Firecracker

[JackShephard MD]

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med.firecracker.me

New medical education website rooted in an adaptive learning platform. Looks impressive, check it out.

Cheers.

 

[ChEMD]

What's wrong with it? I haven't tried it.

It's not user friendly whatsoever. Still can't select between review and catchup questions. I haven't seen a way to flag new topics yet. No way to spread out catchup questions. Honestly, it just looks like Firecracker sprung for some amateur programmers that haven't ever even designed a user interface before.

 

[Lafakads]

Is there a easy way to get the older version of the app back? Hope people at FC are reading this thread

 

[Dr Dazzle]

Is there a easy way to get the older version of the app back? Hope people at FC are reading this thread

The old one kept crashing for me. This one hasn't...yet

 

[abolt18]

I think there are some major positives with the new app, including aesthetics, ability to do much more specific questions whether they be specific to a subject or specific to rank (do all your 2's for example), as well as the overall functionality.

The worst things about the app is 1)multiple choice answers are almost impossible to read because it's this super light blue thin font over a white background. 2) a lot of the images are HUGE so when you click on it, it's so big you can't see more than a tiny portion of the image. 3) it doesn't knock out any of my "today's questions" on the website so it's almost useless outside of doing specific questions. Thank goodness it at least only asks questions from my flagged material now!

 

[surely]

... Why show someone a mixed bag of questions from all flagged topics of his but not be able to show them today's required questions. This breaks the whole point of FC , namely spaced repetition, by throwing all the flagged questions randomly whether they're supposed to come up now, in a week, a month or a year.

I'm having this problem on iOS, too. Firecracker, why won't you let me just do my SCHEDULED questions?

 

[Elevencents]

On my FC web page it says I have 128 questions due but only 80 according to the app? Why the discrepancy?

 

[surely]

On my FC web page it says I have 128 questions due but only 80 according to the app? Why the discrepancy?

The app apparently no longer pays any attention to the cards you have scheduled or due. Instead, it picks an arbitrary goal of 80 cards per day, and presents you with a random set of 80 cards from all of your flagged topics. Note that these 80 cards will NOT be a subset of the cards you have due today - They will be a random assortment from your flagged topics.

(Somebody please tell me I'm incorrect on this one...)

 

[Elevencents]

The app apparently no longer pays any attention to the cards you have scheduled or due. Instead, it picks an arbitrary goal of 80 cards per day, and presents you with a random set of 80 cards from all of your flagged topics. Note that these 80 cards will NOT be a subset of the cards you have due today - They will be a random assortment from your flagged topics.

(Somebody please tell me I'm incorrect on this one...)

So basically the app is now worthless? Guess I'll be using the site until the next update. Bummer.

 

[AnalisCanalis]

Yep, I too deeply regret updating the app. I couldn't care less about the design and general appearance of the app, I just need a faster, more efficient and reliable way of doing my daily questions. This does not do it for me. The issue with not being able to select between catch up, newly flagged and daily questions also still remains unsolved.

 

[2kool4skool]

Can someone give me some advice on whether or not it is important to read the whole answer when going through questions or just the green part? I just switched from the normal mode to legendary and there is way more cards. Are the non-green parts of the answer going to be the green answer for other questions?

 

[Apoplexy__]

Can someone give me some advice on whether or not it is important to read the whole answer when going through questions or just the green part? I just switched from the normal mode to legendary and there is way more cards. Are the non-green parts of the answer going to be the green answer for other questions?

Just read the green part.

When you look at a topic and click the drop-down part that shows all those little sections of information, each one of those little delineated chunks of information can be linked to a question. They usually link most, if not all, of those chunks to their own questions. Occasionally, you'll notice that you haven't come across a question for something that you think was important, so you may want to skim the rest of the answer (non-green) every once in a while. Put the info you think isn't being asked on in the Notes section if you'd like.

