248. POST CHANGES. WRITE UP.

Average
medical student.
Background: A pretty average student with pretty average scores in medical school.
Resources:
 First Aid (1 proper read and many reads with UWorld, 1 read before UWorld)
 Uworld (Random Timed 1 time with Incorrects) - 4.5 months
 Sketchy Micro (Videos, Book and Pepper Sketchy Micro Anki deck)
 Randy Neil Biostats and Ethics (Biostats are a must-do)
 Dirty Medicine for many random topics (Ethics, How to Score 260+, Biochem
metabolisms are what I would recommend doing)
 Amboss 600 questions (Only for weaknesses)
 Youtube (For random topics, amazing and highly underrated source)
Time Duration: 15 months (Can be done in less than 12 months with proper planning and not taking
long breaks and staying consistent)
Mistakes I Did:
 Spending too much time on Kaplan (Not recommended and outdated source, if
needed use only for biochem)
 Not memorizing FA while doing first FA read
 Taking almost 3 months break in the middle of preparation
 Not knowing, analyzing and working on my weaknesses
 Not integrating Anki or Spaced Repition earlier in my preparation
Things I Would Recommend:
 Analyze your weaknesses by either assessments or any other way and start working
on them (Most effective way to improve your score)
 Stay consistent do not take breaks for weeks, a few days break is fine after a few
months or one day a week
 Revision, Revision, Revision, and some more Revison
 Try to do more new questions till the end of your preparation
 Focus more on General Principles section of FA (Highest yield)
 Make anki of your UWorld incorrects (Optional but effective way)
 Starting NBMEs earlier in preparation (after doing around 60-70% UW if done
random)
 Thorough review of assessments analyzing weaknesses and why you got that
particular question wrong
 Improving test taking skills (Usually done by more questions)
 At least 4 to 5 full exam simulations
 Take break after every block in exam
  Use sugar free redbull, tea, coffee, water, boiled eggs, protein bars, dry fruits,
bananas in every break (Just a small bite or sip of everything)
Assessment scores in sequence: UW 1st pass: 63%
1. NBME 13: 185 / 60 mistakes. Nov, 2019 (Offline) (Before starting UW after doing
BnB and FA read) - Didnt review it to take it a few months later again
2. NBME 13: 217 / 36 mistakes. April 2020. 70% UW) (Online)
3. AMBOSS Sef Assessment: 229/ 52 mistakes. Feb 2020 (Online)
4. NBME 11: 217 / 40 mistakes. March 2020 (Almost done with UW)
5. NBME 15: 217 / 40 mistakes. Aug 2020 (After UW) (Online)
6. NBME 19: 223 / 26 mistakes. Aug 2020 (Online)
7. NBME 21: 225 / 52 mistakes. Sep 2020 (Online)
8. NBME 20: 227 / 51 mistakes. Sep 2020 (Offline)
9. NBME 22 230 / 48 mistakes. Oct 2020 (Offline)
10. UWSA-1: 243 / 43 mistakes. Month before exam (Online)
11. NBME 16: 238 / 28 mistakes. 4 weeks before exam (Online)
12. NBME 24: 245+ / 25-30 mistakes. 3 weeks before exam (Offline)
13. NBME 23: 245+ / 25-30 mistakes. 2 wweks before exam (Offline)
14. NBME 18: 240+ / Around 26 mistakes. 10 days before exam (Offline)
15. UWSA-2: 239 / 44 mistakes. 4 days before exam (Online)
16. Free 120: 85% / 18 mistakes. 4 days before exam (Online) - MOST IMPORTANT
ASSESSMENT AND CLOSEST TO REAL DEAL.
Changes:
 Ethics: More than 50% are already covered by UW and FA, rest of the less than 50%
can be rached to 2 options by the help of UW and then choose what examiner is
asking you t choose. AMboss Dirty Medicine and Randy Neil Ethics are also very
helpful. AMboss just enforces the UW concepts so its no a must do but Dirty and
Randy Ethics give you a new perspective of scenarios and ways to reach the correct
answer
 Pharma: I thought pharm has become very difficult but it was the other way round.
Pharm is still pretty easily do-able if you have done FA well.
 EXAM: Real deal is the most fair exam of all the assessments and with balanced
difficulty which everyone with a read of FA and UW can attempt.