Official ABIM Exam/study tools thread!

[Anri of Astora]

Well north of 70% correct? I am doing UWorld questions with <400 questions left and current percentile of 85, but 69% correct. I feel that I am doing reasonably well, but it'll be pretty hard to get >70% correct, as these questions are pretty hard.

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[Raryn]

Well north of 70% correct? I am doing UWorld questions with <400 questions left and current percentile of 85, but 69% correct. I feel that I am doing reasonably well, but it'll be pretty hard to get >70% correct, as these questions are pretty hard.

Uworld is significantly harder (or at least trickier, which may as well be the same thing) than MKSAP. If you're getting 69% correct on uworld, you'll be fine. More than fine.

 

[whoknows2012]

Mksap at 70% first run through is unnecessarily high. Mostly everyone in my class last yr was below that number. IMO having had very recent experience (i.e. Last yr) if you're at or above 65% on mksap you're safe. Not sure what it would need to be for uworld. Full disclosure I was 67% just about through all the mksap questions and scored just above the mean.

 

[gutonc]

I didn't say first run. If you are above 70% by the time you're ready to take the test, you'll be fine.

 

[jackson292292]

There are questions in MKSAP that make reference to a study with a link.

Does the ABIM exam have questions like where you have click on a link to access an article, which you have to skim to answer the question?

There also questions that start with "according to a recent guideline", where guideline is a link. Does MKSAP have questions like that?

 

[gutonc]

There are questions in MKSAP that make reference to a study with a link.

Does the ABIM exam have questions like where you have click on a link to access an article, which you have to skim to answer the question?

There also questions that start with "according to a recent guideline", where guideline is a link. Does MKSAP have questions like that?

You won't have the link to click on. You will be expected to know the answer.

That said, unless it's a massively practice changing article, you won't be expected to know it.

Guidelines are a different story...you need to know that s*** cold.

 

[Cardiac Amyloidosis]

Anyone have any experience with NEJM Knowledge+ for ITE's? I'm debating that or MKSAP for first year studying purposes.

 

[jackson292292]

You won't have the link to click on. You will be expected to know the answer.

That said, unless it's a massively practice changing article, you won't be expected to know it.

Guidelines are a different story...you need to know that s*** cold.

Even for the questions that have a PubMed link that ask what the outcome of the study was?

 

[mavedoc]

Hi I need a study partner/Tutor and am willing to pay to help me study for 2018.
Thanks,
Mave Doc
[email protected]

 

[rokshana]

Hi I need a study partner/Tutor and am willing to pay to help me study for 2018.
Thanks,
Mave Doc
[email protected]

Just take awesome review and you will be fine...

 

[gutonc]

Even for the questions that have a PubMed link that ask what the outcome of the study was?

I have no idea. There were no questions on the actual exam like that. At least when I took it.

 

[bomgd3]

MKSAP questions are so discouraging to me. It seems that there are so many questions are either know-it-or-you-don't, yet have extremely little to do with actual practice. For example, there seem to be lots of difficult questions on eye pathology in the GIM section that I've never encountered clinically, and the Onc section seems to assess a lot of staging and other knowledge that I simply don't see how I can acquire rapidly and reliably. They seem to expect you to know staging and treatment for all cancers which just seems unrealistic. I've been scoring 70+ percent on most subjects and scored 95-99 percentile on ITEs all three years, yet I still feel very intimidated by this test! Although my MKSAP scores seem to be okay overall, I don't feel that I know this material. I'm arriving at this percentage through a lot of test-taking skills and process-of-elimination when I feel I need to know the actual material better.

I bought the MKSAP lectures which are absolutely fantastic but far too much material to review before the test. Board Basics seems to be a good book, but I'm going to have a tough time reading this dense thing... I didn't expect to be memorizing a new book like First Aid!

 

[Raryn]

I've been scoring 70+ percent on most subjects and scored 95-99 percentile on ITEs all three years

You could probably take the test tomorrow and pass. You'll be fine.

 

[Benzo4every1]

awesome review is high yield review course for sure. I will try to make it to the class next year. For those planning to take the tests, Would seriously consider going to it if you have the time to do so.

I don't, sorry.

Interested in getting this thread going again, if anyone else is studying for boards right now. I've been studying since March because of a bunch of personal obligations coming up over the next two months (including giving birth, NBD, haha).

