I have First Aid 2008. Is it worth getting 2009?

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MJB

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I take Step 1 this upcoming summer, and just wondered if there were enough updates in these books from year to year to make it worth buying the newest edition.

Anyone?

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LoL, I have FA 2006, should I get the '09 edition? (or '08 for that matter, since the errata list is already out for the '08?)
 
I take Step 1 this upcoming summer, and just wondered if there were enough updates in these books from year to year to make it worth buying the newest edition.

Anyone?

Ok you don't even have to use the search function for this one. Just scroll to the bottom of the page...
 
Ok you don't even have to use the search function for this one. Just scroll to the bottom of the page...


Yep, I did that and didn't see anything. I take it your time is so precious you had the time to respond to the post, but not enough time to answer the question or provide a link to the post you're talking about?
:laugh:
 
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The new book does have more pages. As to what is actually on the pages I don't know. Personally I plan to keep my FA 2008 since I have been writing in it all year. Plus I don't have to worry about any typos or wrong facts for FA 2008 since the errata is pretty complete now. I do plan however to take my FA 2008 book to the library and compare and constrast with the 2009 version. If there is anything new that my FA 2008 doesn't have, then I plan to just write it in. But if you haven't really made use of your 2008 version yet then go ahead and get the 09 version.
 
i realize it just came out....

but has anyone taken the time to compare the 2 editions yet? if so, care to share the differences? that would be very helpful in my decision to buy the new edition.

thanks...
 
Hey bud, I plan on using the 2008 version, but then again it's a PDF version ... I've bought enough books and dont plan on buying a typo-filled 09 version. Maybe I'll regret it, but it seems like we'd be fine to use 08.
 
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The errata for 2009 won't be complete until June or July. I'd say the rule with FA is to get the edition one year before (e.g. 2008).
 
Im going to use the 2009 version. The way I see it is that the 09 version will be a corrected version of the 2008 with a little bit extra information. Granted that extra little bit of information could have mistakes in it, but I am going to risk it. Unless they reformatted the whole book, which I doubt they did, it could be filled with as many, or even more, mistakes as the original 2008. Then again I dont know what goes into publishing a book.

Also, Ive heard that the book gets much better each year. Therefore I am going to "risk it" and use the 09 version.
 
Im going to use the 2009 version. The way I see it is that the 09 version will be a corrected version of the 2008 with a little bit extra information. Granted that extra little bit of information could have mistakes in it, but I am going to risk it. Unless they reformatted the whole book, which I doubt they did, it could be filled with as many, or even more, mistakes as the original 2008. Then again I dont know what goes into publishing a book.

Also, Ive heard that the book gets much better each year. Therefore I am going to "risk it" and use the 09 version.


Unfortunately, the 09 version will likely not be the corrected version of 2008 plus more. Every year, the new edition has "new mistakes" that were correct in the last edition and then some things corrected from the previous edition. Why this is nobody could figure out last year. We even had a discussion w/ one of the student editors last year which you might be able to find using the search. Regardless, this is an annual debate that really has no right or wrong answer. I purchased the newest edition last year and we all posted new errata we found on a thread here on SDN. You guys could do that or just stick w/ the 08 version.
 
How much "MORE NEW" info/tid-bits/details could POSSIBLY be added to the Step 1 to warrant purchasing the "newer" edition?

I mean, what in medicine is changing so drastically in 1 year that they're pumping these books out annually?


(Calm down, this was simply a genuinely honest question).
 
How much "MORE NEW" info/tid-bits/details could POSSIBLY be added to the Step 1 to warrant purchasing the "newer" edition?

I mean, what in medicine is changing so drastically in 1 year that they're pumping these books out annually?


(Calm down, this was simply a genuinely honest question).

What might change is not so much medical knowledge (and new knowledge from the frontiers of medicine is likely to be too controversial really to be tested), so much as what the test covers may change from year to year. As FA is comprised, from my understanding, of information students have commonly encountered on recent tests, it might be worth it for a new copy, especially since it's rather cheap (compared to most medical school costs) and step I is so important if you want to go into a competitive field.

That being said, FA is notorious error ridden. After finding the errata for the 2008 edition after studying the book for a few months, I was rather surprised to say the least that several "facts" I committed to memory were wrong. I would thus agree with above posters and hold off on the 2009 edition for a few months until mistakes are found.
 
Personally I'm going to stick to the 2008 just because the errata's out for that.
If you really want to get First Aid 2009 you should get it from the Barnes & Noble website. They're selling it for $28, if you have a membership it's even less. Also, if you go through http://www.lifetakesvisa.com/ and pay with your visa card you get an additional 5% off and can always find codes online for additional discounts.
I just bought one for a friend and it ended up being $23 and shipping was free because of their ongoing holiday deals.
And even though it says it's not going to be shipped until Jan, I got an e-mail and my Fed-Ex Tracking code. (I had ordered on Dec. 22nd and should get it by Dec. 29). Seemed like a pretty sweet deal to me. :D
 
The errata for 2009 won't be complete until June or July. I'd say the rule with FA is to get the edition one year before (e.g. 2008).

I don't doubt you can be very successful with the previous year's edition. However I would say more people get the newer than the older so I don't think that's the rule at all.

To the OP, if you're concerned enough to start this thread, I'd say pick up a new copy. As someone else mentioned, medicine doesn't change but material tested and being reported by students does. I know from 07 to 08 there were at least 10 or so drugs scattered throughout FA that I had learned that my friends with the older edition did not. I don't think I had any of those on my particular exam, but it was worth it to me for peace of mind (especially if FA is your only resource for pharm, as I think it should be). Most of the newer stuff you'll find in FA is typically stuff you'll find in your accessory review texts (phys/path/micro) anyway, so you're not adding new stuff so much as reinforcing more. You'll get more mnemonics (which can be good or bad, I would black out the stupid ones) and some of the tables in 08 that weren't present in 07 I found very helpful.

I will admit the errata system FA has is very annoying. They list the errors by page number and don't have a separate listing to sort by date so if you periodically check the list you don't know which errors are new and you have to go through them all to make sure. I emailed them about this last year but I don't know if they made any changes.
 
So I have the 2007 First Aid. Is anyone sticking with this year First Aid, or should I switch to the 2008?

Thanks
 
I'm dealing with the same question, and I still plan to get the 2009 version...
I think I will still give a look to the 2008+Errata version (I have them in .pdf) to check for any errors in the 2009 version.

I hope this is a smart way to do it...
 
I hope this is a smart way to do it...

I think the reality is that it doesn't matter which edition you go with... stuff like this is easy to obsess about and you can rationalize one way or the other but in the end it will not affect your score one bit.

Your score is primarily going to be determined by the amount of work you put into studying, your efficiency, how well you did 2nd year and IQ. Pick one and don't sweat it too much. You can get a 260 with any of these editions of FA.

best of luck
 
After having taken the test, and having bought FA 2008 when I had 2007, it makes ZERO difference which edition you use, whether 06, 07, 08, or now 09. If your taking it earlier, your better off with a version with corrected errata.

The test you get is so random, that the chances you get info from pages that you didn't have is almost zero. Whats more important is how you use First Aid, and go through it with information from UWorld and your other resources.
 
Just looked through a friend's neuro section in FA 2009 compared to my 2008. There were some helpful additions like a schematic of the eye showing how the aqueous humor is produced and drained (for those glaucoma questions). They also had MRIs/CTs of the various intracranial hemorrhages and an MRI/CT to go along with hydrocephalus. Those things would have been pretty useful, but I got the images through the HY neuroanatomy as well as the USMLEworld qbank so it all evens out. Either way, it's too late now to make the switch.
 
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