OMS 2 Study Plan for Boards

[hungrydoc710]

OMS 1 summer: Ran thru sketchy micro and pharm vids + annotated PDF of sketchy material

Block 5 - learn the bugs and drugs from sketchy via Pepper anki decks

Block 6 - Pathoma annotating and Duke's pathoma anki deck + USMLE Rx vids/q's and following with FA

Block 7 - More Rx questions, COMBANK q's, etc.

Dedicated - UW holy grail

What are people's thoughts on Rx's vids + Questions? Or is it better to use BnB to follow with FA?
What's the best way to get thru that massive FA book?

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[AnatomyGrey12]

What are people's thoughts on Rx's vids + Questions?

Waste of time.

Or is it better to use BnB to follow with FA?

This.

 

[hungrydoc710]

Waste of time.


This.

Point taken. Care to elaborate?

I've heard Rx is a solid jump off platform for learning the FA material. I know the questions aren't any good, but I'd be doing those up until Xmas, then do UW only after that. I just need to get started sifting thru the FA material. I guess BnB does that as well...

You just took, correct?
What do you think of my overall plan? Or rather, how did you schedule your studying from block 5 thru dedicated?

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

Yeah I just took it. I would literally just do practice questions and BnB, and keep up with your anki cards (I suggest lolnotacop micro and pepper pharm). Rx flashcards/vids are a huge waste of time.

I never read FA. I only did about 2/3s of the Rx questions (don't like them) and then have a PDF that I would use to control F stuff as I did questions. When I got a question on a topic I would pull up that section and read it.

 

[hungrydoc710]

Yeah I just took it. I would literally just do practice questions and BnB, and keep up with your anki cards (I suggest lolnotacop micro and pepper pharm). Rx flashcards/vids are a huge waste of time.

I never read FA. I only did about 2/3s of the Rx questions (don't like them) and then have a PDF that I would use to control F stuff as I did questions. When I got a question on a topic I would pull up that section and read it.

Does BnB follow FA pretty close?
I feel like pepper for micro and pharm bc I used sketchy for both.
Any thoughts on Duke's pathoma, Lightyear, vs Zanki decks?

When did you have time to go thru BnB vids?

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

Does BnB follow FA pretty close?
I feel like pepper for micro and pharm bc I used sketchy for both.
Any thoughts on Duke's pathoma, Lightyear, vs Zanki decks?

When did you have time to go thru BnB vids?

Lolnotacop is based on Sketchy micro, but it also includes FA and UW micro. It’s better than pepper.

BnB is designed to follow FA. It literally links the pages for each video.

Zanki is king.

You make time.

 

[MrTaco92]

I loved RX as a starter qbank for step 1. But I'd only recommend it to those who will not be using a premade anki deck and only plan to go the qbank journal route. A better throwaway qbank for someone who is already using one of those premade anki decks might be kaplan or amboss since they sometimes cover some unique material outside of first aid/pathoma/sketchy/uworld. But that may just lead to resource overload.

 

[getfat]

Point taken. Care to elaborate?

Some of the videos are good but for a lot of them the presenter is just re-reading the material. No tricks to remembering. No explanation of concepts.
If you look at the Rx video in September, it is highly doubtful you will just bluntly remember the bullet point when you take the test in June/July.

 

[itsMCJammer]

.

 

[hungrydoc710]

Don't mean to hijack, but similarly entering OMS-II. Was thinking of doing UW starting december, but until then Kaplan questions + zanki + studying for classes? Does that seem like a fair strategy?

You just planning on hitting Zanki (I think I prefer Lightyear tagging), straight up without FA review?

 

[hungrydoc710]

Some of the videos are good but for a lot of them the presenter is just re-reading the material. No tricks to remembering. No explanation of concepts.
If you look at the Rx video in September, it is highly doubtful you will just bluntly remember the bullet point when you take the test in June/July.

What do you suggest study wise from block 5 onward...?

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

You just planning on hitting Zanki (I think I prefer Lightyear tagging), straight up without FA review?

Do not wait to start Zanki. It’s too big and waiting means that you most assuredly won’t finish it. You do not need to do a “FA review” before starting it.

What do you suggest study wise from block 5 onward...?

Do practice questions and Zanki. This isn’t rocket science. If you have time for anything else then do that too.

 

[getfat]

What do you suggest study wise from block 5 onward...?

Agreed with @AnatomyGrey12. Last time i checked zanki was ~27K. You need time to mature that amount of cards. I started zanki in January only got to about 11K cards before i gave up and focused purely on B&B,UW. Really wish i finished all those cards.

A lot of questions on step 1 are first order and you can know it purely off blunt memory.

