Re: study partner in NY
adinabratescu - 02-25-08 08:11

here we have on kaplan website some tips for the big exam;
just in case some-anyone , TheOne might feel uncomfortable with:........


The Four-Step Approach

Tips for the Week Before

Tips for the Day Before

Tips for Exam Day

Re: study partner in NY
adinabratescu - 02-25-08 08:12

here:






Step 2 CK Strategy Session
Tips for Exam Day
Taking the USMLE is NOT the most important day of your career; it's just another hurdle on your way to becoming a licensed physician. Keep it in perspective. Treat the exam like what it is, a routine mechanical exercise. Deal with each question as you come to it, make your choice, and then move on.

No matter how well prepared you are for the USMLE Step 2 CK exam, you will get many questions wrong. Be prepared to feel stupid. This is not an exam where you should expect to know every answer. Remember, 70% correct puts you well over the mean! Knowing this, your test-taking strategy should be somewhat different than it may be when you take other exams.

A few test-taking tips

1. Arrive at the Sylvan Center 30 minutes early so you are not rushed and have time to get organized.
You will be given a locker to store your personal items and then assigned a computer station. Remember that you have a total of seven hours to complete 350 questions, and a total of one hour to be used throughout the day for breaks and lunch.

2. To cope with fatigue, you will need to schedule breaks.
Our recommended schedule for the exam is:




Question Block Break time at end of Block

Block 1 No break
Block 2 5 minute break
Block 3 5 minute break
Block 4 30 minute lunch break
Block 5 No break
Block 6 10 minute break
Block 7 5 minute break
Block 8 Done!


This allows you 10 minutes extra to use as needed. Remember that you will need to sign in and out when you take breaks. You should also be aware that if you leave the exam room during a block, it will be marked as an irregularity in your testing session. Therefore, you need to consider after each block whether you want to take a bathroom break.
3. Start with the beginning of the question block and work your way to the end.
The idea here is to get into a rhythm that will help create what one psychologist calls a "Flow" experience. The flow experience is a state of optimal concentration and maximal performance.

4. Do not skip any questions.
If you don't know it when you come to it, you are not likely to know it later. Skipping around wastes time and can end up confusing you. Deal with each question as you come to it, answer it as best you can, and move on to the next question.

5. Limit your use of the marking feature to no more than two or three questions per block.
Of course you should answer each question as you come to it, but you may want to double check yourself on a few questions. The marking feature lets you return to review and reconsider questions if you have time left over. Used correctly, marking will help you revisit questions where you have a high probability of getting the answer correct. Misused, marking causes you to not give a question your full attention the first time around. You simply may not have time to go back and look at questions you have marked, especially if you mark a lot of them.

6. Be cautious about changing answers.
In general, your odds of changing a correct answer to a wrong one are so much higher than the reverse that it is simply not worth the risk. If you change an answer, you are most likely making it wrong! Your first impulse is usually the correct one. Stay with it unless some clear insight occurs to you.

7. If you finish a question block with time left over, go back and "check" only those answers that you have previously marked.
Checking almost always leads to changing and tends to reduce your score. If you have a spare moment, make sure that you have entered an answer for every question in the block and then, relax. Sit, take a break, and mentally prepare yourself for the next block of questions. Focus on the questions to come, not the ones that are past.

8. Monitor your time.
Know how much you have left, so you do not find yourself rushed at the end. Work on your pacing from the beginning of the question block. Check your watch every 10 questions to make sure you are on the correct pace to finish. If you pace yourself throughout the block, you should not be squeezed for time at the end.

9. Relax.
During the breaks between question blocks, try to relax and not think back over the exam. The desire to recall questions is strong, but not helpful. Those questions are in the past; you will never see them again. Focus on relaxing and making the most of your break. Remember, you will always tend to remember those questions you get wrong.

Re: study partner in NY
adinabratescu - 02-25-08 08:12

with the emphasis on RELAX

Re: study partner in NY
adinabratescu - 02-25-08 08:13

yap
hope this helps
by ya oll

Re: study partner in NY
adinabratescu - 02-25-08 08:15

I found these usefull too
........
to be read careffullyy


Step 2 CK Strategy Session
Tips for the Day Before


1. Take the day off from studying.

This is your day to relax and gather your strength before the main event. Get out of bed at the same time you will have to get up the next day. If you feel you must study, limit yourself to reviewing your own notes and flashcards.

2. Have some fun.


Go for a walk. Listen to your favorite music. Go see a good comedy or an action movie that will allow cathartic release. Go shopping. Spend time with a significant other. Do what ever you like. You have worked hard and deserve it.

3. Make sure that you have checked out the basics for the exam:



Have you worked through the USMLE CD-ROM tutorial?

