USMLE tips/advice/experiences wanted!

mardybumbum

Biologic wrote: »

Holy crap that's a good score. I'd backflip to India for a 252. Well done Mardy.
I haven't seen many people take step 1 during the clinical years. Do you think that stood to you or did the rotations get in the way of step 1 prep? Also, assuming a good work ethic and decent foundation, do you think 10 weeks is enough time to do well (230+) in step 1 for someone finishing year 2 of the 4-year programme? I finish at the end of July and want to take the step on September, but getting a 230+ is more important to me than sitting in Sept.
Thanks and congrats.

Thanks very much biologic

The rotations did get in the way to a certain degree, especially Obs/Gynae. Just had to work that extra bit more, watch less TV, e.t.c.

10 weeks is definitely enough to get 230+ in my opinion.
Know FA inside out, do a pile of qbank questions and go over the important/high yield stuff only. I had the luxury of being able to go over low yield stuff like embryology, behavioural science, e.t.c as I gave myself the time.
If I had 10 weeks to study though I'd be focusing mainly on the high yield info.

mardybumbum

Also, most people who have sat the USMLE in my class would have sat it this Christmas while they were in 4th year. Don't know of anybody who sat it while in 3rd med.
Have 2 friends who are thinking of doing it in final med which I wouldn't dream of.
If you are completing your basic sciences this year biologic then your plan of doing it after the summer is probably the best idea.

Biologic

That's encouraging, thanks. I've actually got 16 weeks, I'm just not sure I can give USMLE 100% for 4/5 of those. So far I've done Pathoma (90%), CMMRS (80%), Goljan audio, half of DIT and have given First Aid a good rattling. I'm sticking to Kaplan and UW qbanks with an open mind to USMLERx if time permits (which it probably won't).
Anyway, well done again. That must be an amazing feeling.
EDIT: I plan on getting out of Ireland before intern year, so need to get cracking on CK+CS. That's the reason I'm sitting it so early. The Summer before final med will hopefully be taken up getting US clinical experience.

mardybumbum

Biologic wrote: »

That's encouraging, thanks. I've actually got 16 weeks, I'm just not sure I can give USMLE 100% for 4/5 of those. So far I've done Pathoma (90%), CMMRS (80%), Goljan audio, half of DIT and have given First Aid a good rattling. I'm sticking to Kaplan and UW qbanks with an open mind to USMLERx if time permits (which it probably won't).
Anyway, well done again. That must be an amazing feeling.
EDIT: I plan on getting out of Ireland before intern year, so need to get cracking on CK+CS. That's the reason I'm sitting it so early. The Summer before final med will hopefully be taken up getting US clinical experience.

Have you got the smartphone apps for UW and Kaplan Qbanks?
What do you make of Goljan audio? I never liked listening to him. I found he just repeated what was in his book which I had already gone over.
I don't plan on leaving straight after graduation so im not rushing into step 2 during the summer but I would consider sitting both CK and CS in final med.
Got lucky enough to secure some US experience this summer myself so hopefully good step scores + relevant experience will stand to us.
I'm glad I'm not in your shoes. The sight of FA makes me want to vomit.

Biologic

mardybumbum wrote: »

Have you got the smartphone apps for UW and Kaplan Qbanks?
What do you make of Goljan audio? I never liked listening to him. I found he just repeated what was in his book which I had already gone over.
I don't plan on leaving straight after graduation so im not rushing into step 2 during the summer but I would consider sitting both CK and CS in final med.
Got lucky enough to secure some US experience this summer myself so hopefully good step scores + relevant experience will stand to us.
I'm glad I'm not in your shoes. The sight of FA makes me want to vomit.

No I didn't get the smartphone apps. The ad on Kaplan main site says there's a very limited number of questions for the mobile app, so I didn't bother. Is it worth it?
Goljan audio is fine, nothing too special. It feels like he's just reading the blue notes from the book. I'd never rely on it to teach me an entire system but it's good for a bedtime story. If you listen to it on 1.5x speed it's a little less frustrating when he starts yapping about his personal life.
Did you do any NBME exams during your prep? I've heard a few people say there's a degree of repeat between the NBME papers and the real thing.

mardybumbum

No I didn't get the smartphone apps. The ad on Kaplan main site says there's a very limited number of questions for the mobile app, so I didn't bother. Is it worth it?
Goljan audio is fine, nothing too special. It feels like he's just reading the blue notes from the book. I'd never rely on it to teach me an entire system but it's good for a bedtime story. If you listen to it on 1.5x speed it's a little less frustrating when he starts yapping about his personal life.
Did you do any NBME exams during your prep? I've heard a few people say there's a degree of repeat between the NBME papers and the real thing.[/Quote]

Ah, I didn't know that about the Kaplan app. I never used the Kaplan one as it wouldn't work on my phone for some unknown reason. The UW app was great though and is certainly not limited to a few questions. You can access the whole 2400 questions on that app if you like.
Didn't do NBME forms myself but I did two UWSA forms and two Kaplan diagnostics which predicted my score quite accurately.

roro1neil0

Well done getting a 252. great score.

