KCU Class of 2021

[DrRedstone]

@futuredoctor1995 Keep an eye out on your class FB page, people will be selling them soon. You should plan on getting a stethoscope, probably Littmann Cardiology IV. For other tools you might need, check out this link to save a bit of money.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[SurgDoc95]

This final is truly going to bite the big one, but just 2 days until freedom


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[PorkChopsOG]

This final is truly going to bite the big one, but just 2 days until freedom


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

I just want my 70% so I can go home

 

[DrRedstone]

I just want my 70% so I can go home

But remediation, I mean, several more days to study this stuff.

 

[SurgDoc95]

Final grades for the year are up! Good job fam making it through a first year with a hell of a lot more trials and tribulations than were expected when we started

 

[DrRedstone]

KC campus getting a lot of flack for not showing up for classes? We've had professors tell us about it several times now.

 

[NecrotizingFasciitis]

KC campus getting a lot of flack for not showing up for classes? We've had professors tell us about it several times now.

Not sure, haven't been to class to receive said flack.

I think I remember reading an e-mail earlier this week reiterating that profs. can withhold their lecture recordings if they are butt-hurt about nobody showing up. But I think an e-mail exactly like that was sent at about this time last year too to last years' second years. Maybe it's a scare-tactic.

 

[Hippocrates II]

C/O 2022 here looking for some advice. Do you guys have any suggestions on how to study for biochem? I was not in a science major in undergrad and only have the minimum science requirements for MCAT/pre-med pre-reqs. I'm absolutely drowning in this class.. I simply do not know how to memorize all of the vitamins and minerals, the endless pathways, the diseases.. Between classes and studying I have been busy from 8 am - 10 pm all week. I put in probably ~10 hours of studying today (minus short breaks here and there to keep my sanity). I memorize something (or so I think), and then I forget it while I'm memorizing a new pathway. I have one more day of studying before our midterm on Monday and I probably have a solid understanding of 20% of the material, if that. I know it's common to feel this way but I'm pretty certain I'm going to fail this test unless I magically begin to memorize everything tomorrow. I feel like I'm already regretting my decision to come here after only a week. People say just to focus on the stuff in red but that's... everything. Dr. Agbas might as well be speaking mandarin because I don't even know what he's talking about 90% of the time.

 

[sab3156]

C/O 2022 here looking for some advice. Do you guys have any suggestions on how to study for biochem? I was not in a science major in undergrad and only have the minimum science requirements for MCAT/pre-med pre-reqs. I'm absolutely drowning in this class.. I simply do not know how to memorize all of the vitamins and minerals, the endless pathways, the diseases.. Between classes and studying I have been busy from 8 am - 10 pm all week. I put in probably ~10 hours of studying today (minus short breaks here and there to keep my sanity). I memorize something (or so I think), and then I forget it while I'm memorizing a new pathway. I have one more day of studying before our midterm on Monday and I probably have a solid understanding of 20% of the material, if that. I know it's common to feel this way but I'm pretty certain I'm going to fail this test unless I magically begin to memorize everything tomorrow. I feel like I'm already regretting my decision to come here after only a week. People say just to focus on the stuff in red but that's... everything. Dr. Agbas might as well be speaking mandarin because I don't even know what he's talking about 90% of the time.

The curve is typically pretty good for Biochem. Even if you get a 65% average, you will likely pass the class after the curve. Don't stress about that right now. Focus on understanding the material and make Anki cards of the minutiae that you are having trouble memorizing. It is kind of late to do Anki now, but do that going forward. You can also try putting the powerpoints into OneNote and take notes directly there. Then you can keep reading over and over again until your eyes bleed.

Keep in mind that you are probably feeling like a lot of other people. You are probably going to do fine. This is the first exam, and you can use it to learn how to study better/differently going forward. It doesn't matter that you weren't a science major. Just push forward.

 

[neurodjent]

C/O 2022 here looking for some advice. Do you guys have any suggestions on how to study for biochem? I was not in a science major in undergrad and only have the minimum science requirements for MCAT/pre-med pre-reqs. I'm absolutely drowning in this class.. I simply do not know how to memorize all of the vitamins and minerals, the endless pathways, the diseases.. Between classes and studying I have been busy from 8 am - 10 pm all week. I put in probably ~10 hours of studying today (minus short breaks here and there to keep my sanity). I memorize something (or so I think), and then I forget it while I'm memorizing a new pathway. I have one more day of studying before our midterm on Monday and I probably have a solid understanding of 20% of the material, if that. I know it's common to feel this way but I'm pretty certain I'm going to fail this test unless I magically begin to memorize everything tomorrow. I feel like I'm already regretting my decision to come here after only a week. People say just to focus on the stuff in red but that's... everything. Dr. Agbas might as well be speaking mandarin because I don't even know what he's talking about 90% of the time.

