so i just started cardiology, but learned that my final exam will be an NBME

[PokerDoc]

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Now our school will be having an info question answer thing about halfway through the theme to let us know how the test will go etc etc. but i thought it would be in my best interest to ask you guys who may know something that i should know sooner than later about these exams.

are they exceedingly difficult? should i prepare for them in a different way from a normal exam? are there specialized review books i could buy to focus on their question style?

any answers to these questions or any additional advice would be much appreciated


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[45408]

a cardiology rotation (M3/M4) or a cardiology block as part of a systems-based curriculum (M1/M2)? The shelf exams are a lot like the Step 1 questions, so if you've taken step 1, it's pretty similar, IMO. There are books for a lot of rotations, so I imagine there are some for cardiology.

 

[PokerDoc]

im a first year

 

[nogolfinsnow]

Is it a shelf exam, or does your school pay for access to questions so they can go though and hand-pick what to ask? If it's the latter, which I assume it is since you probably haven't had pathology yet, you'll probably do ok with lecture notes and good physiology and anatomy text books.

 

[rachmoninov3]

Don't worry. My school did that for our last class in the pre-clinical years. All you have to do is get first aid, and maybe the goljan lectures, and you'll be alright. If I remember correctly, the questions were very straight forward, NBME is not trying to fool you.

 

[PokerDoc]

Don't worry. My school did that for our last class in the pre-clinical years. All you have to do is get first aid, and maybe the goljan lectures, and you'll be alright. If I remember correctly, the questions were very straight forward, NBME is not trying to fool you.

i tried to search first aid and all i got were complete USMLE study books, is there one specific to cardio? i also have no idea what goljan lectures are.

 

[rachmoninov3]

First Aid is a series of review books for the step exams. Buy 'first aid for the usmle step 1' and review the cardiology chapter. You'll need the rest of the book for board prep, so it won't be a waste.
Goljan is a well liked pathologist and wrote the "board review study" pathology text. I don't know where you can find his lectures for certain, but ask around and I'm sure you can find a copy.