***Official 2006 Step 1 Results Thread***

[AwesomeO-DO]

I may not be the first to take Step one in 2006, but I gotta be close, so I declare the 2006 Step 1 forum OPEN. It may lay dormant for some time, but some day the class of 2008 will thank me for getting things ready for them. Don't worry, I set the bar pretty low. How low you ask? well.... less than 240 and more than 182. All I care is that I don't have to take that damn test again. They say then next few are easier. We'll see........

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[tomatoattack]

Junior High GPA 3.6
High school GPA 3.7
MCAT was 29

Im not sure if those old GPAs are real or not.

My study strategy: Learn the material well throughout the first two years is the biggest thing, but since its probably too late for that now, or you may have allready done that it is kindof a non-issue right now.

Q bank: I liked qbank and completed 100%, I got started around 50% correct and ended around upper 70s and sometimes 80s on the blocks of fifty. Highly recommended

First Aid:I read first aid but didn't really like it very much, I don't recommend it. Don't let it freak you out. Not really recommended

High Yield: Other than that, I read high yield embryo, and gross in full to review that stuff. I really liked these books and consider them good resources.

Practice test in the test center: Good experience, but you don't get the answers, so that is kindof annoying.

Prior to taking the exam, we had path and pharm shelf test, so I read the BRS path and lippencott pharm in gory detail, and I think that helped.

I used no other resources

Bunches of people swear by that golgin guy, seems like a bad idea to me, seems very passive way to study. But im sure that there are bunches of people that used him and did bunches better than me.

I hope this helps you guys out.

EDIT: subjective scores are great for if your buddy asks you how you did, but on a forum that is supposed to provide help in terms of study strategies (and may in reality only be a thinly vieled way of puffing our feathers out) it would be good to be able to follow the advice of the people that actually did better. Example: two people say "i did great!" one of them got a 237 and the other got a 267, I would rather have the advice from the person with the 267, wouldn't you?

 

[RoccoWJ]

[/QUOTE]EDIT: subjective scores are great for if your buddy asks you how you did, but on a forum that is supposed to provide help in terms of study strategies (and may in reality only be a thinly vieled way of puffing our feathers out) it would be good to be able to follow the advice of the people that actually did better. Example: two people say "i did great!" one of them got a 237 and the other got a 267, I would rather have the advice from the person with the 267, wouldn't you? If you are offended that he/she is boasting, well then go get a hug and learn to deal with it.[/QUOTE]


I am not offended, nor do I need a hug. In what circumstance is a residency going to say...Oh a 237...no interview...Oh a 267 definantly an in.terview....very rarely, if ever. you proved my point. also people that get 267 vs 237 may actually be "smarter", when you start getting in the high end of scores, study time/materials does/do not directly correlate with result.

I refuse to post my score, but I did well. Oh Oh what does that mean? Does that mean i got a 230? 240? 250? oh no.....you may never know! but its good enough to make me competitive for derm.

Good luck and the best to you.

 

[poormansDO]

can someone please tell me how many questions are on the COMLEX 1, what is the total amount of points possible, and if the questions are all multiple choice? thank you.

 

[MeowMix]

it would be good to be able to follow the advice of the people that actually did better. Example: two people say "i did great!" one of them got a 237 and the other got a 267, I would rather have the advice from the person with the 267, wouldn't you?

Not if the 267 was a person with a mol bio major, research exp in physiology, straight H in MS1/MS2, can study for exams by reading the lecture handouts through once or twice, can memorize First Aid by reading through a couple of times. That person is not going to have much useful advice for me, because I don't learn that way and my background is so different.

If the 237 is from someone who was a music major, got crappy grades through MS1 and MS2, has to draw diagrams and listen to audio recordings to learn stuff, and thinks First Aid reads like a phone book, etc., then their advice is probably going to be much more relevant for me.

 

[tomatoattack]

Not if the 267 was a person with a mol bio major, research exp in physiology, straight H in MS1/MS2, can study for exams by reading the lecture handouts through once or twice, can memorize First Aid by reading through a couple of times. That person is not going to have much useful advice for me, because I don't learn that way and my background is so different.

