Feb 17th CBSE

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For those who took the Feb 2018 CBSE, how did it compare to past, released NBME exams? Also, how long were the vignettes-similar in length to NBMEs, or UWorld, or longer?

Thanks
 
Did you all use the Q&A FA or just the plain FA? The reason I ask is because there are a ton of reviews on the Q&A book on Amazon.
 
docnick95 said:
For those who took the Feb 2018 CBSE, how did it compare to past, released NBME exams? Also, how long were the vignettes-similar in length to NBMEs, or UWorld, or longer?

Thanks
Click to expand...

I thought Feb 2018 was just as tough as July 2017. Actually I thought Feb 2018 was harder but I did better so idk lol. Didn’t take a released NBME exam so can’t help you there. Real CBSE vignettes are substantially shorter than UWorld’s.
 
DENNNT said:
Did you all use the Q&A FA or just the plain FA? The reason I ask is because there are a ton of reviews on the Q&A book on Amazon.
Click to expand...

I just used the FA book, not the FA Q&A.
 
BrazilianRider said:
I thought Feb 2018 was just as tough as July 2017. Actually I thought Feb 2018 was harder but I did better so idk lol. Didn’t take a released NBME exam so can’t help you there. Real CBSE vignettes are substantially shorter than UWorld’s.
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Are there any auscultation questions on the CBSE? I know the Step 1 exam can have audio recordings of murmurs, etc, but is that also true for the CBSE?

Thanks
 
docnick95 said:
Are there any auscultation questions on the CBSE? I know the Step 1 exam can have audio recordings of murmurs, etc, but is that also true for the CBSE?

Thanks
Click to expand...

Nope. Didn’t have any when I took it.
 
What about BRS physiology over B&B videos?? Or B&B videos only for stat-epi, psych, behavioral, pharm and combine brs for reading?? BRS physio just key topics??
 
madmaxfax said:
What about BRS physiology over B&B videos?? Or B&B videos only for stat-epi, psych, behavioral, pharm and combine brs for reading?? BRS physio just key topics??
Click to expand...


You can use whatever you want as long as you end up understanding the concepts in first aid/UW (i.e, equations, graphs, etc... )
 
Mr.Scalpel said:
You can use whatever you want as long as you end up understanding the concepts in first aid/UW (i.e, equations, graphs, etc... )
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thank you for your reply. time will tell hopefully
 
Can someone who has registered for the test confirm that these are the correct details on the registration/schedule permit?

Program: MSS
Exam: CBSCI

I made a separate post, got lot of views but no response. Appreciate the help!
 
CBSE_Throwaway said:
Can someone who has registered for the test confirm that these are the correct details on the registration/schedule permit?

Program: MSS
Exam: CBSCI

I made a separate post, got lot of views but no response. Appreciate the help!
Click to expand...

Yes, that is what I have on my permit too.
 
CBSE_Throwaway said:
Can someone who has registered for the test confirm that these are the correct details on the registration/schedule permit?

Program: MSS
Exam: CBSCI

I made a separate post, got lot of views but no response. Appreciate the help!
Click to expand...
had the same panic attack few days ago. as docknik95 says its cbsci. I was looking for cbse too, but realized that it cant be wrong as it is forwarded to the e-mail after registration. good luck, stay calm and do great
 
CBSE_Throwaway said:
Care to share how you're going about prepping for it?
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Basically I am an international dentist already two years out of school and I am pretty anxious about it. Already sat in Feb with one month reading to see, what the test is actually about. I am putting in tons of hours and with many anxiety relapses through. Now on Uworld on tutor treating it as a book, for each respective chapter. I dont know, which form of the NBME Self Assessment is the most representative one to take before the exams. I would really like to be of any help. I believe, that previous posts in this thread will you help you more on how to prepare or read, as I am utterly out of the picture. If you want pm me.
 
