Firecracker too early for M1

[allojay]

Hello Everyone,

I'm starting M1 in the fall and I've been doing a lot of research on the 'essentials' for M1 and M2 and prepping for step 1. I know it's too early, but it doesn't hurt to think ahead. For all you M1's and M2's out there, what's your general opinion on Firecracker? Especially using it from the start of M1. I know many people start start at during the latter part of M1, but is it detrimental to start from day one of med school?

Thanks in advance everyone who shares and I know this has been discussed countless times (as I've done my research) but I wanted a more current view on how all of you perceive Firecracker. Good day!

Feel free to add any tips or stickies that you may have for getting through med school. Thanks again

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[Brain Bucket]

You might try the firecracker thread which was last updated yesterday.

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[allojay]

You might try the firecracker thread which was last updated yesterday.

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Thanks!! I'll try to find it. I'm fairly new on SDN.

 

[Brain Bucket]

Thanks!! I'll try to find it. I'm fairly new on SDN.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/index.php?threads/929275/

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[allojay]

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/index.php?threads/929275/

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Appreciate it!

 

[JJMrK]

Some people love it, as you can see by the thread. Personally, I found it was OK for fact memorization, but not adequate preparation for exam style questions. I was more efficient memorizing facts on my own time, and then had plenty of time for question banks or supplemental sources. Stopped using it after a month or so. Having said that, if you want to give it a shot it's not going to hurt, and it may work for you.

 

[mcloaf]

I've been using it since M1 started and I like it a lot. It may start to be more of a burden during M2. There's lots of helpful info about it in the Step 1 forums linked above.

 

[DrEnderW]

I highly recommend trying the free trial and judging for yourself. I started using it at the beginning of 2nd semester M1 and wish I did it from day 1.

As others have said, I don't like it as a tool for learning new info and memorizing new facts. However, it's excellent to keep you fresh on old concepts. Additionally, it showed me some weak areas or some minor subjects not elaborated on in my course material. As you will see in the thread that was provided to you, the rewards only come when you are dedicated to FC essentially daily.

 

[HLxDrummer]

I would start ASAP. It will make it much easier second year. You won't be trying to bank first year stuff, second year stuff, study, and do UWorld. It will also make second year easier because you will remember first years stuff. Trust me, if you are going to do FC start it early - it sucks trying to cram it all in second year.

 

[ulikedaggers]

Hello Everyone,

I'm starting M1 in the fall and I've been doing a lot of research on the 'essentials' for M1 and M2 and prepping for step 1. I know it's too early, but it doesn't hurt to think ahead. For all you M1's and M2's out there, what's your general opinion on Firecracker? Especially using it from the start of M1. I know many people start start at during the latter part of M1, but is it detrimental to start from day one of med school?

Thanks in advance everyone who shares and I know this has been discussed countless times (as I've done my research) but I wanted a more current view on how all of you perceive Firecracker. Good day!

Feel free to add any tips or stickies that you may have for getting through med school. Thanks again

It's detrimental if you don't have adequate time management skills. It's especially detrimental if your curriculum is not P/F and tests on a lot of non-board related minutiae.

That said, I wish I had started sooner (I started second semester M1).

 

[madchemist89]

It's detrimental if you don't have adequate time management skills. It's especially detrimental if your curriculum is not P/F and tests on a lot of non-board related minutiae.

That said, I wish I had started sooner (I started second semester M1).

I am on an H/P/F curriculum, and I've been using Firecracker (Gunner Training at the time) since M1.

 

[ulikedaggers]

I am on an H/P/F curriculum, and I've been using Firecracker (Gunner Training at the time) since M1.

I should've been more clear. If you go to a school with grades and a lot of non-board relevant tested material and you aren't able to properly distribute your time between FC and lecture notes, FC is not a good idea because your grades will suffer. Point being, spend a couple of weeks figuring things out without the extra challenge of incorporating FC into your study time.

 

[madchemist89]

I should've been more clear. If you go to a school with grades and a lot of non-board relevant tested material and you aren't able to properly distribute your time between FC and lecture notes, FC is not a good idea because your grades will suffer. Point being, spend a couple of weeks figuring things out without the extra challenge of incorporating FC into your study time.

I agree about adjusting to medical school early on. I did not start FC until our second block.

