Starting Gunner Training late?

[futuremd327]

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Hi everyone,

I am a second year student planning on taking Step 1 in late June. As of right now, I am using First Aid, Goljan, and USMLE World to supplement my course work in preparation for Step 1. I am interested in Gunner Training, but have read in some of your posts that it should be started early in the game to be effective. My question is, would it be completely pointless to get a subscription at this point? I am about 5 months away from test day.

Thanks!

 

[dangit]

There's too much info in GT. At this point, it's overwhelming and not worth your time IMHO. I read your previous posts and I want to help. The best foundation for Step 1 is thru classwork from the 1st 2 years of med school. I'm not trying to discourage you, but it would be best to have a realistic expectation in terms of Step 1.

With that said, you should focus your effort on knowing First Aid cold. Whatever you read in FA, and you're like "I don't get it", supplement with review books that were recommended by other posters on SDN or those given good ratings in the back of FA.

For path, Goljan (Rapid Review Pathology) is very good, but it's really dense. Still, give it a shot.

As for Qbank, doing USMLERx is a good way to crank thru FA. Definietly stick with World and crank thru that as well. Best of luck. Stay positive

PS Flash Facts is better than GT in my opinion. It helps u get thru FA. GT is great, dont' get me wrong, but it's very very time consuming. Stick with the basics and know it well.

 

[Encephalectomy]

I'm a big fan of gunnertraining, but I agree that it probably isnt' worth starting at this point. It would probably take up too much of your time to try and finish it in time. If you did want to use it, you could just do a few of your weaker subjects, which would be feasible IMO.

 

[futuremd327]

Thanks for the advice everyone! I thought GT might be too much at this point. As far as realistic expectations are concerned, I do know that the coursework of the first two years is important and I am at a disadvantage in that regard. I am planning to sit down with someone at my school and discuss what a realistic goal would be, and do my best to achieve it. Thanks again.

 

[Day man]

Just for an additional two cents, I started GT in late October, and even at that point I realized it wouldn't be beneficial to try to cover all the material in that program.

What I would recommend if you like flashcards and don't want to pay for GT, is anki or flashcard exchange. The only value at this point GT has for a test in June is REALLY weak subjects (I'm using it for micro pretty much, and some pharm). It will help drill those in there, and it's nice when you look at FA and the material is essentially what was in GT.

 

[Slade]

I completely disagree. I just started GT two weeks ago and my test is in 3 months.
Throughout my coursework, I haven't had any trouble understanding the concepts, and why things happen the way they do. However, I always had trouble with memorization. I've done GT for 3 subjects now (endo, hem/onc and GI) and although it takes a LOT of time, it really helps me memorize facts.
You have 5 months! more than enough time to get through the material.

Plus, and this is the most important, GT is COMPLETELY based on FA. So every fact GT helps you learn is a fact you should be memorizing anyways, if you are following SDNers' "memorize FA" advice.

In any case, you can get a free 1 month trial. So, just try it out... no harm done!

 

[DrDrToBe]

I completely disagree. I just started GT two weeks ago and my test is in 3 months.
Throughout my coursework, I haven't had any trouble understanding the concepts, and why things happen the way they do. However, I always had trouble with memorization. I've done GT for 3 subjects now (endo, hem/onc and GI) and although it takes a LOT of time, it really helps me memorize facts.
You have 5 months! more than enough time to get through the material.

Plus, and this is the most important, GT is COMPLETELY based on FA. So every fact GT helps you learn is a fact you should be memorizing anyways, if you are following SDNers' "memorize FA" advice.

In any case, you can get a free 1 month trial. So, just try it out... no harm done!

Totally agree with this! I actually don't think it's too late to start Gunner training. I'll be taking my test in May, and I started it in January. While you may not have time to get through all the topics, it can be helpful for weak areas, or areas that you just have to memorize cold (like pharm and micro). One thing I think people universally agree on is that you have to know First Aid cold...well guess what, gunner training is pretty much First Aid verbatim. What I've been doing so far is to read a page or 2 in First Aid, then read the corresponding flashcards in Gunnertraining and do the quiz questions. The great thing is that by doing this, it forces me to actively read First Aid, since the little things I subconsciously skim in First Aid are quizzed in Gunnertraining. To me this is a huge benefit.
As far as my progress, so far I've read 3 chapters of First Aid and covered about 10% of the material in Gunner training. People have different study styles, so you have to decide what works for you.