 

[2kool4skool]

Ok thanks a lot. On a side note, does anyone have an advice about switching from normal to legendary? I just got an extra 700 questions from the switch and would like to spread them out. Unfortunately the ability to space questions out over time does not apply to "study" questions. Should I go through all of them and just mark them as a 1 so tomorrow they will all be considered "review?" At least then I could spread them out.

 

[Ophthoseidon]

Ok thanks a lot. On a side note, does anyone have an advice about switching from normal to legendary? I just got an extra 700 questions from the switch and would like to spread them out. Unfortunately the ability to space questions out over time does not apply to "study" questions. Should I go through all of them and just mark them as a 1 so tomorrow they will all be considered "review?" At least then I could spread them out.

This exact scenario happened to me. I just whittled away at them. I had 800+ and it took be almost 2 weeks to get rid of them. I'd just ALWAYS do the review and catch up (if needed) questions first. Then the rest of the time I spent on firecracker I might do 50-100 study questions per day on top of it.

 

[surely]

Ok thanks a lot. On a side note, does anyone have an advice about switching from normal to legendary? I just got an extra 700 questions from the switch and would like to spread them out. Unfortunately the ability to space questions out over time does not apply to "study" questions. Should I go through all of them and just mark them as a 1 so tomorrow they will all be considered "review?" At least then I could spread them out.

Just do however many questions you can per day, then stop. The rest of the questions will just be due the next day... And the day after that... Until you're caught up. It's no different than using the reschedule option.

 

[wadewilson90]

OK everyone stop acting like the sky is falling and shut up. I emailed about the weird question redo, and the distortion, and got the following response:

"We have fixed the error in the menu bar and the disordered paragraphs and have pushed the fix to the App Store and are awaiting approval of a point fix.

For the disparity in web and mobile questions, the answer is slightly more complicated.

This summer we collected thousands of USMLE score reports and had a statistician run several scenarios to understand how our most successful students use Firecracker. From there, we have created an entirely new algorithm.

Previously all the input submitted time-stamped each question, so that questions always had a date they should be completed. If you missed a day, you received a pile of catchup questions that the system beat you over the head to complete.

We have completely tweaked this. Now your set of questions will re-prioritize every night. We found that most users did not complete their "recommended daily questions," so now with re-prioritization, even doing a few questions each day always gets you the most important questions. Each night your questions are reprioritized to show you questions you haven't seen in a while and questions you've previously rated low."

We did not take away your daily spacing, or cut it to 80. 80 is a goal. Our most successful users last year did 80 questions a day on average, so that's your goal each day. We constantly heard that Firecracker was too overwhelming, so we have produced a goal that is both doable, and constantly prioritized so even 80 questions a day gets you the most important questions. After you complete 80, there is an option to continue doing questions. If you keep going, you're still getting prioritized questions.

Currently, the tweaked algorithm is running on the mobile apps first. We will be bringing the new algo to the web app soon. The two still talk to each other -- if you flag and complete questions on the web app, those values will be sent to the mobile app, and vice versa, even if the prioritized questions vs daily questions are not the same initially.

Finally, the new mobile app allows you to do questions by any subject, at any time. You can even choose to do questions by rating, so you can control what you're reviewing.

Please continue to ask questions. We're always working to improve the Firecracker program and experience, and ensure our users are getting the most value from their time. The new mobile app with a revised algorithm ensures this."

I like the new app, especially the option do questions by subject. The disparity between the mobile and web app is confusing, but it sounds like the new algorithm is better.

So...yeah. Cool it folks.

 

[Dr Dazzle]

Anyone know if you have to sync every time you get done using the mobile app for progress to transfer online?

 

[GopherMD]

*a bunch of words*

thanks for getting this info!

 

[mcloaf]

OK everyone stop acting like the sky is falling and shut up.
...

Yeah you're right everybody should shut up because you emailed them and you like the new app format. Sorry for speaking out of turn.

