D- Day. YIKES!!

D- DAY:-

Woke up at 7 a.m., well rested.
First thought: Oh my God it’s today! IT IS HAPPENING!!
I felt so sick in the tummy I thought I’d throw up. It always happens to me on the mornings of exams when I’m particularly nervous.  Managed to push some breakfast down my throat, and packed my lunch. My dad dropped me at the center at 9 am.
I started my test at 9 30 am. Checked my headphones and skipped the tutorial, making my total break time 1 hour.
I found the first 4 blocks to be just like the Nbme’s. I would be unsure of about 8 to 10 questions per block. I took a break after each and every block. Took my lunch break, of 15 mins, after the 4^th block. I still felt fresh and full of energy.
After the 5^th block I started to get tired and had to kind of shake myself up to stay focused. But it was under control, the exhaustion was manageable.
The 6^th block was naturally even more tiring but I was nearing the end so I got another round of adrenaline rush then. I was actually pretty happy until now as all the blocks seemed okay, nothing crazy tough yet.
And then came the 7^th block.  The questions were very challenging. One after the other! Almost all of them were tough. I tried not to panic, made my best guess and kept moving on.

Soon enough, the ordeal was over.

The Results:-

Score: 222

My results were announced on the 18^th of March, 2015. And I had aimed for something between 225 to 230 since I got 222 in my last Nbme (two weeks out). But Nbme Form 16 turned out to predict way too accurately in my case!

But the score is decent. And I will try to do much better in Step 2, build my CV well, and get into the residency of my choice.

Finally:-

Some suggestions that may come in handy for your step1 preparation:

•     First Aid has to be carved in your brains. Every word in there can be asked as a question. Rote learning will not help.So make sure you understand all of it.
•     Uworld qbank is a great learning tool. Start it early. And don’t get disheartened if the scores are not high enough. They will get better eventually. Read the explanations well and annotate the important points in your FA.
•      Do the Nbme’s online. That gives you the real feel of the exam, with the timer ticking, and of course, the advantage of the score correlation in the end.
•      Work on your weak areas. We tend to keep revising what we know well because it’s comfortable that way. But take the Nbme result analysis seriously and concentrate your efforts on your weaknesses.
•      Be a part of some forum. It definitely helps as people discuss questions and important topics. But be careful about not wasting too much time on them.    
•      Make a schedule and stick to it. Keep realistic goals and always keep time for leisure as well.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Take care of your health, eating habits and sleep. It’s not a sprint. It’s a marathon. So follow a healthy lifestyle that will help in keeping your spirits up.   Always remember that you can do it. Set a target, and work towards it. If you get stuck somewhere, ask for help If you feel low, talk to somebody. But remember to get back on your feet and follow that dream. I wish you all the very best for your journey. J