USMLE HELP!!!Did Uworld and Kaplan qbank. Revise or New qbank. 50 days exam.

[IM/EM/CCM]

Hi Folks.
I managed to finish Uworld and Kaplan qbanks of USMLE Step 1.
I am not satisfied by my NBME scores.
Also I haven't reviewed FA yet. I am planning to review FA with Rx.
Should I start with Rx or should I revise the two qbanks?
I have exam coming up in 50 days.
Thanks in advance.

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[TheOther]

Hi Folks.
I managed to finish Uworld and Kaplan qbanks of USMLE Step 1.
I am not satisfied by my NBME scores.
Also I haven't reviewed FA yet. I am planning to review FA with Rx.
Should I start with Rx or should I revise the two qbanks?
I have exam coming up in 50 days.
Thanks in advance.

Need more info:
1. Progression of NBME scores.
2. Pathoma?
3. What were the respective percentages for each qbank?
4. How did you use UWorld? Did you annotate FA, take notes, read every explanation, understand each concept?

It's usually not a good idea to go from UWorld to Rx, but maybe someone who's done this can chime in.

 

[IM/EM/CCM]

Need more info:
1. Progression of NBME scores.
2. Pathoma?
3. What were the respective percentages for each qbank?
4. How did you use UWorld? Did you annotate FA, take notes, read every explanation, understand each concept?

It's usually not a good idea to go from UWorld to Rx, but maybe someone who's done this can chime in.

Thanks for quick reply. Exam in 50 days.
1. NBME score 210.
2. No Pathoma. My learning style is from Qbanks.
3. Percentage in Qbanks- Uworld-60%(random timed), Kap qbank - 68% ( random timed). One pass of each.
4. No annotation in FA. Read every explanation. Yes understood each concept.

 

[TheOther]

Thanks for quick reply. Exam in 50 days.
1. NBME score 210.
2. No Pathoma. My learning style is from Qbanks.
3. Percentage in Qbanks- Uworld-60%(random timed), Kap qbank - 68% ( random timed). One pass of each.
4. No annotation in FA. Read every explanation. Yes understood each concept.

1. What's your target?
2. Have you ever tried Pathoma? I really ask because despite learning from Qbanks, there's a reason why Pathoma is a gold standard for path in Step 1 board prep.
3. I'm assuming you did Kaplan first and then UWorld? When you'd get UWorld questions wrong, is it because you didn't know a detail you needed or because of a reasoning deficiency?
4. Is the next 50 days pure dedicated study time?

 

[IM/EM/CCM]

I did Pathoma few months back. I could do it in few days easily.
Oh I forgot to mention that I did Uworld First ( I know that's the biggest mistake. Can't change that now).
Yes 50 days dedicated.

 

[IM/EM/CCM]

1. What's your target?
2. Have you ever tried Pathoma? I really ask because despite learning from Qbanks, there's a reason why Pathoma is a gold standard for path in Step 1 board prep.
3. I'm assuming you did Kaplan first and then UWorld? When you'd get UWorld questions wrong, is it because you didn't know a detail you needed or because of a reasoning deficiency?
4. Is the next 50 days pure dedicated study time?

How much score on an average can I improve in 50 days dedicated?
Thanks.

 

[TheOther]

How much score on an average can I improve in 50 days dedicated?
Thanks.

Nearly 2 months is plenty of time to make huge jumps in your score as long as you have a solid foundation and are careful not to burn out. I'm sure each person's advice will differ based on what works for them, so take everything that I say with a grain of salt. You know what works best for you.

-I'd definitely hit Pathoma again. I'd also go for a second pass of UWorld while refering to FA+Pathoma going through it.
-My knowledge base comes from flashcards so Bro's is absolute gold for me -- have you ever tried it? It helps get all of the details of FA down, but you may be pressed for time. Though it may help with your weakest areas.
-If you're insistent on learning from qbanks and using USMLERx, you can plow through it doing 3-4 blocks a day (you'd finish it in 15-20 days). Rx is really FA in straight question format without nearly as much integration as UWorld. The remaining 30-35 days can be spent on UWorld.

 

[IM/EM/CCM]

Nearly 2 months is plenty of time to make huge jumps in your score as long as you have a solid foundation and are careful not to burn out. I'm sure each person's advice will differ based on what works for them, so take everything that I say with a grain of salt. You know what works best for you.

-I'd definitely hit Pathoma again. I'd also go for a second pass of UWorld while refering to FA+Pathoma going through it.
-My knowledge base comes from flashcards so Bro's is absolute gold for me -- have you ever tried it? It helps get all of the details of FA down, but you may be pressed for time. Though it may help with your weakest areas.
-If you're insistent on learning from qbanks and using USMLERx, you can plow through it doing 3-4 blocks a day (you'd finish it in 15-20 days). Rx is really FA in straight question format without nearly as much integration as UWorld. The remaining 30-35 days can be spent on UWorld.

