First Aid for USMLE

[tesla123]

---

Members do not see this ad.

I have heard that many people rely on First Aid to review for the boards, but most people tell me that it is really not helpful. What do you guys think?

 

[citygirl]

It's good to give you a framework about what to study. Most people (me included) used it as a guideline, made extra notes while studying, and then a good quick review before the test. First Aid says right off the bat that it is not meant to be a comprehensive review and has ratings on other texts to help you study. To answer your question, it's not good to rely on as your only source of information, but it is still worth buying.

 

[Shah_Patel_PT]

I have heard that many people rely on First Aid to review for the boards, but most people tell me that it is really not helpful. What do you guys think?

I only used it the last couple of days before I took the step. You should know much more on each topic that is in the First Aid.

 

[knownothing]

I only used it the last couple of days before I took the step. You should know much more on each topic that is in the First Aid.

I hear it is your framework, know everything in that as a base and then add on and supplement.

 

[bbtbay]

I heard it is useful to use after you complete a specific module to use as review during the year. Finish pharmacology during school, then review it using the First Aid...That's the advice I've been given.

 

[siempre595]

I know a lot of people who really only used First Aid and Qbank. They found this to be enough. That's pretty much what I did, and I haven't gotten my score back yet, but depending on how well you can extrapolate from what First Aid offers and how well you make educated guesses, I think you can get by with using it as a main source. However, that is also in addition to doing pretty well in 2nd year classes and having some basic idea of what was going on 1st year. You're not going to find one great source that will have everything you need to know for Step 1, it's just WAY too random. But from what I have heard, if you know First Aid cover to cover and use little else, you can do pretty well. Guess I'll find out in a few more weeks.....

 

[tigershark]

I use the First Aid books as a quick review to refresh my memory right before the test....I would never use them as a primary source of information for studying, they are way too superficial if you are looking to ace the shelfs/steps.

If you are the type that just wants to pass you probably could get away with just studying First Aid for the shelfs/steps.

 

[citygirl]

I know a lot of people who really only used First Aid and Qbank. They found this to be enough. That's pretty much what I did, and I haven't gotten my score back yet, but depending on how well you can extrapolate from what First Aid offers and how well you make educated guesses, I think you can get by with using it as a main source. However, that is also in addition to doing pretty well in 2nd year classes and having some basic idea of what was going on 1st year. You're not going to find one great source that will have everything you need to know for Step 1, it's just WAY too random. But from what I have heard, if you know First Aid cover to cover and use little else, you can do pretty well. Guess I'll find out in a few more weeks.....

The few people I know who used First Aid only did pass, but barely. A lot of people used Q-bank but it's expensive and you need good fast computer access (I didn't have that where I was studying). There are also good books you can buy with blocks of questions/answers/explanations and you can time yourself.

 

[anamarylee]

I read the FA section on each subject before studying the subject (BRS, HY, other people used the Kaplan Books, etc) and then re-read it afterwards. If something important was missing, I wrote notes on the pages. The big picture -> detailed view -> big picture approached has been working for me. You can read more about the FA and the review books in the USMLE COMLEX Boards