Focus on board materials or keep going with what I'm doing?

[MedWonk]

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So, I go to a school that is P/F unranked the first two years. I've been using Anki to study and have gradually gotten the hang of using it efficiently (way less cards, cut out stuff I already know), but making the cards still tends to take up a bit of time. Since the first two years are unranked, I'm not so concerned about getting into the top 10% of grades or whatever. I'll be happy with being at the mean/somewhere in the top 50%.

Should I just stop doing anki and go with reading the lecture slides/notes over and over (each pass is faster than making cards and reviewing them) and just focusing on things like first aid, firecracker, etc.? Or just keep going with anki and focus on classes?

 

[Robotman]

In short. I would stop Anki and read notes over and over and focus on first aid. Firecracker is essentially an expensive Anki but the cards are already made for you. However, if you want to have a life, studying your notes and focusing on First Aid will certainly put you above class average easily and first aid will tune your step 1 studying.

 

[DermViser]

So I have no idea what Anki is - is it a flashcard program? Anyways, the key is to use First Aid along with selected subject review books to study. I thought the "tips" offered in First Aid as far as what to concentrate on are very helpful. While professor lecture syllabi are great - they are usually not good resources with respect to Step 1 prep, although they may be helpful to get a cohesive picture.

 

[mcloaf]

In short. I would stop Anki and read notes over and over and focus on first aid. Firecracker is essentially an expensive Anki but the cards are already made for you. However, if you want to have a life, studying your notes and focusing on First Aid will certainly put you above class average easily and first aid will tune your step 1 studying.

The **** medical school do you go to where reading FA as an M1 will put you above the class average?

OP, I did something pretty similar to what you describe (repeated passes through lecture notes + firecracker) and it worked great for me. You sort of have to figure out what works for you. As an M1 (assuming from your c/o2018 sig) I doubt FA will either make that much sense to you or be very helpful with doing well in your classes.

 

[DermViser]

The **** medical school do you go to where reading FA as an M1 will put you above the class average?

OP, I did something pretty similar to what you describe (repeated passes through lecture notes + firecracker) and it worked great for me. You sort of have to figure out what works for you. As an M1 (assuming from your c/o2018 sig) I doubt FA will either make that much sense to you or be very helpful with doing well in your classes.

First Aid is great for mnemonics and facts on a subject that you may not have been exposed to on a particular topic in class. For example, the functions of PTH.

 

[mcloaf]

First Aid is great for mnemonics and facts on a subject that you may not have been exposed to on a particular topic in class. For example, the functions of PTH.

I don't disagree that there's a lot of good info in there. But at least at my school FA would not have been all that helpful with M1 material, and the idea that incorporating it would have any measurable effect towards making you above average is laughable.

 

[Awared]

I don't disagree that there's a lot of good info in there. But at least at my school FA would not have been all that helpful with M1 material, and the idea that incorporating it would have any measurable effect towards making you above average is laughable.

I agree with this. FA only mentions probably 20% of the material we are responsible to know. It's (sometimes) good for big picture ideas, but specific review books are always much better.

My general thought (and I'm basing this on nothing but wishful thinking) is that by mastering the MS1 material, I'll set myself up at least for better study habits when it comes to step 1, if not already knowing a good amount of material for it.

 

[DermViser]

I don't disagree that there's a lot of good info in there. But at least at my school FA would not have been all that helpful with M1 material, and the idea that incorporating it would have any measurable effect towards making you above average is laughable.

I agree. FA is like throwing a toothpick into a volcano (Deuce Bigalow reference) when it comes to in-class professor made exams. I think MS-1s consistently make the mistake of thinking that ALL the stuff that's taught, that isn't in First Aid is "minutiae" and won't be tested on boards or is irrelevant to M-3.

 

[Robotman]

The **** medical school do you go to where reading FA as an M1 will put you above the class average?

OP, I did something pretty similar to what you describe (repeated passes through lecture notes + firecracker) and it worked great for me. You sort of have to figure out what works for you. As an M1 (assuming from your c/o2018 sig) I doubt FA will either make that much sense to you or be very helpful with doing well in your classes.

I meant to say focusing on notes and studying first aid would put you above class average easily. Notes are the number 1 factor when it comes to class grades.

 

[MedWonk]

So I have no idea what Anki is - is it a flashcard program? Anyways, the key is to use First Aid along with selected subject review books to study. I thought the "tips" offered in First Aid as far as what to concentrate on are very helpful. While professor lecture syllabi are great - they are usually not good resources with respect to Step 1 prep, although they may be helpful to get a cohesive picture.

Yeah, it's a flashcard program with a spaced repetition algorithm. Think Firecracker except you have to make the cards. I can see the value in it. It would certainly help remember the rote memorization portion of lectures (definitions, pathways, etc.). But it's a huge time sink to make these cards. I've started making them during lecture, and then I realize I have a **** ton of cards to go through when I see how many I've made across all the lectures. I think I'm just freaking out and worried I'll fail my first exams, although everyone MS2 and up keeps telling to not worry and just keep plugging away, and if my first exams come out ****ty then change my study habits.

 

[DermViser]

Yeah, it's a flashcard program with a spaced repetition algorithm. Think Firecracker except you have to make the cards. I can see the value in it. It would certainly help remember the rote memorization portion of lectures (definitions, pathways, etc.). But it's a huge time sink to make these cards. I've started making them during lecture, and then I realize I have a **** ton of cards to go through when I see how many I've made across all the lectures. I think I'm just freaking out and worried I'll fail my first exams, although everyone MS2 and up keeps telling to not worry and just keep plugging away, and if my first exams come out ****ty then change my study habits.

I guess if you're in a "true" P/F system in the first 2 years you can do that. Quite a time sink however, as I really don't know how helpful cards from professor lectures will be for boards.

 

[sinombre]

Yeah, it's a flashcard program with a spaced repetition algorithm. Think Firecracker except you have to make the cards. I can see the value in it. It would certainly help remember the rote memorization portion of lectures (definitions, pathways, etc.). But it's a huge time sink to make these cards. I've started making them during lecture, and then I realize I have a **** ton of cards to go through when I see how many I've made across all the lectures. I think I'm just freaking out and worried I'll fail my first exams, although everyone MS2 and up keeps telling to not worry and just keep plugging away, and if my first exams come out ****ty then change my study habits.

Making cards is a huge time sink, but you just have to learn roughly how much time it takes for you to go through a certain amount of cards and budget your time accordingly. Going over cards for the first time always takes more time than reviewing them later. Do not use FA during first year as a means of justifying what to ignore... just do your best to learn everything that's presented to you and you will be in good shape to start focusing on boards during M2.

When I first started using Anki at the beginning of M1, I made the mistake of spending a lot of time making the cards, and not spending enough time reviewing them (mostly because I hadn't developed necessary study habits yet). Reviewing the cards is where 80% of the benefit is. It may take a lot of time, but it will be worth it if you want to do well.

 

[grt398]

Make your own anki cards that are Step 1 focused as they correlate with your classes. My school starts pathophys late 1st year and that's what I and several of my classmates did. None of us scored <250 on Step 1 for whatever it's worth. I will say it's a huge time sink and you'll end up spending 3-4 hours/day even towards the end of your dedicated study period doing Anki cards. They'll still be good for M3 though as far as I can tell, i.e. the better you prep for Step 1, the easier you'll find shelf exams to be assuming you make cards that include not only pathophys, but also relevant imaging and treatment. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

 

[DermViser]

Make your own anki cards that are Step 1 focused as they correlate with your classes. My school starts pathophys late 1st year and that's what I and several of my classmates did. None of us scored <250 on Step 1 for whatever it's worth. I will say it's a huge time sink and you'll end up spending 3-4 hours/day even towards the end of your dedicated study period doing Anki cards. They'll still be good for M3 though as far as I can tell, i.e. the better you prep for Step 1, the easier you'll find shelf exams to be assuming you make cards that include not only pathophys, but also relevant imaging and treatment. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

So do you just copy and paste lines from lecture powerpoints on Anki cards?

