USMLE WORLD SUCKS! It's over-rated......

[automan2]

Just got a month's worth of UW, and it is no different than any other question source. I am tired of the people on here (they probably work for UW) always talking it up.

If you don't have UW, do worry, you aren't missing anything

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[Teejay]

Just got a month's worth of UW, and it is no different than any other question source. I am tired of the people on here (they probably work for UW) always talking it up.

If you don't have UW, do worry, you aren't missing anything

The one important difference or advantage of UW is the quality of their explanations. You can't beat it. You don't need a text book to clarify anything after going through thier explanations. Maybe you need to do more questions before jumping into conclusions. But i understand what you're saying-sometimes i feel that somebody who works for UW is trying to promote it using this forum. If you read the 2007 step one experiences thread, you''ll notice that some guy named Dragon is the one transferring peoples positive remark and experiences with UW from other forums. It kinda makes it questionable. Yet, i think UW is worth-it regardless, from my personal experience.

 

[KNightInBlue]

Just got a month's worth of UW, and it is no different than any other question source. I am tired of the people on here (they probably work for UW) always talking it up.

If you don't have UW, do worry, you aren't missing anything

Its $60. Considering its definitely NOT any worse than kaplan qbank, I think its the best deal since sliced bread as far as step 1 is concerned

 

[Medikit]

Its $60. Considering its definitely NOT any worse than kaplan qbank, I think its the best deal since sliced bread as far as step 1 is concerned

It's $75 now

 

[drguy22]

UW is excellent!!

and i DONT work for them....

 

[akpete]

It's $75 now

Looks like I just got in under the old pricing! Though I haven't used it yet. Planning on starting tonight or tomorrow, so I can't comment on the suckiness or awesomeness of UW.

 

[medhacker]

I also get the feeling we have some sales reps among our ranks

 

[domer621]

It would be so easy to do, and shrewd business on their part.

 

[vtucci]

Not remotely associated with UW. I like it though and agree that the explanations are well-done.

I am working my way through Kaplan, UW, USMLE 123 and First AID Q&A (USMLERx light). From my point of view, the more questions, the merrier.

 

[GOGETA]

I dont work for them, and soon I will take the test, but let me tell you that after you practice UW, the other questions look like from an inferior sayan race.

my 2 cents

 

[Taus]

I'm very satisfied w/ World. I've gone through Kaplan Qbook, FA Q&A, Lange Q&A and parts of a bootleg of Qbank... in the end UW>>Qbook>>others>>>>Lange.

IMO a good stategy to get the best of both worlds w/ Kaplan and UW is do do Qbook instead of Qbank...its not like you need 2 computerized programs to get used to the format.

Qbank wasn't "bad"....but I thought a lot of its q's required more memorization of some relatively random fact then actual thinking through 3rd order type situations to get to the final answer.

 

[smalley]

i think kaplanqbank at $199/month is much more overrated..

 

[blz]

I dont work for them, and soon I will take the test, but let me tell you that after you practice UW, the other questions look like from an inferior sayan race.

my 2 cents

OMG dude, i know you obv love DBZ but that series has been long done and your references are getting really lame. let the series rest in peace....

 

[drguy22]

OMG dude, i know you obv love DBZ but that series has been long done and your references are getting really lame. let the series rest in peace....

haha...wats up dude? hows test prep..when u takin it?

 

[blz]

haha...wats up dude? hows test prep..when u takin it?

Taking the badboy June 14th. I hear all you guys over at NJMS are taking kaplan. How you find time to study being in class for 10hrs?

 

[drguy22]

Taking the badboy June 14th. I hear all you guys over at NJMS are taking kaplan. How you find time to study being in class for 10hrs?

8am-4pm on avg...then studying...all night till midnite.. then sleep for 6 hrs...repeat the next day its almost done..just biochem left this week.

its only 3 days a week, then we have "off" the rest of the week to study like crazy.

