30 mins of break time. Considering it's 280 questions it's really not THAT much longer than your average NBME (only 2 blocks), so don't be too intimidated. The last couple blocks fly anyway because you're so close to being done. Stay hydrated and keep snacking - it's a mentally rigorous test so you don't want to be hungry or thirsty trying to get through tough questions. I suggest bringing some small snack bars, fruit, trail mix, etc. and maybe a sandwich or something for your lunch. Scarfing down a bar every block or 2 will help keep your blood sugar up and prevent you from getting too unfocused. I personally didn't use any caffeine but if you plan to, make sure to monitor your water intake and restroom breaks so you don't have to hold in a full bladder for 40 minutes.

I'd be happy to answer any more specific questions (within reason) if anyone has them. Good luck to all of you taking it soon!

 

[TheShaker]

Thanks!

The exam was pretty fair, I felt. Less straight-up fact recall than NBME 16 or 17, a lot more questions that required more thinking similar to NBME 18 or UWorld. Questions stems were longer than most NBMEs, but not as long as some of the really convoluted UWorld ones. However, unlike UW they usually didn't actively try to trick you. I have no idea how I did, I know I definitely missed quite a few but I ended up marking around how many I usually mark on NBME/UW blocks so i'm hoping for a solid score (and a nice curve!). Even if I didn't know the answer to a question, I did feel that the vast majority of the content was in First Aid, Pathoma, or UWorld. Taking the exam really puts into perspective how big of a content pool it really is - there were things that were extremely high yield in FA that I hammered in that weren't even remotely tested. It's the luck of the draw, really. Ethics questions were either really easy or really hard, didn't find too many in the middle. The rest of it was probably split around 10-20% gimmes, 40-50% medium difficulty, 20-30% relatively hard or time-consuming thinking problems, and then around 5-10% ones that were just prayers. Of course, this varies based on your preparation and strong/weak points. This is more of a psychological thing, but the UWorld interface on the real deal is so much nicer than the archaic practice NBME one, so I found myself being able to focus much easier. The pictures were actually bigger too, so I didn't have to bust out the magnifying glass.

The day was grueling, but the thought of being almost done kept me going. I took a 5 minute break after pretty much every block including a longer one after block 4 to eat some lunch. It helps to walk around a bit, stretch, use the restroom and decompress after each set of questions. Go outside if your testing center allows you to and get some fresh air every 1-2 blocks. Finished with still over 30 mins of break time. Considering it's 280 questions it's really not THAT much longer than your average NBME (only 2 blocks), so don't be too intimidated. The last couple blocks fly anyway because you're so close to being done. Stay hydrated and keep snacking - it's a mentally rigorous test so you don't want to be hungry or thirsty trying to get through tough questions. I suggest bringing some small snack bars, fruit, trail mix, etc. and maybe a sandwich or something for your lunch. Scarfing down a bar every block or 2 will help keep your blood sugar up and prevent you from getting too unfocused. I personally didn't use any caffeine but if you plan to, make sure to monitor your water intake and restroom breaks so you don't have to hold in a full bladder for 40 minutes.

I'd be happy to answer any more specific questions (within reason) if anyone has them. Good luck to all of you taking it soon!

How much math/equation type stuff did you have to deal with? Those questions always seem to nail me or eat up a lot of my time.

 

[apr27]

Just took it today, and I thought the real deal was about similar to NBME 18 and the average UWorld block in difficulty. I do hope the scoring is more lenient though....the 8 hour test taking process definitely costs you a few questions due to sheer fatigue and scrambled brains.

Sweet deal.

I'm curious. Was it 7 blocks of 40 questions?

 

[apr27]

Darn.

Went down from a 228 (15) to a 222 (16) in a week. What do you guys think? Very disappointed. Was hoping to get past 230 on it.

 

[gobigorgohome22]

Darn.

Went down from a 228 (15) to a 222 (16) in a week. What do you guys think? Very disappointed. Was hoping to get past 230 on it.

16 is significantly harder than 15 and the curve stayed the same. Its normal to do worst on 16 than 15. Dont worry about it. Just keep at it!

 

[GVSULakers9456]

How much math/equation type stuff did you have to deal with? Those questions always seem to nail me or eat up a lot of my time.

