Flashcard Instructions - General

Flashcard Creation Instructions for Authors

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<td style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" colspan="2" bgcolor="#F4F4F4">Table of Contents </td>

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<tr>

<ul>

<li>Links for authors</li>

<li>Reviewing questions

<ul>

<li>reviewing checklist</li>

<li>instructions on reviewing questions</li>

<li>commonly missed items</li>

</ul>

</li>

<li>Writing questions format</li>

<li>Lab value format and examples</li>

<li>Updating topics

<ul>

<li>commonly missed items on topics</li>

<li>chart examples</li>

<li>updating topic checklist</li>

</ul>

</li>

<li>Illustration creation guidelines</li>

<li>Responding to member comments</li>

<li>Helpful tips</li>

<li>Symbols to use</li>

</ul>

</td>

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<tr>

<td style="background-color: #f4f4f4;" colspan="2">Links for Authors</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<ul>

<li>Step 1 Qbank Tested Concepts <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/12uGZEULdBjrd2E8j_3qvpOCVmFnlTIa2xHzl5NUBu4M/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank"><img src="/images/topic.png" alt="" /></a></li>

<li>Step 2 Qbank Tested Concepts <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1G4TZfS_AdaxNnQTVeG_nMMjtDbGsPdexih6bSWQIeyc/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank"><img src="/images/topic.png" alt="" /></a></li>

<li>Topics <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kONyTXIC3fOtRh5Wh0A470NVvdTWd8mK/view?usp=sharing"><img src="/images/topic.png" alt="" /></a></li>

</ul>

</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td style="background-color: #F4F4F4;" colspan="2">Reviewing Questions </td>

</tr>

<tr>

<ul>

<li>C1: Question Stem & Complexity: Is the TC tested and medical information accurate? </li>

<li>C2: Diagnosis/Correct Answer: Is the diagnosis and the correct answer stated?</li>

<li>C3: Explanation Section: Is the information presented logically? </li>

<li>C4: Question Stem/Explanation Images: Are the images high quality and non-copyrighted?</li>

<li>C5: Incorrect Answers: Are they thoroughly explained? </li>

<li>C6: Bullet Summary: Is this information presented in a high yield, concise manner? </li>

<li>C7: TC & Question Icon: Was the Tested Concept and the question icon added to the topic?</li>

</ul>

</td>

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<tr>

<td style="background-color: #f4f4f4;" colspan="2">Reviewing Checklist </td>

</tr>

<tr>

Copy/paste this version into your comment box when reviewing questions

Status:

C1: Question Stem & Complexity:   C2: Diagnosis/Correct Answer (1-2S max):   C3: Explanation Section (~4S):  C4: Question Stem/Explanation Images (1-2S per image): C5: Incorrect Answers (1-3S per answer): C6: Bullet Summary (1S max): C7: TC & Question Icon:

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<tr>

</tr>

<tr>

<td style="background-color: #f4f4f4;" colspan="2">Instructions on Reviewing Questions</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<ul>

<li>Video instructions on how to review a question <a href="https://youtu.be/qdtoeAjaOb4"><img src="/images/topic.png" alt="" /></a></li>

<li>Anyone on the reviewing team can be the first review</li>

<li>FIRST REVIEW

<ul>

<li>immediately post the comment: "Reviewing"</li>

<li>you will have 1 hour from the time stamp to review the question otherwise the question becomes available for any other member of the reviewing team to review the question</li>

<li>DO NOT make any major corrections yourself, you must make the author make the corrections unless they are minor spelling errors

<ul>

<li>in the case of minor spelling/grammar errors, make comments in the appropriate sections</li>

<li>if you don't do this, then errors just propagate without being fixed</li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

<ul>

</ul>

</li>

<li>SECOND REVIEW

<ul>

<li>the first person to get to the second review must post a comment "Reviewing"</li>

<li>you have 1 hour from the time stamp or another second reviewer can review it, but DO NOT start reviewing until after the 1 hour and you have posted a comment</li>

<li>there will be no credit for the second review if you go over 1 hour and another second reviewer reviews it</li>

<li>the first time stamp to approve will receive the credit</li>

<li>now do not start reviewing the question until minute 61 and do not approve immediately as a 1 minute review indicates that you didn't actually review it</li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

