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[doc2025]

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[Oligodinero]

You're not stupid. med school is stupid hard. You were accepted to school so you are smart enough....you just haven't figured out the best way to study/learn.
B&B can be helpful, but you need more. If you're not using pathoma and sketchy you need to start using them STAT. Also USMLERx is a great tool to use, especially for 1st year. Watch the videos on the subjects you're struggling with, do the fast fact flash cards, then do the board style questions. In my experience, doing those questions was clutch...they illustrate how school is likely to write a board style question on the covered material.
Lastly, find a couple of classmates who are doing well and ask to see what they're doing differently than you.

Also, go see your academic advisor as soon as possible. You might be able to remediate if you're lucky. Or they might want you to repeat the year. Either is better than failing out of school.

 

[herbalife]

So as title says, I just failed the basic science class and the OMM portion of the first term (12 weeks). I cant speak for anyone else, I know they are struggling but in my case I am certain my grade is in the toilet.

For OMM we had 2 tests and 1 practical. My highest score was tbe midterm, quarantine school closures made sure that was my highest grade. For the basic science class, all our exams are board style and multi disciplinary but all I have to practice with is Kaplan ( school pays for it) but their board prep isnt quite relevant for the lecture exams. The questions in textbooks that the upper class gave us are too simple to be much help. We have 1 upper class above us but no graduates. I asked them how they passed but the vibe im getting is their tests were simpler. They said to use Boards and Beyond. I use it sometimes but it doesnt have enough detail to answer the exams if relying on it completely.

Im worried that I will get suspended now. I simply cant learn the material thoroughly enough in the limited time we have (med student class load) and answer board level questions on it. Am I stupid or is this normal for med school exams?

Let me share with you this. B&B is Uworld Q&A explained in videos format. You can try it out for yourself. Yes, med school is hard, but you can do it!!

 

[BuildingMyOwnLuck]

Just wondering, how much per day do you study? Do you take breaks? I know for me, my first quarter I'd have too many days where I only studied a few (inefficient) hours because of procrastination and that was because I never got any proper breaks since I was always behind and felt too guilty to take time off.

 

[Goro]

OP, go dig up my post on success for medical students.

Also check in with your learning or education center, stat

 

[Billroth_III]

You're not stupid. med school is stupid hard. You were accepted to school so you are smart enough....you just haven't figured out the best way to study/learn.
B&B can be helpful, but you need more. If you're not using pathoma and sketchy you need to start using them STAT. Also USMLERx is a great tool to use, especially for 1st year. Watch the videos on the subjects you're struggling with, do the fast fact flash cards, then do the board style questions. In my experience, doing those questions was clutch...they illustrate how school is likely to write a board style question on the covered material.
Lastly, find a couple of classmates who are doing well and ask to see what they're doing differently than you.

Also, go see your academic advisor as soon as possible. You might be able to remediate if you're lucky. Or they might want you to repeat the year. Either is better than failing out of school.

This

 

[deleted1079620]

If you’re willing, tell us your study routine from how you acquire material until the test day and we’ll try to help.

When you say board style exams, do you mean they’re standardized, or they’re professor-written with 3rd order board style questions?

Do your professors lecture and give PPTs?

 

[Goro]

I already asked a professor about retaking something and the response wasn't friendly. The policy here is all failing grades get reported to an intervention committee (that the professors compose) and they will reach out for an interrogation setting (it is not pleasant to put it lightly). Ive been in it before and its pure torture (its compared to military style verbal hasing. They ask questions, you answer and prepare to have whatever you say thrown back at you in the worst way possible). Then afterwards they act nice and push Kaplan problems. Kaplan board practice isnt helping me on lecture exams.

The M2 tutors have echoed that "if its not on Boards and Beyond, its not important". That simply isnt true, for this class. This is what is hurting me also, im getting conflicting info from every corner.

This is why it's crucial to go see your learning specialists. You still have yet to learn how to learn. I'm getting the vibe that you aren't using enough, or aren't looking for that right study aids.

Are you going to professor's office hours for help? How are you self-assessing? Studying in groups? Doing practice questions. You say that Kaplan isn't helping...why not?

The student mindset of "If it's not in X, it's not important is a dangerous one., because professors don't test out of those resources; they test out of their lecture material.

The difficulty with OMM is outside my expertise. That said, at my school, honestly, one has to work at doing poorly in OMM/OMT classes.

 

[deleted1079620]

Professors lecture with PPs but exams are written as a collaboration with professors from other campuses. Definately 3rd order questions on this last exam. First exam was first/second order but as I prepared for that the exams got harder.

