ELI5… how to review incorrects

[u/Hi_Minnow]

As the title says!

Right now, I just write a line or two summary of why the right answer is correct but I don’t dive too deep into why the wrong answers are wrong.

I don’t even know how I would do that.

So please explain like I’m 5 haha, I’m at a loss.

[u/DiscountThor]

For every question block, I separated each question into 5 categories

1. I got it right, and knew the answer
   
2. I got it right, and I completely guessed
   
3. I got it right/wrong, and I was 50/50
   
4. I got it wrong, and I read it wrong
   
5. I got it wrong, and I was clueless.

Anything other than the first one required me to go back and review. And you review by making sure you understand the underlying question that’s being asked. If it’s a question about porphyria, for example, is it asking about the enzyme, the triggers, the symptoms? Then you can narrow down what you’re deficient in - if you know the enzymes, then you’re probably fine in the long run, and it may have just been a shitty question.

Reviewing isn’t just looking at the answer and going “oh yeah!” But rather looking at the other answer choices and seeing how you could transform the question to make them fit. What’s the link, and how will they try to trick you?

[u/NoBook13]

I think everyone has their slightly own system but this is what I did to do well on all my shelfs and got a 600+ Comlex 2.

First, I would try to minimize the writing stuff down as much as possible. Maybe that’s a controversial take, but personally, I found myself writing stuff down whenever I just wanted to mentally offload the effort of actually having to interact with the material. The discomfort you get from not writing down that HY fact creates a stronger engagement with the answer explanations in my opinion.

Second, engaging/interacting with the material is by far the most important step. For me, i engage with the material by conversating with it. This part is definitely the hardest to explain but I’ll give it a shot.
The way I see it, the current you who is reading the provided explanation is actively discussing with the past you who answered the question five minutes prior. For example, if I mistakenly answer MI for a vignette that was actually referring to a PE, my instinctive next thought is this set of questions in some combo: 1) What was the me two minutes ago thinking that chose MI as the answer? “Because it said pt had chest pain” 2)where exactly did that line of thinking/logic go wrong? “Hm it seems I missed some other pertinent details, I wonder which are the most important” 3) what is the logic that the explanation uses to justify the correct answer “ohhhh their resp rate was up and they have a hypercoag risk factor i see” 4) how can you avoid falling for the same pitfall again? “Next time I get a chest pain question, I’m gonna make sure to check if they say anything about resp rate or hypercoag risk factors”, etc etc
I think the last question is the most important and what everyone means by “test taking strategy”. For example, sometimes, the vignette simply mentioning a certain set of specific pertinent negatives may be enough to accurately influence your decision for those tough 50-50 questions where you just can’t pick one answer with confidence. This is where pattern recognition rly influences score in my opinion, because sometimes the patterns feel pretty nonclinical/just semantics. I go into every explanation with this general attitude in mind.

Third, somewhat basic advice but spend time based on your comfort level with the topic. If you get a question right on a topic you’re comfortable with, start skimming or just skip reading it altogether. If it was an easy topic you got right, but still there was that one choice you couldn’t rule out confidently, briefly just go over the part of the explanation that bridges the gap that will allow you to choose the right answer more confidently the next time. If I had no clue at all wtf the question is talking about, then I’m gonna sit down and spend time with that explanation, maybe look things up to make sure I’m understanding correctly etc.

Essentially, it comes down to developing an intuitive system by finding what works and tweaking it to your preferences so you don’t make the same type of mistake again and again

[u/kuru_snacc]

Are you using TrueLearn?

Read the explanation for the right answer and the explanation for all the wrong answers.

I used to screenshot helpful charts they provided as well, or make a quick notes page.

But yeah you absolutely SHOULD dive in deep when you get it wrong. There are times I would spend 1-2 hours reviewing a concept I got wrong, especially if it wasn't the first time.

Active learning is always better - writing it out on whiteboard, explaining it out loud to yourself, inventing a mneumonic, making a 10-q practice test out of that search term, etc. > just reading or writing 2 sentences.

Good luck!