Also, why can't you change the answers to questions on MSKAP?
Official ABIM Exam/study tools thread!
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You can easily just delete the incorrect ones and reanswer them. Just do it from the answer sheet.
Anyone in here have any opinion about know_ m_edge Q bank ? If so, can you please tell how it compares to MKSAP/U-World and ABIM exam? Would the question be harder or easier? And is the percentile comparable? Thank you very much
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Dude. Pick a Q bank or 2. Nail it/them. Take the test. You're making this way too hard.
Thanks for the reply.... Man, I cannot fail this time. So, want to have some confidence. Currently doing know_ m_edge and scoring around 62 % which translates to 56 percentile. But I don't want to be fooled by the score (if in case it doesn't measure to the standard exam) and that is why I am asking. I have done MKSAP last year and was scoring only around 59 %. Because of my failures in the past, I need some reassurance. It's not like taking the exam for the first time. But I appreciate your effort to help.
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How many attempts/year(s) do you have left until you no longer can take the exam?
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So...you've failed multiple times in the past. What were you doing for study strategy then? If the answer is "just Q Banks", then why are you still just doing Q Banks? That clearly won't work for you. You need another strategy. Probably an in person boot camp style course. It's probably too late for you this year.
If you absolutely have to pass the exam this year or you can't work, and it's too late to do one of those courses (Awesome Review is the one brought up here most often...I have no connection to it or information about it), then I guess go for it. Otherwise, you need to cancel this year's exam, eat the cost if you have to, then pick a different study strategy for next year.
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There should be no contraindication.
All patients with osteoporosis merit treatment. Osteoporosis is defined as a T score <-2.5 OR a hx of fragility fracture
Not all patients with osteopenia merit treatment. FRAX is used to stratify patients with osteopenia.
The only exceptions to the above I can think of where there's a harder judgement call is in younger patients, but I can't imagine that would be on the IM boards.
ChristmasPikachu
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If FRAX is >20% for 10year risk of OP fracture or >3% risk of hip fracture also merits treatment.
thank you for clarification
BB has this line in it "Antiresorptive treatment is cost effective when the risk of major fracture is >20% or the risk of hip fracture is >3%" I interpreted this as meaning if you don't meet those numbers, you should not treat regardless of DEXA results
I thought there was a question in MKSAP that had no treatment based on FRAX results too. Perhaps that was actually a pt with osteopenia criteria instead of osteoporosis.
For those ppl who have taken the exam...are you uWorld questions easier or harder than the real thing?
BB has this line in it "Antiresorptive treatment is cost effective when the risk of major fracture is >20% or the risk of hip fracture is >3%" I interpreted this as meaning if you don't meet those numbers, you should not treat regardless of DEXA results
I thought there was a question in MKSAP that had no treatment based on FRAX results too. Perhaps that was actually a pt with osteopenia criteria instead of osteoporosis.
For those ppl who have taken the exam...are you uWorld questions easier or harder than the real thing?
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FRAX criteria only matter for osteopenia.
UW was harder than the real thing imo. Or at least trickier .
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Just took the MKSAP pretest while at work and alittle distracted. 60 seconds per question suuuuuuccckkks. I am hoping 68.3% is enough to pass, still have two weeks to go. NO idea if most people do the pretest before, during, or after studying considering it is a "pretest" and can be taken at anytime.
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It's ok, you'll have 2 minutes/question on the real thing. It's almost luxurious - I finished ~4 hours early.
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65-70% for MKSAP and you should be fine - Uworld 60% seems to be fine .
I got 60% on MKSAP and have 57% on UWorld. I am through about 20% of the Uworld question back. Taking ABIM on the 17th. I'm wondering if I should push it back or if I'll be able to pass. UWorld says I'm at 52 percentile overall right now. Any suggestions?
If you can push it back a few days just so you can finish the Qbank...that would probably be helpful. If thats not possible, I would just take the test. Still have a good chance of passing.
...just my thoughts. I am taking it for the first time this year.
...just my thoughts. I am taking it for the first time this year.