Thanks a bunch. I tried Flashcards. But somehow I am not comfortable with it. I tried doing that. I think I would prefer to go by traditional method and learn from qbanks. Definitely I would give a second pass to Pathoma and FA. Thanks again.

 

[IM/EM/CCM]

How much score on an average can I improve in 50 days dedicated?
Thanks.

Do you think doing USMLE Rx qbank improve my score by around 20 points on NBMEs?
I am decent with concepts and Rx will help me memorize FA. So do you think it will improve my NBMEs score by 20 points if I complete Rx?
Thanks.

 

[Surgeria]

Do you think doing USMLE Rx qbank improve my score by around 20 points on NBMEs?
I am decent with concepts and Rx will help me memorize FA. So do you think it will improve my NBMEs score by 20 points if I complete Rx?
Thanks.

So you think that you are decent in concepts, you understand well most of them but you are deficient in the details? For example you know that macrolides inhibit p450 system but you don't remember that azthreonam has no effect on p450? But you know well the effect and correlation of p450 and other drugs like warfarin? Or for example you know that cryptococus can be stained by two stains, by india ink and by mucicarmine, but you don't remember which one is used in crypto meningites (india to stain csf) and you don't remember that mucicarmine is used in sputum? But you definitively know that both of this stains is classical for crypto. What's you problem? Saying that usmle is about concepts and only is bull****, concepts are as important as knowing all the details that all are listed in first aid. Concepts + details = gets you to infinite scores, if you wish 270. It's about to know all the concepts and all the details about this concepts. So I gave you two examples about macros and crypto, what's your problem?

 

[TheOther]

So you think that you are decent in concepts, you understand well most of them but you are deficient in the details? For example you know that macrolides inhibit p450 system but you don't remember that azthreonam has no effect on p450? But you know well the effect and correlation of p450 and other drugs like warfarin? Or for example you know that cryptococus can be stained by two stains, by india ink and by mucicarmine, but you don't remember which one is used in crypto meningites (india to stain csf) and you don't remember that mucicarmine is used in sputum? But you definitively know that both of this stains is classical for crypto. What's you problem? Saying that usmle is about concepts and only is bull****, concepts are as important as knowing all the details that all are listed in first aid. Concepts + details = gets you to infinite scores, if you wish 270. It's about to know all the concepts and all the details about this concepts. So I gave you two examples about macros and crypto, what's your problem?

No one thinks/says understanding concepts is all it takes to do well on Step 1. The reason why concepts are emphasized so much is because many people have the misunderstanding that details/facts is all it takes. You absolutely need both.

As for OP, I'm not sure how extensively Rx covers every detail in first aid but do whatever you gotta do to make 2-3 passes of it in the next 50 days. Whether that's flashcards, reading it straight while testing yourself, or DIT (some people just like being read to, I guess).

 

[Surgeria]

No one thinks/says understanding concepts is all it takes to do well on Step 1. The reason why concepts are emphasized so much is because many people have the misunderstanding that details/facts is all it takes. You absolutely need both.

As for OP, I'm not sure how extensively Rx covers every detail in first aid but do whatever you gotta do to make 2-3 passes of it in the next 50 days. Whether that's flashcards, reading it straight while testing yourself, or DIT (some people just like being read to, I guess).

What do you think, why do people do well on uworld like 75%+ and do so bad on nbme's. Sometimes I get afraid that I do well on uworld and will not excel on nbme's. Of course the only way is to try out nbme, but why is that damn fact happening ? ...

 

[blueforest]

What do you think, why do people do well on uworld like 75%+ and do so bad on nbme's. Sometimes I get afraid that I do well on uworld and will not excel on nbme's. Of course the only way is to try out nbme, but why is that damn fact happening ? ...

That's happening to me right now. I'm more relaxed when I take uworld and i'm used to the style of questions. NBME is more vague in my opinion and requires a slightly different approach to some of the questions. Also, it's easy to get tired and want to finish when you are doing an exam for 5 hours straight. 1 Uworld block never takes me the full amount of time which is 60 minutes. I usually finish with 20 minutes left because I just try to finish as quick as possible to not waste time.

 

[TheOther]

What do you think, why do people do well on uworld like 75%+ and do so bad on nbme's. Sometimes I get afraid that I do well on uworld and will not excel on nbme's. Of course the only way is to try out nbme, but why is that damn fact happening ? ...

