Official 2016 Step 1 Experiences and Scores Thread

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Transposony

Transposony

Do or do not, There is no try
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Seems a little premature, but I guess I was probably thinking about it this time last year.

Good luck!
 
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Come on, we haven't even had our first M2 test yet where I'm at... +pity+
 
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I appear to be in the minority here, but I disagree. I don't think it's too early for Step 1. Lots of folks are already starting to prepare, or at least worry about Step 1 (just look at the number of people already asking for USMLE-Rx discount codes this early in the year). Besides, this is SDN! It's NEVER too early on SDN!

I for one will be taking the beast next year. I'm a UK grad working fulltime though, so I guess I don't count. Starting with DIT, finishing FA first pass this week hopefully. DIT is the bomb for people several years removed from clinical sciences like me, so I bought it (though mainly because that Star Wars-themed ad they just ran was too awesome to ignore. I AM A WEAK WEAK MAN).

Also is it just me, or have all your Google ads on random websites turned into USMLE-related ads as well?
 
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[COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961)]Ive been reading and admiring how dedicated everyone is on here and seeing everyone so helpful and all gave me the courage to post this asking for help
Im an img in my 5th year (out of 6) and i only recently decided to study the usmle hoping to be ready by summer 2016 july or august
Ive never had to study for long hours dedicated to one exam because that is not required of me at my school
How ever this semester runs till end of January i have more than 10 school exams
Im hoping to study for the usmle step 1 as well as my school subjects
This is how my days look
8-12 rotation at hospital
14.00-16.00/18.00 lectures
Some days i skip the lectures and study on my own but ive only came on to this idea this semester and im trying to stick to it
Then the rest of the time im hoping to spend on usmle
Does anyone have any tips or how i can better maximize my time i see alot of you spend so many hours studying and i want to be able to do the same
I have roughly 10 months and im going to need every moment of it because my foundation is very weak
I just started a few days ago with DIT and annotating in my FA
Then i check with other references when i dont understand im hoping once i finish id go on to kaplan notes and different resources as explained in various posts for different subjects here
Any suggestions are more than welcome
Thankyouuu :)[/COLOR]
 
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Newbietoallthis said:
I just started a few days ago with DIT and annotating in my FA
Then i check with other references when i dont understand im hoping once i finish id go on to kaplan notes and different resources as explained in various posts for different subjects here
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That's pretty much the standard IMG route. US grads generally use FA as a primary resource whereas IMGs particularly from South Asia tend to advise Kaplan. I suppose it depends how far removed you are from clinical sciences.

DIT worked well for me, I finished my first pass of FA with it. I'll probably also look at some Kaplan, but buyer beware - some of their lecturers are better than others, e.g. Lionel Raymon. DIT doesn't go into the nitty-gritty details so you (and I!) will need somewhere else to get those from.

It's VERY difficult to study for this thing while working fulltime (or maintaining an all-day study schedule like you). But where there's a will, there's a way! So make like Churchill and "keep buggering on"!
 
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Shjanzey said:
Good to see this, will help me keep on track when I am tempted to think I still have "tons of time". Lets all push hard, step is just around the corner
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Ugh, its so hard to keep up with step studying when classes are beating me down though. So far I have not been at all on track, I'm trying to pick it up by tracking my daily progress with an excel spreadsheet so we will see how that goes this week and next. :bang:

Has anyone found some good strategies for making sure you keep up with your step study plan?
 
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CyberMaxx said:
Ugh, its so hard to keep up with step studying when classes are beating me down though. So far I have not been at all on track, I'm trying to pick it up by tracking my daily progress with an excel spreadsheet so we will see how that goes this week and next. :bang:

Has anyone found some good strategies for making sure you keep up with your step study plan?
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Haven't really generated one. However, I've been committed to 5 UW questions a day plus daily pathoma. I find that it helps me to understand concepts better and start thinking about how concepts we learn in class can be tested on the big deal. I really had to say "eff it." I'm going to be committed to this and decided that I can't be worried about what others are doing. I think the latter is a really important mindset to achieve.
 
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Lets get this thread running!
International Medical Student here
Taking the test most probably in May/June
Target- 260 +
 
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Shjanzey said:
I usually do anki in the mornings and switched to class stuff for the afternoons. It is a nice balance and it makes sure I spend at least some time every day reviewing for step.
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I do something similar. I do Anki in the morning for board related stuff. And class stuff for the rest of the day. I've been better with doing 10 random Rx questions per night and 5-10 Kaplan ?'s per night on which ever block I'm currently doing. And also throwing in some Pharm flashcards whenever I get a chance (10 per week). Hopefully this plan serves me well.
 
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CyberMaxx said:
Ugh, its so hard to keep up with step studying when classes are beating me down though. So far I have not been at all on track, I'm trying to pick it up by tracking my daily progress with an excel spreadsheet so we will see how that goes this week and next. :bang:

Has anyone found some good strategies for making sure you keep up with your step study plan?
Click to expand...

I know that feeling. Ideally, my way of balancing school and boards is to go to class and take notes in a format that makes it easier for review on the weekends. This frees up time during the weekdays for Firecracker, Pathoma, and Sketchy. Then, I review my school notes Fri. - Sun., along with Rx questions over subjects that I've already covered or am currently taking. Unfortunately, things don't always go according to schedule.
 
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Ugh, I guess I'll give in to the pressure.. May 2016 goal of 255+ but I won't be mad as long as I'm not shut out of specialties completely (low 240s+)
 
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March 2016, aiming for 250+

Current plan is:
-RX Qbank x1
-Kaplan Qbank x1
-Uworld x2
 
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June 2016. Aiming for the stars, but will be content with the moon.