</td>

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<tr>

<td style="background-color: #f4f4f4;" colspan="2">Commonly Missed Items</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<ul>

<li>REVIEWING PROTOCOL

<ul>

<li>all reviewers should always check the grammar</li>

<li>you should never feel guilty for flagging a question/posting an EA

<ul>

<li>catch mistakes earlier and the reviewing process becomes easier and faster </li>

</ul>

</li>

<li>always paste the checklist and fill it in </li>

</ul>

</li>

<li>Hypens should be used for ages: e.g., 58-year-old woman</li>

<li>Explanation/Strategy paragraph: should be 1 paragraph with 4-8 sentences

<ul>

<li>variations are permitted in certain cases

<ul>

<li>if you are using a list then you can add a space above and below the list if you need to introduce the list and conclude after the list

<ul>

<li>use this sparingly</li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

</li>

<li>Until our developers create the feature that allows us to insert the descriptions into images please use the words Figure and Illustration

<ul>

<li>use Figure for images in the question stem</li>

<li>use Illustration for images in the explanations</li>

<li>always check the website and image for the copyright status of the image</li>

<li>images should be high quality (i.e., not blurry) </li>

</ul>

</li>

<li>Vitals should always be in the USMLE format:

<ul>

<li>temperature is X°F (also put in parenthesis the Y°C and vice versa), blood pressure is systolic/diastolic mmHg, pulse is x/min, and respirations are x/min</li>

<li>use symbols when you can, they can be located at the bottom of this page</li>

<li>sub- and superscript do not work in the questions</li>

<li>only copy from the view topic mode </li>

</ul>

</li>

<li>Use of references should be used when information is

<ul>

<li>controversial (ethics) </li>

</ul>

</li>

<li>Bullet summary

<ul>

<li>should be concise and straight to the point </li>

<li>never longer than 1 sentence, the shorter the better; otherwise put it in the explanation </li>

<li>should not be a copy and paste of info in the topic or explanation </li>

</ul>

</li>

<li>Miscellaneous

<ul>

<li>when using the Genus species name of an organism, capitalize the G</li>

<li>first word in each answer choice should be capitalized

<ul>

<li>the only time that a lowercase is used as the first letter is when an abbreviation is used that is lower case (e.g., ssRNA viruses, etc.) </li>

</ul>

</li>

<li>incorrect answers should be closely related and not be obviously correct or incorrect </li>

</ul>

<ul>

<li>diseases should only be capitalized if they are a proper name

<ul>

<li>syndrome and disease should rarely be capitalized</li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

</td>

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<tr>

<td id="create" style="background-color: #f4f4f4;" colspan="2">Writing Questions Format </td>

</tr>

<tr>

<ul>

<li>You will notice that there are length requirements

<ul>

<li>we want to make sure that our questions test only 1 concept - so don't cover the entire topic  </li>

</ul>

</li>

<li>Make sure your explanations flow and the tone is very professional and appropriate for the USMLE Step exams

<ul>

<li>we are raising the bar for our questions and we ask you to post error alerts if they are not high quality questions or questions are below a 4 in difficulty</li>

<li>similarly, do not approve questions if something is missing, it can be improved, if it is low quality, or you have suggestions  </li>

</ul>

</li>

<li>Please do not deviate from the Tested Concept (TC), but if you do feel the TC is not accurate or could be altered please contact Chris Robinson</li>

<li>Remember your name is associated with these questions, so they are your work of art!   </li>

<li>If you have any suggestions or ideas on how to improve it, please email Chris at personnel@medbullets.com – I want to hear them all and many times we implement your ideas</li>

</ul>

</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<ul>

<li>For video explanations, please click on the links below

<ul>

<li>how to write a question <a href="https://youtu.be/emiR2LsRT2o"><img src="/images/topic.png" alt="" /></a> </li>

</ul>

</li>

<li>C1: Question Stem & Complexity (note: recommended length is in parenthesis)

<ul>

<li>did you deviate from the Tested Concept?</li>

<li>is the medical information/clinical vignette accurate?</li>

<li>is the question complex with multiple layers of difficulty?</li>

<li>are there grammatical errors?</li>

<li>are the answer choices related?</li>

<li>are there answers that are obviously incorrect or correct?