I also was a non science major with the minimum prereqs and I ended up doing pretty well in biochem. I made Anki cards of all the pathways and diseases and I made sure to draw out each pathway until I had it down cold. Sometimes it would take me 2 tries, sometimes 20. And then I’d forget them and draw them again. Also, everyone is transitioning to the med school workload, you are definitely not alone. I hope that helped, good luck!

 

[OtoBro]

C/O 2022 here looking for some advice. Do you guys have any suggestions on how to study for biochem? I was not in a science major in undergrad and only have the minimum science requirements for MCAT/pre-med pre-reqs. I'm absolutely drowning in this class.. I simply do not know how to memorize all of the vitamins and minerals, the endless pathways, the diseases.. Between classes and studying I have been busy from 8 am - 10 pm all week. I put in probably ~10 hours of studying today (minus short breaks here and there to keep my sanity). I memorize something (or so I think), and then I forget it while I'm memorizing a new pathway. I have one more day of studying before our midterm on Monday and I probably have a solid understanding of 20% of the material, if that. I know it's common to feel this way but I'm pretty certain I'm going to fail this test unless I magically begin to memorize everything tomorrow. I feel like I'm already regretting my decision to come here after only a week. People say just to focus on the stuff in red but that's... everything. Dr. Agbas might as well be speaking mandarin because I don't even know what he's talking about 90% of the time.

Message me if you have any questions about any of your upcoming classes/professors!

 

[DrRedstone]

C/O 2022 here looking for some advice. Do you guys have any suggestions on how to study for biochem? I was not in a science major in undergrad and only have the minimum science requirements for MCAT/pre-med pre-reqs. I'm absolutely drowning in this class.. I simply do not know how to memorize all of the vitamins and minerals, the endless pathways, the diseases.. Between classes and studying I have been busy from 8 am - 10 pm all week. I put in probably ~10 hours of studying today (minus short breaks here and there to keep my sanity). I memorize something (or so I think), and then I forget it while I'm memorizing a new pathway. I have one more day of studying before our midterm on Monday and I probably have a solid understanding of 20% of the material, if that. I know it's common to feel this way but I'm pretty certain I'm going to fail this test unless I magically begin to memorize everything tomorrow. I feel like I'm already regretting my decision to come here after only a week. People say just to focus on the stuff in red but that's... everything. Dr. Agbas might as well be speaking mandarin because I don't even know what he's talking about 90% of the time.

Dirty little secret, most of the vitamins and minerals aren't super important right now. Make sure that you know the rate limiting steps of all the processes cold. They will be on your exam, I guarantee it! For the next test, go to all the tutoring sessions that you can. It is really helpful to get an idea of what will be on the test and how they will present the information in question formats. Also, don't be afraid to reach out to your classmates for help. Especially the COB students who have a solid background in this part of med school. Some of them will have great mnemonics to help you out.

I almost guarantee that most of the rest of your class is drowning as well, it is a right of passage for KCU. Down in Joplin, a lot of us were commenting on how the first years walked in the first day bright eyed and bushy tailed and walked out looking like death. You'll get used to the amount of information you have to digest on a daily basis, it just takes time. Remember that you are drinking from a fire hose. There is no way to learn 100% of the information they throw at you.

 

[fldoctorgirl]

C/O 2022 here looking for some advice. Do you guys have any suggestions on how to study for biochem? I was not in a science major in undergrad and only have the minimum science requirements for MCAT/pre-med pre-reqs. I'm absolutely drowning in this class.. I simply do not know how to memorize all of the vitamins and minerals, the endless pathways, the diseases.. Between classes and studying I have been busy from 8 am - 10 pm all week. I put in probably ~10 hours of studying today (minus short breaks here and there to keep my sanity). I memorize something (or so I think), and then I forget it while I'm memorizing a new pathway. I have one more day of studying before our midterm on Monday and I probably have a solid understanding of 20% of the material, if that. I know it's common to feel this way but I'm pretty certain I'm going to fail this test unless I magically begin to memorize everything tomorrow. I feel like I'm already regretting my decision to come here after only a week. People say just to focus on the stuff in red but that's... everything. Dr. Agbas might as well be speaking mandarin because I don't even know what he's talking about 90% of the time.

Hey friend. Just wanted to let you know, you're not alone! The amount of information is intense...I've been drilling flashcards, but still don't feel 100% prepared, and I don't think I will. Keep your head up! It'll turn out okay.