There was quite a bit, which I didn't mind because if you knew the equation they were pretty straightforward. Biostats overall was pretty highly represented, and there was some other math stuff like Hardy-Weinberg and pharmacokinetics. Of course, your exam may vary considerably. Remember that you DO get a calculator and notes section, so use that to write out your math so you don't mess up doing it mentally.

 

[GVSULakers9456]

Sweet deal.

I'm curious. Was it 7 blocks of 40 questions?

Yep, 7 blocks of 40q at 60 minutes each. 45 minutes for break + 15 min tutorial = 60 total minutes. Even if you used every minute of your blocks you could take up to 10 minutes in between each one if you wanted to. I suggest taking a break after each, but if you're in the zone and killing it then go ahead and chug through another one and take a little bit of longer break after 2.

 

[OrthoRehab33]

Any consensus on the UWSA? Any predictive value on these? I took NBME 18 about 4 days ago- 232 then took UWSA 1 today and got 243--large jump but not as crazy as I thought although I've seen some people jump a ton

 

[Bobcat18]

Update: took NMBE 16 today and got a 245 I'm definitely happy with the score but what makes me uneasy is that my scores haven't been consistent.

USWA1: 227 (~2 months)
NBME15: 215 (~1.5 months before)
NBME13: 239
NBME12: 224
NBME16: 245 (today)

I'm guessing my weaker areas were tested on the days that I scored poorly? Goal is to work on those the remaining 2.5 weeks and hope for the best... Any other thoughts?

 

[Postictal Raiden]

Darn.

Went down from a 228 (15) to a 222 (16) in a week. What do you guys think? Very disappointed. Was hoping to get past 230 on it.

You shouldn't be disappointed. Yes, your score dropped a bit, but as gobigorgohome said, form 16 is harder. If anything, your score should be a confirmation that your performance on 15 wasn't a fluke and that you did indeed improve a lot from your first NBME (you scored in the 190s IIRC). Keep working hard, and hopefully on the next NBME you'll score 230+.

 

[Postictal Raiden]

Update: took NMBE 16 today and got a 245 I'm definitely happy with the score but what makes me uneasy is that my scores haven't been consistent.

USWA1: 227 (~2 months)
NBME15: 215 (~1.5 months before)
NBME13: 239
NBME12: 224
NBME16: 245 (today)

I'm guessing my weaker areas were tested on the days that I scored poorly? Goal is to work on those the remaining 2.5 weeks and hope for the best... Any other thoughts?

Wow, that's a huge jump. Congrats. Yes, try to maintain this for the next two weeks and you'll be golden.

 

[Amba]

Took NBME 17 today; last practice exam until I take the real thing. Ended up with a 260. Definitely easier than 18, but man that scale is rough. Only 12 questions distinguish a 260 from a 300.

 

[Entadus]

Took NBME 17 today; last practice exam until I take the real thing. Ended up with a 260. Definitely easier than 18, but man that scale is rough. Only 12 questions distinguish a 260 from a 300.

Nice job! You're in a great position to make your dream a reality!

 

[gobigorgohome22]

@Amba & @Entadus

You two are our only hope of having a 260+ score in the group. We're all counting on you to make us proud! Don't disappoint us, or else ......

 

[simbad8]

ugh so disappointed. Took 18 today and got a 230 which is lower than my past 3 practice tests
16- 234
17- 232
UWSA2- 237

I feel like I just over thought way too many questions on 18 and my test is in exactly a week so now i don't even know what to do. I was really hoping to break 240 but 18 crushed those dreams

 

[dorster]

.

 

[zhopv10]

Took it today, post is on he experiences thread, I'll be out of the country and in generally not on SDN until I get my score back as a heads up, good luck to everyone!!


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[simbad8]

I hear 18 is the hardest though, so just keep studying you still have time for imrpovement!!

Lol idk I hope I do better on the real deal but at this point, the struggle is real.

 

[TheShaker]

It just hit me that next week is the last week of studying for me.

sweats profusely

 

[wjs010]

Uwsa2: 241. Weird because my last exam was a week ago (nbme 17- 230) .. I felt it was very hard and I prob guessed on quite a few. That along with a newly updated scale and I'm pleased. I only have like 2.5 weeks left so I would generally be happy with this on the real deal!


