First Aid--how good is it really?

[meerak]

People I am wondering how good is "FIRST AID"....experiences, opinions..cuz like everybody else I have this same question..

its not fa 2009 vs 2010 its just first aid in general how good is it really for the test itself, if you memorize it?,


meerak

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[vicinihil]

First Aid is kind of the antidote to a snake bite....that pitcher of water laying in the distance as you're trudging across the desert.....that delicious pizza waiting for you at the end of a drunken night....Obama after 8 years of bush...heaven with the promise of 80 hot chicks!

Need I say more? I think you get the point.

 

[Phur]

It has just about everything you need. (Based on my test, I said about 90%) However, Step 1 I felt was a test of application not just straight regurgitation. So yes, memorizing FA will take you a long way, but you need to make sure you can reason through things as well, which is why I try to emphasize doing a lot of questions too.

 

[karizma098]

from what i've heard from Ms3's and 4's at my school and other schools, if you JUST study first aid and Goljan, you will definitely pass the exam, i.e, it is likely if you do a few run throughs of first aid and goljan pratice q's, you will likely score above 190. to get into that 230+ range depends on how well you remember certain topics and if you did or didn't incorporate DIT/Kaplan/other books into your FA studying.

also it depends on how well you did in school...a straight A student who retains most of what they learned might know more than first aid already. i'm an average student who forgot a lot, so reviewing first aid has been a good 'refresher'.

 

[meerak]

ya I think Im going to stick to first aid and memorize it clean. I guess it will probably be enough to get u a 90 on the step 1

 

[rishi718]

statistically speaking, the majority of students find most of everything on there exam in FA

but with stakes on an exam, with no redo's, and seriously anything could happen

and fa has its weak parts too. and u could be that one test with buncha nuero questions, or cell bio, or biochem, or even embryo

its too risky, cus its just once. just once. i think thats what drives people to use multiple sources. its scary

im finding it increasingly and increasingly harder to study for step cus for 15 yrs ive been going thru notes, casually throwing papers on teh floor thinking "that wont be on there, nor that, nor that"

i find myself when doing that with step studying, i keep glancing at my "low yield pile"... and goin.... waiiittt. mmaybe....

i have one study plan of fa plus every qbank. and another of annotating best sources into fa. and as soon as i decide one for time purposes. i go back to the other thinking ONLY FA is too risky. then wait, i dont have time for others. back n forth. back n forth.

 

[drauc]

I just took the exam 2 days ago so here's my take....

KNOW FA! I'm not saying knowing FA cold will get you in the 230+ range, but as others have said, it will help you pass. But the most important thing is that FA gives you a great foundation on which to build. If you are like me (average student), then FA helps you get started. I annotated Kaplan books and UWorld into FA and read Goljan for path. I did not read path from FA. There were many questions on my exam which I felt came straight out of FA, so knowing it well (not necessarily cold) will get you those few extra points to push your score up.

For my exam, FA was sufficient for anatomy, embryo, biostats, behavioral science, and pharm. I annotated Kaplan biochem, micro, immuno and physio into FA. I don't have my score obviously, but I didn't walk out of the exam thinking I had done horrible.

 

[killinsound]

First Aid is great. Of course it's just an outline of everything you should know, but it is an important framework that gives you a map to the mix of bullsht that you are about to attempt to wade through.

I would say it's necessary.

 

[k87]

I also have heard alot of people talking about how important FA is for the step..so the best plan is to stick to it!

 

[starkcrazy]

yea FA is the Holy Grail of Step 1 studying. However, one thing that frustrates me is the errors.... I'd hate to memorize wrong information!!!! and that makes me slightly paranoid and want to triple check everything in the darn book... ok, immensely paranoid (not slightly)

 

[NorGwynCrab]

Is it really possible to know FA cold? I've read that thing twenty times and there are plenty of little details I can't remember. My test is in a week and I sometimes feel like giving up, it's just too much.

I've read other sources, too, but there's only so much my brain can retain.

Blah.

 

[starkcrazy]

Is it really possible to know FA cold? I've read that thing twenty times and there are plenty of little details I can't remember. My test is in a week and I sometimes feel like giving up, it's just too much.

I've read other sources, too, but there's only so much my brain can retain.

Blah.

My honest opinion is that you need to tackle your attitude first. Then FA. I don't know how successful you're going to be with that "feel like giving up, it's just too much" attitude. Get optimistic - even if it seems like the only optimistic thing is the fact that it will all be over soon. This reminds me of some of my classmates... you have to do what you have to do. if you're going to be miserable while doing it, that's your choice.

 

[NorGwynCrab]

That's good advice, starkcrazy. Attitude is a big factor.

Thanks - I needed that.

 

[k87]

WELL SAID

 

[username456789]

It's funny, when I go through First Aid I think "man there's so much stuff in here", but then on closer inspection, I go through a section like the Anemias in the Heme/Onc section after having just sort of skimmed through the RBC d/o chapter in Goljan, and realize there's so much that FA leaves out.

For the pathology stuff that's often very light on details/explanation, what do you guys prefer to do? Write in your own [sometimes lengthy, by necessity] notes? Scribble down in FA the page of Goljan that addresses that so each time you get to that point in FA you know to open up RR? Or what?

 

[TexasTriathlete]

First Aid is great for what it is: a supplement.

There isn't much that it really explains. You need other sources and background knowledge for it to really make sense as a study aid though.

 

[kryptik]

all i know is after several exams, i go like "damn that was straight from first aid", am hoping the step will be same

 

[meerak]

I guess going over it twicce or thrice is the key...REPETITION!!

Was neuro enough if done with 2010 FA?

 

[Krazykyle]

I guess going over it twicce or thrice is the key...REPETITION!!

Was neuro enough if done with 2010 FA?

I would say to plan on going over it twenty to thirty times...

 

[Krazykyle]

My honest opinion is that you need to tackle your attitude first. Then FA. I don't know how successful you're going to be with that "feel like giving up, it's just too much" attitude. Get optimistic - even if it seems like the only optimistic thing is the fact that it will all be over soon. This reminds me of some of my classmates... you have to do what you have to do. if you're going to be miserable while doing it, that's your choice.

Have you started board studying?

People on here use "memorize first aid" pretty loosely. If they mean know a concept and all first aid has associated with it, then I believe it is possible. If they mean remember verbatim the order from front to back, I don't think that is realistic (though I am trying, and still have 3 mos).

 

[usmlebest]

it s ur best friend in the last 2 weeks!