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I'm scoring 77% about 1/2 way through MKSAP for the second time. First time through was just an open book study format. This time I'm doing the timed blocks of 60 questions with no open book. I'm planning on finishing all questions, then doing all the update questions. Then I'm going to spend some time re-reviewing my weakest areas, probably going over my notes in board basics, re-doing questions that I missed in those areas, etc.
I'm really hoping this is enough to pass. I do not want to have to spend another year worrying about this test.
I'm really hoping this is enough to pass. I do not want to have to spend another year worrying about this test.
What does everyone think is the most high yield to spend the last week?
I finished mksap and uworld.
I'm trying to read through board basics, as well as a few flashcards I made. Also mixing in some questions that I got wrong. I feel like maybe I am trying to do too many things, and not doing any of them well enough.
I finished mksap and uworld.
I'm trying to read through board basics, as well as a few flashcards I made. Also mixing in some questions that I got wrong. I feel like maybe I am trying to do too many things, and not doing any of them well enough.
Does anyone know where to find a good resource or can summarize vaccines, specifically the pneumococcal ones. Definitely feel like there are contradictions between resources regarding the interval between, and which should be given first for various conditions...
For asplenia and CKD, does it matter which you give first? I read in a uWorld question that 13 should be given first, but then in a MKSAP question stem there is a patient that was given 23 first.
What I have written in my notes for current intervals
If 13 given first --> Wait 8 weeks
If 23 given first --> Wait 12 months
Repeat 23 after 5 years and at 65 (max of 3 doses in lifetime).
Does this seem accurate?
EDIT: i found a nice table on the CDC, which clarifies the intervals depending on which one is given first. It states that for age > 65, 13 is preferred to be given first and then 23 12 months later. It's not clear which is preferred to be given first in immunocompromised patients though.
For asplenia and CKD, does it matter which you give first? I read in a uWorld question that 13 should be given first, but then in a MKSAP question stem there is a patient that was given 23 first.
What I have written in my notes for current intervals
If 13 given first --> Wait 8 weeks
If 23 given first --> Wait 12 months
Repeat 23 after 5 years and at 65 (max of 3 doses in lifetime).
Does this seem accurate?
EDIT: i found a nice table on the CDC, which clarifies the intervals depending on which one is given first. It states that for age > 65, 13 is preferred to be given first and then 23 12 months later. It's not clear which is preferred to be given first in immunocompromised patients though.
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Literally in the same boat. Not sure what all these people with >70% are freaking out about
. I did UW first and then MKSAP now, about a third of the way through. It's a bit unnerving but I think we should be ok. Would have loved some more time to go through BB properly but it is what it is. Will take the pretest sometime this week and maybe read BB for the section that I'm the weakest on.
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At this point I just want this bloody thing over with. Reallllylyyyy having a hard time focusing at this point. 1 week to go!!
Honestly not even mad I'm getting through 1 qbank once through. Don't have the energy to do more than this.
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Typically if there's competing guidelines, the gray areas are not included on the boards. They likely won't be asking A1c goals (AACE = 6.5, ADA = 7.0, ACP = 8.0), blood pressure targets (JNC vs ACC/AHA vs ACP vs AAFP etc), or lipid targets (whether they exist or not). The questions on the boards are clear cut - the patient has an LDL of 180, or a BP of 165/100, or an A1c of 10 and you need to intensify treatment. Or they're on 6 agents, have a BP of 90/50, and get dizzy when they stand up and you need to deintensify. Whatever.
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thank you that is very helpful.
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Took the test today..... tougher than i expected but enough time for each questions.. a lot of my answers came down to 50/50. Literally 0 immunization questions. picture questions were easy to identify, random weird questions not covered by MKSAP/Board Basics, a lot of cardio/pulm/gi for me. only did MKSAP scored 66% first pass during residency and 74% on second pass doing 60 questions. mainly studied Board Basics, reviewed my wrong questions, did board review course back in June. felt like a made stupid mistakes during the exam. good luck everyone.. HOPE TO PASS. GL to everyone taking it next.
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Just finished the exam as well. Overall felt ok. I wasted so much time memorizing treatments of cancers and I don’t think there was a single question asking about treatment. Same with biostats. And treatment of rare infections. Never had to do a calculation. A LOT of zebras. I could not find case reports of some of the stuff they asked. The last section wrecked me. A few questions I literally had no idea.
