Suggestion of using a Q bank during MS1?

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ES671

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I am going to be an incoming student this fall and am trying to decide which q bank to use to supplement studying for classes/start prepping for board style questions. I just did a Masters program where I took anatomy, physiology, pharm and other classes I will be pretty much repeating during the didactic years. I figure I will have a little more extra time than other students and figured doing a Q bank during the first year wouldn’t hurt.

I have been seeing Kaplan and USMLE Rx, any other suggestions? Is one better than the other?

I appreciate the help!

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do both!
 
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Rx. Kaplan is garbage like all their other products
 
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Im a fan of Rx, it forces me to read FA. Havent touched kaplan yet, but i wasnt a fan of their videos. Plenty of my classmates use kaplan and havent had any complaints, either one is fine IMO. But based on what ive heard on here, Rx lays the foundation and kaplan has come intense/minutiae questions. But cant confirm that myself
 
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Are these qbanks like USMLERX useful before you have gone through system pathology? Or do they only become helpful then? If not, are there other qbanks that are useful for biochem, immuno, physio, etc?
 
I am going to be an incoming student this fall and am trying to decide which q bank to use to supplement studying for classes/start prepping for board style questions. I just did a Masters program where I took anatomy, physiology, pharm and other classes I will be pretty much repeating during the didactic years. I figure I will have a little more extra time than other students and figured doing a Q bank during the first year wouldn’t hurt.

I have been seeing Kaplan and USMLE Rx, any other suggestions? Is one better than the other?

I appreciate the help!
I always recommend to my students that they use as many banks as possible. The big ones here are U-World and ComBank.
 
should we be using questions banks from the start of med school?
 
Depends on the curriculum of your school. If it's system based most likely.
My blocks say things such as renal, muskuloskeltal, etc, I'm assuming this is systems based? damn buying these additional resources is starting to get expensive......
 
My blocks say things such as renal, muskuloskeltal, etc, I'm assuming this is systems based? damn buying these additional resources is starting to get expensive......

It depends. Are you learning EVERYTHING about each organ body system before you move on to the next system, or is it like some schools where you learn the "normal" stuff first year and then all the disease and its pathology the second year? My post was mainly referring to the former scenario.

Also, get used to burning your wallet. Before you know it, shelling hundreds of dollars for Qbanks and resources won't phase you. It'll be like a second nature to you.
 
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It depends. Are you learning EVERYTHING about each organ body system before you move on to the next system, or is it like some schools where you learn the "normal" stuff first year and then all the disease and its pathology the second year? My post was mainly referring to the former scenario.

Also, get used to burning your wallet. Before you know it, shelling hundreds of dollars for Qbanks and resources won't phase you. It'll be like a second nature to you.
OH boy lol. From what I've been told first year is normal and the 2nd year is pathology and disease. Do you have a recommendation of what resources to start out with in this scenario? I was originally planning on starting first year with First Aid and B&B.
 
should we be using questions banks from the start of med school?

I think most people do not, but since I have taken all these courses just last year it is going to be a lot of review for me that’s why I figured to try doing more board style review earlier.
 
OH boy lol. From what I've been told first year is normal and the 2nd year is pathology and disease. Do you have a recommendation of what resources to start out with in this scenario? I was originally planning on starting first year with First Aid and B&B.

Can someone tell me what B&B stands for...? I have been seeing it everywhere but have no idea what it is lol.
 
OH boy lol. From what I've been told first year is normal and the 2nd year is pathology and disease. Do you have a recommendation of what resources to start out with in this scenario? I was originally planning on starting first year with First Aid and B&B.

This is my opinion, and feel free to disagree with this on the matter, but assuming your school does a very good job at covering what you need to know for boards, you really don't need to be using outside resources for first year with the exception of sketchymicro and maybe Savarese, and even the latter is debatable. People in my school really didn't use outside resource for first year. Especially since when you'll be using your First Aid extensively during second year when a new edition will have already come out then anyway. In a situation like this, paying attention to your class is paying attention to the stuff written in First Aid basically.

If your school has professors who don't know how to teach, or you're not being prepared for your boards, that's a different story, but for situations like those, I'd ask the upperclassmen of your school what's the deal on that front and more specific advice rather than us here on sdn.

Hell, if you turn out to be the lucky few who learn through Anki, like me, then it's already settled. Use Zanki for the entirety of first year and you're set.

Bottom line: At least use sketchymicro as your outside resource for the time being, and then test the waters for how the lectures are. If the lectures at your school is really sufficient, then stick to those materials for first year, and no need to shell out extra cash for extra resource, even for Qbanks, unless your best learning method is through doing questions.

And if worse comes to worst, always remember:
The Only Real Reason Everyone Needs The Stuff......
 
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