 

[allojay]

Thanks for the responses everyone!! My curriculum is P/F and has board style questions so I'm leaning towards trying it for at least a month before prolonging the subscription. But I'm hearing more good things that bad about it.

 

[IamPsychiatrist]

Don't do it.

Couldn't be a bigger waste of time. If you want to do well on Step 1 then do qbanks. Buy Kaplan, USMLERx, Uworld... if you're itching to make progress beyond M1 basic sciences then buy pathoma. You could literally watch Pathoma 10 times and it would be worth it... basically knowing pathoma will serve you well for M1-M4 and beyond.

Sitting and memorizing facts? That means you have time to burn and be inefficient. Be efficient even though you have tons of time. Best use of time will always be things like Pathoma and qbanks. I used Gunnertraining and it was a huge investment of time + wasted time.

Edit: The suggestions I outlined above are gunner level. 98% of the class will be just fine using the lectures they give you and trying to learn them cold. Pathology and Step 1 will come later (unless you're systems, then my outline above is a good idea).

 

[ulikedaggers]

Don't do it.

Couldn't be a bigger waste of time. If you want to do well on Step 1 then do qbanks. Buy Kaplan, USMLERx, Uworld... if you're itching to make progress beyond M1 basic sciences then buy pathoma. You could literally watch Pathoma 10 times and it would be worth it... basically knowing pathoma will serve you well for M1-M4 and beyond.

Sitting and memorizing facts? That means you have time to burn and be inefficient. Be efficient even though you have tons of time. Best use of time will always be things like Pathoma and qbanks. I used Gunnertraining and it was a huge investment of time + wasted time.

Edit: The suggestions I outlined above are gunner level. 98% of the class will be just fine using the lectures they give you and trying to learn them cold. Pathology and Step 1 will come later (unless you're systems, then my outline above is a good idea).

Pathoma without basic science knowledge is no better than "sitting and memorizing facts"

 

[IamPsychiatrist]

Pathoma without basic science knowledge is no better than "sitting and memorizing facts"

Oh, I said for 98% of people I wouldn't recommend it. I agree it would be tough - I just know that people ignore advice and are so giddy to study for Step 1 they want something. I think it wouldn't make too much sense the first few times, but if you watched the respiratory path while learning respiratory physio/anatomy - then I think it would be helpful. Plus, pathoma is super high yield for M1-M4. Lots of Step 1 info isn't that high yield for M3/M4.

The essence of gunnerism is the willingness to do things way too early. So I figured if they are going to waste time it should be on the best stuff.

 

[dynasty16]

I started using it in November and like it a lot. However, I am also a huge fan of flashcards. It does a good job of supplementing what I'm learning in my classes. I do wish I had started earlier because there's actually a massive amount of material I need to add from the first three months, but I'm also not sure if I would advise starting from day one. The most important thing you can do in the first few weeks/months of medical school is experiment with how to study for your classes so you can pass your exams. One of the reasons I put off starting firecracker is because I wasn't sure how to fit it in to my study schedule. But once I got that down, it was easy to carve out an hour a day for firecracker. If I were you, I would wait about two to four weeks and see how you're feeling about medical school. Then try the trial month, but actually use it actively on a daily basis as it is designed and see if it's something you can implement into your schedule. Unfortunately I signed up for the trial period on the first day of school and didn't really use it, so I didn't really get a true understanding of what firecracker was like.

I should mention that I also got firecracker when it was far cheaper. At this point, I'm not sure I would get it unless there was a huge discount (which they do offer if you look around on google). You could just as easily spend an hour a day going through first aid and making anki cards of relevant material from your coursework. The only benefit to firecracker is that the work is already done for you.

 

[allojay]

Oh, I said for 98% of people I wouldn't recommend it. I agree it would be tough - I just know that people ignore advice and are so giddy to study for Step 1 they want something. I think it wouldn't make too much sense the first few times, but if you watched the respiratory path while learning respiratory physio/anatomy - then I think it would be helpful. Plus, pathoma is super high yield for M1-M4. Lots of Step 1 info isn't that high yield for M3/M4.

The essence of gunnerism is the willingness to do things way too early. So I figured if they are going to waste time it should be on the best stuff.

Thanks for the advice but I'm not looking to be a psycho gunner and waste my time. I want to be efficient, and get the most out of M1&M2, so I can do well on steps. I guess I'm just looking at the best way to prepare other than nailing down basic sciences. I know everyone swears by first aid, qbanks, and so on but is it a good idea to even use then from day one?

