The best way to use question banks

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My goal is to reduce educational disparities by making education FREE.
These videos help you score extra points on medical school exams (USMLE, COMLEX, etc.)
For educational purposes only; NOT medical or other advice.
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[@DirtyMedicine]

Summary: -Do tutor mode -Understand the anatomy of an explanation -Read the entire explanation -Write out the "bottom lines" -Review your notebook -What I did back in the day Correction: In the "anatomy of a question" part of the video, the final (third) section should say "high yield bottom line". For some reason the same text as the middle part copied over.

[@josephlevie7107]

So I agree with about 90% of this and do my studying with Uworld almost the same way. Just instead of a physical notebook, I make flashcards out of their explanations and reword the question to what I was missing when I missed it. It's the easiest platform to make flashcards with that's for sure

[@iluvnyc93]

@Dirty, it takes me about 8 mins or so to review a question because my foundation is poor. I don't know how NOT to take so long. I often get caught up in the "whys" or the "hows". Any help would be much appreciated!

[@sakinaNP]

@@iluvnyc93 I am coming across this issue as well. I don't know if I should trust that somewhere next in my questions the why or how will be answered or if I should look into it. @Dirty have any recommendation on this?

[@dray3049]

Is it ok if I write the take away point on a sticker and place it in the relevant section of the first aid. So that whenever I'm revising that section I get to go through it too

[@SK1MD]

Thank you so much!! Wishing you the best in everything! ❤

[@BryanVahey]

Thank you for normalizing Qbanks as content review/learning and reaffirming to me that I should not have already learned all the material in the qbanks by now.

[@DirtyMedicine]

The QBank is there to teach you content. Not to assess or gauge your performance on the real exams. People fail to understand this and focus more on upping their UW % than they do understanding the content thats testable. It's missing the forest for the trees

[@pigeoncoo5125]

AHAHAHAHAHA “Well Durty, we hov to lurn...”

[@tarlochan77]

Before listening to this I had a self doubt that am I wasting my time. But thanks for fixing it and clearing my doubts. I thank you so much. I haven't got a chance to listen to all of videos 100% but keep sharing your discoveries to prevent us from getting lost with your helpful videos, they are super!!

[@pvc910]

Thank you so much for this! I’m in dedicated right now and it’s so hard to know how to study the most effectively in a limited time frame. I appreciate all of your videos and hard work so much!

[@mohamed_857]

I’m extremely happy and excited because I stopped by this video ! You do really shared a very valuable insight in approaching U-World Q Bank thanks a lot for your time and effort in making this video ! You are truly a very valuable contributor to the field of medicine! Thanks tons !!!

[@PowderChaser]

Firstly, the video is vey awesome as always. Great tips. It's funny that your method is actually very close to what I've been using. Instead of writing it out in the notebook, I take the high yield take away points and make flash cards in UWorld so I can flip through them at night before bed. I totally agree using tutor mode and studying like that! These patterns are key in being able to correctly identify what is the correct answers. Secondly, the best way to take care of an orchid plant, is to throw it away and buy a new one. This trick has worked for me, everytime lol.

[@sheilaherrera8584]

I knew I wasn’t alone in doing this! And people used to tell I was wasting my time doing this! FYI: your own handwriting will always be more appealing to us so it just makes sense to write notes.👍👍

[@joshausha_MD]

Orchid definitely isn't dying! It's got a new leaf coming out! Just put 3 ice cubes on the potting soil once a week and that will probably be enough moisture for it. It looks like it's in a good place with lots of light. When the temperature starts to drop near you, you can put the orchid outside in cooler temps ~50-60 Fahrenheit for a few days and that will trick the plan into pushing out a new stem for flowers. Also, thanks for the video and all the content you produce - you're sincerely helping a lot of medical students.

[@tim_0917]

I adored ur technique of writing the high yield points , love this , thankyou !

[@Rosamardj]

Hi Dirty! Orchid is not dying... In fact it has a "baby" leaf poking out in the middle. Transplant it on a hanger wood or metal basket with coco coir lining, so the roots can aerate. Make sure to add mulch or bark to its roots, to keep them moist and aerated enough to allow photosynthesis. Water twice a week, and feed it with 20-20-20 fertilizer for orchids at least twice or once a month. Based on the leaves and the flower description on the vignette below, it seems like your orchid is a phalaenopsis, and they like indirect sunlight to rebloom. We have a ton of orchids that belonged to my grandma and that's how she taught us how to care these babies. Thanks for the tips on this video... I'm an IMG studying for STEP 1 and noticed I've been doing UWorld ineffectively. My scores are improving but it takes me forever, and I write a lot.