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[Postictal Raiden]

So yesterday I started reading FA. The first few chapters (biochem, micro, path, pharma) weren't too bad. Once I hit the systems, however, the t1/2 of my attention span dropped to 10 seconds. I can't read this damn book. Is anyone else having a hard time reading it? I'm thinking to just focus on the pharmacology section at the end of every system and hope that doing UW is sufficient for physio/path of each system.

 

[justAstudent]

Exactly one week from my exam and i haven't finished uworld (50% through) or taken a practice NBME other than the one i took at school before dedicated. Do you guys think i should just keep plugging away at uworld or should i try to fit a few practice tests in there?


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[GVSULakers9456]

So yesterday I started reading FA. The first few chapters (biochem, micro, path, pharma) weren't too bad. Once I hit the systems, however, the t1/2 of my attention span dropped to 10 seconds. I can't read this damn book. Is anyone else having a hard time reading it? I'm thinking to just focus on the pharmacology section at the end of every system and hope that doing UW is sufficient for physio/path of each system.

I suggest glancing through the relevant FA section on the topic when you go through a UW question, it will allow you to integrate them together a little better.

 

[GVSULakers9456]

Exactly one week from my exam and i haven't finished uworld (50% through) or taken a practice NBME other than the one i took at school before dedicated. Do you guys think i should just keep plugging away at uworld or should i try to fit a few practice tests in there?


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I would definitely take at least one practice NBME to gauge how you're doing - UW % is not an accurate predictor of how you stand. And get on that UWorld....finishing UW (or with a week left, at least doing as much of it as humanly possible) is extremely important. Felt like I had many questions on step that were either directly tested in UW or very similarly presented.

 

[justAstudent]

I would definitely take at least one practice NBME to gauge how you're doing - UW % is not an accurate predictor of how you stand. And get on that UWorld....finishing UW (or with a week left, at least doing as much of it as humanly possible) is extremely important. Felt like I had many questions on step that were either directly tested in UW or very similarly presented.

Thanks for the advice. I'll probably take one tomorrow morning then. Any suggestions as to what form i should try?


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[GVSULakers9456]

Thanks for the advice. I'll probably take one tomorrow morning then. Any suggestions as to what form i should try?


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If you're only going to do one, I would do the latest (NBME 18) as it is the newest and I felt the real deal was most similar to it (aka, much less direct recall and much more multi-order confusing questions). NBME 17 would also be worth it if you plan to take another one. That one is a little more straightforward than 18, but the curve is harsher.

 

[Pheny212]

Hi guys,

I am looking for some advice. I have been following the thread and just created a new account. I have taken 3 NBMEs and 2 UWSA and my score is not improving or dropping. I have about 3 weeks left and just feel lost about how to approach this. I started out failing my school NBME but increased by 20+ after. I got a 196, 192 as scores after 3 weeks of my "diagnostic" NBME. The 192 is on 17 that I took yesterday. My UWSA are actually worse (195 and 179 (the 179 is yesterday after a back to back with 17)). I took my recent exams back to back 2 weeks into dedicated. I have been using Uworld (55% avg- started at 40-50% but have been around 65-68% the past 2 weeks with 80% done), FA, and pathoma.

I just don't know why my score is dropping/not improving. I feel like am learning a lot and I am an above average student at a top 30 (if that means anything). I just don't know if I should postpone? Or how to tackle the material differently? I am thinking of taking 1 more NBME next weekend to see where I am and that was going to be 18 as my last 1. Should I take more? I was initially looking for a 240+ since I am interested in the more competitive specialties but I just cannot see that right now and just don't get it considering my grades all year and NBME basic science shelfs.

I would appreciate any advice.

Thanks!

 

[gobigorgohome22]

Hi guys,

I am looking for some advice. I have been following the thread and just created a new account. I have taken 3 NBMEs and 2 UWSA and my score is not improving or dropping. I have about 3 weeks left and just feel lost about how to approach this. I started out failing my school NBME but increased by 20+ after. I got a 196, 192 as scores after 3 weeks of my "diagnostic" NBME. The 192 is on 17 that I took yesterday. My UWSA are actually worse (195 and 179 (the 179 is yesterday after a back to back with 17)). I took my recent exams back to back 2 weeks into dedicated. I have been using Uworld (55% avg- started at 40-50% but have been around 65-68% the past 2 weeks with 80% done), FA, and pathoma.

