Don’t believe me?
For those of you who’ve forgotten what Step 1 really tests, hop on board for a little refresher.
(thread)
For your enjoyment, I compiled some highlights from Block 1 (questions 1-40). But if you really wanna have fun, the whole thing is online here:
usmle.org/pdfs/step-1/sa…
Nah. Not Step 1.
Instead, let’s figure out who knows how this cell got *here*.
(The correct answer, if you’re wondering, is B.)
Correct answer: E.
But perhaps your DI workup differs from my own. If so, the correct answer is A.
And just in case it’s been a while since you ordered a Southern blot on the digestion products of your patient’s cerebellum or pancreas, the correct answer is C.
I guessed E, hoping that the USMLE was trying to test a clinically-useful point which I had been heretofore unaware. They weren't. Correct answer: D.
But I only looked at the first 40 questions - so these 5 represent 12.5% of the total.
Yet as Step 1 scores rise higher, the questions that serve as discriminators become more and more esoteric.
Think on that for a moment.
Cause here’s the thing: Step 1 is a licensing exam. Not an “explore different career pathways” exam.
It’s hard for me to conceive of a situation in which a patient could be harmed by a physician because she didn’t know the answers to the questions above.
It’s even harder for me to think of a case where a patient could be helped.
#USMLEPassFail