- Joined
- Sep 11, 2009
- Messages
- 2
- Reaction score
- 0
Last edited by a moderator:
MS1 here. My understanding is that drugs and bugs are pure memorization. Personally, I plan on banking all the pharm and micro stuff I can, as well as reviewing everything we've covered first year that I have yet to bank. I'm hoping I can get up to ~40% banked before starting MS2. Currently sitting at ~20% banked since I took a month and a half GT hiatus when I decided to prioritize school > GT and stopped banking cards.
Theoretically, if I were to get through all of micro and pharm over the summer along with a review of first year courses, when could/should I begin Kaplan Qbank? Would it be a bad idea to start Qbank questions once school starts up?
hi
sorry but can someone please explain what "banking" a questions means, does that mean marking it low in terms of recall so that it shows up continuously?
I was bored at work and stumbled upon this thread....
I'll be starting med school in the fall at a school which has a 1.5 year preclinical curriculum (1 semester of basic sciences, then a year of organ systems) before going into rotations for a year, and then finally taking step 1.
My question is, do you guys think GT can be used as an effective supplement in this system? I feel like it could be a good supplement to during the preclinical, but might lose a lot of value if I have to wait a year between the end of preclinical classes and step 1. Maybe it wouldn't be as useful for step 1 specifically, but would it still be a good way of developing a very strong knowledge base, which would be generally very valuable? Any thoughts?
Sorry for gunnin' a bit, but was wondering. thanks!
Obviously path is a much bigger part of 2nd year and makes up something like 70-80% of the boards. If you could go through pathoma and understand it that'd be a heck of a leg up. However, I think I would get more out of pathoma if I had some background as it's a high yield source like rapid review, may not be the easiest to understand. On the other hand, you get used to the overall structure and lay down an initial foundation that will help with class.I may put in a little extra work sometime this summer but don't want to do much.
Could someone prioritize seeing something like Pathoma (fundamental coverage of pathology - basic concepts) vs. sheer micro memory (i.e. doing GT micro cards).
What would you rather have going into 2nd year?
I may put in a little extra work sometime this summer but don't want to do much.
Could someone prioritize seeing something like Pathoma (fundamental coverage of pathology - basic concepts) vs. sheer micro memory (i.e. doing GT micro cards).
What would you rather have going into 2nd year?
Sorry for the repost
After some reading, can it be concluded that gunner training is basically an online-effective memory retaining version of First Aid? Both sources first and foremost are review sources and I agree they aren't meant to teach. But what I like the most about GT is the interface and I get to add notes and links of pics/youtube or kaplan clips/reference something to check out on a stuff that I do not understand for example so I can easily navigate and clarify my weaknesses. I think an online visual, quizzable interface in general facilitates my learning quite a lot. Yes I agree that GT doesn't teach, but neither does First Aid. At the same time, I do keep a set of background sources (ie.- pathoma, microcards) just to cover my initial bases.
I was wondering, is it a smart idea to annotate leftover tidbits from first aid and potentially lecture notes as well ONTO GT? Is GT that comprehensive because I hear so much of people who annotate lecture notes onto first aid, etc...and I was wondring if GT can simply suffice? I think what ultimately teaches is problems, whether that may be GT or problem books.
Thanks.
This might sound silly, but would it be fine to solely use GT as my source for well...everything??- board prep, classes (all i want to do is pass) and just annotate stuff...little by little I start realizing how I learn more from digital stuff i.e.- ackland anatomy and mich website or kaplan vids for embryo, shotgun histo + blue histo for histo stuff etc...this coupled with a buttload of problems were enough...
I think I've concluded that my style of learning is really effective when there is a reduction in redundancy (i.e.- using so many different sources all at once) and having as many visual references possible. I do like make references to pages in books or finding a google image for something.
What are your thoughts on such an approach?
Holy crap. Just pick a strategy based on your own trial and error already. No one can tell you if you will pass medical school using only GT. If you try GT and find that you fail your first test of second year, adapt and do something different.
I did 2 passes of Goljan audio along w/ 2nd year classes, w/ 2 more during the study period (while at the gym). This is great because he completely emphasizes the HOW and WHY of pathology, which is much more useful then trying to memorize his book, which was garbage IMO (except for the pictures, which I used along w/ the audio). As I explain later, understanding the how and the why is essential, as they love to ask questions about classic diseases but w/ a new twist that makes it very difficult to just memorize the answers.
