08-27-2014, 07:04 AM
Hello,
I'm posting this because I was freaking out about this exam hardcore as I had a lot riding on this exam and was on the forum looking for information or anything that would somehow maybe ease my mind. Althought a lot of posts scared me and made me more nervous, there were others with a lot of positivity and help.
Here's the thing, out of 10 people that you ask how to study almost everyone will give you a different answer. I went with the majority and the time proven UWorld qs that have worked for me for previous steps. I am not saying this method will also work for you as each person studies and takes in information differently, by step3 I think you should know by now what does and doesn't work for you as well.
I used ONLY MTB3 and Uworld qs and ccs. Studied for 3mo. I can say this is enough to SIMPLY PASS. I found a lot of the qs and info on day 1 of concepts I did not learn in MTB or uworld. So if your looking for 220+ mtb3 and uworld in my opinion is not enough, unless you scored 99s on previous steps.
I studied by doing a chapter of MTB3 and made notes of that chapter, then did all of the correlating questions on Uworld and made uworld notes. Then moved onto the next chapter and did the same process.
Once I was done with the whole MTB3 and Uworld questions. I re-read my MTB3 notes that I made along with the correlating Uworld notes that I made. Read them 2-3 times (MTB self notes 130 pages) (uworld notes 100pages)
- Then I went back and re did my incorrect questions on Uworld
- I took NBME form 3 about 2 weeks before my exam (My score was pretty much on point with the score correlation sheet they have up on Uworld)
- I spent the last week before my exam going over all of the uworld ccs case and all of the online uworld PDF cases. I only went thru it once ( I was upset that I was only able to go over it once and was freaking out about it) I can tell you that my cases were similar to that of uworld cases.
-Day1 considering I was so nervous I tossed and turned in bed all night and was lucky if I even slept for 2-3 hrs. So I was deff exhausted coming into it on day1. Questions are long and hard, deff a guessing game like when taking the NBME self assessment. I would compare the questions of day 1 to be more like questions in Nbme self assessment rather than uworld. Had a few drug ads I skimmed thru them and chose best answer, didn't spend too much time on them, would go back to them if I had time at the end. Most blocks of day one, I needed to quickly skim last few questions as I was running out of time. (ESP the ones w drug ads w 2-3 questions)
-Day2 ahhhh a lil breath of relief, these questions are more like uworld where I answered them with more confidence rather then a guess and a prayer of day1. Cases end early and the day is much shorter once you get to the ccs cases.
-CCS cases uworld does a great job preparing for this. I screwed up 2 cases, 1 I ran out of time for management, and put in what I thought would be further management in the last "2min box" 2 I feel like I just let this patient down and was just trying everything by the books and he wasn't getting better. First 4 cases I didn't realize at the end you had to actually push exit even if the cases ended early to type in diagnosis (uworld it automatically prompts you at the end to put in diagnosis) actual exam you have to push exit before time runs out to put in the final diagnosis. Needless to say I didn't realize that until maybe 4-5 cases in. So my first 4-5 went in without final diagnosis.
-9/12 cases ended early with most either saying pt improved or signs of improvement like temp and pain going down.
-Words of encouragement; I studied for 3mo, in those 3mo I felt like anything and everything that could go wrong, did! My glasses broke, my refrigerator broke, bursitis, torn meniscus, broken laptop, got sick, med school loan hit me with crazy repayment numbers, there is sooo much more to list and it felt like it was all coming down on my shoulders and at the worst possible time!!! I know many others may have it worse I am not stating this to whine or complain simply to tell you to keep your head up, keep faith, pray and think positive and positive things will happen no matter if everything in your life may seem as if it is going wrong and putting you down at the worst time.
-the incidents kept occurring even upto the day of the exam! GPS stated I would only need 30mins to get to the testing center, I figured i would leave 2hrs early to get there and spend 1:30 getting settled in and going over last minute notes.... NOPE! Spent 2 hrs in traffic! Got there right on the dot 9am. Day 2 I was seated at a computer that broke while I was starting my exam. Small things but it can throw you off of your concentration. I kept calm, and confident and believed that Hashem was with me and watching over me and continued the exam with confidence.
-after the exam I went straight to the Ohel and prayed for a long time. Baruch Hashem I passed, nothing impressive as some of these 240 guys that state it was easy, but I did pass with above 200 and by no means found it to be easy.
Final words: I had ALOT riding on this exam, and it felt like everything was against me and at the worst possible time. My advice; study hard even upto the last minute. Go into the exam knowing it will NOT be easy, go into it expecting questions you have no clue and never learned about, there will be a lot of best choice "guessing" on day 1. Expect it and don't let it discourage you. Lastly think positive and positive things will happen and most of all have faith in G-D, what is meant to happen will, for whatever reason, accept it and believe that it is for the best.
Hopes this helps for those that have a lot riding on the exam and are nervous as ever, I know how you feel! Good luck to everyone taking the exam and in all of your future endeavors.
- If anyone has questions I'll try to answer, if it's a private one you can leave your email and I'll try to get back to you.
