KAPLAN (Home Study Books Versus Course Books)

[DrTacoElf]

Is there any difference between the official set of kaplan course books which seem to cost much more on ebay and the kaplan home study books?

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[runx]

Kaplan Lecture Notes - 7 Volume

1. Anatomy 2. Physiology 3. Biochem 4. Path 5. Pharm 6. Micro 7. Behavioral

Meant to be used along with a Kaplan course like LivePrep, CenterPrep (or someone you know that has the DVDs), WebPrep in order to "fill them in". Just about everyone recommends these over the home study program and some even say that are just fine as a standalone. Probably depends most on the person and how much reviewing they need to do.


Kaplan Home study program - 4 volume

1 & 2 Basic Sciences 3 & 4 Organ by system

I haven't heard an actual page count for the latter but I hear they are huge. This is saying something because the lecture note books are pretty long themselves (300-500 page) - although they're not especially dense.

Also, the home study isn't very common and you'd likely have to buy directly from Kaplan. As for the lecture notes, I'll just be safe say that they're more commonly found.

 

[DrTacoElf]

Thanks for the info. Basically I have 1 year to prepare for step 1. I am actually in an oral surgery program. This means I have graduated from dental school and will enter medical school assuming I pass step 1. My background is somewhat weak compared to the typical second year medical student I would assume. That being said I don't want to watch DVD lectures I would rather just have comprehensive notes that discuss subjects.

I plan on doing Kaplan + First Aid + Golijan + USMLE World

So do you think the lecture notes are better for me?

 

[runx]

I plan on doing Kaplan + First Aid + Golijan + USMLE World

You got Kaplan for a comprehensive review, Goljan for path/integrations, and FA to tie everything together... Learn these well and there's no way you won't do well. UW is universally highly recommended and the only regret I have ever heard regarding it is people not getting through it 100% by test date - or not thoroughly reviewing the missed questions/explanations.

If you are a text book kind of person then the best thing about the 4 vol Kaplan set is that it has every possible detail you would need to know. There is one SDNer that scored 265 basically just using the home study program (she read through them in detail twice), FA and a handful of banks. Her method.

The lecture notes focus on high yield material and so are presented in an integrated form (albeit at the expense of laying out all the basics). Some will say that the lecture notes save time and energy by making all of the connections for you and skipping the unnecessary details. Others say that the lecture notes alone will leave out the details that might be needed if you are looking to score very high on step 1.

While I have looked into just about every study method out there I'm not actually taking the test until 2010... Coincidentally, I'm trying to make the same decision regarding Kaplan (4vs7 vol.). Hopefully a seasoned Kaplan veteran will chime in here with some of their 1st hand experience.

 

[DrTacoElf]

Yeah I'm taking it in June 2010. Thanks for your advice. I think I am going to go ahead and purchase the 4 volume home study set

 

[DrTacoElf]

Yeah I'm taking it in June 2010. Thanks for your advice. I think I am going to go ahead and purchase the 4 volume home study set

Well I have the 4 volume home study set now. I like how its organized. I plan on doing sections from it, doing the corresponding section in first aid 2009 and then doing usmle world corresponding questions. I will also go over golijan at some point.

 

[DrMetal]

Well I have the 4 volume home study set now. I like how its organized. I plan on doing sections from it, doing the corresponding section in first aid 2009 and then doing usmle world corresponding questions. I will also go over golijan at some point.

Wow, that's quite a regiment, do you think you'll have all the time to do that?

I'm an MSI looking to buy a USMLE Step 1 set, to gradually study for the next 18 months as I'm taking courses. Was also thinking of the 4 book volume set.

So you like it? Can I ask, how much did you pay for it, and were you 'allowed' to purchase them by themselves, without anything else? (My neighborhood Kaplan office sais I have to buy them along with the Qbank access)

 

[defcon8]

Wow, that's quite a regiment, do you think you'll have all the time to do that?

I'm an MSI looking to buy a USMLE Step 1 set, to gradually study for the next 18 months as I'm taking courses. Was also thinking of the 4 book volume set.

So you like it? Can I ask, how much did you pay for it, and were you 'allowed' to purchase them by themselves, without anything else? (My neighborhood Kaplan office sais I have to buy them along with the Qbank access)

You can purchase them by themselves:
http://store.kaptest.com/catalog/te...D=kprodOS4005C&CATID=T00200001&rcid=T00200000

 

[DrMetal]

You can purchase them by themselves:
http://store.kaptest.com/catalog/te...D=kprodOS4005C&CATID=T00200001&rcid=T00200000

Thanks for the link. Btw theres people selling em on ebay (brand new) for half the price. Thought that was illegal, didnt Kaplan put the kabash on ebay?? Oh well

So, in reading some other threads here, it seems people think the kaplan material in unnecesarily detailed and not high-yield. Anybody think this specifically of the 4 home study books??

 

[FenixTx]

a

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

Looks stellar but not much info about the principles of antibiotics and autonomics? Or at least I couldnt find much on it ... pharm looks weak.