 

[grt398]

So do you just copy and paste lines from lecture powerpoints on Anki cards?

No I made my own clinical scenarios with pictures/pathology slides/xrays etc I pulled off google images usually and would then turn it all into a card for each major point in pathoma/FA. Before the end of the block I'd make a final list of Q's, limited to 10 per lecture, of non Step 1 stuff. For example, Pathoma discusses 2 causes of microangiopathic hemolytic anemia (TTP/HUS) so I made the following card:

A mother brings her child to clinic complaining of fever, lethargy and headaches. They've noticed over the past several weeks the child appears to bruise more easily and has a sudden onset of focal pain in their mid to lower back. Closer examination of the child also reveals pale conjunctiva and the patient is tender to palpation in the area of their kidney.

Labs:
Bleeding time: > 20 minutes
Prothrombin time 12.1/control 11.9 sec.
aPTT 29.6/control 27.9 sec.
Platelet count 31,000

Blood smear reveals schistocytes on examination.

1. What is the most likely diagnosis? (HUS)
2. What are the two common causes of this disorder? (TTP &HUS)
3. What is the pathophys for each cause? (TTP: ADAMSTS13 enzyme/HUS: E coli. O157:H7)
4. Why is the patient tender to palpation? (Renal dmg/insufficiency)
5. What other characteristic symptom appears in patients with the other cause of this disorder? (CNS abnormalities, often neurological symptoms that can present with stroke like symptoms)
6. What is the treatment? (Plasmapharesis + corticosteroids)

It was enough to keep me around my class average while ensuring I had a really solid foundation once I hit my dedicated study period so I could just do questions. Mostly the scenarios just allowed me to remember the general pattern I was looking for with a particular diagnosis, even if they're not always 100% correct.

 

[DermViser]

No I made my own clinical scenarios with pictures/pathology slides/xrays etc I pulled off google images usually and would then turn it all into a card for each major point in pathoma/FA. Before the end of the block I'd make a final list of Q's, limited to 10 per lecture, of non Step 1 stuff. For example, Pathoma discusses 2 causes of microangiopathic hemolytic anemia (TTP/HUS) so I made the following card:

A mother brings her child to clinic complaining of fever, lethargy and headaches. They've noticed over the past several weeks the child appears to bruise more easily and has a sudden onset of focal pain in their mid to lower back. Closer examination of the child also reveals pale conjunctiva and the patient is tender to palpation in the area of their kidney.

Labs:
Bleeding time: > 20 minutes
Prothrombin time 12.1/control 11.9 sec.
aPTT 29.6/control 27.9 sec.
Platelet count 31,000

Blood smear reveals schistocytes on examination.

1. What is the most likely diagnosis? (HUS)
2. What are the two common causes of this disorder? (TTP &HUS)
3. What is the pathophys for each cause? (TTP: ADAMSTS13 enzyme/HUS: E coli. O157:H7)
4. Why is the patient tender to palpation? (Renal dmg/insufficiency)
5. What other characteristic symptom appears in patients with the other cause of this disorder? (CNS abnormalities, often neurological symptoms that can present with stroke like symptoms)
6. What is the treatment? (Plasmapharesis + corticosteroids)

It was enough to keep me around my class average while ensuring I had a really solid foundation once I hit my dedicated study period so I could just do questions. Mostly the scenarios just allowed me to remember the general pattern I was looking for with a particular diagnosis, even if they're not always 100% correct.

You come up with your own clinical vignettes for flash cards? Good God.

 

[PL198]

You come up with your own clinical vignettes for flash cards? Good God.

Jesus Christ, that would take me like 15 min per card, = 2.5 hours per lecture and not even covering everything

 

[notbobtrustme]

No I made my own clinical scenarios with pictures/pathology slides/xrays etc I pulled off google images usually and would then turn it all into a card for each major point in pathoma/FA. Before the end of the block I'd make a final list of Q's, limited to 10 per lecture, of non Step 1 stuff. For example, Pathoma discusses 2 causes of microangiopathic hemolytic anemia (TTP/HUS) so I made the following card:

A mother brings her child to clinic complaining of fever, lethargy and headaches. They've noticed over the past several weeks the child appears to bruise more easily and has a sudden onset of focal pain in their mid to lower back. Closer examination of the child also reveals pale conjunctiva and the patient is tender to palpation in the area of their kidney.

