Final 5 Days

[TStallion]

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Big time lurker here, ready to ask for help 🙂

Basic question: what should I do with my final 5 days?

Stats:
2nd year Basic Science Comp - 225
NBME 6: 235
Free 150 - 79% Medfriends: 237
UW ~ 70%
Rx ~ 73%

Choices:
1) FA mostly + small amount of questions (~46-138 max)
or
2) mostly questions (~230-276) + very little textbook reading
or
3) ?

Keep in mind I haven't finished either Qbank, about ~30% remaining in each.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you 🙂

 

[RedSoxSuck]

Big time lurker here, ready to ask for help 🙂

Basic question: what should I do with my final 5 days?

Stats:
2nd year Basic Science Comp - 225
NBME 6: 235
Free 150 - 79% Medfriends: 237
UW ~ 70%
Rx ~ 73%

Choices:
1) FA mostly + small amount of questions (~46-138 max)
or
2) mostly questions (~230-276) + very little textbook reading
or
3) ?

Keep in mind I haven't finished either Qbank, about ~30% remaining in each.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you 🙂

Good luck, I have not taken my test yet so i am not 100% sure but that what i would do.

1) If you have a glaring weakness which you think "can" be troublesome then i would work on that first. Because step would love to ask questions about topics which are confusing, so if you are weak in a particular section; it would be even more confusing to you. So work on that first.

2) Divide first aid into equal sections and review it as much as you can. I would start with the topic, i struggle with. It would allow me ample amount of time to make sure that its not a struggle anymore. Then work on the next weakest section. That way you would have seen ALL THE MATERIAL in short amount of time leading up to the exam.

Sorry, if i don't make sense because it happens alot these days!

 

[TStallion]

Thx for the reply, I appreciate it 🙂

I have an idea of where my weaknesses lie, so I will work on them.

I've noticed though that no matter how many times I read something, if I interpret it wrong in the question or if it's asked in an unorthodox fashion, there's a good chance I'll get it wrong (if I haven't seen it asked that way).

Kinda sucks when you've JUST studied something and get a question wrong in that section, yet get another question correct on a topic you haven't seen in a week.

 

[Phloston]

If you are in the final 5 days, read only FA. FA should be the the entirety of the final two weeks. Focus on the HY.

 

[mmmcdowe]

If you are in the final 5 days, read only FA. FA should be the the entirety of the final two weeks. Focus on the HY.

It took me three days to read FA with 2 blocks of q's a night. I spent the last 2 days on HY stuff (by my own judgement of what was HY for me) and did 3 blocks of q's the first day and took the evening off of the second day to watch a season of big bang theory.

 

[auburnO5]

If you are in the final 5 days, read only FA. FA should be the the entirety of the final two weeks. Focus on the HY.

with questions.... IMO

 

[gravitywave]

i disagree with everyone in here, but then i really hated FA. your last week should be almost all questions. you shouldn't be reading anything you haven't read before, and if you've already read it, you've probably already read it several times and i say that at that point - either you know it or you don't.

make sure you get through everything you missed in UWorld at least once, and take an NBME if you don't have enough UW to pass the time. use FA only for all those stupid lists (tumor markers, toxicology, etc)

also, you shouldn't be putting in 12 hour days at this point. start to idle your brain down so you have reserve for the big day. if you take an NBME, make it the only thing you do that day.

 

[Phloston]

i disagree with everyone in here, but then i really hated FA. your last week should be almost all questions.

Questions help you build concepts as well as learn the tricks that might be thrown at you, but they shouldn't be the focus of the final two weeks, let alone the final few days. Questions are for the sole purpose of learning strategy (like chess moves). For example, if someone's tried the four-move checkmate on you and it worked, you'll know next time exactly how to avoid it if his or her queen comes out early. My point is: although questions questions and more questions are undoubtedly important for reinforcing concepts and learning the trickery, which will definitely get you more points, just be mindful of the rapid recall of pure factual info that you will need come test day. You don't want to be mid-way through the 7th block and not be 1000% sure as to the differences between the 4th and 6th aortic arch derivatives. If you have not finished UWorld yet, then spend your time finishing that AND doing FA, however if you've already finished UWorld, spend your time with pure FA memorization.

 

[Brigade4Radiant]

i disagree with everyone in here, but then i really hated FA. your last week should be almost all questions. you shouldn't be reading anything you haven't read before, and if you've already read it, you've probably already read it several times and i say that at that point - either you know it or you don't.

make sure you get through everything you missed in UWorld at least once, and take an NBME if you don't have enough UW to pass the time. use FA only for all those stupid lists (tumor markers, toxicology, etc)

also, you shouldn't be putting in 12 hour days at this point. start to idle your brain down so you have reserve for the big day. if you take an NBME, make it the only thing you do that day.

I agree sure you can read FA quickly during the last week but you are just skimming it and you won't take home the little details that will improve your score. You are more likely to remember a little detail between the differences between the 4th and 6th arch in question rather than briefly skimming it again when you already looked at it a couple of times. Yes it is important to have that great base of factual knowledge but two similar answer choices can have you doubting the knowledge that you obtained.

 

[TStallion]

Thx guys for all your help 🙂

I decided to read FA as quick as possible so that I don't miss anything, as my first priority. I think it will ease my anxiety, knowing that I got one last pass through this book.
I'm almost done 🙂 It goes a lot faster than I imagined...

Second phase is to go through as many UW q's as possible, my weak spots especially. The more I can get through the better...

Test is Tuesday!

 

[Phloston]

Thx guys for all your help 🙂

I decided to read FA as quick as possible so that I don't miss anything, as my first priority. I think it will ease my anxiety, knowing that I got one last pass through this book.

Good decision.

Test is Tuesday!

Good luck!

 

[gravitywave]

Questions help you build concepts as well as learn the tricks that might be thrown at you, but they shouldn't be the focus of the final two weeks, let alone the final few days. Questions are for the sole purpose of learning strategy (like chess moves). For example, if someone's tried the four-move checkmate on you and it worked, you'll know next time exactly how to avoid it if his or her queen comes out early. My point is: although questions questions and more questions are undoubtedly important for reinforcing concepts and learning the trickery, which will definitely get you more points, just be mindful of the rapid recall of pure factual info that you will need come test day. You don't want to be mid-way through the 7th block and not be 1000% sure as to the differences between the 4th and 6th aortic arch derivatives. If you have not finished UWorld yet, then spend your time finishing that AND doing FA, however if you've already finished UWorld, spend your time with pure FA memorization.

hasn't taken the test yet

Thx guys for all your help 🙂

I decided to read FA as quick as possible so that I don't miss anything, as my first priority. I think it will ease my anxiety, knowing that I got one last pass through this book.
I'm almost done 🙂 It goes a lot faster than I imagined...

Second phase is to go through as many UW q's as possible, my weak spots especially. The more I can get through the better...

Test is Tuesday!

sounds good. granted not everyone will do things the way that I did them, just wanted to give my experience. Sounds like you figured out that your first priority for the last week ought to be doing everything possible to reduce anxiety, so this is the right course for you. try hard to do as little as possible tomorrow, and good luck!