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- Jul 28, 2007
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Ok maybe the title is a bit of an overstatement, but I'm feeling a little worried. I had grand plans to really start studying hard for boards in January, but found it difficult to do this while also trying to learn for class. I generally do well in classes (mostly A's throughout the two years), but I realize a lot of the stuff we learn for class isn't really stuff that'll show up on boards.
I'll have about 4.5 weeks to fully devote to board prep. So far I've done a little less than 40% of Kaplan, mostly in specific chunks as they relate to whatever subject we've been doing (for the last few subjects), and a few random blocks. I'm at about 63% overall.
I spent some time back in March going through some Biochem and Immuno stuff, but I doubt much of it stuck, if any, really. I have a lot of trouble remembering all the different genetic diseases (mucopolysacharidoses, etc) and all the various immunodeficiency diseases (SCID, etc).
My goal on this thing for the longest time has been >240 at least, and I don't want to give that up. I've been following along in First Aid somewhat as we do organ systems, but not really all that in-depth . . . mostly, I'd kind of just look at the relevant page with a specific disease or group of diseases after working through a lecture on them (for instance, just read through the page on bone tumors after a lecture on them to see if there's any major discrepancies or anything in FA that wasn't covered in lecture). But not intensely studying it, really. I'd also read through the chapter in RR Path shortly before taking an exam on that system, which usually makes sense at the time, but the details become more blurred a couple weeks after that if I go back and read it.
I had really been trying to do a Taus method since February/March, trying to take one big pass first through all the material before school was out, then try two more during the summer (which I now realize seems like a pretty tall order). I've gotten through a good chunk of it, but I don't know that it's been terribly effective. I know I skimped a bit on the pharm for each section sometimes, which isn't good since our pharm dept here probably isn't the greatest.
I start my dedicated study period in a couple days, and I guess I'm just really feeling the crunch/anxiety. I want to take an NBME or something the first day just to see where I'm at and get a good eval of my weaknesses . . . but I don't even know what test to pick? Should I do the Free 150 instead?
Here are the resources I've been using:
1. First Aid - like I said, I've probably read ~75%+ of it so far throughout the year, but in small chunks here or there
2. RR Path - I've actually read through almost all of this one time, again in chunks as I go
3. Kaplan qbank - may or may not keep doing this during dedicated study since I plan to use UWorld too. I've been annotating as I go, usually the educational objectives or whatever
4. UWorld - haven't used it yet, but obviously will
5. High Yield Cell/Molec 1999 - read it twice straight through back in March, not sure it helped much
6. BRS Phys - have tried to read through the relevant chapter depending on whatever organ system we're doing in path, usually a day or two before we start that system
7. RR Biochem - tried to use this to go through FA Biochem in March, not sure how much I really like it?
8. Katzung/Trevor Pharm Review - haven't used it all that much, just here and there for reference during the year
9. CMMRS - looked through a lot of this back in March as well
10. Lange Pharm Cards
11. Microcards
I have a bunch of other things like BRS Anatomy, UCV Biochem/Anatomy, Kaplan Biochem but I'm already thinking I'm overloaded. I probably won't go back to HY Cell/Molec really, and I'm not sure what further use I'll get out of RR Biochem.
Obviously I need to not overload myself with sources. FA+RR+UW are the big three I plan on utilizing, with BRS Phys by my side as well. The others I guess at this point are more for quick reference should something in FA need clarification. I just really want to do well on this exam, I don't want to be one of those "honors" kids who bombs the boards. And then seeing everyone on here come back with their 250's and 260's is a bit anxiety-inducing, since that's where I'd love to be, but I feel pretty lost at this point.
Sorry for the emo-ish rant . . . if you even read this far, thanks! Any input/advice would be helpful . . . I know a lot of my concerns are very general, and I've been reading the boards a long time and have gathered a lot of various opinions on some of it indirectly, but it'd be helpful if someone reading this could sort of help guide me to a good starting (well, continuing) point.
I'll have about 4.5 weeks to fully devote to board prep. So far I've done a little less than 40% of Kaplan, mostly in specific chunks as they relate to whatever subject we've been doing (for the last few subjects), and a few random blocks. I'm at about 63% overall.
I spent some time back in March going through some Biochem and Immuno stuff, but I doubt much of it stuck, if any, really. I have a lot of trouble remembering all the different genetic diseases (mucopolysacharidoses, etc) and all the various immunodeficiency diseases (SCID, etc).
My goal on this thing for the longest time has been >240 at least, and I don't want to give that up. I've been following along in First Aid somewhat as we do organ systems, but not really all that in-depth . . . mostly, I'd kind of just look at the relevant page with a specific disease or group of diseases after working through a lecture on them (for instance, just read through the page on bone tumors after a lecture on them to see if there's any major discrepancies or anything in FA that wasn't covered in lecture). But not intensely studying it, really. I'd also read through the chapter in RR Path shortly before taking an exam on that system, which usually makes sense at the time, but the details become more blurred a couple weeks after that if I go back and read it.
I had really been trying to do a Taus method since February/March, trying to take one big pass first through all the material before school was out, then try two more during the summer (which I now realize seems like a pretty tall order). I've gotten through a good chunk of it, but I don't know that it's been terribly effective. I know I skimped a bit on the pharm for each section sometimes, which isn't good since our pharm dept here probably isn't the greatest.
I start my dedicated study period in a couple days, and I guess I'm just really feeling the crunch/anxiety. I want to take an NBME or something the first day just to see where I'm at and get a good eval of my weaknesses . . . but I don't even know what test to pick? Should I do the Free 150 instead?
Here are the resources I've been using:
1. First Aid - like I said, I've probably read ~75%+ of it so far throughout the year, but in small chunks here or there
2. RR Path - I've actually read through almost all of this one time, again in chunks as I go
3. Kaplan qbank - may or may not keep doing this during dedicated study since I plan to use UWorld too. I've been annotating as I go, usually the educational objectives or whatever
4. UWorld - haven't used it yet, but obviously will
5. High Yield Cell/Molec 1999 - read it twice straight through back in March, not sure it helped much
6. BRS Phys - have tried to read through the relevant chapter depending on whatever organ system we're doing in path, usually a day or two before we start that system
7. RR Biochem - tried to use this to go through FA Biochem in March, not sure how much I really like it?
8. Katzung/Trevor Pharm Review - haven't used it all that much, just here and there for reference during the year
9. CMMRS - looked through a lot of this back in March as well
10. Lange Pharm Cards
11. Microcards
I have a bunch of other things like BRS Anatomy, UCV Biochem/Anatomy, Kaplan Biochem but I'm already thinking I'm overloaded. I probably won't go back to HY Cell/Molec really, and I'm not sure what further use I'll get out of RR Biochem.
Obviously I need to not overload myself with sources. FA+RR+UW are the big three I plan on utilizing, with BRS Phys by my side as well. The others I guess at this point are more for quick reference should something in FA need clarification. I just really want to do well on this exam, I don't want to be one of those "honors" kids who bombs the boards. And then seeing everyone on here come back with their 250's and 260's is a bit anxiety-inducing, since that's where I'd love to be, but I feel pretty lost at this point.
Sorry for the emo-ish rant . . . if you even read this far, thanks! Any input/advice would be helpful . . . I know a lot of my concerns are very general, and I've been reading the boards a long time and have gathered a lot of various opinions on some of it indirectly, but it'd be helpful if someone reading this could sort of help guide me to a good starting (well, continuing) point.
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