step1 experience 256

[h.asslayem]

Salam , this forum was very helpful for me so thought about contributing .

background : IMG , finished one year of clinical rotations .

prep duration : 2 months on and off (during the end of my clinical year) , 2 dedicated months( summer vacation ) .

sources : first aid & UWORLD mainly .

schedule : started with studying subject from the first aid then answering corresponding blocks in UWORLD , didnt spend much time trying to fully comprehend concepts from first aid , any blurry thing i believed would be further explained in UWORLD , and it was .

40 days before exam : i had finished first aid &uworld , found the behavioral science concepts and organic chemistry to be blurry so supplemented them with :

>100 cases of khan : short , good book , covers all ethical and law issues , didnt do me much in the exam but built my confidence .

>last 30 or so pages of HY behavioral science ( proved much helpful ) .

>kaplan videos for metabolic biochemistry : my weakest point , videos are great , ideas stick in the mind , overly explained .

>lange flashcards biochemistry : did the metabolism section only , short yet more than needed in the exam .

>2nd messenger pathways from BRS physiology ( 10 pages , helped in the exam )

> also according to the myths , neurology are said to be deficit in first aid so i studied cross sections of the cerebrum and brain stem from kaplan GENERAL anatomy .

NBME 16 : 247 .

Next 20 days : reviewed the first aid back to back , supplemented the following subjects which were weak at my NBME results :

reproductive : pathoma &kaplan physiology questions ( 50q)
dermatology : pathoma .
Anatomy : kaplan qbank ( 300 q , no new ideas but strengthen the anatomy of the upper and lower limbs , proved much helpful in the exam )
*consider reading the immunity questions in kaplan q bank , helpful for me they were (100 q ) .

NBME 17 (20 days to exam ) : 256
NBME 12 ( 10 days to exam ) : 260
NBME 13 ( 4 days to exam ) : 256

during this period , all i did is first aid & a random slide i found online called " 100 concepts of anatomy " , proved much helpful in the exam .

notes :
-dont wait till the last day b4 exam to correct ur sleeping schduale , the 4 hours i got was not enough to maintain high concentration during the 8 hours exam ( which is needed ) .

-reading new information is more important than repeating the UWORLD Xtimes .

-FA doesnt cover everything , yet nothing does , a good first 3 years are very helpful , u will get Qs not mentioned in the UWORLD or FA but was trivially mentioned in some lecture in the past .

-surgery Qs -from surgical recall - & ped Qs showed up in my exam , so a clinical year can be helpful .

-totally doable , sincerely , 260+ with enough prep.\good background is achievable .

exam : it is said that every exam is different , so what i will write is probably not worthy ur time , nonetheless , for those interested :

> most questions are easy , no need to exclude or guess , retaining the first aid is enough to answer them .

>biochem is mainly retaining general concepts of a pathways .

>anatomy generally covered most subjects , had no neurology sections , drilled with upper limbs muscles and perineum innervation questions !

>immunity , memories its section by heart !

>pharmacology is straightforward , really .

>3 or four pathology questions were weird and not discussed in the UWORLD .

>according to my report , i did bad at behavioral science and anatomy .
good luck .

[dant]

thanks, congratulations,
all the best for the rest

[kiyara]

Congratulations. Thank you the input.good luck in step2.

[Amamo12]

Congrats on the brilliant score

[ezguy]

Congrats,

can you send me link to this one please

100 concepts of anatomy

Originally Posted by h.asslayem

Salam , this forum was very helpful for me so thought about contributing .

background : IMG , finished one year of clinical rotations .

prep duration : 2 months on and off (during the end of my clinical year) , 2 dedicated months( summer vacation ) .

sources : first aid & UWORLD mainly .

schedule : started with studying subject from the first aid then answering corresponding blocks in UWORLD , didnt spend much time trying to fully comprehend concepts from first aid , any blurry thing i believed would be further explained in UWORLD , and it was .

40 days before exam : i had finished first aid &uworld , found the behavioral science concepts and organic chemistry to be blurry so supplemented them with :

>100 cases of khan : short , good book , covers all ethical and law issues , didnt do me much in the exam but built my confidence .

>last 30 or so pages of HY behavioral science ( proved much helpful ) .

>kaplan videos for metabolic biochemistry : my weakest point , videos are great , ideas stick in the mind , overly explained .

>lange flashcards biochemistry : did the metabolism section only , short yet more than needed in the exam .

>2nd messenger pathways from BRS physiology ( 10 pages , helped in the exam )

> also according to the myths , neurology are said to be deficit in first aid so i studied cross sections of the cerebrum and brain stem from kaplan GENERAL anatomy .

NBME 16 : 247 .

Next 20 days : reviewed the first aid back to back , supplemented the following subjects which were weak at my NBME results :

reproductive : pathoma &kaplan physiology questions ( 50q)
dermatology : pathoma .
Anatomy : kaplan qbank ( 300 q , no new ideas but strengthen the anatomy of the upper and lower limbs , proved much helpful in the exam )
*consider reading the immunity questions in kaplan q bank , helpful for me they were (100 q ) .

NBME 17 (20 days to exam ) : 256
NBME 12 ( 10 days to exam ) : 260
NBME 13 ( 4 days to exam ) : 256

during this period , all i did is first aid & a random slide i found online called " 100 concepts of anatomy " , proved much helpful in the exam .

notes :
-dont wait till the last day b4 exam to correct ur sleeping schduale , the 4 hours i got was not enough to maintain high concentration during the 8 hours exam ( which is needed ) .

-reading new information is more important than repeating the UWORLD Xtimes .

-FA doesnt cover everything , yet nothing does , a good first 3 years are very helpful , u will get Qs not mentioned in the UWORLD or FA but was trivially mentioned in some lecture in the past .

-surgery Qs -from surgical recall - & ped Qs showed up in my exam , so a clinical year can be helpful .

-totally doable , sincerely , 260+ with enough prep.\good background is achievable .

exam : it is said that every exam is different , so what i will write is probably not worthy ur time , nonetheless , for those interested :

> most questions are easy , no need to exclude or guess , retaining the first aid is enough to answer them .

>biochem is mainly retaining general concepts of a pathways .

>anatomy generally covered most subjects , had no neurology sections , drilled with upper limbs muscles and perineum innervation questions !

>immunity , memories its section by heart !

>pharmacology is straightforward , really .

>3 or four pathology questions were weird and not discussed in the UWORLD .

>according to my report , i did bad at behavioral science and anatomy .
good luck .