I was putting together my resources for path and came across this, I'm curious what other GT users have thought of RR path. I have the book, but I've heard people to begin to say it's overly detailed and even some saying it's not worth it (as above). Would you guys recommend RR path during 2nd year? I'm already sold on Pathoma and will be using it, but it's hard to imagine not using RR path which so many swear by.
Hey GT users...
Is GT + FA enough for Biochem/Cell, Molecular Bio/Genetics?
I have not yet started solving question banks and so am not able to decide whether I will be needing another resource.
Also what book do you suggest for Genetics?
Will be helpful to know your opinions.
Thanks
Thank you @Jack
Could you possibly also tell me what you think about the following....
Anatomy GT+ FA +/- HY Gross Anat
Irk - great job keeping up the pace Glad qbanking is going so well for you. I agree that there doesn't seem to be enough time in a day...
loveoforganic - you've probably already figured this out, but the calendar is always in some state of flux. Once you push out more questions beyond the 30-90 day mark, your calendar for the next 30 days becomes increasingly more predictive of the actual number of questions you'll be doing per day.
How would you guys rate the Immunology section on GT with regards to using it for board review?...is it overkill and too detailed or is it fine? any feedback will be appreciated. thanks.
Definitely aware of the flux, was just wondering whether it got more or less fluxy as you progressed. Thanks!
If any of you guys further into want to comment on my plans for the summer, I welcome input.
I have 9 weeks of summer. For GT, I've currently knocked out biochem, the various phys sections, all the neuro I've been taught (some remaining path), and a third of pharm (just the concepts).
I'm planning to do the 1st lecture of pathoma asap and bank the relevant cards just to get the concepts engrained. Over the 1st 3.5 weeks, I'm going to work through Levinson microbio/immun (starting with the immun sections, and this works out to about 20ish pages a day working 6 days a week), banking the relevant cards as I go, along with 6 cards from 1st semester each day. For the remainder, I plan on watching 4 pathoma vids a week (not banking anything related to it, just going through it), and banking 6 new cards from 1st semester on vid watching days, 10 new cards from 1st semester on nonvid days.
That should get me through microbio/immun, anatomy, embryo, behavioral science, and psychiatry (except the pharm) with about 2.5 weeks left in the summer (and that's all I plan on banking until 2nd year starts up - will be about 60% banked).
Constructive criticism appreciated (including "it's too much" - I'll probably try it to test how it feels anyway, but will be more likely to change the workload if it starts to feel like too much to me).
Thanks in advance!
It sounds doable and really just comes down to how much you want to work. No one can tell you whether not it is too much. I know I wouldn't have been able to do it when all my friends were at the pool last summer, but it probably won't take more time than you study during the school year so if you think it is doable then it probably is.If any of you guys further into want to comment on my plans for the summer, I welcome input.
I have 9 weeks of summer. For GT, I've currently knocked out biochem, the various phys sections, all the neuro I've been taught (some remaining path), and a third of pharm (just the concepts).
I'm planning to do the 1st lecture of pathoma asap and bank the relevant cards just to get the concepts engrained. Over the 1st 3.5 weeks, I'm going to work through Levinson microbio/immun (starting with the immun sections, and this works out to about 20ish pages a day working 6 days a week), banking the relevant cards as I go, along with 6 cards from 1st semester each day. For the remainder, I plan on watching 4 pathoma vids a week (not banking anything related to it, just going through it), and banking 6 new cards from 1st semester on vid watching days, 10 new cards from 1st semester on nonvid days.
That should get me through microbio/immun, anatomy, embryo, behavioral science, and psychiatry (except the pharm) with about 2.5 weeks left in the summer (and that's all I plan on banking until 2nd year starts up - will be about 60% banked).
Constructive criticism appreciated (including "it's too much" - I'll probably try it to test how it feels anyway, but will be more likely to change the workload if it starts to feel like too much to me).
Thanks in advance!
Thank you all for the input. I am going to be doing research this summer, but without getting into the nitty gritty, I don't expect it to be anywhere near full time (although that is just the impression I've gathered, and another variable in whether or not I'll feel comfortable doing this stuff). It's also not the type of project I could take significant initiative on independent of the initiative of the PI due to the nature of the work. I will however be taking a gap year between 2nd and 3rd year to finish up a MPH and based on prior discussions with another PI, it looks reasonable for me to undertake some 1st author level work under her supervision during that time.
