Does anyone have any info on the curve and results of this years absite?
2014 Absite results
- Thread starter Fredrd
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Yup, scores came back for us Friday as well. It's allways so abrupt...
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Also just got my results.
My two cents: overall, I think the test was harder this year. I am doing research time and was able to study a lot more than my first two years. I got 7% less correct answers than previous years, however the percentile remained unchanged, which makes me think that everyone out there had less % correct. Another resident 2 levels above me had only 1% more correct than I did, but same percentile, which also makes me think that the test was tougher for all levels.
Previously I had taken the Jr. exam, so I can't tell how much more clinical the single exam was compared to the previous Sr. exams. All I can tell it was very clinical, but still there were basic questions about useless minutiae.
About SCORE: I didn't find the questions to be very helpful. Completed about 25% of them. The only way I think it would have been more helpful is if I had done most of them and take notes of the ones I answered incorrectly for later review. The SCORE curriculum was more helpful: I read the list of topics and chose the weaker ones to study more comprehensibly.
My two cents: overall, I think the test was harder this year. I am doing research time and was able to study a lot more than my first two years. I got 7% less correct answers than previous years, however the percentile remained unchanged, which makes me think that everyone out there had less % correct. Another resident 2 levels above me had only 1% more correct than I did, but same percentile, which also makes me think that the test was tougher for all levels.
Previously I had taken the Jr. exam, so I can't tell how much more clinical the single exam was compared to the previous Sr. exams. All I can tell it was very clinical, but still there were basic questions about useless minutiae.
About SCORE: I didn't find the questions to be very helpful. Completed about 25% of them. The only way I think it would have been more helpful is if I had done most of them and take notes of the ones I answered incorrectly for later review. The SCORE curriculum was more helpful: I read the list of topics and chose the weaker ones to study more comprehensibly.
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That's funny, I actually had the same experience. I got 7% fewer correct answers stayed at the same percentile and my roommate, who is 2 years ahead, scored the same with 1% more correct answers. Guess they're pretty good at keeping it consistent.
I agree with your comments as well. In my opinion, the test was much harder than the junior exam we took the previous year.
The SCORE curriculum was helpful, but has a huge amount of information. I'm not sure if I wasn't in research I would have been able to get through all the topics. The SCORE questions were garbage but I did most of them because of paranoia.
I agree with your comments as well. In my opinion, the test was much harder than the junior exam we took the previous year.
The SCORE curriculum was helpful, but has a huge amount of information. I'm not sure if I wasn't in research I would have been able to get through all the topics. The SCORE questions were garbage but I did most of them because of paranoia.
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Double ditto on the worthlessness of the SCORE questions.
I think the formula for the basic science part remained the same: Memorize Fiser. As for the clinical questions, you need some other source to study from. Using a combination of SESAP and the Rush University Review seemed to work pretty well--the questions in either are much higher yield than the SCORE questions.
I think the formula for the basic science part remained the same: Memorize Fiser. As for the clinical questions, you need some other source to study from. Using a combination of SESAP and the Rush University Review seemed to work pretty well--the questions in either are much higher yield than the SCORE questions.
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That's hilarious that we had the same thing happen with scores!
No way I could go through all SCORE's material, it's just way too much. I just read more about my weaker topics listed in their exam curriculum. For this I used a surgery text book.
Agree. Fiser is good for most of the basic stuff. For clinical I absolutely love DeVirgilio questions. Rush gives me migraines. My percentiles have been more than satisfactory.
Never have used SESAP, because I thought it was too outdated (#14 from 2010) but now I see there is a recent edition, SESAP 15, which came out by the end of last year. Am I missing something? I may order it.
No way I could go through all SCORE's material, it's just way too much. I just read more about my weaker topics listed in their exam curriculum. For this I used a surgery text book.
Agree. Fiser is good for most of the basic stuff. For clinical I absolutely love DeVirgilio questions. Rush gives me migraines. My percentiles have been more than satisfactory.
Never have used SESAP, because I thought it was too outdated (#14 from 2010) but now I see there is a recent edition, SESAP 15, which came out by the end of last year. Am I missing something? I may order it.
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I think the exam was just alot harder overall and had a more clinical focus and less recall. Doesnt necessarily just reflect your resources. That being said, I did like 600 score questions and didnt think it helped much.
PGY1 %-%ile was like 70%-85th and 75%-96th and 79%-99th(not sure if it starts at 79%).
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Agree completely. I think we all are in agreement that focusing more in patient management and clinical subjects is the way to go now, without neglecting completely the basic recall stuff
I have heard of this: PGY2 83%-98th; PGY3 78%-83th; ; PGY4 84%-98th.
I respectfully disagree.
The test was certainly harder, but I also think people got thrown off their routine by all the commotion surrounding the test "changing."
I initially wanted to go through all the topics on the SCORE curriculum, but it was an overwhelming amount of material and I gave up on it after about a week (which produced a lot of anxiety). The biggest pitfall of the curriculum, in my opinion, is it has the potential to eat up a huge amount of time and be very, very low yield when used to study for the ABSITE. The same can be said for the SCORE questions as previously mentioned several times.
All that being said, if you're using the SCORE curriculum for general reading while on rotation, it seems it would be useful.
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Right, and that's the way the curriculum is designed. It's not meant to provide an outline for short-term review for the ABSITE. It's meant to be used as a "reading plan" throughout the year. Ideally you would take notes on that reading (or use some condensed version of the material) to review before the test.
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what are these breakdowns referring to?
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Percent correct of questions and corresponding percentiles of a few of us at different levels in my program who shared scores.
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I would say this is pretty accurate. I also couldn't stand SCORE... I did almost 1000 SCORE Qs and read about 20-30% of Fiser's review... Goal for PGY2 is 100% Fiser (review) + some baseline Sabiston/Cameron throughout the year..
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The actual score breakdowns, with curve for each year, is available. Just ask your program coordinator, they will have it. Its nice since this year you can truly compare your score to other PGY groups, so for example if you got 80% correct as a PGY3, you can look and see that you would score X%ile next year as a PGY4 if you didnt improve at all
I wasn't really saying it was meant for short term review, but taking notes on such dense material is pretty ineffectual. So, my opinion is that the curriculum is good for reading for cases/grand round/M&M but taking notes is a misuse of time as the material is too vast and Fiser is pre-written.
Also @vhawk, you suck. Your Henri de Montherlant quote says a lot about your general outlook on life.
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Cool story, guy on the internet. Any specific complaints or just usual internet posturing?
That's comical coming from you, hardcore surgery resident who looks down on anyone who isn't psychotic about their "calling." A quick review of your posts will surely clarify. You're a cancer to surgery.
Great response to someone asking about hepatobiliary fellowships. Very insightful. Classic "vhawk."
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To each their own, but I disagree. I'm not saying I try to re-create Fiser, but while you're doing the reading, it's easy to annotate and add things that are high-yield. Especially now with the stronger clinical focus, there's going to be more holes in the material Fiser covers.
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You may want to consider taking a breath. You just called someone a cancer based on like three posts on the Internet.
The sexual tension between you two is just overwhelming....I feel like I'm watching a "rom-com."
Haha ya. I've found a previously unknown trigger.
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I can't tell if the test was harder...seemed easier with a hockey stick curve... however,the further I get along the less I care about this test. Every year if you get like an 85% on the test you land in high 90s regardless of PGY level. So I guess you can miss 30 or 40 questions and be fine. I like to score portal....its all there.
