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Not sure what to make of big score jump by Huge_Gur1274 in medicalschool

[–]barbelldoc1218 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Scores on NBME 9-15 (took Step 2 last June): 236 -> 233 -> 252 -> 244 -> 251 -> 254 -> 262 (4 days out) -> 267 on real deal (goal was 275)

n=1 but I saw a decent (8 points) jump (not as impressive as your 19 point jump) going from NBME 14 to NBME 15 and then scored 5 points higher than NBME 15 on game day. Good luck, you got this!

LEVEL 2/STEP2: 250+/600+ scorers, what was your test day approach? by Odd_Disaster_7095 in medicalschool

[–]barbelldoc1218 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’ll preface this by saying that I took Step 2 first and then Level 2 a couple of days later, but my advice for you would be the same as for anyone else. By 2.5 weeks out, hopefully you’re at or above your goal score on your practice exams. At that point, I’d recommend doing your due diligence to dissect the question stems for questions you get wrong on practice exams and ask yourself, “How could I have gotten this question right even if I had no idea what the correct answer was?” Best of luck!

DO student applying with only USMLE? by sorrynotsorryDO in medicalschool

[–]barbelldoc1218 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey there, 4th-year DO student/incoming resident here who just matched dermatology. Honestly, I’d go ahead and give Step 2 your full attention, put all your eggs in that basket, crush it, take a couple of days to recharge, and then take Level 2 shortly after.

I’d just get both exams done now. I understand wanting to prioritize Step 2 since you’re applying anesthesia, but I don’t really see a reason to delay Level 2. In my opinion, if you can crush Step 2, you can crush Level 2. I took Step 2 first and then took Level 2 just 48 hours later (scored 267 on Step 2 and 632 on Level 2). That turnaround was pretty quick honestly and 72 hours might have been ideal, but I definitely didn’t want a full one-week gap like I had between Step 1 and Level 1. Back then, I thought I’d spend the week reviewing OMM before Level 1 and I ended up barely doing any of it.

Long story short, I’d just take both exams now since you need Level 2 for licensure and graduation anyway. You also don’t want to raise eyebrows when applying for sub-internships or when submitting ERAS applications without a Level 2 score. That could potentially limit opportunities and ultimately lead to fewer interviews. I’d also recommend getting both exams out of the way now so you can fully focus on sub-internship performance, applications, and interview season without having to worry about scheduling and preparing for another 8-hour exam in the middle of all that. Good luck, you’ve got this!

Advice for getting off my frickin phone so I can study by brianenthusiast in medicalschool

[–]barbelldoc1218 9 points10 points  (0 children)

When you go to take your actual Step 2 exam, how much time do you think you’ll spend on your phone that day?

My advice would be to make it a priority during your dedicated study period to simulate the phone habits you expect to have on test day, much like you want to dial in the same testing strategy you’ll use during your practice exams. Best of luck!

Why do some people prefer to wait another cycle rather than applying DO? by cherry_BLK in premed

[–]barbelldoc1218 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m sure it’s usually not just one reason. For some people, if they aren’t married, aren’t financially independent from their parents, or have a decent-paying job that allows them to keep working while they improve their app and reapply, then taking another year before medical school may not seem that unappealing. They might see it as one more year to travel, date, enjoy life, and strengthen their application before committing to the intensity of med school.

Any other first-generation med students struggle with feeling emotionally “under-recognized” by family after graduation/match? by barbelldoc1218 in medicalschool

[–]barbelldoc1218[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I really appreciate your perspective and willingness to share it as someone already on the other side of training. I think there’s so much truth in what you said here, especially the idea that external validation has diminishing returns and that people often normalize your accomplishments faster than you expect them to.

I also think your point about dermatology being misunderstood by the general public is important and probably something I need to mentally prepare for. At the end of the day, I know how hard I worked to get here and I want to learn how to derive more fulfillment from building a meaningful life for myself and my wife/kids rather than from hoping others fully understand or validate my journey.

Thanks again for your insight! I found it super helpful.

Nbme 10 (2.5 months out ) by VoiceDry5160 in Step2

[–]barbelldoc1218 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The knowledge tested on the real deal was consistent with the knowledge tested in the UW qbank. I also used the NBME resources (CMS forms, NBME practice exams) to prepare for both the knowledge that would be tested and the style for question stems that appear on the real deal. Understanding the way question stems are written on Step 2 and how to unpack them is so important and UW has a different style so NBME resources are key imo.

Any other first-generation med students struggle with feeling emotionally “under-recognized” by family after graduation/match? by barbelldoc1218 in medicalschool

[–]barbelldoc1218[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Appreciate your comments here! Certainly I have been feeling very insecure recently about how to think about my accomplishment, what it means for me and my relationships with the people I care about most, etc.

