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From:
Date: 05 Apr 2005
Time: 14:16:51 -0400
Remote Name: 192.30.202.28
EXAM CONTENT Behavioral Sciences, Neuroanatomy, Immunology, Pathology (Endocrine, Cardiovascular, and Respiratory) and Pharmacology were HY on MY EXAM. Most of the questions were in NBME style, looking into the issue from untraditional angle, presented in an interesting clinical scenario. However there were many very direct questions, still 2-step though. Below are listed the topics I was able to recall, however you understand I cannot provide more details because of the USMLE restrictions. Perhaps you will have different questions on your exam, but this is to confirm that the books we use are on the right track and to encourage you that the exam is doable. My feeling was that the questions were not equally distributed among the subjects so knowing which subjects have the highest share is useful information. * (HY) Behavioral Sciences: very similar to Qbank, bunch of questions, some time integrated with pathology (you have to know the consequences of some disease to answer the question right): many patient-physician relationship questions, borderline personality disorder, anorexia nervosa, child abuse, women abuse, sleep apnea, narcolepsy, heroin abuse, dementia, night terrors, depression, sexual dysfunctions, alcohol abuse, malingering, child development, autism, defenses *Biochemistry/ Molecular Biology: mostly typical questions, few very complicated (some of them difficult, some of them workable) splicing, nucleotides, trans cription, molecular biology techniques Tay-Sachs, second messengers, catalase, rate limiting step in glycolysis, rate limiting step in beta oxidation, ketone bodies, insulin-glucagon, alkaptonuria, Lesh-Nyhan, porphyria, vitamins deficiencies: B12, C, D *Biostatistics: precision, sensitivity, relative risk - simple calculation, relative risk – interpretation, clinical trials *Embryology: 1st and 3rd arch derivatives, single umbilical artery-associated with?, kidney development *Genetics: all questions were workable and similar to Qbank Hardy-Weinberg, anticipation, pedigrees *Gross Anatomy: basic anatomy, bunch of neuroanatomy, few cranial and peripheral nerves questions retroperitoneal structures, GI blood supply, lymph drainage of cervix, damage of radial nerve, neuroanatomy: PICA, ALS, B12-neuropathy, Brown-Sequard, identifying structures on pictures, hydrocephaly, brain lesions after accident *Histology: collagen, dynein (Kartagener’s) * (HY) Immunology: haemophilus vaccine, IV type reactions, cytokines, immune deficiencies, transplant rejection *Microbiology: lipid A, pseudomonas, legionella, clostridium difficile, travelers diarrhea, lyme disease, trichphyton, taenia solium, herpesviruses, EBV, mumps, condylomata acuminata, proteus * (HY) Pathology/Pathophysiology: apoptosis, myasthenia gravis, osteogenesis imperfecta, aseptic necrosis, fragile X, Patau, alpha-fetoprotein, Wilson’s disease, neurofibromatosis anemias, Von Willebrand disease, DIC, multiple mieloma hydatidiform mole, ectopic pregnancy, polycystic ovary disease prostate cancer 21-beta hydroxylase deficiency, subacute thyroidit, hyperparathyroidism, aldosterone and ADH, diabetes aortic stenosis, mitral prolaps, MI pneumothorax, pulmonary fibrosis, cystic fibrosis, lung cancer Wilms tumor, struvite kidney stone, casts porto-caval anastomosis, ras gene, internal hemorrhoids, ulcerative colitis, acute pancreatitis * (HY) Pharm/Therapeutics: mostly direct questions similar to Qbank, drug interactions, toxicity, mechanism of action, overdose mechanism of action: tetracycline, aminoglycosides, aspirin, dantrolene, allopurinol, acyclovir, ECG change with IA antiarriythmics toxicity: isoniazid, succinylcholine, toxicity in elderly use: ethosuximide *Physiology: cardiac action potential, clearance, contraction of afferent arteriole, factor XII, cardiac cycle curve, calculation of stroke volume from O2 consumption, CCK *Graphs cardiac cycle curve O2 dissociation curve for HbF few other that I cannot recall *Pictures (all good quality) leukemoid reaction, normal neutrophils brain cross sections condilomata acuminata struvite kidney stone thyroid histology kid with blue sclera 3-4 CT’s thorax, abdomen, brain 3-4 X-rays shoulder, finger’s trauma, pneumothorax To img1: you asked “How do you compare the real exam with Q bank in terms of difficulty? Is it okay if we do the Q subject wise? Please give your opinion.” Although Qbank addresses the same HY areas, the questions seem easier, because very often they are one step questions, and they are typically shorter. There are some other flaws in Qbank, particularly the mixing of the questions. I noticed that similar questions appear in subsequent tests; for example if I have 20 tests 50q each, all Tay-Sachs questions will appear from test 4 to 8, the rest of the tests won’t have Tay-Sachs. I get an advantage in tests 4-8, because similar stuff are tested, but later I don’t have the opportunity to work with Tay-Sachs questions. In fact my Qbank exhausted subjects like biochemistry and physiology 400 questions before the end. It seems Qbank is designed primarily as a learning tool so the test style (mixed or subject wise) should not really mater, rather it should be based on your preferences. On the other hand the full time simulated exams and NBME tests are designed to be as close as possible to the real exam and therefore they should be used for self assessment. Will continue tomorrow... Chav Follow Ups: