Annotate first aid during m1 then purchase newest edition after m2?

[LiamNeesons]

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For anyone who is annotating in first aid during med school..

Are you going to purchase the latest edition after m2?

 

[John Lannister]

For anyone who is annotating in first aid during med school..

Are you going to purchase the latest edition after m2?

Buy the new one the year you take the exam.

Focus on classes during M1. Won't help your score at all if you use that book during M1.

 

[JP2740]

For anyone who is annotating in first aid during med school..

Are you going to purchase the latest edition after m2?

😕

 

[Hemichordate]

For anyone who is annotating in first aid during med school..

Are you going to purchase the latest edition after m2?

So what's the point of annotating in the first one?

 

[LiamNeesons]

Buy the new one the year you take the exam.

Focus on classes during M1. Won't help your score at all if you use that book during M1.

My school will be systems based, covering each system only once over two years.

 

[John Lannister]

My school will be systems based, covering each system only once over two years.

Still, I would wait until 6 months out.

But I guess it wouldn't be quite as bad in systems.

Just learning everything well will be fine.

 

[Didierdrogba]

My school will be systems based, covering each system only once over two years.

But the problem is First Aid is not in depth enough for what they teach in class (I have a systems based curriculum too). If you were to annotate, you'd be writing in all margins available in the book and still not enough. Just FYI

 

[NickNaylor]

I somehow managed to buy 3 copies of FA over the course of the pre-clinical years 🙂confused🙂, so I don't think there's anything intrinsically wrong with switching editions. I don't think annotating during class is necessarily the best idea. It's impossible to say what is worth annotating and what isn't as a M1. As others mentioned, you risk overannotating, making your notes useless.

Personally I would hold off on annotations until you start dedicated studying. At that point you can add in details that are unclear to you THEN (vs. one year ago) and you'll likely have a better idea as to what is worthy of your time and important and what isn't.

 

[Kaustikos]

I somehow managed to buy 3 copies of FA over the course of the pre-clinical years 🙂confused🙂, so I don't think there's anything intrinsically wrong with switching editions. I don't think annotating during class is necessarily the best idea. It's impossible to say what is worth annotating and what isn't as a M1. As others mentioned, you risk overannotating, making your notes useless.

Personally I would hold off on annotations until you start dedicated studying. At that point you can add in details that are unclear to you THEN (vs. one year ago) and you'll likely have a better idea as to what is worthy of your time and important and what isn't.

I was in the same boat (Bought different editions each year). But I did also annotate things in the books edition by edition. My reasons -

Mistakes - Be prepared to realize that First Aid WILL make mistakes. It is up to you to find them or check the site for updates.

High Yield info not covered as in depth - I think this is where Nick is probably going to disagree with me because it IS difficult to annotate what you think is high yield. I'll just say that my only annotations came from Step Up to Medicine. There was information in cardio/pulm/renal that I thought was just helpful not just for boards but in general, so I annotated it in First Aid, just in case. But by second year, you develop a six sense of what you think is important. There's also the fact that you'll be annotating like crazy while doing uworld questions. So, I'll agree that I wouldn't annotate what's said in class. I'd only annotate if you find something useful from another textbook.... I also got the Step Up First Aid which had some helpful info I didn't see in First Aid - toxicology of certain drugs.


Uworld - Buy the newest edition and just be prepared to annotate with every question set.

But the problem is First Aid is not in depth enough for what they teach in class (I have a systems based curriculum too). If you were to annotate, you'd be writing in all margins available in the book and still not enough. Just FYI

I agree. I rarely used first aid for any exams in class... mostly content review. I used First Aid for shelf exams which was kind of helpful, but never for exams during classes. I'd say stick to BRS if anything.

 

[LiamNeesons]

So, I'll agree that I wouldn't annotate what's said in class. I'd only annotate if you find something useful from another textbook....

Agreed. Thanks guys.

 

[Dr Dazzle]

Isn't the point of first aid to provide structure to your preclinicals so you know what's important from years 1 and 2?

Perhaps a better approach is to work hard during the semester and take some time over breaks to structure your knowledge based on first aid?

I would hate to take dedicated studying time for annotation rather than uworld or other q-banks.

 

[rollelephants]

I found that most of the stuff i annotated from first and second years were ******ed when i ended up studying for the step. I'd see stuff i wrote and be like "why the hell did i feel the need to write that down", or "that is way too detailed and in will no way be on the step". annotate from practice questions

 

[John Lannister]

I found that most of the stuff i annotated from first and second years were ******ed when i ended up studying for the step. I'd see stuff i wrote and be like "why the hell did i feel the need to write that down", or "that is way too detailed and in will no way be on the step". annotate from practice questions

Me too. That's why I said don't do it.

 

[John Lannister]

Isn't the point of first aid to provide structure to your preclinicals so you know what's important from years 1 and 2?

Perhaps a better approach is to work hard during the semester and take some time over breaks to structure your knowledge based on first aid?

I would hate to take dedicated studying time for annotation rather than uworld or other q-banks.

In all reality, it's not going to make much of a difference. Do whatever you want.

Once you get into the final 1-3 months, that's crunch time and that's when it matters. Think of it like a football game. Yeah, you can play really well during the 1st and 2nd quarter, but the game will be won based on how you execute at the end.

 

[Kaustikos]

Isn't the point of first aid to provide structure to your preclinicals so you know what's important from years 1 and 2?

Perhaps a better approach is to work hard during the semester and take some time over breaks to structure your knowledge based on first aid?

I would hate to take dedicated studying time for annotation rather than uworld or other q-banks.

I hate to say this...but you're a pre-med. You don't understand/haven't gotten to the point of studying for Step 1.

First Aid is to provide the high yield information needed for Step 1, not classes. Classes use shelf exams which are considerably different than what's in your First Aid. Annotating WILL happen in First Aid. Even during uworld/qbank questions. Wait until you start studying for Step 1 and then see what I mean.

 

[Dr Dazzle]

I hate to say this...but you're a pre-med. You don't understand/haven't gotten to the point of studying for Step 1.

First Aid is to provide the high yield information needed for Step 1, not classes. Classes use shelf exams which are considerably different than what's in your First Aid. Annotating WILL happen in First Aid. Even during uworld/qbank questions. Wait until you start studying for Step 1 and then see what I mean.

Yes, but I have taken courses with med students. When do most students start doing q-banks? I saw some med students doing them even during first year along with using first aid. Seems to me it's a good approach which helps with retention. But it's pretty time consuming. Shelf exams are boards style questions no?

 

[John Lannister]

Yes, but I have taken courses with med students. When do most students start doing q-banks? I saw some med students doing them even during first year along with using first aid. Seems to me it's a good approach which helps with retention. But it's pretty time consuming. Shelf exams are boards style questions no?

If you are in systems curriculum then it makes sense.

Best to shut your mouth though if you're a pre-med.

 

[Dr Dazzle]

If you are in systems curriculum then it makes sense.

Best to shut your mouth though if you're a pre-med.

Was professionalism not a part of the process of getting into your medical school?

 

[Wordead]

Was professionalism not a part of the process of getting into your medical school?

Tell him what a bad doctor he's going to be.

+You hope you never work with someone like him.

Maybe a Hitler reference to round it out.

 

[alpinism]

I found that most of the stuff i annotated from first and second years were ******ed when i ended up studying for the step. I'd see stuff i wrote and be like "why the hell did i feel the need to write that down", or "that is way too detailed and in will no way be on the step". annotate from practice questions

Yep. I would just focus on BRS if anything during M1.

 

[gettheleadout]

Best to shut your mouth though if you're a pre-med.

Charming.

 

[YankyDoodle]

tell him what a bad doctor he's going to be.

+you hope you never work with someone like him.

rofl

 

[John Lannister]

Was professionalism not a part of the process of getting into your medical school?

Sure it was. I did very well.

Look, rookies don't give advice to veterans. They come in and learn how things work. They listen. They pay attention.

You can't really understand as a pre-med or even as an M1. Once you hit M2,M3 + beyond and realize how little we all know, you will start listening more and only offering advice when you have something useful to add. HINT: someone who has not lived one day as a med student shouldn't advise med students how to study for boards. I do understand though most accepted pre-meds are high on life - so this thing tends to occur annually around now.