 

[IamPsychiatrist]

Thanks for the advice but I'm not looking to be a psycho gunner and waste my time. I want to be efficient, and get the most out of M1&M2, so I can do well on steps. I guess I'm just looking at the best way to prepare other than nailing down basic sciences. I know everyone swears by first aid, qbanks, and so on but is it a good idea to even use then from day one?

No. Like I said, 98% of students will do best with just learning all the lectures.

Once you move to pathology, you can add things like Pathoma and qbanks, First Aid. You hear the same thing over and over again because it works. In some ways M1 is the least important material (i.e. in the depth you'll need to know it), in other ways it's absolutely fundamental - in knowing the important parts of M1 really well (how do we know it's important? You can't. You don't know until you realize it relates to the pathophysiology, pathology, clinical findings, diagnosis or treatment of a disease. Which is clear as you move to M2-M4). So while 1/2 of M1 was a waste of time, the other half was useful in that it helped understand the underlined.

Summary: do your best to learn what they give you.

Your biggest struggle as an M1 will be inefficiency. You have tons of time so you will naturally find ways to fill it with activity. Most of that activity won't be useful. Residents don't use Firecracker. Very few clinical students do either. Why? It's not efficient. What is? Training to do what you will be doing - qbanks, knowing First Aid really well, Pathoma. Stick to the golden material. I've warned you as much as I can. You'll understand the wisdom of what I'm saying the day AFTER you take Step 1.

 

[ulikedaggers]

Thanks for the advice but I'm not looking to be a psycho gunner and waste my time. I want to be efficient, and get the most out of M1&M2, so I can do well on steps. I guess I'm just looking at the best way to prepare other than nailing down basic sciences. I know everyone swears by first aid, qbanks, and so on but is it a good idea to even use then from day one?

Imo FC is only worthwhile if you use it religiously (i.e. be a psycho gunner). If you half ass it, it's just a waste of money and time.

You can learn things well just by focusing on your lecture notes.

You have to remember that SDN is primarily gunners. The advice you get here is mainly from people who have very high aspirations and do not represent the majority of med students.

 

[mcloaf]

Summary: do your best to learn what they give you.

At least for me, it isn't an issue of learning what they give us. I learn it just as well if not better than my classmates who just read the lecture slides. The difference is that I remember all the stuff we've covered this year while they have no clue.

Is it the most efficient use of my time? I have no idea; as you point out yourself I won't know until I finish second year. I will say that, at least for me, I enjoy the format a lot and it's been pretty effective. I also don't think it has to be as much of a time sink as some people make it. I've got almost 40% flagged at this point and I rarely feel like I'm burning time that could be better spent elsewhere. To me it makes more sense to devote a little time to not brain dump after each sequence rather than trying to teach myself pathology from next year.

I also think it's a little disingenuous to say that because you didn't like it, it's a huge waste of time and totally worthless. Different people prefer different approaches to learning in medical school. I could listen to you or I could just as easily look up the posts of people who attribute a lot of their high Step scores to firecracker, but I think either is an equally invalid approach to evaluating it. Ultimately the only way to know is to use it and see if you benefit from it/enjoy using it. If not, then I agree with you, jettison it as it's a waste of your time. If you do enjoy it though, it seems to me to be a relatively easy to use study tool.

Tl;dr. There probably isn't a right answer. It depends on the student's learning style and curriculum, and those interested have to evaluate it for themselves.

 

[ulikedaggers]

At least for me, it isn't an issue of learning what they give us. I learn it just as well if not better than my classmates who just read the lecture slides. The difference is that I remember all the stuff we've covered this year while they have no clue.

Is it the most efficient use of my time? I have no idea; as you point out yourself I won't know until I finish second year. I will say that, at least for me, I enjoy the format a lot and it's been pretty effective. I also don't think it has to be as much of a time sink as some people make it. I've got almost 40% flagged at this point and I rarely feel like I'm burning time that could be better spent elsewhere. To me it makes more sense to devote a little time to not brain dump after each sequence rather than trying to teach myself pathology from next year.

