Firecracker

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Anyone else think the iOS app is extremely mediocre? To me, it's only a very small step above the web-based app. I think they could have done a lot better with it.
 
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Anyone else think the iOS app is extremely mediocre? To me, it's only a very small step,above the web-based app. I think they could have done a lot better with it.
I'm a little disappointed. Unless I'm missing something, I don't see a way to pick which quiz you want to take (Study Questions / Review Questions / Catchup), which is a feature on both the full website and the mobile one.
 
I agree with DOC209, I would like to know if FC was helpful in increasing scores. I have invested a bit of time in it so hopefully it pays off.

In addition, I would like to hear from someone who has near 100% of the concepts flagged. I am sitting at 5379 concepts from 690 flags. I obviously have 430 flags left, but I was wondering about how many concepts I have left.

Summary of the post: About how many concepts are there in firecracker for Step 1?

Yeah, it was definitely helpful. I used it as like a "board prep before board prep" thing. Stopped using it at the end of Semester 4 to work on more gold standard prep materials like FA + UWorld -- I think this was a very sound decision. I used it for a total of 6 months and flagged just under 60% if I recall correctly. I feel that I got a ton of utility out of it in that short time and that it set me up extremely well in terms of forming a knowledge base. My beginning-to-end UWorld average changed by only about 5%.

If you take a look at the 2014 experiences thread there are a few people who have done well already and noted that they used Firecracker, including Kirbymiester who posts in this thread.

I don't think the concepts number is really all that important. Just focus on the topics flagged. I quit with ~1000 topics flagged, so I finished around 90% of it. I take my exam tomorrow though, so you can expect my write up in about 3 and a half weeks. In short, I believe it helped me immensely. There are others who think it's a huge waste of time. You just have to know what fits your style best.

Good luck man! Be sure and take a breather today. You're gonna do great.

Anyone else think the iOS app is extremely mediocre? To me, it's only a very small step,above the web-based app. I think they could have done a lot better with it.

It could be better, but I'm just glad to have that god-awful mobile interface be obsolete. Thing was buggy as hell for me. And I like how this app has one-click 1-5 ratings...the main site should be quick like that, honestly.
 
The iOS app is essentially identical to the beta, which surprised me. It gets the job done and I am very happy to be using it on the go (****ing NYC man). It's worth using daily.

I am hoping it gets aesthetically cleaned up with some updates and features in the future but it is simple, usable, and allows you to knock out questions as is.
 
As MS1 approaches for me I am just wondering what advantages FC has over just making one's own Anki Decks? Trying to curb my spending and save occasionally.
 
Does this mobile app let you use it offline? Or do you still need to connected to the internet?

Unfortunately, it looks like it lets you use it offline but secretly isn't saving your feedback score. :/

Just tried a test run: Disconnected my phone, used it, refreshed on my laptop --> Nothing. Reconnected phone, used it, refreshed laptop --> Change logged.

Kind of annoying, especially if you're on a subway or something and aren't sure if your 3G is working...ah well.
 
As MS1 approaches for me I am just wondering what advantages FC has over just making one's own Anki Decks? Trying to curb my spending and save occasionally.

Time, expertise, score tracking, and links to more detail.

It takes awhile to make your own, high quality Anki deck. I tried it out early in M1 and discontinued it for that reason. For me, it was quicker to make study guides and drill those. There are people that disagree with this, however. Obviously, it would save time if you could get a deck from a reliable source. I felt my time was better spent aiming for as high as a class rank as possible instead of making high yield Anki decks. Making a deck for class exams and boards is very different.

As for expertise, I know FC is essentially FA and other high yield resources made into a direct recall format. It's a ton of detail that I want to know and errors are identified by users and the vast majority of the material is accurate (or at least rated low enough to alert me of an error). Mistakes are being fixed constantly.

