not loving FA. alternatives?

[mattyice]

I really liked exam krackers when studying for the MCAT. does anyone know of any books that might briefly explain the material, and then end with a nice little quiz to test your knowledge? FA isn't really doing it for me with the outline/memorize these facts format, it's hard to get back into the understanding mode. memorizing sucks. any thoughts? thanks

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[MrBeauregard]

A reputable question bank plus FA is a good idea. It'll get your mind working and promote active learning rather than just sitting and reading a list of facts. Unfortunately, FA really has the market on Step 1 review books and it's pretty well-agreed upon that it's the gold standard for Step 1 prep (again, along with a reputable question bank).

Sucks, but such is life.

 

[da Vincis World]

UWorld + FA

 

[gravitywave]

Questions. Questions, questions, questions!! read BRS or RR for 15 - 20 minutes, annotate quickly into FA, do 45 minutes of questions from Rx or Kaplan. rinse and repeat. it's nice if the questions come from the same subject as what you just read, but doesn't have to. you have to start somewhere. start with 50% questions, 50% reading, then adjust according to your proficiency. as test day approaches, more questions, less reading, do UW last (but make sure you have enough time to do it once and then repeat all the ones you missed).

or you could annotate everything into Anki, using FA as a skeleton. time consuming but you have total control over the content.

gunnertraining.com is another good resource, although i hear it's not as good as it used to be. you can get a four week free trial and see if it's worth investing in.

the reason everyone uses FA is because it's the one-stop-shop for all the most relevant topics. it is possible to score well with just FA & UW, but for that to work your baseline retention from MS1/2 has to be pretty high to start with, and that's not everyone.

but really it was all about call and response for me, which was why questions were so important. when you read "NSCLC," your brain should instantly puke up "central, smoking, nesting, keratin pearls" etc, without thinking about it. it has to be that reflexive.

 

[smartparts]

I really liked exam krackers when studying for the MCAT. does anyone know of any books that might briefly explain the material, and then end with a nice little quiz to test your knowledge? FA isn't really doing it for me with the outline/memorize these facts format, it's hard to get back into the understanding mode. memorizing sucks. any thoughts? thanks

I don't think you'll ever find a decent replacement for First Aid. There are, however, more painless ways to see most of the material. I absolutely LOVE Step 1 Secrets because it really helps you make the critical connections to other subject areas and is much more readable than First Aid. If you're having a hard time sinking your teeth into FA, I would try Step 1 Secrets.

 

[Phloston]

FA and UWorld are the two mandatory resources for Step1 prep.

 

[Phloston]

I don't think you'll ever find a decent replacement for First Aid. There are, however, more painless ways to see most of the material. I absolutely LOVE Step 1 Secrets because it really helps you make the critical connections to other subject areas and is much more readable than First Aid. If you're having a hard time sinking your teeth into FA, I would try Step 1 Secrets.

I own Step1 SECRETS and agree that it is a great book. However, I would only recommend it as a major text if you're in MS1. If you're in MS2, use it as a reference during your classes. If you're within 3 months of your exam, don't touch it. I know some people here in Australia who are sitting their exam the same time as me (in December), and one of them is caught up reading SECRETS. It's actually a trap. She's reading it because it's great, yes. But she doesn't realize that she'd get more actual Step1 points by doing just questions + FA these next couple months.

I plan on reading 2CK SECRETS as one of my casual texts over the next two years while I finish off my PhD, before going back to MS3. If that means anything to you, it's just to say that SECRETS is a good foundation-builder, but it's not meant for concise boards' prep.

 

[Phloston]

Questions. Questions, questions, questions!! read BRS or RR for 15 - 20 minutes, annotate quickly into FA, do 45 minutes of questions from Rx or Kaplan. rinse and repeat. it's nice if the questions come from the same subject as what you just read, but doesn't have to. you have to start somewhere. start with 50% questions, 50% reading, then adjust according to your proficiency. as test day approaches, more questions, less reading, do UW last (but make sure you have enough time to do it once and then repeat all the ones you missed).

or you could annotate everything into Anki, using FA as a skeleton. time consuming but you have total control over the content.

gunnertraining.com is another good resource, although i hear it's not as good as it used to be. you can get a four week free trial and see if it's worth investing in.

the reason everyone uses FA is because it's the one-stop-shop for all the most relevant topics. it is possible to score well with just FA & UW, but for that to work your baseline retention from MS1/2 has to be pretty high to start with, and that's not everyone.

but really it was all about call and response for me, which was why questions were so important. when you read "NSCLC," your brain should instantly puke up "central, smoking, nesting, keratin pearls" etc, without thinking about it. it has to be that reflexive.

I actually agree that, behind UWorld + FA, BRS Pathology is the 3rd-most important Step1 resource.

