UW questions

[buckeye12]

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At the end of each day, should I be taking a UW "test" on the material I have already studied, or should I use it as a learning tool and take random questions?

 

[gman33]

I started random, but then realized it didn't do much good for stuff I hadn't reviewed yet. I spent two weeks going over everything once and now I'm switching back to random.

 

[vicinihil]

I think UW is too precioius to be used as target practice. I think you should do it random.

I found that First Aid Q&A was good for targeted practice and so is Qbank. Depending on the amt of time you have, the Cottran Path Review book is also good for targeted review but I would really save UW for random blocks.

 

[NRAI2001]

Can you reset and redo the UW questions as many times as you want? Or is there a limit to the amount of times you could do the UW questions?

 

[FutureDoc4]

Hey NRA, You've been on this forum awhile. Just curious when you are taking the exam?

As for your question I think you can reset it 1x

 

[kunfu]

I would also like more input on this. I assume that i'm only going to have time to go through U world once. I was really wondering what the best method is. I figured using blocks of Qs you were studying that day would be the best to reinforce material? What do others think?

 

[vicinihil]

You can't reset unless you purchase the 6mo subscription I believe. Even if you extend your UW subscription, if it's less than 6mo, I don't think you can reset but I may be wrong. I don't have the option to and I have the 1mo. subscription.

The way I've been doing UW is doing random blocks of 24 and 48. I started off in tutor mode going through one by one and toward the end did 48 timed and then go over it afterwards. This way I feel like you get a good grasp on how to use your time during that block. Doing subject specific I feel is artificially boosting what you know because you JUST studied it...your short term memory will prevail but when you do random, you rely on what you remember and understand. That's my 2cents.

 

[DrVanNostran]

I would also like more input on this. I assume that i'm only going to have time to go through U world once. I was really wondering what the best method is. I figured using blocks of Qs you were studying that day would be the best to reinforce material? What do others think?

Most people I talked to said that 48 q/random is the way to go. It's a better learning experience.

I plan on doing 48 random on tutor mode. Fortunately, time has not been a big issue for me. I'll practice pacing with NBMEs and UWSAs...

 

[DrVanNostran]

BTW, can someone tell me how many reproductive questions are in World? If I start with a systems based question review, I might as well start with that and use it for my last organs system exam

 

[buckeye12]

Most people I talked to said that 48 q/random is the way to go. It's a better learning experience.

I plan on doing 48 random on tutor mode. Fortunately, time has not been a big issue for me. I'll practice pacing with NBMEs and UWSAs...

I was wondering if I should start doing random questions at the beginning of my board study period and spread them out over time, or if I should only focus on them after I have reviewed everything once.

The three theories I've heard about doing random 48q tests are:

1) Do them all throughout the study period.
2) Increase them throughout (Taus, I presume, came up with this idea).
3) Review everything before starting so that you have a basis for the explanations they give and can differentiate between simple recall error and actual knowledge/understanding deficits.

Any advice regarding that?

 

[Macguy86]

I would do randoms after going through all the materials once. Subject specific until you finish the first pass or else you are going to be playing a guessing game unless your retention from the 1st to years is amazing. (TAUS 1st pass). then do more questions random timed, so at least you have a 'fair shot' at getting the right answer.

My question:
On the Taus second pass, i will start using World but I am wondering whether I should split up the questions. 25 subject specific timed and then 25 random for my 2nd run through? TO reinforce what I just learned for the day for the 2nd time around I need to do some questions right? Whats the point of going through biochem and all the pathways only to have 1 biochem question on random 48?

 

[greg1184]

I don't think random is necessarily the "way to go." I do subject based, tutor mode. I do the subjects I have read about until I am done with those areas. I use USMLE World as a teaching tool to emphasize material that FA and Goljan both emphasizes and lacks. For me there is absolutely no point in doing completely random questions. I will use the USMLE World Assessments and NBME practice exams to assess my timing, test taking ability, and overall progress.

