Medical students attend hundreds of lectures during their school years, but many of them struggle to truly understand the topics being presented. If you’re not an auditory learner, then this may sound familiar to you. Fortunately, there are several resources available to help you get more out of your lectures, and online question bank software is one of the best.
What is an Online Question Bank?
Question banks, often referred to as “qbanks” by students, are software platforms that offer you numerous multiple-choice questions (MCQs) and more to help you adequately prepare for your medical licensing exam. When choosing an online question bank platform, look for the following:
- The number of MCQs. The more MCQs the software contains, the more topics and subtopics they will cover. In this case, aim for a platform that offers you thousands of questions in all the major topics you’ll find on your exam.
- The quality of the MCQs. Not all multiple-choice questions are created equal, and some are certainly better than others. Make sure the questions were all written by actual medical professionals for the best possible results.
- Study features. Finally, if you want to get more out of your lectures with the help of a question bank, make sure your chosen software offers study features. Some of the best include “tutor mode,” which allows you to learn at your own pace, as well as the ability to take your own notes and attach them to individual questions for later study.
How to Use a QBank to Enhance Lectures
Now that you know what a question bank can do for you as a medical student, it’s important to understand some of the best ways to utilize it specifically for your lectures. There are two methods, and you can choose to utilize just one of them or both alongside numerous other tips for better recall and comprehension.
- Pre-lecture preparation. Many medical students find it helpful to take some time to prepare for lectures by reading their textbooks and reviewing their course materials. Believe it or not, medical qbanks can be a great preparation tool, too. Create a mock exam or tutoring session with only questions relating to the topic that will be presented in your lecture and see how much of the material you already know. Then, go back to the questions you missed, read the answers and explanations, and do a little research on the things that stand out to you.
- Post-lecture review. You might also choose to use a question bank to review the material that was presented to you during your lecture. The method is the same; create a mock exam or tutoring session containing MCQs on the lecture topic, answer the questions, and then review your answers.
Many students find it interesting to use the online question bank software for both pre-lecture preparation and post-lecture review. Later, they can compare the results of the two sessions and truly gauge their learning.
Online question bank platforms are by far one of the most flexible and useful tools out there for preparing for your medical licensing exams. They’re far more than just mock exams, though – they’re perfect for studying, tracking your progress, and even preparing for and reviewing your lectures.