1) Would be interested in knowing other peoples' study schedules if anyone cares to share (?)
2) I'm still using MKSAP 16 because that's what I ended up having access to, but I wonder how much the content changes each year (?) - open to speculation or actual data, haha. I think I'll have time to go through UWorld as well.
3) Has anyone used the MedStudy flashcards? I might find it in me to shell out another $200 if anyone has used it (or heard of others using it) with good results, but I'm on the fence about it.

I see a lot of people like the Awesome Review Course, but I can't find it in me to travel somewhere else to study for boards (especially at the end of my pregnancy and especially for a company with a website that looks like a 6th grader designed it. seriously, they need new web designers).

 

[leanbutu]

There are questions in MKSAP that make reference to a study with a link.

Does the ABIM exam have questions like where you have click on a link to access an article, which you have to skim to answer the question?

There also questions that start with "according to a recent guideline", where guideline is a link.


Can some one please answer the above question? They typically give us the link below the answer description but i've run into some questions where they give the referenced article along with the link just above the question stem (before answering the question). Obviously, I've been answering without clicking the link but I wasn't sure about this. Thank so much.

Below is an example question from MKSAP. Sorry in advance if i'm not supposed to post questions here. I don't know the rules

This question is based on the following reference:

Lindson-Hawley N, Banting M, West R, Michie S, Shinkins B, Aveyard P. Gradual versus abrupt smoking cessation: a randomized, controlled noninferiority trial. Ann Intern Med. 2016 May 3;164(9):585-92. PMID: 26975007

A 49-year-old woman is evaluated during a health maintenance visit. She smokes one pack of cigarettes per day, with a 15-pack-year history. Medical history is otherwise unremarkable. She takes no medications.

Results of the physical examination are normal.

 

[Raryn]

There are questions in MKSAP that make reference to a study with a link.

Does the ABIM exam have questions like where you have click on a link to access an article, which you have to skim to answer the question?

There also questions that start with "according to a recent guideline", where guideline is a link.


Can some one please answer the above question? They typically give us the link below the answer description but i've run into some questions where they give the referenced article along with the link just above the question stem (before answering the question). Obviously, I've been answering without clicking the link but I wasn't sure about this. Thank so much.

Below is an example question from MKSAP. Sorry in advance if i'm not supposed to post questions here. I don't know the rules

This question is based on the following reference:

Lindson-Hawley N, Banting M, West R, Michie S, Shinkins B, Aveyard P. Gradual versus abrupt smoking cessation: a randomized, controlled noninferiority trial. Ann Intern Med. 2016 May 3;164(9):585-92. PMID: 26975007

A 49-year-old woman is evaluated during a health maintenance visit. She smokes one pack of cigarettes per day, with a 15-pack-year history. Medical history is otherwise unremarkable. She takes no medications.

Results of the physical examination are normal.

I took the ABIM last year.

There were no questions like this.

I doubt they've added any.

 

[Merry12]

Hi guys,

So some technical questions:

So I don't know if anyone has run into this issue but the ABIM exam tutorial on their website has 2 sections, 5 questions each but the answer key has 6 answers for each section? Has anyone run into this issue? Not that it really matters but is there any other place to view the answer key because there's a total of 10 questions (5 in each section) not 12 questions...I'm just curious.

Also, for highlighting, it seems like we have to highlight the text within the question body and then click on the highlight button? And the same thing for strikethrough? This being different than the USMLEs when you just drag the mouse cursor over the desired text to highlight or strike through answer choices.

 

[thes_hunter]

There are questions in MKSAP that make reference to a study with a link.

Does the ABIM exam have questions like where you have click on a link to access an article, which you have to skim to answer the question?

There also questions that start with "according to a recent guideline", where guideline is a link.


Can some one please answer the above question? They typically give us the link below the answer description but i've run into some questions where they give the referenced article along with the link just above the question stem (before answering the question).
<sic>

I am fairly certain all of the 'See this article' MKSAP 17 questions I've had, have been in the update sections. I believe the intention is to make us aware of some important articles that may make their way to the ABIM by the time we take the exam.

I see MKSAP as a knowledge whetstone. It sharpens my skills and hones my intellect. I have caught some rare stuff just because I've been forced to address it in MKSAP. I'm less grumpy when I get those Zebra questions now. Because I recognize it as an opportunity to learn about a condition that could have profound impact on my patient's mortality and morbidity, and for that, I am grateful.