USMLE Rx Qbank + USMLE Flash Facts until March
March I start UWorld
Pathoma along courses
FA for referencing
dedicated prep time at end of spring ~5wks
 
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Ooh, good to see this thread heating up. It's not too early for a 2016 thread at all.

Is it just me, or have all your Google Ads on YouTube also become USMLE ads? Good for preventing distractions. And that DIT discount sale is very tempting.
 
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iSaruman said:
Ooh, good to see this thread heating up. It's not too early for a 2016 thread at all.

Is it just me, or have all your Google Ads on YouTube also become USMLE ads? Good for preventing distractions. And that DIT discount sale is very tempting.
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A DIT discount is never tempting lol. Maybe if they sold it for like $150
 
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Ophthoseidon said:
A DIT discount is never tempting lol. Maybe if they sold it for like $150
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I feel like DIT would benefit me greatly, I just feel like its super overpriced, maybe if it came with a unique Qbank of 2000+ questions AND the course, then I would snag it
 
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W19 said:
1.5 year preclinical? Why school will end so early?
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yeah,

for whats its worth, I think you can try for a more ambitious schedule than:
FA/USMLE-Rx (x2)
Uworld (x2)
Pathoma (x3)


I'm hoping to get through Rx for the 1st time (hopefully with reviewing all the questions) by the end of M2. Thats definitely going to be tough mainly since it takes a long time to review questions. Just doing the questions is really not that bad - you can crank through 44q per hr. But if I get through a 1st pass like that, I'd probably be able to get through the marked/incorrect questions in Rx (2nd run through) very quickly, and it will probably be with much less review time.

By dedicated study time, get through Uworld (I think I read someone did all the qs in 3wks) + 2nd pass.

I think pathoma can be fit in with watching a chapter per day for 1-1.5hrs.

As for other resources,
- I'll probably look at Rapid Review depending on the topic
- Sketchy micro for bugs (probably review the parasites, worms and that **** the day before the exam because I never seem to actually care to retain that stuff but I don't want to miss a question where some dude comes back from Africa shytting worms and I need to know the genus/species)
- Possibly flashcards for pharmacology, Brosencephalon deck from Reddit seems good.
 
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@masaraksh I will have other stuff incorporated in my schedule i.e Lippincott's pharm, BRSs, simple micro, RR neuro/path etc... But FA/Rx, UWorld, Pathoma are going to be the resources I will spend most of my time on...
 
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Before the start of this year our school decided that 2 extra weeks of prep time "makes no significant difference in board scores", so instead of having 6 weeks of dedicated prep time we now have 4 (and actually more like 3.5 weeks since we need to fit the COMLEX in there too). No idea how I am going to get through multiple passes of UWorld like I want to during that period. Our test schedule during the year is hell too, so there is almost zero time to fit in board prep along with classes unless you want to seriously sacrifice grades and possibly risk failing classes, which might be the only option come spring. Just a really unfortunate situation but I guess all I can do is make the most of my limited time. I think I'm going to try to fit in a few USMLERx questions per day during the year as "throwaways" and save UWorld until dedicated or at least until spring so that when I miss questions it will be because I forgot something, not because I haven't learned it yet.
 
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Derivations said:
Before the start of this year our school decided that 2 extra weeks of prep time "makes no significant difference in board scores", so instead of having 6 weeks of dedicated prep time we now have 4 (and actually more like 3.5 weeks since we need to fit the COMLEX in there too). No idea how I am going to get through multiple passes of UWorld like I want to during that period. Our test schedule during the year is hell too, so there is almost zero time to fit in board prep along with classes unless you want to seriously sacrifice grades and possibly risk failing classes, which might be the only option come spring. Just a really unfortunate situation but I guess all I can do is make the most of my limited time. I think I'm going to try to fit in a few USMLERx questions per day during the year as "throwaways" and save UWorld until dedicated or at least until spring so that when I miss questions it will be because I forgot something, not because I haven't learned it yet.
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I'm telling you! I have the same struggle. Just trying to fit everything in. There's 24 hours in a day but still, there doesn't seem like there's enough time to dedicate time to school stuff and board stuff and personal stuff. I guess we'll figure it out and just roll with it
 
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Taking it by May 2nd (deadline)
-5.5 wks dedicated. Aiming for 240+ (I really hope I can achieve this)
-Currently trying to do pathoma, RX and kaplan during classes. Going to start UWORLD this December and hope to finish 1x pass by mid-March dedicated study time start. Doing FA 1x through just through looking at it with classes. FAx2, UWORLD, pathoma with RR path prn during dedicated for a total of FA 3x, UWORLD 2x, Pathoma 2x, RR path 1.5x RX/Kaplan 1x. Hopefully it works out.

Good luck c/o 2018!!! We can do it!!
 
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Ibn Alnafis MD said:
Wow, 8wks, I'm jelly
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As am I. 8 weeks is a luxury. You should crush the Step 1. And have time to fit in a few other more optional resources there too.

allojay said:
I'm telling you! I have the same struggle. Just trying to fit everything in. There's 24 hours in a day but still, there doesn't seem like there's enough time to dedicate time to school stuff and board stuff and personal stuff. I guess we'll figure it out and just roll with it
Click to expand...

I feel your pain. Yeah you two are going to have a struggle. But if ever there was a time in your life to work hard and put everything aside, this is it. You can do this.
 
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