If one were to memorize First Aid...

[keeping-it-real]

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what kind of step1 score would we be talking about? i'm talking, full-on memorization of the entire book and all facts contained within.

 

[DOCTORSAIB]

what kind of step1 score would we be talking about? i'm talking, full-on memorization of the entire book and all facts contained within.

I haven't taken the Step 1 yet, but from what I've read/heard, you'd probably just pass the exam. Remember, certains sections in FA are all you need to study (pharm, micro) while other sections need major supplementation (Path, Molecular Bio, etc) with board review books. I'll let the veterans step in and contribute.

 

[Arnold Chiari]

So in practical terms you can't memorize FA without understanding it. Therefore if you could reproduce each one of the 1000 slides present in the book I can guess you would get something on the order of 240.

250 would probably require some additional reading in BRS path and BRS physiology and Micro made Ridiculously simple.

260 would probably require reading and memorizing FA, BRS, HY, MMRS, PharmCards and having good knowledge base from class,

 

[VincentAdultman]

So in practical terms you can't memorize FA without understanding it. Therefore if you could reproduce each one of the 1000 slides present in the book I can guess you would get something on the order of 240.

250 would probably require some additional reading in BRS path and BRS physiology and Micro made Ridiculously simple.

260 would probably require reading and memorizing FA, BRS, HY, MMRS, PharmCards and having good knowledge base from class,

I think closer to 200...

 

[dynx]

I assume that the ability to memorize it (and I mean every up and down arrow in the damn thing) depends upon your understanding of the material. If you have a decent grasp of it from second year and are in fact able to memorize it I would say 240 or so. If you don't know the mechs you'll never memorize it all and then, a GOOD understanding of just FA would probably get you around a 200.
Regardless of what people say, you cant memorize it w/o a solid knowlege base, if you can then you have a great memory and it becomes a moot point cause you would know **** from classes anyway.

 

[keeping-it-real]

I assume that the ability to memorize it (and I mean every up and down arrow in the damn thing) depends upon your understanding of the material. If you have a decent grasp of it from second year and are in fact able to memorize it I would say 240 or so. If you don't know the mechs you'll never memorize it all and then, a GOOD understanding of just FA would probably get you around a 200.
Regardless of what people say, you cant memorize it w/o a solid knowlege base, if you can then you have a great memory and it becomes a moot point cause you would know **** from classes anyway.

i agree, but what i was getting at was... if i only used FA to study for the boards but i knew everything contained within FA inside and out, what type of scores would i be looking at? i want to start studying for the boards right now, and i'm wondering if all i do is read FA up until the few weeks before the step and then bust it with some questions, etc, what type of scores i might be looking at.

 

[HamOnWholeWheat]

I studied my ass of in class, and did the same for boards. I used all kinds of review books (BRS, Kaplan, CMMRS, etc.) and did a good amount of questions. I spent a total of 11 weeks studying and ended up with a 259.

That being said, I can directly attribute at least 25 questions on the real deal specifically to first aid. I don't know what that equates to, but I'm guessing the about 12-20 points. So, totally talking out of my ass here, I think its safe to say that without First Aid I would've gotten a 240 or thereabouts.

I know that's not what you were asking, but here's why I mention it: First Aid is absolutely critical in telling you what to jam into your brain over the last two weeks. You know what I'm talking about; the brute force rote memorization that removes months off of your life and causes your hair to fall out. It sucked, but it was essential in the end.

If I were to do it all over, I would stick with first aid as a guide for my studies for the first 6-8 weeks, and then rote memorize the whole goddamn book over the last two weeks (especially pharm, micro, and behavioral). I ran out of time at the very end and couldn't properly memorize behavioral, and it cost me 4 or 5 questions I should've gotten right. I wouldn't recommend just memorizing FA, unless you can go through the book and name every critical aspect of every panel without having to look anything up in another resource.

