NBME--Not at all like Q-Bank

[funkless]

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Is it me, or is Q-Bank WAAAAAAY different than the NBME self-assessments?

It seems like the $45 NBMEs are much more straight memorization than Q-Bank, Goljan, or the SDN forums would lead you to believe. I've taken Forms 1 and 2, and I've seen little conceptual integration. Rather, for instance, you get a clinical vignette that absolutely screams 'cystic fibrosis' and then they'll give you the choice between "defective cAMP dependent Cl- channel" and "defective Ca++ dependent Cl- channel." That's straight memorization. (BTW, it's cAMP.)

Plus, there's a ton of cell bio, a ton of biochem, and a ton of immunology. Not as much pathology as Goljan or the Q-Bank distribution would have you believe...

Has anyone else taken these NBMEs? Care to corroborate or disagree?

 

[(nicedream)]

Is it me, or is Q-Bank WAAAAAAY different than the NBME self-assessments?

It seems like the $45 NBMEs are much more straight memorization than Q-Bank, Goljan, or the SDN forums would lead you to believe. I've taken Forms 1 and 2, and I've seen little conceptual integration. Rather, for instance, you get a clinical vignette that absolutely screams 'cystic fibrosis' and then they'll give you the choice between "defective cAMP dependent Cl- channel" and "defective Ca++ dependent Cl- channel." That's straight memorization. (BTW, it's cAMP.)

Plus, there's a ton of cell bio, a ton of biochem, and a ton of immunology. Not as much pathology as Goljan or the Q-Bank distribution would have you believe...

Has anyone else taken these NBMEs? Care to corroborate or disagree?

I absolutely agree. I was surprised, and scared.

 

[BlackNDecker]

Is it me, or is Q-Bank WAAAAAAY different than the NBME self-assessments?

It seems like the $45 NBMEs are much more straight memorization than Q-Bank, Goljan, or the SDN forums would lead you to believe. I've taken Forms 1 and 2, and I've seen little conceptual integration. Rather, for instance, you get a clinical vignette that absolutely screams 'cystic fibrosis' and then they'll give you the choice between "defective cAMP dependent Cl- channel" and "defective Ca++ dependent Cl- channel." That's straight memorization. (BTW, it's cAMP.)

Plus, there's a ton of cell bio, a ton of biochem, and a ton of immunology. Not as much pathology as Goljan or the Q-Bank distribution would have you believe...

Has anyone else taken these NBMEs? Care to corroborate or disagree?

Have your classes ended already? Or did you just take it for the heck of it?

 

[funkless]

Have your classes ended already? Or did you just take it for the heck of it?

Yeah, we're on a condensed pre-clinical curriculum. We finish our classes in mid-March, take 4 weeks to study for step one, two weeks for vacation, one week for clinical skills, then start in the wards May 1.

I take Step One on Monday.

 

[funkless]

I absolutely agree. I was surprised, and scared.

So, I take it that the actual exam is closer to the NBME's caliber than, say, Q-Bank?

 

[Kashue]

So, I take it that the actual exam is closer to the NBME's caliber than, say, Q-Bank?

Yes. That is the consensus on SDN and my school. It's a accurate predictor +/- 10.

 

[Trader56]

Funk, Nice, and Kash,

Sounds like, from your comments, that the NBME is heavy on knowing mechanisms.

Does this sound right?

 

[Kashue]

Funk, Nice, and Kash,

Sounds like, from your comments, that the NBME is heavy on knowing mechanisms.

Does this sound right?

Big time. They tested a lot of mechanism on the practice NMBE exam I took. A lot of up down arrows and Q's that wanted you to think.


Yo funkless, post your experience after your done.

Good luck bro, it's gonna feel great being done with the beast on Monday.

 

[Anath]

Big time. They tested a lot of mechanism on the practice NMBE exam I took. A lot of up down arrows and Q's that wanted you to think.


Yo funkless, post your experience after your done.

Good luck bro, it's gonna feel great being done with the beast on Monday.

That is exactly how the real test is! I had used the assessments, q-bank and USMLE world (hmm, I cant remember if I used USMLE world for step 1 or only step 2) but either way, the lack of those charts and choosing just the right combinations of reactions, etc was something blatant with Q-bank. ie, you're given a condition and then have to figure out which combination of whether the phosphate, calcium, vitamin D, Magnesium levels will go up, down, or stay the same. Man did I hate those!!

 

[BlackNDecker]

So which form(s) did you guys take...or does it really matter? Form 2 was the favorite last year...is it the same this year with 4 different forms?

Who has the time/money to take 4 forms 😕

Goodluck guys...make sure you post your Step I experience in the 2006 Step I thread 👍

 

[funkless]

Form 1 was rough, but not nearly as rough as form 2. (12 point drop. Ouch.)

Thanks. I'll be sure to post something after Monday.