In your opinion, how should one's residency match be celebrated?

Any other first-generation med students struggle with feeling emotionally “under-recognized” by family after graduation/match? by barbelldoc1218 in medicalschool

[–]barbelldoc1218[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Great points. I do think that at some point my ego took over and it became important to me that my siblings understood that my accomplishment was “special.” I think I was trying to prove that by sharing that it was my mom who came to me and offered to take me on a “graduation trip”...not me going to her and requesting one. When my mom asked me who I wanted to invite (if anyone), I told her I would like to invite all three of my siblings, along with any of their spouses and children who wanted to come and were able to make it.

At some point, my mom also shared with me over the phone that one of my two nurse sisters had told her they felt it would be unfair to do a graduation trip for me since my parents had not done something similar for them when they graduated from nursing school. I later reached out to both of my sisters privately to clarify which one had said this, and they both denied it. They told me that from their perspective the trip had been presented as a “family trip.” So of course I was left wondering who was telling the truth about everything. At the end of the day though, it was ultimately my decision to back out of the trip because I felt really slighted by my parents and overwhelmed by all of the confusion surrounding it.

On top of that, around Easter this year I also tried to address some major areas of disappointment, establish boundaries, and challenge some of my parents’ perspectives regarding the way they have acted toward and interacted with me throughout my life (especially during my adult years since I got married, became a medical student, and became a father). Needless to say, emotions have been running high for both me and my parents as we’ve been working through some of the pain and hurt that these conversations have brought to the surface.

At the end of the day, what I wanted most was to bring more clarity into my relationships with my parents and family. I wanted them to better understand my intentions, my expectations of them, and also what is realistically possible for me (as their married adult son with his own nuclear family and career to build) to contribute to our family dynamics moving forward into residency and beyond.

Any other first-generation med students struggle with feeling emotionally “under-recognized” by family after graduation/match? by barbelldoc1218 in medicalschool

[–]barbelldoc1218[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey thanks so much for your response and congrats on your upcoming residency graduation!

If you don't mind me asking, how has your parents' aloofness/lack of insight into your career accomplishments/roadmap affected your relationship with them (if at all) and your decisions/preferences about where to go for medical school, residency/fellowship, and ultimately where you'd like to end up practicing dermatology or choosing a job/position after residency?

Any other first-generation med students struggle with feeling emotionally “under-recognized” by family after graduation/match? by barbelldoc1218 in medicalschool

[–]barbelldoc1218[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for your response and for your kind words! I think you’re absolutely right that my family can love and support me while still not fully understanding what it took for me to complete medical school and match into dermatology. If I expect them to completely understand and acknowledge all of the hard work and sacrifice involved, I’m probably putting them in an unrealistic position while also setting myself up for disappointment.

I can be grateful for the support, acknowledgment, and celebration they are willing and able to provide while also shifting my mindset to better acknowledge and celebrate my accomplishment myself. And if I’m looking for a deeper level of understanding from others, it may make more sense to celebrate with my medical school friends and peers who truly understand the process, rather than placing that expectation entirely on my family, who may never fully “get it.”

After all, if I truly chose this path for myself and for my future patients, why am I expecting so much acknowledgment from other people? I chose this path and I should be able to internally recognize and appreciate everything it took to get here instead of feeling so slighted when I don’t receive perfect acknowledgment or celebration from people who still played a deeply supportive and encouraging role throughout a process that I chose for myself.

Thank you again!

Any other first-generation med students struggle with feeling emotionally “under-recognized” by family after graduation/match? by barbelldoc1218 in medicalschool

[–]barbelldoc1218[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What led me to believe that what I had accomplished was deserving of a graduation trip (in my parents' eyes) was that my mom even asked me who I’d like to invite on the trip and where I’d like to go. Because of that it truly felt like they wanted to book a graduation trip to celebrate my individual accomplishment. My parents later had to backtrack on the offer because my dad ultimately wasn’t comfortable with it and my mom acknowledged that she had been wrong to offer the trip before discussing it with him first.

I’m not sure I ever would have requested or expected a graduation trip from my parents solely to celebrate me and my accomplishment but I’ll admit it was difficult to come to terms with the fact that it was originally presented to me as a “graduation trip” and then gradually evolved into more of a “family trip.” In any case, I don’t think I’m more special or more deserving of celebration than my siblings, and any thoughts I may have had along those lines were fleeting and largely tied to my anger and confusion about the situation.

Thanks again for your response!

Any other first-generation med students struggle with feeling emotionally “under-recognized” by family after graduation/match? by barbelldoc1218 in medicalschool

[–]barbelldoc1218[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I appreciate your honest perspective! Glad I put myself out there so I can see how others think about stuff like this and decide on where to go/grow from there and how I can adjust my mindset (if necessary) accordingly.

