KCU Class of 2019

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Eremba said:
Yes and no.
It gave me the ability to sit and study and build stamina for the dedicated time now to study for boards, but I feel like Robbins is so dense and the path teachers (some) go for details and not necessarily high yield details that you can get lost in the weeds trying to learn for their exam instead of getting a really solid foundation in path for boards.

I would highly recommend following pathoma and annotating FA through the year to get a handle on the high yield. But do read Robbins for class so you can do well on the exams. It's a lot, but once I started doing it -- those systems sections are my highest % on q banks.


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Awesome advice thanks Eremba! One more question, did you use Firecracker, Memorang, or DIT throughout the year? If you did did you like it?
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AlteredScale said:
Awesome advice thanks Eremba! One more question, did you use Firecracker, Memorang, or DIT throughout the year? If you did did you like it?
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I did not use any of those things.
I bought USMLERx triple play for boards.
I really like the videos. It helped me stay focused when going through FA. They sometimes just kinda read FA to you, but some of the lectures are really good and I am an auditory learner so even when it was just what FA said it really helped me.

I also used sketchy medical for pharm. it helped me with physio some and pharm a lot.


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This post is for those of you that want to destroy Step 1 next year. As someone who did well the 1st 2 years and felt pretty blindsided by the focus of USMLE, I'll do a full writeup so that you guys don't end up feeling the same way when your time comes. Every USMLE form is different (some easier than others which is why some may disagree with how I'm describing it here) but you have to be ready for the worst and I can say with confidence that doing well in classes is not enough. If I could do it all over, I would have focused on Goljan >>>> Robbins due to the integration across subjects in RR that is just not there in Robbins. I would say the highest yield chapters of Robbins are the the first few that focus on basic principles including the chapter on molecular biology.
Obviously that doesn't mean you shouldn't read Robbins but I would use it more as a reference than as a primary source if you are already doing well in class. Step 1 is a largely a pathophysiology exam which Robbins has a ton of but is limited to the scope of the chapter. You might also be told by some to not start studying for boards until much later and some classmates who will not have even touched FA until dedicated. This is by far the biggest mistake I think you can make. If you aren't using Pathoma and FA alongside classes you are doing yourself a disservice. FA is written based on what people said they had on their exams. Every word is high yield. Understanding >>> memorization.
Make anki cards for facts that need to be memorized or use Bros anki deck but the focus should be on WHY things happen rather than WHAT (goljan says this in his audio and its 100% correct advice). If I had to summarize what the USMLE wants you to know its what happens in the body when there is a change from the normal. This includes basic principles of path, pharm, molecular bio, immunology, biochem and can be presented to you in a form of charts/graphs/lab experiments. Throughout the systems courses you should focus on including all levels of understanding besides just superficially through just reading the current chapter in Robbins. Also we were required to do Kaplan Q bank. If you still have this requirement for your class and are planning on taking USMLE, do it early with classes. It is the biggest waste of time to do this bank during dedicated period and will take away from time spent with UWorld which is what the real deal is most like. Anyone can feel free to PM me at anytime if you have any questions.
 
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Zaphod42 said:
This post is for those of you that want to destroy Step 1 next year. As someone who did well the 1st 2 years and felt pretty blindsided by the focus of USMLE, I'll do a full writeup so that you guys don't end up feeling the same way when your time comes. Every USMLE form is different (some easier than others which is why some may disagree with how I'm describing it here) but you have to be ready for the worst and I can say with confidence that doing well in classes is not enough. If I could do it all over, I would have focused on Goljan >>>> Robbins due to the integration across subjects in RR that is just not there in Robbins. I would say the highest yield chapters of Robbins are the the first few that focus on basic principles including the chapter on molecular biology.
Obviously that doesn't mean you shouldn't read Robbins but I would use it more as a reference than as a primary source if you are already doing well in class. Step 1 is a largely a pathophysiology exam which Robbins has a ton of but is limited to the scope of the chapter. You might also be told by some to not start studying for boards until much later and some classmates who will not have even touched FA until dedicated. This is by far the biggest mistake I think you can make. If you aren't using Pathoma and FA alongside classes you are doing yourself a disservice. FA is written based on what people said they had on their exams. Every word is high yield. Understanding >>> memorization.
Make anki cards for facts that need to be memorized or use Bros anki deck but the focus should be on WHY things happen rather than WHAT (goljan says this in his audio and its 100% correct advice). If I had to summarize what the USMLE wants you to know its what happens in the body when there is a change from the normal. This includes basic principles of path, pharm, molecular bio, immunology, biochem and can be presented to you in a form of charts/graphs/lab experiments. Throughout the systems courses you should focus on including all levels of understanding besides just superficially through just reading the current chapter in Robbins. Also we were required to do Kaplan Q bank. If you still have this requirement for your class and are planning on taking USMLE, do it early with classes. It is the biggest waste of time to do this bank during dedicated period and will take away from time spent with UWorld which is what the real deal is most like. Anyone can feel free to PM me at anytime if you have any questions.
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So you're recommending Golijan for the dedicated period or for studying along side the systems courses? I mean if next year is anything like this year Putoff is going to run us raw focusing on the most stupidly obscure details. How should we try to find time to both Pathoma and Golijan and read Robbins?
 