HamOn

 

[novacek88]

I don't think you can succeed in medical school let alone Step I if you don't understand what you have memorized. Memorizing a bunch of facts will do you no good if you don't understand the principles behind them. If you haven't already figured this out in medical school by now, you should know that questions on Step I are never asked in a straightforward manner. Every question is written in a second or third order format in which you have to know information to known information to know information. And the only way you can understand these relationships is by understanding them.

I see this all the time on SDN. The worst piece of advice to give to any medical student and Step I taker is to tell them "All you have to do is memorize..........." Understand first and Memorize second.

Some people intuitively understand things without really having to conceptualize information. Those people are rare and make up 5% of all medical students. The other 95% of us had to really make certain we understood what we were studying in addition to cramming everything into our head.

Don't misunderstand me, memorization is required but understand the concept first before you memorize.

 

[dynx]

i agree, but what i was getting at was... if i only used FA to study for the boards but i knew everything contained within FA inside and out, what type of scores would i be looking at? i want to start studying for the boards right now, and i'm wondering if all i do is read FA up until the few weeks before the step and then bust it with some questions, etc, what type of scores i might be looking at.

Assuming you knew it all then Id bet you could get a 240 give or take some depending upon how good a test taker you are. Keep in mind thats the score I bet YOU could get, id never gamble my own score by just using FA and I suggest you shouldnt either.

 

[keeping-it-real]

I don't think you can succeed in medical school let alone Step I if you don't understand what you have memorized. Memorizing a bunch of facts will do you no good if you don't understand the principles behind them. If you haven't already figured this out in medical school by now, you should know that questions on Step I are never asked in a straightforward manner. Every question is written in a second or third order format in which you have to know information to known information to know information. And the only way you can understand these relationships is by understanding them.

I see this all the time on SDN. The worst piece of advice to give to any medical student and Step I taker is to tell them "All you have to do is memorize..........." Understand first and Memorize second.

Some people intuitively understand things without really having to conceptualize information. Those people are rare and make up 5% of all medical students. The other 95% of us had to really make certain we understood what we were studying in addition to cramming everything into our head.

Don't misunderstand me, memorization is required but understand the concept first before you memorize.

i think we're splitting hairs here. yes, technically to memorize would leave out the aspect of understanding. the point i was trying to get across, however, was to imply that one would "study, understand, memorize, conceptualize, embrace, learn, post-learn, (insert any other synonym you'd like)" FA as a sole preparation for the step.

in short, does FA alone contain the information to allow a person to break 240?

 

[keeping-it-real]

Assuming you knew it all then Id bet you could get a 240 give or take some depending upon how good a test taker you are. Keep in mind thats the score I bet YOU could get, id never gamble my own score by just using FA and I suggest you shouldnt either.

I'm a gambling man...

i definitely plan on studying more resources and doing Qbank, Kaplan review books, etc... but in my free time, i'm trying to start prepping and was wondering if FA was a good way to start.

 

[Pox in a box]

I think closer to 200...

Agreed. There were many more details not provided in FA.

 

[Pox in a box]

I'm a gambling man...

i definitely plan on studying more resources and doing Qbank, Kaplan review books, etc... but in my free time, i'm trying to start prepping and was wondering if FA was a good way to start.

Yes...and no...yes, it's good to read the material and solidify it as much as possible but no, it's just a "guide" as people have said and really is just a skeleton for your study. More in-depth background information obtained through other resources is what really makes the high yield facts stick out late on your study road.

 

[DOCTORSAIB]

I think this is turning into the age-old debate on SDN: Does memorization=understanding?

Lets say someone who was NOT in med school but with an amazing memory was told to memorize FA and then take Step 1. What would they get?

 

[dynx]

I think this is turning into the age-old debate on SDN: Does memorization=understanding?

Lets say someone who was NOT in med school but with an amazing memory was told to memorize FA and then take Step 1. What would they get?

If they used the 2004 they would get a 209, but if they used the 2005 I think they would squeek out a 213.

 

[DOCTORSAIB]

If they used the 2004 they would get a 209, but if they used the 2005 I think they would squeek out a 213.

