The Prep
Well, the first module exam is officially in the books! Let me tell you, it was a beast. We’re talking about a mountain of content—28 lectures from three different classes, all crammed into two whirlwind weeks.
About a week out, I switched from just reviewing to really studying. It was no longer about memorizing facts for one class; it was about connecting all the dots to see the big picture. I armed myself with all the tools: practice exams, Kahoots from our professors, and every end-of-lecture question I could find.
That first Saturday, I sat down for a practice exam in Structure & Function, and it was a serious reality check. It immediately flagged the concepts I was shaky on, but more importantly, it showed me I was slow. I knew I had to find a new system to tackle questions accurately without running out of time.
With that feedback, I spent the next few days in a deep dive, hitting those weak areas hard, and attended office hours armed with questions. On Thursday afternoon, I took another full practice exam. After one final review, I did the most important thing: I closed my books and let my brain rest.
The Actual Exam
The exam consisted of 112 questions with a two-and-a-half-hour time limit. Personally, I didn’t need the entire time and managed to finish in about an hour. This left me plenty of time to go back and review my answers, which gave me an immediate sense of my performance and highlighted exactly where I went wrong. Ultimately, the errors I made came down to simple mistakes; I either misread my own scrap paper notes or flat-out chose the wrong answer.
In the end, my efforts earned me a B overall. However, the testing software breaks this down further into three separate scores by subject. I performed best in Biochemistry, securing an A, followed by a solid B in Structure and Function. Anatomy proved to be my weakest area, where I received a C.
What’s interesting is how the question distribution affected these scores. Together, Biochemistry and Structure & Function accounted for a hefty 83% of the exam. In contrast, Anatomy had the fewest questions. This meant that even though I only missed four anatomy questions, each incorrect answer carried significantly more weight, ultimately pulling that specific grade down.
What’s Next?
While I’ll definitely celebrate this weekend, it’s a short break before getting back to the grind. The work doesn’t stop, as I still need to tackle three lectures’ worth of new material that was covered right before the exam. Thankfully, with Labor Day on Monday, we have no classes scheduled, which gives me the perfect catch-up day to prepare for the week ahead.
With the first exam of my podiatric career officially in the books, I can finally say I survived. Looking forward, the pace isn’t slowing down one bit. Next month is already packed with learning physical exam skills, completing my BLS certification, and starting our new Microbiology and Immunology class—all leading up to another major exam at the end of the month.