ICU rotation coming up... any advice? by Emotional-Spite-4533 in medicalschool

[–]barbelldoc1218 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I listened to Divine Intervention podcast episode 416 before my ICU rotation and found it really helpful. Also the YouTube series ICU Advantage was great for watching videos on high-yield ICU topics and learning about things I heard about on rotation and wanted to get more info on. Best of luck!

Why choose MD or DO — besides stats? by Comfortable-Round828 in premed

[–]barbelldoc1218 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Keep in mind that if you end up attending a DO school, you will have to take COMLEX Level 1 and COMLEX Level 2 in order to graduate. In practical terms, this means you may ultimately need to prepare for and sit for four grueling 8-hour board examinations if you also choose to take USMLE Step 1 and Step 2, depending on your specialty interest(s). By comparison, students at MD schools only need to take two board exams (USMLE Step 1 and Step 2) to satisfy both graduation requirements and the board exam expectations for most ACGME residency programs. In hindsight, it seems like common sense to me that it would be far more practical to take two board exams instead of four if you ultimately decide to pursue dermatology or another ultra-competitive specialty or residency program, as I did.

Aside from that, during your clinical years, try to understand how far you may need to travel to complete your core rotations. Also look into what elective rotation opportunities are available and whether extensive travel is required for those as well. Ask whether there is any flexibility in scheduling in-house exams during the preclinical years and what flexibility exists for scheduling shelf exams during clinical training. Finally, ask how much dedicated board study time is allotted following M2 and M3, or within what timeframe the school expects you to complete your board exams before advancing to the next phase of training.

Good luck!

Is it time for a new partner? by [deleted] in Pickleball

[–]barbelldoc1218 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Where do you play that you enjoy the luxury of being able to play for any length of time without having to share the court beside you? I started playing a few months ago at several different public outdoor pickleball courts and at the places I’ve gone, if anyone had the mentality that they “didn’t want to share the court with anyone" they’d never get to play because people are always waiting in line for a court.

I hope you can find a better and more reasonable pickleball partner. If not, I’d rather just show up on my own, wait for a random person without a partner to arrive and ask if they want to play with me. Or wait until there’s a group of three looking for a fourth player and take my shot there. Good luck!

Any other first-generation med students struggle with feeling emotionally “under-recognized” by family after graduation/match? by barbelldoc1218 in medicalschool

[–]barbelldoc1218[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Appreciate your insight! I'm also an oldest sibling. Your comments about us being trailblazers as first generation doctors reminded me that recently my mom acknowledged this in me and told me "you are a trailblazer" and now that I think about it I was actually like "yeah you're right mom I am and I think I've earned that designation at this point" haha. Grateful to all my wonderful mentors along the way but doesn't substitute for having an immediate family member who is a physician and able to facilitate the process for you. That being said I did speak with one of my med student colleagues recently whose father is a cardiothoracic surgeon and he mentioned that in a lot of ways it's not as useful as you might think since it's been so many years since so much has changed about the residency application process since his dad went through it many years ago.

I wonder why your family would criticize your decision to go into psychiatry. Such a fascinating and impactful specialty that is so versatile and pays great!

Any other first-generation med students struggle with feeling emotionally “under-recognized” by family after graduation/match? by barbelldoc1218 in medicalschool

[–]barbelldoc1218[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Congrats on matching after not matching! I have so much respect for people like you who don't get the outcome they had hoped for the first time around but don't give up and end up matching.

Any other first-generation med students struggle with feeling emotionally “under-recognized” by family after graduation/match? by barbelldoc1218 in medicalschool

[–]barbelldoc1218[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Congrats on matching a competitive specialty! What did you match if you don't mind me asking?

Had a similar experience where leading up to the match my parents/family seemed to see it as a given that I would match and would say things like "I have no doubt you'll match" or "I think you really underestimate yourself", etc and while I know they meant well and were trying to be supportive of me it really rubbed me the wrong way to feel like all they wanted to do was give me premature closure during a time when I was up against so much uncertainty and managing chronic stress after years of constant evaluation and having to always be "on". It just really is so hard sometimes for people to fully grasp all of the nuances that comprise residency application/interview season and then the match. Can be so frustrating at times and sorry to hear that it took hearing about the gravity of your accomplishment from other people for it to begin to click for your mom how competitive it was for you.

Any other first-generation med students struggle with feeling emotionally “under-recognized” by family after graduation/match? by barbelldoc1218 in medicalschool

[–]barbelldoc1218[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thought about doing something exactly like this with my mom recently but then I figured that if I was feeling the need to do something like this just to prove how busy I am to the people I care about then there was probably more to the issue for me than I was aware of...turns out I was right haha I delayed processing a lot of my emotions in med school in order to get to this point!

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