Distracting myself

About to go to bed.  So I did do about 30 or 40 Qbank questions and score pretty good now.  I have done all of the pulmonology ones except about 20 I think.  I don't know if it's just me but they seem to get more and more thinly related to pulm as I whittle down to the last few - I wonder if there's any sort of discrimination in this way?  That would certaily be smart technology.  I'm really happy to be watching the cumulative score line graph steadily rise to meet with other test-takers average.  Oh, to be average....

I found myself watching Doctors In Training pharm lectures by the end of the day.  The one on asthma and COPD meds was excellent, but it only covered one page of the FA text!  I just watched one on protein synthesis inhibitor ABs, but that was a bit of a waste of my 54 minutes and $12 (as it was not very well related to my module).  I have also orded two other pharmacology ones - one about mycobacteria and one about HIV anitvirals.  Can't wait to watch them tomorrow - it's so great to have a different voice and different perspective on these topics.  I was more excited to watch the one tonight than Big Bang Theory.  I'm quite happy about the quality, but am disappointed on the limited viewing availability (onne purchase = one watch).  At least they are affordable.

And, yes, I still need to asimilate the FA res chapter and go through my quizes, tasks, and learning objectives and I don't have enough time.  I have one day left and I'm working.  I wish I was this motivated during the term, but I just wasn't.  Even when I look back through the tasks to try and revise now they don't seem to gel with me.  I don't get it - what's the problem?  Is it because they're opened-ended and/or ambiguous?  Is it because they are asked in a way I would not ask the same question to myself when studying?  What's blocking me?

I think part of the problem as they are given to us in a mixed-up order - something to do with being randomly assigned questions or something.  I don't get it.  So even reading through the questions, there is no gestalting process happening from the get-go.  Then, the questions are not in line with the case study for the week, although they generally relate to one of the cases for the term, but are again or mixed up.  And, yes, I tried to rearrange them into a better order but it was time consuming and annoying. 

So I don't know why I've got such a bee in my bonnet about this.  I guess it annoys me that they sucked up so much time and are probably going to be so useless to me come exams.  Actually, I am interested to see that if on the exam there are more questions related to these darn task, or if I got more out of FA.  I'll get back to you on that one in less than 48 hours....  I may have to eat my hat...


.......
I just got out my CVS stuff to see if anything rang any bells re what was tested - FA, tasks, or cases, and I can't really remember!  I can't remember anything on the exam except that I had to do one or two phys equations because they gave us this funny whiteboard thing to use instead of paper.  I think I remember there was pretty well evenly space across the cases, so I think I really should have a look through the RES ones again tomorrow.   Geebus.  Oh, I remember a few clinical presentation and "name that disease" ...hmmmm....

One thing that has motived me in the past two days is that I read on the USMLE World website that there is a correlation between MCAT performance and USMLE Step 1 performance, and none in regards to school or mode of curriculum.  Seeing as my GAMSAT score was so on the lower end of average, I realise where my place is in the overall scheme of things.  When I started I knew I'd have to work hard to keep up, but then I started to coast a little.  It's good to be realistic.  I need to put in a lot more effort.