u/Impossible_Zebra_525

I know that PassMed is tried and tested, and still regarded as the gold standard. However, I really struggle to stand it.

At least half of the questions on there belong to one of the following:

• Too niche
• Too unrealistic
• Not something you would do as F1
• Poorly written
• Purely buzzword question

I have developed the habit of going straight to the comment section to see if this question was challenged by other users. Some most commonly seen comments are:

• "It can also be X because of Y" and then someone points out that Z was not given in the stem or W is specifically mentioned
• "I see X I click Y"
• A mnemonic like CNDUISHCNIUEWRNG to remember the complications of a rare genetic disease that affects less than 0.01% of the population
• "Surely you would do X and Y first to rule out Z before doing W"
• "Wouldn't the patient also show symptoms X and Y?"
• "Why is X the right answer", then someone says because the patient has symptom Y (seen in like 5% of all cases), then another person argues this patient is 22 (the disease usually seen in above 50), then something pointing out the obs doesn't fit, then someone says sometimes the obs are normal
• "Yea you would definitely diagnose this condition and start this specialist treatment as an FY1 on the ward or in GP" or "I've never heard of something diagnosing X or prescribing Y lol"

The majority of questions just do not resemble the questions that come up in my med school's AKT. Real exams test the most common stuff while half of PassMed is genetic condition, autoimmune disease, rare cancer, complications with 0.1% likelihood etc.

Of course there are good questions, but considering there are more than 10k questions and each major specialty has like 600 questions on average, it's really difficult to filter out the good ones and make use of them. Even if one has time to finish all 10k questions, half of the time will be wasted on the poor quality stuff.

Grad med student in the middle of med school right now.

I have never had a date before, and I don't see any possibility of my securing a date anytime soon. I am wondering (generally speaking) whether it is easier to date while one is still in med school or after one has started working. If I end up leaving med school single, will it get better from F1 or am I cooked?

I swear I suffer from depression every week from Friday afternoon onwards. Students and staff leave the building one by one. The common area becomes empty, the library becomes empty, the hospital becomes free of medical students.

The moment the last lecture / tutorial / placement activity of the week finishes, everyone I know is on their way out. Most often off to see friends and partners. Sometimes just off home and chill. Some off to work, home parties or night out. Occasionally off to somewhere else for extra-curricular or the airport for holiday. Anyway, their all live a brilliant life.

When I look at myself in the mirror, I see a pathetic person. I don't have any close friends. I have never had a partner. I live by myself and never managed to find friends to live with. I don't really have family except my dad who lives in the other side of the country. Never been invited to parties, gatherings or night out.

I despair the isolation every week between Friday afternoon and Monday morning. Once in a while is ok. Twice is ok. But when it happens every week, the loneliness is unbearable.