How do you not get demoralized when doing UW questions?

[Knicks]

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After all that time studying, you hit those hard-ass questions; and BAM! don't you feel like you don't know anything?

How do you not get demoralized? (or DO you get demoralized?)

 

[PeepshowJohnny]

It is frustrating, but I think "This is why I'm paying for this service"

If all they did was lob softballs and I knocked them out of the park and then screwed up at Step 1, I'd be pissed.

Unless a question is ATROCIOUSLY bad and esoteric, I'm glad for an opportunity to increase or consolidate my knowledge and hopefully improve my score.

 

[VFib911]

I personally approached UW as a learning experience rather than an assessment of my potential performance (even though final percentages may correlate with Step I performance). In addition to making sure I was familiar with the key concepts in the UW material, it is also very useful getting used to the interface as doing questions on UW is almost exactly the same as doing questions on the real deal. Don't get discouraged as long as you are learning from the ones you get wrong.

Good luck.

 

[DoctaJay]

I have the same approach as VFib911. Although I really hate to get questions wrong, I'm definitely using UWorld as a teaching tool. Every question is done in tutor mode and I read all explanation, even for questions I got right. I'm also comforted when only 35% of other people got that same question wrong, 😀. It makes me feel better.

 

[Depakote]

I have the same approach as VFib911. Although I really hate to get questions wrong, I'm definitely using UWorld as a teaching tool. Every question is done in tutor mode and I read all explanation, even for questions I got right. I'm also comforted when only 35% of other people got that same question wrong, 😀. It makes me feel better.

👍

 

[lord_jeebus]

The more you get wrong, the more you get to learn

 

[rachmoninov3]

Depakote only four days to go! How are you holding up?
Best of luck on thursday.

 

[rachmoninov3]

my bad, June 22, not Jan 22...memorizing first aid will do that to you.

 

[Depakote]

my bad, June 22, not Jan 22...memorizing first aid will do that to you.

scared me for a second.

 

[mudphudwannabe]

I think this is one of the (many) things USMLE World does well. Most of us who have made it into medical school and through the first 2 years are used to getting at least 80-90% correct on an exam - we start to sweat if we feel like we aren't totally sure of almost all of the answers.

USMLE World gets you used to what it feels like to be getting 50-60% (or perhaps lower) of the questions correct. On a fair number of questions, you're unsure of the answer - maybe you got it narrowed down to 2 answers, or maybe it's a total guess. The real exam feels like this. Some questions are a little easier than USMLE World, but overall, the feeling is the same. You have to lose your emotional attachment to getting every question correct and just focus on doing the best you can. If you've done USMLE World questions and not panicked, you probably won't panic when you start getting really hard questions on the real thing - you've learned a strategy, and you'll be ok.

Anyway, maybe that doesn't help with the questions you have to do *right now* - but maybe it is helpful to know there is a reason for this madness, aside from just learning the concepts. You are psychologically preparing as well. 🙂

 

[laxman310]

Yes, UWorld beats you down, but you just try to learn from it and move on. Things will come together as you progress.

 

[Knicks]

I think this is one of the (many) things USMLE World does well. Most of us who have made it into medical school and through the first 2 years are used to getting at least 80-90% correct on an exam - we start to sweat if we feel like we aren't totally sure of almost all of the answers.

USMLE World gets you used to what it feels like to be getting 50-60% (or perhaps lower) of the questions correct. On a fair number of questions, you're unsure of the answer - maybe you got it narrowed down to 2 answers, or maybe it's a total guess. The real exam feels like this. Some questions are a little easier than USMLE World, but overall, the feeling is the same. You have to lose your emotional attachment to getting every question correct and just focus on doing the best you can. If you've done USMLE World questions and not panicked, you probably won't panic when you start getting really hard questions on the real thing - you've learned a strategy, and you'll be ok.

Anyway, maybe that doesn't help with the questions you have to do *right now* - but maybe it is helpful to know there is a reason for this madness, aside from just learning the concepts. You are psychologically preparing as well. 🙂

In other words, it humbles obnoxious over-achievers; which is fine by me.


and good overall post. 👍

 

[mudphudwannabe]

Good way to sum it up.

Although, not every overachiever is obnoxious. I'm certainly not, of course. 😉

 

[Knicks]

^^ Yup, never said all were obnoxious. 😎

 

[gluon999]

Dudes, UW will kick your butt! But that is great b/c on exam day you will feel confident and well prepared. I remember feeling during D-day that the questions weren't so bad compared to U-world. In fact, they were a bit easier and getting my butt kicked on UW was one of the best things that could have happened to me in retrospect! So enjoy the experience and use it to learn something new everyday. 👍

 

[GMDMD]

It gets a lot less demoralizing around week 5 once you start regularly averaging above 80%

😛

 

[Pollux]

I was getting consistently above 80% on UW, but it still felt kinda demoralizing at the time I was doing the questions. So it happens to everyone.

One thing I liked about the "how many percent of people answered this question correctly" was that I felt really good when I answer a question correctly when only 20% got it right. And when I got a hard question wrong, I told myself, "it's okay, 50% of people didn't know this either." If I missed an easy question, I would say "oh well, just have to be more careful on the real exam." This strategy worked really well for me.

 

[rs76]

these questions can certainly make you feel down. Just did a block of 48 and somehow it randomized to alot of anatomy and embryo (my 2 worst subjects) Ended up with a 45%! So far I've done 5 tests only (54%,58%,58%,70%, 45%).

Good luck

 

[shabu2]

at least you are consistent. I am all over the place. 43-88% 😱

 

[strv04]

Anybody care to comment on how pathology questions on USMLE world compare to review of pathology questions. I've heard they are slightly easier is there any truth to that?

 

[SouthernSurgeon]

It gets a lot less demoralizing around week 5 once you start regularly averaging above 80%

😛

Hahaha...I wish

Even at the very end of my studying, UW beat me down routinely. One day with about a week left I nearly had a breakdown after getting a 50% (when I'd been averaging probably in the high 60s low 70s for the previous several tests).

But it all worked out ok in the end.

To summarize, OP: it did demoralize me, but it was worth it for the learning.

 

[Saladin MD]

Hahaha...I wish

Even at the very end of my studying, UW beat me down routinely. One day with about a week left I nearly had a breakdown after getting a 50% (when I'd been averaging probably in the high 60s low 70s for the previous several tests).

I feel you. I was getting in the high 60s and low 70s as well, then I got a 60% which broke my spirit....luckily I got a 79% today (out of the blue). Half way done. Sigh.

Can you please tell me what you scored on the USMLE? Because I am scoring the exact same as you right now.

 

[ibavraham]

UW is definitely demoralizing. But remember - it is the practice before the real thing an as someone said - the harder you fall, the higher you bounce.

 

[Knicks]

^^ I hope clever little sayings like that hold water when it comes to the real thing.

 

[dan385]

Is world that much harder than Kaplan?

 

[Saladin MD]

I feel like crying some days. haha Seriously, I can imagine people (especially us IMGs) getting emotional breakdowns over studying for this test. It's just...so much tension.

 

[scube]

bump assist

 

[DOctorJay]

WORLD's philosophy is that if you're getting 80% of the questions right then you're really only learning 20% new material. this is a LEARNING tool, not a litmus test to determine your performance on the real thing. do WORLD, read everything in it, then take the sample exams to gauge your performance.