Gold Standard Board Review

[tonem]

If anyone has had any experience with the "Gold Standard" audio tapes for Step 1 review, I would appreciate any feedback you might have to offer...thanks.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[kimberlicox]

I purchased the tapes whne they first came out and I can't say I'd recommend them. While they are a unique and more interesting way to learn than reading, there are some problems:

- there are mistakes on the tapes, several of them

- perhaps more importantly, lots of time is wasted on low yield topics

- the material is not balanced properly for Step 1; there are about 5 tapes on anemias and 2 on pharmacology

- the quality of some the tapes is bad; on a couple I could hardly hear the reader even with the volume turned all the way up and others had annoying hisses and cracks in the background

- some of the readers mispronounce words, which for an a**l type like me, really drives me to distraction (and besides is unprofessional)

- not all of the tapes came with notes to accompany them

- some of the topics are endlessly repeated, which might help you learn them, but perhaps at the expense of including other topics

I prefer the tapes which are read by the originator of the series; his voice is well modulated and easy to listen to. Inquire how the tapes have changed since they first came out - present them with this list of complaints from a former customer and see how they respond. I did get a listen to some of the clinical tapes and they seem better and more relevant but I was reluctant to purchase them after the disappointment of the Step 1 tapes.

Hope this helps.

 

[kimberlicox]

I purchased the tapes whne they first came out and I can't say I'd recommend them. While they are a unique and more interesting way to learn than reading, there are some problems:

- there are mistakes on the tapes, several of them

- perhaps more importantly, lots of time is wasted on low yield topics

- the material is not balanced properly for Step 1; there are about 5 tapes on anemias and 2 on pharmacology

- the quality of some the tapes is bad; on a couple I could hardly hear the reader even with the volume turned all the way up and others had annoying hisses and cracks in the background

- some of the readers mispronounce words, which for an a**l type like me, really drives me to distraction (and besides is unprofessional)

- not all of the tapes came with notes to accompany them

- some of the topics are endlessly repeated, which might help you learn them, but perhaps at the expense of including other topics

I prefer the tapes which are read by the originator of the series; his voice is well modulated and easy to listen to. Inquire how the tapes have changed since they first came out - present them with this list of complaints from a former customer and see how they respond. I did get a listen to some of the clinical tapes and they seem better and more relevant but I was reluctant to purchase them after the disappointment of the Step 1 tapes.

Hope this helps.

 

[tonem]

Thanks Kim,

Do you have any recommendations or tips for board review?

Tony

[This message has been edited by tonem (edited 12-13-2000).]

 

[kimberlicox]

Originally posted by tonem:
Thanks Kim,

Do you have any recommendations or tips for board review?"

Sorry about the double post above - must be those espresso beans my brother brews up. First piece of advice for any USMLE book, is that the best book is the one you use. Sounds simple and stupid, but coming from someone who bought lots of books (I just love them and as manager of my med school bookstore I got em for cost anyway!), it makes sense. Use the books you are comfortable with and use them as early as possible; if you use a review text during that class it will seem all the more familiar to you when it comes time to really study for Step 1/2.

I've listed them here and elsewhere before but the books I found most helpful were:

First Aid
Biochem: Lippincott
Pharm: Lippincott ad High Yield (its new)
Path: NMS and look at piccies on the web or in a good atlas (but there were hardly any on my exam so don't spend heaps of time)
Histo: High Yield (not enough of it on real exam to spend more time on)
Anatomy: Ridiculously Simple and First Aid were enough; all my questions were clinically oriented not just random facts
Psych/Beh Sci: High Yield
Micro: Ridiclously Simple and High Yield (also new)
Immuno: High Yield (new as well)

It is really helpful to do lots of questions; the sample questions sent by USMLE are great, as are the NMS ones. Also try the test engine at medschool.com - there really aren't enough questions (I don't think they've got the full exam, up and running) so by the time you've gone through it several times you will see repeats of most of the questions, but they are a pretty good rep of the real thing.

Hope this helps.