BOTH Class of 2018 Study Thread

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
ortnakas

ortnakas

DO
Verified Member
10+ Year Member
Physician
Joined
Jul 23, 2013
Messages
3,257
Reaction score
5,118
A lot of us loved our study thread for Step 1, so why not recreate it for Step 2?

I know we won't be thinking hardcore about USMLE/COMLEX until next spring/summer, but figured we could use this for strategizing now, and for shelf exams too.

Paging: @W19 @gobigorgohome22 @Entadus @Ibn Alnafis MD @AlgernonMed @TheShaker @Mad Jack @NontradCA
Members don't see this ad.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 8 users
Sort by date Sort by votes
recycledpaper said:
Does anyone know the most common cause of sepsis in diabetics? It is still staph aureus?
Click to expand...

Sepsis is just SIRS + source of infection...so it would depend on the source of infection. If you're meaning septic shock I think the MC for anyone overall is strep pneumo
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Seeing as how septic shock is just sepsis that is not responsive to IVFR, I don't see why your answer would be different between the two.

That being said, the most common pathogen for sepsis overall is Staph and Pseudomonas (per UW).
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Members don't see this ad :)
recycledpaper said:
Seeing as how septic shock is just sepsis that is not responsive to IVFR, I don't see why your answer would be different between the two.

That being said, the most common pathogen for sepsis overall is Staph and Pseudomonas (per UW).
Click to expand...

Because you can have a local infection and meet sepsis criteria. Does not mean it's going to progress to shock if the bug is a less virulent one.

And my bad, I remember learning S. PNA > Staph >> gram neg rods. (I also remember learning E. coli as MC GNR). But id always default to uworld!

Regardless, better to just use clues in the question to come to the right answer. It will vary based on the scenario. For example, if a person has a UTI and then progresses to septic shock, the bug is gonna be E. coli, even though it isn't the MCC of septic shock.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
so do I have this right that you only screen for chlamydia and NOT gonorrhea during pregnancy? (unless high risk) Seems a little odd to just choose the one but thats what Uworld seems to be saying
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Is there a point to taking practice tests other than getting an idea of what score you might get?

Maybe for getting into the flow of taking, and building stamina for, the real thing? I can see that, but after pounding UW questions and having taken shelf exams all year I don't see it helping me much in that regard.

I'd much rather not sit down and take one of these things, and instead use that time to relax or study directly towards the test, but if I'm missing something here I'll pony up and do one or two.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I like being asked questions that I'm not comfortable answering, so it's nice to see something a bit out there in terms of wording or whatever.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
recycledpaper said:
BTW took COMLEX Level 2 today. Damn that was grueling. Ridiculous break system.
Click to expand...

Can you give a brief idea of topics that were emphasized and how much OMM there was? Did you use any COMLEX specific material to study or take any COMSA's? I have 3 days between USMLE and COMLEX so just curious about your experience.

Taking USMLE as well or no?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I honestly don't remember, kinda just autopiloted the damn thing. I'm taking Step 2 late May.

I didn't even study OMM. I practically guessed on every OMM question that wasn't VSR/Chapman.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Members don't see this ad :)
Took UWSA2 today....felt a lot harder than UWSA1 to me, but I scored one percent/one point higher on this one. Good questions, and definitely a few with info that I didn't see in Uworld, so I'd definitely recommend getting it if you have the time.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Upvote 0 Downvote
MelMcT2009 said:
Took UWSA2 today....felt a lot harder than UWSA1 to me, but I scored one percent/one point higher on this one. Good questions, and definitely a few with info that I didn't see in Uworld, so I'd definitely recommend getting it if you have the time.
Click to expand...
When is your test?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Anyone have a unique way to approach the questions with clinical trials that you have to look at? They take me way too long
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Upvote 0 Downvote
W19 said:
I only did Uworld (~1,000 questions) and read few pages in step-up...

How good is the clinical mastery?
Click to expand...

Ibn Alnafis MD said:
Haven't done them for IM and that's why I was asking you
Click to expand...

I didn't do all of the NBMEs but I did one per shelf (except family because there isn't one). I'd definitely focus more time on Uworld because it has the benefit of explanations, but the shelf exam questions felt more like NBME's to me. And without sharing specifics I can't recall anyway, I would have sworn I had repeat questions.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Upvote 0 Downvote
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Upvote 0 Downvote
AshNiffler said:
Comprehensive Clinical Science Exam
Click to expand...
Oh is that something the school administers or you purchase it on your own?

I'm only aware of the NBME exams (1 through 7 I think) and the CMSs. Is this one different?