 

[Hippocrates II]

Hey friend. Just wanted to let you know, you're not alone! The amount of information is intense...I've been drilling flashcards, but still don't feel 100% prepared, and I don't think I will. Keep your head up! It'll turn out okay.

I would be lying if I said I felt comfortable with 50% of the material...

Dirty little secret, most of the vitamins and minerals aren't super important right now.

I think they changed that for this year because we were given a lecture on them instead of just a DSA, and a good amount of the practice questions from Dr. Agbas had vitamin questions in them. :S

 

[fldoctorgirl]

I would be lying if I said I felt comfortable with 50% of the material...

I feel you, honestly. The questions from Agbas are super intense. But, you'll just do your best tomorrow and see what the outcome is, then go from there.

 

[Coltuna]

Currently drowning. Any tips for MSK?

 

[AlmondCroissant]

^ Same. Also, I'm absolutely grossed out by Anatomy lab @.@

 

[musicmed]

Currently drowning. Any tips for MSK?

Draw it out! When Olinger draws it out, do it with him and then go home and draw it out some more. Gray’s questions are good for practice - should be on the google drive. I also like using the Essential Anatomy app to learn and visualize in 3D. For labs, have half your tank dissect while the other half quizzes on Embryo, etc. Focus on a little at a time to not get overwhelmed. You will get through it all although you will feel constantly behind. Use your large and small group tutors. When at home before the practical, use SUNY or U Mich cadaver pics online to help you. Use those learning objectives to guide and maximize your studying. You got this!

 

[jcve34]

Currently drowning. Any tips for MSK?

Get complete anatomy app it’s amazing. Just pick a spot in the app and start quizzing yourself over and over. The key to anatomy is quizzing. I prefer to relabel things instead of drawing if I can. I purchased a digital version of Oligners Atlas and would cut out his pictures and relabel them on OneNote. It’s faster in the end. Once things are dug out get into the lab and quiz.

Hope this helps.

 

[NecrotizingFasciitis]

Currently drowning. Any tips for MSK?

^ Same. Also, I'm absolutely grossed out by Anatomy lab @.@

I'm procrastinating studying anti-epileptic drugs so I'll highlight the method that worked for me throughout the year with anatomy in general:

The lecture is worth WAY more points than the practical (& this will stand true throughout the year.) In addition, you will never be asked to identify structure "x" on board examinations. So keep that in mind when you allocate your study time. That being said, the lab is an easy way to boost your grade, so you might as well get those 40(ish) free points that are easy tags. I say 40 because I always thought they had about 10 or so that were trickier tags that you couldn't necessarily count on.

The method I began to utilize when I started performing highly on anatomy practicals included 3 simple steps:

1) Getting the names in my head

2) Being able to picture the atlas pictures in my head
-We study normal anatomy & physiology in medical school before pathology - why wouldn't you study picture perfect anatomy before trying to identify the nonsense on those messy cadavers? Just saying.

3) Taking the atlas pictures in my head and applying them to real life (messy cadaver tagging.)

I would take out steps 1 & 2 at the same time, while practicing spelling, with my atlas (I use Netter - any atlas with nice pictures works.) I did this by running through the structure list and highlighting the names of everything in my anatomy atlas that was on the structure list. After, I would test myself by covering the labels & writing out the names by hand on a separate sheet of paper. This not only knocks out steps 1 & 2 in my plan, but also practices spelling (don't lose points on spelling.) Almost all of my anatomy studying time was spent in steps 1 & 2. The only time I would go into lab was for dissection, or when my tutor was tagging structures (step 3 of my 3 step plan.)

If I ever felt like I needed some extra help, or wanted to test myself the night before a practical, I would access the following website:
BlueLink

I would use the following website for additional practice (less useful, but it's better than nothing):
The Body Online - Stony Brook University Department of Anatomy

I would test myself by writing out the names of structures on a sheet of paper, then looking to see if I got the answers correct afterwards (including spelling.)

I should note that I had cadaver lab before medical school, so applying atlas pictures to real life wasn't as big of a hurdle for me. If it is for you, maybe google some labeled cadaver pictures during your studies (or use Olinger's atlas if you have it I guess.) I would say spend more time in lab to get used to it, but if you don't know what you're looking at, that means you're guessing when you're studying, which can hurt you and will definitely waste your limited time. That's one of the reasons I only went into lab for tagging during tutoring sessions, or for dissection.

Okay back to drugs, good luck.

 

[ohmanwaddup]

How should we study for the written exam? So far I’ve just been making flash cards of olingers outline clinical notes. Should I study anything else specifically for the written, outside what I’m already studying for the practical?