The scoring format allows me to see cards I don't know well at a higher rate then cards I can recall perfectly. This is the beauty of FC. After a few times missing a concept, it starts sticking and will be with you long term as you see it again and again. There's also the motivation factor of having a program tracking your use, or more importantly, lack of use. Questions begin to stack up and I definitely force myself to do FC for that reason during times I may to use Anki.

Lastly, if you aren't understanding or recalling a concept, you click a link to take you to multi-paragraph explanations of a topic that can jog your memory. That is one thing Anki lacks.

I'm clearly a big FC supporter and this is just my opinion. There are a ton of SDN members that swear by Anki as well - it is a great program too, just not as convenient IMO. You can try out a free month trial of FC and Anki is, of course, free.
 
Perfectly reasonable to use Anki and firecracker. Anki helps me hammer down topics more while fire cracker helps me keep the big picture more since the topics are generally displayed in each question as the whole "card" which tends to be pretty comprehensive. I use Anki and fire cracker to better different aspects of my recall if that makes sense. It's a lot of work but I'm at 200 FC daily 90 percent mastery with 85 percent banked and after doing a practice cbse for the end of my first year I'd say the strategy worked well for me. In the end just find what works for you
 
Perhaps a good approach is to use Anki for class material and make cards for subjects as you go to help with exams. FC could be just a resource to keep the boards relevant material fresh along with class work.
 
Can any other users of FC comment on how they liked it? I'm about to start M1 and interested, but have only heard a handful of opinions on it.

I used it from the start of first year as my base for learning material. I layered on other stuff course specific, e.g. pathoma, road map for micro, etc. but FC was always my core for the first two years. I attended roughly 4-5 lectures my entire pre clinical career and did not use school lectures. I did pretty well on step 1 and am liking the FC product for step 2 so far. Much improved!
 
I also used Anki for class material minutiae and FC for board-relevant details, suspended by class Anki deck after each exam and kept up with FC
 
Does anyone have an estimate of what you think someone's Step 1 score would be if they only flagged all the topics in FC? I'm looking for some motivation to get through all the material, and I'd like to go into my dedicated period with a solid foundation.
 
Does anyone have an estimate of what you think someone's Step 1 score would be if they only flagged all the topics in FC? I'm looking for some motivation to get through all the material, and I'd like to go into my dedicated period with a solid foundation.

If they did nothing else but FC? That would be a bad idea, but I'd say like 240-250 if you were an excellent student in pre-clinical classes, and 220-240 if you weren't. You'd get a lot of value by just adding Pathoma and UWorld into the mix.
 
Good to see my idea has actually been implemented successfully before. I was curious about just this exact thing in how I'm going to approach my studying.

Going off this discussion... Does anyone religiously use Firecracker's "write your own topics" feature to save material from class rather than making a separate Anki deck?

If no, is it because Anki is a better platform for topic creation or for topic review?

If Anki is better for topic review (and Anki's offline access alone seems like it'd be a killer feature in the Anki vs FC discussion, since both my internet connectivity and Firecracker have occasional periods of downtime), then I'm considering going through FC and exporting the questions to Anki manually. (I've already paid for two years' access, so this shouldn't be a particularly unethical approach, just a time-consuming one.) A student could even do this in a topic-by-topic manner as he/she goes along flagging topics mid-year. I think what you'd get out of it in terms of availability, stability (no worries about Anki losing your progress for the day, as FC is purported to do on occasion) and speed of card-flipping (especially with the gestures in the app) would make it a worthwhile time investment. And then you'd be one less student taking up space on FC's servers, reducing the load for everyone else!
 
Good to see my idea has actually been implemented successfully before. I was curious about just this exact thing in how I'm going to approach my studying.

3 cheers for the new MS1s trying this approach!

In terms of waiting for the best deal - I know I just missed a good sale, should I do 12 months for $259 or hold out for a better deal?
 
Does anyone have an estimate of what you think someone's Step 1 score would be if they only flagged all the topics in FC? I'm looking for some motivation to get through all the material, and I'd like to go into my dedicated period with a solid foundation.

