Buzzwords/Association on Step 1

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H Y F R

H Y F R

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Hi everyone!

You all have been super awesome in helping me before, so I figured I try again with my new question!
( I searched for a thread that discretely addresses my questions, but couldn't find one. Apologies to any of the super veteran SDN people here!)

I'm super confident in my abilities to identify a particular disease, its pathological mechanism, risk factors, and so on. But there is 1 type of question that trips me up, despite me knowing all the ins-and-outs of a particular condition:

"This disease process occurs due to a defect in...... migration? differentiation? involution? etc.."
"This mechanism of this disease can be described as abnormal.... etc."

Does my question make any sense? Basically, despite knowing path really well, I sometimes get tripped up when it comes to these word-associations that show up on practice questions. I feel some of these buzz-words are not necessarily explicitly stated in FA, Goljan, or Pathoma. Is there any proven method to improve this? Is it just a matter doing tons of questions and picking up on the nuances?

Not that it matters, English is not my first language, so I inherently have daily issues in misusing and misinterpreting words. Definitely this is something that extends beyond exams for me, but I would appreciate any help from those who think they have any good tips.

Thank you!!
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I don't know if I'd call them buzzword questions really. If you understand the pathogenesis and the functions of the cells or whatever involved, the answer should be relatively straightforward. If not, it may just be a knowledge issue. I'm speaking from my own experience though.

For example, if there's a question on persistent truncus arteriosus and it asks "This disease process occurs to a defect in ______ migration", and "neural crest cells" is an answer choice, I'm picking that because proper neural crest migration is crucial for the truncal and bulbar ridges to grow and create the spiral septum.

Step 1, if I'm not mistaken, has been moving away from buzzwords and more towards assessing an understanding of the pathology and why a disease process occurs. Regardless, I think doing more questions will always be helpful and maybe you'll become comfortable with them soon enough.
 
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CherryRedDracul said:
I don't know if I'd call them buzzword questions really. If you understand the pathogenesis and the functions of the cells or whatever involved, the answer should be relatively straightforward. If not, it may just be a knowledge issue. I'm speaking from my own experience though.

For example, if there's a question on persistent truncus arteriosus and it asks "This disease process occurs to a defect in ______ migration", and "neural crest cells" is an answer choice, I'm picking that because proper neural crest migration is crucial for the truncal and bulbar ridges to grow and create the spiral septum.

Step 1, if I'm not mistaken, has been moving away from buzzwords and more towards assessing an understanding of the pathology and why a disease process occurs. Regardless, I think doing more questions will always be helpful and maybe you'll become comfortable with them soon enough.
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To be honest, your response is a bit offensive: "knowledge issue."
 
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H Y F R said:
To be honest, your response is a bit offensive: "knowledge issue."
Click to expand...

LOL sorry! I didn't mean it in an offensive way. I'm speaking from my own personal experiences and my "knowledge issues", anyhow.

THH said:
Something about your avatar image always makes me mildly uneasy.
Click to expand...

Lee Bowery should make you uneasy.
 
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H Y F R said:
Hi everyone!

You all have been super awesome in helping me before, so I figured I try again with my new question!
( I searched for a thread that discretely addresses my questions, but couldn't find one. Apologies to any of the super veteran SDN people here!)

I'm super confident in my abilities to identify a particular disease, its pathological mechanism, risk factors, and so on. But there is 1 type of question that trips me up, despite me knowing all the ins-and-outs of a particular condition:

"This disease process occurs due to a defect in...... migration? differentiation? involution? etc.."
"This mechanism of this disease can be described as abnormal.... etc."

Does my question make any sense? Basically, despite knowing path really well, I sometimes get tripped up when it comes to these word-associations that show up on practice questions. I feel some of these buzz-words are not necessarily explicitly stated in FA, Goljan, or Pathoma. Is there any proven method to improve this? Is it just a matter doing tons of questions and picking up on the nuances?

Not that it matters, English is not my first language, so I inherently have daily issues in misusing and misinterpreting words. Definitely this is something that extends beyond exams for me, but I would appreciate any help from those who think they have any good tips.

Thank you!!
Click to expand...
Um, those aren't buzzword questions. The whole point of those type of questions is to test whether you knowledge of the disease is superficial, buzzword memorization. I recall one of the NBMEs testing on cystic fibrosis, and asking about the exchange of electrolytes, something you wouldn't have deduced from knowing the lines in BRS or Rapid Review.
 
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there will still be a fair amount of buzzwords, but getting to that next level will propel you from doing average on the exam to excelling.