 

[NecrotizingFasciitis]

How should we study for the written exam? So far I’ve just been making flash cards of olingers outline clinical notes. Should I study anything else specifically for the written, outside what I’m already studying for the practical?

That's a great start to performing well for Olinger. It takes a while to make those FC's but it will pay off when you are speeding through them the day before the exam.

In addition to doing that, you should also:

(1) Read the blue boxes in the anatomy text
-I made my own "high yield" outline of things I either (a) didn't know or (b) thought would be good test questions. My theory is this: if you know the content well enough, you can rationalize a handful of the blue boxes, so your outline shouldn't be too terribly long, and you should be safe starting to read them the week of your exam at a leisure pace. Reading them just gives you that "aha! that makes total sense b/c of reasons x/y/z" moment over & over again.

(2) Do the Gray's questions (it will fill in all the holes in your knowledge. Of which, there may be many, and that's okay. I would usually do these about a week before the exam.)

(3) Make sure you know all of Dr. Keim's pathologies. She looooooves testing those. It's good to know all nitty gritty embryology, but she especially tests the pathology stuff. SO if you're stressed for time, at least know the pathologies.

Dr. Keim will never trick you. Anything she'll ever ask is in her notes. I love Keim. I think she'll teach you neural tube defects like 3x throughout the year so just learn them now

 

[ohmanwaddup]

That's a great start to performing well for Olinger. It takes a while to make those FC's but it will pay off when you are speeding through them the day before the exam.

In addition to doing that, you should also:

(1) Read the blue boxes in the anatomy text
-I made my own "high yield" outline of things I either (a) didn't know or (b) thought would be good test questions. My theory is this: if you know the content well enough, you can rationalize a handful of the blue boxes, so your outline shouldn't be too terribly long, and you should be safe starting to read them the week of your exam at a leisure pace. Reading them just gives you that "aha! that makes total sense b/c of reasons x/y/z" moment over & over again.

(2) Do the Gray's questions (it will fill in all the holes in your knowledge. Of which, there may be many, and that's okay. I would usually do these about a week before the exam.)

(3) Make sure you know all of Dr. Keim's pathologies. She looooooves testing those. It's good to know all nitty gritty embryology, but she especially tests the pathology stuff. SO if you're stressed for time, at least know the pathologies.

Dr. Keim will never trick you. Anything she'll ever ask is in her notes. I love Keim. I think she'll teach you neural tube defects like 3x throughout the year so just learn them now

There is a gray book in the library, is that what you refer to or this a sepereate grays review book

 

[NecrotizingFasciitis]

There is a gray book in the library, is that what you refer to or this a sepereate grays review book

This book. You should be able to find a free electronic version from classmates/tutors.

 

[NecrotizingFasciitis]

I was going to make a joke about rectal bleeding and the difficulty of that exam, but apparently I know nothing about GI pathology

Okay so question/looking for advice: my exam scores are really inconsistent anytime we have to use Robbins. I have no problems with pharmacology, and did well last year, so it's clearly a problem with Robbins & I.

This time I did 2 passes of Pathoma, Pathoma Anki FC's (pre-made), read Robbins once (but re-refrenced it many times), made 900 Anki flashcards for Robbins (divided up by chapter - 3 passes), plus made my own outline for Robbins (read through twice.)

I know a few people who don't read Robbins at all. I don't like to bring up exam scores with people, so I haven't asked what kind of scores they get for Robbins exams, and I don't know if they care about grades in school (they might just be focusing on boards this year - not sure.) Has anybody on here had solid success without using Robbins (or maybe only referencing it) & still scored consistently well on Robbins exams?

Just looking for some way to become more efficient with Robbins so I'm not studying 12+ hours every day only to get wrecked on exam day.

 

[sab3156]

I was going to make a joke about rectal bleeding and the difficulty of that exam, but apparently I know nothing about GI pathology

Okay so question/looking for advice: my exam scores are really inconsistent anytime we have to use Robbins. I have no problems with pharmacology, and did well last year, so it's clearly a problem with Robbins & I.

This time I did 2 passes of Pathoma, Pathoma Anki FC's (pre-made), read Robbins once (but re-refrenced it many times), made 900 Anki flashcards for Robbins (divided up by chapter - 3 passes), plus made my own outline for Robbins (read through twice.)

I know a few people who don't read Robbins at all. I don't like to bring up exam scores with people, so I haven't asked what kind of scores they get for Robbins exams, and I don't know if they care about grades in school (they might just be focusing on boards this year - not sure.) Has anybody on here had solid success without using Robbins (or maybe only referencing it) & still scored consistently well on Robbins exams?

Just looking for some way to become more efficient with Robbins so I'm not studying 12+ hours every day only to get wrecked on exam day.