As far as not banking the micro stuff, after thinking about it a bit, I think that's really my primary goal (along with banking 1st semester stuff). I'm not sure it would hold much value to just read through it without the memorization aspect of the cards. If I decided what I set up is too much, I'll probably drop the pathoma videos and space micro out over the summer, along with the other banking
Thanks again
Hey thats awesome man, I think annotating FA + Levinson (some of the disease Path) to micro and referring some of the clinical stuff might be helpful...I've actually been annotating GT a ton..while its a baby notes box on the side, there's not going to be a ton to add. But in doing so, you won't have to pick up FA again and just stick to GT (why have the hassle of so much redundancy?) It would IDEALLY be sick if GT could just have the notes card appear while you do your questions so you can retain that added info as well.
Aside from that, maybe spending time adding review questions of USMLE type (kaplan, GT qbank) might be helpful to review while you do it and saving your errors. It lets you take a more board-application approach than just pure retention. I'm just assuming 2nd year will get hard and you'll be mad busy.
Also, could you PM me your thoughts on how you've integrated GT with Pathoma video only? I like your approach for the M1 summer and its something I'm planning on doing as well.
Thanks.
dude all FA is a book of information, i think its put up on a pedestal a bit too much. What really needs to be put on a pedestal is the actual process (methods of retention, annotating, other sources etc...) of information from first aid
dude all FA is a book of information, i think its put up on a pedestal a bit too much. What really needs to be put on a pedestal is the actual process (methods of retention, annotating, other sources etc...) of information from first aid
I'd say definitely do not read micro and not bank the cards with it. If anything, skip the reading and just get straight to reviewing and banking the micro cards. That is by far the largest section on GT and seemed to me to have sufficient detail on its own. I used the micro section of GT and nothing else to prepare for the bacteriology and fungal sections of micro at my school and passed the final just fine. If you can knock out micro this summer, then that's like 15% of GT right there...
I don't know if ditching First Aid is smart. It's readily considered the best preparation book by nearly every test taker.
Also, I found the thread you started amusing, saying GT > FA. Really? You have no expertise to offer such an opinion.
Oh wow, that would cut down big time on the time commitment. I definitely need to read the intro chapters of micro because frankly I have no sense of even gram+/-, but I'll try to get a feel for how much the text and cards overlap and consider dropping the text based on that. Thanks!
Jack - that's part of my rationale. First semester 2nd year is supposed to be dreadful - literally not enough hours in the day to learn a significant amount of the information - and I function much better psychologically when there's not a ton of crap I don't know, so it should hopefully ease that burden and free up some path time. As far as BRS, I'm doing a condensed 2.5 day read of it now for shelf and am planning on reading it along with corresponding modules 2nd year, so I'm not sure about doing it again over the summer. If I find I can't make time for the pathoma vids, it might be something I could see working in in place of it.
As far as FA, what I've personally decided to do is a compromise of cost and reward, like most things. I'm not going to use FA at all until dedicated study time. At either the very start of dedicated study time or at the very end of it (haven't decided), I'm planning on making a hardcore quick as I can pass through it. Even if it has less than GT and zero new information, it will be a condensed quick pass through everything that could possibly reintegrate the memorization from GT. I'm hoping 5 days or less to do it.
I won't have annotations or anything, which is definitely a loss (although small imo), but frankly I hate annotating. And I think simultaneously going through FA with GT and coursework etc is beneficial, the cost/benefit isn't there for me.
Anyway, this is as much or more a guessing game to me as everyone else, so I guess we'll see
Did 700 GT questions today thanks to stupid exams. It was a longday.
"Re: Step 2 YES! We are working on it as I type! We have about 15+ residents, students, residency directors, etc. working on it!
Since there is so much overlap between the two tests, we are going to have them be 1 program
but with the ability to filter out topics and questions that are only Step 1.
We are planning on releasing bits and pieces to current members as soon as possible (possibly next month!) Then, we aim to have the complete program ready to go by this September (2012 of course!)."
"We're also going to add hundreds of USMLE-like questions (sequential item sets w/ clinical vignettes, matching sets, etc.) for both Step 1 and Step 2.
So if we're like First Aid on Steroids now, we will soon be...
Like if FA and UWorld had a baby... and gave that baby steroids. Yea, that would be us. Soon guys! Thanks to all your great ideas! Keep em coming! We can't wait to show you what we're building (and we have a new and greatly improved platform on it's way too!)."
Brutal. I hate those long days of never ending GT questions. I messed up the past couple days and now I'm trying to figure out how to get caught back up along with everything else.
Awesome! I'm really interested to see what they have in store for us. As I said before though, I am quite nervous about the potential time commitment of GT along with long hours in the hospital.