Comments on: NBME Self Assessment Tests and USMLE Review

By: Amanda

Amanda — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:53:14 +0000

Hi Askdoc,

When should I start doing USMLEWorld and NBME questions. I am halfway through my first year of medical school. I am shooting for a 240+ on the USMLE and I am willing to do whatever it takes to do well. Would doing practice questions the summer after my first year of medical school be too early (AKA would it be a waste since I would not have learned pathology yet?)

Thanks a lot!

By: sadaf

sadaf — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 02:02:05 +0000

hi doc,
i have been a silent reader of your since i started preparation for usmle stepl 2..
now my exam is 2 weeks far.
i got uwsa and got 3 digit score of 247 and nbme 2 and got 221.
please help me why there is much gap?what is the probablity of getting good score in sctual exam?what i need to do other than cover weak topic again?
i wan to take one more nbme .what wil be better choice? nbme 3 or nbme 4?
please give me your expert advice for my case that what to do?what wil be worthfuL in geting good score?
please help me out

By: snowman

snowman — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 17:06:07 +0000

Hello,

i will be taking the step 2ck in 2 weeks,, as far as the nbme self assessment exams, what is the best way to take them ( continuously, study between , save for last, do right now, etc…) ??

i have done horribly on the uworld , this is my last chance cannot postpone any longer,, all i am doing now is studying form master the boards 2ck and the uworld questions. any magical advice will do. thank you

By: Paul

Paul — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 03:50:52 +0000

Hi Doc,
I’m an IMG. I need your sincere advice. I am preparing for my step one, which i’m planning to take at the end of Oct. if i am ready. I finished my qbank individual test scores (46 q set) were around 60% when i completed it and i scored 61% on qbank plus simulated test. Then i started doing usmleworld. As i hav some more time, i was doing uworld quizs off and on while reviewing stuff., 2 sets per time whenever i do it., now like 20 tests done. Cumulative is 56% so far..ranging from 50% – 73%. Today, i just wanted to test how my scores would reflect with NBME, i bought form 7 and took it online. Unfortunately, i got only 193 ( 390 NBME score). I was really really pissed off and sad. How come i got such a horrible score that i hv never thought of after studying several months. I felt easy and quite confident while i was taking this and expected i would score quite OK.
The weak points i have found about myself – i have lost my momentum when i ‘m done with my Kaplan qbank and its simulated test last month and it’s expired now. I am quite afraid that i will use up my uworld questions before my exam. Actually i haven’t set a date yet. But i feel really low today with this set of NBME. As i have read your post, it points out where i am, not what i am weak in. SHould i find online answers and review it (form7)? or keep on with my reviews? I have read FA according to the page reference in qbank and reading chapter by chapter now. I have read Kaplan Lecture notes once. According to NBME assessment profile detail, i got very low scores in Physio, Patho and Histology.
IN these days, whenever i review after taking quizs, i feel like i know stuff quite well, except some of those in Uworld. Is it possible that i dun catch up the tone of NBME ? I ‘m well aware that NBME scores prediction do matter a lot for me. i think i need to review FA again. Can you give me some advice how to proceed? I will only take it when i’m ready. I ‘m aiming for 2013 residency .

By: askdoc

askdoc — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 14:17:41 +0000

hi Need orientation!,

You need to study the topics in the right level of detail. Your second round of cumulative score in UW of 56% is completely useless as repeating the qbanks will artificially inflate your scores. My first round on qbanks was 84%. When I repeated it, I was doing 99%. My final score is 99/256 which correlates with low 80′s in the qbanks. So do yourself a favor. Learn how to prep properly or you will wind up failing this exam as so many people have done.

Askdoc

By: Need orientation!

Need orientation! — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 17:10:55 +0000

Hi, askdoc!

I’m a new visitor on your website. I have many friends that had great experiences with your advices, that I decided to share my fears. I am an old IMG, like 8 years ago, I decided to start my preparation for the step 1 at the end of 2009, since that time, I think I do all the right things: read kaplan books (once), watched the videos(once), read FA (many times!!!), did DIT (twice), do uw (twice), but when a took the nbme No. 3, i get a score lower than 200. I have to said that I was not constant during my preparation (maybe that’s one of the problems):( I had to stop my studyings more than one time, since 2009, remained constant since september 2010. I finish, on a second round the UW with a cummulative performance of 56%, first time was 45%. I had a friend that recommended me not to repeat the uw, instead, complete the kaplan qbank and take another nbme. I made an extension for the step 1, which is completed on 30 september 2011. I would appreciate your advices base on your experience.
Best regards!

By: askdoc

askdoc — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 15:22:16 +0000

Hi What2Do,

Did you repeat the questions in the uworld qbank or did you do them only once? That is important. Repeating questions can inflate your score so its not accurate. 52 in Kaplan qbank is a fail too. So if you studied the uw questions and redid them, that explains why you failed in your NBME despite doing well in uw qbank. If that is the case, then you won’t pass this exam. I’m sorry.

Askdoc

By: What2Do

What2Do — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 17:46:00 +0000

Hi AskDoc I am about to take the step 2ck in two weeks, today I did nbme form 1 and I did not pass, but my Uworld qbank was going good, same thing that happen to Kemi last year, sincerously I freak out, because is not correlated, my overall uworld is 65 and my average are between 62 and 72, and in Kaplan qbank was overall 52,,, I would have to say that I am really ansious everyday, but even thought I felt I that doing good during the test. I don’t know what to do if retake another nbme or postpone the exam,,, Help!! thank u!!

By: sumit

sumit — Mon, 23 May 2011 02:45:30 +0000

Hi,
I am first time visitor to this site. I have done my step 1 last year, and now planning to give step 2 ck on 9 th june.. i want to do NBME self assessment to check readiness for exam.
on NBME site there are so many forms for step 2 ck, i am really confused whis=ch one to take. would you please advise which one i should take and what is the difference in these differnt forms.
and also tell me approx. how much i must score in the self assessment to get 99 in step 2.
Hope to hear from you soon, as exam is near so little worried.
please do reply soon.

By: askdoc

askdoc — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 14:57:37 +0000

Hi ICANDOIT,

Based on what you have told me, I have bad news. I think when you take your NBME, you will be disappointed. However, I may be wrong. I suggest you take an NBME form that you have not taken before. And base your decision on that. The USMLE Step 1 practice exam is so very easy. So 70% is actually low.

Askdoc