To be honest, I know GI really well for Step 1, as I went through Firecracker and Boards and Beyond, made my own GI Anki deck for Step 1 as I usually do, destroyed all 3 Step 1 qbanks and went through the outline that someone made like 4 times and still got wrecked on this exam. Really frustrating that Dobson cannot write test questions to save his life. It was just a bad exam, period. Mostly everyone I spoke to failed.

Oh, I also went through the Robbins Review questions, but that book is complete trash.

That being said, people do get by with the outline, at least they did during MOD.

 

[NecrotizingFasciitis]

To be honest, I know GI really well for Step 1, as I went through Firecracker and Boards and Beyond, made my own GI Anki deck for Step 1 as I usually do, destroyed all 3 Step 1 qbanks and went through the outline that someone made like 4 times and still got wrecked on this exam. Really frustrating that Dobson cannot write test questions to save his life. It was just a bad exam, period. Mostly everyone I spoke to failed.

Oh, I also went through the Robbins Review questions, but that book is complete trash.

That being said, people do get by with the outline, at least they did during MOD.

Well I'm glad I'm at least not the only one having these problems then.

How do you like B&B? I was maybe going to get it over xmas break but it seems like a lot of people have been using it already.

 

[sab3156]

Well I'm glad I'm at least not the only one having these problems then.

How do you like B&B? I was going to get it over xmas break but it seems like a lot of people have been using it already.

BnB is OK, it helps if you learn via lectures and didn't get a good foundation in basic sciences (aka KCU).

 

[jcve34]

I was going to make a joke about rectal bleeding and the difficulty of that exam, but apparently I know nothing about GI pathology

Okay so question/looking for advice: my exam scores are really inconsistent anytime we have to use Robbins. I have no problems with pharmacology, and did well last year, so it's clearly a problem with Robbins & I.

This time I did 2 passes of Pathoma, Pathoma Anki FC's (pre-made), read Robbins once (but re-refrenced it many times), made 900 Anki flashcards for Robbins (divided up by chapter - 3 passes), plus made my own outline for Robbins (read through twice.)

I know a few people who don't read Robbins at all. I don't like to bring up exam scores with people, so I haven't asked what kind of scores they get for Robbins exams, and I don't know if they care about grades in school (they might just be focusing on boards this year - not sure.) Has anybody on here had solid success without using Robbins (or maybe only referencing it) & still scored consistently well on Robbins exams?

Just looking for some way to become more efficient with Robbins so I'm not studying 12+ hours every day only to get wrecked on exam day.

I did a pass of BnB and Pathoma. I like to see the board prep resources at least once that way come dedicated I’ve seen/organized all the materials beforehand. I use cramfighter so I do about 2 hours of “board prep” in the morning. This includes 200 flash cards of past subjects (Zanki deck) and whatever resources cramfighter tells me to do.

The rest of my time is spent with Robbins. I read it 3x through.

The first time I make an outline of Subjects covered.

The second time I fill in the subjects with etiology/pathogenesis/histology/clinical features/associated symptoms and risk factors.

The third time through I read it and compare to my notes. About this time I’m doing about 100 questions between chapters. And I do the Robbins Review after each chapter.

Throughout I’m cramming the corresponding Zanki deck. Once we get through a subject I transfer the respective cards into the master deck.

That’s my strategy and it seems to work. I study 8-10 hours a day and I workout 5x a week. Very doable.

 

[neurodjent]

I was going to make a joke about rectal bleeding and the difficulty of that exam, but apparently I know nothing about GI pathology

Okay so question/looking for advice: my exam scores are really inconsistent anytime we have to use Robbins. I have no problems with pharmacology, and did well last year, so it's clearly a problem with Robbins & I.

This time I did 2 passes of Pathoma, Pathoma Anki FC's (pre-made), read Robbins once (but re-refrenced it many times), made 900 Anki flashcards for Robbins (divided up by chapter - 3 passes), plus made my own outline for Robbins (read through twice.)

I know a few people who don't read Robbins at all. I don't like to bring up exam scores with people, so I haven't asked what kind of scores they get for Robbins exams, and I don't know if they care about grades in school (they might just be focusing on boards this year - not sure.) Has anybody on here had solid success without using Robbins (or maybe only referencing it) & still scored consistently well on Robbins exams?

Just looking for some way to become more efficient with Robbins so I'm not studying 12+ hours every day only to get wrecked on exam day.

I don't read Robbins at all and I scored much higher than average on the exam. Zanki, sketchy path, pathoma, qbanks, BnB if needed. 2 days prior to the exam I skim baby robbins to pick up 1-2 details about the few diseases that are less talked about in other resources.