Those of you who have already taken the CBSE before-do you think its necessary to do 2 qbanks? I was contemplating doing both USMLE Rx and UWorld. I was going to avoid Kaplan's qbank just because people have said its questions tend to test overly specific minutiae that are not as high-yield.
 
docnick95 said:
Those of you who have already taken the CBSE before-do you think its necessary to do 2 qbanks? I was contemplating doing both USMLE Rx and UWorld. I was going to avoid Kaplan's qbank just because people have said its questions tend to test overly specific minutiae that are not as high-yield.
Click to expand...
My deepest gratitude for your advice. I am on Uworld treating it as a book. One question. As mentioned earlier in this thread, anatomy is of the lowest yield and I cant also remember any question stem anatomy in the test. Should I leave it or go through it? I mean that just by reading FA and pathoma, whatever anatomy needed is there with the diseases presented. Is there anything else I look into regarding anatomy??
 
docnick95 said:
Those of you who have already taken the CBSE before-do you think its necessary to do 2 qbanks? I was contemplating doing both USMLE Rx and UWorld. I was going to avoid Kaplan's qbank just because people have said its questions tend to test overly specific minutiae that are not as high-yield.
Click to expand...

I haven't taken it but from all the threads I've read it seems Uworld 1st pass > Uworld incorrects > other qbank is the order of priority
during dedicated.
 
CBSE_Throwaway said:
I haven't taken it but from all the threads I've read it seems Uworld 1st pass > Uworld incorrects > other qbank is the order of priority
during dedicated.
Click to expand...
Uworld is great as a learning tool. If you have time, also check some correct answers with histo images or something thats more compact rather than reading it through on another source. That definitely helps me. What about anatomy?? You got any suggestions??
 
Know your arm anatomy/pathology and what goes where in an MRI.

Feel free to PM me if y’all have any questions. Not sure how much I can help but maybe I can lol
 
For those who care:

I am using USMLE Rx flash facts (the Anki deck from 2016) and have added in new cards from FA 2018 for anything that was incorrect/updated/missing. I have been casually doing random sets of UWorld questions here and there as I near the end of the flash facts deck and am finding it prepared me pretty well. I also am using Sketchy Micro and Pharm as well, with accompanying Anki cards for those. The flash facts cards in particular were useful because every card had FA snapshots in it and each was phrased like a clinical vignette (and some of these flash cards were even 2nd/3rd order in nature). Basically, by just studying the cards everyday, I already have a hang of how to interpret clinical vignettes and do a DDx, find appropriate treatment, side effects of such treatment, etc. This took quite a while to do, though, as the total number of cards is close to 16k. Of those 16k, about 9k were cloze-style (these are the Sketchy Micro/Pharm cards), but the rest were not. I still have about 1500 cards to go. I'd say the entire set of cards will have taken me around 6-7 months to do.

Before starting the flash facts and Sketchy Anki decks, it should be noted that I watched all of the Physiology lectures for the organ systems, the Behavioral sciences, and Genetics videos from Kaplan and then watched Pathoma for the pathophys of each organ system. Then I watched all of the Sketchy Micro and Pharm videos.

Now, this is far from an accurate percentage, since I haven't done large numbers of questions from UWorld (I just did sets of 40-50 questions here and there a few times in the past week to assess how well I am learning), but I am already seeing a percentage correct around low 70s.

I aim to start both the USMLE Rx and the UWorld qbanks in about a week and am aiming to get both done within 6 weeks.

Let's see what happens in the next 2 months. Hopefully I can get a 75+ and put this behind me. Studying for this exam is no joke-its draining and quite difficult.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
docnick95 said:
For those who care:

I am using USMLE Rx flash facts (the Anki deck from 2016) and have added in new cards from FA 2018 for anything that was incorrect/updated/missing. I have been casually doing random sets of UWorld questions here and there as I near the end of the flash facts deck and am finding it prepared me pretty well. I also am using Sketchy Micro and Pharm as well, with accompanying Anki cards for those. The flash facts cards in particular were useful because every card had FA snapshots in it and each was phrased like a clinical vignette (and some of these flash cards were even 2nd/3rd order in nature). Basically, by just studying the cards everyday, I already have a hang of how to interpret clinical vignettes and do a DDx, find appropriate treatment, side effects of such treatment, etc. This took quite a while to do, though, as the total number of cards is close to 16k. Of those 16k, about 9k were cloze-style (these are the Sketchy Micro/Pharm cards), but the rest were not. I still have about 1500 cards to go. I'd say the entire set of cards will have taken me around 6-7 months to do.

Before starting the flash facts and Sketchy Anki decks, it should be noted that I watched all of the Physiology lectures for the organ systems, the Behavioral sciences, and Genetics videos from Kaplan and then watched Pathoma for the pathophys of each organ system. Then I watched all of the Sketchy Micro and Pharm videos.

Now, this is far from an accurate percentage, since I haven't done large numbers of questions from UWorld (I just did sets of 40-50 questions here and there a few times in the past week to assess how well I am learning), but I am already seeing a percentage correct around low 70s.

