How to assess how much your score will improve?

[InFactotum]

---

Members do not see this ad.

I've completed nearly 800 USMLEWorld questions and am hovering exactly at 50% correct overall, and an ugly 31percentile amongst uworld users. I am only 10% or so through FA at this point.

My question is, what is a reasonable expectation for my percentage to improve by June?

My plan:

• Complete UW, re-do incorrects/marked. Reset the qbank and complete UW a second time, re-do the incorrects and take good notes.
• Complete FA once by critical reading, complete a second time with annotations corresponding to missed questions on UW and weak subjects
• Listen to Goljan Audio a couple times.
• Do 20 questions or so out of each chapter of Robbins review book
• Read high-yield Neuro and high-yield behavioral science

My goal score is 245... do-able with this plan and my current average, or am I shooting for the stars?

 

[FIREitUP]

I've completed nearly 800 USMLEWorld questions and am hovering exactly at 50% correct overall, and an ugly 31percentile amongst uworld users. I am only 10% or so through FA at this point.

My question is, what is a reasonable expectation for my percentage to improve by June?

My plan:

• Complete UW, re-do incorrects/marked. Reset the qbank and complete UW a second time, re-do the incorrects and take good notes.
• Complete FA once by critical reading, complete a second time with annotations corresponding to missed questions on UW and weak subjects
• Listen to Goljan Audio a couple times.
• Do 20 questions or so out of each chapter of Robbins review book
• Read high-yield Neuro and high-yield behavioral science

My goal score is 245... do-able with this plan and my current average, or am I shooting for the stars?

my understanding is that UWORLD has ~2200 questions. So why would you do ~1/3rd of the questions when you have only gone over 1/10 of first aid?

 

[InFactotum]

my understanding is that UWORLD has ~2200 questions. So why would you do ~1/3rd of the questions when you have only gone over 1/10 of first aid?

I suppose it's a fair question, although it'd be great if you could provide some insight into my original question.

The reason is because my understanding is that people that score the highest have done the most questions, and that doing a LOT of questions (and reading each and every explanation) is the best way to score well. I've come to this assumption through reading study methods from people that score over 250, as well as hearing the same from a neurosurgery resident I know that scored very high. I'm also still learning to balance my regular classes with board studying, so I expect the pace of F.A. to pick up. I'm also doing it to identify my weakest areas early.

 

[calvnandhobbs68]

You should probably reference this thread:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=977141

Basically, you're probably wasting UWorld at this point. The reason your score is low is because all those other students you're scoring against have usually gone through FA at least once before starting UWorld questions.

Most people use UWorld to test their knowledge, not learn the material the first time. If you plan to keep using it to do that, don't be discouraged by the low percentage.

 

[InFactotum]

You should probably reference this thread:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=977141

Basically, you're probably wasting UWorld at this point. The reason your score sucks is low is because all those other students you're scoring against have usually gone through FA at least once before starting UWorld questions.

Most people use UWorld to test their knowledge, not learn the material the first time. If you plan to keep using it to do that, don't be discouraged by the low percentage.

I actually did see that thread. I guess I thought I was asking a different question, but maybe my strategy is not typical so it's difficult to answer.

I'm not too discouraged... I'm doing better than my peers that are also completing UW questions now, but I'm also shooting for more competitive specialties and was wondering if others that started question banks early on knew what kind of improvement to expect. You make a good point that most people probably are doing the questions much later in the game and so my percentile does not relate well to other question bank users. Thanks.

 

[FIREitUP]

I suppose it's a fair question, although it'd be great if you could provide some insight into my original question.

The reason is because my understanding is that people that score the highest have done the most questions, and that doing a LOT of questions (and reading each and every explanation) is the best way to score well. I've come to this assumption through reading study methods from people that score over 250, as well as hearing the same from a neurosurgery resident I know that scored very high. I'm also still learning to balance my regular classes with board studying, so I expect the pace of F.A. to pick up. I'm also doing it to identify my weakest areas early.

that's fine and dandy but what's the point of doing questions if you don't know the material well enough? and give me a break with the "finding your weaknesses", just think back on what you struggled with during your first two years/what you did most poorly on and I'm sure you'll figure it out without wasting another 1/3rd of the best Qbank out there.

 

[InFactotum]

that's fine and dandy but what's the point of doing questions if you don't know the material well enough? and give me a break with the "finding your weaknesses", just think back on what you struggled with during your first two years/what you did most poorly on and I'm sure you'll figure it out without wasting another 1/3rd of the best Qbank out there.