 

[Hippocrates II]

Can anyone comment on the correlation between zanki phys and lectures here? Now that we're into systems I'm really tempted to use zanki because I'm falling behind making cards for every lecture since there are so many in a day now, but it's a risk when each class only has two tests to gamble on... Is doing zanki phys sufficient to pass the phys portions of these tests? Thanks

 

[sab3156]

Is doing zanki phys sufficient to pass the phys portions of these tests? Thanks

No. This is KCU.

 

[PorkChopsOG]

Can anyone comment on the correlation between zanki phys and lectures here? Now that we're into systems I'm really tempted to use zanki because I'm falling behind making cards for every lecture since there are so many in a day now, but it's a risk when each class only has two tests to gamble on... Is doing zanki phys sufficient to pass the phys portions of these tests? Thanks

Idk what sab is talking about, zanki phys deck got me 85+ on all of the phys exams last year. Yes it is sufficient, especially since it pulls a lot from costanzo physiology.

 

[NecrotizingFasciitis]

I don't read Robbins at all and I scored much higher than average on the exam. Zanki, sketchy path, pathoma, qbanks, BnB if needed. 2 days prior to the exam I skim baby robbins to pick up 1-2 details about the few diseases that are less talked about in other resources.

Update:

I only used Robbins as a reference and made my own FC's from lecture (+) did pathoma and scored where I normally do for myself in Renal.

For cardio I've been going balls to the wall w/ Zanki/annotating FA/Pathoma & B&B (as needed) & my quality of life/confidence in the material is 1000-fold improved/increased. Plus I'm going to have tons of time for qbanks for the midterm at this rate.

I've been wanting to commit to this for some time, so thank you for the extra motivation good sir. Greatly appreciated.

 

[jcve34]

Update:

I only used Robbins as a reference and made my own FC's from lecture (+) did pathoma and scored where I normally do for myself in Renal.

For cardio I've been going balls to the wall w/ Zanki/annotating FA/Pathoma & B&B (as needed) & my quality of life/confidence in the material is 1000-fold improved/increased. Plus I'm going to have tons of time for qbanks for the midterm at this rate.

I've been wanting to commit to this for some time, so thank you for the extra motivation good sir. Greatly appreciated.

So how did this go? I only read Robbins once and I may only be doing that the rest of the time.

 

[NecrotizingFasciitis]

So how did this go? I only read Robbins once and I may only be doing that the rest of the time.

I scored well above average without looking at a single page of that book and hit my goal score on an exam for the first time since microbiology last year.

I was really nervous about committing to Zanki & abandoning Robbins because KCU basically tells you if you don't read Robbins you'll fail (am I right?) but I am sooooo happy I finally did and frustrated I didn't just do it at the beginning of the year. Or even for the MOD courses.

Method:
(1) Pathoma (knocked all of it out in the first 2 days + the associated flashcards.)
(2) Zanki Cardio pathology/annotation of First Aid + sketchy pharm + Zanki Pharm/annotation of First Aid
(3) Robbins practice Q's + read about wrong answers (if necessary.)
(4) Skimmed lectures the day before for extra details (pathology lectures only.)

I didn't watch any of the pharmacology lectures from KCU. I would have gotten a couple lecture-specific questions correct if I had, so I plan to do that next time, but I feel very confident with my understanding of the relevant drugs/concepts b/c I studied it thoroughly.

Overall: I had more free time (which was nice because we had that CPA & the PCM exam), felt less miserable studying, scored where I wanted to, got good sleep & was able to workout most days (none of these things were true when I was reading Robbins.) Plus I was able to review a couple hundred new Zanki microbiology cards on the side & keep up with reviews for Renal & GI.

For anyone lurking on here and on the edge/nervous about fully committing to Zanki, was performing well last year, and hasn't been performing where you'd like to since we've had to read Robbins... I highly encourage you to try this out for our respiratory unit.

 

[jcve34]

I scored well above average without looking at a single page of that book and hit my goal score on an exam for the first time since microbiology last year.

I was really nervous about committing to Zanki & abandoning Robbins because KCU basically tells you if you don't read Robbins you'll fail (am I right?) but I am sooooo happy I finally did and frustrated I didn't just do it at the beginning of the year. Or even for the MOD courses.

Method:
(1) Pathoma (knocked all of it out in the first 2 days + the associated flashcards.)
(2) Zanki Cardio pathology/annotation of First Aid + sketchy pharm + Zanki Pharm/annotation of First Aid
(3) Robbins practice Q's + read about wrong answers (if necessary.)
(4) Skimmed lectures the day before for extra details (pathology lectures only.)