But definitely had enough time to review marked questions (-about 20 per section).
Hoping for positive marks.
I did UW x1 Plus wrong answers, MKSAP x 2 (over two years), NEJM qbank once, BB3 once and then tough sections a second time through. Had some flashcards I made that I reviewed the month before.
Much harder than any step exam tho.
But definitely had enough time to review marked questions (-about 20 per section).
Hoping for positive marks.
I did UW x1 Plus wrong answers, MKSAP x 2 (over two years), NEJM qbank once, BB3 once and then tough sections a second time through. Had some flashcards I made that I reviewed the month before.
Much harder than any step exam tho.
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I agree, that last section WRECKED me
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It's unlikely that you had the same "last section" as anyone else.
I'm jealous of you guys that are done. I'm so sick of having this test hanging over my head. My plan for the next 9-10 days is to keep hitting mksap re-do questions, try to finish all of the "update" questions. Reading BB as I go on the stuff I'm still foggy on. I'm making flash cards of quick facts that I missed during MKSAP like "Treatment of Crohn's in pregnancy...Certoluzimab"
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I don't know how high yield they are, but they are clinically relevant updates to guidelines and thus testable. For instance, did you know that a "modified" valsalva maneuver is better than a standard one? Or that Pradaxa (dabigatran) overdose should be treated with Idarucizumab ("praxbind")?
It's stuff like that. They cite recent studies and changes to guidelines. So, unless you read a lot of current papers, you might not do as well on the updates as on the regular questions. At least, I know I didn't do too hot. I want to go through them just in case there are easy to remember ones that I would miss otherwise.
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Having done a few qbanks I think mksap is a test of pure knowledge. Do you know it or not?
The test itself is more like uworld. It asks you to know something about a disease then apply that knowledge critically. There are some “do you know it or not” on the actual exam but it’s the minority of the questions.
The test itself is more like uworld. It asks you to know something about a disease then apply that knowledge critically. There are some “do you know it or not” on the actual exam but it’s the minority of the questions.
I took my exam yesterday. I concur with the others that it was much tougher than I expected. There were so many things that I spent a lot of time studying that weren’t on that exam. If I had to do over again, I would probably spend more time studying board basics and annotating with stuff from Uworld.
I wouldn’t waste the time on MKSAP update questions. Remember all the questions on any standardized exam that actually count were written a few years ago and have been validated through multiple testing cycles.
I wouldn’t waste the time on MKSAP update questions. Remember all the questions on any standardized exam that actually count were written a few years ago and have been validated through multiple testing cycles.
Hey Ben, I've been doing uworld. About half way done with the bank. How tricky or deep thinking do you think the real exam really is?
I've noticed at least a small amount of uworld questions - they throw distractors/perhaps things about the patients background that actually aren't helpful. Also I feel some of the questions they intentionally leave a lab or fact out and you have to "assume" it. For example a question will mention the person is "a hiker, but has not traveled in a long time." Thinking that may be useless instead you have to take his hiking into account even though he hasn't done it in a long time...
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This is pretty spot on with the actual test (took it on 8/17). There are very few "primary knowledge" or buzzword-based questions, which is what separates this test from the Step exams.
I thought the exam was very similar to the ITEs. Most fresh grads with an adequate knowledge base should be able to pass it without any extensive preparation. I did uworld once (80% correct) - didn't feel like it helped me much. Happy to be done. Wish I could take it during the third year.
I would at least do Rheum and Heme/Onc too.
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Didn't do UW, just MKSAP/BB.
I thought so for the Rheum questions
First timer. Man what an exam. I didn't even feel what I studied was all that useful (MKSAP, BB etc.). Some of the questions were just weird and I couldn't tell what they were asking, but the worst is they put competing "buzzwords" and physical exams to trick you one answer over the other. A lot of the important stuff you think would be in an internal medicine exam was never tested which boggles my mind. Good chunk of primary care stuff.
I already count quite a few definite mistakes. Gotta wait 2-3 months for results. God damn. Just hope to pass at this rate. Sigh.
I already count quite a few definite mistakes. Gotta wait 2-3 months for results. God damn. Just hope to pass at this rate. Sigh.
