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This archived content is from Mary Wilkins’ sewing and
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From: Kaitlinnegan
Date: 06-07-2007, 02:21 PM (1 of 35)
I take the USMLE Step 1 exam AKA the boards, or a big important standardized test that I have to pass in order to continue with medicine, tomorrow! The test is 7 hours long and 350 question (computer based, thankfully) plus 1 hour of break that we can split up however we want between each hour of the test. I've been reviewing for 3 weeks for it, and I'm officially done studying now.  I'm supposed to do something relaxing for the rest of the day -- I think I'm going to do some cleaning up, since things have gone a bit downhill since I started studying. Plus we're getting a DOG on Saturday, so we probably shouldn't have so much stuff lying around on the floor waiting to be chewed up! PS - the doggy is here: Keisha (http://search.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=8344568) She's a 6 year old hound mix -- we're going to rename her Nellie.
http://www.sew-whats-up.com - the new home for Sew What's New
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User: Kaitlinnegan
Member since: 03-20-2006 Total posts: 222 
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From: Patty22
Date: 06-07-2007, 03:59 PM (2 of 35)
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I'll be thinking of you tomorrow; sounds like you are quite prepared.... For snacks go for nuts or protein foods and stay away from anything sugery - will help you if you get hungry, yet avoid crashing during the test. Your new pup is quite adorable; love the face! What a nice thing to look forward to after your test. BTW....when will you find out the test results? Since it is computer based is it something that immediately tells you your score? Patty
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User: Patty22
Member since: 03-29-2006 Total posts: 1194 |
From: Jeke
Date: 06-07-2007, 04:35 PM (3 of 35)
Good thoughts and wishes coming your way. Lots of water is good, too.  I encourage my students to bring water bottles to my classroom. It helps keep the myelin sheath of your brain hydrated to keep the brain thinking better!Good luck - you certainly have prepared. Let us know how you do. 
Jay
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User: Jeke
Member since: 11-10-2004 Total posts: 232 |
From: Kaitlinnegan
Date: 06-07-2007, 05:38 PM (4 of 35)
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Thanks guys! Unfortunately we don't get our scores until 3-6 weeks after. I'm sure they know the raw score instantaneously, but I guess they work some kind of statistical magic with it... The whole process is very mysterious, but apparently there are some experimental questions (no one knows how many) that don't get counted toward your score. Thanks for the tips -- I'm not sure if I'm allowed to bring water into the exam area, but I'll definitely bring some for breaks. I'll have to be careful not to drink too much though so I don't spend too much of my precious break time running to the bathroom! Soy nuts should be good for protein, and probably a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch. I'm also thinking a few squares of dark chocolate might be good for a little pick me up, especially as it gets later in the day.
http://www.sew-whats-up.com - the new home for Sew What's New
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User: Kaitlinnegan
Member since: 03-20-2006 Total posts: 222
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From: Bama
Date: 06-07-2007, 05:52 PM (5 of 35)
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Good luck to you. I'm sure you'll do fine. Cute furbaby you're getting there. 
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User: Bama
Member since: 03-21-2000 Total posts: 2116 
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From: Bruna
Date: 06-07-2007, 07:00 PM (6 of 35)
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I hope I'm in time to wish you lots of luck, may the questions be on the areas you've particularly remembered. It sounds as though you're well prepared. Don't forget to let us know how you went. Regards, Bruna |
User: Bruna
Member since: 02-19-2007 Total posts: 42 |
From: LeapFrog Libby
Date: 06-07-2007, 07:17 PM (7 of 35)
Best of Luck.. Just keep your cool, and don't let them rattle you.. You will do just fine..
Sew With Love
Libby |
User: LeapFrog Libby
Member since: 05-01-2002 Total posts: 2022 
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From: vickki
Date: 06-07-2007, 07:34 PM (8 of 35)
| Best of luck with your exam.... |
User: vickki
Member since: 08-21-2005 Total posts: 374 |
From: lendube
Date: 06-07-2007, 08:19 PM (9 of 35)
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So much luck coming straight at ya from the West Coast! I love the look of your hound. What a doll baby she is! I'm always partial to b/w animals for some reason. Remind us again of your ultimate goal career-wise.  I'm forgetful. Lennie
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User: lendube
Member since: 08-06-2006 Total posts: 1548 |
From: Kaitlinnegan
Date: 06-07-2007, 08:29 PM (10 of 35)
I'm hopefully some day in the far off, distant future going to be an MD/PhD, or a doctor-doctor as some like to say. I've got the MD part almost halfway done, and I'll be starting the PhD part later on in the summer/fall. So, yeah, I've got a good 6-7 years ahead of me, plus residency, etc etc. Someday I'll be done with school. 