Im taking this thing may 17...its gonna suck!

 

[txguy]

I also get the feeling we have some sales reps among our ranks

Haha me too! I purchased Uworld as well but haven't started using it yet. I will post my impressions when I start........

-tx

 

[basupran]

I thought qbank was overrated, especially at $199....bang for buck, uw.

 

[DrDude]

What specifically makes UW so much better than other question banks? People keep saying it's awesome, but why exactly?

Just months ago it seemed everyone was doing the same thing by raving about the greatness of Qbank. Now they're saying stuff like it sucks. Why did opinions change so fast?

 

[blz]

They're both good. Not doing both if you got time is stupid. Doing 350qs/day will get you through either of them in a week. man up and get the job done and stop worrying about which one is better. just do them both.

 

[KNightInBlue]

They're both good. Not doing both if you got time is stupid. Doing 350qs/day will get you through either of them in a week. man up and get the job done and stop worrying about which one is better. just do them both.

BINGO! - now THAT should be the final word on this matter, period.

 

[N-Surge]

They're both good. Not doing both if you got time is stupid. Doing 350qs/day will get you through either of them in a week. man up and get the job done and stop worrying about which one is better. just do them both.

But if you only have time to do 1, it is UW?

What about USMLE Rx?

 

[goodies]

is it better to do UW twice (go over incorrect ones) or to do UW + qbank?

 

[N-Surge]

I would assume seeing new questions for the same material would be best.

 

[Steve Grogan]

But if you only have time to do 1, it is UW?

What about USMLE Rx?

I've done all of QBank and most of UW. If I had time to do only 1 I would pick UW. And before someone freaks out, I don't work for the company in any way. What I prefer about UW is that the question stems seem similar to the NBME's, and hopefully that translates to the real exam as well. Also, as some others have mentioned, the answers go into much greater detail, sometimes with graphics. I like to have visual aids when reinforcing biochem concepts.

I think UW actually helps you learn the material better than QBank. Hence, if I had only time to do one I would pick UW.

 

[Steve Grogan]

They're both good. Not doing both if you got time is stupid. Doing 350qs/day will get you through either of them in a week. man up and get the job done and stop worrying about which one is better. just do them both.

I agreee. This the best option. It will hurt, but it would be worth it in the end.

 

[N-Surge]

I agreee. This the best option. It will hurt, but it would be worth it in the end.

I asked about USMLERx becuase I liked the idea of using FIRST AID with a set of questions that goes with it. This would be done first. Is it any good?

Then on top of that I would do UW or Kaplan. Not doing all three, as fun as that sounds. I also plan on reading a ton. So, it sounds like UW is the way to go here.

But again, if anyone has anything to say about USMLERx from experience, I'd much appreciate hearing about it.

Thanks!

 

[goodies]

dang, how come you guys have so much time to do so many question banks? how many questions are you doing per day?

 

[GOGETA]

OMG dude, i know you obv love DBZ but that series has been long done and your references are getting really lame. let the series rest in peace....

dude Im in denial, have that into consideration

 

[phudrix]

I do questions from multiple sources. I just finished the questions from smashstep1 .com. Taking my exam at the end of this month..

Cheers

 

[Teejay]

I do questions from multiple sources. I just finished the questions from smashstep1 .com. Taking my exam at the end of this month..

Cheers

Are you trying to give this site some kind of publicity here?

 

[domer621]

The one important difference or advantage of UW is the quality of their explanations.

Agreed. Lots of diagrams, etc.

Where's my paycheck?

 

[N-Surge]

I am guessing USMLERx is not an option considering no one has said ANYTHING amazing about it. LOL! Honestly, is it not worth the money or time?

The concept is good, but is it still filled with supposed errors and such?

 

[premedgeek]

I am guessing USMLERx is not an option considering no one has said ANYTHING amazing about it. LOL! Honestly, is it not worth the money or time?

The concept is good, but is it still filled with supposed errors and such?