I also think it's a little disingenuous to say that because you didn't like it, it's a huge waste of time and totally worthless. Different people prefer different approaches to learning in medical school. I could listen to you or I could just as easily look up the posts of people who attribute a lot of their high Step scores to firecracker, but I think either is an equally invalid approach to evaluating it. Ultimately the only way to know is to use it and see if you benefit from it/enjoy using it. If not, then I agree with you, jettison it as it's a waste of your time. If you do enjoy it though, it seems to me to be a relatively easy to use study tool.

Tl;dr. There probably isn't a right answer. It depends on the student's learning style and curriculum, and those interested have to evaluate it for themselves.

40% banked? I'm way behind.. Only at 18%ish.

 

[pdxhopeful]

If the Firecracker program is something that will work for you, I'd start using it sooner rather than later - following your coursework - to maintain your knowledge base. I haven't taken Step 1 yet, but the strategy has paid off with my micro class that involved a cumulative final at the end - I was far less stressed about preparing for it than most of my classmates, and did quite well.

I'll be honest, I (and several of my classmates) tend to work on Firecracker during lectures by professors that don't do much more than read off powerpoints, etc.

 

[madchemist89]

Imo FC is only worthwhile if you use it religiously (i.e. be a psycho gunner). If you half ass it, it's just a waste of money and time.

If you dedicate yourself to spaced repetition, you will benefit greatly. However, this benefit comes at the cost of hundreds of hours of repetitive study over the course of two years.

 

[ulikedaggers]

If you dedicate yourself to spaced repetition, you will benefit greatly. However, this benefit comes at the cost of hundreds of hours of repetitive study over the course of two years.

Those 2 years are spent doing repetitive study anyway...

 

[nycement1]

A handful of my classmates are doing it...they say it isn't really worth it. But, they've only been using it for about 3 months...maybe it takes a year to see results?

 

[gregoryhouse]

I dont know what Firecracker really is but I heard its basically like Anki with premade flash cards specific for step.

If thats true, I say skip firecracker and use anki to make your own notes related to your classes.

 

[HLxDrummer]

Don't do it.

Couldn't be a bigger waste of time. If you want to do well on Step 1 then do qbanks. Buy Kaplan, USMLERx, Uworld... if you're itching to make progress beyond M1 basic sciences then buy pathoma. You could literally watch Pathoma 10 times and it would be worth it... basically knowing pathoma will serve you well for M1-M4 and beyond.

Sitting and memorizing facts? That means you have time to burn and be inefficient. Be efficient even though you have tons of time. Best use of time will always be things like Pathoma and qbanks. I used Gunnertraining and it was a huge investment of time + wasted time.

Edit: The suggestions I outlined above are gunner level. 98% of the class will be just fine using the lectures they give you and trying to learn them cold. Pathology and Step 1 will come later (unless you're systems, then my outline above is a good idea).

FC IS First Aid and Pathoma. It just makes it a hell of a lot easier to remember. I have a terrible memory and I can't read the section in FA on the citric acid cycle once every year and remember it. With FC it is taken care of for me.

I have about 50% of FC banked and I just started UWorld a little while ago. My average is 65% with the only studying being my classes and FC. The majority of the questions I miss are topics I haven't covered in FC yet.

I think staring at FA randomly and hoping it will stick is a waste of time, but like I said, I have a bad memory.

 

[IamPsychiatrist]

FC IS First Aid and Pathoma.

Wrong. First Aid is First Aid and Pathoma is Pathoma.

Look, I get it and that's why I'm not posting in this thread anymore. Those who use Gunner Training love it. At the same time, those who use the strategies outlined by me and most others will succeed (focus on courses during M1, then move to lots of qbanks/pathoma during M2). Firecracker allows those giddy to do more during M1 but then will begin to pull people away (limited time!) from the high yield stuff during M2 (qbanks/pathoma). I've used both methods (I banked a lot of GT cards many many hours) - and I can tell you which one works better. I've also taken Step 1 and gone through M2/pathoma/qbanks... so I can tell you which activities are higher yield. Plenty people start UW at 65%... many people in my class hit the 250s,260s and none of them used that program. They just learned class material then did lots of qbanks/pathoma/first aid.

But I've spoken my peace, and I also realize the users are zealous for the program. They won't be convinced the program isn't efficient. I get it. And each person is different, so while what I say will work for 80% or more, there may be some who prefer FC. Good luck, do what you will. But you've been warned.