I didn't watch any of the pharmacology lectures from KCU. I would have gotten a couple lecture-specific questions correct if I had, so I plan to do that next time, but I feel very confident with my understanding of the relevant drugs/concepts b/c I studied it thoroughly.

Overall: I had more free time (which was nice because we had that CPA & the PCM exam), felt less miserable studying, scored where I wanted to, got good sleep & was able to workout most days (none of these things were true when I was reading Robbins.) Plus I was able to review a couple hundred new Zanki microbiology cards on the side & keep up with reviews for Renal & GI.

For anyone lurking on here and on the edge/nervous about fully committing to Zanki, was performing well last year, and hasn't been performing where you'd like to since we've had to read Robbins... I highly encourage you to try this out for our respiratory unit.

I think I’m going to definitely pull way back from Robbins. I’ll still probably read through it once because why not at this point I might as well finish the book. I finished well above the average as well but basically just used Boards and Beyond/Pathoma/First Aid/Class Slides. I definitely want to get back into Zanki for sure. Thanks for the reply!

 

[studentdr12]

Anyone have tips on doing well first year? Ive been doing Zanki phys for cardio and doing not so good. Would you guys recommend making my own cards? I feel like anki help me with details but how do I get the “big picture?” I also think the way they word questions throws me off and I fall for their tricks

 

[fldoctorgirl]

I scored well above average without looking at a single page of that book and hit my goal score on an exam for the first time since microbiology last year.

I was really nervous about committing to Zanki & abandoning Robbins because KCU basically tells you if you don't read Robbins you'll fail (am I right?) but I am sooooo happy I finally did and frustrated I didn't just do it at the beginning of the year. Or even for the MOD courses.

Method:
(1) Pathoma (knocked all of it out in the first 2 days + the associated flashcards.)
(2) Zanki Cardio pathology/annotation of First Aid + sketchy pharm + Zanki Pharm/annotation of First Aid
(3) Robbins practice Q's + read about wrong answers (if necessary.)
(4) Skimmed lectures the day before for extra details (pathology lectures only.)

I didn't watch any of the pharmacology lectures from KCU. I would have gotten a couple lecture-specific questions correct if I had, so I plan to do that next time, but I feel very confident with my understanding of the relevant drugs/concepts b/c I studied it thoroughly.

Overall: I had more free time (which was nice because we had that CPA & the PCM exam), felt less miserable studying, scored where I wanted to, got good sleep & was able to workout most days (none of these things were true when I was reading Robbins.) Plus I was able to review a couple hundred new Zanki microbiology cards on the side & keep up with reviews for Renal & GI.

For anyone lurking on here and on the edge/nervous about fully committing to Zanki, was performing well last year, and hasn't been performing where you'd like to since we've had to read Robbins... I highly encourage you to try this out for our respiratory unit.

I literally just took a photo of this post for next year. Thank you for sharing.

Can you explain a bit more about how utilizing Pathoma works? I keep seeing people mention it but I have no idea what they mean-- is it the videos? Do you pay for it?

For sketchy pharm, did you watch the videos or use the Anki decks?

 

[jcve34]

Anyone have tips on doing well first year? Ive been doing Zanki phys for cardio and doing not so good. Would you guys recommend making my own cards? I feel like anki help me with details but how do I get the “big picture?” I also think the way they word questions throws me off and I fall for their tricks

First year is all about how to organize information. Can you walk through the lectures in your head? Can you start to make up question stems as you see read text? How many practice questions do you do? You want to do as many as you possibly can.

 

[NecrotizingFasciitis]

Anyone have tips on doing well first year? Ive been doing Zanki phys for cardio and doing not so good. Would you guys recommend making my own cards? I feel like anki help me with details but how do I get the “big picture?” I also think the way they word questions throws me off and I fall for their tricks

I agree with what @jcve34 said. In my opinion Zanki isn't necessary first year and I think it's good to focus on lectures & reference Costanzo physiology/make your own lecture-specific cards. If you like super detailed stuff then the other physiology book (guyton & hall or whatever it is) is good. Guyton & Hall practice questions are VERY GOOD though. They are tougher but if you can get through those and really understand what they are asking you will be set up really well for exams.

1st year is important for solidifying your basic sciences so you can understand the pathology for second year. Don't worry about Zanki until MOD at the end of the year (again, this is just my personal opinion.)

 

[NecrotizingFasciitis]

I literally just took a photo of this post for next year. Thank you for sharing.

Can you explain a bit more about how utilizing Pathoma works? I keep seeing people mention it but I have no idea what they mean-- is it the videos? Do you pay for it?

For sketchy pharm, did you watch the videos or use the Anki decks?

