wtf Molecular bio questions on UW

[Aclamity]

I've seen a lot of wtf type of molecular bio questions on UW (e.g. very very specific details about tRNA structure or ribosomal cleavage or posttranslational modification).

UW usually shows 20-25% of people getting those questions right, which is why I didn't really think too much of it (just assumed it was wtf for everyone). But now I'm wondering if I'm screwing myself over by only studying FA mol bio... is the general consensus that FA is sufficient, or is there a better source out there for supplementing?

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[mdquestion]

I've seen a lot of wtf type of molecular bio questions on UW (e.g. very very specific details about tRNA structure or ribosomal cleavage or posttranslational modification).

UW usually shows 20-25% of people getting those questions right, which is why I didn't really think too much of it (just assumed it was wtf for everyone). But now I'm wondering if I'm screwing myself over by only studying FA mol bio... is the general consensus that FA is sufficient, or is there a better source out there for supplementing?

To be honest, I think I got a similar tRNA structure question on an NBME exam. There's actually a section on it in First Aid in the Biochem chapter (which I think? is sufficient to answer the UWorld question). Believe me, they don't put things in First Aid unless someone has been asked questions about them before on boards.

 

[tjquinn]

That tRNA question about the specific nucleotides is actually in FA... But yeah I was troubled by such detail. But, the other answer choices didn't make much sense anyhow, and all those weird bases was nothing I'd seen in any mRNA, so I guessed the answer I'd never heard of and got it that way.

 

[Aclamity]

That tRNA question about the specific nucleotides is actually in FA... But yeah I was troubled by such detail. But, the other answer choices didn't make much sense anyhow, and all those weird bases was nothing I'd seen in any mRNA, so I guessed the answer I'd never heard of and got it that way.

hah yeah I ended up getting it right with the same methodology. FA says "high percentage of chemically modified bases"... I guess that's what they mean by dihydrouracil and all that junk.

I guess I was just wondering if this is UW getting fancy with us or if these kinds are questions are the norm on the real deal and if there's a book out there that prepares you for them. Unfortunately this is one of the subjects where it is really hard to reason out an answer if you don't know what they're talking about

 

[san2]

Fa isnt enough for molecular bio. I know i seem to be advocating a lot for kaplan medessentials, but its because both my gf and I used this and first aid side by side and there were a lot of things in kaplan me that wasnt in fa and which was still very important. All the molecular bio you need to know can be found in kaplan me. I had a lot of molecular bio questions. I wanna say 4.

 

[Phloston]

I think all of the "wtf molecular bio" stuff just needs to be gained by doing lots of questions. I had encountered some in Rx. I've also encountered a few good ones in Kaplan QBook (which I'm going through at the moment). And, as you've said, UWorld has them too. I wouldn't write off the information as low-yield. There could be one or more of these questions that show up on the real thing; for some people, there have been many. It also just depends on where your interests fall. I happen to hate all psychiatry and behavioral science stuff, but love the mo bio and biochem. Either way, the lower-yield of the former would still need to get learned.

Check out HY Cell & Molecular Bio if you don't already have it. The final few chapters carry particularly unique information (i.e. not in FA) on biochemical techniques. Kaplan notes also has some good mo bio stuff in their biochem section.