Has anyone, or know of anyone, that has managed to memorize FA?

[fuzzywuz]

I'm totally blown away by the sheer amount of information that I've gone over the past 5 days. As I read the books, I'm feeling alright.

But when its time to do actual questions, I'm absolutely blown away by the type of information I'm being asked to recall. Keep in mind, these questions aren't conceptual questions.. It's simply what dz is associated w/ this list of symptoms/chromosomal abnormalities.

How is it possible? How?!?!?!

I'm only starting to dip my toes into the harder stuff (e.g. pathology). Physio wasn't bad as most of the stuff was conceptual. I can't possibly imagine what I will be asked to recall when I hit pharm and the other nitty gritty.

Anyway, that's my rant.

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[raynor123456]

If someone started memorizing it very early on, I guess it's possible. But, to me, the whole "know FA cover-to-cover JUST to pass" is ridiculously exaggerated horse manure. Learn it the best you can, supplement where necessary (use qbanks to figure that part out), and just do what you can in the time given.

 

[unsung]

If someone started memorizing it very early on, I guess it's possible. But, to me, the whole "know FA cover-to-cover JUST to pass" is ridiculously exaggerated horse manure. Learn it the best you can, supplement where necessary (use qbanks to figure that part out), and just do what you can in the time given.

This is why I find assertions such as "oh I was done studying after 3 wks" so ridiculous.

I mean. What. What what. Like, to me "done" studying would literally be being able to regurgitate FA. And like OP said... that ain't possible in a few wks.

 

[mmmcdowe]

It seems to me that it would be possible if done over a few months, just not necessarily the best use of your entire study time.

 

[Mace1370]

I guess this is as good a thread as any to ask, but how many pages of FA do you guys go through in an hour? Right just starting my second pass today and I go through 4-5 pages an hour. It is sooooo slow.

 

[ArcGurren]

I guess this is as good a thread as any to ask, but how many pages of FA do you guys go through in an hour? Right just starting my second pass today and I go through 4-5 pages an hour. It is sooooo slow.

I read very fast, so I actually go through quite a few pages in an hour (usually a full section of FA). However it takes me multiple passes through the entire book to memorize.

Also re: memorizing... I dunno, I feel like I can usually still figure out questions if I think about them as opposed to merely memorizing/regurgitating. I may not necessarily know offhand the exact diagnosis for example but if you've got a good handle on WHAT is happening, it'll help you answer the question anyway.

 

[SlaveOfTCMC]

I've memorized virtually all of 2010.

Seriously though, it's only good as a bar trick with other medical students.

Knowing facts is nice, but gotta know concepts first.


The trick is starting early and then titrating your way down.

What do I mean?

Take notes as you read. Actively learn. Then each time you pass through you'll find yourself taking fewer and fewer notes because you've incorporated more and more of it.

Doing qbank during that time helps as well.

 

[pullandbear]

I've memorized virtually all of 2010.

Seriously though, it's only good as a bar trick with other medical students.

Knowing facts is nice, but gotta know concepts first.


The trick is starting early and then titrating your way down.

What do I mean?

Take notes as you read. Actively learn. Then each time you pass through you'll find yourself taking fewer and fewer notes because you've incorporated more and more of it.

Doing qbank during that time helps as well.

This is what I'm doing too. But taking notes takes a looong time to write. But you do end up retaining a lot more. How long did it take you to memorize. And what are your scores like now that you memorized it?

Edit: I guess I'm asking how helpful it actually was to your scores compared to other things.

 

[olemissbabydoc]

I'm totally blown away by the sheer amount of information that I've gone over the past 5 days. As I read the books, I'm feeling alright.

But when its time to do actual questions, I'm absolutely blown away by the type of information I'm being asked to recall. Keep in mind, these questions aren't conceptual questions.. It's simply what dz is associated w/ this list of symptoms/chromosomal abnormalities.

How is it possible? How?!?!?!

I'm only starting to dip my toes into the harder stuff (e.g. pathology). Physio wasn't bad as most of the stuff was conceptual. I can't possibly imagine what I will be asked to recall when I hit pharm and the other nitty gritty.

Anyway, that's my rant.