I just don't know why my score is dropping/not improving. I feel like am learning a lot and I am an above average student at a top 30 (if that means anything). I just don't know if I should postpone? Or how to tackle the material differently? I am thinking of taking 1 more NBME next weekend to see where I am and that was going to be 18 as my last 1. Should I take more? I was initially looking for a 240+ since I am interested in the more competitive specialties but I just cannot see that right now and just don't get it considering my grades all year and NBME basic science shelfs.

I would appreciate any advice.

Thanks!

Hey Pheny,

First of all, Im sorry about about how your practice tests are going thus far. It can be extremely frustrating and demoralizing when your hard work dont seem to pay off; especially when you've clearly excelled at academics, above average at great school, so far in your career.

I know this is not is not what you want to hear, but I would really consider postponing the test. That's probably something you'll have to talk to your student services and dean about so get that process started right now. Let them know you're struggling and considering postponing so that they're in the loop.

So far you've taken 5 practice tests with the highest being 196 after 3 weeks of dedicated. Personally, I think you want to have your last 1-2 exams at least in the 210s before walking into the test being sure you'll pass. At this point, you have an extremely high chance to failing. Another 3 weeks MIGHT be enough to put you in the "comfortably passing" range but definitely not enough to put you in >220 range.

At this point dont take NBME 18! I think it would just be a waste of a good test. Your previous tests have been consistent. Even if you get >220 on 18, your average on the last 3 exams would be below the "comfortably passing" range and probably shouldn't take the test.

As far as how to improve:
- The normal UFAP routine is great but its geared towards students with a decent background knowledge and ability to study independently. While you may have good pre-clinical grades, the NBME and Uworld qbank scores are saying that there are major general understanding gaps. For this reason, it might be helpful for you to join a prep course such as Kaplan or DIT. I think they do a good job of systematically waking you thought the material and usually have a good schdule that they can help you stick to.
- You're already using the usually recommended sources so im not sure if there is anything more to add there.
- It might be helpful for others to chime in if you could tell us your daily & weekly routine during dedicated. Others might be able to help improve this aspect.
- Another only other thing I can think of is analyzing your NBME breakdowns. Is there a specific system/top that is significantly worse than others or are they all consistently low? Take screen shots and put them up side by side. Look at where your weaknesses are.

Dont forget about the things you've got going for you! You've done well thus far and are going to be graduating from a well known school. As a D.O. student, trust me, things can be a lot worse lol.

Again, really sorry that you're having trouble meeting your expectations.

 

[TheShaker]

I wonder how many people taking it on June 6th realize that they're literally taking it on D-day.

 

[TwinsFan]

Hi guys,

I am looking for some advice. I have been following the thread and just created a new account. I have taken 3 NBMEs and 2 UWSA and my score is not improving or dropping. I have about 3 weeks left and just feel lost about how to approach this. I started out failing my school NBME but increased by 20+ after. I got a 196, 192 as scores after 3 weeks of my "diagnostic" NBME. The 192 is on 17 that I took yesterday. My UWSA are actually worse (195 and 179 (the 179 is yesterday after a back to back with 17)). I took my recent exams back to back 2 weeks into dedicated. I have been using Uworld (55% avg- started at 40-50% but have been around 65-68% the past 2 weeks with 80% done), FA, and pathoma.

I just don't know why my score is dropping/not improving. I feel like am learning a lot and I am an above average student at a top 30 (if that means anything). I just don't know if I should postpone? Or how to tackle the material differently? I am thinking of taking 1 more NBME next weekend to see where I am and that was going to be 18 as my last 1. Should I take more? I was initially looking for a 240+ since I am interested in the more competitive specialties but I just cannot see that right now and just don't get it considering my grades all year and NBME basic science shelfs.

I would appreciate any advice.

Thanks!

On your practice tests:
Are you finishing the sections with time to spare, if so how much?
Are you marking and/or having to guess on the ones you're getting wrong (do you know what you don't know)?
How many per section do you pretty much have no clue on?
For the ones you miss, how much are you bringing to the table? (ie from the vignette you get the diagnosis right and know some tx but you don't remember the moa of the drug etc)
Do you have sections where most of or the entire bar (NBME) is below marginal, if so what ones?
Are you trying to relate all new knowledge to things you already know?

