Step I First Aid Verbatim?

[priyanka]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

Has anyone memorized the First Aid verbatim thus far?

I dont care, when people say dont memorize.

I believe in understanding first (Which we do during the school year) and then memorize recite-- build it in your photographic memory. Its almost like taking an open book exam.

Yes I haven't taken the Step I. But I've turned into a gunner after entering a carribean med school, much opposite of what I was in undergrad-more because I just immigrated 6 years ago- and misinformed by people on how to study. Yeah you pay at some point, the harder the circumstances- the more stronger you get to fight your odds

I ll be taking the Step next year Sept, God willing.
But the feat has already begun..

Anyone with me on the verbatim? Our semesters are only 4 months and its very accelerated. We finish 2 years in 16 months- then onto 5th semester and then the STEP...
Right now, I try to add notes to my FA 2009 Binder that I think need more explanation...And study exclusively from those for my Shelf exams. For me I hate looking at a different page each time. I am a very visual/photographic learner. When I review from the same page- I remember what exactly it looked like-placement- words- charts. I think all of us are like that. If we tend to forget a certain detail, just go back to the same page- and voila the mind gives a green light makes a Bingo! connnection- rather than seeing a different set of words having the same content and presented in a different manner- the mind has to make its connections all over again- make its mind chart all over again... Its better to strengthen the old ones rather than form new ones for long term memory.. Welll I am not speaking out thin air-- I memorized pages and pages of text - when I did my schooling in India. The more to the word we memorized, the better we scored. Ofcourse you cant just memorize without understanding- that will NEVER happen. That's darn too many words to memorize. Memorization becomes easier when we make connections which comes from the understanding of the context - gives us a more visual story setting to it.

Dont tell me it doesn't work, because thats WRONG information! When I came to US 6 years ago-- people told me I had to study differently. That's exactly why I screwed up in medical schoool, because apparently when I use my method in med school-- it does wonders. I should have never listened, just tested my waters mysef, and I woundnt have wasted 4 years of nothingness! [except for a degree from a UC]--but dang that could have been better too..

So the point is, if you are good at memorizing- DO IT- dont listen to what others say! I learnt this the hard way. What works for you usually doesnt work for others. But then again, I have been doing this since grade 1 to 12 of my education...memorizing pages and pages of information and being able to recite them verbatim. Well the point of this post is, if you think you memorize good, do it! and try to ans questions- if not- theres always wikipedia to clarify the concepts!


..And lets face it..we already know from all the threads and posts/friends results etc. If you know your FA you will ATLEAST pass! If complemented with UW, usmlerx,kaplan Q bank, RR path, Other kaplan Notes annotated in your FA--- Voila!!

Good Luck everyone, we can do this!

 

[Captopril]

I went to school in a country where memorization is the name of the game. Everyone and their mom gets a "99" out there on the USMLE. US students tend to play down the memorization aspect because they haven't perfected the art as most kids from abroad have. I personally was raised here in the US, so my memorization techniques blow...but I've witnessed the wonders of a good memory via my classmates in med school. Don't knock it till you've tried it.

 

[McGillGrad]

I rocked people (who memorized) everyday in anything that involved conceptual thinking and real-world medical thinking. I don't like to memorize because it is very inefficient. Then again, the memorizers did honour all basic sciences...and did fine on the step.

Ok, so I did as well or better than them on step. Does that make memorizing better or worse? I don't know, but it wasn't my cup of tea and it got in the way of learning.

If you know concepts AND memorize FA, then you'll do great. But if you don't make sure to store information and apply information to new situations/variables, you will be disappointed on the step and in the hospitals.

 

[Captopril]

I rocked people (who memorized) everyday in anything that involved conceptual thinking and real-world medical thinking. I don't like to memorize because it is very inefficient. Then again, the memorizers did honour all basic sciences...and did fine on the step.

Ok, so I did as well or better than them on step. Does that make memorizing better or worse? I don't know, but it wasn't my cup of tea and it got in the way of learning.

If you know concepts AND memorize FA, then you'll do great. But if you don't make sure to store information and apply information to new situations/variables, you will be disappointed on the step and in the hospitals.

Yeah I agree with you, memorizing doesn't work for the average mortal. But these kids are beasts...I'm talking they memorize Harrison's word for word to the point that they can tell you the page number something is on. It's disgusting yet intriguing.

 

[Whats_up_doc]

I rocked people (who memorized) everyday in anything that involved conceptual thinking and real-world medical thinking. I don't like to memorize because it is very inefficient. Then again, the memorizers did honour all basic sciences...and did fine on the step.

Ok, so I did as well or better than them on step. Does that make memorizing better or worse? I don't know, but it wasn't my cup of tea and it got in the way of learning.

If you know concepts AND memorize FA, then you'll do great. But if you don't make sure to store information and apply information to new situations/variables, you will be disappointed on the step and in the hospitals.

Agreed 101 %.. My exam was ALL (most of it) about UNDERSTANDING the concepts. Obviously, memory will help you here and there but believe me knowing FA verbatim will not help you rock this test.

Situation in which FA does not work :

Paragraph: Patient with X disease and bunch of labs. Diagnosis not given but is implied.

