2017: USMLERx vs Kaplan QBanks

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shoopshoop

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Searched and this has been discussed but the last time was 2015 so figured I'd ask an updated version since USMLERx seems to be improving every year. I'm an MS2, but don't take Step 1 until end of MS3, after the core clerkships. I will definitely use UWorld for the dedicated period at the end, but I was thinking of using a QBank to keep the basic sciences fresh right now and while on the wards. Is this a good idea? Which one would you recommend for this - USMLERx or Kaplan? A 2 year UWorld subscription is so expensive, and I figure it is a precious resource that I do not want to use until I am at least 8 months close to the test.

Instead of, or along with a QBank, should I use the Bros Anki deck, Firecracker, or USMLERx flash cards? I am just worried about consolidating all of this information and remembering it, esepcially the minutiae, when I come back to it a whole year later.

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This is really hard to answer, because everyone has a different learning style. I used Firecracker for a while before dedicated. I'm also a huge fan of doing more Qbanks. It also depends on your goal. If you want 250+ and aren't a genius, doing all the Qbanks is better. If you want to do well enough and/or, you have a great memory and don't need to go through so many questions, UWorld is enough. Obviously, ymmv, we're all different snowflakes etc. I'm talking trends.

You're gonna be hella busy on clerkships, not to mention studying for shelves. Maybe doing Bros deck would be better, or Firecracker. The utility of QBanks increases with the proximity with which you do them to your test date. Doing one of these is going to take a lot of effort, and you're going to have to be careful to pay attention to shelf exams.

On the other hand, you could just focus on MS3, then get back to Step 1 later. It depends on how much Step 1 time you'll have. Also depends on your goal. Lots of variables here.
 
Second this question. Have both. Kaplan was given by the school. Bought Rx myself. Plan on hitting both hard this summer (we are at a organs-system based program). Any comments and experience would be appreciated.
 
This is really hard to answer, because everyone has a different learning style. I used Firecracker for a while before dedicated. I'm also a huge fan of doing more Qbanks. It also depends on your goal. If you want 250+ and aren't a genius, doing all the Qbanks is better. If you want to do well enough and/or, you have a great memory and don't need to go through so many questions, UWorld is enough. Obviously, ymmv, we're all different snowflakes etc. I'm talking trends.

You're gonna be hella busy on clerkships, not to mention studying for shelves. Maybe doing Bros deck would be better, or Firecracker. The utility of QBanks increases with the proximity with which you do them to your test date. Doing one of these is going to take a lot of effort, and you're going to have to be careful to pay attention to shelf exams.

On the other hand, you could just focus on MS3, then get back to Step 1 later. It depends on how much Step 1 time you'll have. Also depends on your goal. Lots of variables here.

So which of the 2 would you recommend in general as a supplementary preliminary Qbank?
 
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So which of the 2 would you recommend in general as a supplementary preliminary Qbank?
I used Rx until I started my dedicated time and now I'm using UW. I think Rx is really great for learning First aid and nailing down some basic concepts. I honestly don't see the UW >>>>> Rx consensus of sdn, because I don't see a huge difference but that consensus is from people who have taken the test already. I haven't taken Kaplan, so I can't compare.
 
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I used Rx until I started my dedicated time and now I'm using UW. I think Rx is really great for learning First aid and nailing down some basic concepts. I honestly don't see the UW >>>>> Rx consensus of sdn, because I don't see a huge difference but that consensus is from people who have taken the test already. I haven't taken Kaplan, so I can't compare.

That's great to know! How long did you do Rx for?
 
So which of the 2 would you recommend in general as a supplementary preliminary Qbank?
I recommend Kaplan. Rx = First Aid. If you don't know First Aid, do RX. If you are familiar enough with First Aid, do Kaplan.

People complain Kaplan is too detailed, but that is what the plebs say. The 5 questions that end up separating a 248 from a 258 can come from knowledge gained by testing your grasp of details.

An example, the kidneys have glucose 6 phosphatase, meaning they can contribute to gluconeogenesis. I don't remember that being in First Aid, but that's the kind of detail you'd find in Kaplan. Guess what? That is an NBME question. Go figure. So again, depends on where you stand now, and what your goal is.
 
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That's great to know! How long did you do Rx for?
I used it randomly throughout second year. Mostly on breaks. I rarely did it for the sections we were on, mostly random timed. Then I really ramped up 3-4 weeks before my dedicated time and started doing a great deal more to try to really learn it. Other people may really disagree, but I think it's a fine learning tool. But it is literally first aid in question form, so if you already have First Aid down (which means you're really far advanced or have a curriculum that's pretty board heavy) then it may be less useful.
 
Im sitting at 52% in Rx, tutor mode, untimed, system wise, with about 65% done.
All I can say is the questions on Rx are pretty hard. Sometimes they can do a better job explaining the right from wrong answers, but overall, its not bad.

Gonna move onto UWorld next.
 
I recommend Kaplan. Rx = First Aid. If you don't know First Aid, do RX. If you are familiar enough with First Aid, do Kaplan.

People complain Kaplan is too detailed, but that is what the plebs say. The 5 questions that end up separating a 248 from a 258 can come from knowledge gained by testing your grasp of details.

An example, the kidneys have glucose 6 phosphatase, meaning they can contribute to gluconeogenesis. I don't remember that being in First Aid, but that's the kind of detail you'd find in Kaplan. Guess what? That is an NBME question. Go figure. So again, depends on where you stand now, and what your goal is.
Would you recommend doing Kaplan and then UWx2? Or just start doing UW to ensure I get thru it twice and only do Kaplan for weak areas?
 
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