I’m just going to assume that I feel the way most people do about the unknown: I don’t like it. Even though I’ve known about this test for two years, it still feels like it’s springing up on me and I’m frantically trying to prepare.
What’s on it? Where there a lot of Biochem questions or was Neuro more stressed? Were the Path questions hard? And on, and on.
For most of us, it’s also the first time we’ve ever taken a test like this on a computer. Like most, I have my habits of underlining key words in a question stem, putting *’s by things that I have to skip now but may get later, putting an “X” next to a question that I could never answer correctly, etc. That I’ll be staring at a mouse, keyboard and glowing screen on test day is an unnerving thought.
To get over all of this, we look for practice questions. The good news is that there are thousands of practice questions on Al Gore’s internet and the companies worth their salt have some great supporting software. There are free questions and expensive questions and you get what you pay for. Let’s look at some free/semi-free sources first.
Free/Semi-free sites
Official USMLE tutorial and practice questions (2007)
Gives you four blocks of 50 questions for practice with the testing interface FRED. No explanations for answers and reviewing your questions is awkward.
Tulane’s Medical Pharmacology Exams
I wish I had known about this site when I took Pharmacology. The questions are broken down by subject with explanations of all answer choices. Straightforward multiple choice and great for review.
Web Path
I used this site religiously when I took Path and it was an enourmous help. I recommend it to anyone and everyone. Great questions, great pictures, great format.
Anatomy at University of Michigan
I used this site throughout anatomy and I still give thanks to this site. Surface anatomy, gross anatomy, radiology, and Anatomy Jeopardy. After the Boards, I owe these guys a bottle of wine and a nice card.
Lipincott Williams and Wilkins
350-question comprehensive USMLE test, available to anyone that has registered with the site. If you have bought one of their books (Physio BRS), there is an access code in the jacket.
Student Consult
I have access to this because of the two Rapid Review books that I bought (Gross and Developmental Anatomy, Microbiology and Immunology). This site also has 350-question tests for you to use (with the scratch-off code, of course).
Facts in a Flash
Not USMLE format, but if you like working on flashcard questions without the rubberbands and mess, this might be for you.
So after looking at those sites you decide that, while very good for your normal review, you need some professional help for the Boards. You need this enough that you’ll part with some loan money. Whichever company you choose, you should look for the following:
Their question bank (QBank) should have enough questions for you to give yourself a fair evaluation, there should not be so many questions that you could not comfortably do them all, and the quality of the questions should be more important than the quantity.
The questions are given in the FRED computer format that you are going to see on the USMLE, complete with question marking, annotation, highlighting and strikethrough.
Detailed explanations for right and wrong responses.
Questions broken down by both subject and system, i.e. Cardiovascular Pharmacology.
The software shows your strengths, weaknesses, progress, and performance against all other students using the same questions.
THE HOLY GRAIL: The questions are of equal or greater difficulty compared to those on the USMLE.
Question Bank Subscriptions
KAPLAN ($279, 3 months, 2100 Qs, FRED)
This was likely the first company that sprang to mind. Kaplan runs review courses where you live in a hotel for 6 weeks cramming, they have online course content, video lectures, on and on. This company has worked the USMLE inside and out, and it seems a right of passage that students slog through the 2100+ questions before sitting for the exam. I was a little wary of this company, though, as people told me that by the end of the course, they were scoring in the 90s on each block and that the actual USMLE was much harder.
USMLE WORLD ($110, 3 months, 1730 Qs, FRED)
I had never heard of this program, but three people that I consider intelligent (each scored 95+) told me that UW’s questions were more difficult than the actual USMLE. Each of them also subscribed to Kaplan, used its program, and found the programs to offer the same features. After hearing this, visiting their site, and considering the prices, I had to take them seriously. It seemed like a great deal (less than half of Kaplan with a higher rating). The reviews at Prep4Usmle were positive as well. I also like that UW let’s you try their product for a month and if you like it, you can buy more months at a discount. My review of UW Qbank.
USMLE Rx ($199, 3 months, 2000 Qs, FRED)
Written by the same authors of the First Aid for the USMLE. On glance, they seem to be doing everything correctly. They let you test their product and they offer integration between their online product and the First Aid book. The reviews that I have found put it on par with Kaplan. I’m intrigued.
SCORE 95 ($99, 3 months, 4300 Qs, FRED?)
That this site is slick and has a string of testimonials (which read like a third grader’s homework assignment) is not impressing me. I am also having a lot of trouble actually learning about their program (does it run off your computer, what features does it have, etc.). What I am impressed with is their accompanying note set, that they show you the breakdown of their questions, and that they offer a daily podcast to anyone that wants to listen to a new subject each day. The reviews I was able to find online say that the program is poor and the questions are disappointing. Quantity > Quality. In fact, the number of questions scared me off well before my research. 4,300 questions comes to 360 questions a week for 12 weeks. I currently average 150, and that pace is keeping me busy. I cannot fathom the amount of work it would take to complete these questions, so why have them?
EXAM MASTER ($179, CD, 8,700 Qs)
Absolutely not. On first glance: no. After reading reviews: no. If this program helps your score, it’s probably a placebo effect.
So where does that leave us? If you’re going to start doing questions 3 months before the exam, anything more than 2500 questions isn’t practical. You have to realize that you’ll be spending all day learning the material, and that it might take 3 days to cover a topic. At a reasonable pace, you can expect to do 150-200 a week (which will take you 3 hours and 15 minutes, remember). Anything more than this might burn you. So let’s just throw Exam Master and Score95 right out.