[@DirtyMedicine]

Wow thanks so much for this info

[@AllThingsToeseen]

wow, I'm going to try your note-taking style. I already take notes but they're not succinct like yours (I basically copy the UW educational objective) and so it later becomes a struggle actually reading through them. I'm going to try your style, thank you so much!!!

[@BenDover-zr9pv]

Thanks for the advice and all the work you put into this channel! I tried tutor mode but I get a lot of anxiety, as I get really distracted with just reviewing questions. Is the point to run through each question untimed the biggest perk? I actually do blocks untimed, but review them in depth after. Should I switch back to tutor mode?

[@selliabdali2838]

Thanks for the help! Any advice on the best way to use Pathoma?

[@simodu6878]

Awesome! I also found it helpful to do questions with similar concepts or themes to train your brain for pattern recognition. I recently discovered that you can search the whole UWorld according to some keywords and review questions based on a topic ( eg pleural effusion ) .In that way, you can learn the topic and understand how it will appear in the test. Similarly, you can also sort the questions by topic and review those with similar concepts.

[@anamfatima1198]

How does one do that?

[@Cass_i]

The Dr. Evil impersonation was so funny 😂😂😂👌 As always, Dirty, excellent advice.

[@fresxfreh7493]

Hi Dirty! just wanted to let you know that I'm an avid follower of both you and Dr Randy Neil and I have to really thank you guys for helping me out with some topics that truly had me beat for step 1. Really appreciate all the effort you guys put into your videos and I truly think the impact you have on me and my fellow USMLE hopefuls is huge. I wanted to ask two things in particular, will we be seeing the step 2 CK preparation resources video make a comeback? I noticed it got taken down recently. Also, what are your opinions on the matching anesthesiology video? Do you think it still applies to anesthesiology hopefuls today (especially IMG's?) Thank you again for all the work you put in, you rock man!

[@berkbarisozmen3948]

Great video, please do more of how to study videos. Thank you!

[@williamkudiewu1032]

I really love your explanations it's really helping a lot so please the neck masses thanks

[@Krishna-ub6ij]

Thank you ! I will try this method.

[@thomasb5828]

This is amazing! Please give us more content like this. You’re the best Dirty!

[@kristieliao2810]

dude you are literally amazing; I cannot stress this enough. You deserve the world & so much more ahahahah.

[@dorotheadixon9294]

Thanks so much for all your points. They were really helpful. I use Lecturio which uses questions almost like UWorld. What I do is do the question, read all the explanations, and put them all in a notebook. When there is something that I really don't understand, I go to their videos that they have that they have tagged with the question or even go to your videos for understanding. I also make my own flash cards, especially when trying to draw out some biochemical processes in order to have a mental map. This video was so helpful because it seemed to be inefficient. Now, I see my problem. I tend to use my down time to relax instead of reviewing.

[@DirtyMedicine]

Something I used to do was tell myself "okay, I am going to review these questions (in my notebook) and after I get through 80 questions (maybe 5-6 pages) I will relax 100%"

[@anushapatil2169]

This is very helpful, thank you

[@SK1MD]

Totally agree with you! Thank you so much! You’re the best❤

[@dr_blueman]

Thank you. I wasn't thinking about this. It's really helpful and I'll definitely share it with my classmates.

[@lisbetcortina5795]

I loved this video. Thanks dirty. U are the best

[@briansharon5004]

Hi Dirty Med - this sounds like an awesome way to study during dedicated. At schools that use NBME questions for class exams, do you think the same approach would work well during M1/M2?

[@LifeofRohu]

THANKYOU FOR THIS!

[@souldy09]

For all the students who are starting/recently started 3rd year clerkships: Dirty's advice is IMPORTANT. There are not a lot of universally agreed upon resources to help you prepare for shelf exams EXCEPT UWorld. Therefore, when you're doing UWorld for shelf/step 2, do not be discouraged at low scores. You're going to be mentally exhausted from full days in clinical settings. Doing questions on tutor mode or doing some timed questions by subject can certainly go a long way on these kinds of days. Doing UWorld is one of the best content/learning tools for shelf exams and step 2.

[@yanik8]

Dirty you’re the Best!!!! Like always awesome video

[@migs6869]

Thanks man for the vids keep it up 🔥🔥

[@okman4075]

best uworld tip i ever heard of. thanks

[@HA-rh1bb]

Starting UWorld today! Great timing:)

[@prathikhg7181]

It's really helpful 🔥🔥🔥

[@mredoward9858]

Thank you for sharing this information

[@jaclyngordon8031]

This helped narrow down how to review the questions thank you! I was getting bogged down by spending too long on one question!

[@zainabmasroor7261]

Thankyou so much for correctly guiding 🙂

[@ameerzaman4961]

I’m an undergrad and was gonna use UWorld for the mcat in the summer. How do I do content review most efficiently? Do I go through test prep books, etc, or just go straight onto practice banks?

[@sakinaNP]

When you're ignoring your in-laws lol. This video is gold. Thank you dirty! More tips like this please.

[@ClearlyPixelated]

For the orchid, try repotting it in a very well draining pot (think colander) and plant it in an orchid substrate. This is usually sphagnum moss, pine bark, charcoal, and perlite. Remember that they only bloom every 6-12 months, so it will look dead for a LONG time.

[@Carsal6116]

Thanks doctor

[@ammadalik027]

Thank You!

[@sitha4441]

This was a pretty helpful video. Regarding your orchid, don't over water it. I think it's wise to use a spray bottle. If you have overwatered it, drain the substrate it's in. Other then that I don't know what else to tell you. All the best.

[@sakshiahuja1996]

Thank you for this 😊

[@SpeedyMedical]

Idk what to say is it my good luck or your timing ♥️🎉 thanks at the most important time!

[@lola-mo5sh]

Thank you!

[@gayshoe]

Hi Dirty! Few questions for you: Do you think writing by hand is a must for the notebook method? When doing questions on tutor mode, did you immediately do in-depth review of questions you got wrong or just look at the reasoning briefly to understand and continue to the next question? I have already begun compiling a high yield fact notebook for my uworld but its on a word doc for easy access, also finding time to review has been a struggle. You're the best, ty!

[@DirtyMedicine]

What would be the alternative to writing it out by hand? Typing it into an anki deck? I do believe that handwriting leads to better recall because the process of writing it out is ACTIVE in the sense that you're engaging other parts of your brain.

[@C-S-D.]

Great vid!!! Attach the orchid in a 🌳. Or just get a vessel that drains water better (it looks kind of soaked).

[@sabzzz444]

If you’re in a time crunch, do you recommend prioritizing finishing the Qbank (which means faster Q reviews, reading only bolded and learning objective) or still doing Less but more in depth? Thank you for An amazing video !

[@zoeaslam7111]

Thank u so much for this video

[@naomigraham4176]

Amazing!!!

[@MedicalBlackBook]

Orchids : you need to set a timer to water then And in and off sunlight And little fertiliser if the ph of the soil isn't good A bigger pot for its roots to spread

[@studywithmelon9518]

Also, you can use a transparent flowerpot b/c orchid roots also do photosynthesis. Beware that you are not watering too much otherwise their roots can rot. Finally they love receiving indirect sunlight. If they are in the dark corner of the room they may not thrive as much.

[@OthmanMatar]

Thank you ❤️❤️❤️

[@rebeccashisema]

thanks a lot

[@Jameela201]

Very useful. Thank you Dirty!😍

[@0doublezero0]

I don't know why people are tripping balls on the tutor vs. timed mode. Just put it on tutor mode, then time yourself 60 min for 40Q, then go back and think about the questions further. Not only are you working on your timing but you are also focused on details you have missed after the fact. Thus you get both timed and tutor mode benefits at the same time, plus benefits you wouldn't get with either alone.

[@judasmiguelvillamiranda1328]

1:34 I needed this, thank you 😂

[@RM23459]

Nice explanation. Thanks for helping us. Do you do private tutoring?

[@esayasm.3833]

Oh it was very good , thank you

[@drmbilals]

Thank you

[@gozeljr6266]

👍🏻thank you

[@twinkleshah9809]

Thankyou soooo much

[@halftowhole5208]

@Dirty Do you recommend doing two question banks or just one? Do you redo the questions at all?

[@DirtyMedicine]

Just UW, 1-2 runs through

[@nsmitchell19]

Dirty Med, If we finish a question bank (UWorld) do you recommend resetting and going back through all questions, or going back through only missed questions? Thanks for all the vids!

[@DirtyMedicine]

If you have enough time, a full 2nd run through is great. If not, missed only is sufficient

[@dragon888193ftw]

@@DirtyMedicine What is better, a 2nd run through uWorld incorrects, or doing the Amboss Qbank instead?

[@truthteller2711]

@@dragon888193ftw amboss

[@madhukarkumar4103]

This man is a godsend

[@farheensiddiqui8352]

question ? does making notes or flash cards on uworld helps or would you suggest hand written notes ?

[@DurjoyAcharjee-zl4fh]

Thank you❤

[@omarsasse9389]

Tnx a lot man it was helpful

[@crazydom117]

Can I put those key points in my own Anki deck? Or is it best to just write them down?

[@lichh64]

Really like the Notebook idea, I kinda do this already but on my laptop but I think doing it with a pen and paper would be better.

[@aliotako1647]

Thanks man

[@MedicalBlackBook]

At the in-laws that was incredibly funny 🤗

[@erikb6576]

The most important part of providing high quality care… is getting a good history. So I’m gonna need to know a little bit more about that orchid before throwing treatments at it Willy-Nilly

[@DirtyMedicine]

Patient is a 13 month old orchid with a history of beautiful purple/white flowers that fell off approximately 1 month after summer ended. The patient states she drinks water, approximately a "few sprays every few weeks." Denies any history of water withdrawal. On physical exam, the patient has nice dark green leaves. One appears to be splitting down the middle. Patient denies any history of root rot.

[@erikb6576]

@@DirtyMedicine Assessment: 1.) Leaf splitting (Erratic watering schedule) 2.) Bud drop (Hyper/hypothermia, inappropriate humidity, excessive UV exposure) 3.) Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Plan: 1.) Provide resources to improve caretaker education smartgardenguide.com/how-to-water-phalaenopsis-orchids/ 2.) Establish more consistent watering schedule (not increasing frequency) 3.) Consider soil/pot modification 4.) Follow up in two weeks. Call sooner if emergent situation arises

[@natashadeshpande4207]

Should we do it subject wise or all subjects in each block?

[@scokim]

Did you do Random or Subject wise on Tutor mode?

[@anaos1004]

You’re the best ❤️

[@jk..7707]

I've got one question, bro! When you do your Question bank, like Uworld, you do 40Qs in a block, would you go through all 40Qs at a time and then review the Qs you've just done? Or review each question after you did each question?

[@jk..7707]

And I wonder which of them are the best way to do and review questions?

[@MadeInJamdung]

Thank you ever so much for this video. I hate Anki and most medical students would have one feel that without Anki, one cannot do well in medical school.

[@amazingsyed842]

How to take notes or remember the high yield explanations for each given question? and how to revise them in the future? Also I do a lot of highlighting while reading explanations ,but it has proved to be good for nothing as I am never able to come back to that explanation again? What to do?

[@anthonynguyen3519]

I agree! Instead of a notebook, I use Remnote to quickly create notes and turn them into flash cards!

[@ambreensabah3758]

@dirty medicine than you so much🙏

[@kisunchick]

From my experience with orchids.. it’s usually too much watering and root rot when things go wrong. So pull it out of its container, check the roots. If you pull on them and the outer sheath comes off and leaves a string, the root is dead. Trim the dead roots and replant in orchid mix.. not soil. :) and water according… usually i do once a week. Roots need air around them so a chunky mix is best. thanks for the awesome videos!!

[@Rasha-iv8gc]

I’m doing exactly what you said on my I pad I took it as copy paste but the problem I always can’t find time to review it..❤️

[@Sameer-yq1nv]

any advice on making anki cards instead of writing it down? seems like the competition is between spaced repetition vs front loading the memorization by writing it down.

[@lola-mo5sh]

writing by hand never helped me as much as Anki. so now i really dont know what to do. i can write stuff and forget them

[@bachukidalakishvili9369]

Are we supposed to make notes for every uWorld question? Or just the incorrects?

[@Carsal6116]

Best

[@DottssaG]

So... I wish I had done this from the beginning cause I was all over the place when I started the Step 1 prep and I would keep changing technique... My firs round Uworld average results were an absolute mess. I am currently 2/3 done with 2nd Uworld round and my exam is in 10 days. My Uworld score unfortunately is a bare pass and I am not postponing this exam LOL. I feel like I gotta revise so much material... so, my question to you Dirty is (for someone in my situation) should I revise the material I am bad at and continue doing questions or fuck it and just do questions nonstop? Thanks

[@gaara092295]

This is literally me right now T_T I just watched this video and my exam is in 2 weeks

[@basharomary3728]

Do you recommend creating a card on Uworld for the incorrect questions, the same your doing but electroncly ?

[@alvaro37nf]

I have a question mr dirty, is it better to only study what each question choice says and keep moving, or stop and review the topic (for example chemotherapy?) when facing new subjects

[@petrabanjarnahor229]

Im at the point of getting nauseus when i study, happens for the past 2 weeks if i remember correctly. what should i do?

[@natashas8924]

take a break and destress!!!