http://www.sew-whats-up.com - the new home for Sew What's New
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User: Kaitlinnegan
Member since: 03-20-2006 Total posts: 222
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From: PaulineG
Date: 06-07-2007, 10:55 PM (11 of 35)
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I'll wish you luck but I'm sure you don't need it - you sound like you're very well prepared and organised. Sounds like a good time to be welcoming Nellie to her new home. She looks very sweet. Pauline
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User: PaulineG
Member since: 09-08-2006 Total posts: 901 |
From: MotherInLaw
Date: 06-08-2007, 12:36 AM (12 of 35)
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Kaithlin make sure you let us know how you make out and we are all here rooting for you.
I'm regressing back into my youth, I just have to figure out how I'm going to convience my body to come along with me.
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User: MotherInLaw
Member since: 06-25-2005 Total posts: 1118 
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From: Magot
Date: 06-08-2007, 01:58 AM (13 of 35)
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Go for it Katie-girl! Rooting over the pond here...
love and kisses, Jan
Guts-R-Us Cells a Speciality DNA to order. |
User: Magot
Member since: 12-22-2002 Total posts: 3626 
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From: smessier
Date: 06-08-2007, 11:14 AM (14 of 35)
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Here's some good luck and hugs from Maine! Try Kashi TLC bars for a quick and healthy pick-me-up. They work great for me! Sandy |
User: smessier
Member since: 09-03-2004 Total posts: 114 |
From: Bama
Date: 06-08-2007, 12:14 PM (15 of 35)
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The Kashi Pumpkin Spice bars are great.
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User: Bama
Member since: 03-21-2000 Total posts: 2116
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From: ninifav
Date: 06-08-2007, 09:18 PM (16 of 35)
| Sending hugs and prayers but sounds like you are very prepared...So what field are you going to go into??...research, right...Hopefully one that will help all of us older sew-ers be able to sew for many more years...lol... |
User: ninifav
Member since: 09-06-2004 Total posts: 204 |
From: AndreaSews
Date: 06-08-2007, 09:21 PM (17 of 35)
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A big day for you. Go get 'em! I hope you have something good planned for blowing off steam tomorrow night.
Andrea
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User: AndreaSews
Member since: 02-18-2005 Total posts: 1007 
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From: Kaitlinnegan
Date: 06-08-2007, 11:54 PM (18 of 35)
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Thanks for the well wishes everyone! I survived!! Well, hopefully I did a bit better than that -- I felt like I did pretty well, but we'll find out in a few weeks! It didn't really seem as long as I thought it would. I got to the test center at 7:30 and I was done just after 3. I didn't take all my break time, though. Now I just have to wait... Thankfully I have a week off before I start a short rotation in the hospital -- I've been getting a bit stir crazy with all the studying! http://www.sew-whats-up.com - the new home for Sew What's New
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User: Kaitlinnegan
Member since: 03-20-2006 Total posts: 222
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From: grandma C
Date: 06-09-2007, 01:12 AM (19 of 35)
| Kate, You go Girl!!!!! |
User: grandma C
Member since: 01-15-2007 Total posts: 263 |
From: lendube
Date: 06-09-2007, 12:00 PM (20 of 35)
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Wonderful! If you think you did well you probably did. Keep us posted. Lennie |
User: lendube
Member since: 08-06-2006 Total posts: 1548 |
From: Bama
Date: 06-09-2007, 12:24 PM (21 of 35)
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Way to go!
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User: Bama
Member since: 03-21-2000 Total posts: 2116
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From: Patty22
Date: 06-11-2007, 06:25 PM (22 of 35)
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Glad to hear you did so well......how's Nellie? You couldn't possibly be going stir-crazy with the puppy could you? Patty
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User: Patty22
Member since: 03-29-2006 Total posts: 1194 |
From: Kaitlinnegan
Date: 07-23-2007, 02:56 PM (23 of 35)
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After a long wait, my score finally came back! I got a 252, which is much much better than I expected. Passing is 185, the average is 218, 230 is considered competitive for good residencies (about where I was hoping/aiming), and very few people score over 260. Don't ask me what the number means..they do some kind of statistical voodoo to it since everyone gets a different exam composed of random questions, so it's not the number of questions you got right or anything that makes sense. Boards scores aren't the only factor for getting into residencies, but this score means that I definitely won't be limited by my score as far as which residency I choose. DH and I are going to do something fun to celebrate tonight -- probably a nice dinner and going to Coldstone for dessert. Thanks for all the good luck wishes everyone -- I guess it worked!
http://www.sew-whats-up.com - the new home for Sew What's New
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User: Kaitlinnegan
Member since: 03-20-2006 Total posts: 222
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From: Patty22
Date: 07-23-2007, 03:17 PM (24 of 35)
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Yipppppppeeeee! Congratulations and have fun out on your celebratation date tonight.
