Hey Mamas out there, another Step 1 experience.
My score: 242. Exactly the goal I set up 18 months ago…
I graduated in 2005 in France, practiced until 2014 when I met my American husband and
moved to the USA.
I was burned out and stopped working with pleasure. I got a first baby in 2016 and when he
was a year old, I finally decided to go the USMLE way to be able to practice again one day.
So I began to study in August 2017 while being pregnant with my 2nd baby (due January
18). Studied 4 hours a day while my child was in daycare, 5 days a week.
First I read Kaplan books and did Uworld offline (I know, it’s bad). Planned to finish a first
round before the birth, but the pregnancy was emotionally complicated so I stopped studying
in December.
NBME 1 offline on 12/29/17 66%
I delivered my beautiful daughter in January and she let me work during her nap (I resumed
studying in March). Finished my first round in May. I also began to read from First Aid.
NBME 13 online on 5/19/18 440 (215)
Then it’s Summer break. 2 children at home, and the news that we must move out of our
house. So again I completely stop studying, taking care of my family and a move in the
Texan heat…
Mid August, back to school (both kids in day care 5 hours/day 5 days a week) and to study.
I do Uworld online, 1 block a day and review the wrong questions, the marked ones when I
have time. I use Sketchy micro and a bit of pharmaco. And read First Aid a bit every
evening.
2nd round ends.
USWA 1 on 11/27 560 (241).
Exam is already planned on 12/15, so despite feeling ready, I have to wait (you know,
waiting for husband to be ok with his job, children to be taken care of…)
3rd round : I thought a would redo the wrong UW questions, but instead I concentrated on
studying the weaknesses of USWA 1. I also used Google a lot to look for mnemonics. I had
a notebook with a lot of mnemonics and all the diseases that are named after people, which I
read many times (super useful).
USWA 2 on 12/3 590 (247)
Again I focus on weaknesses, reading and learning about the wrong questions.
NBME 18 on 12/12 570 (242)
One day of reciting mnemonics and formulas (stats and pharmaco). A last day of doing
nothing …
On D-day, I was OK. I slept OK (my children wake me up at least once a night, the previous
2 weeks were even harder with sickness). I spoke to me a lot to stay calm.
First 2 blocks were : “ha! that’s how it is… I can do this”. Short pause to pee (yes I drank a
lot, yes i was pregnant 2 times, no I didn’t think about that during my training).
Next 2 blocks were : ok, you can do it, but when is lunch time?
Then a 30min pause for lunch. I ate while walking in the center, needing to move.
Next 2 blocks were super hard. I think they were a bit harder than the other, but it was also
the first time that I did more than 4 hours of questions. I really had to talk to myself to stay
focused. I took quite a long pause before the last block.
Last block was a bit easier (easier by itself, but also thanks to the pause). I finished nearly
an hour earlier.
Things I would do differently:
I would do a bit more NBME. Just because they look more like the real exam than Uworld
does. I would learn better anatomy from anatomy books, not just high yield stuff. If I could, I
would have done the exam a week earlier (when I was done with my 3rd round).
For the breastfeeding mamas:
I am still breastfeeding my daughter. She was 11 month old when I took the exam. I thought
about asking USMLE for extra-time to pump, but they put you on hold to examine your
demand and this takes time. So at the end I just made it with normal time. I pumped a lot the
weeks before to have milk ready for her (in fact way too much), and was ready to hand
express in the bathroom if I was too uncomfortable (which I didn’t need to).
Et voilà!
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