Repetition, repetition, repetition. You'll find (after enough questions) that even the nuances tend to have a pattern. Just do LOTS of practice questions in your preparing... Good luck!

 

[SlaveOfTCMC]

This is what I'm doing too. But taking notes takes a looong time to write. But you do end up retaining a lot more. How long did it take you to memorize. And what are your scores like now that you memorized it?

Edit: I guess I'm asking how helpful it actually was to your scores compared to other things.

My real test is in a few weeks.

I've been getting 250+ on the NBMEs thus far.

Honestly, all knowing everything in first aid does is a confidence boost. An ego trip of sorts.

There is not as much second guessing an answer choice.

Minimizing distractions will amplify itself during the course of an exam and just keep me calm and cool to tackle those bizarrely worded topics or the unique plotted graphs that inevitably will come my way.

As for the real score, I'll let you know in however many more weeks

 

[step1saga]

My real test is in a few weeks.

I've been getting 250+ on the NBMEs thus far.

Honestly, all knowing everything in first aid does is a confidence boost. An ego trip of sorts.

There is not as much second guessing an answer choice.

Minimizing distractions will amplify itself during the course of an exam and just keep me calm and cool to tackle those bizarrely worded topics or the unique plotted graphs that inevitably will come my way.

As for the real score, I'll let you know in however many more weeks

My friend memorized the FA to the point that he could regurgitate every word- and thats exactly what he said about being sure about the answers and eliminating distractions. He wrote each page over and over --but he started early. That and he did only usmleRx, not even world. He got a 258.

I personally think its better to know a few sources cold than alittle from many sources.

 

[pullandbear]

My friend memorized the FA to the point that he could regurgitate every word- and thats exactly what he said about being sure about the answers and eliminating distractions. He wrote each page over and over --but he started early. That and he did only usmleRx, not even world. He got a 258.

I personally think its better to know a few sources cold than alittle from many sources.

How was he scoring before memorizing it? I wonder if he just naturally remembered stuff from the first two years and was scoring well regardless of memorizing or not.

 

[ArcGurren]

My friend memorized the FA to the point that he could regurgitate every word- and thats exactly what he said about being sure about the answers and eliminating distractions. He wrote each page over and over --but he started early. That and he did only usmleRx, not even world. He got a 258.

I personally think its better to know a few sources cold than alittle from many sources.

That's fine and good for him but I know people who have scored higher with far, far less effort

 

[DrYoda]

I know all the content. It is just a review book, learning for memorization during the first two years (especially M2) goes a long way towards "memorizing" first aid. It's not like I could regurgitate the book verbatim or anything though.

 

[step1saga]

How was he scoring before memorizing it? I wonder if he just naturally remembered stuff from the first two years and was scoring well regardless of memorizing or not.

I m not sure of his score before, but the practice test he took 2 weeks before was a 240 something , Yeah he had definitely been memorizing FA since his second year of school. So Im sure that helped alot.

And as for the effort-- I think thats a relative term..

 

[ArcGurren]

I m not sure of his score before, but the practice test he took 2 weeks before was a 240 something , Yeah he had definitely been memorizing FA since his second year of school. So Im sure that helped alot.

And as for the effort-- I think thats a relative term..

I think I meant more in terms of the amount of time spent. I'm pretty impressed that he managed to do that but honestly, without a photographic memory it would be a hopeless venture IMO.

 

[raynor123456]

I've memorized virtually all of 2010.

Seriously though, it's only good as a bar trick with other medical students.

Knowing facts is nice, but gotta know concepts first.

On my exam, the concepts were less an issue than miniscule details. Goljan plays up the importance of mechanisms and plays down the importance of details, but my experience was that you do want most of the details. It doesn't matter if you understand how something works if at the end of the case presentation you're required to regurgitate a detail in order to get the answer correct.

 

[event horizon]

I guess this is as good a thread as any to ask, but how many pages of FA do you guys go through in an hour? Right just starting my second pass today and I go through 4-5 pages an hour. It is sooooo slow.

My strategy was to try to do a minimum of 12 pages an hour (5 minutes per page) which worked most of the time except for really dense pages like the one on immunodeficiencies that took me thrice as long. I started trying to memorize on the 2nd pass but I think what helped the most was referencing FA multiple times while doing UW questions.

