This will be my second attempt at step 1. The first time I took it, I failed by one point. I must pass because studying for this test has taken so much out of me and my family's life. It has been an onging mental and financial strain. My son is going to be to one on April 15th. For the past month, he has been staying with his grandparents monday through thursday. I feel that I made a huge sacrifice in order to ensure a passing score. It was very difficult to do but I figure that one day my son will look up to me and be proud that I persevered to acchieve my goal. I don't regret having my son when I did. He is the best thing that could have ever happened to me and my husband. I just really understand now that Babies Change Everything. They change your priorities in life. I want to be a doctor so badly because I want to be in a position to help people and challenge myself at the same time. I've done 200 Q's a day and reviewed the answers, listened to online lectures, and tried to acquire new knowledge in this vast field of medical sciences. Theres so much that I could never master it all. But I will use what I know to pass. I will be confident, and I will make a prediction before I look at any of the answer choices. I will get each question down to 50/50 and I will methodically choose the correct answer. I will be a doctor. It's going to happen. I can feel it. Mothers can be doctors too. Perhaps we don't have as much time and flexibility to devote to studying but the time we do devote is valuable.

well its a day before the big test. The test that has me under more pressure than I've ever been under in my life. So shat am I going to do to today? I'm going to make a flashcard of the things I don't want to forget like the cardiac cycle and the brachial plexus and heart blocks. Then am I going to relax the entire day. I'm going to work out at the gym, go to the movies, and have a steak dinner.

checklist for test:
1. lunch
2. stopwatch
3. Tylenol
4. Tums
5. Book with practice questions
6. Picture of my baby boy
7. ID
8. Orange Permit
9. Brain
9. Confidence
10. Positive Attitude
11. Determination
12. Cardboard checklist for passing step 1
It Reads:
a. believe in self
b. make predictions before looking at answer choices
c. take the test; don't let the test take you
d. Know that God is the Enabler
e. If you believe it then you can acchieve it
f. "Just do it"
g. I will pass
h. visualize self as a board certified physician.

Tomorrow will be another day just like any other day. I will not freak out during the test I will be calm and I will thoughfully answer each question just like I have been doing every day during my practice sessions. Passing step 1 is totally doable because I am a hard worker and I will acchieve my goal. :yes:

Well, I took step 1 again. I gave it my best shot. I felt good at first then as the day went on the fatigue factor caught up with me. I hope and pray that I passed because I don't want to have to invest any more time or money in retaking it. My advisor asked me if I could do it over again would I have had my baby during medical school. I told her yes because even though I am struggling with my academics my little boy is so worth it. When he looks at me with his precious eyes nothing else matters but making him happy.

well i passed step 1. I did not recieve the most competitive score but I passed and I continue with my dreams of becoming a physician.
Now, I'm on a surgery rotation that requires me to be at the hospital from 4am-6:00pm most days. Surgery is totally fascinating but it is a time committment that interferes with family life especially during the 5 year residency.