USMLE STEP1 EXPERIENCE 256
BY DR URJA NAJADIA
Hello everyone. I am writing this experience to contribute my little to the group which played such an important role in my step 1 journey.
I am not listing the resources I used as they are already discussed a lot in this group. Instead I would like to share some other important things one should take into account.
I decided to pursue USMLE in my final year of MBBS. Taking this decision itself was a task for me as nobody in my family knew anything about it. It’s not just about scores or exams when you decide to do something like this in a foreign land. One has to think about his/her family, finance( it’s costly!!!), timeline, visa, electives and so much more…
Fortunately, I had a great support system and my family trusted me with whatever I did. But this also comes with the responsibility to stand up to their expectations, keep up that trust.
Hereby I mention some things I learnt during this period…
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USMLE brings lot of uncertainty alongwith it. So, be prepared. It will teach you how to handle the pressure. Try to enjoy the process.
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If you have financial constraints, and you want to save some money, PLAN!! Plan your journey well ahead. For eg, if you are going for electives, take step 2 CS in the same trip, apply for clerkships really early so that you are not forced to apply through any agency…everything won’t go exactly according to your plan but you will definitely land up somewhere nearby.
Coming to step 1 preparation,
Alongwith Kaplan videos( bchem, immunology, genetics, neuroanat are very helpful), I used offline uworld and FA. After finishing it once, I solved online uworld. I wanted to take step 1 before going for electives but wasn’t scoring enough on NBMEs. So decided to postpone it.
During my electives, I took step 2 CS. ( I am glad I did that. And yes, you can take it before step 1!! It’s completely okay)
After coming back, I completed my remaining months of internship. After a gap of around 5-6 months, started preparing again. Solved online uworld alongwith FA. I was trying to use BNB as I had huge fear of missing out on it. Saw some videos and later gave up on it. I would suggest you to check out Bnb neuroanatomy videos.
I had completed uworld 1.5 months before my exam. Last month, I only focused on solving nbmes and reading FA. Below are my nbme scores.
Nbme 17- 23 mistakes
Nbme 20- 47 mistakes
Nbme 22- 40 mistakes
Nbme 19- 20 mistakes
Nbme 23- 38 mistakes
Nbme 21- 244 marks
Nbme 18- 234 marks( 3 weeks before my exam date)
Uwsa1- 251
Uwsa2- 256
Free 120- 90%
As you can see, my nbme scores were all around 240-245. Like any other person, after nbme 18, which is considered quite predictive, I was thinking of postponing my exam date. But I saw a pattern in my mistakes. Most of them were because I didn’t remember FA well. Nbme 18 is otherwise really easy. Also, I was extremely nervous while taking it. Fact that it is very predictive made me loose my mind. So I thought of giving myself one more chance and took uwsa2.
I just want to say that no single nbme is predictive. With every NBME, keep on working at your weakness. You should be your best prepared on the exam day.
On exam day,
I had slept for around 5 hours and was quite calm and confident. Your attitude in that room matters the most. I can’t emphasize it enough. Most of the doctors who take this exam are more or less prepared to the same extent. Presence of mind is the most important thing that day. Enter it like a winner already! Leave the baggage or any kind of pressure and negativity at the doorstep.
During exam, I felt quite rushed. Question stems were a bit longer than I expected. Questions were not as direct as nbmes. They were more like uworld and nbme mixture.
I took only 2-3 mins break between first three blocks. Took longer breaks in the later part of the day.
After exam, I kept on telling myself that whatever the score is, I am going to be a good doctor and I am not going to judge myself based on any number. Less score doesn’t mean you are a bad doctor, nor does a good score guarantee the brightest future. Believe that you are bigger than your scores. If you don’t believe in yourself, who else will?
Develop the postive attitude and try to become the person you always wanted to be. Help others whenever you can as you don’t know what it could mean to that person. There have been some people who helped me just at the right time, when I needed it the most and I can never thank them enough!