I guess I'm not seeing how it's being wasted if I'm also using it as a learning tool and plan to complete it at least twice. And the way my school structures classes actually makes it more difficult than I expected to find my weaknesses, although after completing the questions I have they are very apparent. No one has answered my original question yet 😛 but maybe that's because people feel my approach is wrong. From your advice I will take away that I should focus more on F.A. and do less questions.

 

[FIREitUP]

I guess I'm not seeing how it's being wasted if I'm also using it as a learning tool and plan to complete it at least twice. And the way my school structures classes actually makes it more difficult than I expected to find my weaknesses, although after completing the questions I have they are very apparent. No one has answered my original question yet 😛 but maybe that's because people feel my approach is wrong. From your advice I will take away that I should focus more on F.A. and do less questions.

actually it's a terrible waste to try to do initial learning from a qbank. it is overwhelming and you will miss a lot of the connections that you will have made if you actually took the time to go over the material thoroughly at least once. oh, and the reason we haven't answered your question is because you're looking for reassurance on doing poorly on a qbank which you are trying to use as a primary learning tool, when you should instead start heeding our advice and starting first aid. sounds like reading comprehension is one of your weaknesses.

 

[withrye]

I think people haven't answered your question because most people tend to use UWorld later, when they've covered the baseline material with FA or other comprehensive sources. As such, it's harder to find people who have done what you're trying. In that case, few can give you very informed advice about where you can expect your scores to go. What is known, however, is that scores jump up quite a bit between when you first start (i.e. little base knowledge, or it's been a while) and when you're in your dedicated study period and quite focused on FA and qbanks.

 

[InFactotum]

actually it's a terrible waste to try to do initial learning from a qbank. it is overwhelming and you will miss a lot of the connections that you will have made if you actually took the time to go over the material thoroughly at least once. oh, and the reason we haven't answered your question is because you're looking for reassurance on doing poorly on a qbank which you are trying to use as a primary learning tool, when you should instead start heeding our advice and starting first aid. sounds like reading comprehension is one of your weaknesses.

Why are you on the attack?

I just said "from your advice I will take away that I should focus more on F.A. and do less questions." How is that not heeding advice?

Secondly, I am not looking for reassurance. If it came off that way, it was unintentional. I'm simply wondering if there is information out there on how initial UW scores translate into final UW scores.

I appreciate the constructive advice.

 

[InFactotum]

I think people haven't answered your question because most people tend to use UWorld later, when they've covered the baseline material with FA or other comprehensive sources. As such, it's harder to find people who have done what you're trying. In that case, few can give you very informed advice about where you can expect your scores to go. What is known, however, is that scores jump up quite a bit between when you first start (i.e. little base knowledge, or it's been a while) and when you're in your dedicated study period and quite focused on FA and qbanks.

Fair enough, I didn't realize my plan was unorthodox. Thanks.

 

[FIREitUP]

Why are you on the attack?

I just said "from your advice I will take away that I should focus more on F.A. and do less questions." How is that not heeding advice?

Secondly, I am not looking for reassurance. If it came off that way, it was unintentional. I'm simply wondering if there is information out there on how initial UW scores translate into final UW scores.

I appreciate the constructive advice.

if i came across as if i was on the attack that was not my intention, but you should realize that the reason why people won't/can't answer your initial question because it's like asking how your MCAT score would translate into your Step 1 score. If you asked this a couple weeks before your exam then it would actually be possible to give you an estimation, but you're asking "what will my score be like if I have %x on my Qbank? btw, i've only gone through 10% of the material.". If you think for a second on how impossible this question is to answer then you'd understand why I'm "on the attack".

 

[InFactotum]

if i came across as if i was on the attack that was not my intention, but you should realize that the reason why people won't/can't answer your initial question because it's like asking how your MCAT score would translate into your Step 1 score. If you asked this a couple weeks before your exam then it would actually be possible to give you an estimation, but you're asking "what will my score be like if I have %x on my Qbank? btw, i've only gone through 10% of the material.". If you think for a second on how impossible this question is to answer then you'd understand why I'm "on the attack".

As I said, I didn't know my strategy was uncommon, therefore I thought it was possible that others before me knew how their score progressed on average. Now that I see most people don't do it this way, it makes sense why people cannot answer. I don't lack reading comprehension, I just made an incorrect assumption. Take care.