<ul>

<li>an EA should be placed on ALL questions that are obviously too easy or do not test the Tested Concept</li>

<li>if there are errors MAKE THE AUTHOR correct it </li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

<ul>

<li>vital signs should be in the following format: temperature is X°F (also put in parenthesis the Y°C and vice versa), blood pressure is systolic/diastolic mmHg, pulse is x/min, and respirations are x/min

<ul>

<li>example: the patient's temperature is 100.1°F (37.8°C), blood pressure is 120/70 mmHg, pulse is 60/min, and respirations are 15/min   </li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

</li>

<li>C2: Diagnosis/Correct Answer (1-2 sentences)

<ul>

<li>reinforce the answer through repetition</li>

<li>state the symptoms that lead to the diagnosis and correct answer.  </li>

<li>do not review the topic here but state in a manner similar as the following below:

<ul>

<li>"The symptoms X, Y, and Z are consistent with chlamydial infection during pregnancy. The most appropriate first-line treatment is azithromycin for the pregnant mother AND sexual partner"</li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

</li>

<li>C3: Explanation paragraph (~4 sentences)

<ul>

<li>You only want to discuss the 1 item tested from the tested concept.  Do not cover the entire topic.

<ul>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

</li>

<li>Optional Reference

<ul>

<li>DO NOT POST IRRELEVANT REFERENCES - they will be removed</li>

</ul>

</li>

<li>C4: Illustration/Figure paragraph: 1-2 sentences per image

<ul>

<li>only put images that are high quality images and provide a clear explanation of the image</li>

<li>you will only be compensated for a max of 2 images per question

<ul>

<li>the best images are clinical photos, histological specimens, radiographs, MRI’s, CT scans, etc</li>

<li>do not post flow charts, powerpoints, or figures from journals

<ul>

<li>we would need to request permission from the journal</li>

</ul>

</li>

<li>make sure that the image is not copyrighted by checking if there is a copyrighted symbol on the image or if the webpage is copyrighted</li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

<ul>

<li>always start the paragraph with the description of what the image is

<ul>

<li>Figures appear in the question stem while Illustrations appear in the explanation

<ul>

</ul>

</li>

<li>note: Figures and Illustrations are always capitalized regardless of where they appear in the sentence</li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

<ul>

<li>where you place the URL of the images makes a difference where it appears

<ul>

<li>paste the URL in the image text boxes to make the image appear within the question as a Figure</li>

<li>paste the URL in the illustration text boxes to make the image appear within the explanations as an Illustration</li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

<ul>

<li>example for how to describe the image in both the question stem (Figure) or explanation (illustration)

<ul>

<li>Figure A is a radiograph showing a femur</li>

<li>Illustration A is a schematic of glycolysis </li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

</li>

<li>C5: Explanation paragraph: incorrect answers (1-3 sentences per answer)

<ul>

<li>multiple choice section (this is right below the question stem): keep the answer to one line so that it does not wrap around as a second line when you are in member view

<ul>

<li>really think about the incorrect answers, they should be related to the correct answer in some way and not completely obvious incorrect answers</li>

<li>if you were the reader, what kind of question would you want to help you prepare for the exam?</li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

<ul>

<li>explanation section: 1-3 sentences per answer

<ul>

<li>this is the time to really explain why this answer was incorrect or what could have made the answer correct if something were changed</li>

<li>your name is associated with these questions and topics</li>

<li>it is your work of art and we feature questions on the main page periodically</li>

<li>if you write better questions and explanations there will be fewer revisions and error alerts</li>

<li>take pride in the questions you write</li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

<ul>

</ul>

<ul>

<li>formatting

<ul>

<li>Incorrect Answers

<ul>

</ul>

<ul>

<li>Answer 1:</li>

</ul>

<ul>

<li>Answer 2:</li>

<li>note: the I and the A in the Incorrect Answer header should be capitalized; this is commonly forgotten </li>

</ul>

<ul>

</ul>

</li>

<li>it is fine to lump 2 or more incorrect answer choices together but not recommended, for example:

<ul>

<li>Answers 1-2: </li>

<li>Answers 1 & 4:</li>

<li>BUT it is better to explain each answer as this is another area where our members can learn </li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