 

[Dr Dazzle]

Sure it was. I did very well.

Look, rookies don't give advice to veterans. They come in and learn how things work. They listen. They pay attention.

You can't really understand as a pre-med or even as an M1. Once you hit M2,M3 + beyond and realize how little we all know, you will start listening more and only offering advice when you have something useful to add. HINT: someone who has never been in medical school shouldn't advise med students how to study for boards.

If you go back, you will notice that I was asking questions and clarifying points that others had stated. I wasn't offering advice.

 

[Kaustikos]

Yes, but I have taken courses with med students. When do most students start doing q-banks? I saw some med students doing them even during first year along with using first aid. Seems to me it's a good approach which helps with retention. But it's pretty time consuming. Shelf exams are boards style questions no?

A) Doing qbanks first year is a waste of your time and money. You don't know anything/near enough to even pass the questions. And then you're out of questions that you could've gotten for second year. You're not supposed to do qbanks first year. qbank is a test of your knowledge BEFORE step 1 of SECOND year. Why waste those questions? You're supposed to use those to see if you still understand the concepts while studying for boards second semester of MS2. I'd hate to review micro/immuno/biochem and find out I used up all those questions first year.

B) Shelf exams are board style questions. That's my point. You have a glimpse of what you know for those classes after taking them. You're wasting qbank questions when you have a cumulative final that does just that. If you're doing well with shelf exams at the end of each class, then you shouldn't worry. My shelf exams (aside from clinical medicine) have been pretty much a self-satisfaction that I am understanding the concepts.

C) Taking med school classes in undergrad is a great advantage, yes, but what classes are you taking? First year? There's a significant difference between first year classes and second year classes. I know; I've been there. There is a connection you develop between the normal physiology, pathophysiology, pharmacology and clinical medicine that you just don't get first year. First year pretty much spoon-feeds you when they ask path questions. Second year acknowledges/expects you to know the physiology and apply it to diseases. And not in the way you see it first year. When you go from 50-60 question exams to clinical medicine exams which are 125 questions/subject, you'll see what I mean. You have very little time to think about the concepts and apply it. You know the physiology and should be able to instantly derive the path and figure out what's going on in 30 seconds to 1 minute.

D) I'm not being mean, I'm just being realistic. I didn't adjust well to second year because of the disconnect. I went from being able to cram/ace exams first year to struggling with what was taught second year. Why? Because first year taught subjects I didn't have to struggle with because of my background. Move to second year and it's different. You'll understand and also realize why second year is more fun/interesting. Last year it was boring talks about how things work. This year you're applying it and making a connection to diseases so when you talk with friends, you're more comfortable with symptoms and pathology.

 

[Kaustikos]

Charming.

Dude, seriously. It is annoying having pre-meds come on here trying to get into conversations about stuff they don't know. I never came in Allo when I was pre-med. I stayed out because this wasn't a subject I should discuss.

I know you're a mod, but this isn't pre-allo. First years asking this question is understandable because we get to tell them what's up.

If you go back, you will notice that I was asking questions and clarifying points that others had stated. I wasn't offering advice.

Like I said; I did annotate. But I didn't use classroom material. I used other books to clarify points not elaborated on or things I didn't really understand. Pre-meds/Ms1 need to calm down about boards because you're not gaining an edge stressing out about it during that time. Focus on first year and getting comfortable with that material. You won't forget the material, it's in there. And shelf exams are supposed to show that. This gunner attitude you use during the year is one of the many reasons people burn out. The better approach (ESPECIALLY during summer between ms1/ms2) is to go work in a hospital. Or volunteer. Medical School's usually offer summer internships for people to get an idea of how things work. They treat medical students better than pre-meds and actually allow them more privileges. Don't waste your time cramming this info like you're going to fail if you don't. Why? Because second year does that. People think "Oh god, I need to review micro/immuno!" No, you don't. Second year does that and expands on it so you feel more comfortable with the material. I don't see the point of studying before second year. I stressed about it a bit during winter break of ms2 because of anatomy. But it wasn't bad when I studied/reviewed for step 1.