/sarcasm

Prioritized questions? Please, what a gimmick. Suck it up and do the questions you have scheduled for that day. I have been an FC user for a long time and appreciate the innovations they are trying to make, but I'm not going to wallpaper over some of the glaring flaws in their algorithms and programming (as well as content) just because they are trying to wow me with hand waving and a new app that looks nice and lets me do questions by system. I feel as though they are constantly reaching ahead for fancy new features before making sure the ones that should be flawless work correctly. The flag/reflag issue with cards being edited has never been fixed. This is unbelievable. They rolled out a new app that didn't let users do the single thing they'd want to use the app for: doing their daily questions. Overall I think the content is continually improving and they are making progress but sorry if I'm not impressed yet.

 

[wadewilson90]

/sarcasm

Prioritized questions? Please, what a gimmick. Suck it up and do the questions you have scheduled for that day. I have been an FC user for a long time and appreciate the innovations they are trying to make, but I'm not going to wallpaper over some of the glaring flaws in their algorithms and programming (as well as content) just because they are trying to wow me with hand waving and a new app that looks nice and lets me do questions by system.

I think that's pretty short sighted. You're saying that you're not happy with their new algorithm because you like their old algorithm? So, it was good enough before, but now that they've changed something that's unacceptable? If we trusted them before I don't get why you're refusing to try their new advances.

I think it makes sense. None of my classmates will use Firecracker (as first years) because they say it's too overhwelming or too many questions (personally I think they're lazy but whatever). So maybe this will change some peeps minds.

If they are re-prioritizing every day how is that different than "daily questions?"

IDK anything about the flag / reflag thing.

 

[mcloaf]

I think that's pretty short sighted. You're saying that you're not happy with their new algorithm because you like their old algorithm? So, it was good enough before, but now that they've changed something that's unacceptable? If we trusted them before I don't get why you're refusing to try their new advances.

It's not so much that I'm unhappy with the new re-prioritization algorithm, it's that it's not relevant to me because I use FC as it was originally intended to be used. Whether I see "high-priority" questions first or I do them by system is immaterial because I do all of my review questions every day. Seeing someone on question one vs question 250 doesn't matter because either way it's going to get done. If I weren't completing my daily review questions than this might matter for me, but I don't think regularly not finishing review questions is a good way to use FC.

I think it makes sense. None of my classmates will use Firecracker (as first years) because they say it's too overhwelming or too many questions (personally I think they're lazy but whatever). So maybe this will change some peeps minds.

I know many people like this too. Doing the daily review questions is a commitment that takes discipline and time a lot of people aren't willing to put in, and it only gets worse the further you progress. Obviously I think it's worth it or I wouldn't be spending time doing it as an M2.

That being said, I don't know that dumbing down FC and making it easier to do less is the best approach. I think it's probably a smart business move because they can get more people to sign up, but I'm unconvinced that it will have the same kind of positive effects for those people are aren't willing to put in the time. At the end of the day it's an effort in results out equation, just like medical school. People who think they can do half as many questions per day and get the same results because of "daily reprioritization" are cheating themselves.

You think it's better to allow these people to try to use FC at a lower level, I think ultimately they will end up quitting anyway and realize they wasted their money. I've seen too many people say they're going to use FC and fall off the wagon to believe otherwise.

IDK anything about the flag / reflag thing.

When topics are edited and questions added and/or changed, it won't always update appropriately if you've already flagged the topic. This results in questions you were already doing "disappearing" from cards that were edited and some new questions never even being seen. The only way around this at present is to unflag and reflag a card. I did this after nearly a year of FC and suddenly 500 new questions appeared. FC knows about the problem but hasn't bothered to make fixing it a priority.

 

[Elevencents]

I just did 40 straight biochem questions and then 40 anatomy questions. I blew through them hoping once I did the 80 if I kept going I would get the questions I have been flagging 1/2 and that was not the case. I don't understand the new algorithm. What's the point of marking questions a 1 if you're not gonna see them the next day but you'll get a huge group of stuff you marked a 5.

