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Steven I Mclaughlin, DVM, MPH, ACVPM Company- The Zuku Review Lecture Title: Speedreading, Speedlearning and Multiple Choice Strategies for NAVLE: "What to do when you don't know what to do" Dr. Mclaughlin will discuss effective test-taking strategies to help you maximize your test performance, even when you don't know the answers. Areas covered include Speed-reading, Speed-learning, The top 3 myths of adult learning, and how to answer ANY multiple choice question, even when you are clueless. We will practice with real NAVLE-format questions and you will be amazed at how well you can do on topics you know nothing about with a little training. (Chickens anyone ?)
Speed-reading, Speed-learning-or-
“How to get information off a page and into your head”
Steven I McLaughlin DVM, MPH, ACVPM
1 800 928 8218
A StoryOnce upon a time, there was a world called veterinary medicine,covered in many forests.
One forest was called “Dogs”; another “Pigs” and so on.
In the Dog forest, there were many trees. One tree might be called “Cardiology”and another called “Endocrinology”.
On that Cardiology tree might be a single leaf called “Dilated Cardiomyopathy”
One day, a good-hearted but near-sighted vet student wandered into the Dogforest, and got so engrossed studying the bark on a single tree that she gotlost, and a big bad wolf called NAVLE came and ate her.
The End
The need for speed
It is time to go fast, people.
• The goal is not to know everything• The goal is not to get every question right• The goal is to pass
In the forests of knowledge, let this be your machete
The #1 Myth about learning
“Reading = Learning”
Reading is not learning• Reading alone is too passive
• You START with reading(But not the way you may be used to it)
• You FINISH with short notes
– Presentation, DDX, Test of Ch., Rx, Prev/Prognosis– The notes are what you study– GOAL: Be able to re-write notes on a blank sheet
Get the info to stick: 3 Steps
1. Speedreading: Preview-Read-Review
2. Make summary notes
3. Review those bodacious notesReview those bodacious notesReview those bodacious notes
What is Speedreading ?“PRR”
• PREVIEW
• READ
• REVIEW
PREVIEW the page• FAST 2 minutes
• Scan it– Titles
– Scan Presentation / DDX / Rx
– Scan the figures, diagrams
• Pick 3 take-home points
ie: Cushing’s: Panting, Pot-belly, PU/PDACTH Stim or LDDS testsMitotane/o,p’-DDD
READ (if time)• SLOWER
• Tech info is dense- there’s no shortcut
• Highlight or underline key points
• If time is short (ha-ha), skip this step and go straight to review/note-making
REVIEW• FAST
• Ask yourself, “What are the ‘Super summary’ points ?”– Presentation– DDX– Test of Choice– Rx– Prognosis/Prevention
• Write em’ down, people
– These notes are your foundation– They will be worth their weight in gold as test time approaches
WHY?
USE IT OR LOSE IT• MOST adults forget 50% of what they just read
• And 80% within 24 hours
BUT !!
• Anything you have studied well will come back very quickly with a review
….IF you make good notes
Good Notes
• Summarize in one page or less
• Incorporate PICTURES
• Make connections with other notes
• Fit your learning style (3x5 cards, outlines, diagrams, doing the hokey pokey while you say memory points out loud)
Images Anchor IdeasA picture IS worth a thousand words:
Use pictures to anchor ideas
Fluid-filled lungs: Pulmonary edema
“Floating lungs”: Pleural effusion
Images courtesy of Dr. Terri Defrancesco, DVM, ACVIM,
All rights reserved, copyright 2007-2010
Online Image Resources
Case studies and images
Surgery case studieshttp://www.acvs.org/AnimalOwners/HealthConditions/
Radiology case studies http://www.vet.k-state.edu/depts/VMTH/radiology/cow/index.htm
Clin Path Case studieshttp://www.medvet.umontreal.ca/clinpath/choice.htm
Clin Path imageshttp://www.medvet.umontreal.ca/clinpath/banq-im/menuE.htm
Vet video library: www.vetvideos.com
Merck images onlinehttp://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/mvm_list_img.htm
If you right-click your mouse over an internet image, you can copy and paste it elsewhere
Dr. Duck’s tech hints
Repetition is the key
Repetition is the key
Repetition is the key
The big pay-off comes from reviewing notes, written IN YOUR OWN HAND, and committing the big stuff to memory
YOUR GOAL is to be able to write your notes from memory on a blank piece of paper for the “Top 20” conditions by species
In a nutshell• PREVIEW - fast• READ (sloooooow)• REVIEW – fast
• MAKE SUMMARY NOTES – invest time here
• Next day: REVIEW NOTES -moderate• Day after that: REVIEW NOTES -fast• Weekly: REVIEW NOTES -so fast you’ll be amazed
Effective learners• Study when they are most sharp
• Eliminate distractions
• Work hard
• Actively process info (take notes, teach, discuss, test themselves, use images)
