Beating Clinical MCQs in #USMLE or #boards2023 when you don’t know the answer! 🩺📝
🧵👇Check out 10 strategies to approach this challenge
#MedTwitter #MedEd #IMG #ECFMG #foamed #medicalstudent #internalmedicine #BoardExams #medicaleducation
🧵👇Check out 10 strategies to approach this challenge
#MedTwitter #MedEd #IMG #ECFMG #foamed #medicalstudent #internalmedicine #BoardExams #medicaleducation
Don't panic! 😱
Try to work through the question, use strategies below to narrow down the choices and make an educated guess. 💪🤔💡
1/10
Try to work through the question, use strategies below to narrow down the choices and make an educated guess. 💪🤔💡
1/10
General approach to MCQs: Reverse reading 📖🔙💭
a) read the MCQ starting at the last sentence in the stem (the actual question)
b) glance over the answer options
c) then work your way back to the stem
🧠I find this an effective technique to prompt & orient the brain.
2/10
a) read the MCQ starting at the last sentence in the stem (the actual question)
b) glance over the answer options
c) then work your way back to the stem
🧠I find this an effective technique to prompt & orient the brain.
2/10
Use the process of elimination ❌✂️👀
🗜️Try to eliminate any obviously incorrect choices (“distractors”).
🪂This will narrow down options and help making an educated guess. Eliminating 3/5 choices, ⬆️ chances for choosing the correct answer from 20% to 50%
3/10
🗜️Try to eliminate any obviously incorrect choices (“distractors”).
🪂This will narrow down options and help making an educated guess. Eliminating 3/5 choices, ⬆️ chances for choosing the correct answer from 20% to 50%
3/10
Deduct the educational objective of the MCQ 🤔🔎🎯
📍Try to figure out what the question is really asking. In other words what single concept they're trying to assess you on, and use that to guide your reasoning.
4/10
📍Try to figure out what the question is really asking. In other words what single concept they're trying to assess you on, and use that to guide your reasoning.
4/10
Look for answers hidden in the question🕵️♀️🔍🚩
🗺️ Weird details, like a certain profession, trip, exposure etc. are given for a reason in the question stem.
❗️Note red flags, e.g. abnormal lab values or vital signs.
5/10
🗺️ Weird details, like a certain profession, trip, exposure etc. are given for a reason in the question stem.
❗️Note red flags, e.g. abnormal lab values or vital signs.
5/10
Look for an outlier choice 🤨🧐🤔
👅If an answer choice is very different from all the other, strongly consider whether is the correct one.
6/10
👅If an answer choice is very different from all the other, strongly consider whether is the correct one.
6/10
If 2 of the choices are completely opposite, consider if 1 of them might be the correct answer. ↔️❓
7/10
7/10
Gut feeling🫃🦧
In general go with your first choice/hinge, this is usually right – “Thinking fast and slow”.
Unless there is a strong rationale or thought process to change your answer, stick with your first choice and avoid second-guessing. 🤔👉👍
8/10
In general go with your first choice/hinge, this is usually right – “Thinking fast and slow”.
Unless there is a strong rationale or thought process to change your answer, stick with your first choice and avoid second-guessing. 🤔👉👍
8/10
Be wary of distractors 👀🚫
Distractors = answer choices designed to look plausible but are actually incorrect.
Certain conditions fit as common distractors, e.g. adrenal insufficiency, Guillain-Barre syndrome, NPH. Know these well so you can easily eliminate them.
9/10
Distractors = answer choices designed to look plausible but are actually incorrect.
Certain conditions fit as common distractors, e.g. adrenal insufficiency, Guillain-Barre syndrome, NPH. Know these well so you can easily eliminate them.
9/10
Last but not least, don’t waste too much time – pick your best-educated (or not!) guess, and move on, so that you don’t lose pace and inadvertently influence your performance in the rest of the questions. 🕰️🏃♀️🚩
10/10
10/10
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