If the 237 is from someone who was a music major, got crappy grades through MS1 and MS2, has to draw diagrams and listen to audio recordings to learn stuff, and thinks First Aid reads like a phone book, etc., then their advice is probably going to be much more relevant for me.

meow, you are correct, but you are missing the point. Obviously, you can qualify the hypothetical situation with all sorts of extra info, like I was a bio major vs a music major, but generally speaking advice from the person with a 267 would probably be more relevant (not always in every case, but more often than not) than from someone who got a 237 was the point I was trying to make. It actually touches on a problem that bunches of people face in medical school, and I know that noticed it.

whenever you get into school, and you have no idea which way is up, upperclassmen tend to love to give you advice, problem is you get twenty different stories from 20 different people. One guy says read the notes another says read the book and a third guy says get drunk every night.

Guy A may have barely passed the class and would tell you that he did "fine" his advice is probably not that valuable if you want to honor.

Guy B may have made 100% and would also tell you that he did "fine" (unless he is overly boastfull- but thats another issue), and his advice may in actuality be much better than the advice from Guy A.

This situation can be avoided if you know how they actually did in the class, but socially it isn't acceptable to ask. Here though, on an anonymous forum it is okay to ask. So we can pick up trends like people who scored a 260 or above did such and such thing. Scores are needed to make this an effective tool. Sorry this was so long.

 

[(nicedream)]

can someone please tell me how many questions are on the COMLEX 1, what is the total amount of points possible, and if the questions are all multiple choice? thank you.

400 questions, highest possible score unknown (684 is 99th %), the questions are all essay.

 

[RoccoWJ]

Not if the 267 was a person with a mol bio major, research exp in physiology, straight H in MS1/MS2, can study for exams by reading the lecture handouts through once or twice, can memorize First Aid by reading through a couple of times. That person is not going to have much useful advice for me, because I don't learn that way and my background is so different.

If the 237 is from someone who was a music major, got crappy grades through MS1 and MS2, has to draw diagrams and listen to audio recordings to learn stuff, and thinks First Aid reads like a phone book, etc., then their advice is probably going to be much more relevant for me.

AMEN!

 

[MeowMix]

meow, you are correct, but you are missing the point...generally speaking advice from the person with a 267 would probably be more relevant (not always in every case, but more often than not) than from someone who got a 237 was the point I was trying to make.

Re class work: everyone gives different advice because everyone has different goals and different study methods. They tell us what worked for them, not what will work for us; the hard part, as an MS1/2, is understanding the difference, and doing what's right for each of us.

Re Step 1: A 237 and a 267 are both excellent scores. My goal was a good respectable score, so I read everyone's advice. Your goal was probably a superb score, so for you the advice from the 267 probably seemed more relevant.

A 267 is simply not achievable by most ordinary med students. I read the advice on here from people scoring up in that range, and it didn't really apply to me (e.g. the part where they scored 240 on their first NBME, or they studied for 8 weeks for 12 hours a day). In addition, there's an element of pure luck, as there is in scoring 43 on the MCAT.

I find it unfortunate that the emphasis on the super-high scores here discourages others from posting their scores or advice; some of the best suggestions I've read were from people who were very unhappy with their scores.

 

[mrdowntoearth]

If the 237 is from someone who was a music major, got crappy grades through MS1 and MS2, has to draw diagrams and listen to audio recordings to learn stuff, and thinks First Aid reads like a phone book, etc., then their advice is probably going to be much more relevant for me.

This sounds like me... but I got 227 and not a music major.

 

[007Dabomb]

Guys, Is it possible to share qbank online with a friend? Also, they offer a 6 month access for $500. Is it worth it to start earlier and do the questions with your related coursework???

Thanks.

 

[scaredtodeath]

This sounds like me... but I got 227 and not a music major.

hi...what would be the best books for step 1? any advice with regards to time management & resources?