Drrrrrr. Celty said:
So you're recommending Golijan for the dedicated period or for studying along side the systems courses? I mean if next year is anything like this year Putoff is going to run us raw focusing on the most stupidly obscure details. How should we try to find time to both Pathoma and Golijan and read Robbins?
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UFAP + sketchy + microcards (comlex micro questions were more detailed) for dedicated, Goljan audio/RR during the year (with a focus on understanding pathophysiology rather than memorizing the random details). I won't lie, its going to be very difficult since reading Robbins takes forever. I would still at the end of the day concentrate on classes first. I feel as if many students that are borderline might read this and focus too much on RR/other resources and end up failing. I would only take my advice if you are comfortably doing very well in class. If you are doing very well, read robbins like you normally do but instead of reading through a 2nd time, read goljan and fill in concepts that Robbins didn't discuss in that particular chapter. Priority wise: Do well in class, do a lot of practice questions through Qbanks (ex: kaplan, USMLErx, Uworld, robbins review for class) and use pathoma, FA alongside classes so you know whats important. Make sure to finish Kaplan before dedicated no matter what if its required for your class because it probably helped me on 1-2 questions max on the real thing and took away many many hours that I could have spent on uworld. Keep up with pharm and micro with each organ system. You will be tempted to dump these after each organ system so make sure you make anki cards or buy flashcards and do them regularly (will make your life easier come dedicated time). Want to mention again this advice was geared towards people who want to go into something competitive and are looking to score really high on USMLE. You should be fine if your goal is ~220-230 just doing the good old UFAP in dedicated and not stressing yourself out during the year. The curriculum is good for Comlex and clinicals but just not ideal for USMLE since step 1 requires a lot of integration and understanding of basic principles/pathophysiology across organ systems. (focus of ~80% of my exam; had close to zero questions where I had to recall obscure details to answer the question).
Note: Regarding goljan, I've read through many past step 1 experience threads where some ppl said that goljan didn't help them at all which makes me wonder about how variable exams can be. Since you can't predict what kind of exam you will get I think the best way to use RR is for concepts behind mechanisms rather than just memorizing facts and should make reading it much quicker.
 
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Do you think it would be wise to request that that they remove it as a requirement?
 
Drrrrrr. Celty said:
Do you think it would be wise to request that that they remove it as a requirement?
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Yes. My step 1 was not even close to anything like Kaplan. My score was probably hurt by doing it during dedicated since I could have spent that time going through Uworld with more detail which takes a lot longer than most people realize. Even if they remove the requirement I still think its best to do it alongside classes. The more questions you do the better.
 
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I'm interested in being an anatomy tutor, but I'm a little worried about the time commitment. Is it possible for second years to go to the anatomy lab for a few hours a week to review the anatomy?
 
Jayhawk20120 said:
I'm interested in being an anatomy tutor, but I'm a little worried about the time commitment. Is it possible for second years to go to the anatomy lab for a few hours a week to review the anatomy?
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Maybe post this in the 2018 forum so they can answer. I don't think any of us know yet.


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AlteredScale said:
Stephens is a crazy SOB with those questions. I had never flagged so many questions before


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Really? I felt like his **** was generally straight forward with some exceptions. Then again, I spent nearly all of the first week trying to get his **** down since he didn't lecture and then more or less studied his cases. I found a lot of Puthoff's questions mildly unreasonable and then a good deal of the pharm to be utter bull. Karius' questions were thankfully beyond straight forward with much of it being easily recallable physiology points.

I think that in the end the way I studied for the exam simply ended up being a bit lucky.
 
Drrrrrr. Celty said:
Really? I felt like his **** was generally straight forward with some exceptions. Then again, I spent nearly all of the first week trying to get his **** down since he didn't lecture and then more or less studied his cases. I found a lot of Puthoff's questions mildly unreasonable and then a good deal of the pharm to be utter bull. Karius' questions were thankfully beyond straight forward with much of it being easily recallable physiology points.

I think that in the end the way I studied for the exam simply ended up being a bit lucky.
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Puthoff's question I felt like he basically gave you the dx with the key words like 4/4 grade or rosenthal fibers. Stephens was just like "well I know this is right and this is...which one is most right here?".