 

[OneSummerPhoton]

From what I'm reading, most are suggesting BnB, FA, and Zanki starting day 1. Then as time progresses, Pathoma, Sketchy, and UW come into play?

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

From what I'm reading, most are suggesting BnB, FA, and Zanki starting day 1. Then as time progresses, Pathoma, Sketchy, and UW come into play?

Zanki from day one yes, just do the rest of the stuff to help supplement whatever you are doing in class, BnB is very useful for class. Pathoma is good for a quick rundown of all the path you need to know in a system, I did it first before doing any other system study. Sketchy micro and pharm are gold, but do those when they come up. If you have one pass of those before dedicated you’ll be good, the key will be doing those cards in Zanki before you’ll never forget a sketch after seeing it on a flash card over and over forcing yourself to remember it. FA is a review book, I definitely wouldn’t “start FA from day 1.” I never actually read it and only used it as a supplement to UWorld really. 240s Step for reference.

 

[Ho0v-man]

Agreed with @AnatomyGrey12. Last time i checked zanki was ~27K. You need time to mature that amount of cards. I started zanki in January only got to about 11K cards before i gave up and focused purely on B&B,UW. Really wish i finished all those cards.

A lot of questions on step 1 are first order and you can know it purely off blunt memory.

Whoa! Don’t give anyone a heart attack! I finished most of Zanki but only matured something in the high 70s to low 80s of it.

 

[getfat]

Then as time progresses, Pathoma, Sketchy, and UW come into play?

Thats a better question for an MS3/MS4 at your specific school.
If you have a traditional curriculum, Pathoma/Sketchy aren't needed until end of MS1. You are more focused on the basic sciences not really pathology in year one.
I'm not sure how these systems focused curriculums handle it.

Whoa! Don’t give anyone a heart attack! I finished most of Zanki but only matured something in the high 70s to low 80s of it.

Didn't even get that close. Wish I did.

 

[joeception]

OMS 1 summer: Ran thru sketchy micro and pharm vids + annotated PDF of sketchy material

Block 5 - learn the bugs and drugs from sketchy via Pepper anki decks

Block 6 - Pathoma annotating and Duke's pathoma anki deck + USMLE Rx vids/q's and following with FA

Block 7 - More Rx questions, COMBANK q's, etc.

Dedicated - UW holy grail

What are people's thoughts on Rx's vids + Questions? Or is it better to use BnB to follow with FA?
What's the best way to get thru that massive FA book?

I wouldn't wait to dedicated to use Uworld there are just too many questions now.

 

[hungrydoc710]

I wouldn't wait to dedicated to use Uworld there are just too many questions now.

Yeah I mean after this block and next block, hopefully I'll be ready to start dabbling with the UW questions.

I'm just struggling to figure out a timeline of content review leading up to block 7.
I want to do bugs and drugs now. Next block start going thru pathoma and BnB vids more from previous systems.
Start questions block 7?

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

Yeah I mean after this block and next block, hopefully I'll be ready to start dabbling with the UW questions.

I'm just struggling to figure out a timeline of content review leading up to block 7.
I want to do bugs and drugs now. Next block start going thru pathoma and BnB vids more from previous systems.
Start questions block 7?

You should be already doing questions along with your classes. Rx, Kaplan, whatever, but absolutely do not wait to do questions. That would be a big mistake.

 

[hungrydoc710]

You should be already doing questions along with your classes. Rx, Kaplan, whatever, but absolutely do not wait to do questions. That would be a big mistake.

Mmm ok. Maybe I'll utilize the COMBANK questions for now.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

Mmm ok. Maybe I'll utilize the COMBANK questions for now.

COMBANK is terrible. You need to do Kaplan or Rx.

 

[hungrydoc710]

COMBANK is terrible. You need to do Kaplan or Rx.

So Rx is ok to start?

 

[Ho0v-man]

If you just do 10/day of uworld from January to your spring break and then kick it up to 40/day after that then you should have no problems finishing uworld at least once if not twice. No reason to start this semester so focus on a different q bank.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

So Rx is ok to start?

Yeah Rx is ok, personally I would do kaplan over Rx but our school gave us Kaplan so I have no idea how Kaplan compares to Rx price wise. If Rx is cheaper then just do Rx.

 

[DennisReynolds]

Looking back.

UW.

Do UW AGAIN and AGAIN and AGAIN. Absorb the explanations. Read FA on the side if you want and hammer in sketchy and pathoma.

And take that last day or two right before the exam OFF. I mean completely OFF. Go get faded, go get drunk, go work out til you can't even move, go on a tinder binge, etc. IDC WHAT IT IS. Don't pull an all-nighter like I did and drop from your averages 20+ points.