 

[go lakers]

I don't think random is necessarily the "way to go." I do subject based, tutor mode. I do the subjects I have read about until I am done with those areas. I use USMLE World as a teaching tool to emphasize material that FA and Goljan both emphasizes and lacks. For me there is absolutely no point in doing completely random questions. I will use the USMLE World Assessments and NBME practice exams to assess my timing, test taking ability, and overall progress.

cosign

 

[DrVanNostran]

I don't think random is necessarily the "way to go." I do subject based, tutor mode. I do the subjects I have read about until I am done with those areas. I use USMLE World as a teaching tool to emphasize material that FA and Goljan both emphasizes and lacks. For me there is absolutely no point in doing completely random questions. I will use the USMLE World Assessments and NBME practice exams to assess my timing, test taking ability, and overall progress.

What is your opinion on doing the entire qbank on tutor mode, subject based. Then repeating world random and timed?

Also, can anyone post how many questions are available in the reproductive section?

 

[greg1184]

What is your opinion on doing the entire qbank on tutor mode, subject based. Then repeating world random and timed?

Also, can anyone post how many questions are available in the reproductive section?

What I plan on doing is doing the questions I got wrong in the way you mentioned, in order to see if I have learned the stuff I was deficient in. Also, I am marking all of the questions with pictures. Then I can test my "marked" picture items to reinforce all of the pictures UWorld has.

As for reproductive section: There are 39 questions total.

 

[Rabbit Hole]

I don't think random is necessarily the "way to go." I do subject based, tutor mode. I do the subjects I have read about until I am done with those areas. I use USMLE World as a teaching tool to emphasize material that FA and Goljan both emphasizes and lacks. For me there is absolutely no point in doing completely random questions. I will use the USMLE World Assessments and NBME practice exams to assess my timing, test taking ability, and overall progress.

What I plan on doing is doing the questions I got wrong in the way you mentioned, in order to see if I have learned the stuff I was deficient in. Also, I am marking all of the questions with pictures. Then I can test my "marked" picture items to reinforce all of the pictures UWorld has.

I think this is the best way to use UW. I do the same thing with marking questions w/ pictures 🙂

 

[buckeye12]

I don't think random is necessarily the "way to go." I do subject based, tutor mode. I do the subjects I have read about until I am done with those areas. I use USMLE World as a teaching tool to emphasize material that FA and Goljan both emphasizes and lacks. For me there is absolutely no point in doing completely random questions. I will use the USMLE World Assessments and NBME practice exams to assess my timing, test taking ability, and overall progress.

Great advice -- thanks. I'll probably still do random 48q tests at the end, but for now, I'll trust your wisdom.

Thanks!

 

[Macguy86]

what about after going through everything once? then doing random questions?
ive been using kaplan for the 1st run through and will be using world. I am debating whether to do 50Q subject based, not timed. and then 25Q/day random to keep things fresh?

 

[DrVanNostran]

what about after going through everything once? then doing random questions?
ive been using kaplan for the 1st run through and will be using world. I am debating whether to do 50Q subject based, not timed. and then 25Q/day random to keep things fresh?

I am just about finished with kaplan and one semi-run through with Kaplan. I was initially going to do 98 random a day. But now I plan on doing it all subject based and then redoing it all random. I just hope that the question stems and answers lead to me to answers based on recognition.

 

[Elixir86]

I don't think random is necessarily the "way to go." I do subject based, tutor mode. I do the subjects I have read about until I am done with those areas. I use USMLE World as a teaching tool to emphasize material that FA and Goljan both emphasizes and lacks. For me there is absolutely no point in doing completely random questions. I will use the USMLE World Assessments and NBME practice exams to assess my timing, test taking ability, and overall progress.

Add me to the list of people who agree with this statement. Another reason I am currently doing UW subject based (although I tend to lump two similar subjects together...i.e., Blood Vessels + Cardiology) is that it lessens the time I spend trying to find the corresponding page in First Aid. If I were doing the blocks in random now, it would take me forever to look up the topic in the index, flip to the page and then write my note. But having it subject based helps me quickly add my notes and use the questions as a teaching tool, as mentioned above. I can go through the questions and explanations carefully and write all the notes I need to now.

I should be done with UW before crunch month. During my actual 1 month study period, I plan to redo all the questions on Timed, Random mode. At that time, I won't have to worry about writing down everything b/c most of the notes should already be in my FA. Instead, I can focus a lot more attention on the questions I keep getting wrong and making sure I truly understand those concepts.

 

[kryptik]

I think i will follow suit and do UW system wise, will get a 2month subscription very soon. Then do random timed of missed questions for 2nd run through.