Do you know where the Sylvan center is, and how to get there?

Do you have alternative transportation if, for example, your car does not start?

Do you trust your alarm clock to wake you up in time? If not, make arrangements with friends as back up. You want to be sure to wake up rested, refreshed, and on time.

Lay out what you'll need for the exam before you go to sleep. This includes photo identification, scheduling permit and confirmation number, as well as any personal items like eyeglasses. While you're at it, don't forget to pack a lunch!


4. Call

your friends and classmates and make some plans to celebrate
You'll need to blow off some steam anyhow, and talking with colleagues will remind you that you are not in this by yourself.

5. Be sure to do

some physical activity.


Just taking a walk for an hour will help relax you.



6. Get a good night's sleep.


To help you sleep, consider a hot bath or warm milk. Avoid taking sleeping medication as it may leave you groggy in the morning.

Re: study partner in NY
adinabratescu - 02-25-08 08:16

or maybe a more apropiate approachh
for somee:


Step 2 CK Strategy Session


Tips for the Weekssssssssssssssssssss Before


During the last few days before the exam you should be tapering off your studying, and getting into mental and physical shape.

1. This is not the time for cramming in new material...
but a time to organize and integrate what you already know. Work on making what you know more accessible.

2. Review keywords, phrases and concepts.
Look over your summary notes one more time. This is the time to drill yourself on essential information. The key is to practice recall, not simply read over the material again. What you need to know is probably already in your head. Your task now is to train yourself to access it when you need it. Doing practice questions is a good way to reinforce your recall skills. Only remember, practice questions are often harder than the questions on the real exam. Do not panic if you do not get them right. Use them to clarify your understanding of key details.

3. No one can know everything that is asked on this exam.
Be honest with yourself about what you do and do not know. Knowing that you do not know something gives you more of a sense of control on the exam and makes you less likely to panic when you encounter the material and/or waste time on questions you are not likely to get correct. When you come to a question that you know that you do not know, simply mark your favorite answer choice nd move on!

4. Get yourself onto the right time schedule.
Wake up every day at the same time you will need to on the day of the exam. This will get your circadian rhythm coordinated with the exam schedule. Do not nap between 8:00am and 5:00pm. Otherwise you will accustom your body to shutting down during the critical exam hours. If you get up at the right time each day, you will also find it easier to fall asleep at night. By getting into the proper sleep-wake cycle, you will find it easier to get to sleep the night of the exam as well.

5. You should be getting a sufficient amount of sleep.
For most people that means at least 6 to 7 hours a night. Sleep is an essential time for your brain to consolidate what you have learned. You need sleep; it makes you a more efficient learner when you are awake.

6. Take some time each day to relax.
Have a good meal. Take a walk in the fresh air. Find time for exercise. The change of pace will refresh you and the physical activity will help you relax and sleep at night.

7. If you haven't done so already, visit the Sylvan Center
Where you will be taking the exam? It will be indicated on your exam entry ticket. This will ensure you know how to get there and how much time you should allow for the commute. You can see where you should park, and see what the computer set-up is like.

8. Review the tutorial on the official USMLE CD-ROM.
Become familiar with the interface, the location of key information on the screen and how to navigate between screens. If you walk into the exam familiar with the exam, you will not have to use any of your valuable break time to do this on the test day.

Re: study partner in NY
adinabratescu - 02-25-08 08:17

and if some need a strategy:
here it is










Step 2 CK Strategy Session


The Four Step Approach



Think of it this way....You have three chances to get each USMLE question right. If you cannot arrive at an answer using these three attempts, you do not know the answer. Mark your favorite letter and move on to the next question. The key to this strategy is that you always know what you are going to do next. This helps you feel in control and reduces anxiety.

1. Read the Question
This may seem trivial, but studies have shown that most students look at the answers first. Questions cause anxiety and answers provide the solution, so many people go right for the solutions. However, you cannot pick the correct answer until you know what you are being asked! Time reading the question is time well spent. More time on the question means more time spent thinking.

Read the question and pick out key words. Key words are diagnostic information, abnormal lab values, indications of gender or race and any qualifying terms.

Read carefully enough so that you only have to read the question once. Rereading takes time. Read for comprehension the first time.

2. The Prediction Pass
After reading the question, stop. Before looking at the options, try to generate an answer. We call this the PREDICTION PASS. USMLE questions are written so that any expert in the field can come up with the correct answer without having any options present. While you may not be an expert in every field, you should still try to predict the answer before venturing into "answer choice land."

With the correct answer in mind, you are less likely to be seduced by distracters. Remember, they are supposed to distract you and convince you to pick the wrong answer. Distracters aren't just randomly generated; they are answers that sound like they could be right.