Study routine: I try to preview material, watch the lecture online later then study it. Some of the powerpoints are impossible to understand so I use supplement videos but exams are from the powerpoints so I look them over. Im a visual learner so I draw out any mechanisms and I started using Sketchy but its hard to memorize each detail and tie it in with other subjects as the exam questions do without prior practice.

Can you give me an idea of how long it takes you to preview and view lectures? How are you studying afterwards...making study guides and re-writing, or using active recall? Are you doing your mechanism drawings from memory or looking at the powerpoints? How many times are you watching a Sketchy video, and do you ever spend time just looking a the sketch & trying to recall the details from memory before watching? Do you have a study group where you teach each other?

I'm a very visual learner myself, so I understand that sitting and being lectured at isn't always the most effective way to learn.

 

[deleted1079620]

Sketchy I recall after and its worked very well. Going through powerpoints is really tough. Its about an hour or so to review and I do that a few times. But I cant recall it.

Are you just looking at the slides or talking through them out loud, drawing stuff from memory, etc?

 

[deleted1079620]

I talk through but not enough apparently. I draw some as well but the details they are asking for every detail so im having trouble.

Ok, so my suggestion would be to try to make the process 1) faster and 2) more active recall. If your professors are asking minutiae (specific receptors or genes) then maybe anki is a good choice, but only you can decide if you can stand it. If you’re getting through your powerpoints 3x for exams and you conceptually understand everything, try going through them 5x...if you can’t teach the concepts, then you don’t understand them, but you’re familiar with them.

For practice questions, is your school traditional curriculum (micro, immuno, biochem etc first year then systems second year) or more systems based? Good practice question resources are BRS, Guyton & Hall, Pretest, UMSLE-Rx, Robbins pathology review. Save UWorld for step prep.

 

[Goro]

The OMM has practicals (and we got bo practice) abd the written had Anatomy lumped in which I didnt have alot of time to study.

This telegraphs to me that you need help with time mgt.

 

[deleted1079620]

Going off the description you gave, i'd say traditional. I was using Exammaster that the school paid for but its not suitable for the exam questions. I did like some of the USMLE-Rx mnemonics. I will look into their practice problems.

Next semester's main course is Anatomy without cadavers.

Without cadavers meaning you won’t be tested on cadaver images at all, or no in person cadaver labs?

If you’ll be asked clinical style anatomy questions (guy comes into ER with this dysfunction, what muscle or nerve is affected?) I highly recommend Grey’s Anatomy Review for practice questions.

Also, draw the Neurovasculature and memorize it first. It’s easier to learn big muscles but the smaller arteries, nerves and veins are harder and don’t need to be left until the end. If you’ll be tested on cadaver images but you don’t get an in person cadaver lab, you can use Rohen’s cadaver atlas or flashcards are ranatomy anki deck for active recall.

Everything in anatomy is a relationship. Know the relationships and your life will be much easier.

 

[Oligodinero]

Without cadavers meaning you won’t be tested on cadaver images at all, or no in person cadaver labs?

If you’ll be asked clinical style anatomy questions (guy comes into ER with this dysfunction, what muscle or nerve is affected?) I highly recommend Grey’s Anatomy Review for practice questions.

Also, draw the Neurovasculature and memorize it first. It’s easier to learn big muscles but the smaller arteries, nerves and veins are harder and don’t need to be left until the end. If you’ll be tested on cadaver images but you don’t get an in person cadaver lab, you can use Rohen’s cadaver atlas or flashcards are ranatomy anki deck for active recall.

Everything in anatomy is a relationship. Know the relationships and your life will be much easier.

Grey's Anatomy Review is incredibly helpful.

 

[Oligodinero]

Im going to check that out. One of the ways I learn is drilling with anatomy quizzes. I aced 6 week anatomy blocks in undergrad that way. What is the best resource for that?

Going over Grey's review and using something the head of our anatomy department put together called "The Clinical Supplement" which stressed all the material his department felt was High Yield.
We also had a fair amount of angiograms and CT scans they used for test questions too.

 

[calivianya]

Start a group of students to make class Anki decks. We had several going during preclinicals - we’d split up the lectures so no one had to watch more than 2 or 3, and we’d grab the high yields from that lecture and add them to a deck for that class so everybody had the info, but each person only had to watch a couple lectures to get it.

B&B, sketchy, Pathoma, etc are wonderful resources, but if your teacher is testing on his/her own interest area/own research specialty, there’s not a prep material in existence that will help you pass the class. You’ve got to split up getting the high yield stuff from classmates, so you can spend your time on board resources to give yourself a good foundation for the material and then cram a high yield class Anki for two days before the tests.