UWorld % really doesn't translate well to NBME's. If someone went through UWorld by systems/disciplines and studied in a more narrow approach and got 75%, it's very different than someone going through UWorld timed random and getting 75% (this is just an example of how the same resources can be used very differently). My point is, it varies person to person. There is no universal absolute in "if you hit this X threshold of UWorld %, you'll perform Y score on NBMEs". But on average, it seems like those who have been diligent in learning the details of First Aid + Pathoma then integrating it all with UWorld, tend to perform ok on NBME's with upward trends as further passes are made. This is at least the case from what I've read on here and talking with others.

 

[Surgeria]

That's happening to me right now. I'm more relaxed when I take uworld and i'm used to the style of questions. NBME is more vague in my opinion and requires a slightly different approach to some of the questions. Also, it's easy to get tired and want to finish when you are doing an exam for 5 hours straight. 1 Uworld block never takes me the full amount of time which is 60 minutes. I usually finish with 20 minutes left because I just try to finish as quick as possible to not waste time.

If that's the problem, I think it's curable. First you can do all the 2800 nbme questions, Of course half of them is retired questions from 1-7 forms, but It's a good way to practice. If you run out of time, go and do 11+ forms it will be around 1400 questions. You can do back to back forms, or one online and 100 questions offline that will be 300 questions and will be a good estimate of you endurance. We can decrease our expectations. For example I am aiming for only surgery, and only. I know that 260 will open many more doors for me, but I also know that I can match with 230 + also. So my range is from 230 - 260, of course I will work hard as much as a I can for 260, but somewhere in the deepth of my soul I know that If I will get a crazy form on real deal, anyway I need to break 230 and I will do great. It will not make me a better or worse surgeon, sometimes life about a luck. Today you can be hit by a car, or you can't, it's sort of luck many times and usmle is also about a luck in some understanding. If you score 250 on nbme, yes you can score 230 on real deal, that's the life. What else can we do? Practice nbme's, sat back to back exams to test the real deal endurance, decrease expectations, for example use caffeine/theanine/tyrosine shoots every 2r hours on the real deal, it will help to concentrate and go through. What else? I think I stopped worrying, Of course it's hard to stop when you know that you are aiming for a competitive specialty, but that's the pay for you dreams, nobody pushes us to do this, it's our decision. Know uworld + first aid + pathoma cold and I am sure anyobody can break 250, if you don't that means you don't know ufap cold or you are unlucky guy. my 0.5 cents

 

[Surgeria]

UWorld % really doesn't translate well to NBME's. If someone went through UWorld by systems/disciplines and studied in a more narrow approach and got 75%, it's very different than someone going through UWorld timed random and getting 75% (this is just an example of how the same resources can be used very differently). My point is, it varies person to person. There is no universal absolute in "if you hit this X threshold of UWorld %, you'll perform Y score on NBMEs". But on average, it seems like those who have been diligent in learning the details of First Aid + Pathoma then integrating it all with UWorld, tend to perform ok on NBME's with upward trends as further passes are made. This is at least the case from what I've read on here and talking with others.

Good point. For example I am finishing this week uworld systemwise, next I will do random-timed let's see how will things go on. Thank you for important points.

 

[IM/EM/CCM]

So you think that you are decent in concepts, you understand well most of them but you are deficient in the details? For example you know that macrolides inhibit p450 system but you don't remember that azthreonam has no effect on p450? But you know well the effect and correlation of p450 and other drugs like warfarin? Or for example you know that cryptococus can be stained by two stains, by india ink and by mucicarmine, but you don't remember which one is used in crypto meningites (india to stain csf) and you don't remember that mucicarmine is used in sputum? But you definitively know that both of this stains is classical for crypto. What's you problem? Saying that usmle is about concepts and only is bull****, concepts are as important as knowing all the details that all are listed in first aid. Concepts + details = gets you to infinite scores, if you wish 270. It's about to know all the concepts and all the details about this concepts. So I gave you two examples about macros and crypto, what's your problem?

Hi Surgeria, thanks for your reply. I knew answer to both the above questions. What I meant with "decent in concepts" is that I am ok with integrating things but I am not good with minute details. For eg: Crush Syndrome has hypocalcemia ( i know this stuff that it combines with phosphate (which is an intracellular ion). But things that I don't understand like why is there a U wave on ECG with hypokalemia. So I never remember hypokalemia and U waves !!
Anyways. Thanks Surgeria. Good Luck.

 

[IM/EM/CCM]

No one thinks/says understanding concepts is all it takes to do well on Step 1. The reason why concepts are emphasized so much is because many people have the misunderstanding that details/facts is all it takes. You absolutely need both.