That's it, I'm getting the new edition. 😀

 

[VincentAdultman]

Yes...and no...yes, it's good to read the material and solidify it as much as possible but no, it's just a "guide" as people have said and really is just a skeleton for your study. More in-depth background information obtained through other resources is what really makes the high yield facts stick out late on your study road.

I was told that the Step One question writers made these questions up basically under the assumption that EVERYONE was using FA. In other words, they KNOW you know the stuff from First Aid and will make the ?s that much harder in order for you to score above the mean.

First Aid is a good book to solidify your foundation, but you need more (BRS, Kaplan, etc) to get 240+ in my humble opinion.

It's just being logical here. Do you REALLY think you can learn all you need to crush Step One in that one little book?

 

[Pox in a box]

If they used the 2004 they would get a 209, but if they used the 2005 I think they would squeek out a 213.

That has absolutely no base. They are almost identical. There definitely is not a difference worth mentioning. I read both (side-by-side) and found nothing worth calling it a new edition.

 

[Pox in a box]

I was told that the Step One question writers made these questions up basically under the assumption that EVERYONE was using FA. In other words, they KNOW you know the stuff from First Aid and will make the ?s that much harder in order for you to score above the mean.

First Aid is a good book to solidify your foundation, but you need more (BRS, Kaplan, etc) to get 240+ in my humble opinion.

It's just being logical here. Do you REALLY think you can learn all you need to crush Step One in that one little book?

I never said that. I said that First Aid was a skeleton. FA by itself won't even let you pass in my opinion.

 

[keeping-it-real]

That has absolutely no base. They are almost identical. There definitely is not a difference worth mentioning. I read both (side-by-side) and found nothing worth calling it a new edition.

I'm glad some else agrees with me, i think both editions would probably get you only a 209 **JOKE ALERT!!**

 

[Long Dong]

If you memorized first aid I'd say you'd pass. P=MD

 

[sandg]

Yes...and no...yes, it's good to read the material and solidify it as much as possible but no, it's just a "guide" as people have said and really is just a skeleton for your study. More in-depth background information obtained through other resources is what really makes the high yield facts stick out late on your study road.

Pardon my ignorance here. How do you use FA as a guide? Does it simply tell you what topics in a given subject are tested withoug explaining them in much detail? Would you then use that knowledge about which topics are important and focus on them in other review books?

 

[HamOnWholeWheat]

Pardon my ignorance here. How do you use FA as a guide? Does it simply tell you what topics in a given subject are tested withoug explaining them in much detail? Would you then use that knowledge about which topics are important and focus on them in other review books?

Yes, and yes. It has keywords that you should understand the significance of. If you don't have a firm grasp of what they're "hinting at" in FA, then you should look things up.

HamOn

 

[dynx]

That has absolutely no base. They are almost identical. There definitely is not a difference worth mentioning. I read both (side-by-side) and found nothing worth calling it a new edition.

😱 are you telling me you don't think I can predict a 4 point average difference in score between users of the new and old edition?!?!?!?! IM SHOCKED.
Pull your head out of the books man. If you studied enough to kill your sense of humor you should at least have a good enough score to post.

 

[Pox in a box]

😱 are you telling me you don't think I can predict a 4 point average difference in score between users of the new and old edition?!?!?!?! IM SHOCKED.
Pull your head out of the books man. If you studied enough to kill your sense of humor you should at least have a good enough score to post.

Yes, that's what I'm telling you.

 

[VincentAdultman]

I never said that. I said that First Aid was a skeleton. FA by itself won't even let you pass in my opinion.

WTF? I never said that you did!

 

[Pox in a box]

WTF? I never said that you did!

I said yes to your question quoted below...

😱 are you telling me you don't think I can predict a 4 point average difference in score between users of the new and old edition?!?!?!?!

 

[YouDontKnowJack]

what score would you get if you just memorized FA......?

would you like to be the first one to find out?

do it, and report back with your score. it would be a good experiment.