 

[Rongy_Dringus]

Hoping 4th time will be the charm! Sick and tired of this!


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[xtekian]

So I'll be taking the ABIM for the first time in 3.5 weeks (mid-August 2017) and am looking for some advice for my next study resource. Just finished a busy residency where I essentially didn't study. ITE scores were around 50/40/30% in three successive years (so dropping over three years). My current strategy is to read Board Basics x2, MedStudy x1, and MKSAP 17 questions.

With dedicated studying I think this leaves some time either for Uworld questions or for a video board review. What are your preferences? I'm leaning towards just Uworld because it's a lot cheaper at $200 for one month than a video course which is $1000 for Pass Machine to $1500 for Medstudy.

Thanks!

 

[Successor12]

I just did hem onc questions and I am honestly surprised that many questions are too specialized if you know what I mean! Same with endo. It's kinda scary and frustrating since as an internist I'd rarely manage that BS but I still have to know that sh$&@ cold
Sorry about the vent!
What you guys think?
Also what are the highest yielding subjects for this test??

 

[bomgd3]

I just did hem onc questions and I am honestly surprised that many questions are too specialized if you know what I mean! Same with endo. It's kinda scary and frustrating since as an internist I'd rarely manage that BS but I still have to know that sh$&@ cold
Sorry about the vent!
What you guys think?
Also what are the highest yielding subjects for this test??

ARGH. I feel the exact same way. I'm doing Heme/Onc questions right now and it's frustrating that they ask really specific questions about management of various stages of different cancers. Why would an internist know this???

 

[Successor12]

No idea! It's kind of unfair. I was speaking with my senior fellow earlier today and he said he got like one or two chemo questions. I was surprised actually since chemo is heavily tested in MKSAP !
He felt the overall exam was fair and reasonable and easier than mksap and uworld

I hope more can testify the same since what he said was sort of a relief

 

[Successor12]

So far GIM ID and nephrology were a fair game in the sense that they tested a lot of medical problems encountered during medicine residency training!
Still going through the motion of questions! Very anxious about doing cardiology

 

[bomgd3]

No idea! It's kind of unfair. I was speaking with my senior fellow earlier today and he said he got like one or two chemo questions. I was surprised actually since chemo is heavily tested in MKSAP !
He felt the overall exam was fair and reasonable and easier than mksap and uworld

I hope more can testify the same since what he said was sort of a relief

On a similar note, I get so frustrated at questions which test minutiae of cancer screening for various types and quantities of polyps, or really specific questions hinging on knowledge of heriditary cancer syndrome screening. I try to memorize this crap but it falls out of my brain almost immediately - in the real world we have charts and tables to look this stuff up. I'll probably make a "cram list" and just try to cram it back into my brain the night before the test: "If x number of y sized polyps with z histology, screen in xx months", etc. Ugh.

 

[hopefuloncologist]

PSA: I just kind of had to post to say that recovering from childbirth, feeding a 3-week old baby every 3 hours, and changing a diaper just as often, is not conducive to studying for internal medicine boards.

Hopefully these next 3 weeks will be good enough for me to pass. I'm at 68th percentile on UWorld and I ended up watching the ACP review course. Before labor, I redid all my incorrect MKSAP 16 questions until I got them right, but then I subsequently blitzed ALL medical knowledge out of my brain when I was in the hospital for a week recovering from all kinds of complications from pregnancy/labor.

Any sort of encouragement from anybody is appreciated. I don't want to have to be away from my baby next year retaking this stupid thing. I'm just venting, I don't think there's much to be done besides giving it my best.

 

[Daodejing]

^you got this

 

[Successor12]

PSA: I just kind of had to post to say that recovering from childbirth, feeding a 3-week old baby every 3 hours, and changing a diaper just as often, is not conducive to studying for internal medicine boards.

Hopefully these next 3 weeks will be good enough for me to pass. I'm at 68th percentile on UWorld and I ended up watching the ACP review course. Before labor, I redid all my incorrect MKSAP 16 questions until I got them right, but then I subsequently blitzed ALL medical knowledge out of my brain when I was in the hospital for a week recovering from all kinds of complications from pregnancy/labor.

Any sort of encouragement from anybody is appreciated. I don't want to have to be away from my baby next year retaking this stupid thing. I'm just venting, I don't think there's much to be done besides giving it my best.