As for OP, I'm not sure how extensively Rx covers every detail in first aid but do whatever you gotta do to make 2-3 passes of it in the next 50 days. Whether that's flashcards, reading it straight while testing yourself, or DIT (some people just like being read to, I guess).

Thank you for answering my questions so patiently. I got the key ingredient here. I need to make 2-3 passes of the stuff in next 50 days. That's the key. I almost forgot that.
Thanks.

 

[Surgeria]

Hi Surgeria, thanks for your reply. I knew answer to both the above questions. What I meant with "decent in concepts" is that I am ok with integrating things but I am not good with minute details. For eg: Crush Syndrome has hypocalcemia ( i know this stuff that it combines with phosphate (which is an intracellular ion). But things that I don't understand like why is there a U wave on ECG with hypokalemia. So I never remember hypokalemia and U waves !!
Anyways. Thanks Surgeria. Good Luck.

not at all. To be honest I didn't know about hypocalcemia ... But what's strange I also don't understand the stuff behind the U wave, but I knew that factoid because I have done anki deck of first aid rx 2016, and I remembered that u wave is because 1) hypokalemia 2) irregular beat (can be bradycardia). This makes me one more time sure that I must not stop doing anki cards.

 

[IM/EM/CCM]

not at all. To be honest I didn't know about hypocalcemia ... But what's strange I also don't understand the stuff behind the U wave, but I knew that factoid because I have done anki deck of first aid rx 2016, and I remembered that u wave is because 1) hypokalemia 2) irregular beat (can be bradycardia). This makes me one more time sure that I must not stop doing anki cards.

@ Surgeria. Please let me know what anki cards are you using? Is it possible to do in 50 days?

 

[Surgeria]

@ Surgeria. Please let me know what anki cards are you using? Is it possible to do in 50 days?

Name is Usmle RX 2016 First aid. You can find it on facebook in group called "usmle preparation group", or search on the web but you will less likely to find it there. It's a deck with 11 000 cards (it's the same cards from online flash facts from RX) and all cards have the corresponding images of first aid book. I think it is possible to do it but you will not have enough time to review the missed cards so I don't know what's better. To do 2-3 readings of first aid or stick with cards. You can also do cards in subjectwise manner for example cardio, or you can extract pharmacology cards and do only them, so you can make an accent on your weak sides. It's up to you. Anyway if not this cards I will never remember the details from first aid, especially farm. For example bupivacaine - cardiotoxicity. It is crazy to remember stuff like this. So thankful for this cards ...

 

[IM/EM/CCM]

Name is Usmle RX 2016 First aid. You can find it on facebook in group called "usmle preparation group", or search on the web but you will less likely to find it there. It's a deck with 11 000 cards (it's the same cards from online flash facts from RX) and all cards have the corresponding images of first aid book. I think it is possible to do it but you will not have enough time to review the missed cards so I don't know what's better. To do 2-3 readings of first aid or stick with cards. You can also do cards in subjectwise manner for example cardio, or you can extract pharmacology cards and do only them, so you can make an accent on your weak sides. It's up to you. Anyway if not this cards I will never remember the details from first aid, especially farm. For example bupivacaine - cardiotoxicity. It is crazy to remember stuff like this. So thankful for this cards ...

Thank you so much. How much time do you think it will take to have a good grip over those cards?

 

[Surgeria]

Thank you so much. How much time do you think it will take to have a good grip over those cards?

To be honest I takes for me around 60 minutes for 60 cards, or even more because there is a corresponding FA page and you also read that page, so if you will do 60 cards per hour, let's say 50 cards will be more appropriate if you are an average simply guy/girl. You will need around 200 hours I think to go only for cards without reviewing. 400 hours for doing new cards and reviewing old ones? I don't know the exact time, but you can a good thing. When you will download that anki deck, you can use "Browse" function of the anki and SELECTIVELY take out the cards than you want and put it into another new deck so you will SELECTIVELY dro the cards that you need for example "toxins, diuretics, MI, nerves, lysosomal diseases". I hope you got the idea. You can simply uses only cards for the most easily forgetable things like damn puches and arches e.t.c. So you can go for all cards, or you can selectivly through stuff that you - you are weak at. Let's say nbme predicted you are weak in oncology and you see that you missed all damn testicular cancers, so add this testicular cards selectively in your need deck, just extract cards from RX deck and put it into NEW DECK. If you will google and waste some time you will understand how this words. Cards are thousand more times more productive for me.

 

[Major procrastinator]

Do you think doing USMLE Rx qbank improve my score by around 20 points on NBMEs?
I am decent with concepts and Rx will help me memorize FA. So do you think it will improve my NBMEs score by 20 points if I complete Rx?
Thanks.