I'm posting this because I was freaking out about this exam hardcore as I had a lot riding on this exam and was on the forum looking for information or anything that would somehow maybe ease my mind. Althought a lot of posts scared me and made me more nervous, there were others with a lot of positivity and help.
Here's the thing, out of 10 people that you ask how to study almost everyone will give you a different answer. I went with the majority and the time proven UWorld qs that have worked for me for previous steps. I am not saying this method will also work for you as each person studies and takes in information differently, by step3 I think you should know by now what does and doesn't work for you as well.
I used ONLY MTB3 and Uworld qs and ccs. Studied for 3mo. I can say this is enough to SIMPLY PASS. I found a lot of the qs and info on day 1 of concepts I did not learn in MTB or uworld. So if your looking for 220+ mtb3 and uworld in my opinion is not enough, unless you scored 99s on previous steps.
I studied by doing a chapter of MTB3 and made notes of that chapter, then did all of the correlating questions on Uworld and made uworld notes. Then moved onto the next chapter and did the same process.
Once I was done with the whole MTB3 and Uworld questions. I re-read my MTB3 notes that I made along with the correlating Uworld notes that I made. Read them 2-3 times (MTB self notes 130 pages) (uworld notes 100pages)
- Then I went back and re did my incorrect questions on Uworld
- I took NBME form 3 about 2 weeks before my exam (My score was pretty much on point with the score correlation sheet they have up on Uworld)
- I spent the last week before my exam going over all of the uworld ccs case and all of the online uworld PDF cases. I only went thru it once ( I was upset that I was only able to go over it once and was freaking out about it) I can tell you that my cases were similar to that of uworld cases.
-Day1 considering I was so nervous I tossed and turned in bed all night and was lucky if I even slept for 2-3 hrs. So I was deff exhausted coming into it on day1. Questions are long and hard, deff a guessing game like when taking the NBME self assessment. I would compare the questions of day 1 to be more like questions in Nbme self assessment rather than uworld. Had a few drug ads I skimmed thru them and chose best answer, didn't spend too much time on them, would go back to them if I had time at the end. Most blocks of day one, I needed to quickly skim last few questions as I was running out of time. (ESP the ones w drug ads w 2-3 questions)
-Day2 ahhhh a lil breath of relief, these questions are more like uworld where I answered them with more confidence rather then a guess and a prayer of day1. Cases end early and the day is much shorter once you get to the ccs cases.
-CCS cases uworld does a great job preparing for this. I screwed up 2 cases, 1 I ran out of time for management, and put in what I thought would be further management in the last "2min box" 2 I feel like I just let this patient down and was just trying everything by the books and he wasn't getting better. First 4 cases I didn't realize at the end you had to actually push exit even if the cases ended early to type in diagnosis (uworld it automatically prompts you at the end to put in diagnosis) actual exam you have to push exit before time runs out to put in the final diagnosis. Needless to say I didn't realize that until maybe 4-5 cases in. So my first 4-5 went in without final diagnosis.
-9/12 cases ended early with most either saying pt improved or signs of improvement like temp and pain going down.
-Words of encouragement; I studied for 3mo, in those 3mo I felt like anything and everything that could go wrong, did! My glasses broke, my refrigerator broke, bursitis, torn meniscus, broken laptop, got sick, med school loan hit me with crazy repayment numbers, there is sooo much more to list and it felt like it was all coming down on my shoulders and at the worst possible time!!! I know many others may have it worse I am not stating this to whine or complain simply to tell you to keep your head up, keep faith, pray and think positive and positive things will happen no matter if everything in your life may seem as if it is going wrong and putting you down at the worst time.
-the incidents kept occurring even upto the day of the exam! GPS stated I would only need 30mins to get to the testing center, I figured i would leave 2hrs early to get there and spend 1:30 getting settled in and going over last minute notes.... NOPE! Spent 2 hrs in traffic! Got there right on the dot 9am. Day 2 I was seated at a computer that broke while I was starting my exam. Small things but it can throw you off of your concentration. I kept calm, and confident and believed that Hashem was with me and watching over me and continued the exam with confidence.
-after the exam I went straight to the Ohel and prayed for a long time. Baruch Hashem I passed, nothing impressive as some of these 240 guys that state it was easy, but I did pass with above 200 and by no means found it to be easy.
Final words: I had ALOT riding on this exam, and it felt like everything was against me and at the worst possible time. My advice; study hard even upto the last minute. Go into the exam knowing it will NOT be easy, go into it expecting questions you have no clue and never learned about, there will be a lot of best choice "guessing" on day 1. Expect it and don't let it discourage you. Lastly think positive and positive things will happen and most of all have faith in G-D, what is meant to happen will, for whatever reason, accept it and believe that it is for the best.
Hopes this helps for those that have a lot riding on the exam and are nervous as ever, I know how you feel! Good luck to everyone taking the exam and in all of your future endeavors.
- If anyone has questions I'll try to answer, if it's a private one you can leave your email and I'll try to get back to you.
I was wondering what you suggest studying that would make day 1 easier in terms of knowing the concepts. I have just been doing UWorld, MTB, and Kaplan Videos....not sure where else you can grasp information? I know you can't know everything on the exam, I just want to do as well as I can on this exam...thank you for your help