We are all trying to help and the more info the better. You still have 3 weeks, this is enough time to shoot your score up a lot (mine went up 25pts in the 1st 3 wks) if you can figure out what is going on.
Lastly, consider postponing if you can't improve significantly in 2 weeks once you have really worked through what is going on, targeted your biggest weaknesses and taken another shot at it.

 

[CyberMaxx]

+1 to everything @gobigorgohome said. This is from the 2015 thread and may be helpful. Also if you ask for more time (which you should) people at my school have typically been asking for a month more, so I would try that.

Late to the game but got 240.

Total prep time was 3.1 months.
Starting score = 188 UWSA (overpredicted by 20 when I took it)
Class rank = marginal passing (bottom quartile)

Used FA mainly (read twice and some a third time)
Used BRS physiology for cardio and GI only
DID NOT use any other resource for neuro and that was a weak section for me
Used AS MANY YOUTUBE TUTORIALS AS I COULD FIND
Ended up missing many easy questions on real deal
Did ALL NBMEs that are available online AND went back to correct every single question -> this hands down was the highest yield after UWorld

QBanks: Did UWorld x2, Did USMLE-RX x 1
As you can see, I had almost no foundation, yet I was still able to make it in the end.
If I can do it, you can for sure...
Any questions? Please ask.

It was both actually. The basic understanding was mainly in the physio-heavy sections. I am terrible at memorizing so I tried literally everything. What I didn't tell you here (which is why I encourage those of you who want to try my method to keep asking me questions) is that I used both FA flash facts and memorang. Memorang is great for repetition of mainly micro and some other memory-heavy things but it is very abbreviated and only is useful if you have a good understanding of first aid already including its acronyms. Using memorang alone is a bad bad idea because it is basically first aid ABBREVIATED in flash card format.

A much much better flash card system is First Aid flash facts. These cards actually have legitimate questions that make you think a bit before you come up with the answer. They also refer to the exact FA page where the answer is found. If I had to do it all over again, I would have bought triple pass during christmas break and familiarized myself with the material by going through all of flash facts at least once before dedicated - going through the first aid express videos AND going through FA book at least 2x. I think that alone would have been sufficient to get me in the 220s. Note that my score jumped from 205 to 226 solely based on finishing USMLE-RX, using flash facts (although I never completed the entire thing so didn't bother to put it as a resource) and also using FA express (again never completed the thing so I didn't bother to list it as a resource).

I think memorizing FA will get you to a pass easily. It's just that nobody can memorize everything or at least very few can in a short amount of time. If you truly memorized say 80% of the highest yield stuff in FA then you will pass the exam.

Also, what you fail to mention are perhaps the 2nd most important resource by a very slight margin --> those are QUESTIONS!! If you don't know how the material is tested, you can still get stuff that you think you know wrong. You must practice with UWorld and NBMEs at the very least. USMLE-RX is good for solidifying FA concepts.

Again, I didn't use the Goljan books aside from doing the Goljan Qbank for more questions (it comes with his rapid review book - in retrospect they are not very representative of actual test questions) and still got 240 and I got many easy questions wrong. This is to say you don't need goljan or other resources to do well.

FA book, UWorld, ALL NBMEs and UWSAs are plenty to get you 240+ easily if you truly understand them and I'm saying this because I'm proof that it worked for me... and I did not have complete mastery of these materials.

^so I will preface that I almost failed anatomy during first year. I had to remediate the final exam. Therefore, you are right to assume that my anatomy knowledge is next to none. Given this context, you may be surprised that my performance graph showed anatomy and embryology to be solidly above borderline. No, I didn't get exceptional high performance that gives you an extra asterisk by the bar on the graph but it was solidly above borderline performance.

How did I achieve this given I have no anatomy knowledge? The reason is that there are very few left field anatomy questions on my particular test at least. I still had quite a few anatomy questions but they can be figured out if you have basic background knowledge and common sense.

Basically, know your CT/MRI/X-rays well for the body and you can infer answers based on common sense
For CNS, I used this --> http://w-radiology.com/cerebral_ct.php
For everything else, I used essential anatomy on the ipad - FA definitely covers the most highly tested material but do not expect all of it to show up.

