Doctors In Training (DIT) - Recommended?

[DocYuki]

Hey SDN,
It's been a long, long time since my last post, haha. I've been busy with the notorious pre-clinical years.

I am preparing for Step I, which I am scheduled to take on June 3rd, 2009. I have the essentials ready to go once finals are over on May 8th:

-First Aid 2009
-Goljan Audio and RR Book
-USMLE World
-Clinical Micro Made Ridiculously Simple
-BRS Physio, Path

But there's one major detail. I am the kind of guy who, when it comes to things like preparing for Step I, needs something structured; a push, if you will. I'm not confident I can get up every morning and cover all I need to by myself.

I wouldn't consider a KAPLAN course because they are too expensive and I know that company doesn't bode well with me from previous experience. I was considering this little company: http://doctorsintraining.com/

I have zero knowledge of how they are. Noone at my med-school has an opinion, except for the fact that noone was impressed when they came and spoke to us. But has anyone on here tried them out? They offer, for $600, a series of lectures spanning 15 straight days, each day being 5-6 hours of lecture. The lectures are meant to be active-learning and they use First Aid 2009 as the text book. I don't see how this could go wrong, but the guy who lectures kind of creeps me out. I don't know if I trust him...he might just read straight off of First Aid and waste my $600.

So money, and more importantly, good test prep technique is at stake. I'm the kind of person who needs the push of watching daily lectures, but is this worth the cost?

Anyone with first-hand experience or any idea beyond what I know (which is just what DIT says) is invited to offer an opinion. It would greatly help me out. Thanks!

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[Cliff Huxtable]

Cool, thanks!

 

[illixir]

At a talk this company came and gave to my school, they continually hammered in that MS1/MS2, other review courses, and FA covered only some of what's on the boards and also some things that aren't, and that they cover everything that's on the boards and nothing that's not.

He spouted that 65% of their material was first aid, and 35% was their own new material that can't be found elsewhere. Is that true from people who have taken it and watched the videos, it looks like most people say it is FA structure plus some add-ins. Do the add-ins make up 35% of the material or is it only more like 10%? Are the add-ins stuff hard to find or is it stuff that would be come across going through UW/Qbank/Other review books?

 

[Captopril]

At a talk this company came and gave to my school, they continually hammered in that MS1/MS2, other review courses, and FA covered only some of what's on the boards and also some things that aren't, and that they cover everything that's on the boards and nothing that's not.

He spouted that 65% of their material was first aid, and 35% was their own new material that can't be found elsewhere. Is that true from people who have taken it and watched the videos, it looks like most people say it is FA structure plus some add-ins. Do the add-ins make up 35% of the material or is it only more like 10%? Are the add-ins stuff hard to find or is it stuff that would be come across going through UW/Qbank/Other review books?

He makes stuff stick...think of it as Goljan Audio, except it's for FA. The program is worth the cost x 100.

 

[RedSox1982]

How many times can you watch each video?

 

[tideleonheart]

How many times can you watch each video?

3 I believe

 

[illixir]

He makes stuff stick...think of it as Goljan Audio, except it's for FA. The program is worth the cost x 100.

I take that to mean that it's good at reinforcing FA and making it stick in your head as you say but the material itself isn't anything that wouldn't be found in other resources like FA, Goljan, Uworld, Qbank, review books. Let me know if that isn't the case.

 

[Captopril]

I take that to mean that it's good at reinforcing FA and making it stick in your head as you say but the material itself isn't anything that wouldn't be found in other resources like FA, Goljan, Uworld, Qbank, review books. Let me know if that isn't the case.

He adds some material, and I'd say a good 3-5 questions on my actual Step I were from his supplemented notes.

Every piece of information on the test has been in your curriculum or review one way or another, so that goes without saying. The reason DIT works is it takes these little bits of info you've seen along the way, weeds out all the junk, and focuses in on stuff you will be asked on game day.

 

[4success]

So i realized that the weekly questions are not really topic based, or focus on a particular section of the first aid. How did you guys all formulate a study plan to cover everything on FA before the lectures? i'm planning on taking the exam in June and wasn't sure how i can incorporate DIT, school, and the weekly questions into the schedule...