</li>

<li>C6: Bullet Summary (1 sentence)

<ul>

<li>no additional information should be presented in this section but rather it should serve as a quick take-away for members who are reviewing the question for a second time</li>

<li>basically, if you had 1 minute, what is the highest yield fact that you want to leave the reader</li>

</ul>

</li>

<li>C7: TC & question icon added

<ul>

<li>add the question icon to the appropriate topic, and make sure that the one item tested in the question is added to the page</li>

<li>for instructions how to add a question icon, please see this video <a href="https://youtu.be/nwwdzb-uzVU"><img src="/images/topic.png" alt="" /></a>

<ul>

<li>video is from the older site, but principle and general steps are still the same</li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

</li>

<li>Tips on writing questions

<ul>

<li>alphabetical order

<ul>

<li>answer choices should be in alphabetical order</li>

</ul>

</li>

<li>1 best answer

<ul>

<li>questions should contain only 1 best answer </li>

</ul>

</li>

<li>spectrum of correctness

<ul>

<li>remember that answer choices should be in a spectrum of correctness</li>

</ul>

</li>

<li>no negative questions

<ul>

<li>do not use prompts such as "All of the following are true EXCEPT" or "Which of the following is NOT..."</li>

</ul>

</li>

<li>cover test

<ul>

<li>good questions should allow the test-taker to answer the question without looking at the answer choices</li>

<li>I should be able to cover the answer choices with my hand and still get the answer correct if I have the necessary knowledge</li>

</ul>

</li>

<li>the patient title

<ul>

<li>when writing questions, please do NOT use male or female</li>

<li>please say man, woman, boy, girl, or use their title (nurse, student, etc.)</li>

</ul>

</li>

<li>acronyms

<ul>

<li>always write out acronyms before using it </li>

</ul>

</li>

<li>order of question

<ul>

<li>always put the reason for the patient encounter first, then add HPI, followed by PMHx, medications, allergies, etc. </li>

</ul>

</li>

<li>possessive form of diseases

<ul>

<li>we are dropping the 's for all diseases named after people</li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td style="background-color: #f4f4f4;" colspan="2">Lab Value Format Examples (Copy and Paste and Fill in the Values)</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<ul>

<li>Feel free to omit some of these lab values</li>

<li>Remember, only post relevant lab values to the question, we are not in the business of scavenger hunting to make the question harder</li>

</ul>

Example 1:

Hemoglobin: g/dL Hematocrit: % Leukocyte count: /mm^3 with normal differential Platelet count: /mm^3 Serum: Na+: mEq/L Cl-: mEq/L K+: mEq/L HCO3-: mEq/L BUN: mg/dL Glucose: mg/dL Creatinine: mg/dL Thyroid-stimulating hormone: µU/mL Ca2+:  mg/dL AST: U/L ALT: U/L

Example 2:

Leukocyte count and differential: Leukocyte count: /mm^3 Segmented neutrophils: % Bands: % Eosinophils: % Basophils: % Lymphocytes: % Monocytes: %

Example 3: Serum: Na+: mEq/L Cl-: mEq/L K+: mEq/L HCO3-: mEq/L Urea nitrogen: mg/dL Glucose: mg/dL Creatinine: mg/dL Alkaline phosphatase: U/L Aspartate aminotransferase (AST, GOT): U/L Alanine aminotransferase (ALT, GPT): U/L γ-Glutamyltransferase (GGT): U/L Urine: Epithelial cells: # Glucose: Negative or Positive WBC: #/hpf Bacterial: None, occasional, X cfu/mL

Example 4: Leukocyte count and differential: Leukocyte count:  /mm^3 Segmented neutrophils: % Bands: % Eosinophils: % Basophils: % Lymphocytes: % Monocytes: %

Hemoglobin: g/dL Platelet count:  /mm^3 Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration: % Mean corpuscular volume: μm^3 Reticulocyte count: % Lactate dehydrogenase:  U/L

</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td style="background-color: #f4f4f4; text-align: left;" colspan="2">Updating Topics - Milestone Outline <a href="/topicview?id=21"><img src="/images/topic.png" alt="" /></a></td>