Can you tell us how your scored compared to the rest of the class? presumably the americans in your year made it their priority?

basically what i'm getting at is you're saying 230+ is very doable in 10 weeks but you're obviously one of the cleverest in your class so it might be considerably easier for you than some random gamsatter

mardybumbum

roro1neil0 wrote: »

Well done getting a 252. great score.

Can you tell us how your scored compared to the rest of the class? presumably the americans in your year made it their priority?

basically what i'm getting at is you're saying 230+ is very doable in 10 weeks but you're obviously one of the cleverest in your class so it might be considerably easier for you than some random gamsatter

Hi there,

I can honestly say I don't know the scores obtained by the rest of my class. I would ask people how they got on in the exam/ were they happy with their results/ general chit chat but never for an exact score.

There are only 2 US students in my class. Most of those who sat the USMLE would actually be Canadian.
I believe that myself and the other non-canadians that sat it made it as much as a priority as the Canadians. You might as well if you're paying the guts of a grand.

I'm certainly not top of the class roro and I'm actually a bit of a lazy arse when push comes to shove.
What I'm saying is that someone who puts in the time and uses that time wisely is more than capable of scoring a 230+ whether that be a undergrad med student, postgrad or qualified doctor.

Biologic

roro1neil0 wrote: »

it might be considerably easier for you than some random gamsatter

What has the fact that I sat the GAMSAT over 2 years ago got to do with anything? You make it sound derogatory. I came top 5% in a group of people in which everyone had an honours degree. I'm not sure how that puts me at a relative disadvantage for the USMLE.

roro1neil0 wrote: »

presumably the americans in your year made it their priority?

Everyone I know that is sitting the USMLE is making it their priority, Irish or American. RCSI has some safeguards in place so that people won't sit it on a whim. You have to pass a diagnostic test before they will sign off on your form 186. If you don't pass, you meet with the Dean and have to explain your motivations for sitting it, then resit the diagnostic. The two people I expect to score highest are Irish actually (neither of which are me).

roro1neil0

Biologic wrote: »

What has the fact that I sat the GAMSAT over 2 years ago got to do with anything? You make it sound derogatory. I came top 5% in a group of people in which everyone had an honours degree. I'm not sure how that puts me at a relative disadvantage for the USMLE.

It means you didn't get 570+ points in your leaving cert. it's harder to get 570 in the leaving cert than a 2.1 in some mickey mouse degree. Well done getting top 5% in that exam, but remember the other 95% didn't do biology in college so it's not really fair.

Everyone I know that is sitting the USMLE is making it their priority, Irish or American. RCSI has some safeguards in place so that people won't sit it on a whim. You have to pass a diagnostic test before they will sign off on your form 186. If you don't pass, you meet with the Dean and have to explain your motivations for sitting it, then resit the diagnostic. The two people I expect to score highest are Irish actually (neither of which are me).

In ireland, internship posts are awarded on your class ranking. North americans have no intention of staying in ireland so their usmle score is about 100 times more important than there degree score, although i'm sure they'll like to get a good score.

I'm not surprised the irish are top of the pile because the only north american's we get are the ones rejected from the north american schools.

good luck in your usmle don't under estimate it.

2Scoops

roro1neil0 wrote: »

It means you didn't get 570+ points in your leaving cert.

Not necessarily. Graduate entry opens the door to hundreds of applicants with 570+ points who did not originally choose medicine while doing their LC. Incidentally, 570+ points is roughly the top 5%!

Biologic

I don't know what your problem is. You've come onto a thread for a subcategory of medical students who are sitting one of the hardest exams out there, even though you're an IT student in UL with nothing to do with any of this. And you're picking fights.

roro1neil0 wrote: »

It means you didn't get 570+ points in your leaving cert.