[@karringtonseals8573]

Wow this is a video that needs to be shown before anyone starts dedicated. I wish I’d watched this lol

[@angelhuidobro9265]

Hey dirty !! two questions, I would really appreciate if you respond... 1) any recommendations to avoid distractions? 2) did you use the same method for STEP2 ?

[@DirtyMedicine]

1- put your electronics away (besides what you use to study). keep to a schedule 2- yes

[@zorrento14]

Im taking step 1 in a month, doing at least 4 blocks of uW a day unfortunately I timed my blocks and randomized all systems due to the time crunch but as you said after completing the block I take my time to review every single question even the right ones. For some reason I don't do well at NBMEs, I'm taking my 4th one in a week and see where I'm standing, wish me luck

[@kareenakapoor1320]

In the same boat as you. Hope we both get through this successfully!

[@bahanah]

Same here. How long approximately due to take to review one block of uworld?

[@PS-pr5py]

@@kareenakapoor1320 I wrote step 1 recently and scored above average. My formula for success was 1) throw away USMLE RX step 1. Useless resource. 2) Know Pathoma chapters 1-5 like the back of your hand. Easily worth 20 free points. 3) Be able to draw/write every biochemical/amino acid/vit D pathway by memory, including co-factors. 4) Watch every Dirty Medicine video like they're cartoons. Know the songs, say the pneumonics, especially in the last week. Literally worth 30-40 free points. 5) Ditch biostats. Complete waste of time trying to remember all the formula's. I worked hard and had my cheat sheet set up, practiced each day re-wrting the cheat sheet formula's for cardiac/kidney/pulm/stats and drugs. ZERO questions. All of my class had ZERO questions. 6) NBME's are a waste of time. They beat you up and create doubt. I would suggest taking one a month out on UNTIMED mode to see how you sit. If you score above 210 simply keep studying hard for a month and you know you're getting north of that. Free 120 and UW assessments are helpful tools to guage where you sit as well. 7) RELAX. Its actually quite a lot easier than everyone makes it out to be. They don't try to trick you. I found it easier than uWorld. Hope that helps.

[@mikefedorovsky2577]

Same exact situation as you, keep grinding we got this!!

[@syedakiran223]

Thanks @zorrento I'm actually starting studying for usmle

[@DiLLZGFX]

SO when do you use the usmle book?

[@mustafamurtaza8187]

I love you man

[@lord-mf2sf]

Too good 😅😂😅♥️❤️😅👍

[@xabibulloxkarimov8043]

Yesterday I began uworld. I didn't know how to use it efficiently. It looks good strategy. Thank you

[@aikyamanchikalapati8024]

But how do we eventually learn to manage the time crunch if we solve questions on tutor mode?

[@ChrisBranleh]

This really comes with practice and repetition, in my opinion. For reference, Whenever I do a timed block of 40, I often finished with 10-15mins. And from personal experience on exams during M1-M2, I Was always the first to finish my exams. Time management is also a test taking skill. Read the last sentence, skim over the answer choices briefly to get an idea of what they could be asking you, then quickly skim the Qstem for pertinent key facts. It's difficult to describe over text, but i dont think you should EVER start a Q by reading from top to bottom (like how you would read a book). I often times actually read from bottom to top (backwards, basically). Doing this allows me really quickly rule out answer choices to maybe 2-3, and then I can go back to the Qstem, and go through the text with a "fine tooth comb" to try and find the key facts that allow me to eliminate or make an educated guess. Sometimes the Q has nothing to do with the vignette, like biochemistry. But for psych questions, for exmple, where you need to know duration of symptoms, associated symptoms, blah blah blah, you really do have to read everything. If you do this enough times, you start to see patterns and begin to become more efficient. Time becomes easier to manage. Also, if you find a Q that requires a lot of thinking, like a physiology question that requires knowing whether variables change and really thinking things through (Congenital adrenal hyperplasia and how it effects sodium, potassium, androgens, or a congenital heart defect that requires thinking about blood flow and heart oxygenation), I often flag these questions and skip them, and come back to them later when I feel "less rushed" so I can think with more clarity. Hope that helps! EDiT: I would also like to add, that like Dirty recommended, I switched from timed to tutor mode for the very reason he mentioned. I use Uworld/Amboss as learning tools, rather than assessments. This also allows me to quickly review Q's (whether I got them correct or not) and see if my thought process was correct

[@DirtyMedicine]

After you conquer phase 1 (content review), you can do a 2nd run through of UW if you want on timed mode to get prepared for the time constraint.

[@beshoymaher3468]

If l read educational object of wrong qs only plus FA is enogh to pass ?