Remember, the exam is designed so that a passing score is relatively easy but scoring high is hard.
 
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H Y F R said:
To be honest, your response is a bit offensive: "knowledge issue."
Click to expand...

It is a knowledge issue. The examples you gave have nothing to do with recognizing buzzwords, rather it's dependent on having a deeper understanding of the pathophysiology more than just the basics. You have to know the embryology of the structures involved, the relevant biochemical processes going on, etc.

An example of a buzzword question is when a vignette describes a woman with high hCG and a cluster of grapes appearance on ultrasound. Your mind immediately goes to complete hydatidiform mole, and you're done. Of course, it's usually not that simple, but in my experience the "buzzwords" just help me narrow down what the disease is, and from then on it's how much you know about it.
 
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Sweet moses. Honestly surprised by the d**k responses here, 1 coming from a physician and the others from fellow students. You're all being trained to interact with people much better than what you have presented here. Even when the person is wrong, and you know better, a little grace to help someone out goes a long way. I asked for help, not for people to slam their gunner-attitudes in my face.
Good luck everyone.
 
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H Y F R said:
Sweet moses. Honestly surprised by the d**k responses here, 1 coming from a physician and the others from fellow students. You're all being trained to interact with people much better than what you have presented here. Even when the person is wrong, and you know better, a little grace to help someone out goes a long way. I asked for help, not for people to slam their gunner-attitudes in my face.
Good luck everyone.
Click to expand...

CRD said it in a polite way, and you got your panties in a bunch.

Hence, dick responses.

Don't get bent out of shape and not expect return fire, it is a forum you know.
 
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Misogynist and a d**k. Your
Ionian said:
CRD said it in a polite way, and you got your panties in a bunch.

Hence, dick responses.

Don't get bent out of shape and not expect return fire, it is a forum you know.
Click to expand...

Misogynist and a d**k. Your patients must love you.

Return fire? I'm not in a south Texas shooting range. You can take your return fire and stick it in your panties.
 
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H Y F R said:
Sweet moses. Honestly surprised by the d**k responses here, 1 coming from a physician and the others from fellow students. You're all being trained to interact with people much better than what you have presented here. Even when the person is wrong, and you know better, a little grace to help someone out goes a long way. I asked for help, not for people to slam their gunner-attitudes in my face.
Good luck everyone.
Click to expand...

I apologized even when I fully didn't understand why I needed to (for your fragile mentality's sake), and yet you still act like a self-entitled princess. Do you think you're somehow above us all and you don't even have "knowledge issues" like the ones I stated I had? Sorry for offending Your Highness with our peon problems. If our simple words offend you ...

TheSituationDealWithIt.gif


Grow some thicker skin. You'll have so much fun during clerkships.
 
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Ismet said:
It is a knowledge issue. The examples you gave have nothing to do with recognizing buzzwords, rather it's dependent on having a deeper understanding of the pathophysiology more than just the basics. You have to know the embryology of the structures involved, the relevant biochemical processes going on, etc.

An example of a buzzword question is when a vignette describes a woman with high hCG and a cluster of grapes appearance on ultrasound. Your mind immediately goes to complete hydatidiform mole, and you're done. Of course, it's usually not that simple, but in my experience the "buzzwords" just help me narrow down what the disease is, and from then on it's how much you know about it.
Click to expand...
BINGO. :clap:
 
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H Y F R said:
Sweet moses. Honestly surprised by the d**k responses here, 1 coming from a physician and the others from fellow students. You're all being trained to interact with people much better than what you have presented here. Even when the person is wrong, and you know better, a little grace to help someone out goes a long way. I asked for help, not for people to slam their gunner-attitudes in my face.
Good luck everyone.
Click to expand...
Let me be clear I wasn't giving a dick response, nor being a "gunner". You interpreted it as a "dick" response. The questions you are describing in your original post are not "buzzword" questions. Simple as that.

If you take everything so personally (why, I don't know), you will absolutely crumble on your clerkships.
 
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DermViser said:
Let me be clear I wasn't giving a dick response, nor being a "gunner". You interpreted it as a "dick" response. The questions you are describing in your original post are not "buzzword" questions. Simple as that.

If you take everything so personally (why, I don't know), you will absolutely crumble on your clerkships.
Click to expand...

That means the world to me, coming from a physician who still regularly posts on SDN many, many times a day. Kind of pathetic that a doctor feels the need to overcome his/her insecurities during school by coming on here and dishing out 411 to the kids that likely would have ignored him/her during college and medschool.
As long as I am nothing like you and your pompous attitude, I'll be just fine during clerkships, and beyond.
 
