How to avoid eye strain during the test

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batch5000

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Hey guys. I have been noticing my eyes get pretty strained these last few weeks as I pound through Exammaster questions and memorize First Aid and Robbins. I know that my vision is 20/20, so I can't imagine glasses helping. Any tips on how to avoid this?
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batch5000 said:
Hey guys. I have been noticing my eyes get pretty strained these last few weeks as I pound through Exammaster questions and memorize First Aid and Robbins. I know that my vision is 20/20, so I can't imagine glasses helping. Any tips on how to avoid this?
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First of all, stop doing exammaster and switch to UW.

Your ciliary muscle contracts looking at close objects (books, computer screen). Looking for away relaxes it. If every so often you take 10-20 seconds to look at a distant object (ex, a clock at the prometric center) it might help.

Convoluted reply because now if the ciliary muscle shows up on your exam you'll remember it! This reply is a twofer :p
 
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The exam doesn't have a need for depth perception so alternate which eye you keep open. Compress the closed eye with your hand so the muscles relax. Has worked for me in the past.
 
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Valadi said:
First of all, stop doing exammaster and switch to UW.

Your ciliary muscle contracts looking at close objects (books, computer screen). Looking for away relaxes it. If every so often you take 10-20 seconds to look at a distant object (ex, a clock at the prometric center) it might help.

Convoluted reply because now if the ciliary muscle shows up on your exam you'll remember it! This reply is a twofer :p
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Thanks for the advice and nice USMLE tie in! I will think of that from now on when I get a question regarding accommodation :thumbup:.

Also, what's wrong with Exammaster? My school gives it to us for free so I am just going with that for now. I am 4 weeks in to my studying and have 2 weeks to go, so I am pretty used to the Exammaster questions by now. Do you have a link for UW? If it is cool, maybe I will check it out before the big exam.

Thanks!
 
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batch5000 said:
Thanks for the advice and nice USMLE tie in! I will think of that from now on when I get a question regarding accommodation :thumbup:.

Also, what's wrong with Exammaster? My school gives it to us for free so I am just going with that for now. I am 4 weeks in to my studying and have 2 weeks to go, so I am pretty used to the Exammaster questions by now. Do you have a link for UW? If it is cool, maybe I will check it out before the big exam.

Thanks!
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I don't know how you have not heard about this before, but switch today. I'm sending you right to the purchase page: http://www.usmleworld.com/purchase.aspx

Exam Master may be a decent tool for learning (especially random details) but the general consensus is that UW is the best board preparation in terms of level of question difficulty questions and high quality explanations. I've heard some reviews saying Exam Master is horrible, and some saying it's decent. Up to you. You can search the forums for discussions on it.
 
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Valadi said:
I don't know how you have not heard about this before, but switch today. I'm sending you right to the purchase page: http://www.usmleworld.com/purchase.aspx

Exam Master may be a decent tool for learning (especially random details) but the general consensus is that UW is the best board preparation in terms of level of question difficulty questions and high quality explanations. I've heard some reviews saying Exam Master is horrible, and some saying it's decent. Up to you. You can search the forums for discussions on it.
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Thanks! I will definitely check usmleworld out before my exam. Maybe it will help bring my score up a few points even!
 
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Systane gel eyedrops, or the generic of it which will cost you half the price. Best lubricant drop ever. I got LASIK a few months ago and while my vision is perfect, my eyes are still a little dryer than normal. I'll put some of these eye drops in every few hours if I'm constantly using the computer. The negative is it makes your vision slightly blurring for a few min, so maybe not during a 5 min break...just during one of your longer breaks haha.
 
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Aclamity said:
um it'll bring up your score much more than a few points. it's about as standard as FA
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I hope you are right. It seems like everyone on here is using usmleworld instead of Exammaster! I just hope I am not too late. I have been mostly just using the standard board review materials that my school suggests like Robins, Harrison's, First Aid (this one annoys me. Its like a list of facts ... uggh) and Exammaster. My Exammaster questions have been going pretty well. I am just surprised at the amount of detail that the exam goes into. I mean, who will we really need to know what position Uracil is methylated at? Uggh.
 
