Ask Dr. Paul - Q&A Thursday #2
"How to learn more when reviewing practice questions"
Today’s “Ask Dr. Paul” question comes via Instagram DM from a student named Stephanie. Thank you for this week’s question.
The question is as follows:
“What can I do when going through questions to get as much out of them as possible?”
Great question… One I don’t often get but one that is extremely important.
Before we get into today’s answer, if you’re in medical school and struggling with anything—classes, rotations, USMLE prep—I’m opening a few spots in my schedule so you can book a one-on-one consultation directly with me. In just one hour, we’ll iron out all of the issues you’re facing and set you on a clear path to success. Click HERE to book your time if you need help.
ANSWER TO TODAY’S QUESTION:
I’m sure you know how important it is to do plenty of practice questions as you prepare for your USMLE Step 1 and/or Step 2CK exams, so I’ll assume that you’re already familiar with their importance.
When it comes to getting more out of your actual questions, there’s something that I often see students skipping that significantly affects what they’ll take from each question.
Before I tell you what this missing piece is, let’s consider the following…
If you do a block of forty questions, assuming each question gives you the bare minimum of five answer choices, we have a total of two hundred answer choices throughout that forty-question block.
Most students focus solely on the correct answer choice as they review the questions— this is a huge mistake.
Each particular question you’re covering has, of course, only one correct answer. However, and this is important to remember, that doesn’t mean that one of the incorrect answer choices in a UW or Amboss question won’t be the correct answer on exam day.
And that’s the big mistake… Skipping a review of all the answer choices.
Let’s consider the following question as an example:
A 27-year-old G1P0 woman at 40 weeks’ gestation is admitted to the labor and delivery unit in active labor. She has no significant past medical history, and her prenatal course was unremarkable. The patient's vital signs are within normal limits. She is currently experiencing regular contractions every 3 minutes. On cervical examination, she is 8 cm dilated, 100% effaced, and the fetal head is at +1 station. The fetal heart rate is 140/minute, with reassuring baseline variability and no decelerations. After 2 hours, the patient is fully dilated, but the fetal head remains at +1 station despite adequate maternal pushing efforts. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in managing this patient's labor?
A. Continue pushing for another 2 hours
B. Administer intravenous oxytocin
C. Perform an episiotomy
D. Vacuum-assisted vaginal delivery
E. Intrauterine pressure catheter placement
F. Proceed to cesarean delivery
The correct answer to this question is D. Vacuum-assisted vaginal delivery.
Okay, great. You review the question, and you’re confident that if you get this exact scenario on exam day, you’ll be ready to answer it—but what if the scenario on the exam is slightly different?
What if the scenario on exam day requires IV oxytocin (option B) or warrants simply pushing for another 2 hours (option A). Will you be able to confidently select one of these answer choices?
My guess… Maybe.
Maybe, however, is not the level of confidence you want going into your USMLE exams - you need to be certain.
Thus, the single best way to get a lot more out of your USMLE practice questions is to review all of the given answer choices—not just the correct one.
Sure, this takes more time, but you’re also going from reviewing forty details to well over two hundred. I’d say—with a high level of confidence—that spending a few hours reviewing a block of questions and coming away having reviewed several hundred topics is an excellent use of your time.
So… That’s my answer: Review every single answer choice and take this opportunity to reinforce more than just the correct answer choice.
I’m confident that despite taking a bit more time, going the extra mile as you review each question will have you coming out of a review session with a lot more information packed into your head.
That’s it for today!
Don’t forget if you need help with your USMLE Step 1 prep or any other aspect of your medical school journey, I’m here to help. Click HERE to book a one-on-one session so I can help you overcome all of the challenges you’re currently facing.
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