USMLE Lab values to be memorised

[Dr.serotonin]

Plz list the different lab values which one must memorise for step 1 exam. So that we can save our time by not looking them in lab section.
Thanks.

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[masaraksh]

Plz list the different lab values which one must memorise for step 1 exam. So that we can save our time by not looking them in lab section.
Thanks.

Dude didn't you just post about how you took an NBME like 5 months away from your step 1 and got a 230. I mean, yeah its fine to shoot for a higher score, but I think you've got your stuff together enough not need to worry about specifically which lab values to know and what to not know.

 

[StilgarMD]

Plz list the different lab values which one must memorise for step 1 exam. So that we can save our time by not looking them in lab section.
Thanks.

If you want to memorize things so you can save time on the exam by not looking at the table - memorize that table.

 

[SKaminski]

Plz list the different lab values which one must memorise for step 1 exam. So that we can save our time by not looking them in lab section.
Thanks.

How about YOU find the lab values and post them for us?
Thanks.

 

[Phloston]

I'd actually recommend memorizing pretty much all lab values if your brain can handle it. Sodium, potassium, bicarb and pH ranges are the highest yield. But I'd also recommend knowing pCO2 and pO2 ranges, as well as calcium and phosphate, and hemoglobin ranges.

If that's an issue then the lab values are right there for you on the exam just a click away. But you can move faster on the exam, especially on later Steps, if you just have them down. And in real life on wards people just say numbers and expect you to know if something is up or down.

 

[masaraksh]

I'd actually recommend memorizing pretty much all lab values if your brain can handle it. Sodium, potassium, bicarb and pH ranges are the highest yield. But I'd also recommend knowing pCO2 and pO2 ranges, as well as calcium and phosphate, and hemoglobin ranges.

If that's an issue then the lab values are right there for you on the exam just a click away. But you can move faster on the exam, especially on later Steps, if you just have them down. And in real life on wards people just say numbers and expect you to know if something is up or down.

I don't want to sound like a dick, but those are all pretty easy and should probably be burned in you head after M2... along with probably several others like ALT, AST, Alk Phos; CSF values for glucose, protein, leukocytes; Urine findings...

But, I'm sure you'll be fine if you have to take the extra 10secs to look up things like TSH, free T4, etc. or random steroid hormones, or whatever else..

 

[Phloston]

I don't want to sound like a dick, but those are all pretty easy and should probably be burned in you head after M2... along with probably several others like ALT, AST, Alk Phos; CSF values for glucose, protein, leukocytes; Urine findings...

But, I'm sure you'll be fine if you have to take the extra 10secs to look up things like TSH, free T4, etc. or random steroid hormones, or whatever else..

I would say most students don't have those memorized for step 1.

 

[cbrons]

And in real life on wards people just say numbers and expect you to know if something is up or down.

This is true. And if you don't know what the normal K+ range is, you will look like a complete idiot.

 

[Dr.serotonin]

Dude didn't you just post about how you took an NBME like 5 months away from your step 1 and got a 230. I mean, yeah its fine to shoot for a higher score, but I think you've got your stuff together enough not need to worry about specifically which lab values to know and what to not know.

Yeah that's true. But not 5 months away, just 2 n half months away from my exam. 230 might seem a decent score to many but any thing less than 250s is in danger zone now a days (that's my opnion)

 

[Dr.serotonin]

I'd actually recommend memorizing pretty much all lab values if your brain can handle it. Sodium, potassium, bicarb and pH ranges are the highest yield. But I'd also recommend knowing pCO2 and pO2 ranges, as well as calcium and phosphate, and hemoglobin ranges.

If that's an issue then the lab values are right there for you on the exam just a click away. But you can move faster on the exam, especially on later Steps, if you just have them down. And in real life on wards people just say numbers and expect you to know if something is up or down.

I totally agree with you sir.

 

[Dr.serotonin]

How about YOU find the lab values and post them for us?
Thanks.

Serum Na
Serum K
Serum Ca
Serum HCO3
Serum osmolarity

Serum TSH

Serum glucose (Fasting and random)

Hb-A1c

CSF glucose and protein

Total cholesterol
Total TGS
HDL

Sweat chloride

ABGS

Alveolar PO2 and Alveolar CO2


Complete blood count with differential
ESR


That's what I think is important / Or I'll mmemorise

 

[Transposony]

http://www.usmle.org/pdfs/step-1/2015samples_step1.pdf

 

[worldbeater]

It's always better to know what the normal values of what something is, it will help you figure out what is wrong with the patient in the stem and an in real life. Know normal so well that you can figure out a 1000 abnormals, as my teacher likes to say!

 

[tasar1898]

Just doing 1-2 qbanks will force this stuff into your brain , any more effort to memorize lab values seems wayyyy overkill to me .. Memorizing 1.000.000 other crap sounds hard enough to me w/o caring about TSH or w/e...