• Take time out to rest
NAVLE Countdown Study Plan: TWO Parts
1. Review:a. Priority areas (ie: Cushing’s, not diabetes insipidus)b. Weak areas (chickens anyone ? Pigs ?)
If you need structure to review: a. Make super-summary notes on top 20 Dzs b. Stick to “Best Books”- Pasquini’s, 5 Min Consult Sm An.
2. Hone your test-taking skills with practice tests Esp. IMAGE tests, Weak areas, “My Missed Question” tests
Do 3 tests EVERY DAY
Best Books for NAVLE and BCSE
Outside a dog, a book is a man’s best friend.
Inside a dog, it’s too dark to read. - Groucho Marx
If you believe everything you read, better not read. - Japanese proverb
Best Books for NAVLE and BCSEGuide to Bovine Clinics 4th edition— Chris and Susan Pasquini
Guide to Equine Clinics 3rd edition— Chris and Susan Pasquini, Phil Woods
Tschauner's Guide to Small Animal Clinics 2nd edition— Chris and Susan Pasquini
Generous, well-organized and creatively illustrated with cartoons of animals and conditions that stick in your memory.
http://www.sudzpublishing.com/availablebooks.html
5 Minute Veterinary Consult, Canine and Feline 3rd edition Larry P. Tilley and Francis W.K. Smith eds.
Plumb’s Veterinary Drug Handbook, 5th edition, Donald C. Plumb
Online Study Resources
Online Notes:Gumshoevet http://gumshoevet.net/Documents.aspx
Auburn Univ Board Review materials http://www.vetmed.auburn.edu/index.pl/review_material
Practice testsNVBME practice test http://nbvme.org/practice.zip
Zuku Review Question of the day archive:http://zukureview.com/QOD_Archive.PHP
Zuku Review free user sample tests: http://zukureview.com/home_freeuser.php
You’re on your way!
Effective Multiple Choice Strategies-or-
“What to do when you don’t know what to do”
Steven I McLaughlin DVM, MPH, ACVPM
1 800 928 8218
“It is not enough to be a good chess player,
you must also play well.”-Savielly Tartakower
Effective Study Strategies for NAVLE
• NAVLE by the numbers– MOST NAVLE points lie in only 4 species
– Good to study some chickens, pigs but– Not at expense of cow, horse, dog, cat
• Multiple choice tricks of the trade– You WILL see questions you don’t know– DON’T waste energy on panic– DO learn to make effective choices, and MOVE ON
NAVLE by the numbers
• 360 questions, • ~ 1 minute per question• Only 300 questions count
“The actual percentage of questions that a candidate has toanswer correctly in order to pass ranges from 55% to 65%.”
http://www.nbvme.org/?id=12&page=NAVLE
You need to get a little more than half the 360 questions correct to pass
NAVLE by the numbers
72 (24%) Canine:72 (24%) Feline: 51 (17%) Bovine: 51 (17%) Equine: 12 (4%) Porcine:9 (3%) Pet Birds:9 (3%) Public Health and Food Security:9 (3%) Ovine/Caprine/Cervidae: 6 (2%) Other Small Animals: 6 (2%) Poultry: 3 (1%) Non-Species Specific:
300
84% of the NAVLE
Remember Sutton’s Law
“Go where the money is”
Pop QuizWhat percentage of students passed the NAVLE in 2006-2007 fall and spring testing cycle ?
70.6 % of the all candidates (5046) taking NAVLE in the spring and fall testing cycles PASSED.
89.1% of candidates who were senior students in accredited veterinaryschools taking the exam for the first time (2841)PASSED.http://nbvme.org/components/get_file.php?mid=114&fn=techreport06.pdf/techreport06.pdf
(A) 58.1%(B) 69.6%(C) 70.6% (D) 75.7%(E) 89.1%
Multiple choice tricks of the trade
• The Good NewsCorrect answer is GUARANTEED to be among the choices
• The Bad NewsYou WILL hit questions you don’t know
Common mistake: Spending MOST of your time on questions about which you know the LEAST.
