How You Might Feel After Your Step 1 Exam : Two Possible Scenarios
Ever wonder how it’ll feel after you walk out of your Step 1 exam? No matter how much time you’ve dedicated to preparing for exam day, one thing remains likely : you will realize that the exam you just took will play a significant role on your life & career…and there’s nothing you can do about it now.
There are a few schools of thought regarding the relationship between your feelings after the exam and the actual results that are reported 3-4 weeks later. You could take into account several factors : year of graduation, med school, English proficiency, length of study, whether or not you studied with a prep company or on your own…but ultimately the most significant factor is your performance on question banks & predictive exams leading up to your exam day.
While there are admittedly countless scenarios to consider, we're going to look at two possibilities, examining two students and their USMLEworld, Kaplan Qbank, & NBME scores. They both took prep courses & attend the same Caribbean medical school.
The Weak Student
Danny :
Average USMLE World in the final month of study : 53%
Average Kaplan Qbank score in final month : 64%
NBME form #2: 390 CBSSA (or a 190 as an approx 3-digit estimate)
Everything about this student suggests that he’s somewhere in the range of barely passing (185 =passing). He knows enough high-yield to have A CHANCE at meeting the minimum required passing score and never having to take this exam again. He decided to go ahead with taking the test because he was, 'tired of studying and just wanted to get it over with'.
You’d think this type of student would walk out of the exam feeling down and assuming that they failed. Often times this is NOT the case. In many instances, this student will walk out and say, “Wow, that wasn’t as bad as I thought” or, “I think I did ok on that”. Then the score report arrives that says, “FAIL”.
How does this make sense if he felt CONFIDENT coming out of the exam? The answer is simple : on many of the questions, because he was sufficient with his high-yield knowledge, he knew enough to consider only 1 answer and put it down without hesitation and moved on without regret. He simply didn’t know enough to realize that there may be a better option. Remember, they are looking for the best choice.
So in this particular instance, mediocre scores leading up to exam lead to a false sense of confidence walking out of it.
The Strong Student
Maria :
Avg USMLEWorld leading up to exam : 76%
Avg Kaplan Qbank leading up to exam : 68%
NBME, form #2: 560 CBSSA (or a 232 as an approx 3-digit estimate)
This student, on the other hand, had GREAT scores in her final month of study. In fact, she pushed her test date 2 weeks to make sure that she completed all of her practice questions. All of her scores predicted a very strong result on Step 1.
You would think that she would feel GREAT during and after the exam. Sadly, however, the next 3 weeks will likely be riddled with feelings of regret and defeat. Why? Her knowledge of the material across all subjects was deep and because of that, she often considered two potential answers. While she likely chose the right one between the two for good reason, there may be some amount of doubt or regret. This doesn’t go away until almost a month later, when she receives her report that says , ”PASS : 237/99”.
So How Does Knowing this Help Me?
We’ve examined two extremes. You might ask, ‘what about the scores that fall between these two?’ The feelings you’ll have may fall somewhere in between, with varying degrees of confidence and doubt.
The process of preparing & taking the USMLE has become more than just a test of your medical knowledge. It tests something far more important that will absolutely reflect what type of doctor you will be, as it pushes you farther than you've ever been pushed before, asks for more, and then says, 'DEAL WITH IT'. They mental strength you build - both academically & emotionally - will be not be defined by how hard the exam pushes you down, but rather, how you decide to get back up and keep going. When you walk out of your exam, the one question that I GUARANTEE you will ask yourself is this : Did I do everything I could have to prepare for that Step?
Across the board, there is a feeling of lack of control both during & after the exam. Whatever the case may be, you need to realize one thing : you have control of what you do BEFORE the exam and, as a result, determine your own destiny. Feel good about that.
- Phoenix, MD
Notes:
*We’re not promising that this is how you’ll feel after your exam. What I hope you take away from this is the importance of going into the exam when your scores say you're ready...knowing that you have did everything in your power to prepare for it.
*Click on the image below to join the forum discussion on this topic. We will select a handful of 'Zone Member stories to add to this article. If you feel like your story can help others, please share...
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