Anyways, your performance is outstanding and you should be in a good shape for a very solid score on the real test
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Upvote 0 Downvote
Ibn Alnafis MD said:
Oh is that something the school administers or you purchase it on your own?

I'm only aware of the NBME exams (1 through 7 I think) and the CMSs. Is this one different?

Anyways, your performance is outstanding and you should be in a good shape for a very solid score on the real test
Click to expand...
W19 said:
What are the CCSE? Are they like the shelf exams?
Click to expand...

It's an NBME you can only access through your medical school. According to my Dean the questions are pulled from a more recent pool. The CCSE is comprehensive so it contains all the topics on the real exam, basically medical schools use it to assess if a student is ready for the USMLE.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
Upvote 0 Downvote
Been lurking for awhile, but thought I'd see if anyone could offer some advice/guidance. Currently on my dedicated time, I have other obligations and rotations that will start next Thursday (June 2nd). My COMLEX Level 2 is June 14 and Step 2 is June 21. Currently have 50% of UWorld done, first pass. I scored well on all COMATs (only 1 so far was under 110, 110 is 1 standard deviation above the mean), with my Psych COMAT score being released this week. I'm 77% overall on UW and 77% on IM so far. I have only finished the Surgery UW questions so far, with decent number of questions left on the other sections. Just finished my first pass through OnlineMedEd yesterday. Finished Pestana's during surg and Case Files OB/GYN on ob/gyn, otherwise no other resources completed or used much.

My goal is to beat my step 1 (>250) or at least get close to that. My plan was to crank through UW 4 blocks per day and finish a second pass of OME, then reset UW and bump that to 7 or 8 blocks per day. I'll have about 10 days solid of uninterrupted dedicated, but then will have a new rotation starting. Should be chill, only rounding in the AM then seeing consults during the day with the resident, out by 5 most days. Should be able to get through 2-4 blocks per day during that.

Is that reasonable? I haven't seen any surgery questions since September, so I'm a bit concerned about that section. My main debate is do I reset UW now or finish the other half and reset. Also, which self assessments to take and when? Considering doing UWSA 1 on Wednesday, then NBME 7 on Sunday and 1 per week afterwards, maybe supplementing with 4 UW blocks on those days. Any thoughts or input would be appreciated.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
PianoMedic said:
Been lurking for awhile, but thought I'd see if anyone could offer some advice/guidance. Currently on my dedicated time, I have other obligations and rotations that will start next Thursday (June 2nd). My COMLEX Level 2 is June 14 and Step 2 is June 21. Currently have 50% of UWorld done, first pass. I scored well on all COMATs (only 1 so far was under 110, 110 is 1 standard deviation above the mean), with my Psych COMAT score being released this week. I'm 77% overall on UW and 77% on IM so far. I have only finished the Surgery UW questions so far, with decent number of questions left on the other sections. Just finished my first pass through OnlineMedEd yesterday. Finished Pestana's during surg and Case Files OB/GYN on ob/gyn, otherwise no other resources completed or used much.

My goal is to beat my step 1 (>250) or at least get close to that. My plan was to crank through UW 4 blocks per day and finish a second pass of OME, then reset UW and bump that to 7 or 8 blocks per day. I'll have about 10 days solid of uninterrupted dedicated, but then will have a new rotation starting. Should be chill, only rounding in the AM then seeing consults during the day with the resident, out by 5 most days. Should be able to get through 2-4 blocks per day during that.

Is that reasonable? I haven't seen any surgery questions since September, so I'm a bit concerned about that section. My main debate is do I reset UW now or finish the other half and reset. Also, which self assessments to take and when? Considering doing UWSA 1 on Wednesday, then NBME 7 on Sunday and 1 per week afterwards, maybe supplementing with 4 UW blocks on those days. Any thoughts or input would be appreciated.
Click to expand...


Sounds like a lot. I'd take UWSA1 to see where you stand, then make your plan based off of that. I found that there's a lot of inconsistencies between OME and the review books and Uworld, so decided to stick to just uworld to avoid getting conflicting info. I'd probably not do a second pass of OME unless your foundation is very weak in a certain area.

I was planning to take all of the assessments available, but after seeing that there is very little predictive value in the NBMEs, decided to just scrap those (I did take NBME7 as a baseline awhile ago though). I'd definitely use one of the UWSA first so you can get a true reliable idea of where you're at.

I'd make uworld the priority for sure though. Best of luck
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
MelMcT2009 said:
Sounds like a lot. I'd take UWSA1 to see where you stand, then make your plan based off of that. I found that there's a lot of inconsistencies between OME and the review books and Uworld, so decided to stick to just uworld to avoid getting conflicting info. I'd probably not do a second pass of OME unless your foundation is very weak in a certain area.

