Buzz words on Step 1

[NeedToStudy]

So how common are buzz words still on step 1? For ex. will they use the words "Pope's blessing" or will they simply describe the defect and hope you figure it out?

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[SBR249]

I doubt they'll be using something like "Pope's blessing". Most step questions are at the very least secondary questions, meaning the answer is 2 steps removed from the information given. If they straight up said Pope's blessing and asked what lesion, that would be a primary question and way too straightforward.

 

[Psai]

try stepping away from buzz words
there are very few buzz words in real life and step 1 is beginning to reflect that by describing findings rather than allowing students to do pattern recognition

 

[thehundredthone]

Or go a step further and understand both the buzz word and the actual descriptive possibilities. The latter will be much more common on your exam.

 

[Guyton Killah]

Everything in UW is a buzz world. Period.

 

[Apoplexy__]

They're common enough to know, certainly. But rather than knowing either buzz words or the full explanation behind the buzzword, just know both.

I can't remember a CLL question that didn't include the buzzword "smudge cell". And that's the case for a lot of pathologies. They're still using these buzzwords in Step 2 also! But more often than not, the writers try and move away from them.

 

[Ismet]

Everything in UW is a buzz world. Period.

In UWorld, yes. The USMLE Step 1 is moving away from buzzwords, and prep materials have yet to catch up. Test writers know that we know the buzzwords, so they're starting to use them less