 

[Chirurg]

I own Step1 SECRETS and agree that it is a great book. However, I would only recommend it as a major text if you're in MS1. If you're in MS2, use it as a reference during your classes. If you're within 3 months of your exam, don't touch it. I know some people here in Australia who are sitting their exam the same time as me (in December), and one of them is caught up reading SECRETS. It's actually a trap. She's reading it because it's great, yes. But she doesn't realize that she'd get more actual Step1 points by doing just questions + FA these next couple months.

I plan on reading 2CK SECRETS as one of my casual texts over the next two years while I finish off my PhD, before going back to MS3. If that means anything to you, it's just to say that SECRETS is a good foundation-builder, but it's not meant for concise boards' prep.

I own step2 Secrets which is very thin and ultra concise (300pages), so I'm surprised to read Secrets1 is comprehensive, maybe I should have looked at it.

 

[Phloston]

I own step2 Secrets which is very thin and ultra concise (300pages), so I'm surprised to read Secrets1 is comprehensive, maybe I should have looked at it.

I didn't know 2CK SECRETS was smaller. I haven't seen yet.

I just took the Step1 SECRETS off my shelf though. It's 728 pages, including the index.

Do you like the 2CK version so far?

 

[Chirurg]

I didn't know 2CK SECRETS was smaller. I haven't seen yet.

I just took the Step1 SECRETS off my shelf though. It's 728 pages, including the index.

Do you like the 2CK version so far?

I like it, it's a small book that you can read when you are bored on the wards but it is
nowhere near comprehensive. It just hits some major points in all specialties in a Q+A format.
I definetely need another source and I would also recommend that you look for
a different source for your remaining PhD years.
I also own MTB Step 2 (550pages), but that one I can't take to the wards but I would say
it is much, much better in terms of content and how it is organized, also there is PLENTY
of space for annotation, there is none in Secrets.
MTB is also well written and I would say for people who have already nailed path/pathogenesis, you can read it in a leisurely manner.

 

[Phloston]

I like it, it's a small book that you can read when you are bored on the wards but it is
nowhere near comprehensive. It just hits some major points in all specialties in a Q+A format.
I definetely need another source and I would also recommend that you look for
a different source for your remaining PhD years.
I also own MTB Step 2 (550pages), but that one I can't take to the wards but I would say
it is much, much better in terms of content and how it is organized, also there is PLENTY
of space for annotation, there is none in Secrets.
MTB is also well written and I would say for people who have already nailed path/pathogenesis, you can read it in a leisurely manner.

I just Googled MTB Step 2 CK for the sake of it. I notice it's another one of those Conrad Fischer KAPLAN books. Just having the Kaplan name on it I feel decreases its value. We all know Kaplan is off the mark. Why should we trust it?

 

[Chirurg]

I just Googled MTB Step 2 CK for the sake of it. I notice it's another one of those Conrad Fischer KAPLAN books. Just having the Kaplan name on it I feel decreases its value. We all know Kaplan is off the mark. Why should we trust it?

this one is actually high yield...
I had a brief look at kaplan books for step1, and as you probably know ther is also step2 kaplan notes but this one is different. Just have a look inside whenever you get the chance; you might like it.

 

[Phloston]

this one is actually high yield...
I had a brief look at kaplan books for step1, and as you probably know ther is also step2 kaplan notes but this one is different. Just have a look inside whenever you get the chance; you might like it.

With like the 150 dollars in Amazon coupons I have from USMLE Rx, I'll possibly look to get the MTB 2CK then, as well as the Conrad Fischer 100 cases.

I am circumspect though. There was someone on here a little while ago who recommended an anatomy text, which I spent $22 dollars on, and it turned out to be trash.

I appreciate you recommending that text.

 

[Chirurg]

With like the 150 dollars in Amazon coupons I have from USMLE Rx, I'll possibly look to get the MTB 2CK then, as well as the Conrad Fischer 100 cases.

I am circumspect though. There was someone on here a little while ago who recommended an anatomy text, which I spent $22 dollars on, and it turned out to be trash.

I appreciate you recommending that text.

I think this is about the same price but check it out on amazon for more feedback than just mine:
http://www.amazon.com/Kaplan-Medica...=1349175736&sr=8-1&keywords=master+the+boards

Also, when I bought it, I was able look inside on amazon and read 40-50 pages of material.
so do that, when the time comes.

 

[san2]

you absolutely need first aid. there is no way around it. but a book that accompanies well with first aid is kaplan medessentials. as the previous posts indicated, question banks are also very important.

 

[chillax9]

Phloston - Why do you say BRS Patho is the third most high yield source after FA+UW ?
What do you think about Pathoma, Goljan or BRS Physiolgy in comparison ?

After your experience with so many questions, you might be well positioned to comment on this issue for someone who has 4 weeks to take the test ? What is the best to do in last 4 weeks ?

