I am immensely thankful to Almighty Allah for rewarding me with my score

Hi friends. I am immensely thankful to Almighty Allah for rewarding me with my score. I am hugely indebted to this group and more so to the recently deleted previous Step 1 Facebook group run by the same admins and have therefore decided to share my experience so that it may help others. I am an old graduate (non US IMG) and have completed my medical school almost 15 years back and then completed residency in my home country.

Before starting the preparation, I read multiple experiences which helped me plan my preparation better. I purchased USMLE Rx package (authors of FIRST AID) which included access to First Aid 2020, USMLE RX videos and USMLE RX flash facts. I also purchased Pathoma and Boards and Beyond based on what people were recommending. My preparation was UFAP + Usmle Rx videos + USMLE Rx flash cards. I also used Boards and Beyond for ethics and biostatistics and Randy Neil videos for biostatistics. I used USMLE Rx Study stream to substitute for Anki as I already had purchased it as a package and I was finding it difficult to adjust to Anki.

My routine was to watch the Rx videos in the morning, followed by reading First Aid of that portion and then doing flash facts and then rereading First Aid where I was making mistakes and then revising the flashfacts which I was not confident about. In the evening, I was using study stream. I also used RX QBank initially for biochemistry, immunology and microbiology. Pathoma was immeasurably useful especially for general pathology. Study stream helped me to memorise biochemistry, immunology, microbiology and pathology. Later on in my preparation, I stopped using study stream and Rx Qbank as it was taking a lot of time for me. However, I persisted in my routine of using RX videos, First Aid and Rx flashfacts of every topic I was doing.The topics which I felt were easy, I did not use Rx videos. Rx videos were especially useful for physiology topics.

Using this method, it took me almost 6 months to complete first aid thoroughly (I was working 30 hours per week in the initial three months and was completely free in the next three months). As I was already taking a lot of time to read first aid only and based on many people sharing their experience that UFAP was enough, I decided not to use Boards and Beyond initially and I thought if I get low scores in assessments, then I will revise First Aid coupled with Boards and Beyond.

I gave my first assessment (NBME 13) when I had not yet read behavioural science and biostatistics thoroughly and scored 238 on that exam with very low score in these topics. After completing these topics using First Aid, Boards and Beyond for ethics and biostatistics and Randy Neil videos for biostatistics, I scored 250 in NBME 15. Then I subscribed to UWorld and completed it in two months and then gave my exam. The reason for rushing with UWorld was I was scoring very low in Ethics and wanted to complete the exam before the new pattern of exam starts. My total preparation was therefore 8 months. Other than the resources I have mentioned previously, I did not use any other materials. I would strongly recommend RX flash facts for those not using Anki.

I wish everyone, especially the old graduates the very best for the step 1 examination. My intention for sharing my experience is to acknowledge the immense help I received reading experiences as well as posts on this group and its predecessor group and also to inspire old graduates to do their best in the examination. I would like to remain anonymous.

My scores in assessments

Free 120 % 91 09-23 Just before exam

NBME 13 238 07-18 Before UWorld

NBME 15 250 07-25 Before UWorld

NBME 16 246 08-17 UWorld 30% done

NBME 19 242 08-07 UWorld 15% done

NBME 24 260 09-19 UWorld 90% done

UWSA1 275 08-26 UWorld 50% done

UWSA2 266 09-13 UWorld 80% done

Uworld %(first pass) 86

Reddit predictor 258

Step 1 score 259