If I had to do this all over again and wanted to study during summer I'd read step-up to medicine. It talks about diseases in a clinical sense and the symptoms associated with it.

 

[tiedyeddog]

A) Doing qbanks first year is a waste of your time and money. You don't know anything/near enough to even pass the questions. And then you're out of questions that you could've gotten for second year. You're not supposed to do qbanks first year. qbank is a test of your knowledge BEFORE step 1 of SECOND year. Why waste those questions? You're supposed to use those to see if you still understand the concepts while studying for boards second semester of MS2. I'd hate to review micro/immuno/biochem and find out I used up all those questions first year.

B) Shelf exams are board style questions. That's my point. You have a glimpse of what you know for those classes after taking them. You're wasting qbank questions when you have a cumulative final that does just that. If you're doing well with shelf exams at the end of each class, then you shouldn't worry. My shelf exams (aside from clinical medicine) have been pretty much a self-satisfaction that I am understanding the concepts.

C) Taking med school classes in undergrad is a great advantage, yes, but what classes are you taking? First year? There's a significant difference between first year classes and second year classes. I know; I've been there. There is a connection you develop between the normal physiology, pathophysiology, pharmacology and clinical medicine that you just don't get first year. First year pretty much spoon-feeds you when they ask path questions. Second year acknowledges/expects you to know the physiology and apply it to diseases. And not in the way you see it first year. When you go from 50-60 question exams to clinical medicine exams which are 125 questions/subject, you'll see what I mean. You have very little time to think about the concepts and apply it. You know the physiology and should be able to instantly derive the path and figure out what's going on in 30 seconds to 1 minute.

D) I'm not being mean, I'm just being realistic. I didn't adjust well to second year because of the disconnect. I went from being able to cram/ace exams first year to struggling with what was taught second year. Why? Because first year taught subjects I didn't have to struggle with because of my background. Move to second year and it's different. You'll understand and also realize why second year is more fun/interesting. Last year it was boring talks about how things work. This year you're applying it and making a connection to diseases so when you talk with friends, you're more comfortable with symptoms and pathology.

Totally agree with everything. I myself had trouble with 2nd year.

I bought the Kaplan Qbank during second year. If I could go back, I wouldn't have bought it and I would have instead jsut studied harder for my classes. That Qbank sucks, it didn't help me in classes nor has it helped me for step 1 studying.

I would advise you to look for step 1 during M1 but don't annote it. Save writing in it for USMLErx or UW.

 

[DrEnderW]

Kaustikos, I appreciate reading your responses but your avatar makes it exceedingly difficult to view them at work.

I've learned that middle-aged Russian senior scientists won't believe you're browsing "medical" forums

 

[Dr Dazzle]

A) Doing qbanks first year is a waste of your time and money. You don't know anything/near enough to even pass the questions. And then you're out of questions that you could've gotten for second year. You're not supposed to do qbanks first year. qbank is a test of your knowledge BEFORE step 1 of SECOND year. Why waste those questions? You're supposed to use those to see if you still understand the concepts while studying for boards second semester of MS2. I'd hate to review micro/immuno/biochem and find out I used up all those questions first year.

B) Shelf exams are board style questions. That's my point. You have a glimpse of what you know for those classes after taking them. You're wasting qbank questions when you have a cumulative final that does just that. If you're doing well with shelf exams at the end of each class, then you shouldn't worry. My shelf exams (aside from clinical medicine) have been pretty much a self-satisfaction that I am understanding the concepts.

C) Taking med school classes in undergrad is a great advantage, yes, but what classes are you taking? First year? There's a significant difference between first year classes and second year classes. I know; I've been there. There is a connection you develop between the normal physiology, pathophysiology, pharmacology and clinical medicine that you just don't get first year. First year pretty much spoon-feeds you when they ask path questions. Second year acknowledges/expects you to know the physiology and apply it to diseases. And not in the way you see it first year. When you go from 50-60 question exams to clinical medicine exams which are 125 questions/subject, you'll see what I mean. You have very little time to think about the concepts and apply it. You know the physiology and should be able to instantly derive the path and figure out what's going on in 30 seconds to 1 minute.