 

[smartparts]

I really liked exam krackers when studying for the MCAT. does anyone know of any books that might briefly explain the material, and then end with a nice little quiz to test your knowledge? FA isn't really doing it for me with the outline/memorize these facts format, it's hard to get back into the understanding mode. memorizing sucks. any thoughts? thanks

The good thing about Step 1 Secrets is that you can just sit down and read it without taking notes/highlighting. It reads like a series of short stories that are actually cliinical vignettes. It's not going to get you any extra points but I think it is a great way to see the application (understanding, as you said) of some of the concepts tested on Step 1.

Two books that are in the 'quiz yourself' format are Deja Review Step 1 and Step 1 Made Ridiculously Simple. I can't vouch for either but they might be useful for just drilling information.

 

[Phloston]

The good thing about Step 1 Secrets is that you can just sit down and read it without taking notes/highlighting. It reads like a series of short stories that are actually cliinical vignettes. It's not going to get you any extra points but I think it is a great way to see the application (understanding, as you said) of some of the concepts tested on Step 1.

Absolutely. Great text, but best if you have a lot of time left on your hands, not if you're nearing the exam. I also think the format is really good.

Two books that are in the 'quiz yourself' format are Deja Review Step 1 and Step 1 Made Ridiculously Simple. I can't vouch for either but they might be useful for just drilling information.

Phloston - Why do you say BRS Patho is the third most high yield source after FA+UW ?
What do you think about Pathoma, Goljan or BRS Physiolgy in comparison ?

After your experience with so many questions, you might be well positioned to comment on this issue for someone who has 4 weeks to take the test ? What is the best to do in last 4 weeks ?

During the latter part of my MS2 (after I realized I might want to take the USMLE), I would read/memorize the BRS Path chapters that corresponded to the topics that we'd cover in PBL/class the next week, so I already had a jump start on things. I felt this was a huge advantage for me during the year, because I felt I had a really good foundation going into a particular topic, when most people were just seeing it for the first time. BRS was really concise, bullet-pointed, and told me most of what I needed to know. I had been doing a lot of Robbin's reading during the former part of MS2, but BRS was so much more time-efficient. I then used DejaReview USMLE Step1 as a top-up after I read BRS, but before path prac, so I had even more of a foundation going in. I would then finish a given week with the Robbin's Review of Path Qs and/or University of Utah Webpath Qs.

To answer your question more specifically though, chillax9, you'll notice that the majority of points in any QBank are path or pathophys. It's one of my strongest areas in UWorld, and I owe that mainly to BRS Path and University of Utah Webpath.

I own Goljan RR, but never use it. I've also never used Pathoma.

I've read ~2/3 of BRS Phys, and I find it just okay. It's too general for Step1. Most of my physiology I've gained from just doing lots of practice questions.

 

[chillax9]

Thanks Phloston.

Would you advise Utah-Webpath and BRS Pathology in last 4 weeks.

What question source in addition to UW could be used in last 4 weeks- Kaplan Q book, Rx Q book or Robbins review of Path?

What is recommendation regarding Anatomy ?

 

[Phloston]

Thanks Phloston.

Would you advise Utah-Webpath and BRS Pathology in last 4 weeks.

BRS Path as a mere reference, but not for perusal. I also wouldn't recommend Webpath questions for the final month. They are great for building foundation alongside your classes, but if you're one month from the USMLE, you've gotta buckle down and focus on FA, UWorld and the NBMEs only.

What question source in addition to UW could be used in last 4 weeks- Kaplan Q book, Rx Q book or Robbins review of Path?

I've gone through Robbin's Review of Path, Kaplan QBook and FA Q&A. I wouldn't recommend any of them during the final month. Once again, focus on UWorld + the NBMEs for questions. If you haven't yet touched USMLE Rx, go through that at lightning speed (i.e. timed blocks at 300 Qs/day x 10 days). It's a fantastic QBank, and the reason I recommend it is because it's essentially a dual-package with FA; they are collectively one resource and learning Rx will teach you FA big-time. Ignore Kaplan during the final month. It helps build foundation, and some of the questions are very good, but its disparate question-style is slightly off the mark. When you're not doing questions, just memorize your FA.

What is recommendation regarding Anatomy ?

All I can say about anatomy is that I have an absolutely terrible background in it (i.e. I didn't take it in undergrad and my SoM doesn't teach it well at all), and somehow through just tons and tons of practice questions, my UWorld percentile is 90 currently. Therefore, just do questions for anatomy. You can study insertion points all day, but they are unlikely to show up on the exam.

I own USMLE RoadMap Anatomy and BRS Anatomy, and they're both pretty worthless imo. I read Underground Clinical Vignettes - Anatomy back in January, which was very good, but I still wouldn't touch that within a month of the exam. If you want to blast anatomy during the final month, just do as many practice questions as you can. Although this slightly contradicts what I had said up above, Kaplan had the best anatomy questions of any question source I've come across so far (i.e. lots of CT scans). I'd do those questions in the QBank if you still have a subscription.