COOLFIRE'S Step 1(243/86) Experience

[coolfire]

Hi, I am a recent graduate. Step 1 encounter date was 21st December, 2011 and got the result after few weeks- 243/86. I am heartily thankful to god, parents, myself and very importantly, this forum and its members. Without you this would not have been possible. I owe a lot to you.
Thank you so much.
I am briefly narrating my preparation for step 1. I hope this will help someone.
1st Reading: I used Kaplan Lecture Notes for all subjects except Pathology- for which I used Goljan. During my internship, I completed physiology and anatomy 1st read (except neuroscience). After that I had to stop study due to some personal reasons. I resumed it after 4 months and completed anatomy-neuroscience. After that, I completed Pharmacology, Pathology, Microbiology, Biochemistry and Behavioral Science in order. I completed Kaplan Step 1 Q Bank subject wise after completion of every subject. In the end, I was left with 2 months and 10 days for revision and Uworld.
UWORLD: I have got only one word for it- INDISPENSABLE. I completed all questions in timed, random, unused mode. It took me 1 month 5 days to finish it with cumulative score 65%. I was really confused how to revise it. First, I started same way as the first read- timed, random, used mode, and I was averaging 90% !! I stopped that way and started to do previously incorrect questions. However, I was not able to complete all incorrect questions due to lack of time(revised only half UWORLD). Bottom line: Revise only incorrect and flagged questions if you are lacking time.
First Aid: A very helpful material. As someone mentioned here in the forum, every single sentence can be a question. I completed it twice. A good comprehensive book.
Kaplan lecture notes Revision: I had no time for it ( only because of my fault –not to consume more hours a day for reading and spending it in sleep) . I feel one has to maintain good speed and punctuality to finish whole revision as it’s a big task.
Questions: This is the part I liked the most in my preparation. I completed Kaplan Q bank, Uworld Qbank, NBME, Kaplan Q book(half), Lippincot free 350 questions(half). Reading explanation may feel tiresome and boring but I read each & every explanation , even when I was sure about the answer and its concept. This practice perhaps spared me from the need of revising Kaplan notes. Get questions material from wherever you can. Do as much questions as possible.
Self Assesment Exams: I used UWSA-1, UWSA-2, NBME-11 before 23 days, 15 days and 7 days, respectively.The score was 228, 248,231, respectively. UWSA-2 was relatively accurate in my prediction. I was aiming for >235, and nbme 11 predicted 231, so I was in a bit worry before 1 week as had it gone 4 to 5 points less, I would surely be disappointed. I kept going believing that I will get at least 230. Do not postpone the exam if you get 5-7 points less than your target, as once momentum is lost, its tough to rebuild it.
The ORIGINAL CLASH: The day before exam, I travelled to my exam center city, relaxed myself with very few things to revise(which I noted behind first aid book so I wouldn’t miss to revise). I took 8 hour comfortable sleep(though struggled to induce it . On the test day, reached the center before around 25 mins. Then the exam started. I had decided not to spend too much time on the difficult question. After 10-20 mins of the first block, I was kind of set and there was no more anxiety. I comfortably finished the first block. Whole of the exam went smooth, with two of the blocks I found little damaging, but I didn’t worry about that as my friend had told me not to worry if whole one or two blocks go bad. I suggest to read test taking strategy from First Aid and Kaplan Question Book as they proved very helpful to me for my exam. Exam is really beautiful. No need to panic at all. Perceive it like playing a game !!!
This is all from me. I will be more than happy to answer any question.
And again, thank you so much for helping me a lot in my preparation. YOU GUYS & GIRLS ROCK !!!!!!!!!
-COOLFIRE.

[Dr. Mexito]

So great to know that you did so well... Good luck for the next step and "May the force be with you"

[coolfire]

Originally Posted by Dr. Mexito

So great to know that you did so well... Good luck for the next step and "May the force be with you"

Thank you Dr.Mexito

[docusmle9]

Buddy congratulations for the great score.Hard work paid off!! how did u improve in the UW scores in random mode gradually?any strategy?i GOT NBME 7 230/550 few days ago.i heard its easier than NBME 11.So, i am bit worried how to improve in NBME 11 which i will be giving 2-3 wks from now.
How many blocks were u doing when exam was approaching?
again thanks for sharing ur experience!!