For muscles and movement, I honestly don't think there were too many questions from my exam but a helpful outside resource for me was this website: http://www.getbodysmart.com/ap/muscularsystem/menu/menu.html

I also focused on pelvic anatomy because it always comes up year after year in these threads - know your nerve innervations and pathways for arteries/veins --> basically don't do more than what is in FA but make sure you know that stuff well

There's some stuff that FA obviously won't cover that you will have to rely on your previous knowledge for. Even with little previous knowledge, I was still able to score solidly above borderline performance.

Moral of story --> know everything in FA and supplement with above 2 sites and you should be golden. Maybe look over essential anatomy if you really have time to burn.

For neuroanatomy, I used this iphone app that was perfect with transverse cross sections of the brainstem and how the spinal tracts flowed. It explained stuff in better detail than FA, so I recommend you try it if you're weak in neuroanatomy --> it helped me get a few questions right on test day just having gone over it for 3 hours 2 days before the exam --> it's called PocketBrain and you do have to buy it --> I think it was 5$ when I bought it but well worth the money

Hope this helps!

 

[Pheny212]

On your practice tests:
Are you finishing the sections with time to spare, if so how much? Yes, with 10-15 left
Are you marking and/or having to guess on the ones you're getting wrong (do you know what you don't know)? I do mark a lot 50% of questions but that is just my poor test taking habits that I do during the school year even when I get 90s on exams.
How many per section do you pretty much have no clue on? 3-5 and the crazy thing is my guess on these are 50/50 right. In looking back on the most recent NBME, it looks like I changed a lot of answers wrong under pressure (10~)
For the ones you miss, how much are you bringing to the table? (ie from the vignette you get the diagnosis right and know some tx but you don't remember the moa of the drug etc) I always get the diagnosis right and know the treatment but forget the MOA. I am also terrible with micro descriptions like ssRNA etc... But know the pathogen for the most part. I guess in general I know what the question is trying to get at but may face a mental block here and there if it is super detailed.
Do you have sections where most of or the entire bar (NBME) is below marginal, if so what ones? Yes, biochem will NOT move, psych most recently (but on all others it is above average, I made silly mistakes), physiology, pathology (not marginal but slipped below average for the first time, it is usually above)
Are you trying to relate all new knowledge to things you already know? Yes

We are all trying to help and the more info the better. You still have 3 weeks, this is enough time to shoot your score up a lot (mine went up 25pts in the 1st 3 wks) if you can figure out what is going on.
Lastly, consider postponing if you can't improve significantly in 2 weeks once you have really worked through what is going on, targeted your biggest weaknesses and taken another shot at it.

Thank you all for the detailed responses!!!

Here is some more information that might help tackle what is going on/guide advice on how to move forward. If I do extend, would 1 or 2 more weeks be enough? When should I decide? I know realistically I may be heading there but I want to prevent that if at all possible and only want it as a last resort. I was thinking of taking an earlier NBME next weekend (saving 18) to see where I stand before taking any decisions (changing dates, etc). During the week I plan on going back through Pathoma videos, BRS Physiology and will be done with UWORLD by then also.

My current routine is very light to be honest compared to what I see here, so I will have to study more. I am only doing 2 blocks timed a day and reading 1 FA chapter (only read 1 ch. every 3 days with notes). That is really it. In writing this, I guess this may be the biggest red flag?

I just don't understand why my scores are horrible when I feel like I have a foundation. I don't feel like the exam is unfair or that I had a lot of OMG moments. The questions I got wrong, I narrowed down to 2 (80% of the time) or changed the answer last minute by overthinking. I also got the same exact percentage right (71%~) in the last 2 but the curve was harsher, dropping the score 4 points 196-->192.

I also answered the questions above.

 

[apr27]

Do you guys mind explaining these to me?

 

[Amba]

39) A. You need to build up pressure behind the vocal cords when you cough.
30) I would guess E. Papillary muscle rupture leading to mitral regurg.
41) I stared at this one forever before I figured it out. PAS is staining the thick capsule of cryptococcus. So A.