 

[12jas]

Like others have said you need to learn how to study. I really struggled my first semester but by the time I got to second-semester 2nd year I had classes on breeze mode and was full-blown on boards. Looking back the way I study now is completely different than how I studied at first. Obviously the way you are studying is not working and you need to reevaluate your habits. You need to find what works for you. What works for one person might not work for you.

 

[Osteosaur]

Anki, Grays Anatomy, and Roadmaps I found helpful. Once I started using those tools my grades shot up toward the end.

There's pretty much just a collection of classic anatomy questions that always get asked.

Anatomy is really hard because you listen, it all makes sense, and then you try to remember and nothing does. You need to be regurgitating it constantly for it to stick.

 

[calivianya]

I realise this. All I did was read powerpoints and use supplement videos but it isnt suitable for these exams. My plan for the Anatomy block is to use a program that can generate anatomy quizzes.

For the powerpoint based classes, i'm still at a loss. Other posters suggested to try other students Anki decks so I will try those.

I have a lifetime subscription to kenhub.com and I don't regret it. They have image quizzes (cartoon/illustrated, but still). It was a good way to brute force structures in my head, and then it wasn't too much of a jump to ID the structures in real life for me. The only downside is it's way more detailed than you need for med school IMO, unless you're planning on being a surgeon.

I ended up completely acing anatomy, to the point that I taught anatomy in the summer between OMS 1/2. Used kenhub again then, too.

 

[Oligodinero]

Well, you're still in the game. That's good. Is your 100 question test basic sciences or OMM? Or both?
I'd start hammering the areas of the basic science test you think you didn't have a good grasp of. Also do tons of practice questions. For MS-1 a good question bank is USMLERx.

 

[Goro]

The course professors sent me an email saying I need to take a cumulative exam on the 30th. Im grateful for the opportunity and horrified at how to tackle the breath of information in the exam.

And this is something you need to be discussing with your faculty on how to solve.

 

[deleted1079620]

Are you being offered any resources to help you prepare? Tutors, upper classmen (I know you only have one class above you), review sessions with professors?

One thing I would suggest is gather your information on what’s on the exam and get through it as quickly as possible, and narrow down what you struggled to answer questions on, then go to the professors with specific topics or questions in mind. Or go to them now and ask how to best prepare for this cumulative exam, then go back with your specific topics.

 

[drducky.]

We do have upperclassmen tutors and I have been directed to them and I have but the curriculum was changed after they moved to M2. So the faculty is split on whether to get help from them.

Regarding review sessions, I made the mistake of asking something similar to that and was told "this is professional school, not undergrad".

I will ask if they have any tips on what to focus on, and while waiting for that I will go through the USMLE RX basic science question bank and see what gives me trouble.

Sounds like you're struggling because you don't know how to spot the high yield material. Focus on what the lecturer emphasizes. If he spent 10mins on a particular diagram, you better know it cold. If he skipped over something even though it was bolded, you probably shouldn't waste too much time on it either.

Put yourself in the position of the faculty and ask yourself, "if i gave this lecture, what would I test students on?" Don't just mindlessly do Rx, you can't afford that right now. Study high yield in CLASS material from POWERPOINTS. Outside resources are only when you're comfortable with passing in house exams first!

 

[deleted1079620]

Sounds like you're struggling because you don't know how to spot the high yield material. Focus on what the lecturer emphasizes. If he spent 10mins on a particular diagram, you better know it cold. If he skipped over something even though it was bolded, you probably shouldn't waste too much time on it either.

Put yourself in the position of the faculty and ask yourself, "if i gave this lecture, what would I test students on?" Don't just mindlessly do Rx, you can't afford that right now. Study high yield in CLASS material from POWERPOINTS. Outside resources are only when you're comfortable with passing in house exams first!

I was coming here to say this but didn't quite know how to put it into words. OP, listen to this...excellent advice!

 

[Deecee2DO]

Sounds like you're struggling because you don't know how to spot the high yield material. Focus on what the lecturer emphasizes. If he spent 10mins on a particular diagram, you better know it cold. If he skipped over something even though it was bolded, you probably shouldn't waste too much time on it either.

Put yourself in the position of the faculty and ask yourself, "if i gave this lecture, what would I test students on?" Don't just mindlessly do Rx, you can't afford that right now. Study high yield in CLASS material from POWERPOINTS. Outside resources are only when you're comfortable with passing in house exams first!

Incredible advice. OP^^ do this