 

[kryptik]

Pharm looks weak by itself but when used with the pharm videos is very strong. He adds so much to it.

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

Pharm looks weak by itself but when used with the pharm videos is very strong. He adds so much to it.

Well great, except, I don't have the money to buy the DVDs so great!

One would think for a comprehensive book that they would include a section on antibiotics and autonomics for pharm, oh well ... I guess I will use B/W pharm and FA for them ...

 

[psammomabody]

WOne would think for a comprehensive book that they would include a section on antibiotics and autonomics for pharm, oh well ... I guess I will use B/W pharm and FA for them ...

I used the 2007 edition, and the autonomic pharm was included in the neuro section and antibiotics were in the microbiology section. The "Pharmacology" section in the 2nd book is only for some general concepts.

I felt that these books were comprehensive. The weakest subject is probably path. If you feel weak in path you may want to skip those Kaplan sections and read RR instead. I didn't have time to do both in my 4.5 weeks of studying.

 

[DrMetal]

I used the 2007 edition, and the autonomic pharm was included in the neuro section and antibiotics were in the microbiology section. The "Pharmacology" section in the 2nd book is only for some general concepts.

I felt that these books were comprehensive. The weakest subject is probably path. If you feel weak in path you may want to skip those Kaplan sections and read RR instead. I didn't have time to do both in my 4.5 weeks of studying.

So it was a bit scattered.

So were you overall happy/unhappy with the Kaplan Homestudy books? Sounds like they need some augmentation for Pharm and Path. I wonder if that's the case for the 2009 edition too. Can anybody comment on that?

For the love of all that is holy, I only wanna buy one set of books!

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

So it was a bit scattered.

So were you overall happy/unhappy with the Kaplan Homestudy books? Sounds like they need some augmentation for Pharm and Path. I wonder if that's the case for the 2009 edition too. Can anybody comment on that?

For the love of all that is holy, I only wanna buy one set of books!

I have the 08 version, looks like not much has changed from 07 version.

Personally, I'm giving up - I'm using it for general bacteriology, general pharm, and the systems, maybe biochem too.

I think for the other topics (genetics, psych/behavioral, immuno) - im gonna use HY and FA. I'll probably read thru the 1st 8 chapters of RR path too ... esp. the tables ... and FA.

 

[psammomabody]

So were you overall happy/unhappy with the Kaplan Homestudy books?

Very satisfied. I had 4.5 weeks to study and read through them in a little under 4 weeks. I read all 4 of the books once through, and then also used FA 2008 and the first 8 chapters of Goljan RR. I had planned on reading all of Goljan but I was strong in path so I decided to focus on other subjects harder, like biochem and micro. I completed 100% of UWorld and about 35% of kaplan qbank. I did very well during second year. I ended up with a 270/99.

I am convinced that if you read these books through they will jog your memory of everything you learned in 1st/2nd year. There is certainly some information in there that is overkill, but I used it along with FA and skimmed/skipped things I felt were unnecessary.

 

[FenixTx]

a

 

[WanderingDave]

I'm taking step I at the end of May 2010. I'm planning on putting in at least an hour a day into board study starting January 1. I inherited a set of Kaplan Lecture Notes that are copyright 2004. Is this too old to be of much use?

I've already cast a pretty skeptical eye on the copy of FA from 2000 that I've also come into possession of.

 

[shinjiru]

So it was a bit scattered.

So were you overall happy/unhappy with the Kaplan Homestudy books? Sounds like they need some augmentation for Pharm and Path. I wonder if that's the case for the 2009 edition too. Can anybody comment on that?

For the love of all that is holy, I only wanna buy one set of books!

How many other book sets are out there? I just hear everyone talk about Kaplan, FA, RR.

 

[phd89]

so can someone tell me which of the 7 series or 4 book series is more high yield because I was looking through them both (biochem and skimmed other sections) but it seemed that both had a lot of different knowledge. For example the 4 book series in biochem had GAG's while the 7 book series didn't and along with that is seems that the presentation of inforamtion is totally different. So any guidance for which to use.

It seems that the 7 series is good to start out if your weak in basic sciences knowledge while the 4 book series are more for a rapid review of the step 1 topics. But I think that it would be hard to read them both so which one should I choose?

 

[nadgrij]

So, can you please tell if you like the 4 books kaplan set. Does it cover everything and how are your studies go

 

[Polishknight]

Not replying to the post, guys; just taking my new profile on a test run. Sorry.

 

[rishi718]

bump
4book homestudy vs 8 lecture series.

which parts of which books are better for condensed time

so can someone tell me which of the 7 series or 4 book series is more high yield because I was looking through them both (biochem and skimmed other sections) but it seemed that both had a lot of different knowledge. For example the 4 book series in biochem had GAG's while the 7 book series didn't and along with that is seems that the presentation of inforamtion is totally different. So any guidance for which to use.

It seems that the 7 series is good to start out if your weak in basic sciences knowledge while the 4 book series are more for a rapid review of the step 1 topics. But I think that it would be hard to read them both so which one should I choose?