Also, anyone find watching videos more than once useful?

Thanks!

 

[spectrin]

.

 

[CCOMER]

Does anyone have any discount codes or coupons for DIT?

 

[NRAI2001]

Does anyone have any discount codes or coupons for DIT?

I m interested also... if not $600 is still a relatively good price.

 

[RapidReview]

I m interested also... if not $600 is still a relatively good price.

They were offering students at my school $50 off. I would definitely call them if you're going to do it anyways and mention that they were offering discounts to other schools- worse they can say is no and you lose 5 min of your time.

 

[mikkey]

They regularly send coupons in the mail, ranging from 25 to 50 $. However, the price is now 700$, not 600$ if you purchase online. Dr Jenkins came to my school and offered the course for 600$. I would call and see if you can get this price since its a greater discount than any coupon.
Hope this helps

 

[Perrotfish]

Hey, I'm a little over 3 months out from my exam and I haven't done much of anything yet. I was thinking of using DIT to run through the first aid for the first time starting a week from now to finally jump start my studying, and then watch it through again right before the exam. Does this sound like a reasonable plan, or would I just be lost if I hadn't gone through FA before starting the course?

 

[rishi718]

i

 

[rishi718]

i

 

[rishi718]

i hear from my friends in the 09 course with 08 first aids

that he likes to point out the things that arent in the 08 fa anymore

my question is how much does this course really change yearly

does that depend on the fa

would i be hindering myself if i used my new 2010 first aid with the 2009 course

or should is it worth the wait all the way until march for 2010 course?!??

 

[rishi718]

i

 

[medsend]

they offered a $100 discount at our school. I basically felt like this course was geared towards people who needed to have a schedule made for them/get direction.

I dont know if I will buy it but the people who did use it said it helped them enormously.

 

[Captopril]

they offered a $100 discount at our school. I basically felt like this course was geared towards people who needed to have a schedule made for them/get direction.

I dont know if I will buy it but the people who did use it said it helped them enormously.

It's much more than just a schedule. I feel like that is more the forte of the Kaplan course. They don't teach you anything significant, but they compartmentalize everything so that you are forced to organize it that way in your head.

DIT actually teaches you testable information that WILL show up on your USMLE. I can attest to this having seen at least a full block's worth of Qs that were based on info I got from DIT that I would have otherwise missed while running through FA.

 

[thechad]

I took my step recently, and I have to whole-heartedly agree with all the praise Captopril gives the course. It really is active learning, instead of just reading...reading...reading...and then just staring at a page trying to convince yourself you are reading. I would recommend it to anyone, and for the price, it really can't be beat.

 

[Cooolguy]

i hear this course is great, ill be prepping with them for my exam in april, hope it pays off

 

[Perrotfish]

does he cover the class notes in the videos or is that self-learn? The reason i ask is because I have the videos but not the class notes. Thanks

1) Don't steal things

2) If you're going to steal things, steal the Kaplan videos. This guy's notes are mostly quizes that he refers to and then answers throughout the course, they're pretty essential to the course. I don't think you're going to get much value out of the course without them.

 

[Captopril]

1) Don't steal things

2) If you're going to steal things, steal the Kaplan videos. This guy's notes are mostly quizes that he refers to and then answers throughout the course, they're pretty essential to the course. I don't think you're going to get much value out of the course without them.

Yeah, the dude puts out a quality product to help you score well on the most important test of your life. Instead of showing your appreciation by paying him what's due, you steal it. Some people have AWESOME ethics.

 

[Perrotfish]

Yeah, the dude puts out a quality product to help you score well on the most important test of your life. Instead of showing your appreciation by paying him what's due, you steal it. Some people have AWESOME ethics.

The worst was that when I posted that I was going to buy the course someone sent me a PM trying to sell a DVD they made of last year's videos. I mean, uploading/downloading it for free I can see someone doing, but actually trying to sell something you ripped off? WTF?

