Reading FA during dedicated

[Domek]

I've been going over a lot of threads/ forums looking at study strategies and detailed schedules for Step, trying to make my own plan.

Here's the proverbial thing: I keep seeing everyone say that they're reading FA by organ system. As in, in almost everything I've read where people give a detailed layout of their study schedule, there's "read FA, by organ system".

So my question is this: do people just not read the General Principles section? I mean, people do specify if they're reading FA Biochemistry or FA Pharmacology, but I've yet to see anyone mention, say, Public Health. So do people just skip those sections entirely during their dedicated? Or is it just assumed that you're doing that at some point throughout your studying?

I've added a poll. Who doesn't love polls? ...should I make a poll for that too?

Tl;dr: Do people just skip a bunch of the "General Principles" section of FA during dedicated study?

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[AnalisCanalis]

Nope, why would you? It's there for a reason.

This is the wrong forum btw.

 

[Domek]

Oops, sorry about that.

Anyway, I guess I was just really hoping someone would tell me I don't have to read Public Health.

 

[Redpancreas]

I think the reason you want to skip it is because it feels unproductive to just read the principles before realizing how they're used to solve problems. It's much easier to do UWorld Biostats/Ethics/Public Health first and learn from actual examples and then read the First Aid section to remind you of things. The latter is still important. For example, one sentence I read about confidence intervals for RR crossing 0 in First Aid made me realize that principle quickly on questions.

 

[Domek]

I think the reason you want to skip it is because it feels unproductive to just read the principles before realizing how they're used to solve problems. It's much easier to do UWorld Biostats/Ethics/Public Health first and learn from actual examples and then read the First Aid section to remind you of things. The latter is still important. For example, one sentence I read about confidence intervals for RR crossing 0 in First Aid made me realize that principle quickly on questions.

That makes sense. So then you would suggest alternating between UWorld and FA during dedicated, right? I was thinking about maybe reading FA a couple of times first, and then doing nothing but UWorld questions the last couple of weeks. But I guess that would take away from the questions "highlighting" the important principles.

 

[gapyearguppy]

I ended up reading the non-organ system FA stuff towards the end of step studying and it was clutch af to be very honest and I wish I had read it earlier. It integrated tons of stuff for me and made my holistic knowledge of path and physio and pharm much more sound.

 

[Rekt]

That makes sense. So then you would suggest alternating between UWorld and FA during dedicated, right? I was thinking about maybe reading FA a couple of times first, and then doing nothing but UWorld questions the last couple of weeks. But I guess that would take away from the questions "highlighting" the important principles.

Do both. You should have enough time, if you don't, make it. Nothing is more important than this exam. Two UWorld blocks in the morning through afternoon with thorough review. Finish out with FA/Pathoma/Sketchy. Repeat for X weeks.

 

[Domek]

Do both. You should have enough time, if you don't, make it. Nothing is more important than this exam. Two UWorld blocks in the morning through afternoon with thorough review. Finish out with FA/Pathoma/Sketchy. Repeat for X weeks.

That's another thing, I was wondering if people who do Sketchy for micro read the FA Microbiology section as well...

I'll take that as a "yes".

 

[Redpancreas]

That's another thing, I was wondering if people who do Sketchy for micro read the FA Microbiology section as well...

I'll take that as a "yes".

Yes...read every single page of First Aid. If you really need a video source use USMLE Rx and it lecture/read it to you bullet-by-bullet.