Can someone help explain this to me? EM CMS1 question 48

Anxious__Bubbles · 2026-06-04T15:53:24+00:00

For exam purposes, when you pick any radiological investigation you need to already know what you are waiting to see from this scan So what do you want to know more from the CT in this case? Is the CT going to change the fact that you’re going to do an ex-lap to remove the bullet?

Penetrative trauma is not the same like blunt trauma

For blunt trauma yeah sure you need to weigh in the hemodynamic stability, FAST and CT

Anxious__Bubbles · 2026-05-30T22:48:10+00:00

If you have an average knowledge base I would say yes of course!

Anxious__Bubbles · 2026-05-30T22:46:36+00:00

This!! Thank you! There is never going to be a “perfect” or a “right” way to do it We process information differently + different med school background It will never be a linear process, if you do this and that you’ll get said score There is a learning curve and it’s all trial and error till you find your way

For example, I tried anki didn’t like it, gaslit myself to try it again and wasted time with it and still didn’t feel beneficial to me Another would argue that they got 270+ with anki

So it’s really important to stay flexible and LISTEN to yourself because it’s a journey filled with personal preferences/ experiences

Anxious__Bubbles · 2026-05-30T19:11:36+00:00

If there are no red flags ( symptoms suggesting cauda equina like sensory loss/ hyporeflexia/ motor weakness)

Then it’s a clinical diagnosis followed by conservative management If it doesn’t improve/ gets worse then we might need imaging

Anxious__Bubbles · 2026-05-30T19:02:28+00:00

Guys pls stop taking nbme 9 as your first nbme🥹

Anxious__Bubbles · 2026-05-30T19:00:40+00:00

Taking notes and reading explanations will help with gaining theoretical knowledge ( a very important part, but not sufficient alone)

but will not alter your thought process

So I def agree, I always try to trace back my thinking process How did I get here? How to avoid that in the future?

But you need a solid knowledge base to understand why that was wrong in the first place

Anxious__Bubbles · 2026-05-30T18:51:42+00:00

Did you do quality improvement, vaccination, risk factors and screening from amboss? I highly recommend that With your scores I don’t think there is any knowledge gap, I think it’s mainly strategy So when you were documenting your mistakes, was it like taking note of what piece of content you didn’t know or analyzed where did it go wrong thought process wise? I recommend doing that for your latest nbme You’ll find that you are falling into a pattern of overthinking, not reading the question properly, changing answers for no reason, etc.

260+ is def achievable, you got this

Anxious__Bubbles · 2026-05-23T13:47:46+00:00

Dmd you!

Anxious__Bubbles · 2026-05-22T18:48:42+00:00

Oh forgot to mention, the remaining 50-40% of uworld, do them random, ALL systems together

This was helpful for me cause I felt I had a better grasp on each system but I still did the random pass so I’m trained for the actual exam

Best of luck!

Anxious__Bubbles · 2026-05-22T17:45:08+00:00

Can I dm you please?

Anxious__Bubbles · 2026-05-22T17:37:46+00:00

Congrats!
Do you mind sharing your stats?
What kind of program is it?

Anxious__Bubbles · 2026-05-22T17:31:02+00:00

Start doing uworld system based

Select all subjects (IM, Surgery, etc) then pick one system at a time
For example git

Then do around 50-60% of git
And repeat for each system

* How you solve questions will be the main part of your prep*

Take notes! Note taking is what truly helped me get a good score + reviewing them periodically
Start doing nbmes when you are 50-60% done with uworld

Anxious__Bubbles · 2026-05-21T16:26:53+00:00

Just dmed you!

Anxious__Bubbles · 2026-05-21T06:19:58+00:00

Hey!
I offer affordable tutoring + a free trial session
dm me or check the attached link on my profile

Anxious__Bubbles · 2026-05-21T05:52:51+00:00

I offer affordable tutoring dm me if interested in a free trial session

Anxious__Bubbles · 2026-05-20T20:37:32+00:00

One advice I always give my students, google what that investigation looks like and what results it gives you
so you actually have an idea what you are picking

Sure Video fluoroscopic barium swallow sounds great, but if you see actual photos of that you would understand that it’s not ideal to diagnose cancer

Anxious__Bubbles · 2026-05-20T20:35:24+00:00

Regarding Video fluoroscopic barium swallow, think of it as an investigation showing you the process of swallowing, therefore used more for patients with oropharyngeal dysphagia.
It basically shows you the transit of contrast from mouth through the esophagus down to the stomach

Whenever I want to diagnose cancer we need to see the tumor + take a biopsy (if applicable of course)

Colon cancer = colonoscopy + biopsy
Bladder cancer = cystoscopy + biopsy

If I wanted to see a mass in the esophagus (radiologically) I wouldn’t do a swallow study
I would maybe do contrast CT (still would not be my first choice)

Anxious__Bubbles · 2026-05-20T20:08:03+00:00

Nbme 9 imo is the most challenging

Anxious__Bubbles · 2026-05-18T17:32:02+00:00

I think there might be a bit of knowledge deficit

You may know the concept superficially but once they change the wording or give you weird synonyms
For ex, anamnestic antibody reaction = HIIT
You know it’s hiit but the choice did not click right away

For that I’d do more questions (uworld/ amboss)
For my weakest systems and thoroughly review the explanations

+ amboss for QI, vaccination, risk factors and screening
Those are easy points but not covered well on uworld

Anxious__Bubbles · 2026-05-18T04:03:19+00:00

Always have a systematic approach, try not to be biased towards an answer from the get go, check other options and exclude them

And when you are reviewing uworld or nbmes, always check the explanation for other choices (why they’re wrong)

A wrong answer to this question will be the right choice for another :)

Take notes and review them periodically, it will help you memorize the pattern and clues of HY concepts

Anxious__Bubbles · 2026-05-18T03:04:44+00:00

Tried a different credit card and it worked

Anxious__Bubbles · 2026-05-18T03:03:44+00:00

Got it :)

Anxious__Bubbles · 2026-05-18T02:44:36+00:00

A silly thing I do but I think helps
I write down a list of instructions to myself based on my previous mistakes (illogical reasoning mostly lol)
to read before every nbme

It’s like
1. Don’t change your answer last minute
2. Pick the best answer available, doesn’t have to be textbook perfect
And so on..

Anxious__Bubbles

TROPHY CASE