3. The Selection Pass
If you see the answer you predicted, scan the other answers to be sure that it is the best. Then, pick it and move on to the next question. This is the SELECTION PASS. If the answer seems obvious and direct, good. Do not convince yourself into thinking the question must be tricky or more difficult. Most answers will be clearly correct. If you find yourself making up a long story why one option is better than another, stop yourself. You are probably wrong. The correct answer should be clearly correct. If two answers seem to be almost the same, then neither one is probably correct.

4. The Final Pass
If, after reading through the options, you are still not sure of the answer, you have one final try, the FINAL PASS. At this stage, rather than trying for a correct answer, you are eliminating those you know to be incorrect. Using this strategy, you can usually eliminate all but two of the options. When you have narrowed your choices down to only two options, you have now arrived at the most crucial moment. The correct action at this point is to pick one and move on to the next question. If you are really unsure of the correct answer, which one you pick does not matter. With two options to choose from you have a 50% chance of getting the question correct rather than the 20% chance you started with.

Make a choice. Many people waste time at this point by not choosing. Some people, when they have eliminated all but two answers, go back and reread the question in hopes of finding some information that will help them choose. Time spent talking with students and watching their thought processes during the exam suggests that this is the wrong strategy. When students reread a question at this point, they tend to add to it or pick out single features that help them feel better about choosing one of the answers. However, it does not help them pick the right answer. By adding assumptions to the question, students may feel more confident, but they are really mentally rewriting the question to be one that they feel more comfortable answering. The answer they pick is then the right answer to the question that they envision, but not for the actual question presented.

If after these three passes: Prediction Pass, Selection Pass, and the Final Pass, you still are not sure of the answer, your best option is to guess. At this point, click any letter and move on to the next question. Remember, the key to doing well on this exam is to train yourself to make choices. If you do not know an answer, admit it, make your best guess and move on to the next question.

NO ANSWER COUNTS THE SAME AS A WRONG ANSWER.

Try out this four-step method as you do practice questions in the weeks before the exam. If it helps you feel in control of the questions, that's great. If you find it doesn't work for your test-taking style, it might be too late to adopt it now. Remember, you need to do what works for YOU.

Re: study partner in NY
adinabratescu - 02-25-08 08:18

so hopefullyy
this will
helpppp
pppp
yes
good luck
adina
at bratescu@imaging.robarts.ca
dr fischer please write email

Re: study partner in NY
adinabratescu - 02-25-08 08:19

heres a little
qqquestion:

which would the answer be????



A 5-year-old boy presents with dysphagia. He began complaining of a sore throat 5 hours ago and was unable to swallow solid food. He had gone to bed but awoke 3 hours later frightened, hot, and having difficulty breathing. On physical exam, his temperature is 103.2F, heart rate is 100, and respiratory rate is 42. The boy is frightened, sitting forward in his father's lap with his neck extended, and drooling with his tongue protruding from his mouth. Both inspiratory and expiratory stridor are prominent. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in the management of this patient?

(A) Arterial blood gas analysis to assess degree of respiratory compromise
(B) Complete physical examination to identify other signs of illness
(C) Focused exam of oropharynx to identify the cause of his respiratory distress
(D) Immediate monitored transfer to the operating room for the placement of an artificial airway
(E) Immediate administration of aerosolized racemic epinephrine to reduce airway obstruction





Matching

(A) Amytal interview
(B) Buspirone
(C) Diazepam
(D) Electronconvulsive therapy
(E) Fluoxetine
(F) Haloperidol
(G) Lithium carbonate
(H) Nortriptyline
(I) Phenelzine
(J) Propranolol
(K) Trazodone
(L) Yohimbine

Re: study partner in NY
agamamber - 02-25-08 08:35

hi adina....,
have u taken CS?

Re: study partner in NY
adinabratescu - 02-25-08 09:06

no;
but I can imagine
from imaging department
hi

Re: study partner in NY
TheOne - 02-25-08 12:54

The above Stratigies are found on Kaplan books, Thank you for spending the time to copy/paste them here adinabratescu, but due to copyright considerations I hereby ask you to double check your posts for that before using them in our website. Thank you.

Re: study partner in NY
adinabratescu - 04-30-08 05:01

you are welcomed
but how could you tell my copy and paste techniques??
have learned the kaplan website by heart?
or have any thing to do with it?

anyways I need Dr Fisher's email adress
please email me at adina.bratescu@hosptm.ro

thanks in advance
adina

Re: study partner in NY
TheOne - 05-01-08 13:05



Anyone who have read Kaplan books before knows about these stratigies. I don't have the email for Dr.Fischer.