 

[HLxDrummer]

I agree, different strokes for different folks. People will get high and low scores using every method in the world. Just need to find what works for you.

PS How is FA/Pathoma different from FC? Other than Pathoma having videos. I watch Pathoma and go flag in FC. I've read sections in FA and FC has all that info and more.

 

[hmockingbird]

I just started FC and I do like it. However, it fits me really well. I don't like to make flashcards or charts because I feel like the time I spend making them isn't productive (I don't really learn much from the process of making them). I'm also not the greatest at sticking to a study schedule I make myself because I'm a procrastinator, but if I have an obligation I have to stick to (like a quiz or a required class) I do better about staying on track. And, I like to do something more active than just re-reading my notes or reading FA, but sometimes I feel like I start doing QBanks too early and haven't grasped the material enough to be ready for them. So, for me, FC is active learning, it's an external schedule (I just tell myself I need to do whatever it says I need to do for that day), and it has premade questions ("flashcards") so I don't have to spend time coming up with those myself. It might be overkill for other people but fits me well.

I also do Pathoma but usually I treat it as a review lecture.

 

[ulikedaggers]

Wrong. First Aid is First Aid and Pathoma is Pathoma.

Look, I get it and that's why I'm not posting in this thread anymore. Those who use Gunner Training love it. At the same time, those who use the strategies outlined by me and most others will succeed (focus on courses during M1, then move to lots of qbanks/pathoma during M2). Firecracker allows those giddy to do more during M1 but then will begin to pull people away (limited time!) from the high yield stuff during M2 (qbanks/pathoma). I've used both methods (I banked a lot of GT cards many many hours) - and I can tell you which one works better. I've also taken Step 1 and gone through M2/pathoma/qbanks... so I can tell you which activities are higher yield. Plenty people start UW at 65%... many people in my class hit the 250s,260s and none of them used that program. They just learned class material then did lots of qbanks/pathoma/first aid.

But I've spoken my peace, and I also realize the users are zealous for the program. They won't be convinced the program isn't efficient. I get it. And each person is different, so while what I say will work for 80% or more, there may be some who prefer FC. Good luck, do what you will. But you've been warned.

Not really. For all you know GT improved your knowledge base and made UW/Pathoma more manageable as learning tools (you know, the whole point of FC). Also, to the best of my knowledge FC is much improved from the days when it was known at GT.

I don't think anyone is suggesting using FC over UW. Nobody is using UW or Pathoma during MS1 anyway... at least not efficiently.

 

[mcloaf]

I dont know what Firecracker really is but I heard its basically like Anki with premade flash cards specific for step.

If thats true, I say skip firecracker and use anki to make your own notes related to your classes.

I'd rather not burn hundreds of hours making my own flashcards or cross referencing my class slides with FA to see what from our lectures is and isn't important.

 

[IamPsychiatrist]

Not really. For all you know GT improved your knowledge base and made UW/Pathoma more manageable as learning tools (you know, the whole point of FC). Also, to the best of my knowledge FC is much improved from the days when it was known at GT.

I don't think anyone is suggesting using FC over UW. Nobody is using UW or Pathoma during MS1 anyway... at least not efficiently.

Exactly. M1 has lots of free time. M2, not so much. GT didn't really help me.

But maybe it will get you a 260+. Good luck.

 

[Anastomoses]

If someone could explain how firecracker is supposed to be used, that might be helpful to a lot of others. Last year when I tried it, I was completely confused as to how...it's very annoying and a major time sink to get questions on topics you haven't covered yet and the divisions are odd. Why can't any of these sites create an M1 specific study section?

 

[ulikedaggers]

If someone could explain how firecracker is supposed to be used, that might be helpful to a lot of others. Last year when I tried it, I was completely confused as to how...it's very annoying and a major time sink to get questions on topics you haven't covered yet and the divisions are odd. Why can't any of these sites create an M1 specific study section?

Curricula vary too much. At least during MS2 everyone is expected to know the same things by the end of the year.

 

[Anastomoses]

Curricula vary too much. At least during MS2 everyone is expected to know the same things by the end of the year.

Almost all schools cover anatomy, biochemistry, physiology, and histology, embryo in the first year. With the Firecracker questions not being clinically oriented, they could easily create an M1 -focused section from which most would benefit . They could also have a primer about how to use it...as in, set up a 40 question set at a time...or whatever. I remember checking off tons of stuff and being inundated with hundreds of questions, not comprehending that they'd all keep haunting me again with no end in sight.