 

[bigfrank]

😱 are you telling me you don't think I can predict a 4 point average difference in score between users of the new and old edition?!?!?!?! IM SHOCKED.
Pull your head out of the books man. If you studied enough to kill your sense of humor you should at least have a good enough score to post.

That's assuming it's higher than 220. All kidding aside dynx, it really annoys me when Pox is predicting scores AT ALL. It's the most delicious of all the SDN irony.

 

[Pox in a box]

That's assuming it's higher than 220. All kidding aside dynx, it really annoys me when Pox is predicting scores AT ALL. It's the most delicious of all the SDN irony.

BIGFRANK, SHUT THE HELL UP! YOU ARE THE BIGGEST TOOL ON SDN. EVERYONE'S SICK OF THIS CONVERSATION. WHEN WILL YOU SHUT THE **** UP AND MOVE ON? YOU ARE A CRYING, MOANING TROLL THAT ALWAYS COMES IN AND TRIES TO START A CONTROVERSY. GIVE IT A BREAK!!! STOP TALKING ABOUT THIS, FOR PETE'S SAKE!

 

[JSandall]

Pox,

Sorry bud, while I've enjoyed the posts back & forth between you & BF; I believe he's right here. Why are you still posting on this Step 1 forum like you have some sage advice....you haven't even let people know how you did on the test?

I think that you mean well and may have done pretty good on step 1/comlex, but the fact that you post in this forum like you are an authority seems to warrant some backup from your stand-point. For all the average 2nd year knows you could have gotten 200 and barely passed.

As far as your feud w/BF, if you're truly secure in your score, why not just let his comments go? He can go be the man in his world, and you in yours. Maybe it's time to grab a beer and chill out. I will continue to follow the Pox vs. BF feud b/c it is now my favorite soap. I know I am a loser for having nothing better to do.

Good luck w/rotations.

 

[Pox in a box]

Pox,

Sorry bud, while I've enjoyed the posts back & forth between you & BF; I believe he's right here. Why are you still posting on this Step 1 forum like you have some sage advice....you haven't even let people know how you did on the test?

I think that you mean well and may have done pretty good on step 1/comlex, but the fact that you post in this forum like you are an authority seems to warrant some backup from your stand-point. For all the average 2nd year knows you could have gotten 200 and barely passed.

As far as your feud w/BF, if you're truly secure in your score, why not just let his comments go? He can go be the man in his world, and you in yours. Maybe it's time to grab a beer and chill out. I will continue to follow the Pox vs. BF feud b/c it is now my favorite soap. I know I am a loser for having nothing better to do.

Good luck w/rotations.

Hey, you should really step back from the crackpipe too. All I said is that there's no formula to predicting your score to within 4 points by choosing a First Aid written for 2004 or 2005.

 

[njbmd]

Hi there,
I had a paid fellowship between second and third year that required I take USMLE Step I no later than the second week of May before my third year. I used First Aid and the Board Simulator series and scored in the high 240s. I was a very good medical student and I used First Aid as a guide as to the topics that I needed to review. I also honed on Path(including Micro),Pharm and Physio in that order with less emphasis on Biochem, Anatomy and Behavioral Science. I also did practice questions on Q-Bank on line for two weeks.

In short, I worked the Board Simulator books on weekends during second year and memorized very little other than some Pharm formulas and Epidemiology formulas. Again, I didn't try to memorize everything but I really worked for understanding everything.

The great memorizers of my class tended to crash and burn. The understanders tended to do well. This was just my experience take it or leave it but there was no "magic book" that does it all for any of the USMLE Steps.

njbmd 🙂

 

[bigfrank]

Pox,

Sorry bud, while I've enjoyed the posts back & forth between you & BF; I believe he's right here. Why are you still posting on this Step 1 forum like you have some sage advice....you haven't even let people know how you did on the test?

My point exactly. I don't want uninformed individuals to take Pox's worthless, unsolicited, and ill-founded Step I advice!!! I consider Pox's advice for Step I/COMLEX to be dangerous at best.

In case you didn't know, POX IS NOT A SAGE!!!