Firstly, don't worry about this until the end of the year. Your class will likely try to get a group discount for Pathoma/Sketchy, and you don't need it yet. Promise!

But ya Pathoma is basically pathology vids + a workbook you can annotate and it does cost money. There are associated Anki decks that are pre-made (and Zanki is obviously free - you can find the decks on Reddit. I'm sure you already know, but I figured I'd mention it for anyone reading that doesn't know.) Pathoma is only good for a baseline understanding though and not sufficient for KCU exams. I've heard it isn't sufficient for USMLE either from a friend that scored >250 last year. Myself, and I think most people that use it, use it first to get a baseline understanding of the highest yield pathology before studying a more in depth resource.

For Sketchy pharm it's the same, and there are associated Zanki flashcards that are great for the vids and pretty comprehensive. I watch 3-5 vids then go through the associated Zanki decks. I don't think the workbooks are worth the money. I got the one for sketchy and used it, and did love it, but I don't know if it necessarily enhanced my understanding... I just liked looking at all my notes lol. Plus the binding kinda sucks for the workbooks honestly. And I think there are free PDFs floating around of the books if you really want them.

 

[NecrotizingFasciitis]

I think I’m going to definitely pull way back from Robbins. I’ll still probably read through it once because why not at this point I might as well finish the book. I finished well above the average as well but basically just used Boards and Beyond/Pathoma/First Aid/Class Slides. I definitely want to get back into Zanki for sure. Thanks for the reply!

I wish I would have stopped reading Robbins earlier. I'm not sure why KCU emphasizes that book so much. I feel like it really caters towards strong readers with picture perfect memories, and I am far from that type of student lol. When I read Costanzo last year I loved it and remembered stuff really well but I just SUCK at reading Robbins for some reason.

Oh whale. Glad the exam went good for you as well!

 

[Mr. D.O.five]

Can confirm, Zanki path and pharm (plus adding your own cards as you see fit) = exam success

 

[Dr.Bruh]

Anybody know if a 3.0 is too low of a gpa to even bother applying for an honors track??? I know the req is 3.4 but people keep saying it’s a loose requirement and idk what that means lol

 

[risperdoll]

Anybody know if a 3.0 is too low of a gpa to even bother applying for an honors track??? I know the req is 3.4 but people keep saying it’s a loose requirement and idk what that means lol

Mine is lower than that and I applied. It's not too long of an application, so I say if you're passionate about it, there's no harm in applying!

 

[Dr.Bruh]

Ok i

Mine is lower than that and I applied. It's not too long of an application, so I say if you're passionate about it, there's no harm in applying!

ok I think I will then! I have a lot of experience in and am dedicated to the field I want to apply for so hopefully that helps. Have you heard of people with lower gpas actually getting accepted tho??

 

[PorkChopsOG]

Ok i

ok I think I will then! I have a lot of experience in and am dedicated to the field I want to apply for so hopefully that helps. Have you heard of people with lower gpas actually getting accepted tho??

yeah people got accepted with less than a 3.4 but I have a feeling (just a hunch) that with the sheer amount of people applying for honors tract so they can "stay in kansas city" they may stick to the 3.4 a little more closely. Remember this is the first year both Joplin and KC students are applying for rotations together, so it's a toss up.

 

[risperdoll]

Ok i

ok I think I will then! I have a lot of experience in and am dedicated to the field I want to apply for so hopefully that helps. Have you heard of people with lower gpas actually getting accepted tho??

Honestly I've been afraid to ask around since I'm not fond of advertising my GPA too much lol. I met with two of our faculty members in the past and had told them that I was interested but was nervous since my GPA isn't competitive or at all impressive, and they said the only thing that would probably disqualify you would be a failure in a class.

While Joplin and KC students will both be in the pool, it seems like the tracks that have always been competitive still are, and the ones that have been less so are also consistent. Keep in mind that others will be discouraged by the change in numbers, but if you're really dedicated as you say, that shouldn't deter you!

 

[fldoctorgirl]

Honestly I've been afraid to ask around since I'm not fond of advertising my GPA too much lol. I met with two of our faculty members in the past and had told them that I was interested but was nervous since my GPA isn't competitive or at all impressive, and they said the only thing that would probably disqualify you would be a failure in a class.

While Joplin and KC students will both be in the pool, it seems like the tracks that have always been competitive still are, and the ones that have been less so are also consistent. Keep in mind that others will be discouraged by the change in numbers, but if you're really dedicated as you say, that shouldn't deter you!

I've been wondering this because I'm kind of interested in an honors track (although I'm just a first year so who knows). I'm just not sure I can hit the GPA requirement.