09-12-2007, 11:22 AM
Got my score: 255/99. Thank god!
My prepration: 10 weeks. Kaplan IM/OG book twice, Surgery/Psych/Peads once, Secrets twice, no DVD or audio. NBME I: 236, 6 weeks before exam (after reading Kaplan books once). Did UW all questions 70%, then only the wrong ones re done: 77%
Yes UW is good for prepration but questions are very very different.
My experince:
First four parts were much easier and shorter than the rest. It got longer and harder as I went to the afternoon parts. Took 5-8 min breaks after each part. with plenty of chocolate and hydration. Took two acetaminophen in the morning, just in case!
It was 50% IM, and 15% OG, 15% Peads, 10% Psych, 10% surgery.
For me (my background is IM), reading or not reading kaplan IM/Peads/Psych would have changed only a hand full of answers. My knowledge of OG is nil and managemnt of trauma minimal therefore I found these useful. the surgery book was very useful.
Questions: half are very easy and you know the answer as soon as you read them. The other half, is not something you have read or have any clue. You just make an educated quess and carry on. and yes. I made loads of stupid mistakes. do not worry! everybody does! One question asked about an elderly (late 70s) who had boold transfusion and had a reaction. I thought to myself: this cannot be IgA def. with her age, she would have presented years ago with recurrent Infections. choos something else. came home. looked it up in a textbook. damn! They can present only with such reactions and being asymptomatic all their life!
That's it. Now I am going to get ready for step one (maybe Dec) and Cs (hopefully March).
I want to thank all you guys who post and discuss questions here. It was a very nice forum. God bless you all.
My prepration: 10 weeks. Kaplan IM/OG book twice, Surgery/Psych/Peads once, Secrets twice, no DVD or audio. NBME I: 236, 6 weeks before exam (after reading Kaplan books once). Did UW all questions 70%, then only the wrong ones re done: 77%
Yes UW is good for prepration but questions are very very different.
My experince:
First four parts were much easier and shorter than the rest. It got longer and harder as I went to the afternoon parts. Took 5-8 min breaks after each part. with plenty of chocolate and hydration. Took two acetaminophen in the morning, just in case!
It was 50% IM, and 15% OG, 15% Peads, 10% Psych, 10% surgery.
For me (my background is IM), reading or not reading kaplan IM/Peads/Psych would have changed only a hand full of answers. My knowledge of OG is nil and managemnt of trauma minimal therefore I found these useful. the surgery book was very useful.
Questions: half are very easy and you know the answer as soon as you read them. The other half, is not something you have read or have any clue. You just make an educated quess and carry on. and yes. I made loads of stupid mistakes. do not worry! everybody does! One question asked about an elderly (late 70s) who had boold transfusion and had a reaction. I thought to myself: this cannot be IgA def. with her age, she would have presented years ago with recurrent Infections. choos something else. came home. looked it up in a textbook. damn! They can present only with such reactions and being asymptomatic all their life!
That's it. Now I am going to get ready for step one (maybe Dec) and Cs (hopefully March).
I want to thank all you guys who post and discuss questions here. It was a very nice forum. God bless you all.