Almost everyone takes visa and then plans for USCE latet. Even my visa agent told me this.
I'm a final-year MBBS student from India, and my university exams are in March. I started preparing for USMLE Step 1 with the goal of taking it in September.
My current stats:
From now on, I plan to take one NBME every week to track my progress.
My main question is: Should I book my exam for September now, or should I wait until I get at least one or two NBME scores in the 60s before booking the exam?
The reason I'm conflicted is that I haven't started studying my final-year MBBS subjects yet, and my university exams are in March. Ideally, I'd like to finish Step 1 before I have to shift my focus completely to university preparation.
Given my current scores and the fact that I'm planning to do weekly NBMEs, do you think a September attempt is realistic if I keep improving, or would it be better to wait until I see at least one or two NBMEs in the 60s before scheduling the exam?
I'd really appreciate advice from anyone who was in a similar position or has experience with Step 1 prep.
P.S. I used ChatGPT to help rephrase this post for clarity.
So I've recently applied for step 1 exam as a student and my college has gotten the enrollment verification through the college's entity account.
The Management has clicked on the status option as enrolled and other options are also correctly filled. On clicking on submit, it shows 'submitted successfully' but it reloads and goes back to the original page. After filling details and submitting again, the same thing happens.
My question is did it get submitted? or should we try again? or should I just wait for myintealth/ fsmb to email me and I recieve the scheduling permit? or should I contact myintealth via mail to check if it got submitted?
The management says that its fine and that it'll be submitted and I just have to wait for the email.
I am looking for someone to do practice questions with for the USMLE Step One. As my YOG is 2014, I have quite a bit RE-learning to do, but I am hoping to find someone in a similar situation to do practice questions with daily (even 5 to 10 questions to begin is sufficient). I am quite flexible and would love to just get started doing questions. I feel that bouncing ideas off one another during questions would help get the medical knowledge flowing once again. Please don't hesitate to message. I don't check Reddit often, but right when I do, I will reach back out.
GOT THE BIG FAT P on 1st July!! took the exam on 1st june.
the exam was similar to nbme concepts, it was a good mix of 100 word ques, two line ques and big SOAP questions. i think i got like max 6-7 SOAP questions, but they’re actually easier cos they give so much information. please practice in 20 ques per block format, cos i was running out of time in some blocks. probably got max 1-2 min spare time per block. so yeah pls get into habit of doing it the new way.
also ETHICS! boy it was a cramp in the arse. i still don’t know how else i could’ve been better prepared for the questions that came on my day. never seen those, atleast 2-3 options seemed viable, vERY VAGUE. i just chanted god’s name and picked an option. just do UWorld and trust your gut i feel.
FIRST AID: Needless to say, the GOAT. the bible. each and every line. religiously. don’t just by heart every line. know the entire concept behind every line. what i did was took a picture of a para i didn’t understand and asked chatgpt for explanation. so yeah please integrate it with chatgpt and grind it. also annotate it from uworld. i took my book from a friend so it was alr annotated. so that saved me a lot of time.
UWorld: DONT be scared of your score. it’s actually just a learning tool, treat it as one. use NBMEs for assessing yourself not UWorld. explanations are gold. annotate your FA with it. doing 100% uworld is not necessary. but doing every type of question that is in there is, so make sure to do LOTS of random blocks. don’t stratify the blocks too much and end up doing a specific type of question only.
bootcamp: this is the only extra resource is used apart from UWorld. no BnB, Pathoma, Sketchy. my micro was strong from 2nd year so i didn’t use sketchy but if it helps you, go ahead. however i don’t think BnB is at all necessary, pls go for bootcamp. i used it for neuro, cardio, renal, msk.
NBMEs: start with 26. it’s kinda irrelevant now. so if you do bad it’s no big deal right? you’ll get acquainted with the format. then do 28. then 30, 31, 32, 33. i found 33 kinda tougher than the rest. keep 29 for the last it’s easy peasy. you’ll love the boost it gives you at the end of your preparation. my nbme scores were always in mid 60s to low 70s. it kept me humbled down so i revised a lot. so yeah don’t stress you’ll pass with those scores. just put in a hefty amount of time to review. these are your highest yield concepts and show up most on the exam.
Free 120: do the new free120 7 days out. then the old one you can just do the unrepeated ques. you’ll save a lot of time. i got 81% by some stroke of luck on the new free 120. but a lot were lucky guesses so i reviewed it aggressively.
Last week: keep the last week just for revision. i also did the amboss 200 high yield concepts. everyday 40 ques along with revising FA.
keep faith in your nbmes. and trust the process. the exam is difficult but doable. it’s something you’ll only understand after going through it. also please trust your gut feeling. there were so many questions i could do just based on my instinct. something you heard in some lecture in class, some random concept from 1st year, everything will lead you to one answer you’ll feel called towards. pick that one.
goodluck gang! see you on the other side.
