BOTH For Step I & II QBanks: random sets or subject based?

[LuccaDO]

And how many at a time, and why?

Personally I read an entire section e.g. cardiology and then work on all 200+ UWORLD questions pertaining to cardiology. Do you all do the same thing, and which way do you think is best? I am curious to know. Thanks!

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[pathologyDO]

Random, 44 (this is how many USMLE is now), timed

Your exam is going to be "random" and you will have to be able to understand what system the question is hinting towards. If you do systems based it is just making things easier than the real deal, no guessing as to what system they are asking about.

To illustrate my point... lets say you get a question where they describe a patient with neurological deficits (using a UWorld Q I had today as example) and they describe symptoms to you (pure unilateral sensory deficits). Your answer choices may be: Autoimmunity, Metastasis, Hemorrhagic, Infectious, etc. etc... obviously if you're doing cardio system that really alone narrows down your answers.

UWorld is heavily integrative like the example above and so you will be making it much easier on yourself (which could only hurt you) than what it will be like on the real thing.

 

[aspiringmd1015]

for ease of annotation into my FA, and to use UW as a learning tool, i did it system based first time around. Now im doing it randomized, and i suggest that to everyone. Annotating it system based alone i a headache, and i cant imagine doing it random with the amount of page flipping etc. UW is a learning tool use it, you can get used to the exam feel with nbme's uswsa etc and by doing it a second time around system based.

 

[BruceWilly]

I would do cardio first aid in the morning, cardio Uworld in the afternoon/evening etc with each system for the first pass and then do a second pass on random tutor, referencing first aid where needed.

I did Uworld twice on "random" and I don't really think it's random at all. My spaced repetition was inefficient because I would see some things twice two days apart and other things twice seven weeks apart. Structuring your studies around first aid ensures that you'll see things again before you completely forget them.

 

[scoKraz4]

Use another qbank for systems based to reinforce. Uworld do random 44 always.