How hard is USMLE??

[BoneNibbler]

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Okay so I am freaking out here. Took my schools cummulative final today (170 questions based on years 1 +2). I feel like i failed so badly. Each question had like 7 lines of vignette text followed by answers (a-g). I do okay on kaplan qbank like ~70% but this test was so much harder. Which is USMLE more like?

for instance one question was "what is the molecular pathophysiology of acromegaly".........WTF😱

I never read anything like that in FA or Gojan.......should I be reading some unknown book??🙁

 

[Pinkertinkle]

USMLE is really nothing like school tests, do uworld and follow the advice here and you'll be on your way to a great score.

 

[Captopril]

I heard USMLE is pretty easy

 

[SouthernSurgeon]

Okay so I am freaking out here. Took my schools cummulative final today (170 questions based on years 1 +2). I feel like i failed so badly. Each question had like 7 lines of vignette text followed by answers (a-g). I do okay on kaplan qbank like ~70% but this test was so much harder. Which is USMLE more like?

for instance one question was "what is the molecular pathophysiology of acromegaly".........WTF😱

I never read anything like that in FA or Gojan.......should I be reading some unknown book??🙁

Goljan definitely talks about the pathophysiology of acromegaly...

As with most of your posts, you need to take a deep breath and relax.

 

[Whats_up_doc]

Okay so I am freaking out here. Took my schools cummulative final today (170 questions based on years 1 +2). I feel like i failed so badly. Each question had like 7 lines of vignette text followed by answers (a-g). I do okay on kaplan qbank like ~70% but this test was so much harder. Which is USMLE more like?

for instance one question was "what is the molecular pathophysiology of acromegaly".........WTF😱

I never read anything like that in FA or Gojan.......should I be reading some unknown book??🙁

Does IGF-1 ring a bell?

 

[BoneNibbler]

Does IGF-1 ring a bell?

Haha. Try again. If it were only that easy. The answer choices had different signalling pathways and transcription factors...........ones that maybe a graduate molecular bio student would know...IGF-1....HA, not even close!😎

 

[rahulb]

Haha. Try again. If it were only that easy. The answer choices had different signalling pathways and transcription factors...........ones that maybe a graduate molecular bio student would know...IGF-1....HA, not even close!😎

most of the usmle questions can be answered with brute force and common sense. start eliminating until you're left with 1 choice.

 

[bodonid]

Haha. Try again. If it were only that easy. The answer choices had different signalling pathways and transcription factors...........ones that maybe a graduate molecular bio student would know...IGF-1....HA, not even close!😎

IGF-1... if that is the answer, and you know what IGF-1 stands for, you would know what pathway it uses.

insulin like growth factor uses the insulin (RTK) path.

irs ras raf mek erk

but isn't acromegaly usually GH?

 

[Slide]

Haha. Try again. If it were only that easy. The answer choices had different signalling pathways and transcription factors...........ones that maybe a graduate molecular bio student would know...IGF-1....HA, not even close!😎

Did it have to do with something like JAK/STAT and tyrosine kinase pathways? I've seen something like this on a biochem board exam, but I really doubt this would be a fair question on Step1 (but what do I know? I'm not due for it for another week.)

 

[Slide]

IGF-1... if that is the answer, and you know what IGF-1 stands for, you would know what pathway it uses.

insulin like growth factor uses the insulin (RTK) path.

irs ras raf mek erk

but isn't acromegaly usually GH?

Yes, but GH stimulates IGF-1 from the liver, and that's how GH mediates its effects.

 

[BoneNibbler]

See that would make sense and could be semi reasoned out without knowing the answer. However the answer choices were like " increased hydroysis of gene trascpipiton blah blah"........"Gs signal lowering hydolyis...blah blah"........stuff that we were never taught.....hope usmle is easier.

 

[hooperg]

I just took the USMLE Step 1 today. It's a very well-written exam. Study Goljan, First Aid, and maybe supplement your biochem/genetics/immuno a lil' and you'll be fine.

 

[Re3iRtH]

Yes, there is fine, and then there is SDN-fine. 😉

 

[Terpskins99]

I just took the USMLE Step 1 today. It's a very well-written exam. Study Goljan, First Aid, and maybe supplement your biochem/genetics/immuno a lil' and you'll be fine.

Don't forget to review biostats at the last minute!

 

[sprinkibrio]

See that would make sense and could be semi reasoned out without knowing the answer. However the answer choices were like " increased hydroysis of gene trascpipiton blah blah"........"Gs signal lowering hydolyis...blah blah"........stuff that we were never taught.....hope usmle is easier.

From what I've heard every question can be reasoned out. That's true of U World too, once you've memorized a base of facts from First Aid. If it happens to have come out of left field it probably isn't representative of what's on the real test. I felt like this at the beginning too, study immuno, biochem, and genetics first and then you'll start getting what they are going for.

 

[Cliff Huxtable]

How does the step 1 compare to UWorld and Kaplan in terms of content?

Does UWorld do a good job of emphasizing the big topics?

 

[ZagDoc]

How does the step 1 compare to UWorld and Kaplan in terms of content?

Does UWorld do a good job of emphasizing the big topics?

General consensus is that they both do good jobs at preparing you for different aspects of the real thing. Kaplan in most minutiae and "did you know this?" while UW is more integrative. Kaplan is generally regarded as the more difficult of the two, though both are said to be more difficult than the real thing. That being said, predictive scores from UW tend to be more accurate (I think the massive thread around here showed most people being within 5 or so points from their UW score to the real thing).

 

[future_dr_house]

General consensus is that they both do good jobs at preparing you for different aspects of the real thing. Kaplan in most minutiae and "did you know this?" while UW is more integrative. Kaplan is generally regarded as the more difficult of the two, though both are said to be more difficult than the real thing. That being said, predictive scores from UW tend to be more accurate (I think the massive thread around here showed most people being within 5 or so points from their UW score to the real thing).

I disagree with your assessment that Kaplan is more difficult. My scores, and I think you'll find most people's scores on this thread, are ~5-10% lower on UW.