3rd Year Clinical Rotation Study Resources???

[Black Coffee 24/7]

I finished both COMLEX 1 and USMLE Step 1 2 weeks ago. I spent the last 10 days on vacation to take my mind off things and just working out. I'm rejuvenated and am ready to tackle Year 3 head on and kill this thing.

So, after doing some research, I'm getting Online Med Ed videos, Online Med Ed Qbank, and UW Qbank as the go to sources for study materials on rotation. I've also been advised by many upperclassmen to take a Combank COMAT 2 days before the shelf for last minute cramming.

I will not use Zanki this year, but will rather make ANKI flash cards of UW and maybe Online Med Ed. I burned so much time on Zanki on second year, and didn't realize the fallacy of my study habit until my first UWSA 2-3 weeks into my dedicated.

Is there anything else that I'm missing? I would appreciate all advices.

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[Jinxapotato]

Uworld + OnlineMeded + step up to medicine + pastana, I also used MTB series for the sections not covered by step up (ophtho, derm, psych, peds, OBGYN)

if you can cover these you're already golden

 

[shadowlightfox]

Uworld + OnlineMeded + step up to medicine + pastana, I also used MTB series for the sections not covered by step up (ophtho, derm, psych, peds, OBGYN)

if you can cover these you're already golden

Step up to medicine is so freaking dense, though. How the hell do you find time to digest all of that with rotations and everything?

 

[Jinxapotato]

Step up to medicine is so freaking dense, though. How the hell do you find time to digest all of that with rotations and everything?

it is dense as a brick, but I try to read 10 pages or so per day, you'll finish it in no time...And yes it's bad...but that book contains pretty much everything you need to know for IM

 

[shadowlightfox]

it is dense as a brick, but I try to read 10 pages or so per day, you'll finish it in no time...And yes it's bad...but that book contains pretty much everything you need to know for IM

That's nice and all, but my school only has 6 weeks for IM.....I don't think I can get it done in that time frame with only ten pages lol

 

[Jinxapotato]

That's nice and all, but my school only has 6 weeks for IM.....I don't think I can get it done in that time frame with only ten pages lol

oh you don't need to finish that during IM rotation, you don't need that much info to do well on shelf. I meant that you can read slowly so you can get 1-2 pass before STEP 2 time.

 

[hallowmann]

I finished both COMLEX 1 and USMLE Step 1 2 weeks ago. I spent the last 10 days on vacation to take my mind off things and just working out. I'm rejuvenated and am ready to tackle Year 3 head on and kill this thing.

So, after doing some research, I'm getting Online Med Ed videos, Online Med Ed Qbank, and UW Qbank as the go to sources for study materials on rotation. I've also been advised by many upperclassmen to take a Combank COMAT 2 days before the shelf for last minute cramming.

I will not use Zanki this year, but will rather make ANKI flash cards of UW and maybe Online Med Ed. I burned so much time on Zanki on second year, and didn't realize the fallacy of my study habit until my first UWSA 2-3 weeks into my dedicated.

Is there anything else that I'm missing? I would appreciate all advices.

Just to warn you, some of this info may be outdated, but it worked for me, and it seems like our med students are still using most of them.

In addition to what you described (OME and UWorld), if you have time, I would be sure to study rotation specific resources when you are on the rotations. Use them as your go to resources to learn more about conditions your patients have (for actual management and stuff I'd still use uptodate).

Specifically:
-Pestana and The ABSITE Review for surgery
-IM Essentials or Step Up to Med for medicine
-Uwise question bank or the OB/Gyn Case Files if your school doesn't have uwise for OB
-Ambulatory chapter of Step Up to Step 2 or just hammer through ALL of the AAFP board review question and memorize cold the USPSTF A & B recommendations table for FM
-First Aid for the Psychiatry Clerkship for Psych
-As for Peds, it was my last rotation and I barely studied (and it showed on my shelf score), but that was 1 month prior to Step 2, so I was already too deep in general board prep to care. Not sure what the best resources are right now.

If your school is taking the COMAT shelfs, then I would try a few practice tests. If your school has you taking the NBME shelfs, then I would take the NBME clerkship specific assessments. I really only used these for my first few shelfs, because I was nervous of how I'd do on them.

 

[Black Coffee 24/7]

Hey guys,

Do I still need to rewatch the Sketchy Micro and Pharm videos for Step 2? Thanks.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

Hey guys,

Do I still need to rewatch the Sketchy Micro and Pharm videos for Step 2? Thanks.

Micro might be okay for the COMLEX or COMAT. Pharm I would say not to. You'll be tested in a different way for pharm.

My favorite resources

Boards: OME videos + UWorld with Anki flashcards made from them; COMBANK for OMM
FM: OME FM list + COMAT (had 4 questions word-for-word from it)
Surgery: Pestana
OMM: Savarese + COMAT/Combank

Everything else you can do it with UWorld only

 

[Rekt]

You guys use way too many resources.

UWorld + Comquest COMAT qbank = >95th percentile on all the shelves.

 

[shadowlightfox]

You guys use way too many resources.

UWorld + Comquest COMAT qbank = >95th percentile on all the shelves.

I don't know man. I heard a lot of people complain that UWorld didn't go over everything that they were tested on.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

You guys use way too many resources.

UWorld + Comquest COMAT qbank = >95th percentile on all the shelves.

lol what.

