Reading/Annotating Firecracker vs. First Aid

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

EmpathMan

Full Member
10+ Year Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2009
Messages
148
Reaction score
56
Hey all,

Finishing up my last module and bout to enter dedicated study period. I've been reading through FA and FC, and although FC is a flash card spatial learning tool, I find that it seems to have a conglomerate information of FA + Pathoma + Uworld references. Thus, what would be the perks of just reading FA and annotating it then if FC is more extensive?
 
The perks are....First aid!
Many people mistake first aid for something that it simply isn't. Think of FA as a list of resources that have been on the exam before. That's all it is. No more, no less. If you use FA with that mindset, it can be a very useful tool. If you expect to find explanations and pathophysiology in FA, you're in for a world of pain.
Having said that, I personally despise firecracker. It's algorithm is predictable and has its fair share of flaws, many answers are simply wrong, no way around it. But you have to ask yourself, what is firecracker really trying to do? Its trying to increase your long term retention of material, by long term we're talking months. So to use firecracker during dedicated is pointless to me. You should be focusing on solving questions, getting used to the idea of seeing the same concept presented in a variety of ways, and you need to work on your strategy for the exam.
That's my 2cents hope it helps!
 
Top