 

[luti84]

Can anyone comment on DIT focus and the COMLEX?? Outside of adding an OMM text, is there anything else that Dr. Jenkins doesn't emphasize that was big on your exam? Thanks!

 

[badasshairday]

Is it worth getting if you have 4 weeks of dedicated study time for boards? Or am I better off studying on my own...

 

[doctor4life]

has anyone who has used DIT and taken the step found it useful?

 

[wAyRadikull]

has anyone who has used DIT and taken the step found it useful?

Read through this entire thread and you'll find the answer. You can also do a search and find a thread like this one which has some more good info

 

[luti84]

.

 

[Perrotfish]

Today I am finally going to finish my first run through of DIT (I'm planning to do it twice, once now and once right before the test). He was an excellent teacher and it was a great way to force me to read through FA and to pick up a lot of details I would otherwise have skipped over. I might end up going hulk on the next person who sniffles at me, though.

 

[NRAI2001]

Is the work book sent to you via email? Is it available to you on the DIT website once you sign up? Or does it have to be mailed to you?

Also once you sign up for the course do you 30 days start right away? Or is it once you start watching the videos you 30 days start?

I m asking bc I m studying outside of the country (in the carribean) and mailing stuff here can be a hassle? If the course doesnt begin immediately I could have my parents mail me the books..? Any suggestions?

 

[wAyRadikull]

Is the work book sent to you via email? Is it available to you on the DIT website once you sign up? Or does it have to be mailed to you?

Also once you sign up for the course do you 30 days start right away? Or is it once you start watching the videos you 30 days start?

I m asking bc I m studying outside of the country (in the carribean) and mailing stuff here can be a hassle? If the course doesnt begin immediately I could have my parents mail me the books..? Any suggestions?

1) The book is mailed to you.
2) You could specify a date you want to start, or it can start next day.
--- you should probably pick a day a good week after the date you sign up because the book takes about a week to get to you.
3) You should actually try and call the DIT for the more specific questions. They're really nice and helpful.

 

[League54]

The website says that it's better to use a hard-wired internet connection, because the videos are streamed and can only be viewed 3x. I'm wondering, are you able to pause the videos? Eat lunch and resume? Start at the same spot if you drop your ic? If anyone has had experiences with this please let me know, thanks!

 

[natureboy]

Is the content of the workbook different from the 2 emails that are sent out each week since January?

 

[badasshairday]

Today I am finally going to finish my first run through of DIT (I'm planning to do it twice, once now and once right before the test). He was an excellent teacher and it was a great way to force me to read through FA and to pick up a lot of details I would otherwise have skipped over. I might end up going hulk on the next person who sniffles at me, though.

I had a question. In your previous post you were saying that you are about ~3months out from test day, how will you go through DIT a second time before your exam? Are you going to buy the course again, because it has a 30 day subscription...? Also are you in your M2 year? How are you balancing course work with ramming through First Aid in 15 days??

 

[Perrotfish]

I had a question. In your previous post you were saying that you are about ~3months out from test day, how will you go through DIT a second time before your exam? Are you going to buy the course again, because it has a 30 day subscription...?

I paid the cost of a 1 week extension in addition to the course fee, and in exchange they made up a deal for me where they gave me the full 2009 course starting immediately (what I just did) as well as the full 2010 course that starts April 1. Also apparently someone on SDN read my study plan because when I called the sales woman she said other students had started calling asking for the same thing. I have no idea if they'd offer the same deal again.

Also are you in your M2 year? How are you balancing course work with ramming through First Aid in 15 days??

I had an extremely easy 2 week course on human behavior followed by spring break. Now that we're back to doing path I don't think I could make it work.

 

[Blondnuttyboy]

Eh I dont know....I dont understand how this is any different from actively reading FA. I'm so confused how it's worth $700.

Very few kids do well w/o the basics - FA, Goljan, qbank, etc and I feel that if DIT was as great as people say, more people would know about it. They've been around for 10 years.

 

[Perrotfish]

Eh I dont know....I dont understand how this is any different from actively reading FA. I'm so confused how it's worth $700.

1) He adds some information to FA that I've found to be very high yield (at least on practice tests).

