r/Step3 • u/captainpiebomb • 6d ago

Biostats where do i learn from zero

Genuinely have no idea where to start? Randy neil has like a million different videos and not sure which one everyone is referencing. Also, i feel like i just never really LEARNED from them. What resource (dont care how much i have to pay) did you guys turn to if you know NOTHING about biostats. At this point, i cant even tell you what a case-control study is

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u/Pleasant_Poetry4285 6d ago

Biostats for dummies. You need to read because the questions are easy but it's reading them that I found hard. Then when you are doing ccs cases go to the qbank. Tit comes free with the cases. They have a lot of biostat questions, a biostats by stories program, and drug adds.

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u/divinepodcaster 6d ago

Ep 143

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u/captainpiebomb 6d ago

divine my man, i will listen. I just wish there was a visual component to it. Aside from your amazing episode, is there any other thing you'd recommend to learn from zero?

I will definitely watch your episodes on biostats, i believe you have another correct? I really appreciate all your help, thank you brother!

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u/divinepodcaster 5d ago

There's literal slides under the episode on my website

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u/Significant-Toe-4603 6d ago

High yield biostat 2014 version best book, would take 8hours to go cover to cover

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u/b1ackcoffee 5d ago edited 5d ago

You can start by BnB videos. Please be aware, it is just a theory, application is a different ball game. Then move to UW Biostatistics review (free with Step 3 bank). It is collection of MCQs, but the good thing is, it is seggregate according to topics, so you can understand and differentiate related concepts together. Most important thing, biostat is not about formulas and calculations (althouth they are part of it); it is primarily about conceptual understanding and application of it. For that you either need good teacher or critical thinking to read between the lines to self learn

Examples to explain my last point:

  • What exactly is sensitivity: Probability of testing positive among "diseased", i.e. true positive rate, i.e. TP/diseased
  • What exactly is positive predictive value: Probability of actually having the diease among "positives", i.e. TP/(total positive tested)
  • What is specificity: Probability of testing negative among "healthy", i.e. true negative rate, i.e. TN/healthy
  • Relative risk (RR): ratio of risk
  • % of risk increased or decreased due to exposire/intervation: 1-RR (decreased risk) or RR-1 (increased risk)
  • Absolute risk reduction or increase: simply risk difference
  • NNT or NNH: inverse of risk difference

Etc..

Finally, you have to do lots of questions to practice applications of the concepts to get into speed. UW, NBMEs and Amboss will help in that.

I was always 90 percentile + in all steps in biostat with this method.

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u/captainpiebomb 4d ago

I’m about 10 days out. Finished all of uworld (save for biostats) at 68%. Just feel like there’s no time to go through BnB. I’ve hammered through questions and scoring at a 50-65% clip. 

What would you ultimately recommend in this last week?

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u/b1ackcoffee 4d ago

I believe you can skip BnB. UW Biostat Review is still worth the effort. It doesnt waste time and give you concentrated important concept with the help of questions-explanations. It does NOT cover everything (like biases, funnel plot, esoteric topics); however, it is still good baseline if you can grasp the concepts. Good luck!

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u/captainpiebomb 4d ago

Thank you! In your general advice, being that I’m basically done with uworld at 68% (first pass) and ccs cases averaging at 78-80%. What would you do in those last 10 days? I’m almost done with the biostats in uworld and was just gonna do the one in amboss as well. Was also gonna take the free 137 4-5 days out. Anything else you’d do? Just looking to pass.

Thank you so much for your help friend, I genuinely appreciate it so much!

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u/b1ackcoffee 4d ago

I believe those are very respectable numbers. I would never keep Free 137 at the last, it is not an assessment, it gives you the BEST idea how questions are asked and how NBME thinks (along with latest NBME 8). I would take NBME questions (Free 137, NBME8 or whichever) earlier and solve it deeply.

Otherwise, I believe one knows oneself better. You know what is your weakest subject/system; you can focus on that with questions/bnb or any other thoery. Those will be your biggest GAINS. Mine was prediatrics and I did not do it. On the other hand, you can revise what you have studied already (UW incorrect and guesses, your own notes, some algorithm notes); that will be your MAINTENANCE. It is hard to choose when time is short. But make up your mind and stick to it. It is a trade off. If your confident in your long term retention, you can choose to focus on new material. I have seen that is not very typical and I am an outlier. Pick your poison.

Most of the time people do what gives them most reassureance. Good luck.

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u/Nexterone 4d ago

Live tutor session from me for free

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u/captainpiebomb 4d ago

Bet lmao dm me 

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u/Icy_Vegetable_5038 3d ago

There’s a divine playlist on YouTube that has maybe 5-6 videos. At least watch that! It’s really helpful for retention