You know more than you think. Honestly.

🙁

 

[hungrydoc710]

Looking back.

UW.

Do UW AGAIN and AGAIN and AGAIN. Absorb the explanations. Read FA on the side if you want and hammer in sketchy and pathoma.

And take that last day or two right before the exam OFF. I mean completely OFF. Go get faded, go get drunk, go work out til you can't even move, go on a tinder binge, etc. IDC WHAT IT IS. Don't pull an all-nighter like I did and drop from your averages 20+ points.

You know more than you think. Honestly.

🙁

Yes - pathoma and sketchy are my go to's. I will get into UW sooner rather than later but I may use Kaplan in between until I feel I have a decent foundatation to think thru questions.

I agree about the night off day before. I did the same with my MCAT.
Dunno about getting drunk though.. I'd feel terrible about taking the exam haha.

 

[hungrydoc710]

Yeah Rx is ok, personally I would do kaplan over Rx but our school gave us Kaplan so I have no idea how Kaplan compares to Rx price wise. If Rx is cheaper then just do Rx.

I think Kaplan may be cheaper.
How are the questions organized by system or just take the mixed?

Sorry for all the questions.
I just hate not having a methodical way going about it. I don't want to be jumiping around, that may sound naive.

Thanks for the tips!

 

[OneSummerPhoton]

Zanki from day one yes, just do the rest of the stuff to help supplement whatever you are doing in class, BnB is very useful for class. Pathoma is good for a quick rundown of all the path you need to know in a system, I did it first before doing any other system study. Sketchy micro and pharm are gold, but do those when they come up. If you have one pass of those before dedicated you’ll be good, the key will be doing those cards in Zanki before you’ll never forget a sketch after seeing it on a flash card over and over forcing yourself to remember it. FA is a review book, I definitely wouldn’t “start FA from day 1.” I never actually read it and only used it as a supplement to UWorld really. 240s Step for reference.

Ahh I see. Thank you for the in-depth description, I'm going to gather my resources asap!

Thats a better question for an MS3/MS4 at your specific school.
If you have a traditional curriculum, Pathoma/Sketchy aren't needed until end of MS1. You are more focused on the basic sciences not really pathology in year one.
I'm not sure how these systems focused curriculums handle it.

Hmm, I think NYITCOM is going with the traditional curriculum. Orientation will be in about a week, so hopefully I will get more information.

 

[comprepmed]

OMS 1 summer: Ran thru sketchy micro and pharm vids + annotated PDF of sketchy material

Block 5 - learn the bugs and drugs from sketchy via Pepper anki decks

Block 6 - Pathoma annotating and Duke's pathoma anki deck + USMLE Rx vids/q's and following with FA

Block 7 - More Rx questions, COMBANK q's, etc.

Dedicated - UW holy grail

What are people's thoughts on Rx's vids + Questions? Or is it better to use BnB to follow with FA?
What's the best way to get thru that massive FA book?

Don't do Rx.... focus on BNB and FA. I thought using FA while doing Uworld questions was helpful. I would do the question, read the UW explanation then read in FA and annotate it in there.

Focus on UWorld and do your UWSA's.

 

[hungrydoc710]

Don't do Rx.... focus on BNB and FA. I thought using FA while doing Uworld questions was helpful. I would do the question, read the UW explanation then read in FA and annotate it in there.

Focus on UWorld and do your UWSA's.

Kk thanks for feedback

I don't want to / feel ready to waste UW questions right now.
Starting block 7 should be ok right? When I have sketchy micro and pharm down + gone thru pathoma.

Thanks.

 

[comprepmed]

Kk thanks for feedback

I don't want to / feel ready to waste UW questions right now.
Starting block 7 should be ok right? When I have sketchy micro and pharm down + gone thru pathoma.

Thanks.

Yeah that should be okay. I also wouldn't worry a whole lot about the "wasting UW questions idea". UW is a fantastic learning tool, after having gone through 3rd year and basically using only it to learn... don't think of it as wasting the questions, use the questions to learn and you will come out just fine on the other side!

 

[BorntobeDO?]

Looking back.

UW.

Do UW AGAIN and AGAIN and AGAIN. Absorb the explanations. Read FA on the side if you want and hammer in sketchy and pathoma.

And take that last day or two right before the exam OFF. I mean completely OFF. Go get faded, go get drunk, go work out til you can't even move, go on a tinder binge, etc. IDC WHAT IT IS. Don't pull an all-nighter like I did and drop from your averages 20+ points.

You know more than you think. Honestly.

🙁

Is that the primary care train I hear coming? I feel like I know you from another life.