QE1... What's the 7th Section?

[liszt]

From the MCC website:

In the morning session, when candidates take the multiple-choice question component of the MCCQE Part I, candidates have to complete seven sections of 28 multiple-choice questions. These questions are grouped for each of the disciplines covered in the examination (Medicine, Surgery, Pediatrics, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Psychiatry and Population Health, Legal, Ethical and Organizational Aspects of Medicine).

 

Soooo the 7 MCQ sections are:

1. Medicine

2. Surgery

3. Peds

4. Ob/gyn

5. Psychiatry

6. Population health, legal, ethical & organization aspects....

7. ?????????

 

What's the 7th section? Is population health separate from LEO? The way the "and" is placed (between psychiatry & population health) in the list implies it's all one section.

 

Anyone know or recall from their own experience? This may affect my studying strategy.

[liszt]

Think I figured it out.

 

From canadaqbank:

The MCCQE Part 1 is a one day computer-based test. The candidate is allowed up to 3.5 hours in the morning session to complete the 196 multiple choice questions component. The 196 questions are divided into 7 blocks of 28 questions. Each block consists of 7 testlets (one testlet from each of the 6 categories and 1 experimental testlet). Each testlet has 4 questions.

 

Let me know if the above is incorrect.

[Darla]

My understanding from both what I've read and heard about the exam is you are correct - 6 "real" sections, each equally weighted, and one "gong show" section which may be good or bad.

[Julie]

When you do the online practice exam (the paid ones on the mcc website) there's 4 sections in each exam. Each section has questions from all 6 discipline categories you listed. You do the 20-some MCQs in a section, then "submit" the section & move to the next.

 

Based on this, my understanding was that a section is just a subset of the exam, not a discipline topic. You can go back & forth and change your answers to previous questions within one section, but once you move to the next you can't go back. I was guessing that this is therefore when the exam got harder/easier depending on your progress : within one section, you get all the same difficulty level. If you do really well on a section, the next one will be harder.

 

Either way, think there's only the 6 topics you listed. Also think others are right about the testing questions, some aren't used to calculate your score but only to see if they should be used in future MCCQE1 exams.

[wildcard]

When you do the online practice exam (the paid ones on the mcc website) there's 4 sections in each exam.

 

Hi Julie,

 

Just wondering whether you've already taken the QE I. If so, how did the Qs on the actual exam compare with the practice exam?

 

Thank you!

[Julie]

Hi!

 

I haven't taken it yet. Will do so in May. I can let you know afterwards if you want... I'm expecting it to be brutal and harder than the practice exams, but we'll see I guess for the MCQ part, if they ask really obscure things it's a sign you're doing well, so that's sort of what I'm hoping for!

[wildcard]

Hi!

 

I haven't taken it yet. Will do so in May. I can let you know afterwards if you want... I'm expecting it to be brutal and harder than the practice exams, but we'll see I guess for the MCQ part, if they ask really obscure things it's a sign you're doing well, so that's sort of what I'm hoping for!

 

Ahhh, I see. I'm writing the exam in May too!! Have you done any of the Qs from Canada Qbank? I did (only cuz I'd already done UWorld twice for the CK and needed a change) and I've found that there are a lot of Qs that require you to know obscure little details abt a certain disease.....I'm just wondering if this a reflection of the actual exam at all (esp since you just mentioned that hard Qs = obscure details)? If that's the case, I'm kinda worried, cuz there's no way I will know all the little stupid details no matter how long/hard I study.

[Julie]

I haven't done any questions from that bank. I've done the practice questions on the mcc website and found some to be quite easy, some quite hard, and some in the middle. Guessing that being asked only the easy ones on the real exam is a sign you're not doing so well. I don't actually have any inside info though... I guess we'll see come May! I'm telling myself that most ppl pass, & most don't know all obscure details about medicine, so guessing it's ok to not know them

[wildcard]

So I did one of the self-assessment exams (SAE) on the MCC website and didn't do as well. Is the overall percentage more important or the percentile?? Also, how close to the real thing is this SAE? I'm a little worried to say the least.

[Julie]

So I did one of the self-assessment exams (SAE) on the MCC website and didn't do as well. Is the overall percentage more important or the percentile?? Also, how close to the real thing is this SAE? I'm a little worried to say the least.