I am using USMLErx (along with QBank). I haven't really seen that many errors so far. Then again, I only went through 8% of the QBank (total 2500 questions).

I figured $59 for 2 months is worth the price in the long run (compared to $160K in tuition over 4 years).

 

[bulletproof]

Just got a month's worth of UW, and it is no different than any other question source. I am tired of the people on here (they probably work for UW) always talking it up.

If you don't have UW, do worry, you aren't missing anything

I had a three week period for test prep while in a rotation. Used UW (random, blocks of 46, tutor mode). I read step II secrets once. Scored > 95, on the CK. I thought the content of UW very accurately matched my version of the exam. A couple of questions were almost verbatim. I think it is the single best source for step II prep. The answers are well explained, and sufficient review. I actually went through the OB section of Kaplan Qbook the day before the exam, as I was nervous about only getting a 60% average in that section on UW. Ended up getting 94%, and 98% on two respective tests. Qbook was much easier than the actual exam imho. UW was more difficult.

It is unfortunate that you are having a bad experience with this product.

I do not now, nor have I in the past ever worked for UW.

 

[domer621]

Scored > 95, on the CK. I thought the content of UW very accurately matched my version of the exam. A couple of questions were almost verbatim. I think it is the single best source for step II prep.

This is the Step 1 forum.

 

[WhoisJohnGalt]

I am guessing USMLERx is not an option considering no one has said ANYTHING amazing about it. LOL! Honestly, is it not worth the money or time?

The concept is good, but is it still filled with supposed errors and such?

I've gotten through about 500 questions so far, and I've only found one error (the correct answer for a question with 5 A-E answer options was G). The cool thing though is that they have a contact us link at the top of the page, and the two times I've used it (for that question and when I had a technical problem with my browser) I got a reply back literally within 5 minutes. So I really don't think they just sit on errors.

 

[viostorm]

I've gotten through about 500 questions so far, and I've only found one error (the correct answer for a question with 5 A-E answer options was G). The cool thing though is that they have a contact us link at the top of the page, and the two times I've used it (for that question and when I had a technical problem with my browser) I got a reply back literally within 5 minutes. So I really don't think they just sit on errors.

I am doing 50 Kaplan Qbank and 50 USMLE world each day. I like them both for different reasons.

QBank is cake compared to USMLEWorld. I routinely score 6-10% higher on QBank. But it is great to have those challenging UW questions and learn how to think through things you don't know to get a good answer.

I like Qbank in that you can use the web while reviewing your questions. It is annoying on UW because I like to wiki stuff.

 

[TX_Longhorn]

agree with vio,

UW seems to be in a different league. qbank doesnt seem that daunting anymore, it actually feels "dumb", but its still good for drilling down facts.

 

[endAIDScom]

USMLEworld is alright - I think that Kaplan's explanations are actually better than theirs, but USMEworld's interface look and the feel of their questions is more like the nbme practice test than anything else I have tried. If you have time I would finish Kaplan first and then build endurance with a couple weeks or a month of usmleworld, because I think you learn more from the kaplan questions.

One thing about usmleworld - their tech support sucks. I have not been able to access their site from school since my purchase (not a problem from home or with kaplan at either location) and my school says it's comming from usmleworld's end. Bit of a pain if you spend time in the library like a lot of us do. I have been waiting a week (with repeated emails) to get a response about this from them. Anyone else had the same problem?

 

[GOGETA]

The tech support has been most of the time helpfull, 95% of the time they answer in a 1 day time period, the other 5% I had to send them email to remind them that hey what about me, and then they reply.

Also they dont work on the weekends so you might want to send your email monday-thrusday.

No I dont work for them, I'm just the freak of this site that wants to pass with more than a 200

 

[automan2]

Actually UW stole PathoQs from Goljan,NBME, Kaplan & Actual Exam( From various forum posts) & twisted them as much possible.......But Behav Scnce & Molecularbio & Stat are not that much available on those sources.........so they can't offer much.

