retroviridae
Forum Guru
Topics: 29
Posts: 871
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everyone feels this way. Kaplan notes are more than enough to get a 99 if you know them well. I would also use First Aid. Yes there is a lot of stuff that Kaplan skips over, but they seem to have it down to a science about what is going to be on the exam. Relax, take a deep breath, forget about all the great books you read in med school. Kaplan is more than enough. I recommend against studying multiple books. Better to stick with something, Kaplan, BRS, NMS, etc. and study them over and over. People who read lots of other stuff seem to not know the core important topics as well.
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| cranium
Forum Newbie
Topics: 6
Posts: 13
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thanks for ur advice...u make me feel relaxed by ur advise as i hate to be confused especially between books
my experience with kaplan was bad as i felt that i donnot read complete information which not helped me to reviev but the clinical corelate in each chapter was great
thx again
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| damselMD
Forum Senior
Topics: 8
Posts: 173
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I agree. Kaplan is more than enough. The key is to do questions to focus your thoughts. and sharpen your memory with images.
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| yunuz
Forum Junior
Topics: 17
Posts: 65
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KPLN is excellent source.Do not use too many sources.What I do I use KPLN and F as my primary source and get help from other sources when I dont understand a topic.
U need to do qs as well
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| i_m_legend
Forum Newbie
Topics: 3
Posts: 43
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I strongly disagree....Kaplan is only enough if throughout medical school you have a good student and have understood most of stuff not just passed the exams.Second when i gave exam .. there was like 20% of questions which had any link to Kaplan sources...Most of questions were in very vagoue language...Kaplan questions are much easier and straightforward than exam.I only did kaplan stuff and i did it good ... and i Failed... since then i have not touched kaplan again...God damn i still remember everyword of kaplan books they are darn so easy.. and i still Failed the exam!
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| arlete
Intern in 2009!!!!!
Topics: 30
Posts: 2,208
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usmleworld is what you need besides Kaplan
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| new_n_lost
Politically InCorrect
Topics: 650
Posts: 6,058
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I have to say that Kaplan is not enuf in the systems of Endo and Respi (physio part) and for Path it totally sucks. Skips a lot of Neurophysio, Cell biology and Histology aint that grand. Molecular biology is way and i do mean way beyond comprehension ( but then again its not their fault cos they r a review course not a teaching one). CVS ECG is not covered, various interactions of different drugs and there effects and hearts sounds have been skipped (graphical wise like where wud be a MR on a graph etc etc.)
Anti Cancer and Anti viral drugs have been very seemingly undetailed ( while they r heavily asked in the exm).
The list goes on and on and on ...............
Kaplan is adequate not definitely not enuf
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| new_n_lost
Politically InCorrect
Topics: 650
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arlete wrote:
usmleworld is what you need besides Kaplan
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| yunuz
Forum Junior
Topics: 17
Posts: 65
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I aggree on what you say NNL. Gaps in neuro phys, even renal phys but I think endocrine is ok.Histo mind you is not that asked at the exam.On the other hand I saw other review books and KPLN set in my opinion is the one which covers the most HY sttuff.Must be completed by the video lectures and a good Q bank.UW is good.The notes are just review and supposed to reflect the high yield stuff.I think they do for most of it.
From my experience you cane never read everything for the exam.They always ask stuff you never come accross.An then you need to have time to read thes voluminous books.
I saw many exam takers who used only Kaplan as resource and they have scored high.
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| yunuz
Forum Junior
Topics: 17
Posts: 65
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NNL what book do you read for molecular biology then?
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| new_n_lost
Politically InCorrect
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yunuz wrote:
I aggree on what you say NNL. Gaps in neuro phys, even renal phys but I think endocrine is ok.Histo mind you is not that asked at the exam.On the other hand I saw other review books and KPLN set in my opinion is the one which covers the most HY sttuff.Must be completed by the video lectures and a good Q bank.UW is good.The notes are just review and supposed to reflect the high yield stuff.I think they do for most of it.
From my experience you cane never read everything for the exam.They always ask stuff you never come accross.An then you need to have time to read thes voluminous books.