2) He was very helpful in teaching me how to read first Aid, emphasizing some sections while helping me realize that others were low yield or redundant.

3) I can't actively read FA for 3 weeks in a row without some kind of program to help me. Trust me I've tried.

Very few kids do well w/o the basics - FA, Goljan, qbank, etc and I feel that if DIT was as great as people say, more people would know about it. They've been around for 10 years.[/

I think their customer base is pretty impressive for a 10 year old program without a lot of advertising.

I'm not saying it's a must have in the same was a Qbank is, but I think it's a good program.

 

[Captopril]

I'm not saying it's a must have in the same was a Qbank is, but I think it's a good program.

If you have the cash, then I'd consider it a "must have"

 

[teratoma13]

So I'm also wondering about DIT? My school has a structured review course already but there are like 13 lectures total, taught from first aid by senior students that did well on the exam. These are only 2 hours spread over 3 months. I'm thinking I need more "structured" time as well because I'm used to sitting in class, taking notes, coming home to study. Sitting and studying for hours on end for a month sounds really difficult. Is it possible to use this for a few hours a day over a few months or just one month?...

 

[passionmed85]

Any recommendations on which version is better? Online vs live?

 

[RapidReview]

I checked their website and they boast a 237 avg for their students that took the exam last year. That seems pretty high to me since it is ~83%ile. Does anyone know if everyone reports their score to them? It would seem that if you had to option to report, that mainly people that scored well would report, thus artificially bumping the avg up.

... or is it really just that good?

 

[kunfu]

I know that this program is best to do 5-10 days before you take Step 1. But what about doing this during spring break to jump start your prep for Step 1? Has anyone done this?

 

[Perrotfish]

I know that this program is best to do 5-10 days before you take Step 1. But what about doing this during spring break to jump start your prep for Step 1? Has anyone done this?

Like I said before, I got a deal from them where I got 3 weeks of access during my spring break, and 3 more at the end of April, so I could do both. I still think it was a good way to jumpstart my studying if you can get the same deal (which I doubt you can, I don't think they're offering it to anyone else), but I think if you're only going to do it once it would be a lot higher yield to do it nearer to the test, after you've been through First Aid at least once.

Also keep in mind it's a 3 week course, so unless you have a very long spring break you're going to be doing at least some of this during class time.

 

[kunfu]

Like I said before, I got a deal from them where I got 3 weeks of access during my spring break, and 3 more at the end of April, so I could do both. I still think it was a good way to jumpstart my studying if you can get the same deal (which I doubt you can, I don't think they're offering it to anyone else), but I think if you're only going to do it once it would be a lot higher yield to do it nearer to the test, after you've been through First Aid at least once.

Also keep in mind it's a 3 week course, so unless you have a very long spring break you're going to be doing at least some of this during class time.

Thanks for the feedback. The course is 15 days, correct?

 

[carlosc1dbz]

How important are the 30 questions you do a week before you start the course. Does anyone have them typed out, if so, can I have them? I asked them to give me the questions with answers but they said no. I am about to finish path and it is very time consuming.

 

[carlosc1dbz]

hey guys sorry, I forgot to add another thing, I was curious to know how long your day was or is, as you are taking the DIT course. I am hoping to pull in 8 hours a day 5 days a week, and Saturday half days. Please let me know.

 

[Perrotfish]

hey guys sorry, I forgot to add another thing, I was curious to know how long your day was or is, as you are taking the DIT course. I am hoping to pull in 8 hours a day 5 days a week, and Saturday half days. Please let me know.

I think that 8 hours is a little light, 10-12 is more reasonable. The lectures themselves take 4-6 hours a day (he talks so fast I often needed to pause just to copy down what he said) and I think you need to plan on at least an equal amount of time studying before the next day starts to have memorized everything by then. Also you're supposed to (according to him) also be doing at least 1 block of 48 questions per day.

 

[BC848]

Would the information that he adds to FA be enough to not supplement biochem and micro with another resource? I like micro made simple and I could do goljan biochem if I have to but if this course is enough I would rather save my time.