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I don't mean to be a h4ter, but these questions kind of suck. They seem aimed at eliciting the most brain-dead of Pavlovian responses- "hemoptysis + hematuria = goodpastures." Boom, 1:1 reasoning. Most of these I know after reading the first sentence, but it's not like I am acing UWorld or Qbank. I've noticed several have been borderline untrue if not flat out wrong. I guess it is pretty cheap...but am I missing something here?
for laying down a foundation.Admittedly, some Qs are better than others and they're almost exclusively straight recall Qs.. But in fairness, I think that's the role of Qbanks as opposed to GT. I want GT to help me build/retain a foundation of knowledge that I'll need to be able to answer the 2nd/3rd order Qs on Uworld/Qbanks etc.
Also, I started out rating things lower just for repetition, I never used 5s before, but i stopped doing that as things began to pile (as my % completion increased). Now I'm using 4s n 5s much more on things i'm comfortable with, this way i keep the focus on cards i'm less solid on (I guess, i'm finally using GT as designed ).
I've seen some discrepancies between cutoffs for normals between GT and other sources (classes, Qbanks etc) for things like % occlusion b4 anginal Sx or %FEV1/FVC for Dx of Obstructive Dzs etc, but I think that's a broader reflection of the derivation of these normals (i.e. population distributions/statistics)...
Personally, I just want to finish GT real bad so I focus more on Qbanks (and primary sources as needed) and my daily reviews.
I'm curious, isn't that what the "exam simulation" option is though? You pick the organ system and discipline to narrow the topics to what you want? Or am I missing something? Never tried it personally though.
My favorite posterAdditionally. I fail to see how, as of yet, complex comprehension and problem solving is so emphasized. The whole convention of the writing of test questions with right and wrong answer choices favors discrete associative bits of knowledge.
There are certain salient features of disease X. Knowing them like a dead robot seems the most advantageous thing we could do.
The fact that a real person might have confusing bits of varying clues that requires experience and more importantly trial and error and following the patient over time does not lend itself to standardized testing.
I feel people over estimate understanding as the critical exercise in play. Maybe because the alternatives are sheer boredom. Or admitting that an autistic memorizing machine could do well on these exams.
I mean it's ok. Maybe the dude with an encyclopedic familiarity with details of pathology has an advantage as a physician.
GT is sweet. It takes all the daily professor buttkissery out of the pursuit of detail memorization. And puts it on my laptop. Like my own personal drill sergeant.
Amassing facts. Seems to be what we're doing here by and large.
The simple amassing and regurgitation of facts is in keeping with the role of a medical school, which exists to produce skilled medical professionals, just as the challenging process of writing a dissertation fits in with the more cerebral nature of graduate school (in its various forms), which exists to produce skilled academics.Additionally. I fail to see how, as of yet, complex comprehension and problem solving is so emphasized. The whole convention of the writing of test questions with right and wrong answer choices favors discrete associative bits of knowledge.
There are certain salient features of disease X. Knowing them like a dead robot seems the most advantageous thing we could do.
The fact that a real person might have confusing bits of varying clues that requires experience and more importantly trial and error and following the patient over time does not lend itself to standardized testing.
I feel people over estimate understanding as the critical exercise in play. Maybe because the alternatives are sheer boredom. Or admitting that an autistic memorizing machine could do well on these exams.
I mean it's ok. Maybe the dude with an encyclopedic familiarity with details of pathology has an advantage as a physician.
GT is sweet. It takes all the daily professor buttkissery out of the pursuit of detail memorization. And puts it on my laptop. Like my own personal drill sergeant.
Amassing facts. Seems to be what we're doing here by and large.
The simple amassing and regurgitation of facts is in keeping with the role of a medical school, which exists to produce skilled medical professionals, just as the challenging process of writing a dissertation fits in with the more cerebral nature of graduate school (in its various forms), which exists to produce skilled academics.
The simple amassing and regurgitation of facts is in keeping with the role of a medical school, which exists to produce skilled medical professionals, just as the challenging process of writing a dissertation fits in with the more cerebral nature of graduate school (in its various forms), which exists to produce skilled academics.
