USMLE STEP1 EXPERIENCE 259
DR HOSSAM FIKRY
Hi everyone, just got my score yesterday & thought i would share coz this group helped me throughout my prep…some might know me as Rob Dob…i am currently doing my internship at Mansoura university hospitals…it’s gonna be quite long,so bear with me
Prep. time:about 2 years (during which I was also studying 5th/6thyear except last few months…had many gaps, sometimes for 2-3months during my finals)
1st stage(6m):going through Kaplan videos/notes + plus pathoma
2nd stage(1y):going through FA/UW offline…B&B videos
3rd stage(dedicated 6m):revising FA/UW…doing NBME and other assessments
(p.c.) I am a slow reader, I took my time through each stage, was not rushing
that’s why I recommend starting early in med school
target score:+250
actual exam score:259
assessment scores:
nbme13: 25 mistakes (at the end of my 2nd stage)
nbme15:15 mistakes
nbme16:20 mistakes
nbme20:27 mistakes
nbme21:260
nbme18 :250 (about a month before the exam)
nbme24:15 mistakes
UWSA 2:264 (week before exam)
Free 120:93%
Amboss self assessment:269
other sources that I used:Najeeb videos for neuroanatomy and Resp/renal physio…some sections from BRS physio…HY embryo &neuroanatomy…youtube channels that I found particularly useful (Osmosis/Dirty USMLE/Amir Mullik)…used google mainly for things that I wanted to know more about and for images/scans…etc
UW: the most single important source for USMLE in my opinion…unfortunately I could not do it online (highly recommend if u can afford it)…I did 2016 (2 rounds) and 2019 (only new qs)…I took notes on first round wch is a slow painful process but helped me later on my 2nd round and made it easier…I added my notes to FA wch also very time-consuming, but looking at the positive side, every time I read FA,I would also be revising my UW notes…everything in UW is precious, every graph/image/table…u have to know/understand it very well if u aiming at a top score
FA:overall I did it 3 times…but certain sections that I struggled with probably hit it like 5 times…others that were easy for me would probably skip in subsequent rounds…u gotta understand all concepts in this book and know the details
for me these 2 sources cover at least 90% of the exam
things I wish I could have done:
*Do UW online…teaches u skills of approaching Qs, time-management, makes taking notes easier, u can make your own flashcards, track your performance, etc…lots of things that are as important as knowing your concepts
*learn about B&B earlier…I wasted some time early on with things like FA express/DIT videos…but right now B&B is the best, hands down…I only did like 40% of it but u should do all of it if u got time
things I think should not have done:
spend too much time on Kaplan
passively reading esp. during revision…try to find more effective way like doing cards or questions…it’s very good if u make your own cards
the Week before the exam
*revise stuff that u forget easily, I find it useful also to revise your graphs/curves/equations
*Do the free 120, they are the closest thing to actual exam
*try to avoid studying anything at least 2 days before exam…instead try to relax, have some fun, go out with friends or do whatever distracts you
*try to sleep well the night of the exam…it’s easier said than done but it’s very important…if u could not, don’t panic…the adrenaline will carry u through the exam but u would not be as sharp…i only had 4.5h of sleep and they did the job for me
Day of the exam: make sure u have everything u need going into the prometric center…take all meds u need (I took PPI,paracetamol)…simple food/juice/water
skip the tutorial ,after checking headphones, this will be added to your break time…I took 10 min break after each block… whatever happens during the exam…key is not to panic, keep calm…once u finish one block, forget about it &move on…some blocks are meant to be tough so do your best and move on…walking out of the exam center will be the most relieved moment of your life
recommendations
*have a study partner…very important…this journey is long and exhausting and having someone to help u/motivate u is very useful for both of u…I had multiple SPs through my prep and it helped me a lot
*keep in touch with family and friends…they ease some of the suffering/exhaustion that u get through this journey
*have yourself some time to rest and refresh
*avoid gaps if possible
last thing I wanna say is that this journey taught me a lot…life is not easy, u gotta make sacrifices…don’t be afraid to follow your dreams even if u walk alone and against all odds…and whatever happens, be proud of yourself and keep your head high…Best of luck for everyone.