</tr>

<tr>

<ul>

<li>C1: Snapshot

<ul>

<li>every topic should have a short clinical vignette</li>

<li>there is no need to state the diagnosis as it is evident that the diagnosis is the topic

<ul>

<li>if there are multiple topics being discussed on the page, then you can state the diagnosis but put the (diagnosis) in grey and surrounded by parenthesis at the end of the clinical vignette</li>

<li>how to make font grey

<ul>

<li>either highlight the text or you can create new text after applying the font</li>

<li>click on the drop down arrow for the font colors</li>

<li>click on more colors</li>

<li>click apply</li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

</li>

<li>C2: Content/Grammar

<ul>

<li>is the medical content accurate and up to date?</li>

<li>did you add or remove content?</li>

<li>make sure there are no grammatical mistakes or formatting errors</li>

<li>do all vital signs and lab values have units? (See previous section for vital sign format)</li>

<li>check off the box at the bottom of the page - "Formatting & Spell Check"</li>

<li>note: MB capitalization format is that only the first word in the highest priority bullet is capitalized; all lower priority bullets are not capitalized unless it is a proper noun

<ul>

<li>please make sure the topic reflects this</li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

</li>

<li>C3: Images/Videos

<ul>

<li>is the pop out function enabled on all images?

<ul>

<li>if you click on the key image or even a camera icon (<a title="Please make sure even the key image pops out as well." href="https://upload.medbullets.com/topic/6/images/screen%20shot%202016-03-08%20at%206.32.01%20pm.jpg"><img src="/images/camera.gif" alt="" /></a>) does an enlarged image appear?</li>

</ul>

</li>

<li>do the images have a description?

<ul>

<li>check off the box at the bottom of the page - "Questions & Images"

<ul>

<li>note: make sure to check all question icons are working as well (See next criterion)</li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

</li>

<li>are there videos? If so, do the links still work?

<ul>

<li>check off the box at the bottom of the page - "Videos - Youtube, Vimeo"</li>

<li>if the links do not work, message Chris Robinson and he will delete the videos

<ul>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

</li>

<li>C4: Questions

<ul>

<li>click on the questions icons, do they work? </li>

<li>are they appropriate for the Step topic in which they are located

<ul>

<li>Step 1, the icons should be green <img src="/images/question_step_1.png" alt="" /></li>

<li>Step 3, purple <img src="/images/question_step_3.png" alt="" />

<ul>

<li>depending on the stage of the question, the pop out may say different things</li>

<li>all that is necessary is that when you click on the icon, a new window within the current one should appear</li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

</li>

<li>C5: References

<ul>

<li>did you use any of the references?

<ul>

<li>check off the boxes of the references you used</li>

</ul>

</li>

<li>if you used an article, paste the article in the comment box</li>

</ul>

<ul>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

</td>

</tr>

<td colspan="2">Commonly Missed Items on Topics</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<ul>

<li>Use of commas

<ul>

<li>we use the oxford comma when listing items

<ul>

<li>for example

<ul>

<li>x, y, z should be x, y, and z</li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

</li>

<li>Tiger, Lion should be Tiger and Lion</li>

</ul>

</li>

<li>Human genes

<ul>

<li>human genes symbols are all uppercase and italicized</li>

<li>protein symbols are all uppercase but not italiziced</li>

</ul>

</li>

<li>Diseases named after people

<ul>

<li>we are dropping the 's

<ul>

<li>Parkinson disease</li>

<li>Alport syndrome</li>

<li>Huntington disease</li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

</td>

</tr>

<tr>

</tr>

<tr>

<td style="background-color: #f4f4f4;" colspan="2">Chart Examples</td>

</tr>

<tr>

</tr>

<tr>

<td style="text-align: center;" colspan="2">NOTE: Make sure to only copy the charts from View Topic Mode</td>

</tr>

<tr>

</tr>

<tr>

</tr>

<tr>

</tr>

<tr>

<tbody>

<tr>

<div style="text-align: center;">Title Should Be in Title Case, Bold, and Center Aligned (Background Should Be #d4f2cd ) - For More Info <a href="https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/capitalizing-titles"><img src="https://upload.medbullets.com/images/topic.png" alt="" /></a><a href="https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/capitalizing-titles"><img src="/images/topic.png" alt="" /></a></div>

