UWorld for "studying"

[itsnosolution]

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For those using UWorld as their primary "textbook" during the rotations, how do you actually use the questions? Do you take notes on the answers/explanations? It seems Uworld for 2CK has replaced textbook reading for many students these days.

 

[W19]

I read MTB just to have an idea and do Uworld and take notes. Lowest 'scaled' score in 3rd year was 84... Many of my classmates did the same

 

[Jabbed]

For those using UWorld as their primary "textbook" during the rotations, how do you actually use the questions? Do you take notes on the answers/explanations? It seems Uworld for 2CK has replaced textbook reading for many students these days.

I really wouldn't advise this. You need to be reading something in addition to doing questions.

There's really very little reason why you can't at least go through Pestana, Casefiles, OME, MTB or one of the other abridged resources for any rotation.

 

[Redpancreas]

For those using UWorld as their primary "textbook" during the rotations, how do you actually use the questions? Do you take notes on the answers/explanations? It seems Uworld for 2CK has replaced textbook reading for many students these days.

That's good you've accepted that early. You should go tutor mode. Always dig deeper with UWorld. Don't be satisfied with the right answer. For every answer choice dig deeply. Sometimes the info in the wrong answers is super helpful too because they boil down a disease/indications for a test in one sentence that you can flashcard. Helpful auxiliary resources to keep as side tabs are MedBullets (they're really working on their quality these days) and UptoDate. Both these sources give great explanations of presentation, diagnosis, and management so whenever a right or wrong answer is something your unfamiliar with, look it up there.

The only other resource I would recommend you use for every rotation is OnlineMedEd. They key to it is that he says it and he breaks down WHY things are indicated. It really helps things stick and if you work through them over 3rd year, the videos aren't bad. These two resources would by my backbone to every shelf.

 

[flasheroonie]

Read MKSAP for Students


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[Eithz H]

I used UWorld as my primary study source during the 1st half of my third year clinical rotations. During this time I went through the questions too superficially and did not "dig deep" as a previous poster has stated. This was a big mistake on my part. Although I ended getting 2/3 honors during the first half it was primarily because of my evaluations.
1st rotation shelf exam scores (percentile):
- OBGYN (80th percentile)
- Peds (64th percentile)
- Psych (97th percentile)-this was an outlier since I have a natural inclination towards doing well on psych questions for some reason.

In contrast, the second half of my clinical rotations I used UWorld but really took each question in depth and tried to learn as much as possible. I would also supplement with a textbook for each rotation.
- Medicine (90th percentile)- supplemented with StepUp to Medicine
- Surgery (97th percentile)- supplemented with Pestansa and Case Files
- Family Medicine (98th percentile)- supplemented with Case Files

I hope this helps. Good luck with everything.

 

[Cura_te_ipsum]

Always dig deeper with UWorld. Don't be satisfied with the right answer. For every answer choice dig deeply. Sometimes the info in the wrong answers is super helpful..l

I found UW to be more educational than any other one source. Together with textbooks and personal notes, UW is a powerful tool. So helpful was UW that I gave it serious thought to make videos of all of my UW exams, edit said videos in VLC so as to make screen shots , convert screen shots into slides, edit the slides with arrows, underline, textboxes, etc, for every possible answer provided, label each slide with a name (e.g. Hep B dx), sort the slides into their proper folders (GI, Cardio, Psych, etc) and access these folders religiously to inhale the material. In this way, I reasoned, I could reflect on the material via G Drive, or copied onto my iPhone /iPad on a daily, weekly, monthly basis.

Alas doing such an exercise would have entailed 5000 slides, 16 folders, an obscene number of time and effort that would have deprived me of sleep, caused weapy, lacrimating eye strain and classic symptoms of OCD. It would have been nuts to have done these things...absolutely crazy. I wouldnt recommend it to anyone.

 

[itsnosolution]

I used UWorld as my primary study source during the 1st half of my third year clinical rotations. During this time I went through the questions too superficially and did not "dig deep" as a previous poster has stated. This was a big mistake on my part. Although I ended getting 2/3 honors during the first half it was primarily because of my evaluations.
1st rotation shelf exam scores (percentile):
- OBGYN (80th percentile)
- Peds (64th percentile)
- Psych (97th percentile)-this was an outlier since I have a natural inclination towards doing well on psych questions for some reason.

In contrast, the second half of my clinical rotations I used UWorld but really took each question in depth and tried to learn as much as possible. I would also supplement with a textbook for each rotation.
- Medicine (90th percentile)- supplemented with StepUp to Medicine
- Surgery (97th percentile)- supplemented with Pestansa and Case Files
- Family Medicine (98th percentile)- supplemented with Case Files

I hope this helps. Good luck with everything.

Thanks! How exactly were you doing StepUp, Pestana, and Case Files? Would you just read them in your down time, or were you takign notes on the reading, or making making flash cards?

 

[Eithz H]

Thanks! How exactly were you doing StepUp, Pestana, and Case Files? Would you just read them in your down time, or were you takign notes on the reading, or making making flash cards?

I would use UWorld to identify any weak points in my knowledge (i.e. urological pathology in surgery or birth control in family medicine) then I would use the books to sharpen my knowledge concerning those specific topics. So instead of passively reading the entire book, I would use the book to target specific areas of weakness.

When I say "target" I would go through the chapter, write notes in a notebook, review those notes for the next four days, and by the fourth day I would have a very solid understanding of the material. Of course this is just the way I do things and by no means works for everyone.

I would do this during any "downtime." For example, if I was in between cases for surgery or had finished writing my notes on medicine but was still on call for the ER.

Good luck, hope it helps.