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Vehla Step 1 Experience - 239

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#1 ·
hey everyone
got my result today and here I am writing my own experience
Did Kaplan notes with videos
FA (ultimate book)
Kaplan Qbank online (1month)
USMLE World online (2months- 1st pass: random timed, 2nd pass: incorrect, 3rd pass: marked)

Tips: do more and more questions
use uworld as learning tool
continuously asses your scores and work on your weaknesses
Asses yourself with NBME and uwsa and do not get discouraged, give your 100%

Real exam: Questions are easier and straight forward then UWorld, except for few wtf questions.
Its really exhausting 8 hour exam so better be prepared for it by doing free150 with nbme.

My scores Kaplan average 59%
UWorld avg 69%
NBME 13 -226 (1month before)
uwsa1 - 256 (3weeks before)
uwsa2 - 254 (2weeks before)
NBME 7 - 238 (1week before)
Free 150 - 86.5% with NBME 7
REAL DEAL 239/85

Lemme know if you have any questions
 
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#6 ·
Congratulations for your great score...
My step1 is in august and i will finish my first reading before march15 from Kaplan books and videos,finished 60% FA.
So from now onwards how should i plan my reading Until my exam date?
Your advice would be really apreciable for me...
Thanks:)
 
#9 ·
TRY learn all concepts from kaplan, but try to finish it ASAP
then give a month or less to kaplan qbank online with active FA learning.
Asses your weakness at the end and focus on it more.
then go with UWorld and FA revisions
take nbmes and work on ur weaknesses
I would recommend goljen audios, if u r not done with it. good luck with your prep.
 
#8 ·
Congratulations!!!
How many mistakes yu was thinking made after the exam?
thank you!
I took my test on february 22, so this waiting time is difficult.
I agree with yu that qs on real exam are easier than any q banks except several qs.
 
#19 ·
Congratulations on the awesome score! Happy-2

I'm still in the early stages of my prep. I have been trying to watch Kaplan videos but they're taking up an aweful lot of my time. I wonder if you think that watching the Kaplan videos is really useful? I mean, do they really contain a lot of extra info as compared to Kaplan Lecture Notes alone?

Thanks! :)
 
#20 ·
Congratulations on the awesome score! Happy-2

I'm still in the early stages of my prep. I have been trying to watch Kaplan videos but they're taking up an aweful lot of my time. I wonder if you think that watching the Kaplan videos is really useful? I mean, do they really contain a lot of extra info as compared to Kaplan Lecture Notes alone?

Thanks! :)
No it doesn't contain lot of extra info, but it is necessary for concept building. If you think that you already have bold med school concepts then you can skip or do selective videos. So it's subjective approach. Also you can watch some videos at 1.5x speed. :p
Good luck
 
#28 ·
hey everyone
got my result today and here I am writing my own experience
Did kaplan notes with videos
FA(ultimate book)
kaplan q bank online(1month)
UwORLD online (2months- 1st pass: random timed, 2nd pass: incorrect, 3rd pass: marked)

Tips: do more and more questions
use uworld as learning tool
continuously asses your scores and work on your weaknesses
Asses yourself with nbme and uwsa and do not get discouraged, give your 100%

Real exam: Questions are easier and straight forward then UWorld, except for few wtf questions.
Its really exhausting 8 hour exam so better be prepared for it by doing free150 with nbme.

My scores kaplan avg 59%
UWorld avg 69%
nbme 13 -226 (1month before)
uwsa1 - 256 (3weeks before)
uwsa2 - 254 (2weeks before)
nbme 7 - 238(1week before)
free 150- 86.5% with nbme7
REAL DEAL 239/85
Lemme know if you have any questions
Congratulations it's a good score:):)
I've given nbme12& i scored 235.
Can u give me any suggestions about how to improve my score to 245.
My sources of prep are KLN,FA,UW.MY exam on april 2nd week.
Present i'm revising UW
 
#36 ·
how to avoid making silly mistakes?

Congratulations for a good score!!
my exams in 1.5mth and rt now im doing kaplan Qbank scoring 63% on avg..:scared: i make silly mistakes during the time mode exam and m not being able to increase my scores until now. i was thinking abt postponing my exam until m able to score fair in the tests. do u have any advice?:toosad:
 
#37 ·
Congratulations for a good score!!
my exams in 1.5mth and rt now im doing kaplan Qbank scoring 63% on avg..:scared: i make silly mistakes during the time mode exam and m not being able to increase my scores until now. i was thinking abt postponing my exam until m able to score fair in the tests. do u have any advice?:toosad:
First of all do not postpone your exam on basis of your score in qbank. Instead give nbme 1 month before your exam to approximate your stand.
About improving: read the question thoroughly specially the last line.Do not hurry the questions, select imp info in ques stem(will be able to do in real exam too). Go thru your weak topics from FA again and again. And it is very important to asses your wrong questions.
Practice and more practice. Good luck
 
#38 ·
hey Vehla,

Congratulations on a wonderful score.

I will be taking my UWSA in few days. Word on the vine is that UWSA overestimates your score be some points. How true is that? Also, I heard that there was a "minus" system, which one does to try to guage what score they might get on a real exam. Do you know about it?

Thanks.
 
#47 ·
Yes it is easier



Yea real exam is easier then any nbme test.specially 13. But honestly speaking it doesn't matter bcos nbme are to predict ur score not to tell u how difficult real exam is. For example in one situation ur real exam is very difficult and in other situation it is easiest, in both situations u will score approximate equal score. That's how usmle scoring system is designed. For me and my friends nbme7 and free 150 was best score correlater. Take free 150,it's 87% correct is approximate 240. I hope this helps. Good luck and lemme know.
 
#48 ·
Last 3-4 weeks

congrats and thanks for posting ...

my exam is in 23 days, I got 217 on Form 13 last week. My goal is 235+, Ive done UW n now doing my incorrect, kln lect/videos, FA 3+ , hav not reviewed goljan or pathoma ....

should I keep reviewing FA and doing UW question or maybe do pathoma or goljan, very quick, in 3-4 days .... I dont want to regret not reading a path review book, but I am not sure if its helpful at this point of my prep!

what did YOU do in the last month of ur prep???

thanks
 
#49 ·
congrats and thanks for posting ...

my exam is in 23 days, I got 217 on Form 13 last week. My goal is 235+, Ive done UW n now doing my incorrect, kln lect/videos, FA 3+ , hav not reviewed goljan or pathoma ....

should I keep reviewing FA and doing UW question or maybe do pathoma or goljan, very quick, in 3-4 days .... I dont want to regret not reading a path review book, but I am not sure if its helpful at this point of my prep!

what did YOU do in the last month of ur prep???

thanks
So, you have long way to go. Don't get discouraged by nbme score, give one more in some time to be sure about your stand.
What I did was revising FA with UWORLD wrong n marked ques and focusing mainly on weak areas. I did listen to few of goljen audios in last months( weak topics). But I won't recommend goljen path review at this moment. Try listening audios(not all)
 
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