What is the Best Internal Medicine Question Bank, really?
The best internal medicine Qbank for ABIM board review is more than just a bunch of internal medicine practice questions.
Today, almost all internal medicine physicians faced with how to prepare for ABIM exams rely on some type of online ABIM board review method and most of those resources involve the ubiquitous "internal medicine question bank" or "internal medicine Qbank" or simply "a huge set of ABIM exam practice questions." However, most people just don't want any internal medicine question bank, they want the best internal medicine question bank - and really, the best internal medicine review possible overall.
So what is the best internal medicine question bank for internal medicine board review (i.e. ABIM exam prep)? Let's look at the factors of what's "best" as you consider your ABIM boards prep options... along the way we'll look for questionable claims
What makes an internal medicine board review question bank the best choice?
Passing the exam is job #1, sure, but a lot more goes into the making the "best IM board review" purchase decision. What's the "best internal medicine qbank" can entail several value points, expectations, and personal preferences that go beyond hammering through ABIM exam review questions and answers.
That's where you'll find some striking differences between online ABIM board review question banks, missing value, missing benefits - and the occasional dash of baloney.
So, to really choose the best internal medicine question bank, we need to look at everything that impacts you in your review process and your ongoing practice.
- How likely is my success? What's the track record and guarantee?
- There's the time and effort it takes to prepare - I should have been a dentist because this is like pulling teeth!
- There's the content. Where does it come from? Who writes it? The scope?
- There's the experience. Are things clearly laid out? Easy to use? Are there options?
- There's the brand and its commitments. What's the guiding philosophy?
- There's the cost. More or less... do you get more for less - or less for more?
- There's the pragmatism of lasting utility and value - Does this product I'm about to invest in do anything else for me?
- And finally,... the real reason you're doing any of this - The big picture. There's a twist!
Starting with the obvious - What's the likelihood of passing your internal medicine board exam?
Since you're on a high-stakes mission, it's likely that any of the reputable online internal board review question bank courses out there can help you yield a passing score - if you use it.
Most offer a money-back, pass-guarantee because the overwhelming majority of prepared test-takers pass. The one's who don't pass usually didn't even look at their resources or did so too late. Exam prep is akin to a treatment course. Take the whole course and self-assess your knowledge consistently. A one pill, one try, wonder it is not.
About Pass-Rates and Score Predictions.
Companies can compare their sales to the number of user-reported failures quite easily - it's data they know and possess so it is what it is.
It's likely a baloney overstatement to claim an exact "score prediction." No review product is the official test - it maybe close in content scope, but not exact. What these boasters actually say they "predict" is if you'll get a "passing" score. Many board review question bank applications use your self-assessment performance data over the scope of the exam blueprint to tell you when you're "likely to pass."
Best bet, keep reviewing until you've exhausted the available content - that is, you've mastered it.
How long does it take to prepare with an internal medicine Qbank?
The most effective ways to prepare quickly for an exam is three fold - understand what you need to know for the exam, what you know and what you need to know better, and how to focus your time on those "weak areas" without wasting time on material you already know.
"Internal Medicine question banks" are dumb. Literally.
A question bank in its basic form is an online "bucket of questions" - digital flashcards on a screen. It might cover the scope of the material, but it is not going to do any work for you. Are you going to be able to evaluate your areas of weakness? And if you do, how long does that take?
Look for adaptive intelligence.
It's not science fiction. Adaptive algorithms save time by calculating what you've missed and how often and automatically boosting or demoting that material in subsequent assessments.
If someone suggests "adaptive education" isn't helpful, recommended or valuable - or "something for kids," they're just plain wrong. And take pause. Most likely, their "technology" is that you can get an online question bank - meaning glorified electronic board review flashcards - with no intelligence involved what-so-ever.
Who is the internal medicine Qbank content authority?
Every specialty board that issues an exam issues the exam specifications as well. The roadmaps are clear. The key measures of medical content is - who writes it and - is it continually updated.