Bravo UW Admin!!!!
You are a genius.

 

[domer621]

Actually UW stole PathoQs from Goljan,NBME, Kaplan & Actual Exam( From various forum posts) & twisted them as much possible

Yep, that's why the questions are so good.

 

[KNightInBlue]

Actually UW stole PathoQs from Goljan,NBME, Kaplan & Actual Exam( From various forum posts) & twisted them as much possible

and ur complaint is what exactly?

 

[VFTW]

What specifically makes UW so much better than other question banks? People keep saying it's awesome, but why exactly?

Just months ago it seemed everyone was doing the same thing by raving about the greatness of Qbank. Now they're saying stuff like it sucks. Why did opinions change so fast?

UW has questions that require multiple jumps - you have to know the diagnosis, then the most likely treatment, then the treatment side effects to answer the question correctly, for example. Basically, doing one UW question, you get as much out of it as doing four or five Kaplan questions, which are more regurgitation. Also, UW hammers home the important high-yield info, whereas Kaplan is more esoteric sometimes. The explanations are much better for UW, the questions more closely resemble NBME's and the real test, and the interface is the exact same for UW and the real test, which makes taking the test much more comfortable and familiar if UW has been your primary question source. I abandoned Kaplan Qbank early in my study time and have learned a lot more by going through UW. It's not bogus at all; it really is the better question source. Pretty much all of my friends at my medical school agree.

 

[goodies]

for some reason, i find UW easier than qbank. qbank seems to be very nitpicky and that's why i do so bad on it. i finished UW and it's very different from qbank in that its more conceptual. i just hope the real thing's more like uw..

 

[PAPPAPPAP]

I agree... I really don't understand how people think qbank is easier....but i guess its just me. I score in the 50s on qbank and 60s on usmle world. Qbank is ridiculously trivial with their questions sometimes. I got a bc question on some enzyme and that enzyme wasnt even mentioned in RR biochem. who knows?

i don't think the people who posted step 1 experiences are all plants by UW and I do think the questions are much closer to what i've seen on the CBSSA and NMBE exams.

I think Qbank is trying to be too tricky and creative with their questions and sometimes its just useless (especially on the new questions).

I would like for some people who suggested UW to post here.

 

[Law2Doc]

UW has questions that require multiple jumps - you have to know the diagnosis, then the most likely treatment, then the treatment side effects to answer the question correctly, for example. Basically, doing one UW question, you get as much out of it as doing four or five Kaplan questions, which are more regurgitation. .... I abandoned Kaplan Qbank early in my study time ....

Actually Kaplan questions do exactly the same thing. Sounds like you abandoned Kaplan before you saw much of it.
Doesn't really matter which one you do as long as you do lots of problems. I like the idea of using both if you have the time and money.

 

[endAIDScom]

I find the explanations are usually more complete on Kaplan. And after getting used to the interface, I think the Kaplan questions are mildly harder or the same as usmleworld.[/I]

 

[Scottish Chap]

for some reason, i find UW easier than qbank. qbank seems to be very nitpicky and that's why i do so bad on it. i finished UW and it's very different from qbank in that its more conceptual. i just hope the real thing's more like uw..

I also find UW slightly easier than Kaplan. The questions in Kaplan just emphasize picky little details and the explanations are not even that great, in my opinion. After 1200 questions, I got tired of seeing the same stuff asked from different angles. I think UW is better, and their explanations are more complete. My sources at this end with high board scores are saying that they found UW closer to Step 1 than Kaplan - comparing them against each other in timed mode/mixed questions.

Keep in mind that Kaplan exams are generally written by Ph.D.s with egg heads, while UW is written by practicing physicians who took the Steps not too long ago. It's an entirely different way of thinking. Personally, I'm sticking with the M.D.s on this one. No disrespect to my Ph.D. brethren.