</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<div style="text-align: center;">Subcategory (Background Should Be #f4f4f4)</div>

</td>

</tr>

<td align="center" valign="middle">Columns</td>

<td align="center" valign="middle">Are Center Aligned</td>

<td align="center" valign="middle">Bolded and Title Case</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td style="width: 31%;" align="left" valign="middle">First column is sentence case, aligned to the left, and vertically centered with no bullets</td>

<ul>

<li style="font-size: small;">Make sure the bullets are the same size

<ul>

<li>A problem arises when you go from a lower priority bullet to a higher priority bullet</li>

</ul>

</li>

<li style="font-size: small;">Make sure the spacing is correct between sentences</li>

</ul>

</td>

<ul>

<li>The alignment for the columns below the titles above and to the right of the first column should be

<ul>

<li>left aligned</li>

<li>vertically centered</li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

</td>

</tr>

</tbody>

</table>

</td>

</tr>

<tr>

</tr>

<tr>

</tr>

<tr>

</tr>

<tr>

<tbody>

<tr>

<div style="text-align: center;">Title Should Be in Title Case, Bold, and Center Aligned (Background Should Be #ccccff )</div>

</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<div style="text-align: center;">Subcategory (Background Should Be #f4f4f4)</div>

</td>

</tr>

<td align="center" valign="middle">Columns</td>

<td align="center" valign="middle">Are Center Aligned</td>

<td align="center" valign="middle">Bolded and Title Case</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td style="width: 218px;" align="left" valign="middle">First column is sentence case, aligned to the left, and vertically centered with no bullets</td>

<ul>

<li>Make sure the bullets are the same size

<ul>

<li>A problem arises when you go from a lower priority bullet to a higher priority bullet</li>

</ul>

</li>

<li>Make sure the spacing is correct between sentences</li>

</ul>

</td>

<ul>

<li>The alignment for the columns below the titles above and to the right of the first column should be

<ul>

<li>left aligned</li>

<li>vertically centered</li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

</td>

</tr>

</tbody>

</table>

</td>

</tr>

<tr>

</tr>

<td style="background-color: #f4f4f4;" colspan="2">Updating Topic Checklist (Please Add Comments and Type Y or N)</td>

</tr>

<tr>

Copy/paste this version into your comment box when reviewing questions

</td>

</tr>

<tr>

C1: Snapshot: Y/N

C2: Content/grammar: Y/N

C3: Images/Videos: Y/N

C4: Questions: Y/N

C5: References: Y/N

</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td style="background-color: #f4f4f4;" colspan="2">Illustration Creation Guidelines </td>

</tr>

<tr>

<ul>

<li>Pointing to an item in an illustration

<ul>

<li>use a 1 pt solid line to point from the word to the item that you are illustrating</li>

<li>make sure that the lines ends within the item</li>

<li>the line should cross the minimum number of structures possible</li>

</ul>

</li>

<li>Capitalization

<ul>

<li>titles: Should Be In Title Case (I Illustrated It Here)</li>

<li>bullets or bullet style items: Use sentence case if you are going to use bullets or a list of items that is a new line; capitalize only the first word</li>

</ul>

</li>

<li>Font

<ul>

<li>Arial</li>

<li>only have a maximum of 2 sizes of font in the illustration; the title does not count as one of the sizes</li>

</ul>

</li>

<li>How to save your illlustration

<ul>

<li>send to personnel@medbullets.com</li>

<li>save the file in the following format

<ul>

<li>date initials Step# specialty drawing name</li>

</ul>

</li>

<li>send original adobe illustrator (.ai) file along with illustration</li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td style="background-color: #f4f4f4;" colspan="2">Responding to Member Comments </td>

</tr>

<tr>

<ul>

<li>Video explanation on how to respond to Member Comments <a href="https://youtu.be/l1CEe31cD_I"><img src="/images/topic.png" alt="" /></a></li>

<li>Click on the Member Comments tab on your Author Dashboard</li>

<li>Select a question or comment you would like to post a response; only select one at at time</li>

<li>Save a comment only visible to authors by saying "replying to comment" <ol> </ol>

<ul>

<li>you will have 30 minutes to respond to the comment </li>

<li>it is best not to claim the comment if you will not respond within 30 minutes, otherwise another author can claim the comment 30 minutes after the time stamp</li>

