USMLE Advantages of non-bootlegged Uworld Qbank?

Ok so I've got a bootlegged version of Uworld Qbank, both in book format and in computer screenshots, and I was wondering what's going to be the advantage of buying the original subscription from the site?

I can already test myself by doing the questions and marking my answers on paper, and then checking the answers at the end with explanations, and then assessing myself and all that.

So which brings me to it, how advantageous is the subsciption going to be to me. I AM going to be doing the NBME forms, and the Uworld Self-assessments (nonbootleg), that I've already decided, but I cant decide whether to buy the Qbank subscription itself or not. I really feel I'm better off saving those 100 dollars and using them on other resources. Give me some sincere advice, moral aspect aside.

You should probably not advertise your possession of them.

I thought that the real thing was very helpful not only for the ability to get used to the CBT interface, but also for the detailed performance analysis compared to average. It would really take an excessive amount of time to do that sort of analysis yourself.

Also, it's good to have the latest questions/updates.

All in all, it seems like the question comes down to your financial situation. If you're really strapped for cash, then I can understand why it would be a tough call. In my case, I have enough student loans so that $100 in academic expenses won't even be memorable when it comes time to pay the loans back.

Originally Posted by phoenix89

Ok so I've got a bootlegged version of Uworld Qbank, both in book format and in computer screenshots, and I was wondering what's going to be the advantage of buying the original subscription from the site?

Keeping your integrity?

Originally Posted by JackShephard MD

Keeping your integrity?

He's a doctor, not a saint. (always wanted to say that)

Originally Posted by phoenix89

Ok so I've got a bootlegged version of Uworld Qbank, both in book format and in computer screenshots, and I was wondering what's going to be the advantage of buying the original subscription from the site?

I can already test myself by doing the questions and marking my answers on paper, and then checking the answers at the end with explanations, and then assessing myself and all that.

So which brings me to it, how advantageous is the subsciption going to be to me. I AM going to be doing the NBME forms, and the Uworld Self-assessments (nonbootleg), that I've already decided, but I cant decide whether to buy the Qbank subscription itself or not. I really feel I'm better off saving those 100 dollars and using them on other resources. Give me some sincere advice, moral aspect aside.

I'm of course against any form of academic theft and piracy and what not...

But I despise the official interface. The way I study is I need to copy images and texts into one document and then print it out, and read/annotate/highlight/etc in order to memorize it. I have never been able to "learn" anything directly from a monitor.

The way that UW is set up is that you can't copy any of their images, or copy paste any of their text (or even have another program open at the same time). For now all I've been doing is just taking pictures with my cameraphone and then loading it onto a word document. It's a pain.

If you have an up to date, accurate, version of "offline" UW, good for you.

Originally Posted by phoenix89

Ok so I've got a bootlegged version of Uworld Qbank, both in book format and in computer screenshots, and I was wondering what's going to be the advantage of buying the original subscription from the site?

I can already test myself by doing the questions and marking my answers on paper, and then checking the answers at the end with explanations, and then assessing myself and all that.

So which brings me to it, how advantageous is the subsciption going to be to me. I AM going to be doing the NBME forms, and the Uworld Self-assessments (nonbootleg), that I've already decided, but I cant decide whether to buy the Qbank subscription itself or not. I really feel I'm better off saving those 100 dollars and using them on other resources. Give me some sincere advice, moral aspect aside.

I'd pay for it. It'll track your performance, you can make customized exams to grill in drugs/bugs/etc. or do specific organ blocks, etc. No bootlegged collection of screenshots is going to do that for you. None are going to mark your incorrect for you, etc. It'll just save you a lot of time in studying and identifying weak points. Plus you get to become familiar with the test interface/timing/etc. Great explanation as well that are vital to it's usefulness.

Also, UWorld is a great product. Way better than competitors. I whole heartedly feel it is worth the price they charge for it.

Originally Posted by phoenix89

Give me some sincere advice, moral aspect aside.

Originally Posted by JackShephard MD

Keeping your integrity?

Integrity is worth different amounts of money to different people. Honestly, if I were one of the many graduates coming from Pakistan (where the cost of a USMLEWorld subscription is equivalent to 2-3 months' salary for an intern, 1-2 months' salary for an attending at a public hospital, or a year's worth of food for your family), I'd be reluctant to pay for it too.

I paid for it because there's an app for the iPhone, and being a highly mobile person, I like to do questions in tutor mode on the phone whenever I have down time. I'm not the kind of guy to carry my Step 1 notes with me wherever I go. The nice thing about tutor mode is that it gives you a detailed explanation for the question, right after you answer it. I don't have the patience to wait till the end of a set of questions to find out why I'm wrong.

Originally Posted by shan564

Integrity is worth different amounts of money to different people. Honestly, if I were one of the many graduates coming from Pakistan (where the cost of a USMLEWorld subscription is equivalent to 2-3 months' salary for an intern, 1-2 months' salary for an attending at a public hospital, or a year's worth of food for your family), I'd be reluctant to pay for it too.