 

[Postictal Raiden]

39) A. You need to build up pressure behind the vocal cords when you cough.
30) I would guess E. Papillary muscle rupture leading to mitral regurg.
41) I stared at this one forever before I figured it out. PAS is staining the thick capsule of cryptococcus. So A.

I thought 41 was blasto since it has a broad base budding?

 

[Amba]

I thought 41 was blasto since it has a broad base budding?

Yeah you might be right. Either way, give ampho B.

edit: just googled "cryptococcus PAS" and "blastomycosis PAS" still not sure tbh

 

[dorster]

i thought crypto was only red with the musicarimine stain of the capsule but either way i guess if you just know its a disseminated fungal infection then its ampho b?

 

[MackandBlues]

I wonder how many people taking it on June 6th realize that they're literally taking it on D-day.

OMG so true.... and that's when I'm taking it

 

[MackandBlues]

Answer is E: mitral regurg to papillary muscle rupture

 

[TheShaker]

Missed 17 on NBME 17, ended up with a 249. Glad but man that is an oppressive curve. Probably felt worse than I did for all of the NBME's, including 18. That felt like a really hard exam, no clue how I managed to only miss that few.

 

[Amba]

Missed 17 on NBME 17, ended up with a 249. Glad but man that is an oppressive curve. Probably felt worse than I did for all of the NBME's, including 18. That felt like a really hard exam, no clue how I managed to only miss that few.

Congrats on the great score! Completely agree about that curve.

 

[justAstudent]

I just finished taking NBME 18 and got a 230. I'm one week out and still have about 50% of uworld to go. I was aiming for a 240. Any suggestions how I should go about this week to try and raise my score?

 

[amberkre]

Has anyone taken NBME 15? Im trying to figure out what 23 wrong would be. Anyone have close to that? Thanks!!

 

[Postictal Raiden]

Has anyone taken NBME 15? Im trying to figure out what 23 wrong would be. Anyone have close to that? Thanks!!

243 (that's based on my experience)

 

[AZ7]

August test taker here. Roughly 10 weeks out right now.
Back in mid-April i had taken an assessment test.
NBME 13 - 224
This was before i started UWorld. Now I have roughly 60% left, and my cumulative is around 77%.
I want to take another NBME to see where i stand now, but I'm worried it might hurt my confidence if I don't score high enough.
Currently just doing 1 block a day and going through FA and Google/Wiki for clearing any doubts and weak points.
Anything extra i can do to cross 260?
Any advice on how to progress?

 

[gobigorgohome22]

Took NBME 13 (offline) today:

• NBME 13 (offline): 237 +/- 5 (2 weeks)
• NBME 18: 232 & UWA2: 230 (3 weeks)
• NBME 12 (offline): 85% = 236 +/- 5 (4 weeks)
• NBME 16: 215 (5 weeks)
• NBME 15: 225 (~7 weeks out)
• UWA 1: 195 (~9 weeks out)
• COMSE: 395
• NBME 5 (offline): 187 (4 months out)

Happy with the score. I was kinda out of it during the exam though. Just wasn't in the mood for a practice exam. Spent time online/FB during break lol.

It's getting down to crunch time!!!

 

[amberkre]

243 (that's based on my experience)

Thank you!!! 2 in a row with the exact same score then... at least i'm consistent? haha

 

[TheShaker]

Has anyone taking it next week just mentally checked out? I think I'm past the point of pure panic and just want to get it over with. Seriously, I'm having fantasies about the night/morning after.

 

[simbad8]

Has anyone taking it next week just mentally checked out? I think I'm past the point of pure panic and just want to get it over with. Seriously, I'm having fantasies about the night/morning after.

yup haha i take it this saturday and have been over it for at least 2 weeks now

 

[Derivations]

NBME 15 on May 9 - 232 (3 weeks out)
NBME 17 on May 27 - 232 (5 days out)
NBME 16 today - 254!!! (2 days out) (18 wrong)

Honestly I'm in shock, I felt good during the test but not that good. Could have been a fluke, I don't know. I'm just aiming for a 240+ on the real thing so this is great for my confidence heading in. I am not doing NBME 18 after hearing the horror stories

Just going do one more speed read through FA between now and the test and hopefully I'll be good to go on June 1st. Good luck to everyone here! I'll be sure to report back here on my test day experience.