[coolfire]

Originally Posted by doctordexter

Buddy congratulations for the great score.Hard work paid off!! how did u improve in the UW scores in random mode gradually?any strategy?i GOT NBME 7 230/550 few days ago.i heard its easier than NBME 11.So, i am bit worried how to improve in NBME 11 which i will be giving 2-3 wks from now.
How many blocks were u doing when exam was approaching?
again thanks for sharing ur experience!!

Thank you Dr. Dexter.

When I proceeded in UWORLD, day by day i was getting filled up with the content by UW explanations. Then questions with the learned concepts repeated, which i was able to solve it as i learned it previously from the UW only.

In the time of 2-3 weeks, my suggestion would be to revise FA and do questions (around 50-100/day) from anywhere. Never ever give up practice of doing questions. Dont let go a single day without a block or blocks till 1-2 days are left for the exam

I was doing approximately 1-2 blocks when I was approaching the exam.

Thank you and Best of Luck.

[NAZIAMK]

didn't u do kaplan videos?????

[muhammad]

thank u so much.. really appreciated...

How much time u think is enough for average graduate to ace this exam ?
does Goljan RR 600 pages make a big difference?
What did you wish you HAD done for your Step 1 Prep ?


All the best.

[noha83]

Congrats!!!

[d_wiqed]

Congrats! Great score!

[sukar]

Congratz!
Do you think doing Kaplan LN for path instead of Golgian is a bad idea?

[coolfire]

Originally Posted by NAZIAMK

didn't u do kaplan videos?????

Hello naziamk,

I didnot watch any video. I myself feared because everyone here are watching and i did not(even i had the videos). I felt watching the videos boring. I mean i felt that i can do more things in the same time-duration of video-lectures.

[cooldoc]

so hw much tym does it take fr a graduate to fully prepare fr step1 according to u

[coolfire]

Originally Posted by muhammad

thank u so much.. really appreciated...

How much time u think is enough for average graduate to ace this exam ?
does Goljan RR 600 pages make a big difference?
What did you wish you HAD done for your Step 1 Prep ?


All the best.

I was an average student in my class.I myself consumed 7 months,in which i was reading on an average 6-7 hours daily.

About Goljan, i cant say exactly, because many in this forum have found it not that much helpful. I would say to read goljan once rapidly and simultaneously complete USMLE CONSULT PAtho Question Bank provided with it. Because goljan also covers some extent of biochem,micro,physio. Moreover, color patho slides and photographs will provide good practice of identifying them.

I think i should have revised kaplan notes, but frnkly speaking, it was a very huge task for me being lazy.

Thank you and Good Luck.

[mohitkmc]

Congratulations for your score!!!Pls cn u tell me hw did u do biostat??Do u think FA+u world+goljan audios enough

[coolfire]

Originally Posted by suka

Congratz!
Do you think doing Kaplan LN for path instead of Golgian is a bad idea?

I didn't read kaplan LN for patho. I don't know anything about the kaplan LN content.
For goljan , I would say as I have said earlier in this post, complete it quickly and do usmle consult patho Q Bank provided with it simultaneously. Goljan covers some extent of Biochem, Micro, Physio, Anatomy. Moreover ull get to see number of slides & diagrams.

Patho is the biggest contributor, so spending time in reading Goljan is definitely worth.

Thank you.

[medhelp]

Congradulation u r great I am stacked in Kaplan patho and I think I should read godjan thank you

[Atieno]

Congrats and thanks for the advice.

[Dr.Ast]

Congrats coolfire..
Good luck for future.

[tootsie]

Thanks a ton Coolfire for posting your experience.

Great job! And a very well deserved score.

[coolfire]

Originally Posted by cooldoc

so hw much tym does it take fr a graduate to fully prepare fr step1 according to u

Hello cooldoc,,
I myself required 7 months in which I was reading for around 6 to 7 hours daily. On an average my known frnds have completed in 7 to 9 months. However, evry case is individualized. Consistency is more important than total duration I feel as lapse of some period erases a lot from the brain.

Thank you.

[coolfire]

Originally Posted by mohitkmc

Congratulations for your score!!!Pls cn u tell me hw did u do biostat??Do u think FA+u world+goljan audios enough

Hi mohitkmc,

I did kaplan ln + uworld + fa for biostat.. I guess they are enough for it.

Thank you.

[coolfire]

Thank you medhelp, dr est, atieno, suka, tootsie

[Rebel]

great experiience

[uworldthrowaway]

Congrats! Great job.