I am an IMG, graduated in february 2012. I started studying for my STEP 1 around July 2012 and I was also working about 150-180 hours a month, but my serious studying started around October. My study plan was Kaplan videos with the lecture notes, and FirstAid, but taking my time. I didnt really want to rush it, I was really rusty in most of the subjects for STEP1, some of them I last saw like 4-5 years ago, some were unfamiliar to me, and everything in a different language. I took the test on 17th June, so I took some 10 months in total.
At halfway the kaplan videos I started doing Uworld Qbank, and I also used the kaplan qbook from time to time. I did like 3 months of Uworld and 2 Self Assessment tests. On my last 3 months or so I got USMLERx and I also did most NBMEs to gauge myself. My practice sessions and NBMEs were the following:
SA1 242 (3/4/13) I guess this was just luck.
SA2 230 (10/4/13)
Rx-sim1 227 (25/3/13)
Rx-sim2 240 (20/4/13)
Rx-sim3 234 (27/4/13)
Rx-sim4 248 (23/5/13)
NBME 13 228/530 (15/14/13)
NBME 11 228/540 (4/5/13)
NBME 12 224/530 (13/5/13)
In a way I felt that the NBMEs were underestimating me, I took them all online and most of them with the extended form to check my weak spots. I even made a post about it here, and most people assured me that NBME is pretty much what I was going to get in the test and that sometimes it could overestimate me. By that time I felt I already knew most of the testable subjects, but i was still getting plenty of wrong answers, usually stupid mistakes. But as you can see, I was doing good in most of my practice nonNBME tests.
The last 4 weeks I was a little worried and felt I had reached a plateau in my score, a threshold I just couldn't cross. So I got DIT 15 day course, started reducing my work hours (I quit 1 or 2 weeks before my test too, to be able to study properly), and I found myself increasing my study hours from 4-6 hours a day to 10-12 hours a day. I was really surprised, I didnt know I had it in me, and then I took my last NBMEs 2 weeks before my test
Prometric practice session 87% correct (3/6/13)
NBME 15 231/540 (2/6/13)
NBME 7 240/580 (11/6/13) 6 DAYS BEFORE MY TEST AND WITH DIT COMPLETED
I felt ready, and I went for it hoping for a minimum of 225, and if I was lucky, a 235. When I left the testing center I felt so confused, I couldn't say if it went good or bad, but I was glad it was over. The test is really overwhelming.
When I got my score I was so happy, and very surprised too! Because I exceeded all my expectations, but as I said, i felt underestimated by the NBMEs, and at the end, that was the case. My Rx sims seemed to predict my score a lot better, but I have to admit that the last 2 or so weeks were CRUCIAL, revving up your study hours, quitting everything else in your life and just focusing completely in your study DOES pay. The guys at DIT did a wonderful job to push you to your limits, and if it wasnt for them, I dont think I could have reached a 240 on my NBME 7 and my final score of 249 on the test. My fav qbank was definitely Rx, and it makes the perfect combo of FA+DIT+Rx (but you have to have a good understanding of the subjects, which you can achieve it easily with Kaplan).
I hope this helps people make a good study plan, I feel mine was very slow, and at the end I realized that going over 8 months is bad (I took 10). You will start to forget things, you will start to get bored of all the studying and even feel a little miserable. But be aware that the last 2 months are the most important part. I also dont feel doing Uworld as the only qbank is right, most people will tell you to do Uworld and even repeat it, 2 or 3 times, that is useless guys, you are just memorizing the questions and the facts, and your score will go up, but on the real test, it will serve for nothing. Best thing to do, switch qbanks.
My recomendations, dont take more than 8 months, dont repeat qbanks, do DIT on the last month or so and watch your NBME scores go up 5-10 points each DIT week.
At halfway the kaplan videos I started doing Uworld Qbank, and I also used the kaplan qbook from time to time. I did like 3 months of Uworld and 2 Self Assessment tests. On my last 3 months or so I got USMLERx and I also did most NBMEs to gauge myself. My practice sessions and NBMEs were the following:
SA1 242 (3/4/13) I guess this was just luck.
SA2 230 (10/4/13)
Rx-sim1 227 (25/3/13)
Rx-sim2 240 (20/4/13)
Rx-sim3 234 (27/4/13)
Rx-sim4 248 (23/5/13)
NBME 13 228/530 (15/14/13)
NBME 11 228/540 (4/5/13)
NBME 12 224/530 (13/5/13)
In a way I felt that the NBMEs were underestimating me, I took them all online and most of them with the extended form to check my weak spots. I even made a post about it here, and most people assured me that NBME is pretty much what I was going to get in the test and that sometimes it could overestimate me. By that time I felt I already knew most of the testable subjects, but i was still getting plenty of wrong answers, usually stupid mistakes. But as you can see, I was doing good in most of my practice nonNBME tests.
The last 4 weeks I was a little worried and felt I had reached a plateau in my score, a threshold I just couldn't cross. So I got DIT 15 day course, started reducing my work hours (I quit 1 or 2 weeks before my test too, to be able to study properly), and I found myself increasing my study hours from 4-6 hours a day to 10-12 hours a day. I was really surprised, I didnt know I had it in me, and then I took my last NBMEs 2 weeks before my test
Prometric practice session 87% correct (3/6/13)
NBME 15 231/540 (2/6/13)
NBME 7 240/580 (11/6/13) 6 DAYS BEFORE MY TEST AND WITH DIT COMPLETED
I felt ready, and I went for it hoping for a minimum of 225, and if I was lucky, a 235. When I left the testing center I felt so confused, I couldn't say if it went good or bad, but I was glad it was over. The test is really overwhelming.
When I got my score I was so happy, and very surprised too! Because I exceeded all my expectations, but as I said, i felt underestimated by the NBMEs, and at the end, that was the case. My Rx sims seemed to predict my score a lot better, but I have to admit that the last 2 or so weeks were CRUCIAL, revving up your study hours, quitting everything else in your life and just focusing completely in your study DOES pay. The guys at DIT did a wonderful job to push you to your limits, and if it wasnt for them, I dont think I could have reached a 240 on my NBME 7 and my final score of 249 on the test. My fav qbank was definitely Rx, and it makes the perfect combo of FA+DIT+Rx (but you have to have a good understanding of the subjects, which you can achieve it easily with Kaplan).
I hope this helps people make a good study plan, I feel mine was very slow, and at the end I realized that going over 8 months is bad (I took 10). You will start to forget things, you will start to get bored of all the studying and even feel a little miserable. But be aware that the last 2 months are the most important part. I also dont feel doing Uworld as the only qbank is right, most people will tell you to do Uworld and even repeat it, 2 or 3 times, that is useless guys, you are just memorizing the questions and the facts, and your score will go up, but on the real test, it will serve for nothing. Best thing to do, switch qbanks.
My recomendations, dont take more than 8 months, dont repeat qbanks, do DIT on the last month or so and watch your NBME scores go up 5-10 points each DIT week.