I don't know man. I heard a lot of people complain that UWorld didn't go over everything that they were tested on.

It's certainly not enough for NBMEs. Honoring is hard and I've only honored shelfs where I actually read extra resources, ex. First Aid for Psychiatry. I don't think OME and Uworld are enough for honors most of the time.

 

[shadowlightfox]

It's certainly not enough for NBMEs. Honoring is hard and I've only honored shelfs where I actually read extra resources, ex. First Aid for Psychiatry. I don't think OME and Uworld are enough for honors most of the time.

That's where Amboss comes in.

 

[Oh_Gee]

Micro might be okay for the COMLEX or COMAT. Pharm I would say not to. You'll be tested in a different way for pharm.

My favorite resources

Boards: OME videos + UWorld with Anki flashcards made from them; COMBANK for OMM
FM: OME FM list + COMAT (had 4 questions word-for-word from it)
Surgery: Pestana
OMM: Savarese + COMAT/Combank

Everything else you can do it with UWorld only

when you say "OME FM list", are you talking about that calendar pdf thing you can download

FM is my first rotation and idk how to study for it

 

[Oh_Gee]

That's where Amboss comes in.

do you feel like amboss is worth the cost on top of already having uworld?

 

[shadowlightfox]

do you feel like amboss is worth the cost on top of already having uworld?

Definitely. The userface is a little bit overwhelming at first if you're used to UWorld, but once you know how to finagle with it, it becomes a really effective learning tool. The questions are top notch IMO and very "UWorld" like. It also has a feature when it highlights just the high yield portions of each clinical vignettes.

My only complaint, and this might be me being spoiled from all the goodness UWorld brought, is that each question doesn't exactly give you an overarching explanation of the concept UWorld does. All it does is it explains why the correct answer is correct, and why the wrong answers are wrong, that's it.

 

[Oh_Gee]

Definitely. The userface is a little bit overwhelming at first if you're used to UWorld, but once you know how to finagle with it, it becomes a really effective learning tool. The questions are top notch IMO and very "UWorld" like. It also has a feature when it highlights just the high yield portions of each clinical vignettes.

My only complaint, and this might be me being spoiled from all the goodness UWorld brought, is that each question doesn't exactly give you an overarching explanation of the concept UWorld does. All it does is it explains why the correct answer is correct, and why the wrong answers are wrong, that's it.

do you do one of the qbanks before the other? for step/comlex 1, i finished usmle-rx before doing uworld. not sure if i'll have time during 3rd year to do 2 qbanks

 

[shadowlightfox]

do you do one of the qbanks before the other? for step/comlex 1, i finished usmle-rx before doing uworld. not sure if i'll have time during 3rd year to do 2 qbanks

For step 1, I only used UWorld. I never believed in any other qbanks, not even combank. However, if there was Amboss for step 1, I would've gotten on that just as eagerly as I would with UWorld.

Also, I have no preference in which one I do over the other, but I do make sure that I finish at least UWorld and hope to do 2 passes of that before step 2. Amboss though I only plan on leaving it just once and make anki cards out of it instead.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

I don't know man. I heard a lot of people complain that UWorld didn't go over everything that they were tested on.

Definitely didn't for surgery. That's why I recommend Pestana

 

[shadowlightfox]

Definitely didn't for surgery. That's why I recommend Pestana

Please tell me there's an anki deck based off of Pestana. I don't know how to read books anymore. I only know how to read flash cards!

 

[Rekt]

lol what.



It's certainly not enough for NBMEs. Honoring is hard and I've only honored shelfs where I actually read extra resources, ex. First Aid for Psychiatry. I don't think OME and Uworld are enough for honors most of the time.

Just saying that's what I did. Might not be enough for NBMEs, but if someones school does COMATs I didn't get less than 120 on any of them only using UWorld and Comquest (Comat banks, the main qbank is awful). I thought OME was fairly useless. Books were not as helpful as questions. If you use a book, it should be Step Up to Medicine. If I had to do NBMEs I'd just replace Comquest with Amboss and hope my school gives me UWise for obgyn.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Just saying that's what I did. Might not be enough for NBMEs, but if someones school does COMATs I didn't get less than 120 on any of them only using UWorld and Comquest (Comat banks, the main qbank is awful). I thought OME was fairly useless. Books were not as helpful as questions. If you use a book, it should be Step Up to Medicine. If I had to do NBMEs I'd just replace Comquest with Amboss and hope my school gives me UWise for obgyn.

I am pretty curious about all this noise with AMBOSS. It seems like people are calling it the new Uworld.

I agree, for step 2 questions are king. But I also have to say that I really liked OME honestly. But I also thought that it was more of a barebones framework that needs pausing and constant googling to fill in the question marks that you inevitably get. But aside from that the framework sticks and it proves very useful.

 

[dostudent545]

Is First Aid Step 2 CK commonly used? Or is it not as helpful as first aid was for step 1?

 

[shadowlightfox]

Is First Aid Step 2 CK commonly used? Or is it not as helpful as first aid was for step 1?

Not that helpful.

 

[dostudent545]

Not that helpful.

Sounds good, I'll just find a PDF of it for reference instead of buying it then. Thanks!

 

[segdoc]

Dont know for Step 1, but for clerkships and liking and using amboss more than uworld.


they came to our school and gave us 2 week free trial codes. hope it helps AMBOSS-YRWJ-C801-RA79