Advice by Tanveer Dhaliwal, tkd36

Overview

• B1-B4 – I focused on in-house material, BK deck, and associated AnKing for limited subjects like pathology. I basically would learn everything for the exam and forget it immediately after.
• B5-B6 – I was still basically doing in-house material and added two things:
  • Sketchy Micro and associated Anki(did not keep up with it)
  • Pathoma Chapters 1-3 + Associated chapters from the blocks (MSK, CNS, Ideally would have also done all Heme and WBC related chapters as well) and associated Anki (kept up with it)
  • **No UWorld done (mistake)

Dedicated

I only took a few days off after B6 finals(started Jan 28th) and took the exam the last week available(~8 weeks). I had a very loose schedule and took a CBSSA/CBSE every week:

Phase 1: Content Review (2-3 wks)

1. Daily Schedule:
   1. Redo Sketchy Micro w/ Anki and keep up with it this time (Highly highly recommend starting and keeping up with Anki B5-B6, will save you a lot of time during dedicated)
   2. Pathoma Chapter + Pathoma Anki(I spaced out my Pathoma chapters so I could go through the Anki at least once)
   3. 50 UWorld Questions
      1. I did NOT do random questions starting from Day 1 because my content deficit was still very high. I would do targeted questions of whatever Pathoma chapter I would read + targeted Micro + targeted Neuro and Psych because we just learned those
      2. For every question I got wrong/flagged → screenshot onto google doc → send PDF to iPad → write in my own words why the correct answer was right and all the wrong answers were wrong
      3. Since Pathoma only cover pathology, I learned all other subjects basically through UWorld and referencing First Aid as I went through Questions

Phase 2: Questions (5-6 wks)

1. Daily Schedule:
   1. 80 Mixed UWorld Questions everyday w/ in depth-review
   2. Go through Anki at least once of miscellaneous subjects (Sketchy Biochem Storage Diseases, Sketchy Vitamins, Sketchy Pharm)
   3. Stopped keeping up with Pathoma Anki at this point but continued keeping with Sketchy Micro Anki

Overall Notes

1. I did not take any break days even though I probably could have. Make sure to sleep well (at least 8 hours every day) and eat.
2. This test is super super scary but try to remind yourself that you are fully capable of passing 🙂

I entered dedicated with knowledge gaps from Block 1. I also had not used Anki consistently during preclin, so I knew I had likely forgotten a lot of material prior to Block 6. Lastly, I had only completed about 150 total UWorld questions before dedicated. For all these reasons, I used the full allowed dedicated period (~8 weeks) without extending into the extra 6–4-week window.

I used my first and only CBSSA to help pick out the systems that I was weakest in. I then focused on content review of my weak systems and the highest yield disciplines.

• Anything that I felt required additional review:
  • Crush Step 1 and Step 1 Clinical Pattern Recognition textbooks

Anything that I felt required additional review

Crush Step 1 and Step 1 Clinical Pattern Recognition textbooks

My Routine

1. Started each day with a 40-question UWorld block in tutored mode, grouped by the system/discipline I was studying that day — this sped up review.
   1. Before you begin, I recommend listening to Divine Intervention podcast episode “How To Review UWorld and NBME Questions Efficiently.”
2. Spent the rest of the day on targeted content review (videos + notes + Anki).
3. After completing content review, I took 1 practice NBME per week
   • I gave myself 3 days for each exam: 1 day to complete the exam and 2 days to review the questions thoroughly.
   • I ended up taking the three most recent NBME forms and the latest 2 Free 120s.
4. Two weeks before the exam I focused on getting through as many new Anki cards as possible. Decks/tags used:
   • Cards tagged (high yield OR relatively high yield) AND tagged with (content video reviewed OR UWorld question completed)
   • Duke Pathoma deck
   • Pixorize cards for reviewed content
   • Dorian Anki deck
   • Mehlman arrows deck
   • NBME images decks (second pass) and GUSOM path labs (second pass)

What I wish I had done (lessons learned)

• rioritize taking all the NBME forms (including the older forms not available on the official website). Questions and content are repeated on the actual exam.
• Drill timing more aggressively on NBMEs; aim to finish with time to spare. Actual exam stems felt longer than UWorld/NBMEs.
• Completed only the microbiology, pathology, physiology, and pathophysiology UWorld questions.
  • I only got through 40% of UWorld; however, that 40% could of have been better allocated.
• Spent less time on low yield weaknesses (Biochem and Genetics). Maybe review them last.
• Keep up with Anki throughout dedicated rather than cramming new cards in the final weeks; ideally start ANKING in preclinical years.
• Treat pharmacology as mechanism and group focused. The actual exam won’t test drug names as intensely,

Final tips

• Focus on high-yield content first.
• Be flexible and do not be afraid to adapt plans if your learning style differs from others.
• Do not try to complete content review for all of preclin and finish all of UWorld within dedicated. It is impossible!

Y’all got this!