Post by Admin on Apr 29, 2014 23:03:01 GMT -5
Hello everyone!
So I went ahead and gave my exam in LA yesterday. Here's a brief account of my journey so far...
I'm an IMG, graduated from Pakistan in 2011. For personal reasons, I could not give the step 1 exam until this year.
I studied for about a total of 11-12 months and this period was interrupted with a long gap during which I was moving to the US and settling in. My point is, that's why it took me almost a year in total.
Books I used:
- Kaplan set 2011
- FA 2011
- Kaplan Qbank
- Conrad Fischer's 100 cases of ethics
Qbanks:
- Kaplan Qbank (book form)
- U World 2 months Feb-March
NBME:
Only NBME 15 online
Books/Resources I did NOT use:
- Kaplan DVDs
- Goljan Rapid Review
- Any other BRS, Hi-yield etc
Exam experience:
My exam was scheduled for 23rd April. I tried to complete my final revision from selected portions of Kaplan alongwith FA. I also had Goljan Hi-yield 36 page notes that I tried to read through when possible.
As the day of the exam drew closer, I was running out of time to revise everything properly and thus had to skimp on somethings. I believe I should have managed my time better. I was ready to throw in the towel and just stop studying at 7 am on the night before the exam. The last two days had been very hectic and my heart would keep racing even while I tried to keep it calm.
At 7 am, I went out with my husband for some change of scenery (staying at home and staring at the books made me want to revise random things instead of rest) and to get some snacks for the exam. I bought Starbuck's double shot expresso cans, bananas, dark chocolate and some milk chocolate.
I had my things ready and set by 10:00 pm and went to sleep... but sleep kept eluding me. Eventually at 12:00 am, I took one 25 mg tablet of Night Aid (diphenhydramine), a cup of hot chocolate and fell asleep by 12:45 am. Woke up at 5:45 am, had a good breakfast of two eggs, two slices of bread and half a cup of tea. Took along two chicken sandwiches. Hit the road at 6:30 am and was at the Prometric Centre by 7:10 am.
I signed in at 7:30 am, was assigned a locker where I kept all my things and was told to wait. At about 7:55 am, the manager/supervisor called me to her desk. The finger-print device wasn't working that day so they couldn't do that. However, she did confirm my ID (had taken my passport and PR card), took a picture and gave me two yellow glossy cardboard sheets and two markers to take notes with. She then checked my jacket pockets and asked to see my ankles and pull up my sleeves slightly too. I was scanned with the handheld security scanning device too.
I should add that I cover my head for religious purposes and was not asked to take off my headcovering at any time. I had confirmed this two weeks prior to the exam on phone as well. This whole security check process took place every time I would re-enter the exam room after breaks.
So I was taken in for the exam, shown the computer and left with the start screen on. I entered my ID number, skipped the tutorial after checking the audio (had seen rest of the tutorial the previous evening at home) and startd the exam.
The exam itself was quite a whirlwind of activity. Right away, I got a couple of weird questions that threw me off for a bit. It seems the USMLE want to add more molecular biology questions with time - I got one or two right away. I also got a tough-ish biostats question which just did not add up and I started losing my cool until I decided I would just go with the common sense answer and move on. Slowly, praise be to God, I got into a more comfortable position and also got better answering questions.
I took a break after every block, even if it was for just 2 minutes once. Took my first break of five minutes - ate some chocolate and drank a few sips of water. Went back in and did the second block. I took another break of four minutes. After the third fourth block, I took a break for the restroom and snacks and went back in for the fifth block. At this point I had about 10 minutes break remaining so after the sixth block, I sat down in the waiting area outside and even flipped through a magazine while I snacked. Called my husband to come pick me up in an hour and went back in for the last block.
I don't know how people can remember exact blocks, I can't! However, I do remember that the my first two blocks were tough-ish and then, with time I eased into the exam and the questions were less scary too. No scary calculations questions too after the initial weird one!
I was tested heavily in pathology, of course, but there were also some anatomy questions that needed deep thought (and weren't exactly from Kaplan either!). There were biostats questions that blew my mind - meta analysis, can you believe that? I can't describe questions, of course, but I will say this that you should definitely BUILD CONCEPTS because that is what will benefit you the most on exam day. First build concepts and then revise to memorize facts.
There was quite a bit of microbiology, pharm (typical questions on ANS pharm, side-effects of drugs, treatment for parasites etc) and behavior sciences. Couple of questions on Immunology. Not a lot of biochem, to be honest. Two audio questions, none involving video. A total of about 4-5 calculation questions from behavior and pharm altogether. The calculation questions, aside from one, were easy, like Attributable risk, etc.
As for the timing, some of the question descriptions were just so long that I had a hard time focusing and picking out key words. I felt myself just looking for buzz words and having to read a question twice or thrice to pick up relevant information. Still, they were quite straightforward questions if you figured out the keywords. I didn't have a lot of time leftover and often had to speed up to make sure I got done in time. There were few panic moments where I had to hurry but thankfully, was able to finish each block with a couple of minutes to spare.
