Usefulness of completing a second round of UWorld

[InFactotum]

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At this point I have completed about 6,000 questions (UW, NBME's, UWSA, USMLERx, and some Kaplan qBank). Week and a half until my exam.

I'm wondering what the consensus is on completing UW a second time. My original plan was to almost entirely repeat UW in the final week, but I finished a couple timed blocks today and am averaging right around 90%. My latest NBME/UWSA suggest I'm around the 230 range, so clearly I'm mostly remembering questions (I completed UW 3 months ago).

I have ~1200 questions left in Kaplan, so would I get more out of my time by completing Kaplan vs repeating UW? Or is memorizing everything in UW more effective at this point? I'm really looking to hit 240 (I know, unlikely with just over a week left) Thanks!

 

[HoboCommander]

I'm at the 240 mark with my exam next week. To really improve, it's a matter of guessing better, improving your reasoning ability. I say this because I have friends who have had to guess all the same questions as me on the NBMEs, except they get 260 to my 240. The difference is that they can get questions right when they see a question they have no idea, whereas I miss those questions.

Besides that, you gotta really get the pathophysiology stuff down. Know all the basic lab values and know how to reason things out. All the cardio, renal, pulmonary, endocrine physiology stuff is really something you can control. You should get all of them right.

The behavorial science (ethics, psych, illicit drugs) questions you should be able to get all of them right, except most people miss half of those. The reason is because First Aid and UWorld gives you little practice with those. But they are free points.

 

[InFactotum]

Yea, I rarely have to look any lab value up, and I get most physio, and nearly all behavioral questions right, except the damn drugs!

My weaknesses are genetics and histology usually. Those stick out. I also am not consistent in biochem/micro.

What is your plan for the last week of studying?

 

[HoboCommander]

My weaknesses are genetics and histology usually. Those stick out. I also am not consistent in biochem/micro.

What is your plan for the last week of studying?

That's good, those are easy to improve on. Easy points.

I'm doing anatomy, some FA review, some practice questions from UWorld. Getting 100% on my third pass of UWorld. I think I have the record.

For me, it's hard to improve because the ones I am missing are mostly from careless mistakes (misreading), not understanding how they want me to interpret the question, and missing some of the esoteric pathology questions not found in FA.

 

[survivordo]

OP, I assume you have already gone through and done all of your incorrect questions on UWorld, these are obviously of high value. On the second pass through UWorld are you getting the questions right because you know the answer and how they arrived at it (i.e. understand the concept and can apply it) or is it just rote memorization? If the former then I would suggest Kaplan, if the latter then I would suggest going through UWorld and being sure you understand the REASONING. This reasoning is what will bump you up to the next level.

Survivor DO