Kaplan videos vs. DIT videos?

[strive01]

I was wondering if I could get some input as to the pros and cons of Kaplan vs. DIT videos during 2nd year to prep for STEP1

are both enough to make all the connections that first aid leaves out?

any input would be appreciated

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[doopdidoop]

I was wondering if I could get some input as to the pros and cons of Kaplan vs. DIT videos during 2nd year to prep for STEP1

are both enough to make all the connections that first aid leaves out?

any input would be appreciated

hmm...i haven't taken step 1 yet so i guess take my response with a grain (mountain?) of salt. i can comment on the kaplan 2010 videos. i only watched a few of the raymon pharmacology videos (autonomics and anti-arrhythmics since those were the two i was having a little trouble conceptualizing) and i really liked him. i didn't watch any other subject though so i don't know about the other lecturers, but i heard the behavioral science guy is really good and path not so good. i think if i had to do it all over again i wouldve attempted to watchkaplan videos throughout 2nd year. they are really comprehensive and explain everything down to the smallest details so you have a good foundation. it can seem like overkill once you've finished 2nd year though. also, they are SUPER long....i think they have 30 hours for pharmacology ALONE. my school only gives us 5-6 weeks to study so it's just not physically possible to do all those + qbank + other resources i used like pathoma. i used DIT this year. some people complain that they basically read first aid to you, and while the course is largely based on first aid, i think their teaching style really worked for me. it's a very active process with 10-15 quiz questions and funny skits and mnemonics to help you remember things people have trouble with. there were times where i was like "omg this guy is just reading first aid to me..." but other times they stressed things that i had completely missed, or they really improved a diagram on FA that sucked (like that basal ganglia one omg, awful). and this year they added an ob/GYN doctor for all the reproductive lectures, an ID doctor for micro and that same ID doctor also has an MPH so she did all the statistics, etc. so people teaching from their own experiences and sharing ways to lock in stuff they struggled to remember also is i think worthwhile. i dunno, it really boils down to learning style and what you're hoping to achieve from the videos. on top of that, DIT doesn't do much foundational teaching. in fact, you are supposed to already have completed a first pass of first aid before you start it. it's not meant as a 2nd year companion, it's designed as a prep course to be completed within 2-3 weeks. if you're looking for something to guide you during the year, i would suggest Pathoma actually, maybe kaplan 2010 videos but that might be overkill i don't know. one more thing - DIT is totally online, whereas i think the old kaplan videos are actual video files. i can't comment on the new kaplan videos though. hope that helps!

 

[iCY]

I was wondering if I could get some input as to the pros and cons of Kaplan vs. DIT videos during 2nd year to prep for STEP1

are both enough to make all the connections that first aid leaves out?

any input would be appreciated

first aid doesn't leave much out. if you can "master" first aid you are going to score well over 260. So worry first & foremost about learning all the info from FA. Maybe other test takers will disagree but my NBME/uworld assements are around 250 & I feel like i know less than half of the facts in FA. So trust me when I say, don't focus on making connections outside of FA until you've made all of the connections in FA, @ which point you should probably just take the test.

With that said, step 1 videos help you get a start on learning the material, because starting off cold on a subject you haven't seen in a while can be a bit daunting. On the other hand, for subjects that you knew well/know well, its best NOT to watch videos & instead just learn it on your own, because active learning > watching videos.

if you're still interested in watching videos, I say pick from the best. Pathoma = best for pathology. Kaplan = EXCELLENT anatomy/embryo/neuro/behavioral sci. For the rest of the subjects I suggest learning them on your own.

 

[AngryBird69]

I was wondering if I could get some input as to the pros and cons of Kaplan vs. DIT videos during 2nd year to prep for STEP1

are both enough to make all the connections that first aid leaves out?

any input would be appreciated

I watched all of the Kaplan videos during 2nd year and did Qbank as well; Watched vids along with my modules, answered all the pertinent qbank questions and then watched all of the M1 subjects during holidays. I can't recommend this approach enough if you are a video person like I am.

I also agree with icy's opinion that knowing FA should be your primary goal. Anything crucial that is not in FA you will pick up by osmosis in the next year. People that say you need to read RR path or Robbins cover to cover are off their rocker.

As for DIT, I would only watch them for trouble areas. I felt it was very helpful for cardio and neuro, for example.

 

[StressedMedStud]

DIT is great not because it teaches you stuff, but because you learn stuff and he hammers in mnemonics and repeats alot of things which help you memorize. It is only good if you like audio instead of just reading. He basically goes over FA slowly with you and does quizzes that just reinforce FA more into your brain.

The only downside for me is that DIT is taking a long time to complete. i'm almost finished but takes forever! So you must have patience

 

[orthogenes]

updates for 2016?
I can't stand how long Kaplan takes to load the videos!

 

[Mikhib]

Anyone with ideas about where I can download the latest version of Kaplan videos?