If they did nothing else but FC? That would be a bad idea, but I'd say like 240-250 if you were an excellent student in pre-clinical classes, and 220-240 if you weren't. You'd get a lot of value by just adding Pathoma and UWorld into the mix.

Yep. I basically only did FC from 1st year + pathoma and UWorld (2x) and got a 256.
 
Going off this discussion... Does anyone religiously use Firecracker's "write your own topics" feature to save material from class rather than making a separate Anki deck?

If no, is it because Anki is a better platform for topic creation or for topic review?

If Anki is better for topic review (and Anki's offline access alone seems like it'd be a killer feature in the Anki vs FC discussion, since both my internet connectivity and Firecracker have occasional periods of downtime), then I'm considering going through FC and exporting the questions to Anki manually. (I've already paid for two years' access, so this shouldn't be a particularly unethical approach, just a time-consuming one.) A student could even do this in a topic-by-topic manner as he/she goes along flagging topics mid-year. I think what you'd get out of it in terms of availability, stability (no worries about Anki losing your progress for the day, as FC is purported to do on occasion) and speed of card-flipping (especially with the gestures in the app) would make it a worthwhile time investment. And then you'd be one less student taking up space on FC's servers, reducing the load for everyone else!

I started writing my own topics for some things that I felt were lacking in FC (I added a few bugs/drugs from micro, and I'm adding a few things about specific brain lesions). This is far from using it religiously, though. There's generally more than enough to keep you busy in FC, but as someone who won't take Step 1 for a year I can't speak to how much is missing. The thing you'll realize during medical school is that there is always more you could learn about a subject or more obscure diseases/syndromes to try to memorize. You'll never know it all, and where you decide to draw the line is very much up to you. You could go to town adding low-yield things to FC if you wanted to, but I don't know that it would be worth the added effort.

As for dl'ing FC, I guess you could do this. I've actually never had FC lose my progress for the day, and I've never had a problem with card-flipping speed (I mapped a game controller to my PC which makes it even faster). The biggest downside I see to this is that you'll miss out on the constant changes and additions that are made to FC every day. FC is very much a living body of work that's always getting improved, and I don't know that you'll totally get your money's worth by treating it as a static bank of flashcards.
 
(I mapped a game controller to my PC which makes it even faster)

You're awesome.

FC is very much a living body of work that's always getting improved, and I don't know that you'll totally get your money's worth by treating it as a static bank of flashcards.

I totally agree. It's similar enough to Anki that if you're going to use Anki, you should just use a good First Aid Anki set or something. @surely , in my opinion, the perks of availability and quickness of use are extremely minimal compared to the enormous waste of time it would be. This is the kind of stuff that makes extremely hard workers get C's in med school.
 
I would definitely like to purchase FireCracker now. It seems you guys are finding it amazing and I would like to use it for the next 2 years of my medical school
 
I mapped a game controller to my PC which makes it even faster

thats what I'm talking about.

Some advice for potential users... either STICK TO IT or just drop it after your month free trial. Don't do the back and forth like I did.

I used it well in first semester but got intimidated during micro/immuno and dropped it, which I wish I hadn't done because I wasn't really in danger of doing poorly in class like I thought. Now Im starting second year and flagging fast, but its really tough to keep up AND add immuno/micro at the same time. I recognize things when I see them but frankly I'm relearning it.
 
In terms of waiting for the best deal - I know I just missed a good sale, should I do 12 months for $259 or hold out for a better deal?

I just bought 24 months for $400, or $200/year, and I haven't heard anyone mention a price lower than that in the past year's worth of this thread, so I doubt they'll bring it under that price anytime soon. They might dip below $259/year before the start of classes, or (somewhat more likely, given past trends) they might jack up the price even further. You could try emailing them and say "Hey, it looks like I just missed out on a great deal and I was wondering if you could help me out and honor the $200/year price" - Nothing to lose, right?

