Recommend Basic Science Qbank

[chrissdoc]

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I would like to know if anyone could recommend a good source for practice questions to use during basic sciences. Most posts on here talk about using these QBanks during Step preparation, I would like to know if they would also be helpful in learning material while you are still taking basic science classes. Some say USMLERX is good to help learn basic science material while taking basic science classes, and to stay away from UWorld and Kaplan until you are preparing for your step.

Can anyone give their suggestions. I currently do practice questions found at the back of my textbooks but I am looking for something more to help solidify my basic science knowledge and show me my weak areas. I have review books like BRS and Rapid Review, I feel a source for more practice questions would be beneficial rather than reading material over and over.

A little about me, I am a US-IMG studying in a Caribbean school, currently in my first MD semester. So i feel totally lost when is comes to finding practice questions to prepare for mid-terms and finals. I am pretty much at the mercy of BRS questions and whatever Kaplan Questions are found behind the Lecture notes chapters. I was thinking about subscribing to USMLERX or Kaplan but I need advice.

 

[Brain Bucket]

Can anyone give their suggestions. I currently do practice questions found at the back of my textbooks but I am looking for something more to help solidify my basic science knowledge and show me my weak areas

Pretest? Lange? Lipp Q&A? For physio, there's also the guyton Qbook, and Costanzo cases. There are a LOT of resources for questions in basic sciences. Hit up amazon.

I did as many as I had time for and still couldn't do them all.

The one thing you have to be careful about is errors. If something doesn't sound right, it probably isn't, but that's true of Rx as well. UW is the only question resource where I've found that if it says something different from the text, it's the text that needs updating.

 

[Bancrofti]

I just want to say, you'll see Kaplan catch a lot of flack around here, but I have it now and I like it as a study aid.

I haven't heard anyone say to not use it early though, it's actually the contrary. Apparently at times Kaplan goes into too much detail, that isn't what you want to deal with when you're in dedicated study time or close to it.

So yea either Kaplan or RX would be fine. Consider whether it is actually worth it though. If you're just looking to get a jump on vignette style questions and make sure you're taking away the most high yield information from what you're learning in your 1st year courses, then cool. But if you're just looking for a source of questions so that you can do better on your exams, then just get a book from your library or download something. Main reason being you aren't going to get a ton of questions for first year material through qbanks so paying a bunch of money for something you can't use much seems silly.... in addition to the fact that it'll be expensive as hell since you'd want to have it for 2 years.

 

[dismorfik]

I am also interested in a Qbank to use during basic sciences. I have heard USMLERx would be a good and to save UWorld and Kaplan for the big leagues. My friend just bought USMLERx for this reason and I will let you know what he thinks.

 

[sazerac]

The problem with using a Step1 QBank for first year is that the questions often tie together topics from both years. You will ask for a renal anatomy / genetics question and get something about a guy with defect on chromosome 3, and they ask you which body part lights up what color when illuminated by flashlight (eg will his right retina turn yellow?). Good luck with that.

If you want online first year questions, I would stick with the QBanks associated with first year books. Usually there is a sticker on the inside cover that you rub off to get access to the publisher's online QBank.


(His left scrotum will light up red, by the way)

 

[AlmostAnMD]

Your time is better spent studying and doing well in classes

That's not what Q banks are for. Classes are for minutia, Q banks are for step.