Converting First Aid into Flash Cards: Waste of time?

[GreenShirt]

So during MS-I I set out to convert all of the FA systems we covered into flashcards. I didn't quite make that goal, but I'm wondering if I should try to convert at least the more difficult systems into flash cards during second year so that I can study of them during my board prep at the end of the year. Am I wasting my time re-copying the book? Is it a good investment? Would my time be better spent on a Qbank throughout the year?

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[SomeDoc]

Disclaimer: 2nd year here. That seems like a big amount of time spend with the mechanics of transcribing that could be used more towards solidifying material. But only you will know the true answer of whether it will be a good investment- are you a good learner with flashcards? Do you find following first aid's format inefficient? (2005 and earlier versions are topic based as opposed to systems) Overall, it will depend on you knowing if you'll be more efficient overall post-transcription learning from flashcards or from first aid. Doing a Q bank now may be a bit early, although it might work for you. You could save the qbank for a timeframe which is closer towards the test date, after getting foundations down. Qbanks and practice tests w/ explanations are extremely helpful for solidifying info after the foundations have been taken care of. Absolutely consider your personal learning style, and the big picture as it pertains to responses in this thread, as this is just my opinion- i'm sure others may have varying opinions.

 

[UditNarayan]

Disclaimer: I did not like FA. As the above poster mentioned, the bottom line is what can you do to really learn the material? If the answer to that is through making flashcards and reviewing them, then perhaps you could do it. Just the process of writing the flashcards would have gotten me nowhere because I don't learn best from that...I know some other SDN'ers have been successful with flashcards but it certainly seemed like it fit their learning style. Also, don't expect that FA has all the answers - for my test, it wasn't even close and I am glad that I didn't spend much time on that resource and instead had drilled the goljan book into my head. PM me if you have any questions!

 

[ZonaRidicularis]

z

 

[GreenShirt]

Thanks for the responses! I probably should have called this thread "How the heck do you tackle FA!?". So many posts discuss the importance of reading FA cover to cover as an integral part of the Board review process. Since the book is a very bare bones outline, I'm not sure what people mean when they say "read it". Should you approach it more as a check list? Look at a box, decide if you know it...if not go look that info up in another book?

Since my school was system based with an NBME following each exam, I found it helpful to reference FA throughout the first year. I made FA flashcards for neuro and studied of them exclusively for the NBME and got my highest score. The method produced results but it was time consuming (I spent almost my entire winter break making them). I'm looking for a more efficient way to use the book.

So I ask: How do you SDNers use First Aid? Tips, suggestions, study methods appreciated!!!

 

[GMDMD]

COLOSSAL waste of time.

I wouldn't recommend doing a qbank throughout the year. 2nd year should be spent learning 2nd year material. Get the concepts ingrained into your head so that you can easily "relearn" it come boards time. Any studying you do 8+ weeks before hard-core board review will have faded into the collective mass of knowledge you long ago learned and forgot 20+ weeks before board review.

Believe me, I am not 7 or 8 weeks past my test date and most of that prep and minutiae has long been forgotten. I wouldn't do any serious studying before Spring break at the earliest. You get diminishing returns on your effort.

 

[Man In White]

This is how one Kaplan prof explained FA, and I liked it:

FA IS a big book of flashcards. You shouldn't be learning much new material from it - there are almost no explanations, just random factoids. You learn from other sources throughout 1st and 2nd years (and qbanks), and FA is there to jog your memory. When you read FA you should be thinking "Oh, yeah, I remember this from X course," and move on.

By the end of your Step 1 studies FA should be trivial.

 

[HunterGatherer]

It's already been done.

get supermemo for the palm then go to Univ of Utah website in the USMLE section

 

[GreenShirt]

It's already been done.

get supermemo for the palm then go to Univ of Utah website in the USMLE section

Arrrggg! I knew it would be so...but I don't have a palm yet! Maybe that should be on my holiday wish list....

 

[UCLAstudent]

I only did it for the drugs and it was marginally useful.

 

[HunterGatherer]

check out the "Recall" series. Not everyone likes it but look at them in your local bookstore, borrow them from the library, etc. before you buy. They are not flash cards but you could cover up part of the page so you dont see the answers. I liked Recall Microbiology. The books are in question-answer format and best used after having studying the material from another source. For a preview click on the preview link at Amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.com/Microbiology-...UTF8&coliid=I3D02MWCRCNG6U&colid=AHBKKKZZ6J2O

 

[jey2283]

Don't waste your time converting that stuff to flash cards (especailly since there are a lot of errors). Read it a couple of times if u have time. Read goljan rapid review path. read his 100 page high yield. Test ur self with an nbme. that is all.

 

[Herbiehancock12]

Check out this:

http://www.flashcardexchange.com/user/view/312120

 

[plainfacts]

Check out this:

http://www.flashcardexchange.com/user/view/312120

Wow. Thanks.😱

 

[-Goose-]

Jessus Chrrist don't do this.

Please.

 

[yadayadadude]

I made a flashcard out of every single fact in FA that seemed non-obvious to me. I ended up devoting the bulk of my Step 1 study time to this ... it took forever. I had thousands of flashcards when I finished. I got 246/99, which I was happy with. I'd say the flashcards were a useful endeavor, but probably not totally worth it. I mean, they were useful, but damn ... what a pain.

 

[plainfacts]

I made a flashcard out of every single fact in FA that seemed non-obvious to me. I ended up devoting the bulk of my Step 1 study time to this ... it took forever. I had thousands of flashcards when I finished. I got 246/99, which I was happy with. I'd say the flashcards were a useful endeavor, but probably not totally worth it. I mean, they were useful, but damn ... what a pain.

How do you feel when you see the link that was just posted

 

[yadayadadude]

How do you feel when you see the link that was just posted?

Well, I pretty much already feel like it was a lame strategy. But there was probably some utility in making the flashcards myself, painful as it was. And like I said, I'm happy with my score -- although it's not particularly impressive by SDN standards -- so I guess it's fine. Step 1 is far enough in my past that I can't get too worked up about it at this point.

But yah ... I probably could have come up with a Step 1 study plan that was less painful. No doubt.

 

[IndyZX]

did it for every drug in FA. turned out to be one of my better sections.

 

[Instatewaiter]

I did it for the drugs (FA was my primary source) and the side effects of drugs. I started making the cards a few weeks before board studying and did them while watching TV.

It took a boat load of time but it saved me a ton of time during board study and allowed me to go through the drugs an extra time or two.

I would recommend it only for the drugs.

 

[Hurricane95]

That's a ginormous waste of time...seriously. Focus first of all on learning the material in your classes well. If you do, when it comes time to seriously study hard, it will come back to you. I found first aid to be helpful in the 4 months before the exam. Not really before. I did all the usmle world question bank and annotated it in to my first aid to make one massive step 1 bible and supplemented that with several books I thought were really good, rapid review path, brs physio and BS, etc.