I was planning to take all of the assessments available, but after seeing that there is very little predictive value in the NBMEs, decided to just scrap those (I did take NBME7 as a baseline awhile ago though). I'd definitely use one of the UWSA first so you can get a true reliable idea of where you're at.

I'd make uworld the priority for sure though. Best of luck
Click to expand...

Thanks for the input! Greatly appreciated. I will try to take a UWSA asap, and try to crank out the rest of UW as quickly as I can. Do you think there is any logic in trying to mix in some surgery questions from other sources at all? That is my main concern right now is that I haven't seen any surgery stuff (aside from the EM COMAT in March which I did well on) since September, and little OB/GYN since November.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
PianoMedic said:
Thanks for the input! Greatly appreciated. I will try to take a UWSA asap, and try to crank out the rest of UW as quickly as I can. Do you think there is any logic in trying to mix in some surgery questions from other sources at all? That is my main concern right now is that I haven't seen any surgery stuff (aside from the EM COMAT in March which I did well on) since September, and little OB/GYN since November.
Click to expand...

If you're going to be able to make a second pass of Uworld I wouldn't worry about it because you'll see all the surgery questions again. If not, then yes I'd find a way to get my hands on some more questions. I'd also say it's highly dependent on how you score in those sections on your assessment. If you do well, no need to worry about it.

I should add that I haven't taken the test, so take my advice with a grain of salt :) I've taken both UWSAs though so my scores on those is what I based my study plan around. Your mileage may vary!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
My advice on going through Uworld is if possible never rush through it, especially if it's your primary resource, there's a lot of valuable information in the explanations that are easy to miss if you're not paying attention.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
AshNiffler said:
My advice on going through Uworld is if possible never rush through it, especially if it's your primary resource, there's a lot of valuable information in the explanations that are easy to miss if you're not paying attention.
Click to expand...

100% agree. I'm on my second pass and take 4-5 hours for a set (which is TOO slow) even though I'm not missing many. Always learn a ton from every question whether I get it right or wrong!
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Upvote 0 Downvote
It's incredible how much information is stuffed into UW Qbank. I, too, am on my second pass and feel that I need a third one to have some mastery of the topics they test.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
MelMcT2009 said:
If you're going to be able to make a second pass of Uworld I wouldn't worry about it because you'll see all the surgery questions again. If not, then yes I'd find a way to get my hands on some more questions. I'd also say it's highly dependent on how you score in those sections on your assessment. If you do well, no need to worry about it.

I should add that I haven't taken the test, so take my advice with a grain of salt :) I've taken both UWSAs though so my scores on those is what I based my study plan around. Your mileage may vary!
Click to expand...

Good call on taking UWSA 1, just finished it up. If it is truly predictive, the score I received today is significantly higher than my goal score. I sucked at the things I figured I would (OB/GYN), but not in as many areas as I was expecting. I'll keep plugging through UW and try to finish it up then go through my second pass. I'll probably be going through it quicker than recommended, but I did the same review method for Step 1 and it worked out well for me. I'll focus my OME time on my weak points (apparently surgery wasn't one of them) and then see where I end up on an NBME in another week or so.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Upvote 0 Downvote
PianoMedic said:
Good call on taking UWSA 1, just finished it up. If it is truly predictive, the score I received today is significantly higher than my goal score. I sucked at the things I figured I would (OB/GYN), but not in as many areas as I was expecting. I'll keep plugging through UW and try to finish it up then go through my second pass. I'll probably be going through it quicker than recommended, but I did the same review method for Step 1 and it worked out well for me. I'll focus my OME time on my weak points (apparently surgery wasn't one of them) and then see where I end up on an NBME in another week or so.
Click to expand...

Awesome! Same thing happened to me and I ended up moving my test up 6 weeks haha so I'd definitely recommend it to anyone! Best of luck and I hope yah kill it!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

C
  • Question
Serious Study partner 2CK NYC (June- July 2018)
Replies
1
Views
595
jokes of life
J
F
  • Question
USMLE Step 2 CS Study Partner NYC/Skype Exam: End of April 2018
Replies
1
Views
969
july9th2018
J
M
  • Question
Official 2018 COMLEX Level 2 CE Experiences and Scores Thread
2 3 4 5 6
Replies
271
Views
84K
rev0
rev0
Schwifty
  • Question
Official 2022 Step 2 CK Experiences With Scores Thread
Replies
47
Views
12K
scorpiondr_intospace
S
I
  • Question
Comlex PE 4/23/2018 - looking for study partner
Replies
0
Views
642
Ifeelya
I
Top