• Key to success:Train yourself to MAKE CHOICES and then MOVE ON.
Multiple choice tricks of the trade
• READ the question first (DON’T look at answers)
• PREDICT the answer (protects you from distractors)
• Is your answer the best of the choices ?If “Yes” SELECT it and move on
• Unsure of the correct answer ? ELIMINATE wrong ones, choose from what’s left,
and MOVE ON
“What if I don’t think this system will work for me ?”
Do what works for you.
“How do I know when I should I change an answer ?”
Stick with your first answer unless you recognize that it is clearly not correct - studies show that changed answers are more frequently wrong.
“I am clueless about chickens/cardiology/box turtle halitosis, what do I do?”
Read, Predict, Eliminate, Select -The correct answer is guaranteed to be among the choices. Whittle the choices down to as few as possible and guess.
Multiple choice tricks for smartiesLook for:
• Convergence
• Longest answers
• Most inclusive answers (“and”, “or”)
Answers like these are often, (but not always)correct.
What is a Cook's speculum?
A) Three-pronged ear speculumB) Four-pronged rectal speculumC) Three-pronged nasal speculumD) Three-pronged rectal speculum
Pop Quiz 1
What is a Cook's speculum?
A) Three-pronged ear speculumB) Four-pronged rectal speculumC) Three-pronged nasal speculumD) Three-pronged rectal speculum
This is an example of convergence.
Options A, C and D all contain the words "three-pronged“
Options B and D both contain the word "rectal."
These two sets converge at option D
Multiple choice tricks for smarties:Convergence
Adapted from: Leo M. Harvill, Ph.D. “The Test Of Obscure Medical Information”
Budin's rule states that the amount of cow's milkconsumed per day for a bottle-fed baby should beapproximately of the weight of the baby.
A) 1/10B) 1/8C) 1/7 D) 2/10
Pop Quiz 2
A, B and C are similar: they have “1” in the numerator;
A and D are similar: they have “10” in the denominator.
A test-wise examinee will choose A because it appears in both sets above. The correct answer is A.
Budin's rule states that the amount of cow's milk consumed per day for a bottle-fed baby should be approximately of the weight of the baby.
A) 1/10B) 1/8C) 1/7 D) 2/10
Multiple choice tricks for smarties:Convergence
Adapted from: Leo M. Harvill, Ph.D. “The Test Of Obscure Medical Information”
Multiple choice tricks for smartiesWatch out for:
• “Do Nothing”, “Exterminate”, “Cull”, “Call the Feds”– No rule of thumb, but these words suggest extremes– At least consider if they fit your question when you see them
• No Free lunch: If it sounds to easy to be true.… Beware
• Prognosis: Tends to be all or nothing
• Images: It’s how you look– CENTER- most photographers place the lesion centrally in a photo– Radiographs are exception- must look over WHOLE x-ray– No normals: Images hard to get. UNLIKELY to see picture where
nothing wrong
• Zebras, outliers– If an answer stands out/looks weird…may be really wrong, or really right
It’s hard to write a good prognosis question unless prognosis is clearly EXCELLENT or clearly HORRIBLE.
Prognosis/success rates by percentage:
Excellent 90-100% (ave: 95%)Good 65-89% (ave: 75%)Guarded/Fair 35-64% (ave: 50%)Poor 11-34% (ave: 25%)Grave 1-10% (ave: 5%)
Multiple choice tricks for smarties:Prognosis
Ref: Pasquini's, Tschauner's Guide to Sm. An Clinics, vol 1, 2nd ed. p. 11
Time to practice• Try the Multiple Choice Strategy tests in the
“Miscellaneous” section
• Remember the 4 steps– Read question, don’t look at answers (yet)– Predict answer, then look– Select best choice
- Not sure ?-– Eliminate as many wrong choices as you can,
• Make your best guess, • and MOVE ON
“No student knows his subject:
the most he knows is where and how to find out the things he does not know.”
–Woodrow Wilson
RefsThe summary of multiple choice strategies comes principally from:
“What Smart Students Know” by Adam Robinson, co-founder of The Princeton Reviewtest preparation company
George Washington University Academic Success Center- “Strategies for Multiple Choice Questions”
Kaplan Test Prep US Medical Licensure Exam (USMLE) Strategy Sessions
Convergence concept Adapted from: “The Test Of Obscure Medical Information”Leo M. Harvill, Ph.D.
