USMLE Experience by Shehryar Ali Jaffar ; Step 1 (score 261) and CK (score 264)

My name is Shaheryar Ali Jafri and I am a 2013 graduate of Allama Iqbal Medical College. I took Step 2 ck before Step 1. Step 2 ck on 23rd October 2013 and Step1 on 2nd April 2014. Here are my both experiences.

Step2 CK= 264

Step-1= 261

MY EXPERIENCE STEP-2CK(264)

Assalam-o- Alikum. I would like to share my experience about taking USMLE exam. It was the most toughest, most interesting, most conceptual and the longest exam of my life. In short USMLE takes exam in a way that it can extract the best from you. You can do it easily only if you have full control on your nerves, proper time management and build concepts and mcqs practice. During exam I just kept one thing in my mind. I have to do it. I have to complete this block before time. Remember in step-2 try to complete block at least 10 minutes before by doing proper time management because you get many lengthy questions including study abstracts and drug adds questions which take much of your time, sitting 8 hours in front of computer in time pressure and doing the very very lengthy questions is a hectic task but remember, YOU CAN DO IT. Just concentrate on basic concepts and do mcqs practice as much as you can. U.WORLD IS A GREAT STUDY TOOL do it as much times as you can. I did U-world along with my friend and we did combine study and completed u.world at least 6 times. REMEMBER, USMLE EXAM IS DONE ON SPINAL LEVEL, BRAIN IS NOT WORKING DURING EXAM... SO YOU HAVE TO MAKE YOUR SPINAL REFLEXES OF DOING MCQS AS MUCH AS U CAN and one more thing I want to share. The concept of Reading/Reads is very famous among many people doing usmle prep. Its fine, reading books is good, but doing MCQs is the BEST, so read the books but do mcqs daily daily daily, no compromise on doing mcqs as they make your reflexes, as Conrad Fischer said "THE REAL ESSENCE OF STEP-2 IS TO PUT U IN A SITUATION WHERE U HAVE TO CHOSE BETWEEN A TEST AND A TREATMENT". Most of the questions ask “WHAT IS THE NEXT BEST STEP IN THE MANAGEMENT?” so most of the times you get confused between TWO options in every mcq and you have to chose 1 single best. Remember, this problem can be overcome by just doing mcqs practice, even a minute before opening my Result Card, I was not sure how much I would score, even I thought I will fail because most of the answers I marked with my background knowledge had same problem that I got confused between 2 options in each mcq but your spinal reflexes will save you from this problem as I already told that brain is not working during those hectic 8 hours. Lastly, the NBMES I did NBME-4, 3 weeks before exam and scored 258, and UWSA 2 weeks before exam and 265. But NBME-4 IS THE BEST FOR ASSESMENT AS FAR AS I THINK.

MY EXPERIENCE STEP-1 (261)

Assalam –o-Alikum. I want to share my experience as many people said me to upload.

Regarding STEP-1, it is the exam of your knowledge, and precisely speaking the exam of your concepts. The most important thing in preparation which I found is to have a study partner and practice multiple choice questions as much as you can.

The single most important source of practicing mcqs is the U-WORLD. Do it as much times as you can because it will help you control over your nerves and builds your picking power of questions. And 1ST READ, 2ND READ, 3RD READ. I have already mentioned in my C.K experience that the number of reads can never assess your performance in exams. If you r satisfied with this Read phenomena then go ahead with it, but I assure you that if you start practicing mcqs from the very 1st day, you will ace the exam in a very little time frame. And rest of the books, FIRST AID, KAPLAN, GOLJAN (I read only those topics from Goljan which I came across in uworld) and listened just pathoma video lectures. Make 1st AID as a comprehensive book and note all the important things making sticky notes from all these sources including u-world. U-WORLD is somewhat deficient in CELL BIOLOGY, MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND GENETICS so you might need KAPLAN-QBANK for these. And for the exam day as Dr. Steven Daughtery says “QUESTION STEM IS YOUR FRIEND AND ANSWER CHOICES ARE YOUR ENEMIES” so hide the answers first, read the question stem and make the answer in your mind while reading the stem, look that answer in choices, if your answer is there, mark it and go ahead. The main thing is the picking power from the question stem, and this power can only be mastered by practicing as much mcqs as you can esp. from UWORLD. I did combine study with my friend for about 4 months after taking c-k, BUT you must gauge yourself to judge how much time frame you need to master everything. And must take NBME-13 AND 16 ONLINE ALONG WITH UWSA. If someone asks me to describe USMLE EXAM IN SINGLE WORD- I WOULD LIKE TO SAY PRACTICING MCQS (esp. from u-world) AND MASTER UR PICKING POWER. If anybody has any specific questions, you are most welcome to ask me anytime.

Remember me in prayers & especially pray for my C.S.

MAY ALLAH HELP YOU ALL.

NOW, IT’S NOT TIME TO SPARE YOURSELF, YOU CAN REST LATER.

WORK HARD AND SUCCESS WILL BE YOURS. SKY MUST BE THE LIMIT.

INSPIRATION IS ONE THING AND YOU CAN’T CONTROL IT, BUT HARD

WORK IS WHAT KEEPS THE SHIP MOVING, GOOD LUCK MEANS WORK HARD. KEEP UP THE GOOD LUCK.

By:  Dr.Shaheryar Ali Jafri AIMC