<li>for topics, you must go to edit topic mode and save a comment</li>

<li>then return to the view topic mode and respond</li>

<li>for questions, you must click on "Post to Members" and save a comment </li>

</ul>

</li>

<li>To receive the $8 for the comment, you will need to post 4+ sentences of solid information and an optional reference (only do so when relevant)

<ul>

<li>respond to the comment thoroughly (~5 sentences is a great length, but don't add fluff just to meet that length;  some require more or less sentences)</li>

</ul>

</li>

<li>If you do not understand a member's question, feel free to ask the member to clarify. You will not be credited for that comment, but you will receive an email (if you click to be informed on the topic) when the member posts a comment back and if you can respond within a few hours, you will be credited for your response</li>

</ul>

The Little Things:

<ul>

<li>Do not respond to questions from other Qbanks<ol> </ol>

<ul>

<li>if a member posts a comment that you feel is from another Qbank, a test prep company or its materials, or a school exam, please do not answer it if you do not feel comfortable </li>

<li>start off your comment with "Our policy here on Medbullets is to only answer medically related questions that are not associated with any other testing entity"</li>

<li>you can provide some high yield information regarding the topic that they and our other members can use to answer a possible question regarding that topic on the USMLE

<ul>

<li>you don't want to answer their question directly but provide them information to use to answer it themselves if they choose</li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

</li>

<li>Mistakes do happen<ol> </ol>

<ul>

<li>if you post a comment in response to a member regarding one of the multiple choice questions, simply click on the blue words "Make Private" and repost your comment

<ul>

<li>unfortunately, the member will receive an email, but the rest of the members will only see your corrected comment</li>

</ul>

</li>

<li>if you post a comment on a topic, you can do the same as above but you must go into the Edit Topic mode to make it private

<ul>

<li>then go back into View Topic mode to repost a comment</li>

<li>a similar thing happens above regarding the email</li>

</ul>

</li>

<li>note, when you make a comment private, it will remove the credit from the ownership dashboard, but when you post again you will receive the credit</li>

</ul>

<li>Responding to just statements by members

<ul>

<li>unless the a general statement posted by a member is correct, we will not post a response</li>

<li>if a statement is incorrect or you think the information should be added to the topic/question, you can add it to the topic/question only if it makes the topic/question better</li>

<li>never feel that you had to take the side of the member; if you feel the comment is not helpful or the information is not useful - just be respectful and polite</li>

</ul>

</li>

<li>Numbers format

<ul>

<li>use numerals for ALL numbers

<ul>

<li>1-year-old female</li>

<li>2 cm in diameter</li>

<li>respirations are 25/min</li>

<li>ONLY use words if the number comes at the beginning of a sentence</li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

</li>

<li>Don't forget to use "and" in a list of 2 or more items

<ul>

<li>Tiger and Lion</li>

<li>Tiger, Lion, and Bear</li>

</ul>

</li>

<li>If a member address a specific author, ANY author can still respond

<ul>

<li>make sure to read any previous comments so that you are respond appropriately</li>

</ul>

</li>

<li>Do not supersede another author by posting a corrected comment<ol> </ol>

<ul>

<li>we do make mistakes and if you find another author has accidentally made a mistake in the post, please make the comment "Private"  </li>

<li>then contact the author letting the author know what happened and ask if the original posting author can repost with the correct information</li>

</ul>

</ul>

</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td style="background-color: #f4f4f4;" colspan="2">Helpful Tips </td>

</tr>

<tr>

<ul>

<li>If the comment is simply to make a quick change to a topic or question, you should quickly make the change and post a "High Yield" comment regarding the topic or topic of the question </li>

<li>Comments that do not adequately address the member's comment and duplicate comments will not be credited (you can always edit your comment by making it private then repost again)

<ul>

<li>our goal is to post high yield information that addresses our members' comments and the comments are extensions of our topics for all members to see  </li>

</ul>

</li>

<li>Note: if a member has messaged you privately with any questions, ask them to post their comment on the appropriate topic and question

<ul>

<li>DO NOT ANSWER THEIR QUESTION PRIVATELY as you will not be credited</li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td style="background-color: #f4f4f4;" colspan="2">Symbols to Use (Just Copy and Paste in View Topic Mode NOT Edit Mode):</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<ul>