And now after going to the site I still have all 146 questions due. So confused.

 

[abolt18]

So far what I'm finding is that because there are a LOT more questions on the app than on the normal browser, it was prioritizing those new questions first. Now that I've got all my flagged subjects to "100%" the questions I answer are almost always pulling from my daily questions. There are still the extra questions, but until I got everything to 100% I wasn't knocking out any of my "today's questions" on the app.

Also, since I just updated the app to 3.2.1 on my ipad, it won't work. Won't even open. So consider that before you do today's newest update.

 

[Elevencents]

So far what I'm finding is that because there are a LOT more questions on the app than on the normal browser, it was prioritizing those new questions first. Now that I've got all my flagged subjects to "100%" the questions I answer are almost always pulling from my daily questions. There are still the extra questions, but until I got everything to 100% I wasn't knocking out any of my "today's questions" on the app.

Also, since I just updated the app to 3.2.1 on my ipad, it won't work. Won't even open. So consider that before you do today's newest update.

Ah ok that makes sense. So why does the app have more questions than the site? Same material just additional recently added questions? Yeah I noticed the update doesn't work. Have been using the browser version on my iPad and the app on my phone when out.

 

[Lafakads]

It's not so much that I'm unhappy with the new re-prioritization algorithm, it's that it's not relevant to me because I use FC as it was originally intended to be used. Whether I see "high-priority" questions first or I do them by system is immaterial because I do all of my review questions every day. Seeing someone on question one vs question 250 doesn't matter because either way it's going to get done. If I weren't completing my daily review questions than this might matter for me, but I don't think regularly not finishing review questions is a good way to use FC.




I know many people like this too. Doing the daily review questions is a commitment that takes discipline and time a lot of people aren't willing to put in, and it only gets worse the further you progress. Obviously I think it's worth it or I wouldn't be spending time doing it as an M2.

That being said, I don't know that dumbing down FC and making it easier to do less is the best approach. I think it's probably a smart business move because they can get more people to sign up, but I'm unconvinced that it will have the same kind of positive effects for those people are aren't willing to put in the time. At the end of the day it's an effort in results out equation, just like medical school. People who think they can do half as many questions per day and get the same results because of "daily reprioritization" are cheating themselves.

You think it's better to allow these people to try to use FC at a lower level, I think ultimately they will end up quitting anyway and realize they wasted their money. I've seen too many people say they're going to use FC and fall off the wagon to believe otherwise.




When topics are edited and questions added and/or changed, it won't always update appropriately if you've already flagged the topic. This results in questions you were already doing "disappearing" from cards that were edited and some new questions never even being seen. The only way around this at present is to unflag and reflag a card. I did this after nearly a year of FC and suddenly 500 new questions appeared. FC knows about the problem but hasn't bothered to make fixing it a priority.

I agree with everything you said. I hope they don't change how the web browser site works since I'm halfway through flagging. Considering using Brosencephalons anki deck incase...

 

[seminoma]

Anyone else notice that the mobile app has card information out of order? For example (completely made up card just to explain the situation)

Parkinson Disease
*Loss of DA neurons in substantia nigra
*Late dementia

*Treatment: Benztropine

*CAG Repeats on Chromosome 4
*Choreiform movements, Athetosis

Huntington Disease

*Associated with Down Syndrome
*A-beta amyloid deposits

Alzheimer Disease

/endcard

 

[mcloaf]

I agree with everything you said. I hope they don't change how the web browser site works since I'm halfway through flagging. Considering using Brosencephalons anki deck incase...

Lol if they mess it up I'm ****ed. 90% banked now, no time to look back.

 

[DrEnderW]

Lol if they mess it up I'm ******. 90% banked now, no time to look back.

Dang dude, nice job. I'm sitting at like 60% and want to be around 85% during winter break. How many questions you getting per day?