D) I'm not being mean, I'm just being realistic. I didn't adjust well to second year because of the disconnect. I went from being able to cram/ace exams first year to struggling with what was taught second year. Why? Because first year taught subjects I didn't have to struggle with because of my background. Move to second year and it's different. You'll understand and also realize why second year is more fun/interesting. Last year it was boring talks about how things work. This year you're applying it and making a connection to diseases so when you talk with friends, you're more comfortable with symptoms and pathology.

Thanks for your thorough response!

 

[gettheleadout]

Dude, seriously. It is annoying having pre-meds come on here trying to get into conversations about stuff they don't know. I never came in Allo when I was pre-med. I stayed out because this wasn't a subject I should discuss.

I know you're a mod, but this isn't pre-allo. First years asking this question is understandable because we get to tell them what's up.

I sympathize 100%, it was just his tone I was referring to.

 

[John Lannister]

Dude, seriously. It is annoying having pre-meds come on here trying to get into conversations about stuff they don't know. I never came in Allo when I was pre-med. I stayed out because this wasn't a subject I should discuss.

I know you're a mod, but this isn't pre-allo. First years asking this question is understandable because we get to tell them what's up.



Like I said; I did annotate. But I didn't use classroom material. I used other books to clarify points not elaborated on or things I didn't really understand. Pre-meds/Ms1 need to calm down about boards because you're not gaining an edge stressing out about it during that time. Focus on first year and getting comfortable with that material. You won't forget the material, it's in there. And shelf exams are supposed to show that. This gunner attitude you use during the year is one of the many reasons people burn out. The better approach (ESPECIALLY during summer between ms1/ms2) is to go work in a hospital. Or volunteer. Medical School's usually offer summer internships for people to get an idea of how things work. They treat medical students better than pre-meds and actually allow them more privileges. Don't waste your time cramming this info like you're going to fail if you don't. Why? Because second year does that. People think "Oh god, I need to review micro/immuno!" No, you don't. Second year does that and expands on it so you feel more comfortable with the material. I don't see the point of studying before second year. I stressed about it a bit during winter break of ms2 because of anatomy. But it wasn't bad when I studied/reviewed for step 1.

If I had to do this all over again and wanted to study during summer I'd read step-up to medicine. It talks about diseases in a clinical sense and the symptoms associated with it.

👍 Also love Step Up.

I think good advice is out there - pre-meds can decide to listen or not. Good luck.

 

[John Lannister]

nm.

 

[yehhhboiii]

Tell him what a bad doctor he's going to be.

+You hope you never work with someone like him.

Maybe a Hitler reference to round it out.

hilarious

 

[Kaustikos]

I sympathize 100%, it was just his tone I was referring to.

Touche. Now, why am I not a mod?*


*Obviously because everyone of you mods knows me and wouldn't even consider it.

 

[tobi44]

I think you can use FA during first year. Just use it as a supplement to your classes. Like someone said earlier in this thread, your classes are going to go much more in depth then First Aid.

Just make sure you understand everything written in First Aid to the point that you memorize it. You might have 15 pages of info about breast cancer from your school lecture, but just make sure you have the page in First Aid burned in your memory. Then go ahead and memorize those 15 pages from lecture for your school exam. Long after you've forgotten the details of those 15 pages, keep a hold on that page from first aid.

I de-bound my first aid and put it in a binder. I'm going through the system page by page, inserting college ruled paper and essentially adding in mnemonics or word associations on every page so that I can recall all the important details.

Looking back on it, I wish I would have done that so that when I started my dedicated study time I could just focus on qbanks instead of reviewing all this old stuff. But I guess I can't be too hard on myself, it wasn't till I started my dedicated study time that I understood what strategy I needed to learn first aid.

 

[chronicidal]

A) Doing qbanks first year is a waste of your time and money. You don't know anything/near enough to even pass the questions. And then you're out of questions that you could've gotten for second year. You're not supposed to do qbanks first year. qbank is a test of your knowledge BEFORE step 1 of SECOND year. Why waste those questions? You're supposed to use those to see if you still understand the concepts while studying for boards second semester of MS2. I'd hate to review micro/immuno/biochem and find out I used up all those questions first year.