RX is useless at this point. its a good qbank to do first and while reading FA.

do Pathoma
do an nbme
work on weaknesses with uworld and FA
do NBME
work on weaknesses with uworld and FA
if micro is weak do sketchy micro
if pharm is weak do kaplan pharm
if path is still weak do pathoma or barone 2014 kaplan live

uworld incorrects

keep your sources limited but master them. FA 2017 is great

 

[IM/EM/CCM]

Thank you so much. I read FA 16. I never read FA 2017. Do you think its a good idea to go for FA 2017?

 

[Major procrastinator]

Thank you so much. I read FA 16. I never read FA 2017. Do you think its a good idea to go for FA 2017?

during my last week i read all fa

Thank you so much. I read FA 16. I never read FA 2017. Do you think its a good idea to go for FA 2017?

my FA 2016 was completely annotated so i didnt want to buy 2017 for last couple weeks. here is the solution:

i have 2017 FA pdf with all the new additions highlighted! so all you have to do is read your 2016 FA and have 2017 open on your laptop or ipad or whatever and just skim the info in 2017 thats new (highlighted)

message me with your email and ill send you the pdf today!

i wish you strength in studying! luck serves no purpose on step 1

 

[IM/EM/CCM]

during my last week i read all fa

my FA 2016 was completely annotated so i didnt want to buy 2017 for last couple weeks. here is the solution:

i have 2017 FA pdf with all the new additions highlighted! so all you have to do is read your 2016 FA and have 2017 open on your laptop or ipad or whatever and just skim the info in 2017 thats new (highlighted)

message me with your email and ill send you the pdf today!

i wish you strength in studying! luck serves no purpose on step 1

Thank you so much. Your time really means a lot to me. God Bless You! I have PM you my email. Thanks.

 

[IM/EM/CCM]

Can Uworld 2nd pass be completed in 8 days?
Thanks!

 

[TheOther]

Thank you so much. I read FA 16. I never read FA 2017. Do you think its a good idea to go for FA 2017?

If you've been using FA 16, there's no point in going for 17 this far into the game.

Can Uworld 2nd pass be completed in 8 days?
Thanks!

I think the most I've heard of anyone doing was 6 blocks a day, around 2 hours each block (12 hrs of UWorld/day) = 240 q/day x 8 days = 1,920 qs. I guess if you can speed read and be insanely efficient, you could do 8 blocks a day, 1.5 hours each block = 320 q/day x 8 days = 2,560. There's 2,490 questions currently, I believe. It's do-able but sounds exhausting...

 

[Major procrastinator]

Can Uworld 2nd pass be completed in 8 days?
Thanks!

why would you want to do that? just for the hell of it?
doesnt sound productive and your not gonna learn much, i would do the wrong questions focusing on weakest areas from nbme first
your gonna burnout doing the whole bank thay fast and will learn nothing

 

[Major procrastinator]

If you've been using FA 16, there's no point in going for 17 this far into the game.

I think the most I've heard of anyone doing was 6 blocks a day, around 2 hours each block (12 hrs of UWorld/day) = 240 q/day x 8 days = 1,920 qs. I guess if you can speed read and be insanely efficient, you could do 8 blocks a day, 1.5 hours each block = 320 q/day x 8 days = 2,560. There's 2,490 questions currently, I believe. It's do-able but sounds exhausting...

i gave him the solution for 2017, and trust me its worth your time to read the highlights

 

[IM/EM/CCM]

i gave him the solution for 2017, and trust me its worth your time to read the highlights

Okay. I will just redo the wrong questions in 3 days and then go through FA and take a shot at NBME. Later I will keep working on weak areas.
Thanks.

 

[chromuffin]

Name is Usmle RX 2016 First aid. You can find it on facebook in group called "usmle preparation group", or search on the web but you will less likely to find it there. It's a deck with 11 000 cards (it's the same cards from online flash facts from RX) and all cards have the corresponding images of first aid book. I think it is possible to do it but you will not have enough time to review the missed cards so I don't know what's better. To do 2-3 readings of first aid or stick with cards. You can also do cards in subjectwise manner for example cardio, or you can extract pharmacology cards and do only them, so you can make an accent on your weak sides. It's up to you. Anyway if not this cards I will never remember the details from first aid, especially farm. For example bupivacaine - cardiotoxicity. It is crazy to remember stuff like this. So thankful for this cards ...

https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/mobile/folders/0Bx3RyNBwNgpQaGlWVE8wRXhaT3M?usp=drive_web

Here is the link to the Anki deck mentioned