Firecracker also has an "invite a friend and we'll give both you and your friend an extra month of access" option - Feel free to PM me your name and email address if you want me to send you the promo link so you can get 13 months for $259.

I mapped a game controller to my PC which makes it even faster.

That's fantastic. Earlier in the thread, someone posted an AutoHotKey script that makes it so that hitting 1-5 on your keyboard not only selects that rating but also presses "enter" to save the rating and move on to the next card. Problem is, I'm using a Mac, so I don't have AutoHotKey as an option, and I haven't found a good alternative. But I doooo happen to have an XBox controller and the USB dongle that makes it work with a Mac... Maybe I'll futz around with that. Or just wait 'til orientation, when I'll get my school-provided Windows OS laptop and immediately set up AutoHotKey on that.

I hear what you all are saying about the constant improvement that makes the subscription worthwhile, and how much of a time investment it'd be to make cards for all those concepts. I suppose I was focusing on the "1100 topics" number, which seems a lot more reasonable in terms of data entry than the "11,000-20,000 concepts/cards" number. Good feedback!

Okay, last thing... Anyone else notice that the text formatting on the iOS app is really screwy? Specifically, I can see the HTML code in places where they tried underlining or bolding text. Sometimes I can see the code for new paragraphs and line breaks, too. Wondering if it's just a display issue on my phone rather than a global issue.
 
I can see the HTML code in places where they tried underlining or bolding text. Sometimes I can see the code for new paragraphs and line breaks, too. Wondering if it's just a display issue on my phone rather than a global issue.

I see this on my samsung. I assume its a work in progress.
 
It could be better, but I'm just glad to have that god-awful mobile interface be obsolete. Thing was buggy as hell for me. And I like how this app has one-click 1-5 ratings...the main site should be quick like that, honestly.

The iOS app is essentially identical to the beta, which surprised me. It gets the job done and I am very happy to be using it on the go (****ing NYC man). It's worth using daily.

I am hoping it gets aesthetically cleaned up with some updates and features in the future but it is simple, usable, and allows you to knock out questions as is.

That's the plan! The mobile app has been highly requested so we wanted to get iOS and Android versions out quickly. Then focus on adding more functionality and improving the experience. We've very excited for the next phase of the mobile app as we have quite a list of cool features we want to add. And expect the app to get a whole lot more beautiful and polished. Maybe I can leak a couple screenshots 🙂
 
That's the plan! The mobile app has been highly requested so we wanted to get iOS and Android versions out quickly. Then focus on adding more functionality and improving the experience. We've very excited for the next phase of the mobile app as we have quite a list of cool features we want to add. And expect the app to get a whole lot more beautiful and polished. Maybe I can leak a couple screenshots 🙂
Yes! Please keep working on it! Offline/sync functionality would be appreciated as well.

While I have you here, I had another question. Some of the biochem cards have less detail than the corresponding sections in First Aid 2014. Is this on purpose?
 
Unfortunately, it looks like it lets you use it offline but secretly isn't saving your feedback score. :/

Just tried a test run: Disconnected my phone, used it, refreshed on my laptop --> Nothing. Reconnected phone, used it, refreshed laptop --> Change logged.

Kind of annoying, especially if you're on a subway or something and aren't sure if your 3G is working...ah well.

We're working towards an app that will function fully offline but for version 1 you will need an internet connection. I'll prioritize a fix that will handle this 'subway issue' so that we can replay your recalls to the server once you reconnect.
 
That's the plan! The mobile app has been highly requested so we wanted to get iOS and Android versions out quickly. Then focus on adding more functionality and improving the experience. We've very excited for the next phase of the mobile app as we have quite a list of cool features we want to add. And expect the app to get a whole lot more beautiful and polished. Maybe I can leak a couple screenshots 🙂
We're working towards an app that will function fully offline but for version 1 you will need an internet connection. I'll prioritize a fix that will handle this 'subway issue' so that we can replay your recalls to the server once you reconnect.
Will do! (it's my job) Once we implement offline it'll allow us to build out a bunch of awesome stuff.

