Because I suck at anatomy, does it mean there is a high chance I will fail boards?

[Aresnebula]

Hi everyone,

My school does a separate lower extremity anatomy course. I got my test scores back today and I failed by six points. My scores haven't been the greatest in this class but I was still passing my previous exams. I am not going to fail the course but I will probably finish with a C+.

Today's score got me anxious and thinking about boards. I don't have problems with any other courses as much, but I don't know why I suck so much in anatomy. Even in general anatomy, I finished with a C. Lower extremity is such an important part of who we are, and the fact that I suck at it is very insulting. Combined with myself being in the bottom 20% of my class tells me that I probably will fail boards first try.

Did anyone suck at lower extremity and still passed boards? My boards aren't till next year, but I still plan to take half an hour each day and study Ohio notes throughout next semester. Do you think that is a good plan?

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[DexterMorganSK]

Hi everyone,

My school does a separate lower extremity anatomy course. I got my test scores back today and I failed by six points. My scores haven't been the greatest in this class but I was still passing my previous exams. I am not going to fail the course but I will probably finish with a C+.

Today's score got me anxious and thinking about boards. I don't have problems with any other courses as much, but I don't know why I suck so much in anatomy. Even in general anatomy, I finished with a C. Lower extremity is such an important part of who we are, and the fact that I suck at it is very insulting. Combined with myself being in the bottom 20% of my class tells me that I probably will fail boards first try.

Did anyone suck at lower extremity and still passed boards? My boards aren't till next year, but I still plan to take half an hour each day and study Ohio notes throughout next semester. Do you think that is a good plan?

How did you study for the previous exams, and how come you didn't change your study methods if the previous exams didn't go well?

Passing the course with a C or an A does not matter; you must know the material cold for the boards and onwards. That said, once you pass it and move on, I would suggest reviewing it until your boards. You will have to change your study method and try something else: maybe flashcards, start drawing stuff, ask other students who are doing well, and see how they studied for it....you'll just have to know it not for a grade but for your future career.

 

[Aresnebula]

How did you study for the previous exams, and how come you didn't change your study methods if the previous exams didn't go well?

Passing the course with a C or an A does not matter; you must know the material cold for the boards and onwards. That said, once you pass it and move on, I would suggest reviewing it until your boards. You will have to change your study method and try something else: maybe flashcards, start drawing stuff, ask other students who are doing well, and see how they studied for it....you'll just have to know it not for a grade but for your future career.

Do you think Lean Ohio notes are good for board prep? What else did you use to study for lean?

 

[DexterMorganSK]

Do you think Lean Ohio notes are good for board prep? What else did you use to study for lean?

They can be helpful and an addition to other sources. Primary should be lecture material then board vital questions.
Search for part 1 threads and see what other ppl used.

 

[Aresnebula]

They can be helpful and an addition to other sources. Primary should be lecture material then board vital questions.
Search for part 1 threads and see what other ppl used.

Will do, thank you!

 

[Packers4lifeDPM]

Definitely need to know your lower anatomy inside and out for boards and for the rest of your career

 

[Redsting]

Anatomy on boards isn't too bad from what I remember.
Best advice I got for anatomy is, "It is what it is". Just cause it doesn't make sense to you at the time, doesnt change a thing. It is what it is. Just remember it... You aren't doing well, so do something different in preparation for the next test and see if that works better.

 

[Aresnebula]

Thank you all for your advice. I had a follow-up question: I have been doing lower extremity questions from BoardVitals and I have been scoring about 55% each time. Is it a bad score honestly? I am only asking because people have said BoardVitals is harder than the real thing but nobody ever said how hard...

 

[OblivionDPM]

Thank you all for your advice. I had a follow-up question: I have been doing lower extremity questions from BoardVitals and I have been scoring about 55% each time. Is it a bad score honestly? I am only asking because people have said BoardVitals is harder than the real thing but nobody ever said how hard...

To be honest with you, LEA first time throughs should be around the 75% range for one to, in my opinion, be comfortable. Will you pass if you don't get that? Definitely possible, just depends on the other aspects of the exam, however, your "boosters" in terms of points are from LEA and pharm traditionally. Overall, I would focus on scoring with a first time through around the 65-70%ish for each subject and 75-80% for LEA for one to feel "comfortable".

These # ranges are ones I validated for myself, but I feel that they can hopefully give you a rough idea of where it places you.

Edit: By "first time throughs" I mean the previous attempts of data wiped so from the percentage aspect so it is as though you did them for the first time. There are definitely enough questions for you to go through Board vitals 2-3 times and still get the same question wrong so do not worry about that specifically.

 

[DexterMorganSK]

Thank you all for your advice. I had a follow-up question: I have been doing lower extremity questions from BoardVitals and I have been scoring about 55% each time. Is it a bad score honestly? I am only asking because people have said BoardVitals is harder than the real thing but nobody ever said how hard...

As stated above, the high 70s is where you want to be close to exam time.

 

[Aresnebula]

As stated above, the high 70s is where you want to be close to exam time.

It's not so much that I suck at the basic anatomy of it, I can tell you where a muscle attaches, its actions, innervations, etc. but my problem arises when it's a second-order or a third-order question like the ones in BoardVitals. And the nitty-gritty details are some things I struggle keeping track of. On BoardVitals, most of the questions I messed up were in the "hard" category and a few in the "moderate". I have tried flashcards, class powerpoints, but nothing seems to be working. I also find the subject itself very very dry and boring so I guess that doesn't help lol

 

[OblivionDPM]

It's not so much that I suck at the basic anatomy of it, I can tell you where a muscle attaches, its actions, innervations, etc. but my problem arises when it's a second-order or a third-order question like the ones in BoardVitals. And the nitty-gritty details are some things I struggle keeping track of. On BoardVitals, most of the questions I messed up were in the "hard" category and a few in the "moderate". I have tried flashcards, class powerpoints, but nothing seems to be working. I also find the subject itself very very dry and boring so I guess that doesn't help lol

If you understand the 1st order style questions really well, then second and third order questions are only as hard as they are worded. Perhaps your approach should be to either: really focus on the primary details/trying to breakdown what the question writer is telling me you, why are the answer choices the way the are, what clues am I given in the stem, where is the author trying to steer me to, etc.

Some board vitals questions are extremely hard (even for LEA, but there are only a few like that), but whatever you get "wrong", go review that specifically in your notes.

Other than that, I'm not sure what else to say my friend.