To read all the answer choices or not too?

[purple pearl]

---

Members don't see this ad.

It sounds like a no-brainer.

BUT other than mirco- some answer choices are complex.. like names the SE of a drug where u need to know the drug first/ any 2 step question...

Even if i read em all- i cant think thru path THAT fast.

So in some cases can you skip reading? On easier uworld i norm can preform answers and go from there.

Test in t-10 days. some advice please!

 

[Phloston]

It sounds like a no-brainer.

BUT other than mirco- some answer choices are complex.. like names the SE of a drug where u need to know the drug first/ any 2 step question...

Even if i read em all- i cant think thru path THAT fast.

So in some cases can you skip reading? On easier uworld i norm can preform answers and go from there.

Test in t-10 days. some advice please!

In general, it's a safe bet to read all of the answer choices. Even if you are "100%" on the answer before even reading the choices, the USMLE is not a place to gamble. Make sure you can at least do a quick "no, no, no, no" for the other answer choices before moving on, even if that takes 3.8 seconds, because that's 3.8 seconds of security for the ones you don't mark.

I got a question wrong in Rx recently that was a simple vignette of "bronze diabetes" with haemochromatosis, and, without having read the other answer choices, quickly selected "mutation in gene that leads to increased iron absorption." In actuality, it was secondary haemochromatosis, not primary, but my mind had made a "mental lapse" because I was obviously doing it timed, and if I had seriously just spent 0.9 seconds breezing over the other answers, I would have most certainly made the "self-correction."

Moral of the story: when you're rushed, your brain jumps to conclusions based on what's closest to the surface / what you're most familiar with. It's worth it to spend a few extra seconds/question confirming "no's," even for questions that you are "100%" sure about.

Hope that helps,

~Phloston