I saw many exam takers who used only Kaplan as resource and they have scored high.
As of this summer of 07 u might find urself in a bit of a mess as the USMLE has updated it Qbank and improvised on some of the questions. When i gave my exm (31st Aug) it was more along the lines of Cell biology and Histology. Around that particular time the ppl i talked had a similar experience with their exms and almost all of them had this feeling now Kaplan isnt as useful or doesnt fulfill its purpose adequately. The Qbank which u find good cant be attempted unless u have read the KLN books which is the entire idea. I can quote u the exact diagrams and lines taken from Ganong in my exm. The Endo section which u find ok is only sufficient or lets say elaborate in Adrenal Physiology whereas rest of them r cluttered in a space. They havent expanded on the relationships of Ca with PTH and Vit D and Diet of the young teenager which apparently is of high interest to the USMLE Examiner. Also of interest is the relationship of different control mechanisms on the formation of urine, GFR alongwith resorbance of Na and the specific effect on ADH with Angiotensin which Kaplan effectively fails to elaborate. I had to open Ganong and lot of website to better get a lot concepts in this area.
Plz dont consider that i m saying Kaplan sucks !! No i m not saying that but wht i m saying that UNLESS U R MED STUDENT WHO RECENTLY STUDIED TEXTBOOKS OF THE RELEVANT SUBJECTS PLZ DONT SAY THAT KAPLAN IS ENUF. And if u think it is that Wake up to the Reality.
Its ADEQUATE for Graduates giving MLE and MAYBE ENUF for Med. Students Giving Step 1.
PS Kaplan NA sucks pretty badly. HY is pretty good in that regard.
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| new_n_lost
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yunuz wrote:
NNL what book do you read for molecular biology then?
I think for Mol biology i have no choice but stick to Kaplan and look up into HY or other books if i get the chance cos believe me it the most boring subject i find and yet the only relevant book which can make ur a little less miserable is Kaplan Combined with HY (atleast thats wht i have been told)
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FORUM RULES-- Those who believe in telekinesis, raise my hand. I get enough exercise just by pushing my luck --P4U World.." The pure and simple truth is rarely pure and never simple."
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| yunuz
Forum Junior
Topics: 17
Posts: 65
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NNL who is Canong please?
I have difficulties with physio especially renal.
Also can any one show me how to cote someone's writing?
I am quiet new to these forums.
Thanks.
As per exam experience.I gave mine in August 06 and scored 179/73.
I had the feeling that half of the questions were new and even if they were a version of Q bank there were asked in a twisted way.When I finished I blamed myself to not having done too many Qs.I did not know about UW at that time and did only Qbank KPL.I had like 3 or 4 qs exactely word by word like KPLN.
Thank you NNL to give us this feed back too.I dont know about these changes.But I think they update they qs continuasly, right?
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| new_n_lost
Politically InCorrect
Topics: 650
Posts: 6,058
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yunuz wrote:
NNL who is Canong please?
I have difficulties with physio especially renal.
Also can any one show me how to cote someone's writing?
I am quiet new to these forums.
Thanks.
As per exam experience.I gave mine in August 06 and scored 179/73.
I had the feeling that half of the questions were new and even if they were a version of Q bank there were asked in a twisted way.When I finished I blamed myself to not having done too many Qs.I did not know about UW at that time and did only Qbank KPL.I had like 3 or 4 qs exactely word by word like KPLN.
Thank you NNL to give us this feed back too.I dont know about these changes.But I think they update they qs continuasly, right?
Dude its not with a C its with a Ganong and its the most heavily used physiology textbook in MedSchools throughout.
Its simple just look at the right of any post there will be a #with a corresponding number, click on that and u will be able to quote that post.
No they dont update it continously (i hope or we r totally screwed  ).
Ah buddy where r u from ??
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FORUM RULES-- Those who believe in telekinesis, raise my hand. I get enough exercise just by pushing my luck --P4U World.." The pure and simple truth is rarely pure and never simple."