 

[mcloaf]

Dang dude, nice job. I'm sitting at like 60% and want to be around 85% during winter break. How many questions you getting per day?

A little hard to say, if I stopped banking new stuff I'd probably be somewhere between 100-200 depending on the day. My global average says it's 270 but I think that's a little bit high. I just had to bank all of psych in a week which upped my daily numbers a bit. I'm also annotating outside sources into FC so my q's may be a little more than I'd be getting otherwise, but that's probably a negligible effect.

60 to 85% is pretty ambitious, but if anyone can do it it's you. Good luck!

 

[abolt18]

I don't know how you guys do it. I'm just hoping to have 50% done by the end of Christmas break. I'm almost to 30%, but I've been picking up the pace a bit. Nothing like you guys though!

 

[abolt18]

This here is what I've been wanting to know. Seems very promising to me.
http://blog.firecracker.me/2014/11/06/firecrackers-mobile-app-recommendation-engine/
http://blog.firecracker.me/2014/11/06/firecrackers-mobile-app-recommendation-engine-specifics/
http://blog.firecracker.me/firecracker-mobile-faqs/

 

[GrabSlamBoot]

Guys can someone suggest which questions I should be doing. The app or the website? Pretty annoyed they rolled out this change and haven't really synchronized the web and the app together. Makes clinical rotations more frustrating haha

 

[ChEMD]

They better not change the way the website works. Or if they do, they better at least give you the option of continuing with the current system.

 

[wadewilson90]

They better not change the way the website works. Or if they do, they better at least give you the option of continuing with the current system.

So, you trusted the old way it works, but now that the same company has a new way, you don't trust it?

Guys can someone suggest which questions I should be doing. The app or the website? Pretty annoyed they rolled out this change and haven't really synchronized the web and the app together. Makes clinical rotations more frustrating haha

Based off what they told me I'd say do the app. You can also do quiz by subject which is how I'm studying for my classes right now.

 

[mcloaf]

So, you trusted the old way it works, but now that the same company has a new way, you don't trust it?

Is there a reason you're being so confrontational with people who have much more experience and time invested in Firecracker than you do? I realize you've been using FC for like 2 months and think it's awesome, but the rest of us have seen enough growing pains to have at least a few reservations about the changes they make.

 

[BurghStudent]

Lol if they mess it up I'm ******. 90% banked now, no time to look back.

Have you been flagging since the beginning of med school?

I got so caught up with classes and other things, I'm only 10% flagged🙁 (MS2 here)

 

[mcloaf]

Have you been flagging since the beginning of med school?

I got so caught up with classes and other things, I'm only 10% flagged🙁 (MS2 here)

Yeah I started right at the beginning of M1 and banked pretty aggressively through the year. Finished M1 at around 65% and then banked another 10% over the summer. Basically tried to get as much done as I could before M2 because of the increased workload and research stuff going on.

 

[Dr Dazzle]

Yeah I started right at the beginning of M1 and banked pretty aggressively through the year. Finished M1 at around 65% and then banked another 10% over the summer. Basically tried to get as much done as I could before M2 because of the increased workload and research stuff going on.

How much time do you spend daily doing FC? How do the number of questions change from when you had 65% flagged to when you have 95%?

 

[ChEMD]

So, you trusted the old way it works, but now that the same company has a new way, you don't trust it?

It has nothing to do with trust. It's more like I've developed a certain way I like to do things over the past year, a way that has worked well for me, and I'd prefer they not change it just as my step exam is approaching.

 

[Dr Dazzle]

So apparently flagging topics isn't required on the mobile app? It's focused more on picking topics to do questions. It seems that the website and app are working through two separate systems. confused.

 

[abolt18]

I still flag on the website then do my questions on the app. The 'do my questions' in the app draws only from questions you have flagged.

 

[mcloaf]

How much time do you spend daily doing FC? How do the number of questions change from when you had 65% flagged to when you have 95%?

