DIT vs. Kaplan (or, are either worth it?)

[Abby_Normal]

Any thoughts on DIT vs. Kaplan? Or whether these online courses are helpful at all?

I wasn't initially planning to invest in a prep course, but many of my classmates are planning to use one or the other and, as I think about it, it seems worth considering. I have FA and BRS and plan to get USMLEWorld for the spring semester, so I'm kind of skeptical about whether DIT/Kaplan would be worth the additional money. On the other hand, having something to guide me through my studies seems like a good idea because structure is one of my main concerns going forward.

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[SF0]

from what i have heard u should do DIT 3-4 weeks prior to giving ur usmle as its a review of FA, which u should know inside and out as it should be ur bible for the usmle.
u should really look into falcon, i took the course abt 1 month ago and found it very beneficial, i made a thread abt my experience..

 

[OveractiveBrain]

Any thoughts on DIT vs. Kaplan? Or whether these online courses are helpful at all?

I wasn't initially planning to invest in a prep course, but many of my classmates are planning to use one or the other and, as I think about it, it seems worth considering. I have FA and BRS and plan to get USMLEWorld for the spring semester, so I'm kind of skeptical about whether DIT/Kaplan would be worth the additional money. On the other hand, having something to guide me through my studies seems like a good idea because structure is one of my main concerns going forward.

Kaplan > Falcon >>> DIT

The question is, what does "better" mean?

Kaplan has the reputation, the teachers, the resources, and the knowledge. They are the complete package. Whether you do center prep (attending class) or you do online prep (videos at your own pace), it is by far the best program with the best pass rates. it is also the most time consuming and the highest price. Most people cannot handle the grueling pace of Kaplan, and burn out. burn out is more dangerous than not knowing all the details, so it is not for everyone. Kaplan's goal is augmentation, to get you 250s and above, but you have to put in the work to get there.

Falcon is very similar to Kaplan, their bonus being that they have Goljan. Thats it. Goljan is what makes Falcon worth doing. Frankly, I have little experience with Falcon and Id imagine it has a similar success rate to Kaplan, but when you know Kaplan is good, why do anything else?

DIT has a very purposeful and specific role. It is to get you scoring higher than you would have without anything. What DIT gives is repetition and a schedule. It is short. It is relatively cheap. It is designed for the below average student to do average, and the average student to do just a smidge over average. The dude is painful, the videos are corny, the material is... First Aid. Any idiot can read first aid out loud. Any student can come up with their own schedule. But, if you've got cash to blow and not a lot of time to get the job done, DIT can prove successful.

In summary:
- You have time and money and tenacity and you want to do the best you can? Kaplan
- You are an average student and you have little time and money to blow? DIT.
- Falcon probably = Kaplan

 

[viper930]

Our school bought everyone DIT. I used it for 3 hours before deciding I hated it and would never use it again. As stated frequently elsewhere, the DIT staff just read FA out loud (INCLUDING THE ERRATA). I happened to start with cardio where a guy kept emphasizing a point that was just plain wrong (and would later be corrected by FA once the errata were released). Can't have faith in them if their instructors have a seemingly weak fundamental understanding of the knowledge they're supposedly teaching students.

 

[mmmcdowe]

My problem with dit is it seems to encourage you to write in a book other than first aid, and seems to be gaming on people's desire for confidence in their schedule rather than really providing a lot of value. My problem with Kaplan is that they are always a bit out of date, have irrelevant material in some places, and their bank is inferior to usmle world. The only multimedia materials worth anything are goljan audio and pathoma, IMO.

 

[OveractiveBrain]

My problem with dit is it seems to encourage you to write in a book other than first aid, and seems to be gaming on people's desire for confidence in their schedule rather than really providing a lot of value. My problem with Kaplan is that they are always a bit out of date, have irrelevant material in some places, and their bank is inferior to usmle world. The only multimedia materials worth anything are goljan audio and pathoma, IMO.

Which are becoming ever more popular. Yet, they provide no structure, making them challenging for people who cannot create a plan and stick to it. Not to mention one is illegal, since its a recording of a Falcon program (the Goljan Audio). But if you have access to the two, as I have seen with new rising M3s, both are EXTREMELY popular.

That said, Kaplan doesn't have "irrelevant" material, they have "extra."

When I say "augmentation" what I mean is this. First Aid, Step Up, Secrets, etc. give you the content you are almost guarenteed to see on the exam. It is the content that is worth learning all the time. What they all leave out is the peripheral content. To push above a 240 you have to learn 10 things you wont use for every 1 you will. That's alot of effort. You have to know all the "core" material found in the review books, then a ****ton of more details. Since the questions are random, and all material is fair game, you have to know far more than you will need to get a higher score. The way you get that is with a program designed to give you those details.

BTW: I used Kaplan for Step 1 (248) and Step 2 (252) and I consider myself smart, but a sucker for MCQ. It took me 9 weeks of studying for each(dedicated 9 weeks Step 1, Weeks while on electives and easy rotations for Step 2), and I did 2 qbanks (Uworld and Kaplan) for Step 1, UWorld for Step 2.

Grueling, but I consider myself a success. I'd recommend Kaplan, if you can handle the pace.

 

[hawks3312]

Which are becoming ever more popular. Yet, they provide no structure, making them challenging for people who cannot create a plan and stick to it. Not to mention one is illegal, since its a recording of a Falcon program (the Goljan Audio). But if you have access to the two, as I have seen with new rising M3s, both are EXTREMELY popular.

That said, Kaplan doesn't have "irrelevant" material, they have "extra."

When I say "augmentation" what I mean is this. First Aid, Step Up, Secrets, etc. give you the content you are almost guarenteed to see on the exam. It is the content that is worth learning all the time. What they all leave out is the peripheral content. To push above a 240 you have to learn 10 things you wont use for every 1 you will. That's alot of effort. You have to know all the "core" material found in the review books, then a ****ton of more details. Since the questions are random, and all material is fair game, you have to know far more than you will need to get a higher score. The way you get that is with a program designed to give you those details.

BTW: I used Kaplan for Step 1 (248) and Step 2 (252) and I consider myself smart, but a sucker for MCQ. It took me 9 weeks of studying for each(dedicated 9 weeks Step 1, Weeks while on electives and easy rotations for Step 2), and I did 2 qbanks (Uworld and Kaplan) for Step 1, UWorld for Step 2.

Grueling, but I consider myself a success. I'd recommend Kaplan, if you can handle the pace.

are you referring to Kaplan Step 1 comprehensive or High Yield?
I was interested in the 50 hour High Yield Program but havent heard a lot reviews about it compared to DIT
thanks for your input