So, after the exam, I was definitely very, very relieved! It took a while for the reality to sink in that I was DONE!! Went to the beach with my husband for some fresh air and relaxation. It felt awesome and surreal!
Over the next 24 hours, which includes the day I spent today, I kept remembering mistakes I had made. There were quite a couple of silly mistakes I picked up which made me go, "Why?! How could I have NOT answered the other obvious choice?!" But then, I had to remind myself that we, as humans, are not infallible and we make mistakes and learn from them. Of course, i shouldn't have made such silly mistakes but then, I did and I cannot dwell on them but only hope and pray that the rest of the tough or doubtful questions swing my way. I did google up several questions and was happy to see I got them correct so I'm optimistic now.
Also, I got at least 4 questions from NBME 15! Since that's the only NBME I did online, I do not know what other questions from my exam where based in NBMEs.
Anyway, so that's my exam experience - I had a good time overall. The exam centre staff was nice although I wish their room was more sound-proofed as I was bothered by people talking outside occasionally. Also, the restroom wasn't nearby and took some time getting to and back.
Overall, I felt the exam was very much doable from Kaplan and FA! There were several FA mnemonics that helped big time! But then, there were also instances like molecular biology that I hadn't seen in Kaplan. Still, I was very glad that I was able to do the exam without studying Goljan. In fact, a lot of it was simple straight recall couple with basic logic. I understand that people come from different backgrounds and have different ways of learning so to each their own!
The result is three weeks away and I'll be leaving for a vacation soon, but any questions you have, feel free to ask me. I can't tell you about the exam questions but if there's something more general, you can ask and I'll try to do my best to help!
Word of advice: STAY FOCUSED, like Koyi said on his post today, and keep your eyes on the goal. Once you're done with the exam, you'll be back to having fun and going all the places you want to go right now but can't 'cause you're studying. I know it, I've been waiting for this day for weeks and months! But it feels nicer knowing that I put in all I could, and even with the mistakes I made, I still got through and I am beyond step 1 now. Just focus on that - it is DOABLE... just study, work really hard because this is the culmination of YEARS of study, from kindergarten to med school and now here! So it's WORTH IT - just be dedicated and stay optimistic!
I also want to thank everyone on the forum, and people who posted exam experiences and gave advice. It really helped! My husband, who gave this exam six years before I did, was also a big help and supporter... and of course, without the Help and Mercy of God, I would be nothing. So all praises to Him for brining me this far and, with His help, taking me to where I hope to be, if He Wills it best for me.
Good luck everyone!
So I went ahead and gave my exam in LA yesterday. Here's a brief account of my journey so far...
I'm an IMG, graduated from Pakistan in 2011. For personal reasons, I could not give the step 1 exam until this year.
I studied for about a total of 11-12 months and this period was interrupted with a long gap during which I was moving to the US and settling in. My point is, that's why it took me almost a year in total.
Books I used:
- Kaplan set 2011
- FA 2011
- Kaplan Qbank
- Conrad Fischer's 100 cases of ethics
Qbanks:
- Kaplan Qbank (book form)
- U World 2 months Feb-March
NBME:
Only NBME 15 online
Books/Resources I did NOT use:
- Kaplan DVDs
- Goljan Rapid Review
- Any other BRS, Hi-yield etc
Exam experience:
My exam was scheduled for 23rd April. I tried to complete my final revision from selected portions of Kaplan alongwith FA. I also had Goljan Hi-yield 36 page notes that I tried to read through when possible.
As the day of the exam drew closer, I was running out of time to revise everything properly and thus had to skimp on somethings. I believe I should have managed my time better. I was ready to throw in the towel and just stop studying at 7 am on the night before the exam. The last two days had been very hectic and my heart would keep racing even while I tried to keep it calm.
At 7 am, I went out with my husband for some change of scenery (staying at home and staring at the books made me want to revise random things instead of rest) and to get some snacks for the exam. I bought Starbuck's double shot expresso cans, bananas, dark chocolate and some milk chocolate.
I had my things ready and set by 10:00 pm and went to sleep... but sleep kept eluding me. Eventually at 12:00 am, I took one 25 mg tablet of Night Aid (diphenhydramine), a cup of hot chocolate and fell asleep by 12:45 am. Woke up at 5:45 am, had a good breakfast of two eggs, two slices of bread and half a cup of tea. Took along two chicken sandwiches. Hit the road at 6:30 am and was at the Prometric Centre by 7:10 am.
I signed in at 7:30 am, was assigned a locker where I kept all my things and was told to wait. At about 7:55 am, the manager/supervisor called me to her desk. The finger-print device wasn't working that day so they couldn't do that. However, she did confirm my ID (had taken my passport and PR card), took a picture and gave me two yellow glossy cardboard sheets and two markers to take notes with. She then checked my jacket pockets and asked to see my ankles and pull up my sleeves slightly too. I was scanned with the handheld security scanning device too.
