Memorizing First Aid

[bostonguy911]

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To what extent? I do not really understand, im not sure if the time I have allotted will allow me to literally verbatum learn the book inside and out. I understand concepts, and wish that I had memorized each section of the FA as I went through classes, but I just would skim FA and make sure I understood the main concepts.

I am looking at embryology and I have not even learned 1/2 of the material in my class and it took me almost an entire morning to get through 5 pages!!

Can someone explain how they went about 'memorizing first aid'
Did you really just sit there and memorize the words in FA after reading goljan or other textbooks? Its hard to ingrain a 600 page book into memory in only a few weeks.

 

[kryptik]

As far as flashcardexchange goes, any recommendations on particularly good flashcard sets? Searching for "goljan", "first aid", or "usmle" returns a ton of results. It'd be nice to cut out the lesser quality ones..

You can tell the quality by the number of save the set has, i frequently use the cards made by a user by name FearlessRahul, the set is pretty good http://www.flashcardexchange.com/user/view/247567

 

[username456789]

Thanks krytpik.

Also, has anyone tried the iphone flashcards by First Aid/USMLERx? I downloaded the free path set but I'm wondering if anyone has bought any of the other sets. Some of the cards in the free set are kinda dumb, but overall it's a nice thing to have to quickly run through a few random facts (like tumor markers) when I'm not otherwise doing anything. But I read reviews that said people had problems with the card sets just suddenly disappearing from their phone.

Any experience?

 

[IMGUSMLEStep1]

Don't memorize something you don't understand. USMLE questions are created to separate those who understand the concepts from those who simply memorize facts without understanding the underlying concepts. If there's something you don't understand in first aid, look it up in whatever text books you used during class. Yes, this will take more time but you will definitely get a higher score this way.

 

[Rabbit Hole]

Don't memorize something you don't understand. USMLE questions are created to separate those who understand the concepts from those who simply memorize facts without understanding the underlying concepts. If there's something you don't understand in first aid, look it up in whatever text books you used during class. Yes, this will take more time but you will definitely get a higher score this way.

Your avatar is causing me a lot of anxiety.

 

[starkcrazy]

wise words IMG - the avatar says he/she means business!!

 

[IMGUSMLEStep1]

Your avatar is causing me a lot of anxiety.

Hahahaha. Is this the "guilty" kind of anxiety you get when you know you should be studying more but aren't? lol

 

[Blondnuttyboy]

how many weeks do you think you guys will take to straight drill FA into memory? (assuming you are)

 

[DrVanNostran]

how many weeks do you think you guys will take to straight drill FA into memory? (assuming you are)

I think 3-4 hard runs should do it. Maybe 4-5 weeks?

 

[Blondnuttyboy]

hmm yeah you're probably right. ive found 1 hard run through with self-explanations (reading disease name, then explaining to myself the pathophys, tx, etc) is pretty solid for hittin something into memory.

 

[Rabbit Hole]

hmm yeah you're probably right. ive found 1 hard run through with self-explanations (reading disease name, then explaining to myself the pathophys, tx, etc) is pretty solid for hittin something into memory.

I have a notebook that I use solely for scratch paper when I attempt to memorize things. Sort of like what you are doing with self-explanations by reading out loud.. I write it (completely illegible chicken scratch) until I have it in memory. I thought about getting a small whiteboard but I like pencil on paper. The point is not to take notes.. but to spill your brain out on the paper to check your knowledge. It works for me because it's not passive.

 

[username456789]

For people who use flashcardexchange to download flashcards onto Mental Case or whatever on an iphone, how do you do it? I have Mental Case, but as best as I can tell I need to actually pay $20 to download stuff? Or maybe I'm just missing what I'm supposed to do.

 

[slowlybutshelly]

i love your quote. My motto is the 'only way through it is through it'....

 

[slowlybutshelly]

I thought an NBME score of 260 was a 150 correlative on the Step2ck. How can high scores in the 200's on NBME's be in passing range?