WHY can't they just have the lab values next to the queston's lab results????

[shigella123]

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Life would be SO much easier if on the questions they would just give the normal lab values next to the question's lab results instead of having us waste time looking them up. I'm not saying the entire list just the specific ones the question is concerned with. It doesn't even take up that much space... Why can't they just do that?? Why do we have to go extra mile just for the lab values if we can't remember certain ones? How is that helping us in anyway?? Why waste that time instead of using it to reason in our head, which is way more important? I just don't get it!... 🙁 ! Am I the only one who is annoyed with the huge list of lab values when we have to skim through the list on Uworld?
To avoid using the hidden list in the corner I have memorized most of the lab values, but there is always some lab value that comes up in every other question for which I have to waste my precious time...It really annoys me..... I really want to save those few seconds to continue to think uninterrupted instead of clicking on the link to pull up the lab values and sometimes it takes longer for it to load!..then we have to put in search box to search for it... that does mess up my thinking and I have to rethink about the question....uhhh..... going back to the Uworld questions now...

 

[voicesinmyhead]

Dont they give any lab values alongside the question at all in the real deal?

Eg: Even if the labs are of LH, FSH, PTH, Estradiol, and other not so important stuff?

 

[001100010010011]

You can pull them up, right? It's frustrating. It just makes you have to memorize them and I'd imagine that after doing enough questions in UWorld, etc, you'll have them down.

 

[Bancrofti]

I always wondered the same thing. If I had to guess a reason, it would be to replicate a more real life clinical thinking scenario. I.e. if you have a case you're looking over in the hospital and you're looking at lab results and you don't know what the general reference values are, then you'd have to look it up.

That being said, I vaguely remember from working in the hospital a while ago, some of our lab result sheets that had to be included in the patient charts had any abnormal value bolded or something of that nature. I don't remember if it included the reference range, but at least it was noted be potentially abnormal.

 

[shigella123]

I'm glad you guys understand me... I agree, I mean when I was at the hospital looking at the patients lab values they had the normal values printed next to the patient's values..... We didn't have to look up the labs for them. So, this is so unnecessary to hide the list in the corner and have us waste time looking them up when they can just provide the few lab next to the patient's values. I have memorized most of them, but there are always few on every other question that I have to look up. I'm sure there are other people who would agree with me and would rather have the normal values next to the questions instead of hiding it in the corner.

On the actual exam day, I really hope I don't have to pull up these lab values as much, as I heard the question stems are already too long and looking up these values will definitely have a negative impact on the time. Now it makes sense to me how it can affect people who have timing issues on test day. But, I guess nothing can be done and we just have to deal with it... 🙁

 

[Brain Bucket]

If it helps, during the NBMEs, I always pull the lab values up for each question after clicking next, so that I don't have to read across the 24" monitor (not for the lab values). Saves me some time.