Thanks for the updates! Any news on the weekly Step 2 content updates that were going for a while on the FC blog? Is the content still being actively updated?
 
Would it be redundant to use both Firecracker and USMLERx doing the school year for MS2? I know they both use FA as the basis for their questions - is there a lot of overlap?
 
Really enjoying the iOS app. Someone said earlier that they did not like the look of the app, but I personally really like the simple color palette this has. Just black and white, with a pleasant-to-the-eyes light green to highlight cards being tested. Here is how it looks like on iPhone for those who haven't downloaded it yet:


I have noticed that the app has helped me answer 20-30% more questions daily than I normally do, and this can be explained by two aspects of this app:
  1. Unlike the mobile version of FC, the app does not load each MCQ independently, making it easier to flash through a quiz without having to weight for a new question to load (a problem when you do not have a reliable internet connection).
  2. After you grade your recall effort, the app automatically transitions to the next question. On the web version of FC, one has to click on the appropriate numerical grade and then click on the right arrow/hit the n (next) key to move on. It's amazing how just removing one step can make such a big productivity improvement.
By the way, for those of you wondering about using FC for STEP 2 CK, I have to say that so far it has been a really valuable tool for helping me remember workup algorithms and treatment guidelines. The cards are also considerably more organized and up-to-date than the STEP 1 material (I am currently doing my internal medicine rotation and have been going through FC together with Step Up To Medicine and Pocket Medicine. So far only one out of the +80 subjects I have flagged has outdated info, which was later corrected).

I have a few requests I would like to see the FC team incorporate into the app on future updates:
  • Ability to change font (it is really small and does not obey Apple's "dynamic font" functionality)
  • Ability to display one's notes (I tend to use the note space for mnemonics)
  • Ability to select "never see again" for cards that, well, we do not wish to see again.
Great job with V 1.0 of the app and the excellent effort being put into improving the STEP 2 material. I am really happy to see FC continuing to improve. I used FC MUCH more often than First Aid throughout second year and my STEP 1 dedicated study period. I scored a 251 (not impressive by SDN standards, but nevertheless a good score) and think FC was the best way (based on my style of learning) to keep facts/memorization-heavy topics fresh in my mind. My only regret was that I started it rather late, and only managed to flag ~65% of the STEP 1 content.
 

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Would it be redundant to use both Firecracker and USMLERx doing the school year for MS2? I know they both use FA as the basis for their questions - is there a lot of overlap?

to expand on what danse said, its more like foundation building than board prep, and when the time comes you do board prep with Q banks, pathoma, whatever else you like. With FC I'm not studying, I'm refreshing my memory of a few dozen/hundred diverse facts as quickly as possible. Specifically, my goal is to minimize pre-boards relearning as much as possible and only work on application of things i've learned. Its a system of learning, not a source of info.
 
We're working towards an app that will function fully offline but for version 1 you will need an internet connection. I'll prioritize a fix that will handle this 'subway issue' so that we can replay your recalls to the server once you reconnect.

Hi Jason,

Is there a way we could bold the font? I know it shouldn't take a lot of programming and it sure will do our eyes some good.

Thank you for the awesome app.
 
Really enjoying the iOS app. Someone said earlier that they did not like the look of the app, but I personally really like the simple color palette this has. Just black and white, with a pleasant-to-the-eyes light green to highlight cards being tested. Here is how it looks like on iPhone for those who haven't downloaded it yet:


I have noticed that the app has helped me answer 20-30% more questions daily than I normally do, and this can be explained by two aspects of this app:
  1. Unlike the mobile version of FC, the app does not load each MCQ independently, making it easier to flash through a quiz without having to weight for a new question to load (a problem when you do not have a reliable internet connection).
  2. After you grade your recall effort, the app automatically transitions to the next question. On the web version of FC, one has to click on the appropriate numerical grade and then click on the right arrow/hit the n (next) key to move on. It's amazing how just removing one step can make such a big productivity improvement.
By the way, for those of you wondering about using FC for STEP 2 CK, I have to say that so far it has been a really valuable tool for helping me remember workup algorithms and treatment guidelines. The cards are also considerably more organized and up-to-date than the STEP 1 material (I am currently doing my internal medicine rotation and have been going through FC together with Step Up To Medicine and Pocket Medicine. So far only one out of the +80 subjects I have flagged has outdated info, which was later corrected).