Hey, what are you guys using for Neuro back up? I know some have said notes, are any review books good or should I stick with GT only?
e.g. BRS for physio, RR for path
HY Neuro. Very quick read.Hey, what are you guys using for Neuro back up? I know some have said notes, are any review books good or should I stick with GT only?
e.g. BRS for physio, RR for path
I did 100% FA micro, biochem, path, immuno, and big dents in a few other subjects. GT has just about everything FA does and then some. GT goes more in depth and sometimes you get some better pictures.Do you all read first aid or anything before looking at whatever notecard topics for the day you choose? Or do you just review the notecards then quiz? Does FA offer much more information on the topics than the cards do? Haven't cracked it open yet
Do you guys go straight to quiz or do you do notecards?
I don't really get how to utilize this in the best way possible.
Do you start out by just adding questions and then doing them or do you review the notecards before doing the questions?
1. For a topic/card that you've never read, you should read it first, add the associated Qs to your quiz and take then the quiz.
2. Once you're done with the quiz, those cards will be added to your review schedule and they will appear based on how you rated them (1-5).
3. For ur review Qs, you should do them without reviewing the associated cards and rate them according to how well you remembered the material.
On the dashboard, what's the difference between overall progress and percent mastery? Or well, I think percent mastery is pretty clearly defined - what is overall progress? Because it doesn't seem to be either the number of cards banked nor the number of cards mastered
Just PMed you a free trial, Bean. And yeah, the prices have gone up...sucks! But if you get a higher number of months, the price per month goes down I guess. Anywho, hope you like it!
I'm sure this has been discussed at some point in this thread, but for those of you taking Step-I this year, how is your GT coming along right now?
Right now I'm at 43.0% completed with 27.1% mastery. I'm stressing a little bit right now though, because at 43% complete I have done 452 of 1052 cards. That means I have 600 to go. At a pace of 10-15 cards a day I am looking at 40-60 more days before I've finished everything, which puts me into late April (if I can even keep up that pace)...
Yea, I asked the same question back in December, so we're overdue for updates!
I'm at 51% right now with a mastery of 16% (i intentionally rated several systems very low as we covered them in class). I'm really gunning to finish up by end of of March ; if I maintain 10 cards/day (and GT doesn't undo my efforts by adding a tons of cards )
then that should be doable. I'm also doing Qbank which I'm trying to finish that by April.
Are u also doing a Qbank? Just keep chugging at the cards it's doable!
I really wanna get started on a Qbank (my school is providing us with a 12 month Kaplan and a 1 month Uworld Q bank), but I just haven't had time. I have a wife and 8 month old son at home, so that has made it tough with doing just GT and class. I think this last block of MSII is supposed to be easier though, so hopefully I can make a dent in Kaplan, then finish it in the first part of my dedicated time, and then power through Uworld leading up to the big dance.
It's funny you bring up GT adding more questions/cards. I think since I started last summer they've added over a 100 new cards! I hope that is all high yield stuff, but based on the stuff I read about GT around this time last year, it didn't sound like it had too many glaring weaknesses for last year's test takers.
I hope over spring break I can knock out a bunch of new cards.
Keep the progress reports coming people!
For those who are very familiar w/ GT, should I get it? I just found out about it and am not sure if I'll have enough time as my step 1 is at the end of August. Given that I'm the type of person who needs to go over the stuff many more times than the average med student, I feel like this program may be very beneficial for me. If I had found out about it during my MS1 year or even during the summer before my MS2 yr, I would certainly have given it a try. But right now, as an MS2 and expecting to take the Step 1 at the end of August, I'm not sure if i'll find it beneficial. I'm worried that joining the program this late may actually be detrimental for me cause it may prevent me from giving enough time to USMLEWorld and Pathoma. Any thoughts?
For those who are very familiar w/ GT, should I get it? I just found out about it and am not sure if I'll have enough time as my step 1 is at the end of August. Given that I'm the type of person who needs to go over the stuff many more times than the average med student, I feel like this program may be very beneficial for me. If I had found out about it during my MS1 year or even during the summer before my MS2 yr, I would certainly have given it a try. But right now, as an MS2 and expecting to take the Step 1 at the end of August, I'm not sure if i'll find it beneficial. I'm worried that joining the program this late may actually be detrimental for me cause it may prevent me from giving enough time to USMLEWorld and Pathoma. Any thoughts?
894rty, check your PM. Maximum trial period is 4 weeks with the code.
Free 1 month trial for anyone else interested:thanks for the link. now, the question is lite mode vs. comprehensive mode?...My main goal is board review vs. med school course review. What do you guys think? thanks again.
thanks for the link. now, the question is lite mode vs. comprehensive mode?...My main goal is board review vs. med school course review. What do you guys think? thanks again.