This USMLE Step 1 experience By Santhu LS
The real deal: 235 (exam on May 29)
I am a NON-US IMG
I know it’s not a 250 or 240…..but wanted to share my step1 experience …i am not really happy with the score…..but I have to accept the reality and move on …
My prep was a bit on and off prep…..i am in my med school so had to stop and start my prep based on my med school schedule.
PHASE 1:
just did Kaplan videos and notes pathoma very vaguely. I didn’t aim for perfectionism…I had no idea when I am going to complete…this went on for 4 to 5 months
PHASE 2:
This is when I thought of a deadline when I am going to complete step 1….again I did Kaplan videos and q bank very precisely for 3 to 4 months and then gave an NBME and UWSA1
NBME 16: 215
UWSA1: 232
Now I started First aid and uworld .. did them for 3 months….. I started my fa and uworld very late into my prep that’s the main drawback. I had to stop now due to med school exams ..also I did USMLE RX videos and Qbank for my weak areas.
PHASE 3: DEDICATED STUDY PERIOD 3 months
This is when I did first aid and uworld very precisely pinning down important points to first aid
Nbme 13: 221 ( 3.5 months to exam)
Nbme 15: 230 (3 months to exam)
Nbme 18 : 232 (2.5 months to exam)
This is when I lost the momentum started to relax down as I was hitting 230
Nbme 20: 215 ( 42 days to exam)
UWSA2: 245 ( 41days to exam)
Nbme 22: 228 (40 days to exam)
This fluctuation in score shared the shit out of me….. by now I was burned out but I was holding myself and again revised fa with uworld pinned down
Nbme 21: 242 (30 days to exam)
Nbme 24: 244 (20 days to exam)
Nbme 23: 236 (17 days to exam)
I was aiming for 245 plus and after NBME 23 i had no NBMEs left… I felt I will screw my exam……then i had to contact someone who had NBME 17 unused online version and bought it. I gave NBME 17 with free d 120 qs 8 days before exam
Nbme 17: 244
120 free d : 82%
I felt I was ready and went for the exam
EXAM DAY
I had 7 hrs sleep….had some coffee and normal food which I usually eat (no protein bars etc)
I felt I was doing great on the exam …just in block 3 /4 felt some difficulty….. I was on euphoria after the exam …and I thought I killed my exam
But the real deal is 235😊
DONE WITH STEP 1
This is a bit happy thing which will cheer me up