If you believe the worst reviews of the anonymous, Kaplan, UW and Usmle Rx are the same difficulty. If that’s true, then you should go with the cheapest program: UW. If you believe the best of the reviews, UW is harder than Kaplan and Rx, and you should go with UW. Though it has fewer questions, I got the strong feeling that the Quality >>> Quantity, and since I only have so much time to devote to questions, I want them to challenege me and teach me something new. I dropped the $110 and am incredibly happy with it. The questions are stout, and with all my over-preparing for each section, I have yet to crack an 85% in any discipline. This was a good choice for me.
However, if you don’t have much time, are planning on putting all your eggs in the First Aid basket, and would benefit more from reasonably challenging questions (whereas harder Qs might hurt your confidence more than help your score), then I can see a strong case for buying the Rx. It’s twice as expensive as UW, but the formats are indistinguishable and the integration with the First Aid book is appealing. If this wasn’t priced at $199, I might have bought this after finishing UW.
I’m sorry to beat up on Kaplan here, but after going through their QBook and the questions in their Lecture Notes, I’m just not impressed. I have consistently felt that the questions were either written to make me feel good about owning the notes, or that the notes were written to prepare me for those exact questions. Either way, I never had the feeling that Kaplan’s questions were independently difficult (if that makes sense) and from what I’ve read and heard from others, my concerns have merit. And for $279! Get over yourself, Kaplan.
Towards the end i would like to comment on RxUSMLE. An upcoming site. Simple layout, packed with useful information, and optimized for searching content you are looking for. And they have a question bank. And it is free. They dont even ask for registration. Love the quality of questions. Comparable to USMLE world, and Kaplan. But the number of questions is limited as of now. But if they continue to enhance this site, and their question banks, RxUSMLE would go places.
42 comments:
Hi i am looking for usmle world step 3
thanks a lot !god bless you.
HI , I'm looking for step 2 USMLE World link.Anybody can help me?
thank you very much ,good luck
Guys, I really need a link to the 6th edition of FA step2 CK 2007. I already have the 5th edition, which is 2005/06 and as far as other coleagues say is not as good as 2007 one.
hi every body, does anyone have step 3 usmle world links.??
thanks for the elsevier student consult pdf files.
password for all files
usmlerx.blogspot.com
complete resources for step 2 ck from kaplan
elsevier step 3 pdf surgery
elsevier step 3 pdf medicine
elsevier step 3 pdf ob gyn
elsevier step 3 pdf pediatrics
elsevier step 3 pdf psychiatry
for usmle world pdf files leave your email here.
hi luciinterval,
i want the uw pdf files please.my id is:mumsiekanthi@rediffmail.com
to lucid interval
please send the PDF file to my e mail
mikpoutou@yahoo.com
thank you
plese send me uw links to
rash_yours@yahoo.com
please send me uw step 1 lucid interval. My email is keloid3@yahoo.com
I have only these parts, if some one has the rest of the parts please send it to me..
some one please send me too at keloid3@yahoo.com
Thanks in advance
Hi lucid interval, could you please send me the PDF file to qinowag@yahoo.com? Thank you very much.
I am looking for step 1 USMLErx Qbank. Thanks.
lucidinterval, please send the usmle world pdfs to anvo662@yahoo.com. Thank you!!
HI I need the usmle world q banks step 1. Thanks.
doclouette@yahoo.com
HI, Lucid.
please send uw pdf to
willyxu2@gmail.com
God blesses
HI, Lucid,can your send me the PDF
of UW_1 ?
my mail is
fenix_nw@yahoo.com
Hi Lucid. Do you have UW step2 PDF format? If you have it, please send it to marketplace100@yahoo.com
hi lucid interval,
please send me the UW Step 1 pdf files at g6pddfishnc@yahoo.com
if you also have Step 2 and 3 and the new 2008 FA, can you send those too
thanks!
usmle world step 1 pdf files, email me for password
lucidinterval3@gmail.com
hi
Hi I am looking for Step 3 UW and Elsevier links
lausmlestep@gmail.com
i need link for lecture notes kaplan for step 1 as well a Kaplan step 1 DVDs
Hi Lucid
I am an IMG from INDIA. I did not make it in match this year so am thinking of giving step 3...could you please send me the links for UW step 3 And elsevier.My email address is dramitkaushal1@gmail.com
Thank you
Amit
hey i was referred to this link reg the USMLE(world) do u still have the rapid share links .. i clicked on the ones i got but it was no longer valid..
if u could plz send it to nav177@aol.com
.. or even other nbme material
our school has some thing similar to shelf exams by NBME but subject order...
thank u very much God bless
You can use Vadlo, the latest bio-medical search engine to find powerpoint lectures on clinical topics, cases, treatments etc.
Hi luciinterval,
If you're still around, could you send me whatever you have for step 3?
Thank you,
D
driver1906@gmail.com
lucidinterval (or anyone else), please send the usmle world pdfs to scottdyoho@yahoo.com. Thank you!!
I'm looking for usmle world (or any other questions) for step 2! Please send to katey_101@hotmail.com
Thank you!!
HI , I'm looking for step 2 USMLE World link.Anybody can help me? my email: nurevsan77@hotmail.com
i have compiled this list of 12000 flashcards for USMLE.
http://rapidshare.com/files/319815418/Flash-Cards-For-USMLE.zip
Hello,
This post is really helpful. USMLE preparation is the key to achieving high scores. It provides list of web resources, latest news, images, videos, blog postings, and realtime conversation about physiology qbank. It also provide some recomendation so you can surf the internet faster and fun. Thanks for the tips.
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