I would say I usually spend an hour or two per day. It really varies by how much other stuff I need to get done that day. If I have a ton of other stuff going on and I got enough sleep and I'm super focused I can do 300/hr, but if I'm tired and I'm not in a rush I can end up stretching 150 out over a couple hours with reddit breaks etc.

As for the number of questions, I'd say I'm probably somewhere around the low 200's most days now, not including new stuff I'm flagging. If I stopped adding new material it'd probably be down around or below 200. As for how much I was doing at 65%, it's hard to remember but I'd guess my average not including newly added stuff was somewhere in the mid 100's.

 

[BurghStudent]

This has probably been asked before, but does FC cover more material than FA?

 

[mcloaf]

This has probably been asked before, but does FC cover more material than FA?

I don't know about more overall, but you will find things in each resource that are not addressed in the other.

 

[DrEnderW]

This has probably been asked before, but does FC cover more material than FA?

It varies by subject. Anatomy, for example, is waaay more detailed. It's easier to have more info on an online format. In my experience, I think FC is more generally more expansive.

 

[andrewsmack05]

Am I missing something here? I just upgraded on the iPad and iPhone apps and now my questions do not correspond to the ones that are due online?

 

[CyberMaxx]

Yeah I started right at the beginning of M1 and banked pretty aggressively through the year. Finished M1 at around 65% and then banked another 10% over the summer. Basically tried to get as much done as I could before M2 because of the increased workload and research stuff going on.

Man, that's solid work. I'm an MS1 who is really just starting to use FC, my new goal is to hit your number by the end of this year 🙂.

On a side note, I know its already been said many times but this new app format is ridiculously annoying. The point of having a resource like FC is to have daily attainable goals to study for the beast that is Step 1. A major motivation to get my daily cards done is the satisfaction of seeing my questions due drop to zero. Giving me extraneous questions is such a waste of my time and doesn't allow me to knock out reviews during the day when I'm away from my laptop!

 

[wadewilson90]

Man, that's solid work. I'm an MS1 who is really just starting to use FC, my new goal is to hit your number by the end of this year 🙂.

On a side note, I know its already been said many times but this new app format is ridiculously annoying. The point of having a resource like FC is to have daily attainable goals to study for the beast that is Step 1. A major motivation to get my daily cards done is the satisfaction of seeing my questions due drop to zero. Giving me extraneous questions is such a waste of my time and doesn't allow me to knock out reviews during the day when I'm away from my laptop!

http://blog.firecracker.me/2014/11/06/firecrackers-mobile-app-recommendation-engine/

Is there a reason you're being so confrontational with people who have much more experience and time invested in Firecracker than you do? I realize you've been using FC for like 2 months and think it's awesome, but the rest of us have seen enough growing pains to have at least a few reservations about the changes they make.

Firecracker visited my school right after we started, and I talked to one of them for a while, and I like their thinking. I can't understand why people are so confrontational with them. If you're pissed off about their changes don't use it.

 

[surely]

I can't understand why people are so confrontational with them. If you're pissed off about their changes don't use it.

Don't use it? ... Think they'll give me a refund?

 

[ChEMD]

I may have been a little to haste in judging the new FC app...after messing around with it I actually like it quite a bit. I feel like it gives me more control to do a focused review of a topic than the web system. Its nice that you can choose to questions based on different levels within a topic (for example, pulmonolgy vs. pulm path vs. just emphysema). It's also nice that you don't feel like questions are piling up on you if you skip a day. I'm still getting used to the whole not flagging topics, but rather just going straight to answering questions on the topic.

Change is scary, especially when it comes out of no where and isn't properly explained to you. But I think I'll be sticking with the app over the web version.

 

[mcloaf]

Firecracker visited my school right after we started, and I talked to one of them for a while, and I like their thinking. I can't understand why people are so confrontational with them. If you're pissed off about their changes don't use it.

Are you suggesting people forgo using the app or give up FC altogether?