No it doesn't. There are people in my GEP class who got 570+ and decided on different courses. I did very well in my LC and got first choice on my CAO. At the time I didn't want medicine. I wasn't happy with science, so I went back and did medicine. Regardless, I'm now in medicine and loving it. You are a narrow minded troll. How I got into medicine has not bearing on my USMLE application.

roro1neil0 wrote: »

...the other 95% didn't do biology in college so it's not really fair.

Wrong on multiple counts. Most of the people doing the GAMSAT are science grads. Many people doing it are pharmacists, physios, architects, legal professionals etc.

roro1neil0 wrote: »

In ireland, internship posts are awarded on your class ranking. North americans have no intention of staying in ireland so their usmle score is about 100 times more important than there degree score, although i'm sure they'll like to get a good score.

I'm not surprised the irish are top of the pile because the only north american's we get are the ones rejected from the north american schools.

good luck in your usmle don't under estimate it.

I'm perfectly aware of how the internship programme will assess me in my career. And you spelled their wrong. You're not surprised that the Irish are top of the pile? That's funny because according to you we gamsatters are a bunch of yokels who don't know our membranous nephropathy from our membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis. And the North Americans from the RCSI class which just graduated are starting very competitive residencies in Yale, Mayo, Brown, Dartmouth, Cleveland clinic and surgery in Columbia. You really need to have another think about your opinions of GEP classes in general. Or else just keep those opinions to yourself until you've done medicine, the gamsat and/or the USMLE.

And you can take your condescending "good luck" back. I don't need an IT student to tell me not to underestimate an exam he's not capable of sitting himself.

Edit: It looks like you've already been banned from the UL forum for trolling. Good luck with that carryon here.

roro1neil0

2Scoops wrote: »

Not necessarily. Graduate entry opens the door to hundreds of applicants with 570+ points who did not originally choose medicine while doing their LC. Incidentally, 570+ points is roughly the top 5%!

It's extremely unlikely there is anyone in graduate medicine sitting on 570+ plus, might be a few alright.

Biologic wrote: »

even though you're an IT student in UL with nothing to do with any of this. And you're picking fights.

going through my posts, like a creep, good man.

No it doesn't. There are people in my GEP class who got 570+ and decided on different courses. I did very well in my LC and got first choice on my CAO.

you didn't get the point for medicine, stop implying that you did.

You are a narrow minded troll. How I got into medicine has not bearing on my USMLE application.

personal abuse much? Show me the proof where lc score doesn't correlate well with usmle step one score? oh, you can't? making stuff up as you go along?

Wrong on multiple counts. Most of the people doing the GAMSAT are science grads. Many people doing it are pharmacists, physios, architects, legal professionals etc.

source? not much biology done in architecture or law is there?

I'm perfectly aware of how the internship programme will assess me in my career. And you spelled their wrong.

Well the forum needed to be reminded because you had failed to mention this fact.

That's funny because according to you we gamsatters are a bunch of yokels who don't know our membranous nephropathy from our membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis.

what are you like? trying to sound clever or something?

And the North Americans from the RCSI class which just graduated are starting very competitive residencies in Yale, Mayo, Brown, Dartmouth, Cleveland clinic and surgery in Columbia.

so you're saying none of the canadains were placed in canada?

You really need to have another think about your opinions of GEP classes in general. Or else just keep those opinions to yourself until you've done medicine, the gamsat and/or the USMLE.

what do you know? you're living in a bubble were you think, you have the absolute arrogance to assume, you have a clue what's going on outside of your life. You don't.

And you can take your condescending "good luck" back. I don't need an IT student to tell me not to underestimate an exam he's not capable of sitting himself.

It's pretty obvious to me you have a lot of doubt, insecurity and uncertanity about this exam and are projecting it onto me, trying to insult my intelligence or my academic capability. You can't take professional exams in networking either, so what has that got to do with anything. don't be such a bitter fool just because i exposed you as a no-hoper.

Edit: It looks like you've already been banned from the UL forum for trolling. Good luck with that carryon here.

thanks

Biologic

roro1neil0 wrote: »

It's extremely unlikely there is anyone in graduate medicine sitting on 570+ plus, might be a few alright.



going through my posts, like a creep, good man.



you didn't get the point for medicine, stop implying that you did.



personal abuse much? Show me the proof where lc score doesn't correlate well with usmle step one score? oh, you can't? making stuff up as you go along?



source? not much biology done in architecture or law is there?




Well the forum needed to be reminded because you had failed to mention this fact.



what are you like? trying to sound clever or something?



so you're saying none of the canadains were placed in canada?



what do you know? you're living in a bubble were you think, you have the absolute arrogance to assume, you have a clue what's going on outside of your life. You don't.



