I believe yearly publishing of First Aid for the USMLE is a FRAUD. Here is why.
1. First of all there is good information in First Aid. However, the only reason it is updated every year is to make MONEY. The authors of first aid don't care if it is an updated product, as long as it is perceived that way. The assumption is that the First Aid authors update the book EVERY year. Yeah right. These guys haven't taken Step 1 in nearly ten years. How can they update the information if they themselves don't take the test? They can't. Sure, they have new students "update" the exam, however that is about 6 students every year. So they could include information from their 6 exams, however this is a drop in the bucket to the number of questions in the computer database. You can also argue that students send in what was on their Step 1 exam. However, do you really believe students run straight to the post office after the test to send in "high yield" facts to the authors of First Aid? I doubt it. Let's do a quick headcount on SDN, how many people have actually sent in information to the authors of First Aid? Not many, if at all. If students that are very proactive such as the group in SDN don't send information to First Aid, do you believe the larger cross section of students out of the SDN loop would send information to First Aid after their test?
2. Secondly, the book omits stuff every year to add "new information". Does this mean that they are removing stuff that is not high yield anymore? How can you make an argument over what is high yield and what isn't high yield with only 6 new students every year that add dialogue about the exam. Can you really justify removing something on First Aid because such a small group didn't have the "fact" on their exam? Of course not. I believe they omit and reincorporate information to form a product that looks "new" every year.
3. It is a fact that First Aid is updated every year however, I believe the updates are cosmetic. When they take stuff out, I believe they reincorporate couple years later. Would they risk this? Why not. Do you really think people own a First Aid that is 3 to 4 years apart. Once you pass your Step 1 there is no more need for the book. Would someone that bought a 2005 First Aid own a 2001 First Aid. Doubtful. First Aid people have to update it every year because most medical students are very anal about having this book even as a 1st year student.
The authors of First Aid are brilliant. They give the medical students placebo, and the students use the book. From their point of view, they have a cash cow that pays every year. The authors don't have an obligation to update it because the reputation of the book is so immense the quality doesn't have to be the same as the 2001 version.
1. First of all there is good information in First Aid. However, the only reason it is updated every year is to make MONEY. The authors of first aid don't care if it is an updated product, as long as it is perceived that way. The assumption is that the First Aid authors update the book EVERY year. Yeah right. These guys haven't taken Step 1 in nearly ten years. How can they update the information if they themselves don't take the test? They can't. Sure, they have new students "update" the exam, however that is about 6 students every year. So they could include information from their 6 exams, however this is a drop in the bucket to the number of questions in the computer database. You can also argue that students send in what was on their Step 1 exam. However, do you really believe students run straight to the post office after the test to send in "high yield" facts to the authors of First Aid? I doubt it. Let's do a quick headcount on SDN, how many people have actually sent in information to the authors of First Aid? Not many, if at all. If students that are very proactive such as the group in SDN don't send information to First Aid, do you believe the larger cross section of students out of the SDN loop would send information to First Aid after their test?
2. Secondly, the book omits stuff every year to add "new information". Does this mean that they are removing stuff that is not high yield anymore? How can you make an argument over what is high yield and what isn't high yield with only 6 new students every year that add dialogue about the exam. Can you really justify removing something on First Aid because such a small group didn't have the "fact" on their exam? Of course not. I believe they omit and reincorporate information to form a product that looks "new" every year.
3. It is a fact that First Aid is updated every year however, I believe the updates are cosmetic. When they take stuff out, I believe they reincorporate couple years later. Would they risk this? Why not. Do you really think people own a First Aid that is 3 to 4 years apart. Once you pass your Step 1 there is no more need for the book. Would someone that bought a 2005 First Aid own a 2001 First Aid. Doubtful. First Aid people have to update it every year because most medical students are very anal about having this book even as a 1st year student.
The authors of First Aid are brilliant. They give the medical students placebo, and the students use the book. From their point of view, they have a cash cow that pays every year. The authors don't have an obligation to update it because the reputation of the book is so immense the quality doesn't have to be the same as the 2001 version.
