success without annotating UWORLD

[mopitup85]

I'm using DIT with pathoma and UWORLD and have 6 wks till my test day. UWORLD is going real slow right now (jotting down educational objectives in a word document) and I'm considering not making any annotations and just reading and answering the questions so that maybe I can at least get a 2nd pass through the material. With my current method I feel like I'll only get one pass through UWORLD since I have to make time for DIT as well.

Any suggestions. My fear is that I jot down notes in my separate notebook and probably won't even reread them once due to time constraints. Anyone have success on STEP 1 without making any UWORLD notes?

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[Nabin]

You are probably asking those who have already taken the exams. I have yet to give it. Mine's in June. I am doing first pass through uworld but annotating them in First aid. I know I won't remember a lot of things during this reading so for sure I will have to depend on things noted down in fa later on.

But since you have less time, I'd suggest you to atleast get a second reading of those educational objectives. Second read will certainly cement the concepts for good.

 

[Suture15]

I personally think a 2nd pass is redundant if you do the first one properly. I did a 2nd pass only of things I was weak in (re did all the behavioural science for e..g)

I never did DIT. I did pathoma maybe 4 months out and in the 2.5 months leading up to the exam just Uworld and FA.

The actual content of the exam is very different tbh. Uworld and FA are great tools but they teach you moreso test taking acumen rather than actual facts that are asked. Don't get me wrong, a decent chunk was stuff from uworld and FA but rote memorization wouldn't have helped in those q's anyway

 

[Nabin]

I personally think a 2nd pass is redundant if you do the first one properly. I did a 2nd pass only of things I was weak in (re did all the behavioural science for e..g)

I never did DIT. I did pathoma maybe 4 months out and in the 2.5 months leading up to the exam just Uworld and FA.

The actual content of the exam is very different tbh. Uworld and FA are great tools but they teach you moreso test taking acumen rather than actual facts that are asked. Don't get me wrong, a decent chunk was stuff from uworld and FA but rote memorization wouldn't have helped in those q's anyway

May I ask if the real exam asks the same concepts but in different ways? I mean the curriculum is the same right. Questions can be asked in many different ways because there are many angle to view a single concept. Is exam structured that way or its something totally different? Thanks.

 

[operaman]

A number of people don't ever annotate a thing. It seems to be a popular choice, but it's far from universal. I did not annotate nor did I even buy a FA. To each their own.

What's important is that you are learning. If annotating seems to help you do better, then by all means keep doing it. If you think it's not really making that big a difference, then maybe try something else. The real key is to keep assessing your progress and your weaknesses. Take weekly NBMEs or some kind of assessment and make sure you are improving each time. If you are like most people, you will begin to plateau in your last 2-3 weeks of dedicated prep time, and this is what you will probably score on the real exam.

Good luck!

 

[Suture15]

May I ask if the real exam asks the same concepts but in different ways? I mean the curriculum is the same right. Questions can be asked in many different ways because there are many angle to view a single concept. Is exam structured that way or its something totally different? Thanks.

Oh yeah, the concepts are definitely the same but there were definitely things that I had to just know from basic sciences that aren't in FA/uworld so I'm trying to say that don't rely on those sources for memorization but use them the way they are intended to - i.e concept building, test taking acumen, stamina and review (for FA) I know some people memorizing every page in FA and then getting surprised (but I mean, obviously, right?)

 

[Nabin]

Oh yeah, the concepts are definitely the same but there were definitely things that I had to just know from basic sciences that aren't in FA/uworld so I'm trying to say that don't rely on those sources for memorization but use them the way they are intended to - i.e concept building, test taking acumen, stamina and review (for FA) I know some people memorizing every page in FA and then getting surprised (but I mean, obviously, right?)

Yeah I get what you mean. I think its all about knowing the background the concept got derived from. I usually keep referring to textbook images and graphs when doing uworld questions so that I don't lose the basis on which I am reading a particular concept. If I am already fine with it, I don't keep looking and lose time over things I am pretty comfortable with. This sure is no facts-knowing exam. So, I'm trying to have the grand picture of everything I'm dealing with even if its taking time that way. Hope that's the way to do it. Thanks for your response. One thing uworld is teaching is for sure making educated guesses. LOL. I'm enjoying doing uworld so much.

 

[nds86]

If you will be making notes from Uworld, then I believe its best to do it in FA rather than a different book. One book to review is much better than two as you may realize come exam time.