1) Re: not having the knowledge base. You do know enough to answer ("pass") the questions for many subjects. In fact, there are many topics that are ONLY covered in the first year. Think anatomy, biochem, and whatever else depending on your curriculum.

2) Re: wasting/running out of questions. A) You forget material exponentially with time. You'll probably forget the specific wording of questions if you don't review it repeatedly. B) Many people view the UWorld qbank as a learning resource, not a test of knowledge. The UWorld self-assessments are meant to be a test of knowledge. NBME CBSSAs are epitomize pure test of knowledge because they don't give you detailed feedback. C) Some people, as part of their Step 1 study strategy, do UWorld 2x or even 3x until their scores are >80%. Starting this process earlier, in select subjects, can only help. D) Testing yourself with difficult questions is the best way to consolidate your memories and increase retention. Qbanks offer difficult questions. E) Qbank questions are sometimes uncannily similar to the questions you will encounter on the real Step 1. If you're able to remember these questions, it will benefit your score to do them. Doing them twice, with adequate spacing in between, will improve your retention and recall on test day compared to cramming all 3000 UWorld questions once in the month prior.

B) Shelf exams are board style questions. That's my point. You have a glimpse of what you know for those classes after taking them. You're wasting qbank questions when you have a cumulative final that does just that. If you're doing well with shelf exams at the end of each class, then you shouldn't worry. My shelf exams (aside from clinical medicine) have been pretty much a self-satisfaction that I am understanding the concepts.

Shelf exams, like all NBME products, only give you a glimpse and do not give adequate feedback/explanations. I agree if you're doing well on shelfs (as in, in the range that corresponds to what your target Step 1 score is), then you shouldn't concern yourself too much with supplementing that with even more studying via qbanks. However, I do see value in taking some time (like a few hours a month) to do questions on subjects in past courses throughout the year in order to maintain your memory of that knowledge, which decays exponentially.

C) Taking med school classes in undergrad is a great advantage, yes, but what classes are you taking? First year? There's a significant difference between first year classes and second year classes. I know; I've been there. There is a connection you develop between the normal physiology, pathophysiology, pharmacology and clinical medicine that you just don't get first year. First year pretty much spoon-feeds you when they ask path questions. Second year acknowledges/expects you to know the physiology and apply it to diseases. And not in the way you see it first year. When you go from 50-60 question exams to clinical medicine exams which are 125 questions/subject, you'll see what I mean. You have very little time to think about the concepts and apply it. You know the physiology and should be able to instantly derive the path and figure out what's going on in 30 seconds to 1 minute.

D) I'm not being mean, I'm just being realistic. I didn't adjust well to second year because of the disconnect. I went from being able to cram/ace exams first year to struggling with what was taught second year. Why? Because first year taught subjects I didn't have to struggle with because of my background. Move to second year and it's different. You'll understand and also realize why second year is more fun/interesting. Last year it was boring talks about how things work. This year you're applying it and making a connection to diseases so when you talk with friends, you're more comfortable with symptoms and pathology.

Preclinical medical education sucks, doesn't it? If only some schools could restructure their curricula from normal-abnormal to systems-based!

 

[D elegans]

Honestly, as an M2 with Step 1 now approaching very quickly, I wish I could go back in time and never have heard about Step 1 until 2nd year. There is absolutely nothing you can specifically do first year to prepare for it. The only thing that will help you eventually on Step 1 is to work hard your first year and learn things well that are presented to you. Do not think about Step 1 until 2nd year

You will look back and laugh at yourself if you try to do anything for Step 1 as an M1, I promise. I know you think you're special (everyone does), but you aren't. I say that not to be mean but hopefully to get through to you.

 

[Slack3r]

I think it's pretty safe to assume stuff that shows up in lecture, in BRS (or whatever topic specific review book), and First Aid is probably worth paying extra attention to.