 

[ulikedaggers]

Almost all schools cover anatomy, biochemistry, physiology, and histology, embryo in the first year. With the Firecracker questions not being clinically oriented, they could easily create an M1 -focused section from which most would benefit . They could also have a primer about how to use it...as in, set up a 40 question set at a time...or whatever. I remember checking off tons of stuff and being inundated with hundreds of questions, not comprehending that they'd all keep haunting me again with no end in sight.

My understanding is that FC is more about long-term retention and less about short-term memory and initial learning. You don't use FC to learn things the first time, just like you don't use FA to learn things the first time.

 

[allojay]

Wrong. First Aid is First Aid and Pathoma is Pathoma.

Look, I get it and that's why I'm not posting in this thread anymore. Those who use Gunner Training love it. At the same time, those who use the strategies outlined by me and most others will succeed (focus on courses during M1, then move to lots of qbanks/pathoma during M2). Firecracker allows those giddy to do more during M1 but then will begin to pull people away (limited time!) from the high yield stuff during M2 (qbanks/pathoma). I've used both methods (I banked a lot of GT cards many many hours) - and I can tell you which one works better. I've also taken Step 1 and gone through M2/pathoma/qbanks... so I can tell you which activities are higher yield. Plenty people start UW at 65%... many people in my class hit the 250s,260s and none of them used that program. They just learned class material then did lots of qbanks/pathoma/first aid.

But I've spoken my peace, and I also realize the users are zealous for the program. They won't be convinced the program isn't efficient. I get it. And each person is different, so while what I say will work for 80% or more, there may be some who prefer FC. Good luck, do what you will. But you've been warned.

I completely agree that everyone is different and it may or may not be optimal to use GT. Being that you've tried both, I'm leaning towards your advice. It sounds smarter to grasp M1 materials first then focus on high yield stuff later on in M2. Thanks for your advice.

 

[SurgeDO]

i would recommend trying Anki before spending a lot of money on firecracker.

 

[ulikedaggers]

i would recommend trying Anki before spending a lot of money on firecracker.

There's a free 1mo trial of FC. 1mo is more than enough time to figure out if you like it or not.

 

[Brain Bucket]

Jesus.

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk

 

[IamPsychiatrist]

There's a free 1mo trial of FC. 1mo is more than enough time to figure out if you like it or not.

I disagree. I used this program quite a bit and it was a huge waste. The issue is you get better at FC as you use it. So using it a month let's you make progress and improve, you feel like it's working.

Fastforward to M2. At my school, we were lucky to have 2-3 hrs a day to study for the boards because our M2 schedule was pretty brutal. When FC/GT gets to banked levels of 50%-75% (it takes HOURS to review these daily) and you're in M2 with a busy schedule, now it's a HUGE problem because you have limited time and resources. Do I just use my FC program or UWorld and First Aid/Pathoma. It's in the final 3 months before Step 1 that you get the time crunch.

This is why I don't really buy any arguments M1s make, because I would have made the same arguments! It's working. I remember more. Etc. After taking Step 1 and seeing other people's study regimens, I learned how big of a waste of time it was. There's a formula: Uworld, Pathoma, First Aid. Saying, "Oh, I found a way to supplement the winning formula. I'll front load my work and then during M2 it will be so much easier." Nope.

If people can chime in who have taken Step 1 already and used FC then great, but I would discount any M1/M2s who are still months from the exam.

The best bet, ask people at your school. They know your curriculums weaknesses and strengths. If your M2 schedule is anything like ours, you will be screwed if you use FC. Other schools have relatively chill curriculums and M2 is a breeze, little required work outside of tests. Maybe then it would work.

Best and safest strategy: Talk to successful people at your school and just focus on M1 notes.

I'm pretty much done in here. I have no desire to argue with M1/M2s. I'm just trying to warn those giddy M1's who think they'll get a jump on everything - the words above may very well save your social life and your sanity! Take heed brothers!

I completely agree that everyone is different and it may or may not be optimal to use GT. Being that you've tried both, I'm leaning towards your advice. It sounds smarter to grasp M1 materials first then focus on high yield stuff later on in M2. Thanks for your advice.