I can't see why you wouldn't pass!
You will do it
I am only planing to MKSAP twice and do the images questions for mksap 17 for derm hem onc and cardiology

And review a few topics from board basics

And I am still hoping to pass LOl

 

[ICU2016]

Just take awesome review and you will be fine...

From my own experience, Awesome reviews is Joke, they guy just giving straight exam questions, his notes are garbage, you have to read million tines before you understand anything. May be there are few subject you can rely on him , ID and preventive.
I stopped reading his notes. I did Board basic 4 times and UW. I did great in the exam, my score was close to 600

 

[Anri of Astora]

Does this exam take the full 10 hours? I'm not the speediest test taker, but also not the slowest, so just wondering how long the average person takes to write this exam.

 

[Raryn]

Does this exam take the full 10 hours? I'm not the speediest test taker, but also not the slowest, so just wondering how long the average person takes to write this exam.

It's pretty luxurious with how much time it gives you. I'm a pretty speedy test-taker and finished each block with an hour to spare (thus, ~4 hours early to finish the day), but even my cofellow who is self-admittedly slow finished by 4pm (~2 hours to spare).

 

[whoknows2012]

Does this exam take the full 10 hours? I'm not the speediest test taker, but also not the slowest, so just wondering how long the average person takes to write this exam.

I'm a very fast test taker and including about 45 minutes of breaks it took me a little less than 6 hours. Without the breaks close to 5. A little more than an hour per section. Most people finish with time to spare it generally doesn't take the full time.

 

[letaps]

There are questions in MKSAP that make reference to a study with a link.

Does the ABIM exam have questions like where you have click on a link to access an article, which you have to skim to answer the question?

There also questions that start with "according to a recent guideline", where guideline is a link.


Can some one please answer the above question? They typically give us the link below the answer description but i've run into some questions where they give the referenced article along with the link just above the question stem (before answering the question). Obviously, I've been answering without clicking the link but I wasn't sure about this. Thank so much.

Below is an example question from MKSAP. Sorry in advance if i'm not supposed to post questions here. I don't know the rules

This question is based on the following reference:

Lindson-Hawley N, Banting M, West R, Michie S, Shinkins B, Aveyard P. Gradual versus abrupt smoking cessation: a randomized, controlled noninferiority trial. Ann Intern Med. 2016 May 3;164(9):585-92. PMID: 26975007

A 49-year-old woman is evaluated during a health maintenance visit. She smokes one pack of cigarettes per day, with a 15-pack-year history. Medical history is otherwise unremarkable. She takes no medications.

Results of the physical examination are normal.

Bump

Can anyone else comment on this?

MKSAP just released an update with questions where all of the questions start with "This question is based on the following reference" and then there is a PMID link. There are also other types of questions with links in it as well.

Do we get access to that link on the real exam?

 

[thes_hunter]

There are questions in MKSAP that make reference to a study with a link.

Does the ABIM exam have questions like where you have click on a link to access an article, which you have to skim to answer the question?

There also questions that start with "according to a recent guideline", where guideline is a link.
<sic>

I took the ABIM last year.

There were no questions like this.

I doubt they've added any.

Bump

Can anyone else comment on this?

MKSAP just released an update with questions where all of the questions start with "This question is based on the following reference" and then there is a PMID link. There are also other types of questions with links in it as well.

Do we get access to that link on the real exam?

Raryn did comment on it. There weren't any questions like this last year.

No one will know if we have them this year or not until we take it. But my guess is there won't be any questions like this.

 

[DarkLordofSith]

Bump

Can anyone else comment on this?

MKSAP just released an update with questions where all of the questions start with "This question is based on the following reference" and then there is a PMID link. There are also other types of questions with links in it as well.

Do we get access to that link on the real exam?

Those questions are from the MKSAP update. They give you a reference paper to go with it. I don't think it's supposed to be representative of the test itself.

 

[johndoe3344]

What are your guys' thoughts on the MKSAP 17 Self Assessment? I didn't realize that they were "extra" questions. Is 65-70% on that still a good benchmark to do okay on the real thing?

 

[Successor12]

Which ones you talking about?

 

[johndoe3344]

Which ones you talking about?

