Tips on Getting High USMLE Scores

Psychology tells us that we unconsciously think and behave in a way consistent with our beliefs. When there is a mismatch between your belief and your results, the way you think and behave automatically change so as to make your results consistent with your beliefs. For instance, if you limit yourself to believing that you will get low USMLE scores, then by all means natural, that is what you will get. So if you identify the beliefs that limit development and growth, that can be the starting point to improving your USMLE scores.

Here are some tips or the steps you have to take to get high USMLE scores:

Step 1. Write down everything you believe you are not good at. Ironically, that won't be difficult. Most people find it easy to identify the things they think they do badly at, and often difficult to identify the things they do well. The reason is that, too many people believe in this world thinking the glass is half empty, rather than half full. It is but normal that humans are very aware of their faults and shortcomings, especially on matters involving knowledge and skills. By writing it down, you are making the intangible, like skills for instance, become more concrete.

Step 2. For each item on the list, think and write the reason why you think you are not good at such activity or endeavor. You may have to be very tough on yourself and keep persisting for each item. For a given reason, that might be an effect and not the fundamental cause. There are even instances that your belief was a result of what others have said to you or did to you in the past. Keep asking why until you have hit rock bottom. Then you will have found what you can work on to overcome the limiting belief.

Step 3. Develop a plan to eradicate the cause and hence overcome the limiting belief. If your limiting belief was the consequence of what others have done to you, it would be helpful to either talk to the person who caused that or better yet, consider it a challenge and try your best to overcome that obstacle. Visualize the day that you will approach the person who caused you to limit your belief in yourself - quietly telling him or her or them the result of their behavior or action towards you and how you plant to convert that bad feeling into something better. Remember that you have the potential to improve and the power of positive thinking to produce positive action; or in this case positive USMLE scores.

While you can be your own questioner, if you have a trusted friend, colleague, or partner, using him or her will be beneficial. This person would act as your coach and it will make things easier for you. At this end, it is noteworthy to mention American author Napoleon Hill's words, which can be your motivational thought: "What the mind can conceive, the body can achieve." If you can put it in your head that you will get high USMLE scores, then you can achieve it.