Good luck. People like you are who/why I've tried to passionately engage in this argument. I'm done for now. The people who have done exceptionally well in medical school will agree with what I've said - ask or get a poll. Definitely don't listen to a small subgroup of accolytes who have bought hundreds of dollars and hours into a program - they're what we call "invested" and they will believe what they are doing is right - no different than a thief on Wall Street will believe he was acting in a moral way.

 

[somersetsays]

I disagree. I used this program quite a bit and it was a huge waste. The issue is you get better at FC as you use it. So using it a month let's you make progress and improve, you feel like it's working.

Fastforward to M2. At my school, we were lucky to have 2-3 hrs a day to study for the boards because our M2 schedule was pretty brutal. When FC/GT gets to banked levels of 50%-75% (it takes HOURS to review these daily) and you're in M2 with a busy schedule, now it's a HUGE problem because you have limited time and resources. Do I just use my FC program or UWorld and First Aid/Pathoma. It's in the final 3 months before Step 1 that you get the time crunch.

This is why I don't really buy any arguments M1s make, because I would have made the same arguments! It's working. I remember more. Etc. After taking Step 1 and seeing other people's study regimens, I learned how big of a waste of time it was. There's a formula: Uworld, Pathoma, First Aid. Saying, "Oh, I found a way to supplement the winning formula. I'll front load my work and then during M2 it will be so much easier." Nope.

If people can chime in who have taken Step 1 already and used FC then great, but I would discount any M1/M2s who are still months from the exam.

The best bet, ask people at your school. They know your curriculums weaknesses and strengths. If your M2 schedule is anything like ours, you will be screwed if you use FC. Other schools have relatively chill curriculums and M2 is a breeze, little required work outside of tests. Maybe then it would work.

Best and safest strategy: Talk to successful people at your school and just focus on M1 notes.

I'm pretty much done in here. I have no desire to argue with M1/M2s. I'm just trying to warn those giddy M1's who think they'll get a jump on everything - the words above may very well save your social life and your sanity! Take heed brothers!



Good luck. People like you are who/why I've tried to passionately engage in this argument. I'm done for now. The people who have done exceptionally well in medical school will agree with what I've said - ask or get a pool. Definitely don't listen to a small subgroup of accolytes who have bought hundreds of dollars and hours into a program - they're what we call "invested" and they will believe what they are doing is right - no different than a thief on Wall Street will believe he was acting in a moral way.

Thank you for taking the time to argue your perspective. It was educational. I'm in a similar boat as OP so it helps to get a frame of reference two years down the line.

 

[Dr Dazzle]

No. Like I said, 98% of students will do best with just learning all the lectures.

Once you move to pathology, you can add things like Pathoma and qbanks, First Aid. You hear the same thing over and over again because it works. In some ways M1 is the least important material (i.e. in the depth you'll need to know it), in other ways it's absolutely fundamental - in knowing the important parts of M1 really well (how do we know it's important? You can't. You don't know until you realize it relates to the pathophysiology, pathology, clinical findings, diagnosis or treatment of a disease. Which is clear as you move to M2-M4). So while 1/2 of M1 was a waste of time, the other half was useful in that it helped understand the underlined.

Summary: do your best to learn what they give you.

Your biggest struggle as an M1 will be inefficiency. You have tons of time so you will naturally find ways to fill it with activity. Most of that activity won't be useful. Residents don't use Firecracker. Very few clinical students do either. Why? It's not efficient. What is? Training to do what you will be doing - qbanks, knowing First Aid really well, Pathoma. Stick to the golden material. I've warned you as much as I can. You'll understand the wisdom of what I'm saying the day AFTER you take Step 1.

I'm an M1 in second semester just starting the free trial of FC. The problem is I have been learning stuff for class exams all throughout the year and passing. BUT, I forget everything a couple of weeks later! My hope is that FC will force me to review stuff. Just reading FA with class material is WAY too passive for me, and I'm not pressured to do it. Yet, I know it is important to have a grasp of FA as you go through the preclinicals in M1 and M2. FC uses spaced repetition, albeit time consuming as heck, but forces you to revisit details, so you have a foundation for qbanks in M2. The FA book will never do that. That's my opinion based on my experience so far. What do you think?

 

[Bancrofti]

I disagree. I used this program quite a bit and it was a huge waste. The issue is you get better at FC as you use it. So using it a month let's you make progress and improve, you feel like it's working.

