Rahul Damania, MD
@hyguruprep
Followers
6K
Following
4K
Media
354
Statuses
2K
Peds ICU Doc | Medical Educator | Life-long Learnerđź’ˇ | Enhancing Clinical Reasoning using USMLE questions
Cleveland, OH
Joined February 2018
So proud of my wife, Dr. Khooshali Shah! Finished her first year as an Ob/Gyn Attending. Reached a new milestone as a robotic-certified surgeon. Big year. 🥰
164
900
12K
If you’re running out of time on UWorld blocks, here are some reasons: • You're skimming; so are forced to re-read. • You're trying too hard to process of eliminate each answer choice. • You’re overanalyzing instead of trusting your first instinct.
0
1
21
Superpowers for Superheroes. Today, we unveil EagleEye: the family of warfighter augments that place mission command & AI directly into the operator's helmet.
711
1K
12K
If you’re in dedicated study for the USMLE, you don’t need to take a full 7–8 block simulation. A 4-block NBME is enough to test stamina and reasoning. Remember, if you do 8 blocks in a row, you'll still need to review them. That's not the case on Prometric exam day.
2
3
97
An ERAS interview usually ends like this: 'What questions do you have for me?' Here's my favorite: I'm curious about what brought you to the Institution & how have you seen the residency evolve? Getting to know faculties' stories can develop a more rich connection.
0
5
127
The USMLE bar rises each year. Residencies grow more competitive. Score creep and “exam-mania” perpetuate the frenzy. But many of these forces lie outside your control. What remains within your control is your process. The discipline to engage deeply with NBMEs and UWorld,
Another year, another increase USMLE Step 2 CK performance. Check out how much the score distribution has shifted over time. In the 2024-2025 academic year, the mean Step 2 CK score was 250. (And oh yeah, the passing standard was increased in July from 214–>218.) #scorecreep
2
7
143
With the powers of the Left and Right combined, WE FORM INTO MEGAZORD!¡! "Better Politics Eventually"
0
15
336
Use the insights feature when reviewing an NBME. Reviewing Q1 to Q200 is not as efficient as reviewing the exam by question type. Focusing on all “diagnosis” questions builds pattern recognition.. You learn faster within a single clinical context.
0
0
8
PSA: Every minute of the day does not need to be dedicated to studying. Be intense with USMLE prep. Set specific intentions on what you want do to with your time. Be efficient.
1
2
44
Unless otherwise stated on the website, send a personalized email to your interviewer(s). Make it genuine. Cite one thing which stuck out in the conversation. If using ChatGPT, make sure the formatting & name(s) are correct before you send.
0
1
17
Now available: Dark Mode in Hebbia. Built for long hours and deep focus – in a design that adapts to how investors and bankers actually work.
7
13
46
USMLE studying can be frustrating. It can seem like a bunch of esoteric facts we need to regurg. But, the whole process becomes more bearable if you shift your focus away from minutiae & more towards creating concept frameworks based on questions you miss.
0
0
7
During your virtual residency interview, take a moment to thank the faculty for their time. It’s subtle. But, it can make the conversation feel more genuine. Remember, most faculty interview as volunteers. They do it because they care about training the next generation.
0
5
108
If you’re studying for Shelf or Step 2 CK, use non-clinical time for UWorld questions and explanations. When you find weak topics, jot them down. Then review the AMBOSS article during downtime on rotations. Grow your “look-up” list for low energy times.
1
7
78
If you struggle with checking your phone while studying, try the “pay phone” method. Keep your phone in another room - on the charger. If you need to use it, you can only check it while it’s plugged in. This friction in the environment reduces screen time.
0
2
22
On Steam - First-Person Data Explorer is Free in Early Access!
0
1
3
How to increase your UWorld accuracy from 44% → 70%: Keep the cognitive load low. One to two takeaways. Concept map the bold words on a notecard before reading the paragraphs. UWorld is the modern textbook for USMLE prep.
6
7
163
Over 50% of interviews start with: 'Tell me about yourself' With this question, brevity is key. The structure: 1. Brief background. 2. Why (specialty)? 3. What excites you in the field. Highlight unique aspects of the program or geography to make it more personalized.
3
8
125
On the morning of the USMLE exam, I text my students: Remember each vignette is a patient. It may sound corny, but it’s true. Visualizing the pathophysiology in front of you is a gateway for you to apply your knowledge in a systematic way.
2
7
145
How do you increase your USMLE performance? Make practice harder than Prometric exam day. Take a UWorld vignette & simply cover up the answer choices. Force yourself to predict the diagnosis first. That small friction builds cognitive discipline... and it shows on test day.
2
13
174
Apple's new M5 chip delivers 3.5x faster AI performance for local model execution. webAI was mentioned in both announcements as a platform for running LLMs locally on the new MacBook Pro and iPad Pro. If you're running AI on Mac hardware, this changes the economics. Faster
4
6
31
It’s tough hearing students say they “finished” UWorld yet still fell short. It makes you pause.. there’s a difference between studying and learning. Studying is throughput. Learning is deep mastery. Be wary of just going through the motions when preparing for the USMLE.
1
8
110
Checklist for your virtual residency interview set up: 1. Optimal lighting. 2. Microphone. 3. Reliable internet connection. 4. Camera (built in is okay). 5. Aesthetic, professional background (try plants or pics). ...6. A calm, confident attitude to exude your best self.
0
7
55
Doing well on the USMLE is about becoming an interpreting machine. Take your knowledge base and throw it into a vignette. It’s a critical thinking puzzle, not memory. Hgb 7.2 = anemia Narrowed distal esophagus = achalasia When you miss a question, refine your interpretation.
1
2
112