sarika
Forum Guru
Topics: 195
Posts: 1,200
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hi sima i just read a very good post written by dr labana on this forum about reading questions quickly and ofcourse practice will make you perfect. Heres what she wrote
there are few steps by which you can increase your speed.
1) firstly read all the choices
2) read the last line
3) when you are reading a question dont read it scan it, means skip the words of common english lanuage. for example:-
Q) A 60 year old man, h/o ischemic heart ds., is brought to emergency department in unconsious state. he fell down while trying to clean the window.you examine the patient and he is unconsious, bruised. his PR-- BP---( ALL THE VITALS).
now in this question, what do you think you should keep in mind-
60, IHD, fell, unconsious etc.... and try to make a picture with the help of these skaned words. process it and at the same time you already have the idea of what are given choices. start eliminating them as you go down the question.
4) the above process means 1st reading of that question.
50 % of questions can be done this way. now you will ask what about other questions or what about if i could not eliminate.
then go for 5th step.
5)2nd time reading of Question means reading once again those scanned words, not the whole question . if still you dont know the answer then look at the answers and few of the options will be odd man out. the rest of the options read next step.
6) what ever options (choices for answers) are given definately has a clue OR triad or something.....( at least i know this much that all the USMLE questions has to have a clue ,95% of the time) for example-
Mitral valve prolapse-----systolic clik, increase of murmer while performing valsalva.(most of the other murmers are opp.)
7)if you still dont know the answer that means for that particular topic your concepts are vague. thats the reason some candidates say its vague. i beleive if there is a question there is a answer. otherwise there lies a fault with in us not on the examiners. one should point fingers on oneself and learn. thats called learning.
8) regarding lab values.(60% questions with lab values are normal) scan fast and pick up the relivant but yes one should be well versed with the normal values.
9) practice lots of questions.
though i did only UW and Qbook(main books) but i did a lot of questions from blue prints, swansons, pre tests etc... in total i did approximately 7000 questions.
10) take up any medical topic from any book. try to read fast and try to scan that paragraph and take out the main words and the meaning.
if you do these 10 steps
you can make sure not only your time management will be perfect ,at the same time one will ahead for a great score.
thats it.
take care
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| sima
Forum Senior
Topics: 11
Posts: 114
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hey sarika, thanks alot friend.you have given new dimension,enthusiastic appraoch,u r great.thanks
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| sima
Forum Senior
Topics: 11
Posts: 114
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hi sarika,sorry to bug u yaar,but 1 more poroblem i am facing is i can concentrate for like 8 q's in row then i am gone,some world, when i realise allready 10 min are over....how do i overcome this am beocming some maniac or psycho.
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| sarika
Forum Guru
Topics: 195
Posts: 1,200
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hi sima no problem we are all in the same boat. For that particular problem i used to time myself strictly. If you are doing questions online thats the best otherwise put a watch in front of you and give yourself 1 hr to finish 46q. I have problem with concentrating too my mind wanders after every 10 minutes so timing urself is the best thing u can do now. Also someone told me to make short term goals for every 2 hrs and see if i meet them or not. Secondly (acc to kaplan people) if you have a real problem with mind wandering, you can also put a piece of paper in front of you and note the time when your mind started wandering and the time you came back. By seeing it right infront of you that how much time u wasted in say 2-3 hrs, your mind will try to overcome this problem itself. Goodluck.
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| sarika
Forum Guru
Topics: 195
Posts: 1,200
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hi everyone finally the day has come when i cant reschedule so hopefully im taking the test pretty soon INSHAALLAH. ALthough i have wasted alot of time over the weekend, watched tv (Shahrukh khan to be more precise) cooked & somehow i lost track...hope i can refocus i keep telling myself its just 7 more days of hell...just have to revise fa and UW....and i cant even get myself to do that... ..so todays goal is 100 pages of Firstaid starting with psychiatry (subject i ignore the most)...goodluck to everyone!
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| sima
Forum Senior
Topics: 11
Posts: 114
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u will do it sarika,good luck,why do u feel its hell,feel passion u allready have for great score in ck.have fun.
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| sarika
Forum Guru
Topics: 195
Posts: 1,200
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hi sima thanks for stopping by...Im trying to feel the passion but so far nothing i feel empty inside maybe you caught me in my dysthymic mode... ...Anyway dinner is over now i can properly start my studies for today. Goodluck everyone.
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| sarika
Forum Guru
Topics: 195
Posts: 1,200
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Didnt meet the target...actually got caught up in some family thing. I just have to memorize basic facts now like drugs side effects,stepwise management of diseases and i couldnt even do that...Will do that tomorrow INSHAALLAH! 7 days to go...
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| sarika
Forum Guru
Topics: 195
Posts: 1,200
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I dont usually get to study during the day consistently but i still open some book and go thru it superficially...Today God knows why i decided to read ENDO from CMDT...was pretty informative...I did revise endo UW questions too but AKs i know most of them so i dont know if i should spend time rereading them. I will read Endo firastaid and then a few more chapters now that the dinner is over. Goodluck
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| sarika
Forum Guru
Topics: 195
Posts: 1,200
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its 3 am and i just finished revising neurology from FA. I dont know where the time is flying....wanted to revise FA twice before the exam...seems like doing it once would be hard. I have to seriously strategize the time and use it more efficiently. now off to sleep.
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| docus30
Forum Newbie
Topics: 5
Posts: 13
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Hi Sarika just wanted to know what did u do in ur last two weeks of prepration? U did only FA anUW right, I mean did u useany other book like Crush or secrets?
Good luck to u uwill do gr8
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