 

I would go with the percentile. The percentage is just a random number IMO. The overall percentile is what should give you an idea, & you don't need to pass all sections individually, only the exam as a whole. On the MCC website they say 1 standard deviation below the mean is the cutoff to pass, so something like 15th or 16th percentile.

 

I wouldn't read too much into it though, it's just a very small sampling of questions. You could be lucky & they asked you what you knew, or unlucky and they asked stuff you didn't study. It's not like you can know everything. If you want a better idea, you can also try another one, would give you a broader sampling...but I don't know, I think it's good to get an idea, but don't loose any sleep over it

 

Best of luck!

[wildcard]

I would go with the percentile. The percentage is just a random number IMO. The overall percentile is what should give you an idea, & you don't need to pass all sections individually, only the exam as a whole. On the MCC website they say 1 standard deviation below the mean is the cutoff to pass, so something like 15th or 16th percentile.

 

I wouldn't read too much into it though, it's just a very small sampling of questions. You could be lucky & they asked you what you knew, or unlucky and they asked stuff you didn't study. It's not like you can know everything. If you want a better idea, you can also try another one, would give you a broader sampling...but I don't know, I think it's good to get an idea, but don't loose any sleep over it

 

Best of luck!

 

Hey,

 

Thanks....you're probably right. Either way, no time to fret now....just gotta forge ahead!

 

One more thing: how are you/other Cdn med students preparing for the Preventive Med and Comm Health section of this exam? Do most Cdn students tend to read the book by Dr. Shah in its entirety? B/c its kind of a brutal read....I tried and as informative as it is...its tough for the purposes of this exam. Anywho, I'd appreciate any insight on this section/how to do a relatively quick prep for it.

 

Thanks!

[Julie]

Hey,

 

Thanks....you're probably right. Either way, no time to fret now....just gotta forge ahead!

 

One more thing: how are you/other Cdn med students preparing for the Preventive Med and Comm Health section of this exam? Do most Cdn students tend to read the book by Dr. Shah in its entirety? B/c its kind of a brutal read....I tried and as informative as it is...its tough for the purposes of this exam. Anywho, I'd appreciate any insight on this section/how to do a relatively quick prep for it.

 

Thanks!

 

I just read the relevant Toronto Notes sections and went to our classes on the topic (2 full days). I decided that would be enough. I didn't even have a look at the said book. I doubt many read it entirely.

[wildcard]

I just read the relevant Toronto Notes sections and went to our classes on the topic (2 full days). I decided that would be enough. I didn't even have a look at the said book. I doubt many read it entirely.

 

Hey Julie,

 

Would you be able/willing to share these Public Health/Comm Med lectures?? Just hoping to miss out on some relatively 'easy' points.

 

Also, how much do the scores matter?

[Julie]

Hey Julie,

 

Would you be able/willing to share these Public Health/Comm Med lectures?? Just hoping to miss out on some relatively 'easy' points.

 

Also, how much do the scores matter?

 

Hi,

 

I'm sorry, I tried to find the lectures but couldn't. At the time I just sat in class, didn't take any notes... not sure where we were to get the slides.

 

As far as I understand it the scores only matter in terms of pass/fail. Each section has equal weight and you only need to pass your overall score. P=MD Someone correct me if I'm wrong...

[med user]

Hi guys,

I'm writing my LMCC in the next few days and was wondering if anyone who has written it so far could comment on whether there were many photos included in the exam. I am just wondering if it is worth studying images of blood smears, etc.

 

Thanks!!

[Julie]

Hi guys,

I'm writing my LMCC in the next few days and was wondering if anyone who has written it so far could comment on whether there were many photos included in the exam. I am just wondering if it is worth studying images of blood smears, etc.

 

Thanks!!

 

Wrote yesterday. It seems like everyone got very, very different questions. I got a few ecg's, others got none, some got more xrays than others, etc. I wouldn't bother studying images of blood smears unless you really feel confident you know all the important stuff. You never know what they could ask, so blood smear pic is not impossible I guess, but doubt it would be more than 1 question. Would focus more on interpretation of reported lab results (ie "blood smears shows (....)) than actually looking at blood smear images.

[med user]

Okay thanks a lot, I really appreciate that. I really has no idea what to expect

from this crazy exam. Thanks for your help. Congrats on being done!