If I can, you can too.
USMLE Step1 score- 250.
But I don’t want to talk about what and how did I prepare for that. Everyone knows that. So, I would skip it.
I would like to take this chance to talk about what is actually is.
The test that you only get to take once in your life. The most important test of your life. Eight hour long test that you take which decides your future in medicine. The test that you would regret for life if you don’t score well in (well, at least you think you would).
I was not the brightest student out of 150 at my medical school. I struggled with English too when I started MBBS. I was mainly focused on surviving medical school rather than acing it. I wasted too much time during my college years and started too late, after graduating (1 year ago).
I would be honest, when I started studying for USMLE, I was not at all sure if I can do it or not. Studying scared me more than it bored me. I could not even sit 2 hours at a stretch. Something had to change.
I started slow. I studied the basics from start. The stress of not finishing in time and being left behind than others was terrible. I was kind of in a race with time and myself.
After I thought I was ready, I took UWSA1, and failed.
Took a few months and then took NBME 13 online, scored 221. Devastated. (After finishing UW)
Only thing I could do was to keep studying no matter what. My friends were my saviours.
Took 3 more months and kept improving. There was a plateau. Ups and down, but kept studying until I hit 250 in NBMEs.
The day of exam was coming close.
Can I do it? What if I can’t? What if I fail? What if I blow away the only chance I got? Would I be able to live with that? Will I have to settle with myself?
These were the thoughts that went into the exam center with.
Before I know, it was over.
Got the score exactly after 21 days. Satisfied.
So, it doesn’t matter when you start, where you start. It is ok to feel stressed and scared. It is ok to start late, to finish late. Just be yourself and keep going. It is ok to feel stressed. It’s ok to fall. It’s ok to feel terrible.
So, If I can do it, you can too.
PS- Would answer about what resources I used and how, and review/rate them according to my experience if readers want to😅. But I really wanted to focus on emotional stress and anxiety that we have to go through. And let everyone know that It happens with everyone.