It's pretty obvious to me you have a lot of doubt, insecurity and uncertanity about this exam and are projecting it onto me, trying to insult my intelligence or my academic capability. You can't take professional exams in networking either, so what has that got to do with anything. don't be such a bitter fool just because i exposed you as a no-hoper.



thanks

There's no need for me to respond to this. Anyone with 2 brain cells to rub together can see you're spouting gibberish. It's just a pity you can't see it. What does that imply?

roro1neil0

cool man, good to know you aren't capable of backing up your arguments. Evidence based medicine much?

Biologic

roro1neil0 wrote: »

cool man, good to know you aren't capable of backing up your arguments. Evidence based medicine much?

If a mod comes on and says this is a legitimate discussion to be having, I'll tear your post to pieces for you. I'm not joining you on the banned bus otherwise. As it stands, I read the first 3 lines of your post, saw a comical amount of contradictions and ditched the rest.

roro1neil0

roro1 biologic 0

good to know ireland's second rate doctors know when they're beaten

sam34

roro banned for trolling. there is a clear zero tolerance policy for that sort of muppetry and there are plenty of mod- warnings about it.

kingofkong

252, that's amazing!!

well done!

mardybumbum

kingofkong wrote: »

252, that's amazing!!

well done!

Thanks Kingofkong.

Hopefully my own experience will have been of some value to you.

kingofkong

bump-aty-bump

how's everyone getting on?

Thought DIT would take 3 weeks, I'm exactly 2/3 of way through it at the end of week 5

scoring ~55% in full blocks of Kaplan which I'm reasonably happy with given the horrific scores I was getting at the start

Biologic

kingofkong wrote: »

bump-aty-bump

how's everyone getting on?

Thought DIT would take 3 weeks, I'm exactly 2/3 of way through it at the end of week 5

scoring ~55% in full blocks of Kaplan which I'm reasonably happy with given the horrific scores I was getting at the start

Pretty rough so far, how about you?
DIT takes way longer than he makes out. He says the videos should take 1.5 hrs each, but between the quizzes and pausing for annotations, they take about 3 hours. I'm getting through 3 videos per day, but only because I had done a lot of them during the year so don't need to write down what he's saying.
Have you booked a date yet?

DrMicrobe

Hey Guys,
Sorry for the silly question but does anybody know where I can find the available test dates for 2013 for step 1. Been looking for them and can't seem to find them anywhere

kingofkong

DrMicrobe wrote: »

Hey Guys,
Sorry for the silly question but does anybody know where I can find the available test dates for 2013 for step 1. Been looking for them and can't seem to find them anywhere

Hey

you have to go through the whole application process before they show you what dates are available, it is pretty flexible and you can usually get the date you want give or take a week, but I wouldn't book holidays etc until I had the date confirmed

kingofkong

Biologic wrote: »

Pretty rough so far, how about you?
DIT takes way longer than he makes out. He says the videos should take 1.5 hrs each, but between the quizzes and pausing for annotations, they take about 3 hours. I'm getting through 3 videos per day, but only because I had done a lot of them during the year so don't need to write down what he's saying.
Have you booked a date yet?

I nearly had a date booked, but then my application was cancelled due to exemptions I got from modules in 1st year

It happened a few other people too and some of them have got sorted now so I'm hoping I'll be back on track soon

Do you have a date? I'm thinking I'll go with September/October at this rate

DrMicrobe

kingofkong wrote: »

Hey

you have to go through the whole application process before they show you what dates are available, it is pretty flexible and you can usually get the date you want give or take a week, but I wouldn't book holidays etc until I had the date confirmed

Thats great. I was thinking that was the case alright. Im not in any great rush to sit it so how long would you need to get through the material?

kingofkong

DrMicrobe wrote: »

Thats great. I was thinking that was the case alright. Im not in any great rush to sit it so how long would you need to get through the material?

8 weeks full time is the minimum recommended if you want a decent result

mardybumbum

I'm going to make a start on Step 2 CK now.
Has anyone on this forum sat it already and have any advice regarding useful resources?

bythewoods

I'm planning to sit Step 1 this year at some point.
What books would people recommend I buy?

I assume the First Aid book is a must?

DeadlyTwig

Rapid review by goljan Is a must. Start it soon though!! Try get the audio files too, although I didn't find them too helpful but a lot of people I know did!

Does anyone know how far apart you can take the step2 ck and cs? Or are they seen as separate exams? Was thinking of doing ck next summer and cs next Christmas while doing an elective in the US.

Thanks!