At Med-Challenger all internal medicine content is written by board-certified internal medicine physicians, many of whom are seasoned physician educators. Content design is informed by a board of physician advisors.
Look beyond the textbook.
Did you know only a few board reviews write and cultivate their own content? Some simply license textbooks. Authoritative texts are absolutely required, but expansion and timely maintenance of content is needed on an ongoing basis for the best question bank value.
If you license a text alone, given the 3-5 year edition cycle, content quality is likely more dated than "here and now" education providers.
The best ABIM question bank would be continually curated and refined, not a digital book that waits years for the next edition for updates.
Baloney Alert!
It's baloney marketing to point at a non-physician in a CME company and insinuate the clinical content or product effectiveness is somehow lacking or inferior. A 30-year-old premier brand has only certified clinicians writing or guiding the medical content. Technology? Design? Operations? Maybe not. Heck, if you play that game, could you say an emergency physician should "stick to the ER" and not be trusted in developing online applications. It's hype, untrue, and unfair. Need content assurance? Look at the actual clinician authors and editors.
Theme options.
There's a reason Apple introduced a "dark" theme to their iOS. Sometimes having a glaring white screen can produce eye fatigue or wash out visuals. Med-Challenger and a few others offer both Light and Dark themes in their applications.
Responsive convenience.
It's common for most internal medicine question banks to be available on a computer and mobile device, but not always. In fact, some require different applications (even different logins, ugh.) to access your materials. Med-Challenger utilizes modern responsive design to allow for one login and one source for anywhere, any device use.
What is the best internal medicine Qbank review experience?
One of the most annoying aspects of some board review products is they push start-up labor onto you. Wait, I have to build something? You're supposed to be the expert!
Ready-made study tools vs. custom tools.
The most beneficial experience comes with clear pathways - and then creative options. If you're faced with a huge list of checkboxes, you may shortchange your own review by making choices that don't really help you. Ready-made exam simulations are crafted to get your board review running immediately. Custom options are more useful for smaller "this and that" question sets or as a tool for an ongoing knowledge assessment program where you want a "dose" of questions from your qbank, just to spot check your knowledge.
In all, look for a blend of both "ready made" and custom options. Only a few brands offer that. Less work for you, unless you want to use the DIY customizations.
Ease of Use.
Otherwise, options to the visual and ergonomic experience may be important as well. User interface designs vary but most are clean. You can tell who knows UI or design by their language... It's not called "white space," it's negative space - the empty space that frames where your eye goes. It happens to be white sometimes. Anyway, the best ABIM question bank would be presented in a clear structure with nicely designed UI, big buttons and help guides.
Which internal medicine Qbank offers the best value?
If a customer base that returns a particular brand over and over usually indicates "it's worth it," but what's interesting is why customers stick with a specific internal medicine question bank resource.
You'll find some brands only help customers once. That is, you pay full price, get to use their internal medicine Qbank for a term, and that's where it ends. Ok, we're good for one exam. Feel free to come back and pay full price again.
Look for the long-term payoff - value beyond exams.
Why pay for a one-shot question bank service when you'll need that service (and other MOC services) again and again throughout your career? The best internal medicine question bank is part of something bigger - your internal medicine career's ongoing knowledge and review needs.
Products that offer a built-in membership - rather than the more expensive one-and-dones - are more valuable and cost-effective over time. Plus, because memberships reduce your overall expenses, they free up funds for other things every year.
Look for a smart plan for MOC.
Furthermore, if you want to assemble multiple resources - ABIM board review, annual ABIM MOC points, specialty AMA or state-required CME credits under one account (that is, no multiple logins) - only a few brands do that.
Also consider how many CME credits you may have available. Again, CME requirements are annual, so that "one-year only" purchase will leave you out to dry next year.
Only a few internal medicine qbank outlets are thinking about a medical practice and your ongoing maintenance of certification. The others are thinking tasks - an exam. The exam is ONE part of your specialty certification requirements.