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USMLE
DISCLAIMER: All questions decsribed here are very similar to the style of the actual questions but <u>nothing</u> is taken directly from the test.
This was a retake. I found it to be seriously evil compared to the first one. there were a number of "trick" questions. For example there were at least two "What should you NOT prescribe here?", there were many questions that described two conditions general EX: Pt has dry pale patch on forehead (but in later sentence) pt has oily patch with crusty spots on eyebrow (Later) pt has red rash. HUH?? Very little renal almost no respiratory; lots of Genetics with several possibly experimentals (peptide sequences) not much inheritance. Something like 30 DM I and II questions. basic path heme, lots and lots of the style of questions that kill me: Joe blow has his arm cut off but he is conscious and he is on beta blockers one atm underwater; what is his renin, aldosterone, Na, Angiotensen II? A few questions phrased so convoluted that you had to read it 5 times to understand what they were saying "this is not a double negative but a question phrased as a negative that is really asking for a positive result if you don't remove drug X". I left 2 or 3 questions on block 2; 5 on block 5; 4 on block 6 and 7 on block 7. I tried to click through but the computer responded very slowly and each new page brought up an answer grid off the screen. That may very well sink me as I missed some classics when I got tired toward the end while rushing and marking several blind. Lots and lots of epidemiology. Confusing pharm: mouse injected with x but given y before then notice MAP response at injection of z after w. I HATE those. LOTS and LOTS of those time wasters with A-H options. I was very surprised at the way the questions were placed so that the long vinettes and multiple A-H questions showed up around question 38, 39, 42 then 48, 49. Some first orders at the very beginning of blocks--I guess to make up for it. Of course, I thought they were tricks and stared at them for a minute or more to be sure. Lots of female endocrine but easy on thyroid--mostly repro. Very straighforward Behavioral Sci. Several CTs, several histopath not too bad on neuro questions except that a couple of brain images were very difficult to orient. they were of individual arteries on a reversed skull or in a dark slice with an arrow pointing to a CN I could not see. Cardio was not too bad but no ECGs and lots of murmers. Missed some easy ones talking myself out of first impressions.
That is about all. I don't know how it will compare to those of you who take the new one in January except to say that they seem to be breaking some rules so be solid and careful. I would suggest for prep to use BRS phys, kaplan Q bank, Goljan, HY neuro. I used FA for pharm and it was not enough--I learned MOA and SE and how the pathogen subverts the MOA and they managed to phrase some questions as third order, for ex: Path vignette to suggest a disease and suggest additional viral/bacterial infection, multiple meds already on board, question is pt should have two drugs--one that has MOA and another that has ???MOA and don't forget the complicating underlying path, current meds or the ambiguous pneumonia. Very tough. A couple of chemo drugs I had never heard of at all although I knew what class was needed. Had to guess. Do all the released Qs and then do them again--there were about 5 questions on the test that were almost verbatim from some bank or other. If you can take DR Goljan's review and use his intensive path review notes...do it. I cannot emphasize enough how Poppy helped. He is timeless. Big time. There are things on the test that no one would think to cover on their own that are mentioned somewhere in the Goljan notes. Had I retained more of his stuff I would be sure of 10-20 correct answers right now.
Happy New Year for those that celebrate it and thank you all for your posts and questions the last two months.
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12-21-2004, 11:57 PM
Linear Mode