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H Y F R said:
That means the world to me, coming from a physician who still regularly posts on SDN many, many times a day. Kind of pathetic that a doctor feels the need to overcome his/her insecurities during school by coming on here and dishing out 411 to the kids that likely would have ignored him/her during college and medschool. As long as I am nothing like you and your pompous attitude, I'll be just fine during clerkships, and beyond.
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If it wasn't residents and attendings posting on SDN giving advice, you'd have absolutely nothing. If anyone is displaying "insecurities" right now it's you, based on your lashing out right now. Memorizing buzzwords is a knowledge issue, that everyone can improve on. It isn't a personal attack on you. Just face it, you took completely benign advice from @CherryRedDracul and I, and are lashing out, for no reason. That's not my problem.

Like I said, if you take every little thing said to you as a slight against you or as a personal attack, esp. on higher-stress rotations like Surgery or OB-Gyn, then be prepared to have the common phrase, "unable to take constructive criticism" written again and again on your MS-3 evaluations.
 
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DermViser said:
If it wasn't residents and attendings posting on SDN, you'd have absolutely nothing. If anyone is displaying "insecurities" right now it's you, based on your lashing out right now. Memorizing buzzwords is a knowledge issue, that everyone can improve on. It isn't a personal attack on you. Just face it, you took completely benign advice from @CherryRedDracul and I, and are lashing out, for no reason. That's not my problem.

Like I said, if you take every little thing said to you as a slight against you or as a personal attack, esp. on higher-stress rotations like Surgery or OB-Gyn, then be prepared to have the common phrase, "unable to take constructive criticism" written again and again on your MS-3 evaluations.
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Thanks doc. You'tr awesome.
 
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H Y F R said:
Thanks doc. You'tr awesome.
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The hypocrisy here is unnerving. You are accusing others of having offensive responses, yet you are more rude to those trying to sincerely help you. I hope you are trolling because it is tough to work in a health care setting with people who constantly put themselves on a pedestal and disregard others help.
In conclusion, remove nicely formed diamond from sphincter, loosen up and be open to others opinions/ideas-most of the time people on here are genuinely helpful and interested in aiding you.
 
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ಠ_ಠ to everyone who's upset at each other in this thread.

@periaqueductal is right. Everyone in the Step 1 forum tries to be helpful in their own way. If anyone wants to get upset over something then they should take it over to the Allo forum.

About the "buzzwords":

It seems that they'll try and interchange words as much as possible. On the NBME's, I've been tripped up by altered terminology. Basically, try and be familiar with as many synonyms as you can for certain conditions, descriptions too. If you know the pathology well and get tripped up on a description or word, I would just try and and eliminate anything that doesn't fit. Once you narrow it down to two items, you just select the one that makes the most sense to you.
 
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H Y F R said:
To be honest, your response is a bit offensive: "knowledge issue."
Click to expand...

He's right imo. It's akin to being an MS1 just starting to learn pathology (me). All the pathology terms were new and it was quite confusing a few weeks ago, but now (with more experience and a better knowledge base) it's second nature. I am not ESL, but as an MS1 pathology-lingo is a second language in a sense.
 
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Wow. HYFR needs some serious thick skin and a significant decrease in his or her ego. It's feedback. Take it or leave (i prefer the latter for you)
 
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001100010010011 said:
It seems that they'll try and interchange words as much as possible. On the NBME's, I've been tripped up by altered terminology.
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THIS. They seem to be starting to describe things more than just using the words. I don't want to spoil an NBME question for anyone, but they used a very vague phrase to describe c-ANCA and it has tripped up pretty much everyone I've talked to. Just knowing c-ANCA = Wegener's won't cut it anymore, because the test writers know that everyone taking the test knows that. You have to know exactly what c-ANCA is in order to get that question right.
 
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Ismet said:
THIS. They seem to be starting to describe things more than just using the words. I don't want to spoil an NBME question for anyone, but they used a very vague phrase to describe c-ANCA and it has tripped up pretty much everyone I've talked to. Just knowing c-ANCA = Wegener's won't cut it anymore, because the test writers know that everyone taking the test knows that. You have to know exactly what c-ANCA is in order to get that question right.
Click to expand...
Thank God for Pathoma. I don't remember ever being taught what p-anca and c-anca actually are in class. Then again, I could've just forgot it like I did every other detail I've learned in the last two years.
 
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