I have a few requests I would like to see the FC team incorporate into the app on future updates:
  • Ability to change font (it is really small and does not obey Apple's "dynamic font" functionality)
  • Ability to display one's notes (I tend to use the note space for mnemonics)
  • Ability to select "never see again" for cards that, well, we do not wish to see again.
Great job with V 1.0 of the app and the excellent effort being put into improving the STEP 2 material. I am really happy to see FC continuing to improve. I used FC MUCH more often than First Aid throughout second year and my STEP 1 dedicated study period. I scored a 251 (not impressive by SDN standards, but nevertheless a good score) and think FC was the best way (based on my style of learning) to keep facts/memorization-heavy topics fresh in my mind. My only regret was that I started it rather late, and only managed to flag ~65% of the STEP 1 content.

Super glad they gave us an app too. Just cranked out 60 Q's while on an exercise bike. And 40 more while dealing with human resources in a hospital earlier this afternoon.

If they added a "never see again" button and maybe 1-2 key functionalities, that's really all the fine-tuning necessary.
 
Summer is basically over and I didn't touch FC.. kind of disappointed in myself, but I did enjoy the summer off.

know that feel

Do not worry. I flagged only a few topics over the summer. I hunkered down every night during the year and got through the whole MS1/2 topic list.

Beast mode? Yes.

You can get your Marshawn Lynch on too.
 
Hello all. Disclaimer: I did a search for "legendary mode" before writing this post.

Many students say that they've used FC starting in first year, then in second year transitioned to uWorld/Pathoma etc. and eventually scored well on the boards. It it understood that everyone that uses FC is referring to legendary mode? @mcloaf said no one he knows uses normal mode. What is the primary mode for those who score well? Did you switch modes as your test date approached (i.e. switch from legendary to normal in order to have more time for uWorld, Pathoma etc.)
 
Hello all. Disclaimer: I did a search for "legendary mode" before writing this post.

Many students say that they've used FC starting in first year, then in second year transitioned to uWorld/Pathoma etc. and eventually scored well on the boards. It it understood that everyone that uses FC is referring to legendary mode? @mcloaf said no one he knows uses normal mode. What is the primary mode for those who score well? Did you switch modes as your test date approached (i.e. switch from legendary to normal in order to have more time for uWorld, Pathoma etc.)

Legendary mode is a new term they implemented a few months ago, but it is the same as the old"normal" mode. The new normal mode is the same as the old "lite" mode. People that used it for this past exam probably didn't even realize their mode switched from the old normal to legendary, because none of the content changed. The new normal mode doesn't include any of the information from the "more" buttons on each of the cards, which really is where all of the meat is.
 
Agreed with the above in that love the app. Offline mode and a "never see again" button is needed. Takes a bit to load initially but works great after it's loaded. Right now I'm just committing an hour a day to it (not a certain number of questions). Just started 2nd year. Any recommendations on how many questions I should be seeing a day for legendary mode so I can get through most concepts? Right now I'm just adding things from first year as I go.
 
Is anyone else having an issue with the new app syncing with the online site? I switch around a lot and I find myself doing the same questions when I do...
 
Legendary mode is a new term they implemented a few months ago, but it is the same as the old"normal" mode. The new normal mode is the same as the old "lite" mode. People that used it for this past exam probably didn't even realize their mode switched from the old normal to legendary, because none of the content changed. The new normal mode doesn't include any of the information from the "more" buttons on each of the cards, which really is where all of the meat is.

Thanks!
 
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