Hey everyone,. I’m currently doing my internship and trying to dual-track my prep for both USMLE Step 2 CK and NEET PG.
Basically total focus is step 2 prep for now! Coz of upcoming exams but i really want to know how can i prepare for neet pg also. I have seen lot of top ranker do gave step 1 and step 2 got good scores in neet pg and did their residency here. So provide me your thoughts on how will you do it or how you did it, your strategy and resources.
I recently passed my USMLE Step 1, and I’m hoping to attend a clinical elective in the US within the next 3 months.
Could anyone kindly guide me through the application process or share how you secured your elective? Any advice or recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Does anyone know if the iMD app for USMLE prep is authentic?
Hi all, I’m a non-US IMG and also the youngest person in my med school to pass USMLE Step 1. I did it while balancing clinical postings, research electives, and extracurriculars during my very hectic academic year. I also scored decently high (mid 70s) on my NBMEs 30 to 33. I’d like to give back to the community and am offering to mentor a few people preparing for the exam.
I will provide one-on-one mentorship all the way from registration to dedicated phase, with weekly check-ins and constant support tailored exactly as per your schedule and study style. I am also happy to provide advice and details regarding my research experience and internships available for indian IMGs.
Please feel free to contact me if you are interested. TYIA
Is it an absolute must that I need to show proof that I'll be coming back to India? If yes, what are my options?
I'm 2nd year mbbs graduate thinking of giving usmle
But there are several questions in my mind .
2.how much time it requires
3.What are best resources
5.how to build a strong Cv
6.English -- what level
I am a 38 year old Radiologist working in India, totally disillusioned by the system here .
my checkered professional past
MBBS : 2010 (passed)
MD ( 2015 ) MD passed
SR ( 2015-2018)
Fellowship : 2019 ( 1 year prestigious institute )
2020- 2023: working for a corporate:
2024: till date: Owning own practise
I want guidance about preparing for USMLE. Is is still a realistic goal or shud i resign myself to my fate
honest opinions required
Hi everyone. I have UWorld step 1 subscription. Q bank expires Jan 21, 2027. Reset still available. Also includes self assessment forms 1,2,3 that have not yet been activated. DM if you are interested in purchasing.
Looking for an accountability partner. Im currently in internship and want to balance internship with consistent schedule.
Its an isolating journey being an IMG.
Anyone up for daily check ins, monthly revision, weekly scheduling?
Whoever feels like this can DM me.
Hi everyone,
I’m a non-US IMG (FMGE) and I’m considering applying for Psychiatry in the U.S. I would really appreciate some honest advice about whether my timeline is realistic and how competitive I could be.
My tentative plan is:
July 2026: Begin dedicated USMLE Step 1 preparation full-time.
Late 2026 / Early 2027: Take and pass Step 1.
2027: Prepare for and take Step 2 CK
2027–2028: Complete U.S. clinical experience in Psychiatry and obtain U.S. letters of recommendation.
September 2028: Submit my ERAS application for the 2028–2029 Match cycle.
A few questions:
Does this timeline seem realistic?
If I have a first-attempt Step 1 pass, a Step 2 CK score, good U.S. clinical experience, and strong psychiatry letters, how competitive would I be as a non-US IMG?
Is Psychiatry still considered reasonably IMG-friendly, or has it become much more competitive recently?
How many months of U.S. clinical experience would you recommend specifically for Psychiatry?
If you matched into Psychiatry as a non-US IMG, what do you wish you had known when you started?
I’m also drawn to Psychiatry because I enjoy patient interaction, want a specialty with a good work-life balance, and hope to build a long-term career in the U.S.
I’d really appreciate any advice or feedback, especially from non-US IMGs who have successfully matched or are currently in Psychiatry residency.
Please be kind. I’m very new to this and just trying to work out different timelines and see how this could workout for me. Any feedback would be highly appreciated.
Hi, DM for details if interested.
Hello guys
I'm from 2k19 batch
Working on clearing step 2
But overthinking is taking a toll tbh
Is it worth leaving a seat at a top government college in india for a very rural program in the US
Am I compromising my skills for the sake of getting an American degree
Is that how it works?
Please advice
Hey, I'm looking for some courses i can take online to boost my cv as an mbbs student, apart from research and all, I have read its important to have a strong CV, and I was wondering if there are any courses related to research or anything medicine related that could help me not just to boost my cv but also as a medical student, I have heard abt Coursera too, but I'm confused on what courses to approach onto there
Would love if someone could help me out