I aim to start both the USMLE Rx and the UWorld qbanks in about a week and am aiming to get both done within 6 weeks.

Let's see what happens in the next 2 months. Hopefully I can get a 75+ and put this behind me. Studying for this exam is no joke-its draining and quite difficult.
Click to expand...
Wow. Great work and patience really! I tried Zanki for pharm and that was it. now on FA and used brs for physio. Keep it up! Wish you all the best!
 
Which form of the NBME Comprehensive Basic Science Self-Assessment (CBSSA), 13, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19, is best simulating the test?? Also just take one,and how long prior to the exam, or each one on seperate occasions mornings for additional practice? Specifically 13, 15, 16 for practice and 17, 18, 19 for simulation of the test?
 
Nothingbutthetooth15 said:
Starting my study period about 50 days out from the exam. Go through First Aid with Sketchy and Pathoma for about 1.5 weeks and then UWorld it? Have Goljan tell me stories while I eat dinner?
Click to expand...

Do you go to a school that shares curriculum with med school?
 
Nothingbutthetooth15 said:
Yes we got the watered down version of the lectures. Very few test questions were case based. Even studying for part 1 boards I felt like the depth and questions style weren't as detailed. This test seems focused on the one enzyme in tiny size 6 print.
Click to expand...

In that case, I would say you need more than 1.5 weeks for reading First Aid (especially if you have not seen most of the stuff in it before). I myself needed a few months to fully read and understand everything in First Aid, but that was because I had little to no background in most of it.

Perhaps spread out First Aid reading as you go through UWorld. In other words, spend half the day reading/learning First Aid, and the other half doing UWorld questions. As for Pathoma, you can add it in before you read sections of First Aid, but I found it to be kind of mediocre-it misses so much stuff that is in First Aid. Nonetheless, it does do a good job of explaining whatever it covers.
 
Nothingbutthetooth15 said:
Yes we got the watered down version of the lectures. Very few test questions were case based. Even studying for part 1 boards I felt like the depth and questions style weren't as detailed. This test seems focused on the one enzyme in tiny size 6 print.
Click to expand...

There’s no cookie cutter way to study for this test. I scored well and barely touched first aid at all. I disagree with the other poster, I think pathoma WITH videos was super helpful and high yield, and leaves out a lot of low yield filler material from first aid. Pathoma, sketchy, uworld should get you 60s if you are ready to devote every waking moment between now and August to this test.
 
toothsucker said:
Pathoma, sketchy, uworld should get you 60s if you are ready to devote every waking moment between now and August to this test.
Click to expand...

It seems though that judging from the stats of ppl who matched the last couple years that low 70s should be the minimum target?
 
Hope everyone is feeling alright about 2.5 weeks out from the exam.
For those who have studied for this already, is First Aid enough for Neuro and the associated Neuroanatomy?
 
How did everyone feel about today's test? I'm curious what people who took the Feb exam (and today's) thought of today's exam comparatively, in terms of difficulty.
 
Was about the same difficulty as any of the nbme forms online. The stats on this one had me scratching my head, but to balance it out, micro was ridiculously easy.

I really recommends paying the 60$ to simulate the exam online. Same interface same look same everything. They are well worth paying for. Also some questions were pretty much repeats.
 
Likkriue said:
Was about the same difficulty as any of the nbme forms online. The stats on this one had me scratching my head, but to balance it out, micro was ridiculously easy.

I really recommends paying the 60$ to simulate the exam online. Same interface same look same everything. They are well worth paying for. Also some questions were pretty much repeats.
Click to expand...

I agree that the biostat was harder than the previous exams or the nbme self assessments. Very few simple calculations and alot of conceptual stuff. Also, anyone else thought that the first section was the hardest out of the four?
 
TheRongeur said:
I agree that the biostat was harder than the previous exams or the nbme self assessments. Very few simple calculations and alot of conceptual stuff. Also, anyone else thought that the first section was the hardest out of the four?
Click to expand...

I actually started to run out of time on the fourth. Guess that’s what happens when u spend 5 minutes trying to figure out wtf they were asking for biostats lol.
 
So it seems like people think this exam was slightly easier than Feb's. I still thought there were some tricky questions. First Aid definitely covered most of the stuff on the exam, though.
It was good to get a first try in, but I'm probably taking it again.
 
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