I should add that I cover my head for religious purposes and was not asked to take off my headcovering at any time. I had confirmed this two weeks prior to the exam on phone as well. This whole security check process took place every time I would re-enter the exam room after breaks.
So I was taken in for the exam, shown the computer and left with the start screen on. I entered my ID number, skipped the tutorial after checking the audio (had seen rest of the tutorial the previous evening at home) and startd the exam.
The exam itself was quite a whirlwind of activity. Right away, I got a couple of weird questions that threw me off for a bit. It seems the USMLE want to add more molecular biology questions with time - I got one or two right away. I also got a tough-ish biostats question which just did not add up and I started losing my cool until I decided I would just go with the common sense answer and move on. Slowly, praise be to God, I got into a more comfortable position and also got better answering questions.
I took a break after every block, even if it was for just 2 minutes once. Took my first break of five minutes - ate some chocolate and drank a few sips of water. Went back in and did the second block. I took another break of four minutes. After the third fourth block, I took a break for the restroom and snacks and went back in for the fifth block. At this point I had about 10 minutes break remaining so after the sixth block, I sat down in the waiting area outside and even flipped through a magazine while I snacked. Called my husband to come pick me up in an hour and went back in for the last block.
I don't know how people can remember exact blocks, I can't! However, I do remember that the my first two blocks were tough-ish and then, with time I eased into the exam and the questions were less scary too. No scary calculations questions too after the initial weird one!
I was tested heavily in pathology, of course, but there were also some anatomy questions that needed deep thought (and weren't exactly from Kaplan either!). There were biostats questions that blew my mind - meta analysis, can you believe that? I can't describe questions, of course, but I will say this that you should definitely BUILD CONCEPTS because that is what will benefit you the most on exam day. First build concepts and then revise to memorize facts.
There was quite a bit of microbiology, pharm (typical questions on ANS pharm, side-effects of drugs, treatment for parasites etc) and behavior sciences. Couple of questions on Immunology. Not a lot of biochem, to be honest. Two audio questions, none involving video. A total of about 4-5 calculation questions from behavior and pharm altogether. The calculation questions, aside from one, were easy, like Attributable risk, etc.
As for the timing, some of the question descriptions were just so long that I had a hard time focusing and picking out key words. I felt myself just looking for buzz words and having to read a question twice or thrice to pick up relevant information. Still, they were quite straightforward questions if you figured out the keywords. I didn't have a lot of time leftover and often had to speed up to make sure I got done in time. There were few panic moments where I had to hurry but thankfully, was able to finish each block with a couple of minutes to spare.
So, after the exam, I was definitely very, very relieved! It took a while for the reality to sink in that I was DONE!! Went to the beach with my husband for some fresh air and relaxation. It felt awesome and surreal!
Over the next 24 hours, which includes the day I spent today, I kept remembering mistakes I had made. There were quite a couple of silly mistakes I picked up which made me go, "Why?! How could I have NOT answered the other obvious choice?!" But then, I had to remind myself that we, as humans, are not infallible and we make mistakes and learn from them. Of course, i shouldn't have made such silly mistakes but then, I did and I cannot dwell on them but only hope and pray that the rest of the tough or doubtful questions swing my way. I did google up several questions and was happy to see I got them correct so I'm optimistic now.
Also, I got at least 4 questions from NBME 15! Since that's the only NBME I did online, I do not know what other questions from my exam where based in NBMEs.
Anyway, so that's my exam experience - I had a good time overall. The exam centre staff was nice although I wish their room was more sound-proofed as I was bothered by people talking outside occasionally. Also, the restroom wasn't nearby and took some time getting to and back.
Overall, I felt the exam was very much doable from Kaplan and FA! There were several FA mnemonics that helped big time! But then, there were also instances like molecular biology that I hadn't seen in Kaplan. Still, I was very glad that I was able to do the exam without studying Goljan. In fact, a lot of it was simple straight recall couple with basic logic. I understand that people come from different backgrounds and have different ways of learning so to each their own!
The result is three weeks away and I'll be leaving for a vacation soon, but any questions you have, feel free to ask me. I can't tell you about the exam questions but if there's something more general, you can ask and I'll try to do my best to help!
Word of advice: STAY FOCUSED, like Koyi said on his post today, and keep your eyes on the goal. Once you're done with the exam, you'll be back to having fun and going all the places you want to go right now but can't 'cause you're studying. I know it, I've been waiting for this day for weeks and months! But it feels nicer knowing that I put in all I could, and even with the mistakes I made, I still got through and I am beyond step 1 now. Just focus on that - it is DOABLE... just study, work really hard because this is the culmination of YEARS of study, from kindergarten to med school and now here! So it's WORTH IT - just be dedicated and stay optimistic!
I also want to thank everyone on the forum, and people who posted exam experiences and gave advice. It really helped! My husband, who gave this exam six years before I did, was also a big help and supporter... and of course, without the Help and Mercy of God, I would be nothing. So all praises to Him for brining me this far and, with His help, taking me to where I hope to be, if He Wills it best for me.
Good luck everyone!