All answer choices have a long sentence about pathophysiology or integrated with other subjects such as immuno/micro.

Anybody that has entered med school has the ability to memorize FA and empty their "knowledge" into the exam.

Obviously, medical students will always try to find an "easy" way to rock Step 1 and that would be trying to memorize FA even if they don't understand it. However, the students who really have an edge are those who studied to understand during their first 2 years of medicine.

Remember, patient on wards will not come in a clinical vignette paragraph during your rotations so you can select a choice. On 3rd year and on, you actually have to think for yourself = Real Medicine.

 

[Knicks]

Yeah I agree with you, memorizing doesn't work for the average mortal. But these kids are beasts...I'm talking they memorize Harrison's word for word to the point that they can tell you the page number something is on. It's disgusting yet intriguing.

👍

 

[McGillGrad]

Yeah I agree with you, memorizing doesn't work for the average mortal. But these kids are beasts...I'm talking they memorize Harrison's word for word to the point that they can tell you the page number something is on. It's disgusting yet intriguing.

I've only met two people so far that have REAL photographic memories. The rest spend ungodly hours reading the same notes over-and-over. 'To each his own.'

 

[mq123]

I've only met two people so far that have REAL photographic memories. The rest spend ungodly hours reading the same notes over-and-over. 'To each his own.'

I have really photographic memory too. After I read/understand my notes a few times, and kinda memorize them (no ungodly hours required), I later remember where in my notes stuff is written, in what color ink or highlighter, etc. I also think very spatially, if that makes sense, so the photographic memory works well with that.

To the OP: I definitely don't undermine the power of memorization. I do it myself once I've understood the basic concepts and just need to get the nitty gritty details. Plus, there would be no other way to get through micro (how else would you remember Wucheria bancrofti?)

 

[McGillGrad]

There is a common misconception about what a real photographic memory entails. What you have is a visual memory. A photographic memory is almost pathological because one look stores every single detail in perfect form without less than a minute of looking at the page (and never seeing it again). They can read the page backwards from the last word to the first word without a mistake. The mind is not supposed to work like that because forgetting is almost as important as remembering when trying to learn new information.

I have really photographic memory too. After I read/understand my notes a few times, and kinda memorize them (no ungodly hours required), I later remember where in my notes stuff is written, in what color ink or highlighter, etc. I also think very spatially, if that makes sense, so the photographic memory works well with that.

To the OP: I definitely don't undermine the power of memorization. I do it myself once I've understood the basic concepts and just need to get the nitty gritty details. Plus, there would be no other way to get through micro (how else would you remember Wucheria bancrofti?)

 

[kryptik]

medical students memorize a lot more than they are willing to admit

 

[nitecrawler]

study as much as you possibly can. noone here is going to tell you that memorizing FA will hurt you. Just realize that on the day of the exam, you'll be shocked to see how many quesitons are actually about applying novel concepts and figuring out some weird graph or chart rather than regurgitating facts. That being said, you often need to know those facts/details to correctly answer some of the higher order questions, so, memorize away.

 

[Glaxo]

For whatever it's worth, I was freaking out the week before the test because I couldn't regurgitate first aid at all. It was my first go through of the entire book (did it once before with DIT and partially with world and other texts) and I still ended up with a 265.
When I took the test and the fact regurge was rarely there. Saying that, there were some questions that require an obscure one line from first aid and there were quadruple jump questions that required one line from first aid. But the goal there i guess is those first aid concepts have been reinforced in your head with usmle world or kaplan.
To each their own but what worked for me and some other folks who scored high was read throughs of more extensive texts with first aid as a backbone alongside random blocks of 48.

 

[a winner is you]

There's some stuff you memorize and some stuff you learn conceptually. It's not like it's black and white what you should do. For example, should you memorize that niacin causes flushing and that taking aspirin beforehand can help prevent/reduce it? Yes, because there's no real concept behind it that you can "learn." On the other hand, should you memorize that ACE-I can cause hyperkalemia? No, because as long as you understand the mechanism of action of ACE-I and kidney physiology, you can reason it out if you need to rather than try to pull a random fact out of your head.

 

[Disinence2]

I think your straight memorization technique would work well for your schools individual exams. But don't count on many "buzzwords" or things being described the way your used too on step 1. Its helpful to use different resources and see how they all describe the same pathology.

Also know that being able to memorize Harrison's word for word, doesn't always make you the "best" doctor.

 

[Knicks]

There's some stuff you memorize and some stuff you learn conceptually. It's not like it's black and white what you should do. For example, should you memorize that niacin causes flushing and that taking aspirin beforehand can help prevent/reduce it? Yes, because there's no real concept behind it that you can "learn." On the other hand, should you memorize that ACE-I can cause hyperkalemia? No, because as long as you understand the mechanism of action of ACE-I and kidney physiology, you can reason it out if you need to rather than try to pull a random fact out of your head.

a winner is that post. ^^

I think your straight memorization technique would work well for your schools individual exams. But don't count on many "buzzwords" or things being described the way your used too on step 1. Its helpful to use different resources and see how they all describe the same pathology.

Also know that being able to memorize Harrison's word for word, doesn't always make you the "best" doctor.

This also wins. 😀