MKSAP 17 -> Testing -> Take a Pretest Assessment

Those are 120 questions that are distinct from the rest of the qbank

 

[HIIT]

MKSAP 17 -> Testing -> Take a Pretest Assessment

Those are 120 questions that are distinct from the rest of the qbank

I just did those questions too, and I think if you get above >65%, you should be okay. Anyone else agree? Also, I thought those questions were a little harder, didn't you think? I wish it had explanations

 

[E92er]

I might do the MKSAP pretest this weekend and see what I'm weak in.
I'm exactly half way through UW and my average is 51%. 2 weeks to go and I gotta get that average up!!! I think i'm at the 39th percentile....UGH!!!!

 

[hopefuloncologist]

I might do the MKSAP pretest this weekend and see what I'm weak in.
I'm exactly half way through UW and my average is 51%. 2 weeks to go and I gotta get that average up!!! I think i'm at the 39th percentile....UGH!!!!

I keep wondering what these percentiles from UWorld actually mean (or how they are validated). I mean, it seems like most years ~80% of people pass the exam.

So, if I'm 50-60-70th percentile on UWorld and 80% of people pass the exam, shouldn't I be WELL able to pass the exam? For that matter shouldn't your 39th percentile also be easily able to pass the exam?

Curious if others think my logic is sound.

 

[Raryn]

I keep wondering what these percentiles from UWorld actually mean (or how they are validated). I mean, it seems like most years ~80% of people pass the exam.

So, if I'm 50-60-70th percentile on UWorld and 80% of people pass the exam, shouldn't I be WELL able to pass the exam? For that matter shouldn't your 39th percentile also be easily able to pass the exam?

Curious if others think my logic is sound.

Probably, but you have to be careful with those generalizations. The underlying population is different: You could argue that the population who bought uworld is more worried about the test thus has a higher fail rate. Or you could argue that the popualtion who bought uworld is more motivated to study for the test thus has a lower fail rate. No way to really know.

That said, 2016 pass rate among first time test takers for the initial ABIM certification exam was 90%. Hasn't been under 85% in a long time. So if on the real thing, you do better than the 10th or 15th percentile, you'll pass. And no one ever sees your actual score but you. I don't even think your former program gets an individual score report.

 

[naseeha]

Anyone know MKSAP's average % for users. It's a shame they don't report it. There is a ridiculous amount of questions that the majority get wrong.

 

[Manuca]

is just MKSAP questions enough?

 

[whoknows2012]

is just MKSAP questions enough?

For many it is. But you have to be realistic with yourself; Are you a good test taker? Do you have a good handle on the material? If so it's probably enough.

 

[Manuca]

seriously how much onc chemo/XRT etc.. do we have to know....

 

[whoknows2012]

seriously how much onc chemo/XRT etc.. do we have to know....

Much less than mksap would lead you to believe. One thing that will almost certainly pop up is oncologic emergencies. Cord compression, svc syndrome, tls etc so know how to diagnose and manage that but as far as chemo and xrt stuff it's probably fairly low yield.

 

[Successor12]

EKGs?

 

[E92er]

For many it is. But you have to be realistic with yourself; Are you a good test taker? Do you have a good handle on the material? If so it's probably enough.

This is a good answer. I did only MKSAP last year and found that by going through it 3 times, I learned the right answers rather than KNOWING the right answers. I failed. This year, I'm using a combination of MKSAP (for the straight forward direct questions) and UW (for the more complex ones). The actual exam is a mix of the two. Plenty of questions that are 2 sentences long and either you know it or you don't, as well as question stems that are a page long and you have to find the single thing in it that points to the answer....

 

[Manuca]

This is a good answer. I did only MKSAP last year and found that by going through it 3 times, I learned the right answers rather than KNOWING the right answers. I failed. This year, I'm using a combination of MKSAP (for the straight forward direct questions) and UW (for the more complex ones). The actual exam is a mix of the two. Plenty of questions that are 2 sentences long and either you know it or you don't, as well as question stems that are a page long and you have to find the single thing in it that points to the answer....

This is a good answer. I did only MKSAP last year and found that by going through it 3 times, I learned the right answers rather than KNOWING the right answers. I failed. This year, I'm using a combination of MKSAP (for the straight forward direct questions) and UW (for the more complex ones). The actual exam is a mix of the two. Plenty of questions that are 2 sentences long and either you know it or you don't, as well as question stems that are a page long and you have to find the single thing in it that points to the answer....

CAn you tell me more about your experience... what scores were you getting on mksap? what do you think is a good comfort level... if you knew what you knew now would you have taken it ?