 

[pbnj003]

when you reference back to FA while doing UWorld....do you also read up on the rest of that page or just the part thats pertaining to the question?

 

[pullandbear]

On my exam, the concepts were less an issue than miniscule details. Goljan plays up the importance of mechanisms and plays down the importance of details, but my experience was that you do want most of the details. It doesn't matter if you understand how something works if at the end of the case presentation you're required to regurgitate a detail in order to get the answer correct.

Did you find that on your actual step 1 you were constantly being asked the little details in FA (like the non bolded little things) or the main bolded terms?

 

[fuzzywuz]

It's been a month since I've start to go through first aid, I've conceded that I will never be able to memorize the book.

There are far too many bits and pieces to know. Even in my second pass, a lot of stuff seems "familiar" to me. I do not know it cold. Hopefully on the real thing, when it's time to "recall," it'll be much better...

 

[MossPoh]

I never memorized first aid. Really, I used it far less than a lot of people. I can see certain pages in my head but the specifics are still fuzzy. I was testing just fine on NBME and UWSA both.

Some people view "understanding the mechanism" as "memorizing" the mechanism. When you truly understand the thing, it gives you the capacity to figure out other things thrown at you. Just because you can spout off something, doesn't mean you understand it.

Memorization is necessary to some extent, but I think its value in one's longterm education is vastly overstated. Usually, the stuff I memorized is the first to go from my head but I can continue to figure out problems and apply concepts to new things with the understanding.

Hell, I'm not a fan of the whole taking Latin thing, but understanding basic word derivations can oftentimes narrow the answer down to two choices in itself.

 

[Guillemot]

I never memorized first aid. Really, I used it far less than a lot of people. I can see certain pages in my head but the specifics are still fuzzy. I was testing just fine on NBME and UWSA both.

Some people view "understanding the mechanism" as "memorizing" the mechanism. When you truly understand the thing, it gives you the capacity to figure out other things thrown at you. Just because you can spout off something, doesn't mean you understand it.

Memorization is necessary to some extent, but I think its value in one's longterm education is vastly overstated. Usually, the stuff I memorized is the first to go from my head but I can continue to figure out problems and apply concepts to new things with the understanding.

Hell, I'm not a fan of the whole taking Latin thing, but understanding basic word derivations can oftentimes narrow the answer down to two choices in itself.

For the USMLE there seems to be more than one way to skin a cat. This is in stark contrast to most medical school examinations.

Personal rant: Its so ****ing annoying when certain medical students equate being able to memorize minutia as universal brilliance. It must be quite satisfying for these people to finally "prove their brilliance" after struggling (relatively) with the more diverse curriculum of college or even the SAT. Im not trying to say that different talents are mutually exclusive either. There are also other people that are gifted in multiple areas. For whatever reason the people in the later group are by far less obnoxious. Maybe because they dont feel the need to constantly assuage their egos for years of "underachieving"? /endrant

 

[flatearth22]

For the USMLE there seems to be more than one way to skin a cat. This is in stark contrast to most medical school examinations.

Personal rant: Its so ****ing annoying when certain medical students equate being able to memorize minutia as universal brilliance. It must be quite satisfying for these people to finally "prove their brilliance" after struggling (relatively) with the more diverse curriculum of college or even the SAT. Im not trying to say that different talents are mutually exclusive either. There are also other people that are gifted in multiple areas. For whatever reason the people in the later group are by far less obnoxious. Maybe because they dont feel the need to constantly assuage their egos for years of "underachieving"? /endrant

So MCAT/SAT = more reasoning, critical thinking, lateral thinking
while Step 1 = more rote memorization and grinding your way to the top?

 

[DoctwoB]

2 words. Gunner training.

The things that are hardest to remember are usually the lists of more then 3-4 items. Like which 5 cancers are associated with oncogene X. Or which cells secrete cytokine Y. Name 6 paraneoplastic syndromes of the GI tract and their associated cancer etc.

With gunner training, you'll see those questions every day (and keep rating them a 1) until you can give the answer in your sleep (after which you'll stop seeing them every day). If you start early enough, its pretty amazing what the repetition will do.