Konorevs question were insanely hard! Those charts were crazy.


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AlteredScale said:
Puthoff's question I felt like he basically gave you the dx with the key words like 4/4 grade or rosenthal fibers. Stephens was just like "well I know this is right and this is...which one is most right here?".

Konorevs question were insanely hard! Those charts were crazy.


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He did, but half of the questions were ultra specific in my opinion. Stephen's were mainly like, well if you know tracts and **** and studied the cases you'd get at least 80% of them correct.
 
Drrrrrr. Celty said:
He did, but half of the questions were ultra specific in my opinion. Stephen's were mainly like, well if you know tracts and **** and studied the cases you'd get at least 80% of them correct.
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Oh for sure. I def so think knowing the cases was key to knowing what he was talking about. I'm just glad that over.


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2nd years, any tips on resources for HDM? Did you use BRS or other sources for practice questions? Did you read the textbook or focus on his slides? Anything else to consider? Thanks!
 
Bynumite17 said:
2nd years, any tips on resources for HDM? Did you use BRS or other sources for practice questions? Did you read the textbook or focus on his slides? Anything else to consider? Thanks!
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Shnyra will give you more practice questions than you know what to do with. I want to say it was close to 400 last year, maybe more.
 
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Bynumite17 said:
2nd years, any tips on resources for HDM? Did you use BRS or other sources for practice questions? Did you read the textbook or focus on his slides? Anything else to consider? Thanks!
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Focus on his slides, they're gold.
 
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Bynumite17 said:
2nd years, any tips on resources for HDM? Did you use BRS or other sources for practice questions? Did you read the textbook or focus on his slides? Anything else to consider? Thanks!
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BRS for immuno sucks don't use it. Do his practice questions and read his slides. If you get confused:

Also, please don't rely on this nonsense of the "LO group". I only used the LOs for MCM and biochem type courses because they tell you what boxes to memorize in the book.


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The amount of word vomit in these OS competencies...

I thought last year was bad.
 
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KCBlue said:
The amount of word vomit in these OS competencies...

I thought last year was bad.
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My problem is that Treffer's videos are saying one thing and the competency is saying it in the most backward way ever.
Ex. Lateral strains. Name for the highest sphenoid ala/ basisphenoid.
Competency: rotated right or left around their vertical axises. Wth
 
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sooo for MSK, are these materials sufficient...any other recommendations? Olinger atlas, Clinically Oriented Anatomy, Essential Anatomy app...and maybe Netter's flash cards?

also, should I get some crappy scrubs for the MSK labs or does washing them preserve them if I pay more for better ones?
 
Bynumite17 said:
sooo for MSK, are these materials sufficient...any other recommendations? Olinger atlas, Clinically Oriented Anatomy, Essential Anatomy app...and maybe Netter's flash cards?

also, should I get some crappy scrubs for the MSK labs or does washing them preserve them if I pay more for better ones?
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Never used flash cards for anatomy. Don't think they help much.

Essential anatomy app was wonderful I highly suggest it.

Olingers atlas seemed like a great book because it gave you accurate depictions of a cadaver dissection through pictures.

The clinical anatomy boxes are what's important in Moores. Someone's bound to have a file of them somewhere.

I'd buy cheap scrubs, they survive the washing and stuff.


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Bynumite17 said:
sooo for MSK, are these materials sufficient...any other recommendations? Olinger atlas, Clinically Oriented Anatomy, Essential Anatomy app...and maybe Netter's flash cards?

also, should I get some crappy scrubs for the MSK labs or does washing them preserve them if I pay more for better ones?
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Don't use flash cards for anatomy. Use the actual cadavers and the Essential Anatomy App. The Olinger atlas is awesome too for studying anatomy when you're at home.


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If I could go back in time I'd buy his atlas instead of the Thieme one. It may have some inaccuracies but it at least had material that was useful to study off of.
Highly recommend the essential anatomy apps. They're great for pretty much all of the anatomy courses this year. Even some of the physicians really like it.
As a whole MSK is a beast of a class. You're going to be given tons of muscles that on one hand are being taught functionally 'upstairs' and anatomically 'downstairs'. It was in my opinion disjoint, confusing, and in many ways learning anatomically distinct select muscles is not only terribly dull but difficult to get down.
For up stairs your best chances are to use flashcards for the innervation, action, and insertion to get them down relatively well. Likewise it's important to study the blue boxes.

Also do not bitch about having to learn the bones. It's not that hard and you can learn them legitimately over the weekend without much issue. Learn them, get the points, prepare to be able to learn a crap ton of other discrete factoids as well. Come in with the mindset that you're going to have to break your ass in this course and honestly the rest of medical school.
 
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