Labs:
Bleeding time: > 20 minutes
Prothrombin time 12.1/control 11.9 sec.
aPTT 29.6/control 27.9 sec.
Platelet count 31,000

Blood smear reveals schistocytes on examination.

1. What is the most likely diagnosis? (HUS)
2. What are the two common causes of this disorder? (TTP &HUS)
3. What is the pathophys for each cause? (TTP: ADAMSTS13 enzyme/HUS: E coli. O157:H7)
4. Why is the patient tender to palpation? (Renal dmg/insufficiency)
5. What other characteristic symptom appears in patients with the other cause of this disorder? (CNS abnormalities, often neurological symptoms that can present with stroke like symptoms)
6. What is the treatment? (Plasmapharesis + corticosteroids)

It was enough to keep me around my class average while ensuring I had a really solid foundation once I hit my dedicated study period so I could just do questions. Mostly the scenarios just allowed me to remember the general pattern I was looking for with a particular diagnosis, even if they're not always 100% correct.

neurotic level : medical student.

 

[DrEnderW]

I'd rather have HUS than follow that plan.

 

[PL198]

neurotic level : medical student.

dude that's medical student prime, not just medical student.

 

[DermViser]

dude that's medical student prime, not just medical student.

Seriously that flashcard above was ridic, I swear I thought I was reading an NBME shelf question. If you can come up with that in your head, you're pretty good to go.

 

[PL198]

Seriously that flashcard above was ridic, I swear I thought I was reading an NBME shelf question. If you can come up with that in your head, you're pretty good to go.

dude have you seen the show rush? I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make that my life

 

[DermViser]

dude have you seen the show rush? I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make that my life

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3413236/plotsummary?ref_=tt_ov_pl
Dr. William Rush is not your average on-call doctor. He's not attached to any hospital, he's highly discreet no matter what the ailment as long as the client can pay his cash-only premium and the doctor can party with the best of them. He has no desire to change his life or how he lives it, until an old flame and his conscience begin to stir things up.

LOL.

 

[PL198]

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3413236/plotsummary?ref_=tt_ov_pl
Dr. William Rush is not your average on-call doctor. He's not attached to any hospital, he's highly discreet no matter what the ailment as long as the client can pay his cash-only premium and the doctor can party with the best of them. He has no desire to change his life or how he lives it, until an old flame and his conscience begin to stir things up.

LOL.

Imagine that with less insecurity and definitely not getting with my old flame sooooo maybe a little better.

 

[DermViser]

Imagine that with less insecurity and definitely not getting with my old flame sooooo maybe a little better.

Yes, I figured, with the last sentence, you'd be like, "F- that!". So more like: "Dr. PL198 is not your average on-call doctor. He's not attached to any hospital, he's highly discreet no matter what the ailment as long as the client can pay his cash-only premium and the doctor can party with the best of them. He has no desire to change his life or how he lives it."

 

[PL198]

Yes, I figured, with the last sentence, you'd be like, "F- that!". So more like: "Dr. PL198 is not your average on-call doctor. He's not attached to any hospital, he's highly discreet no matter what the ailment as long as the client can pay his cash-only premium and the doctor can party with the best of them. He has no desire to change his life or how he lives it."

LOL the last sentence of that one is probably the most accurate for my life. If somehow I manage to swindle everyone into calling me Dr, I'll consider it a success regardless of other factors. However I'm extremely discreet and cash-only is great. Not the best partier though.

Check out the show though, it's amazing

 

[DermViser]

LOL the last sentence of that one is probably the most accurate for my life. If somehow I manage to swindle everyone into calling me Dr, I'll consider it a success regardless of other factors. However I'm extremely discreet and cash-only is great. Not the best partier though.

Check out the show though, it's amazing

I'm sure that's a weakness anyone would be happy to improve on, esp. in LA or NYC.