Usmle step 1 score : 267

Usmle step 1 score : 267

As a start i would like to thank this group for its constant support for all exam takers. Your experiences, discussions and questions were helpful.

Im a recent graduate from the university of jordan class of 2018. I started preparing for step 1 in august of 2018 and took my test on the 3rd of april 2019 (7 months total). At the beginning i was moving at a slow pace studying for a couple of hours a day, then gradually stepped it up, so dont be discouraged at the beginning. The tremendous amount of materials included along with uworld question bank can make you doubt you will finish on time but eventually you will figure out that its doable.

I read pathoma during my fifth year at med school, so i did not not bother to go over it again during my preparation. I had a good knowledge base in physiology and thats why i also chose not to go through BRS or any other physiology textbook.
I started studying first aid and my first read took me almost 3 months. This included sketchy micro videos ( which i only found useful in terms of simplifying micro since this subject was my one of my weakest points even during Med school. If you are the type of person to memorize based on photographic memory and drawings then i would recommend it, otherwise choose something more straight forward without the extra information and less time consuming). I went through first aid and had a couple of topics which needed more explanation and tried to google or look up videos on youtube that helped me understand more.
After finishing my first read i subscribed to uworld question bank and started doing them along with my second read. I found it to be extremely helpful and if i go back in time i would do it during the first read. My second read was much more productive and efficient due to uworld. The questions and explanations helped solidify major important concepts and made studying a bit more enjoyable.
After doing first aid for the second time and uworld i started watching B&B videos for topics i did not have a good grasp on. This helped me focus on my weak areas. After that i did USMLE Rx Q bank which i found to be extremely helpful ( i covered almost all subjects except for 2-3 systems which i didnt have time to finsh).
I also did biostat uworld and 100 cases conrad
At the end i eventually read first aid 4-5 times and did uworld twice with repeating the mistakes the first time. It can get boring and depressing at times so make sure you have a study partner to motivate you. I couldnt have done it without mine, Haneen Saker Dina Shaban
First pass uworld was 89%, second pass 96%
NBMEs and self assesments:
Nbme 15: 259
Nbme 16: 273
Nbme 18: 263
Nbme 19: 259
Nbme 20: 267 ( 1 week before the exam)
Nbme 21: 265 ( 1 week before the exam)
Uwsa1: 261 ( 3 months before the exam)
Uwsa2: 269 ( 1 month before exam)
Free 120: 98%

The actual exam is easier than you think. Yes there are some questions where you read them twice and dont get what it wants but these are few. The majority are straight forward from first aid and uworld. Some are difficult but test general important concepts so if you understand major concepts rather than memorize them then you’re good.
The exam mainly tests your understanding and knowledge of principle points and topics so dont stress on minor details that dont add any value to the general picture while studying.
Read first aid and uworld thoroughly and be capable of all important topics. Do your nbmes and if your scores are good, head for the exam. Do not keep postponing your exam out of fear and do not get disappointed if you score less than desired in one of the nbmes.

Good luck to all of youu!!