 

[Taus]

hi...what would be the best books for step 1? any advice with regards to time management & resources?

the FAQ's and stickied threads have all the info you need and more

 

[pristine21]

It looks like you guys are done looking at this thread and are on to bigger and better patient contact experiences, but I heard that there is a lot of new types of questions on step one that involve reading research articles and applying the research to a patient in a question. I also heard that it is more working through problems that one would not have heard of before more than knowing classic disease processes. How true is this...?

 

[superoxide]

Step 1 (first attempt - April 29, 2006): 172/71
Step 1 (second attempt - November 9, 2006): 203/83 Not as high as predicted, but I'm very happy to have this behind me.

NBME 1: 204 (2 months before)
NBME 4: 206 (1 month before)
NBME 3: 209 (2 weeks before)
NBME 2: 216 (2 days before)

I added all my notes from Qbank into my FA.
Did Robbins Review Questions (72% first time around, 84% second time around).
Goljan audio/rapid review book
USMLERx

 

[domer621]

Congrats. What did you do this time that was different from the first time?

 

[scaredtodeath]

hello everyone...why is it that most people who take it again only increase about 30-35 points....there hasnt been anyone who just had a really high increase on the second take? I seriously doubt that everyone who takes it again improves 30 points. Doesnt it seem strange that both in step 1 and 2 repeaters the maximum common score increase is 30 points?

 

[scaredtodeath]

Step 1 (first attempt - April 29, 2006): 172/71
Step 1 (second attempt - November 9, 2006): 203/83 Not as high as predicted, but I'm very happy to have this behind me.

NBME 1: 204 (2 months before)
NBME 4: 206 (1 month before)
N

 

[scaredtodeath]

ok i just noticed the 666 number...bad really bad so I thought Id take myself out of this bad omen and send another message. God bless all of us!

 

[superoxide]

Congrats. What did you do this time that was different from the first time?

1st attempt:

-Qbank: 54% overall (took notes along the way)
-Qbook: 850 questions (average around low-mid 60s)
-Goljan audio once
-150 USMLE CD (32/36/36)
-Kaplan simulated (57%)
-NBME 1 (one day before the exam): 380/186

2nd attempt:

- Didnt do qbank but added all my notes into my FA. Re-did Qbook and also added info into my FA. I must have read FA about 5 times before my test
- Goljan audio whenever I didnt feel like reading FA or doing questions (which was very often)
- read goljan's RR book and did 150 questions at the back and 350 Q's from the CD
- 150 Q USMLE CD (41/41/36)
- usmlerx (71% 1st time around, then re-did the ones i got wrong)
- Robbins Review (2x - scores in my previous post)
- did all 4 nbme's (scores in my previous post)
- kaplan simulated (67%)

 

[raedslm]

hi
i started preparing for step1 i want to get ortho so i need high score
any one can tell me the best books for this

thanks

[email protected]

 

[salsterz]

Hey guys..thanks to the Lord almighty I finally passed this beast after failing it with a 167 first try. What i did different..made sure that i knew my anatomy, molecular biology and genetics. Those are what got me the first time round. I also want to thank people on this forum for sharing their experiences. Special thanks to Val for helping out with all her good advice!
My averages
usmle world 52% finished 1.5 mths b4 exam
NBME form 3 340 1.5mths b4 exam
NBME form 2 420 1 week b4 exam.
Kaplan Q book b/w 50-80..done during the study period.

