USMLE Need a Reality Check

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

StrongIslandDoc

Full of ideas.
7+ Year Member
Joined
Jul 4, 2016
Messages
174
Reaction score
215
I'm trying to figure out if I am blowing smoke up my own behind by doing a second-pass at UWorld. I did not do random blocks for my first pass of UW, because I used it to learn. Reset at ~95% complete, and now starting from scratch I am hitting high 80's mid-90's on completely random/mixed blocks. Currently at an 88% correct; (UW 1st pass was 70% correct, but I had just studied a given topic before hitting a topic-specific block).

Sometimes I recognize questions and roughly am able to recall the answer, but a lot of the time I don't. I'm wondering if I am blowing smoke up my rear and patting myself on the back for hitting high scores on these blocks, or does the 1st-pass / 2nd-pass approach really give an index of how prepared you are for the material?

Members don't see this ad.
 
Second pass percentage means nothing even if you don't recall some questions since you know it in your "unconscious" mind or "gut".
Sorry to burst your bubble.
 
If you want to know where you stand then you might want to try an earlier NBME (Form 12-15) leaving the later one's for dedicated.
 
I wish I'd done a second pass to help certain things stick better. But don't go by percentage, as it is quite unreliable as an indicator on any number of passes, go by NBMEs.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Top