A 30 day UW subscription is $130. Surely an attending at a public hospital in Pakistan makes more than $520-780/yr, right?

Originally Posted by lrkoehle

A 30 day UW subscription is $130. Surely an attending at a public hospital in Pakistan makes more than $520-780/yr, right?

Who knows..

I have a 2007 copy which i used during year 1 but i have had my own year long subscription since last year. It all depends on an individual and their circumstances. Some folks are not blessed to have a family which can support them ENOUGH. Plus all these resources can get pricy real quick. Then again, you need money to make money.

But the way i see is i have no problem with it being not a subscription. I got my own Sh*t to worry about.

I really wish there was a KOBE SYSTEM for step..

Originally Posted by lrkoehle

A 30 day UW subscription is $130. Surely an attending at a public hospital in Pakistan makes more than $520-780/yr, right?

Ah, I was comparing to what I paid for my 3-month UW+UWSA subscription, which was somewhere in the $300 range. Public doctors in Pakistan make 18,000 rupees a month, which is about $200, so it'd be 1-2 months' salary. Interns make 12,000, which would be about $130.

But I just used Pakistan as an example because I have a lot of family there. Imagine if you were in Nigera...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-17988522

Originally Posted by JackShephard MD

I don't know. I think stuff always works out if you stick to your guns.

I don't like the "I'm poor" or "I don't have people who can help me" arguments, because you're admitting it's not the right thing to do but you're willing to bend the rules because you're in a tough spot. If you cheat in small areas, you'll cheat in larger areas.

I agree with you, but I'm just saying that different people have different perspectives.

It's easy for me to say that I won't bend the rules regardless of the situation, since I happen to have Uncle Sam lending me as much money as I'd ever need. But in Lagos, several hundred doctors feel that it's OK to let their patients die (which actually happened) because of their tiff with the government. I'm not here to judge. For some people, the compromise in integrity is worth the money.

Originally Posted by shan564

Integrity is worth different amounts of money to different people. Honestly, if I were one of the many graduates coming from Pakistan (where the cost of a USMLEWorld subscription is equivalent to 2-3 months' salary for an intern, 1-2 months' salary for an attending at a public hospital, or a year's worth of food for your family), I'd be reluctant to pay for it too.

I don't know. I think stuff always works out if you stick to your guns.

I don't like the "I'm poor" or "I don't have people who can help me" arguments, because you're admitting it's not the right thing to do but you're willing to bend the rules because you're in a tough spot. If you cheat in small areas, you'll cheat in larger areas.

I know we all have goals and think that every last point/advantage will matter but it's just fear that drives these actions. I think the other option is faith. Faith that if you are willing to do the right things that it will all work itself out. And spending $130 on the best Step 1 prep in the midst of a 300k education? Affordable.

It always shocks me how many medical students will engage in these activities. We're professionals.

Originally Posted by JackShephard MD

I don't know. I think stuff always works out if you stick to your guns.

I don't like the "I'm poor" or "I don't have people who can help me" arguments, because you're admitting it's not the right thing to do but you're willing to bend the rules because you're in a tough spot. If you cheat in small areas, you'll cheat in larger areas.

I know we all have goals and think that every last point/advantage will matter but it's just fear that drives these actions. I think the other option is faith. Faith that if you are willing to do the right things that it will all work itself out. And spending $130 on the best Step 1 prep in the midst of a 300k education? Affordable.

It always shocks me how many medical students will engage in these activities. We're professionals.

Oh gosh the things religion does to people.

FYI it may not be a 300k education for him, not everyone is living in the lap of luxury in the first world like us.

Originally Posted by Whiskeypunch

Oh gosh the things religion does to people.

I think he meant "have faith in yourself" rather than the religious meaning of "faith"... or at least that's the way I read it.

Originally Posted by shan564

I think he meant "have faith in yourself" rather than the religious meaning of "faith"... or at least that's the way I read it.

I am just tempted to say, "We're sitting here, and I'm supposed to be the franchise player, and we're talking about practice. I mean listen, we're sitting here talking about practice, not a game, not a game, not a game, but we're talking about practice. Not the game that I go out there and die for and play every game last it's my last but we're talking about practice man. How silly is that?" - A.I

Originally Posted by JackShephard MD

I don't know. I think stuff always works out if you stick to your guns.

I don't like the "I'm poor" or "I don't have people who can help me" arguments, because you're admitting it's not the right thing to do but you're willing to bend the rules because you're in a tough spot. If you cheat in small areas, you'll cheat in larger areas.

I know we all have goals and think that every last point/advantage will matter but it's just fear that drives these actions. I think the other option is faith. Faith that if you are willing to do the right things that it will all work itself out. And spending $130 on the best Step 1 prep in the midst of a 300k education? Affordable.

It always shocks me how many medical students will engage in these activities. We're professionals.

Kant would be proud of you.