Fastforward to M2. At my school, we were lucky to have 2-3 hrs a day to study for the boards because our M2 schedule was pretty brutal. When FC/GT gets to banked levels of 50%-75% (it takes HOURS to review these daily) and you're in M2 with a busy schedule, now it's a HUGE problem because you have limited time and resources. Do I just use my FC program or UWorld and First Aid/Pathoma. It's in the final 3 months before Step 1 that you get the time crunch.

This is why I don't really buy any arguments M1s make, because I would have made the same arguments! It's working. I remember more. Etc. After taking Step 1 and seeing other people's study regimens, I learned how big of a waste of time it was. There's a formula: Uworld, Pathoma, First Aid. Saying, "Oh, I found a way to supplement the winning formula. I'll front load my work and then during M2 it will be so much easier." Nope.

If people can chime in who have taken Step 1 already and used FC then great, but I would discount any M1/M2s who are still months from the exam.

The best bet, ask people at your school. They know your curriculums weaknesses and strengths. If your M2 schedule is anything like ours, you will be screwed if you use FC. Other schools have relatively chill curriculums and M2 is a breeze, little required work outside of tests. Maybe then it would work.

Best and safest strategy: Talk to successful people at your school and just focus on M1 notes.

I'm pretty much done in here. I have no desire to argue with M1/M2s. I'm just trying to warn those giddy M1's who think they'll get a jump on everything - the words above may very well save your social life and your sanity! Take heed brothers!



Good luck. People like you are who/why I've tried to passionately engage in this argument. I'm done for now. The people who have done exceptionally well in medical school will agree with what I've said - ask or get a poll. Definitely don't listen to a small subgroup of accolytes who have bought hundreds of dollars and hours into a program - they're what we call "invested" and they will believe what they are doing is right - no different than a thief on Wall Street will believe he was acting in a moral way.

Your disdain for the program borders on obsessive and makes it come off as your inefficiency with the program made you fail an exam or something. If you had specifically recommended a specific resource I'd assume your were just trying to sell some program and aren't even a student.

Essentially every user of FC in the FC thread and those that I've spoken to acknowledge some of the things that may not be great about the program. However, those that are finished banking or are close to it can acknowledge these things while also promoting the positives.

All I wanted to say here was that if anyone wants evidence for themselves they can go to the step I experiences thread from 2013 or even 2012 and see what people who have said who have employed FC/GT. I think it's crazy to say that it ISN'T an effective tool when so many people have overwhelmingly said that they attribute part or most of their success to doing Firecracker. I've even seen a couple posts of people who scored 240+ who said if they could go back and change anything one thing they would do is to either try to keep up with it better or to have completely finished flagging all topics.

The argument is whether or not its an effective use of ones time, which is valid. However, as essentially everyone who uses it will let you know, that potential issue is almost negated by starting as early as possible. If you start during M1, I see no reason why it would take you 3 hours with FC daily for your review. Further, as with anything, you need to know yourself. If you're always someone who works at a slow pace then maybe it isn't for you. There are FC users who can get through ~300 questions in less than 2 hours, while others have said it takes them the same amount of time to do 100.

Anki is a cool tool, but as someone who likes flashcards and repetition, I don't think it's as effective as FC. That being said, I currently use Anki alongside FC for my Pharm course.

It's really a simple thing. If you're interested: read about the program, go to the FC thread and ask questions if necessary, and sign up for the free trial. Know how to use it beforehand and then use the trial as if you were going to continue going with it. If at the end of the month you hate it or think it won't be an efficient use of your time, don't buy it... easy. Everyone in medical school should be mature enough to know themselves and make that kind of decision.

 

[chronicidal]

Anki is a cool tool, but as someone who likes flashcards and repetition, I don't think it's as effective as FC.

I don't understand what you mean by this. Anki is all about repeating flashcards, and it lets your customize the timing of that repetition and the contents of those flashcards.

 

[Dr Dazzle]

I don't understand what you mean by this. Anki is all about repeating flashcards, and it lets your customize the timing of that repetition and the contents of those flashcards.

Making flash cards takes time. Some find that used time helpful, others don't.

 

[chronicidal]

Making flash cards takes time. Some find that used time helpful, others don't.

Agreed. Firecracker is little more than a pre-made anki deck. Eventually someone will make a high yield and high quality Anki deck and it'll be really popular.