FWIW, I thought First Aid was useless during first year, but definitely used other board prep materials (BRS Physio, HY Neuro, etc.) during classes.

 

[Kaustikos]

1) Re: not having the knowledge base. You do know enough to answer ("pass") the questions for many subjects. In fact, there are many topics that are ONLY covered in the first year. Think anatomy, biochem, and whatever else depending on your curriculum.

I agree wholeheartedly that some subjects are only in the beginning. Which is why I'd rather wait to do Uworld until I start reviewing/studying for boards to get an idea of what I suck at.

2) Re: wasting/running out of questions. A) You forget material exponentially with time. You'll probably forget the specific wording of questions if you don't review it repeatedly. B) Many people view the UWorld qbank as a learning resource, not a test of knowledge. The UWorld self-assessments are meant to be a test of knowledge. NBME CBSSAs are epitomize pure test of knowledge because they don't give you detailed feedback. C) Some people, as part of their Step 1 study strategy, do UWorld 2x or even 3x until their scores are >80%. Starting this process earlier, in select subjects, can only help. D) Testing yourself with difficult questions is the best way to consolidate your memories and increase retention. Qbanks offer difficult questions. E) Qbank questions are sometimes uncannily similar to the questions you will encounter on the real Step 1. If you're able to remember these questions, it will benefit your score to do them. Doing them twice, with adequate spacing in between, will improve your retention and recall on test day compared to cramming all 3000 UWorld questions once in the month prior.

True. I guess I'd never been told to do Uworld multiple times. With that in mind, it does sorta argue against my idea. But I've found that the information I learned last year hasn't disappeared, it just hasn't had any real use in second year until boards. But the also nice thing is that taking genetics second semester of this year brought a lot of biochem back. So I see your point, but I just think that UWorld isn't your only option for studying first year... and that it's good material to wait until second year.

Shelf exams, like all NBME products, only give you a glimpse and do not give adequate feedback/explanations. I agree if you're doing well on shelfs (as in, in the range that corresponds to what your target Step 1 score is), then you shouldn't concern yourself too much with supplementing that with even more studying via qbanks. However, I do see value in taking some time (like a few hours a month) to do questions on subjects in past courses throughout the year in order to maintain your memory of that knowledge, which decays exponentially.

Though it may be true, I find that taking the summer to do clinical things seems like more of an advantage for second year. You're getting a background on things you need/should know for second year so it's not as stressful. I had the misfortune of suffering an injury which rendered me completely useless that summer so I couldn't do anything. How I wish I'd taken some time to do rotations at hospitals here so some of the things wouldn't of sounded so foreign. And I guess I'm not arguing that doing questions during SECOND year isn't bad, it just seems more wise to wait until after first year is done.

Preclinical medical education sucks, doesn't it? If only some schools could restructure their curricula from normal-abnormal to systems-based!

Well, that seems like an area I can't touch upon. I didn't do systems-based so I can't say what value there is in doing that. I can say that there are definite weaknesses in normal-abnormal curriculum. I feel as though doing certain courses as only one semester really hampers the knowledge you could get. Physiology shouldn't be one semester but instead be taught over a year. Neuro should be combined with anatomy over a year. But then I don't know how other people do it. We had anatomy over one semester and it was just brutal/stressful for me. Given I'd never (NEVER) taken an anatomy course in my life, I was completely overwhelmed with the material. I dunno if it's my fault for never haven taken it before, but I hear some students have anatomy over the course of a year and it seems more beneficial.

In the end; I do see your points and I can kinda agree with you. But I guess my idea is that it's better to focus on strengthening your knowledge in first year classes and dealing with shelf exams. And I absolutely HATE that we cannot review the shelf exams. Or at least get a rundown of what subjects we missed the most questions on.

 

[chronicidal]

In the end; I do see your points and I can kinda agree with you. But I guess my idea is that it's better to focus on strengthening your knowledge in first year classes and dealing with shelf exams. And I absolutely HATE that we cannot review the shelf exams. Or at least get a rundown of what subjects we missed the most questions on.

Good to hear. Although I'll note that many schools, like mine, do not use any shelfs for preclinical classes. So tough luck to those students who want boards-style questions.