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batch5000 said:
I hope you are right. It seems like everyone on here is using usmleworld instead of Exammaster! I just hope I am not too late. I have been mostly just using the standard board review materials that my school suggests like Robins, Harrison's, First Aid (this one annoys me. Its like a list of facts ... uggh) and Exammaster. My Exammaster questions have been going pretty well. I am just surprised at the amount of detail that the exam goes into. I mean, who will we really need to know what position Uracil is methylated at? Uggh.
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Dude I have no idea how you got stuck reading Robbin's/Harrison's and doing Exam Master for Step 1. This is the most low-yield study method I have ever heard of and I feel bad. I'm just curious, but can you tell us or PM me where you go to school? Most people on this forum swear by FA, Rapid Review Goljan/Pathoma, and UWorld.

Get UW immediately and take a self-assessment (either NBME or UW). As a rule of thumb ~70% consistently on UW leads to a solid passing grade. High low 80s = 250s.
 
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Valadi said:
Dude I have no idea how you got stuck reading Robbin's/Harrison's and doing Exam Master for Step 1. This is the most low-yield study method I have ever heard of and I feel bad. I'm just curious, but can you tell us or PM me where you go to school? Most people on this forum swear by FA, Rapid Review Goljan/Pathoma, and UWorld.

Get UW immediately and take a self-assessment (either NBME or UW). As a rule of thumb ~70% consistently on UW leads to a solid passing grade. High low 80s = 250s.
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I am going to take an NBME tomorrow and see how I do. I am really hoping for a >250 because I would like to match into one of the competitive specialties and I know that they require high scores. I would rather not reveal my med school because I want to stay fairly anonymous. I have heard that you should really focus on Harrison's and Robins, because First Aid is only the basics. In other words, if you are lacking in the basics, First Aid is the way to "catch up," but if you are trying to go for a higher score you need a more "in depth" text like Robins or Harrison's. Am I off base here? Anyway, I'll let you know how I do after I take NBME Number 13 tomorrow. :)
 
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batch5000 said:
I am going to take an NBME tomorrow and see how I do. I am really hoping for a >250 because I would like to match into one of the competitive specialties and I know that they require high scores. I would rather not reveal my med school because I want to stay fairly anonymous. I have heard that you should really focus on Harrison's and Robins, because First Aid is only the basics. In other words, if you are lacking in the basics, First Aid is the way to "catch up," but if you are trying to go for a higher score you need a more "in depth" text like Robins or Harrison's. Am I off base here? Anyway, I'll let you know how I do after I take NBME Number 13 tomorrow. :)
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anyone else smell a troll.......who the f reads harrisons & doesn't know about uworld!?!?
 
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iCY said:
anyone else smell a troll.......who the f reads harrisons & doesn't know about uworld!?!?
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This started out as a thread about eye strain, so I doubt it. If they were, they'd be the most masterfully subtle troll the internet created...

OP, good luck! Let us know how you do. Never heard of anyone studying primarily from Robbins/Harrisons/EM and very curious to see how it goes.
 
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Valadi said:
This started out as a thread about eye strain, so I doubt it. If they were, they'd be the most masterfully subtle troll the internet created...

OP, good luck! Let us know how you do. Never heard of anyone studying primarily from Robbins/Harrisons/EM and very curious to see how it goes.
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The sad part is that this is probably how people studied before 1990 when FA was first published (and probably until 1994-5 before it became super popular)
 
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Aclamity said:
The sad part is that this is probably how people studied before 1990 when FA was first published (and probably until 1994-5 before it became super popular)
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OP will be an interesting case study. Ultimately I think reading the big books makes you a better doctor, but review books get your higher scores.
 
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Aclamity said:
Lol in another thread he said he got a 250. Must say, I'm impressed.
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That's awesome. Goes to show that review books really are review. Nothing magic in them.

Still, I can't imagine the day when med students everywhere drop FA and pick up Harrison's 2 volume set lol.
 
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