Use UW During 2nd Year?

[DoctaJay]

Did anyone use UW throughout their second year? This was suggested to me by a professor I really respect and I was wondering if it was common practice. He was saying that as we do a system, that we should do the UW questions in that same system.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[tfom08]

I would use kaplan instead just to cover the material and then use UW a month or two before your test to really get ready. Otherwise you are using up what most people believe to be the best available resource for step 1 before you can really fully utilize it. Having said that, if you do a full qbank during second year and keep up with everything else then you will be ahead of the game no matter what so it probably doesn't really matter which one you do.

 

[synapse lapse]

I would use kaplan instead just to cover the material and then use UW a month or two before your test to really get ready. Otherwise you are using up what most people believe to be the best available resource for step 1 before you can really fully utilize it. Having said that, if you do a full qbank during second year and keep up with everything else then you will be ahead of the game no matter what so it probably doesn't really matter which one you do.

I agree. I am learning a ton from UW, largely as a result of integration of material that I learned throughout the year. I would hate to use my most valuable question resource so far ahead. I would use Kaplan Q bank. The questions in the back of RR could be additional as well if you liked.

 

[bnoosha]

I also would reccommend using Kaplan Q Bank throughout the year (and not UW). I used Kaplan Q bank concurrently with classes during 2nd semester of my second year.
I am not sure if your school uses the NBME Miniboards for each subject but my school did...and Kaplan Q bank was a great resourse for me as I studied for the Path, Neuo, Pharm, and Beh Sci MiniBoards.

UW should def. be saved for a month or so before the usmle b/c it really is one of the best resources in your step 1 studies.

 

[myrtle]

I used Qbank starting around Nov/Dec of second year and my scores on class tests jumped. It's nitpickier and less integrative than UW, so it's perfect for classes. I never used most of it and still use it for boards studying to brush up after I read a topic. I think it's a pretty good way to go and they've got 9 month deals.

 

[JDWflash44]

I'd use QBank or USMLE Consult during second year and save UW for the last month before the test.

 

[DrFraud]

Did anyone use UW throughout their second year? This was suggested to me by a professor I really respect and I was wondering if it was common practice. He was saying that as we do a system, that we should do the UW questions in that same system.

Yes, I did, and I believe this is excellent advice. If I could do one thing over again, it would be to have done this even more of this. I was more than prepared by the time I started taking practive NBME exams and I was able to focus on my weaknesses the last few months b-4 the step instead of trying to go over 2000 questions in a short period of time.

 

[DoctaJay]

Alot of good advice. So the general consensus is that if I start UW too early then I'm wasting the resource because I won't have adequate knowledge? Would doing UW on tutor mode negate this?

 

[-Goose-]

Alot of good advice. So the general consensus is that if I start UW too early then I'm wasting the resource because I won't have adequate knowledge? Would doing UW on tutor mode negate this?

No, I'd still save UW for board prep. It would not be the same to re-cover the UW material. If you have to have a question source during the year (it's not necessary by any means), I'd go with Kaplan QBank and save UW for board prep. Trust us on this.

 

[Pontifex Maximus]

UW is for boards, period. If you use it now, you're wasting the best board resource out there.

 

[MSKalltheway]

No, I'd still save UW for board prep. It would not be the same to re-cover the UW material. If you have to have a question source during the year (it's not necessary by any means), I'd go with Kaplan QBank and save UW for board prep. Trust us on this.

I also agree with this and anyone else on the thread who said it too. Kaplan ranks 2nd best, but UW is unbeatable. You'll see why when you get there, but basically in terms of difficulty UW is the most comparable to the real thing, at times more difficult if you get a bunch of hard questions in a block of 50 (now 48).

Kaplan, USMLEasy, Rx, Consult...whichever is cool. My vote is Kaplan (if you have the coin for it) during the year and UW for boards. Marking some of the important questions in Kaplan, then annotating the info into the new edition of FA when it comes out in January may serve you well also.

 

[texasranger2003]

Im in my summer between years 1 and 2 and I'm reviewing the the relevant board subjects that we covered in first aid and doing the corresponding Q's on usmleworld. (im working my way through physio currently... and frankly i've been getting pounded...)

Anyhow, do you think its ok to use UW for first year subjects like biochem, physio, anatomy, behav. sci, embryo etc. or should I even save these Q's for next summer?

thanks

 

[TerpMD]

I would not touch ANY UW until boards. Not even a week before classes end. See above by MSKalltheway. And besides, this this is your first summer you should be enjoying the freedom and not studying anyhow

 

[lord_jeebus]

Agree with everyone.

Kaplan QBook is cheaper than QBank and should be just as good for your needs.