My Resources: Goljian audio, goljian rapid review pathology, First Aid, Kaplan books for pharm, biochem, neuro anatomy, Webpath neuro anatomy images, Robbins review of pathology, BRS behavioral science, BRS Physio.
My plan: I had annotated my first aid with all possible sources. Listened to Goljian aurdio lectures 3 times total. Did UW questions which were on the money. Basically i understood the concepts and then memorized first aid. Just memorizing stuff wont get you past this exam...i learnt it the hard way..but seriously you need UNDERSTAND your stuff before you attempt at memorizing anything. Lastly..lots of prayers!
My exam: All subjects were equally tested apart from Pathology which stood out with about 40% of the exam. The questions were mostly 2 step/3 step questions just like the NBME...i thought it was more like NBME 3 then 2. All important topics were tested in some way or another...and if your a med student you are already familiar with those topics. The key is to polish them! Concepts concepts concepts..know these cold! Yeah the first time round i found anatomy and molecular/genetics to be impossible..I realised the second time round that studying them cold will make your life easier during the exam when those questions appear.
Last word: I was NOT a good student in medical school..I did fail it before..but determination is what pulled me through. I know there are a lot of people out there like me and i just wanted to let them know that YOU CAN DO IT! just study this stuff seriously and UNDERSTAND! If i can do it..so can you. I dont have my score report yet. Will let you guys know what i finally made to give you guys an idea about exam correlations.
Good luck and God bless

 

[sykosomatik]

Hey guys..thanks to the Lord almighty I finally passed this beast after failing it with a 167 first try.

Congrats on passing! Since passing is 182, that's a minimum of a 15 point increase. You probably did better than 182. Good job.

 

[salsterz]

thanks sykosomatic for your kind words. I got my score report today..its not a very steller score but for the residency i am going for ..it shouldnt give me too many problems. Ended up with a 187/76.
Good luck to everyone!

 

[TX_Longhorn]

thanks sykosomatic for your kind words. I got my score report today..its not a very steller score but for the residency i am going for ..it shouldnt give me too many problems. Ended up with a 187/76.
Good luck to everyone!

sweet. u went up by almost a std deviation. thats an impressive achievement.

 

[raedslm]

ooooooooo

 

[witchdoc]

hi cherrypie thank u 4 ur great postand congrats on ur great score... u have inspired me to follow ur plan cuz i feel the same about doing tons of questions and know the concepts. im a 4th year in c\ech republic and im very busy doing my clerkships while trying to squeeze study time for the step1 ands its not easy when u come home from a long and early day doing rounds. thanks again for u have really inspired me!!!

 

[RoccoWJ]

Ha Ha Suckas . . . I am done with step I as of this afternoon!

Tons of cardiovascular drugs, nearly all my micro was viral. It wasn't too bad. I thought it was easier than Qbank, but we will see when the scores come back.

DON'T SAY TOO MUCH. THE TEST IS COPYRIGHT PROTECTED AND PEOPLE HAVE BEEN HUNTED DOWN OFF OF THE INTERNET FOR POSTING INFORMATION ABOUT THIS EXAMINATION!

 

[deleted113029]

DON'T SAY TOO MUCH. THE TEST IS COPYRIGHT PROTECTED AND PEOPLE HAVE BEEN HUNTED DOWN OFF OF THE INTERNET FOR POSTING INFORMATION ABOUT THIS EXAMINATION!

nothing specific was revealed. chill dude.

 

[SkylineMD]

nothing specific was revealed. chill dude.

I agree. Especially since most people have different versions so when one says their exam was viral heavy, that doesn't mean all are. Now if you say "question x presented with a man who had xyz symptoms, etc", then that could get you into trouble but im pretty sure topics are okay to talk about

 

[RoccoWJ]

nothing specific was revealed. chill dude.

Trust me my man I am just looking out for you.

Good luck during the third year...ITS A BLAST!

 

[Fajitas]

Hey guys, I was just wondering if any other school has to take the "shelf" exams at the end of each semester? Its supposed to get you prepared for the Boards, but I don't know how close it is to being like the Boards. I studied so hard for the Path shelf, I did the BRS/grid book twice, First Aid, and took 5 practice tests in Kaplan and I don't feel confident at all about my results. So if you've taken both of these, I was just wondering if you thought that the Path shelf exam was like the Path section on the Boards or not close at all?

To me it seemed like a world away from the Kaplan questions to what was on the shelf, and now I'm seriously worried about how well I'm going to do on the Boards. Any help please!

 

[deleted113029]

Trust me my man I am just looking out for you.

Good luck during the third year...ITS A BLAST!

I refuse to retake 3rd year! I will match in less than 2 weeks.