<li>Degree: °</li>

<li>micro: μ</li>

<li>Oxygen: O2 </li>

<li>Water: H 2O</li>

<li>Calcium divalent cation: Ca2+</li>

<li>Sodium ion: Na+</li>

<li>Potssium ion: K+</li>

<li>Up arrow: ↑</li>

<li>Down arrow: ↓</li>

<li>Forward arrow: →</li>

<li>Alpha: α</li>

<li>Gamma: γ</li>

<li>Greater than: ></li>

<li>Greater than or equal to: ≥</li>

<li>Less than or equal to: ≤</li>

</ul>

</td>

</tr>

</tbody>

</table>

Sequence of Events

Convert topic to new format
Read and understand the flashcard principles
Create cards for most bullets of the topic

Topic Conversion

See instructional video: https://youtu.be/QjX7fujlDOw
Topics need to be converted to new format for flashcard software to work
Old topics look have this appearance
New topics have this appearance
Click edit on topic page
Click blue convert button
- This must be the BLUE part of the button (different colours are separate buttons)
- This will only appear once set up (not default for all authors)
Click convert, wait for text to appear
Click save and wait for edit page to re-appear
Click 'set complexity' and/or 'set importance' to assign complexity and importance to each bullet
Check the 'Show Topic As Bullets' box above the comment section and save
- Add comment "save - updated to Topics 2.0"
Return to topic page and refresh to view new format

Flashcard Principles

Brevity is key:
- Short answers
- Keep to the minimum lines needed to answer the question
- Do NOT ask more than one question on a card
Ideal format is one question followed by one answer
- Some answers will be a short list e.g. differentials, causes, treatment options
If answer too long break it into subquestions
Break down complex questions into simple ones
E.g. if its an aetiology question with a long list, try categorising the response (e.g. instead of one question to list the 15 contributors to TKR stiffness try separating into groups):
- Q1: List the broad categories of risk factors for TKR stiffness A: Patient, technical, post operative
- Q2: List the patient risk factors for TKR stiffness: Poor ROM, baja, comorbid, low pain tolerance
- Q3: List the technical risk factors for TKR stiffness: overstuffing patella, component malalignment
- Q4: List the post-operative risk factors for TKR stiffness: delayed rehab, HO
- Etc. Better for both motivation/compliance as well as memory
Helpful websites:
- Pages:
- Videos:
  - https://collegeinfogeek.com/flash-card-study-tips/
  - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbvaITy3oeQ

Creating Cards

See instructional video: https://youtu.be/PhhFmgdRTkg
Process:
- Ensure topic is updated to Topics 2.0, and refreshed
- Will allow flashcard icon to appear when hovering over a bullet
- Click icon
- Pop up appears
- Edit front to be easily understood and answerable
- Uncheck components of bullets not to be included in card
- Click save
- Cards can be reviewed in cards chevron at top
- Can see cards and flip to see reverse
- Can navigate between cards using drop down scroll
Pictures will be automatically added if part of the bullet on the topic
Front side:
- Autopopulates with 2 components
  - Breadcrumb:
    - A trail of where the question has come from, for context
    - E.g. Distal radius fractures > Introduction > Demographics
    - Not editable
  - Free text (editable):
    - Write this CAREFULLY
    - Needs to allow user to arrive at correct answer
    - Specific questions better than vague
    - Will autopopulate, e.g. "demographics"
    - Complete the question by writing formally: "What are the typical demographics?"
Back side:
- Text not directly editable
- Taken directly from sub bullets
- Click to uncheck parts of sub-bullets not desired on flashcard
How many cards do I make for a topic?
- Most of the bullets for a topic should be included in some form as an answer on a card
- Small, unecessary bullets that comprise little additional information may be omitted (consider removing from topic also)
- Avoid duplicating cards - answers should appear on one card only
- As a minimum (when available):
  - Definition/Introduction
  - Demographics
  - Pathophysiology/Etiology
  - Prognosis/Classification/Natural History
  - Symptoms
  - Physical Exam
  - Investigations
  - Treatment
  - Complications

[Blocked from Release] Flashcard Instructions