Patty
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User: Patty22
Member since: 03-29-2006 Total posts: 1194 |
From: Bruna
Date: 07-23-2007, 06:50 PM (25 of 35)
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Congratulations! Well done, you must be so excited to have done better that expected. I'm so pleased for you. Regards, Bruna |
User: Bruna
Member since: 02-19-2007 Total posts: 42 |
From: ninifav
Date: 07-23-2007, 09:51 PM (26 of 35)
| Congrats...when do you apply for your residency?? |
User: ninifav
Member since: 09-06-2004 Total posts: 204 |
From: lendube
Date: 07-23-2007, 10:56 PM (27 of 35)
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How absolutely wonderful for you! You and your family must be so proud you brainchild, you. Hope you're having a lovely celebratory dinner. Lennie
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User: lendube
Member since: 08-06-2006 Total posts: 1548 |
From: Kaitlinnegan
Date: 07-24-2007, 12:17 AM (28 of 35)
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Thanks Ninifav, Bruna and Lennie! I'm really mostly happy that I don't have to take it again, as silly as it sounds! The prospect of studying for weeks on end is not too exciting to me at this point. ninifav -- well, it won't be for a few years..5 if I'm really lucky, 6 if I'm lucky, 7 or more if I'm not. I have to finish my PhD first, which will take another 3-5+ years, plus do the third and fourth year of med school. I haven't picked out a specialty yet, but I suppose I've got a bit of time. Dinner was very nice -- We couldn't decide what to make so we ended up going out to this restaurant called Cosi. I think it's a nationwide chain, but they're new around here. It was really good. Then we split some ice cream at Coldstone for dessert. Yum. We probably could have split a sandwich at Cosi too and still had plenty of food...oh well, maybe next time. Tomorrow is back to reality -- I'm meeting with the professor I'll be doing my PhD with to get started working on some projects. I'm hoping things will be fairly laid back so I can still spend some time enjoying the summer.
http://www.sew-whats-up.com - the new home for Sew What's New
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User: Kaitlinnegan
Member since: 03-20-2006 Total posts: 222
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From: bridesmom
Date: 07-24-2007, 12:52 AM (29 of 35)
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CONGRATS!!! You did a fantastic job on that exam, you aced it!!! Wow, I'm very impressed.Maybe you should consider surgery, you could do some fancy handstitching up of people with your sewing talents!!! Enjoy some well deserved time off!!
Laura
Tickled pink with my Innovis 4000D |
User: bridesmom
Member since: 01-21-2004 Total posts: 2026 |
From: Magot
Date: 07-24-2007, 03:00 AM (30 of 35)
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Go Kaitlin!! Well done on leaping that hurdle - only 97 to go!! Hope you find a project you are interested in - mine was fun but my supervisor knew diddly about the whole thing so it got kinda messy when I was looking for help. keep sewing - it'll keep you sane. love and kisses, Jan
Guts-R-Us Cells a Speciality DNA to order. |
User: Magot
Member since: 12-22-2002 Total posts: 3626
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From: PaulineG
Date: 07-24-2007, 03:53 AM (31 of 35)
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Woo hoo!!! Well done - hope you can find a project you're really passionate about. Pauline
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User: PaulineG
Member since: 09-08-2006 Total posts: 901 |
From: esrun3
Date: 07-24-2007, 06:56 PM (32 of 35)
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Congratulations!!! Great job-you deserve a treat after all that stress!!
Lyn
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User: esrun3
Member since: 12-02-2004 Total posts: 2345 |
From: Bama
Date: 07-24-2007, 08:48 PM (33 of 35)
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Congratulations Kaitlin! Way to go!
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User: Bama
Member since: 03-21-2000 Total posts: 2116
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From: vickki
Date: 07-24-2007, 08:51 PM (34 of 35)
| Congratulations,well Done......... |
User: vickki
Member since: 08-21-2005 Total posts: 374 |
From: MartySews2
Date: 07-25-2007, 12:01 AM (35 of 35)
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You MADE it. Congratulations on a job well done. Hope you get the residency that you want. Marty 
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User: MartySews2
Member since: 05-03-2007 Total posts: 293 
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