 

[YouDontKnowJack]

pox vs bigfrank = very amusing.


Anyhow, the memorizers crashed and burned?
We all have to understand first, then memorize the details, right?
For instance, it's easy to understand the MOA of a drug, but afterwards, we have to memorize the drug name, and link it to that MOA. There's still a lot of memorizing.

 

[Pox in a box]

My point exactly. I don't want uninformed individuals to take Pox's worthless, unsolicited, and ill-founded Step I advice!!! I consider Pox's advice for Step I/COMLEX to be dangerous at best.

In case you didn't know, POX IS NOT A SAGE!!!

Name some bad advice oh wise one...if you weren't such a clown and didn't provide such entertainment to the masses, I wouldn't even bother to respond. By the way, you never reported to us with visual evidence your IQ, neuro scores, or your Step 2 CS score. Scores of people are still waiting to see if you are legit.

Scoreboard:

Big Frank 99
Everyone Else 70

 

[bigfrank]

By the way, you never reported to us with visual evidence your IQ, neuro scores, or your Step 2 CS score.

My irony bell just went off!!!

 

[Pox in a box]

My irony bell just went off!!!

Refer to dictionary.com's entry: facetious. Hey, best of luck at your interviews this winter. The PDs will see more than what's listed on paper, those intangibles they cherish in future residents of their programs.

 

[YouDontKnowJack]

bah...

i'm sure people will do fine in their interviews regardless of how they act on internet forums.

everyone online has a big e-penis

 

[bigfrank]

Refer to dictionary.com's entry: facetious. Hey, best of luck at your interviews this winter. The PDs will see more than what's listed on paper, those intangibles they cherish in future residents of their programs.

You don't know how much I would love going up against you in an interview setting. (Board scores, AOA status, Publications, Grades, School reputation, & LORs aside....😉

😀

 

[sacrament]

Hey, you should really step back from the crackpipe too. All I said is that there's no formula to predicting your score to within 4 points by choosing a First Aid written for 2004 or 2005.

How is it that you still don't realize that dynx was joking?

 

[Pox in a box]

You don't know how much I would love going up against you in an interview setting. (Board scores, AOA status, Publications, Grades, School reputation, & LORs aside....😉

😀

 

[bigfrank]

How is it that you still don't realize that dynx was joking?

I'm wondering the same.

 

[Pox in a box]

I'm wondering the same.

I'm tired of the shananigans. Goodbye bigfrank. It was fun while it lasted.

 

[drmcdreamy]

your score is awesome, congrats! would you mind telling us what you did, i mean detail by detail: hrs/day studied, take any days off during your 11 weeks?, how did you study (by systems or subject), how many days/weeks did you spend on each system/subject, were Qbank questions similar in difficulty to the real thing? any other advice you want to throw in would be very much appreciated. by the way, the world is your oyster, what do you want to go into?

I studied my ass of in class, and did the same for boards. I used all kinds of review books (BRS, Kaplan, CMMRS, etc.) and did a good amount of questions. I spent a total of 11 weeks studying and ended up with a 259.

That being said, I can directly attribute at least 25 questions on the real deal specifically to first aid. I don't know what that equates to, but I'm guessing the about 12-20 points. So, totally talking out of my ass here, I think its safe to say that without First Aid I would've gotten a 240 or thereabouts.

I know that's not what you were asking, but here's why I mention it: First Aid is absolutely critical in telling you what to jam into your brain over the last two weeks. You know what I'm talking about; the brute force rote memorization that removes months off of your life and causes your hair to fall out. It sucked, but it was essential in the end.

If I were to do it all over, I would stick with first aid as a guide for my studies for the first 6-8 weeks, and then rote memorize the whole goddamn book over the last two weeks (especially pharm, micro, and behavioral). I ran out of time at the very end and couldn't properly memorize behavioral, and it cost me 4 or 5 questions I should've gotten right. I wouldn't recommend just memorizing FA, unless you can go through the book and name every critical aspect of every panel without having to look anything up in another resource.

HamOn