Anonymous
08-11-2004, 02:17 AM
Hey guys...just took the exam today..I had been following the form every now and then, reading other peoples reviews. It is true that the exam is not impossible and that it is a doable exam..but really i think some people stretch that definition a bit too far. At least thats how i felt on my exam.
I think I got a bit unlucky in the fact that I got a lot of questions in every block from genetics and molecular biology and some straight up cell biology!! WHAT was up with that!!! I had only read over kaplan for those but i can assure you that you can never know all the genetics and all the molecular /cell bio!
The break up of my exam:
Pathology..lots and lots of it in every block!! I read kaplan for this and made my notes into first aid and I feel that that is sufficient..but make sure you know your path inside and out and be able to make correlations!Trust me on this..pathology may seem easy when doing Q bank questions..but its a whole different ball game getting through those on the actual exam!
Pathophysio was not as much tested as physiology on my exam. I would just stick with BRS physio. Lots and alots of endocrine and Cardio!
Make sure you know those murmurs cold..I had about 3 questions straight up on murmurs!
Micro...FA more then enough. I am dead serious..dont even try to go over kaplan micro..its too much! I had about 3 to 4 micro questions per block. Know bacteriology..specially virulence of different organisms.
Behavioral...about 3 questions per block..All were doc-patient relationship...FA is more then enough. Yes easy epidemiology calculations..Again..FA is more then enough.
Anatomy...Alright this kinda ticked me off a bit cause i had about 5 anatomy questions in every block...what ever happened to anatomy being low yield?!! Yes So i got screwwed there! FA is NOT ENOUGH! I would read high yield Anatomy and do FA anatomy to be better prepared.
Neuro was every where..I am not sure how many but there were quite a few CT scans...but it was fairly straight forward. If you know your high yield and FA you should be fine.
Immuno not too many but FA and kaplan are enough. Understand kaplan and make notes into FA ..you will be MORE then fine!
Pharm...man..i had 3 drugs on my exam that I had never seen or heard of in any of the pharm review books..i think one was called inoltonion or something like that! The questions were not straight forward...I really dont know how one can prepare for this..i guess just go over whatever pharm notes you have been reading. I did not think that FA was enough for this.
Embryo...i think i got one question pertaining to oligohydramnios. FA more then enough for this.
My 4 cents :
Exam is not as doable as everyone says. Its a hard exam..BUT if you have gone over your stuff..so much so that it is pouring out of every orifice in your body..then you will pass this exam for sure! I dont know If i did cause comming out of the exam I made some rediculously stupid mistakes!
Make sure you go over Q bank cause that reinforces what you learn through your notes....and some of the questions were straight off of Q bank it seemed! Though Q bank is not a true reflection of the difficulty of the actual exam. Also FA is on the money and so is Golgian!!!
I thank everyone whose words helped me get a flavor of the actual exam.
Peace
Sal
I think I got a bit unlucky in the fact that I got a lot of questions in every block from genetics and molecular biology and some straight up cell biology!! WHAT was up with that!!! I had only read over kaplan for those but i can assure you that you can never know all the genetics and all the molecular /cell bio!
The break up of my exam:
Pathology..lots and lots of it in every block!! I read kaplan for this and made my notes into first aid and I feel that that is sufficient..but make sure you know your path inside and out and be able to make correlations!Trust me on this..pathology may seem easy when doing Q bank questions..but its a whole different ball game getting through those on the actual exam!
Pathophysio was not as much tested as physiology on my exam. I would just stick with BRS physio. Lots and alots of endocrine and Cardio!
Make sure you know those murmurs cold..I had about 3 questions straight up on murmurs!
Micro...FA more then enough. I am dead serious..dont even try to go over kaplan micro..its too much! I had about 3 to 4 micro questions per block. Know bacteriology..specially virulence of different organisms.
Behavioral...about 3 questions per block..All were doc-patient relationship...FA is more then enough. Yes easy epidemiology calculations..Again..FA is more then enough.
Anatomy...Alright this kinda ticked me off a bit cause i had about 5 anatomy questions in every block...what ever happened to anatomy being low yield?!! Yes So i got screwwed there! FA is NOT ENOUGH! I would read high yield Anatomy and do FA anatomy to be better prepared.
Neuro was every where..I am not sure how many but there were quite a few CT scans...but it was fairly straight forward. If you know your high yield and FA you should be fine.
Immuno not too many but FA and kaplan are enough. Understand kaplan and make notes into FA ..you will be MORE then fine!
Pharm...man..i had 3 drugs on my exam that I had never seen or heard of in any of the pharm review books..i think one was called inoltonion or something like that! The questions were not straight forward...I really dont know how one can prepare for this..i guess just go over whatever pharm notes you have been reading. I did not think that FA was enough for this.
Embryo...i think i got one question pertaining to oligohydramnios. FA more then enough for this.
My 4 cents :
Exam is not as doable as everyone says. Its a hard exam..BUT if you have gone over your stuff..so much so that it is pouring out of every orifice in your body..then you will pass this exam for sure! I dont know If i did cause comming out of the exam I made some rediculously stupid mistakes!
Make sure you go over Q bank cause that reinforces what you learn through your notes....and some of the questions were straight off of Q bank it seemed! Though Q bank is not a true reflection of the difficulty of the actual exam. Also FA is on the money and so is Golgian!!!
I thank everyone whose words helped me get a flavor of the actual exam.
Peace
Sal