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| youngone
Forum Newbie
Topics: 0
Posts: 35
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NNL! Is BRS a good alternative for Phys? I dont have Ganong!!!
In what subjects would you recommend Kaplan?
In what subjects would
you recomend other books....which other books?
What subjects are HY now? In your opinion? That are not known to be HY.
Thank you sweetie! Your posts are always a great help!
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| i_m_legend
Forum Newbie
Topics: 3
Posts: 43
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I agree wid NNL i think USMLE has updated thier database or smthing , cuz these days most of people who have given exam and failed are those who had done kaplan only.
Kaplan had done good till they had guessed right topics to be HY for exam.But now i think USMLE has taken a U turn and Kaplan would need some time to come up wid a new material that has a relevance to this exam.Till then its risky to be just relying on Kaplan.
Although i would still say if you are a very good student and have read most of text books already then just review kaplan and wud just do fine!
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| yunuz
Forum Junior
Topics: 17
Posts: 65
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ThankNNL.
I am really concerned now.I hope people are posting their exam experience here.
Yes could ppl here give us what is good for kaplan and what is not enough and in this case what to read?
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| bioguy
Forum Guru
Topics: 40
Posts: 747
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this is a great discussion going on here. thank you all for bringing up this topic, and especially NNL thanks so much for the guidance!!!!
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| unique1
InGodITrust
Topics: 19
Posts: 1,410
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Oh , well . If Kaplan is not enough then what about people telling you "Memorize FA and you will be fine "   .
Man , it IS scary . Tooooo much info to retain for my cute little brain.
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| P4a99
Forum Fanatic
Topics: 34
Posts: 2,211
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Thanks NNL for your comments.
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| new_n_lost
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unique1 wrote:Oh , well . If Kaplan is not enough then what about people telling you "Memorize FA and you will be fine " .
Unique ppl who say that Memorise FA well consider them like this, most of them have spent almost 2yr in a med school and then when decide to give MLE they have to just REVISE FA cos they have the base honed into them. Now for Older Grads like me who have not touched their books in < 3yrs (specially pre-clinical ones) will have a hard time with only FA . The idea is that FA is a list of HY topics and u have to know them inside out before u even think of giving the exm.
unique1 wrote:
Man , it IS scary . Tooooo much info to retain for my cute little brain.
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FORUM RULES-- Those who believe in telekinesis, raise my hand. I get enough exercise just by pushing my luck --P4U World.." The pure and simple truth is rarely pure and never simple."
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| unique1
InGodITrust
Topics: 19
Posts: 1,410
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Yes NNL , I agree with you. That is very true . We, the oldies, need to work harder than the new grads. Good luck to all of us .
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| Souvik
Forum Newbie
Topics: 5
Posts: 7
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Nice to come across perhaps one of the most commonly encountered dilemas of a Med Student aspiring to practice in the US, (particularly IMG's).
I haven't taken my steps yet but some of the good students in my class took kaplan and studied for 6 months and guess what?...all 3 of them did poorly.
Then I came across ppl who did really well but went about it in a different way. They first comprehensively covered the best non-kaplan books out there and they had a very interesting gameplan for that.
For every subject they had a good, moderately long text book for reference and combined it with the best review book for that subject.
Once they knew those books (atleast the review books) back to front they proceeded to the kaplan course.
They said the basic idea is to utilize kaplan for answering questions and that the reading material was secondary.
What I feel is that most ppl who end up doing badly concentrate too little on solving questions offered by kaplan and instead, devote most of their time to reading.
There is, howewver, one major drawback to this approach. It will take you a looonnnggg time and I think this a venture that ppl who can spare such time may undertake.
Then again I may be suggesting an exaggerated approach based on wrong assumptions because there are lotsa ppl who did well by just doing kaplan.
I just feel it all depends on effectively utilizing kaplan and it is definitely true alot of dedicated and hardworking students are lost because of them not pursuing the right strategy.
What really wins here at the end is startegy, since I feel that most ppl who take the boards are pretty hardworking.
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| yunuz
Forum Junior
Topics: 17
Posts: 65
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What sources would you suggest for cell biology and histology?
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