 

[Options]

Hey guys, I was just wondering if any other school has to take the "shelf" exams at the end of each semester? Its supposed to get you prepared for the Boards, but I don't know how close it is to being like the Boards. I studied so hard for the Path shelf, I did the BRS/grid book twice, First Aid, and took 5 practice tests in Kaplan and I don't feel confident at all about my results. So if you've taken both of these, I was just wondering if you thought that the Path shelf exam was like the Path section on the Boards or not close at all?

To me it seemed like a world away from the Kaplan questions to what was on the shelf, and now I'm seriously worried about how well I'm going to do on the Boards. Any help please!

My school took them and I would say that board questions are more like you will see on the shelf. Although, I think any of these tests does have good predictive value on how well you are going to do. BTW, taking 5 practice kaplan tests seems a little excessive, that is about 5 days lost of studying and you could get a feel of where you are by just taking one... if you really want to know where you stand, just take the practice nbme exams online.. my actual score fell in between NBME tests #1 and #2. (238 on #1 and 248 on #2... got a 243/98 on step I)

 

[kc123]

I have read a lot of posts in search of this answer, but I am just wondering what kinds of Qbank scores people started out with in their studying, with a little under 3 months before the test on the random blocks? I know that you should be at 70% or higher to pass/do well on the test, but I can't find any posts about people's early performance. Is it terrible to start out at around 50% early in the game? Also, did those of you who passed/did well find that you were generally scoring above the average score for other Kaplan users for that entire test? Just trying to get a bit of an idea as to where I am. I take my test in mid-late June, and I have just started trying to study hard-core, though I am still in classes. Any advice/pointers would be much appreciated!!

 

[fakin' the funk]

I have read a lot of posts in search of this answer, but I am just wondering what kinds of Qbank scores people started out with in their studying, with a little under 3 months before the test on the random blocks? I know that you should be at 70% or higher to pass/do well on the test, but I can't find any posts about people's early performance. Is it terrible to start out at around 50% early in the game? Also, did those of you who passed/did well find that you were generally scoring above the average score for other Kaplan users for that entire test? Just trying to get a bit of an idea as to where I am. I take my test in mid-late June, and I have just started trying to study hard-core, though I am still in classes. Any advice/pointers would be much appreciated!!

Dude, did you read the title of the thread? Did you or are you planning to take USMLE Step 1?!?!?!

 

[wire]

just got my scores.

goal - 230+
actual score - 237/99

i'm pretty happy, good luck to everyone.

 

[dt123]

hi
One of my friends gt 85 percentile in step 1.she is yet to give her other steps.Does she stand a chance of getting residency?anyone please throw light !

Congrats! you should be very proud of your score. Those numbers are not easy to get!

 

[lord_jeebus]

hi
One of my friends gt 85 percentile in step 1.she is yet to give her other steps.Does she stand a chance of getting residency?anyone please throw light !

The 85 is not a percentile. It is a passing score so it won't disqualify her from residency.

 

[OddNath]

I have read a lot of posts in search of this answer, but I am just wondering what kinds of Qbank scores people started out with in their studying, with a little under 3 months before the test on the random blocks? I know that you should be at 70% or higher to pass/do well on the test, but I can't find any posts about people's early performance. Is it terrible to start out at around 50% early in the game? Also, did those of you who passed/did well find that you were generally scoring above the average score for other Kaplan users for that entire test? Just trying to get a bit of an idea as to where I am. I take my test in mid-late June, and I have just started trying to study hard-core, though I am still in classes. Any advice/pointers would be much appreciated!!

I wasn't consistenly scoring in the 70's until my last 2 weeks of studying. 50's early on is fine, and don't feel bad if your score bar is lower than the other users' in the beginning. I feel like my qbank scores went up exponentially at the very end, when things were coming together.

Wait...whoever posted this has already taken the test by now, just realized this is a really old thread. Hope it went well.

 

[astrocreep96]

Tagging this for future reference in case I want to know what people used/what worked for Step 1.