 

[JPanda]

I completely disagree. I just started GT two weeks ago and my test is in 3 months.
Throughout my coursework, I haven't had any trouble understanding the concepts, and why things happen the way they do. However, I always had trouble with memorization. I've done GT for 3 subjects now (endo, hem/onc and GI) and although it takes a LOT of time, it really helps me memorize facts.
You have 5 months! more than enough time to get through the material.

Plus, and this is the most important, GT is COMPLETELY based on FA. So every fact GT helps you learn is a fact you should be memorizing anyways, if you are following SDNers' "memorize FA" advice.

In any case, you can get a free 1 month trial. So, just try it out... no harm done!

I'm going to say i agree with everyone else in the thread who says that the whole gunner training program may not be the best use of your time now. I've spent half a year on gunner training already and i can safely say I wish i started earlier. It takes a tremendous amount of time to internalize the concepts in gunner training into long term memory. Using gunner training as it is intended - a space time repetition program - now is a bad idea. But as another poster pointed out, you can always use GT just for the subject you are weak in. Five months is enough time to master 3-4 major subjects through gunner training. and remember, at the end of the day Gunner training is just a test bank. it isnt Usmle world but it is something.

 

[futuremd327]

Hmm, we have some differing opinions now 🙂 I guess the reason I was interested in GT to begin with is that it provides good structure to your studying (at least from what I have heard). I definitely think I would do better with some kind of consistent schedule, with reinforcement built in... which is what I've heard GT does. I know that if I just sit down on my own, I'm going to end up either spending too much time on certain things or skipping around so much that I don't do anything in enough depth. I am thinking that GT would be a good way to kind of solidify each topic in my mind and reassure myself that I have covered it adequately. Or, on the flip side, highlight things that I might need more study on and give me the chance to review them further. I guess my point is that I would be using it more for the structure it provides than the knowledge base itself, as I feel that I have plenty of First Aid, BRS, Goljan, etc. to learn from. Thoughts?

 

[Slade]

GT should definitely not be your primary studying tool, just a way of memorizing FA after reviewing each subject.
I think using GT for structure as you proposed would be beneficial, especially if you have trouble organizing your studying.

When do your classes end? My advice is to do the 1 month free trial, studying the same subjects you are covering in your current classes. If you like it, great, extend the membership (it's pretty inexpensive). If not, no worries, at the very least, it will have helped you with your remaining courses.

 

[unsung]

Hi everyone,

I am a second year student planning on taking Step 1 in late June. As of right now, I am using First Aid, Goljan, and USMLE World to supplement my course work in preparation for Step 1. I am interested in Gunner Training, but have read in some of your posts that it should be started early in the game to be effective. My question is, would it be completely pointless to get a subscription at this point? I am about 5 months away from test day.

Thanks!

Disagree that it's too late to get GT. I've actually had it since August of last year, BUT, really only started using it in earnest late last year.

It's VERY helpful to go through it simultaneously with whatever it is you're doing in class. It's the least painful way to get through it, imo. Try to finish the unit before your class exam... it will do you a world of good.

I'm also taking Step 1 in late June... let me know how GT is working for you or if you want any ideas. It does take a while to really get in the groove of using it. And yes, it does take up your time. But, man, what a good feeling to be "100%" on a unit (= all Qs banked). Makes me feel like if I could just get all the Qs banked at least before dedicated study time, I will be in great shape!

Also, agree with posters above who said it basically covers First Aid. How can it be "too detailed" ?? It's really all stuff we should all know, anyway 😉. That said, it has a little more in the way of explanation than First Aid, thereby making it more useful for coursework too. I like that it has some overlap with class & with Goljan... BUT, it has some unique stuff too, so I'm really getting some new info/a different perspective out of it.

 

[tco]

I completely disagree. I just started GT two weeks ago and my test is in 3 months.
Throughout my coursework, I haven't had any trouble understanding the concepts, and why things happen the way they do. However, I always had trouble with memorization. I've done GT for 3 subjects now (endo, hem/onc and GI) and although it takes a LOT of time, it really helps me memorize facts.
You have 5 months! more than enough time to get through the material.

Plus, and this is the most important, GT is COMPLETELY based on FA. So every fact GT helps you learn is a fact you should be memorizing anyways, if you are following SDNers' "memorize FA" advice.

In any case, you can get a free 1 month trial. So, just try it out... no harm done!

Totally agree with this post. I just did the month trial, and it felt very helpful.

I was working my way through GT's GI section. I got through anatomy and phys, then started reading FA's sections on it...What would have taken me hours to review because I had forgotten it only took a few minutes. I'm pretty sure I'm going to sign up for the 6 month version of it very soon.

 

[Zarika]

Is Gunner Training something that is useful for first year, or is it only a pre-step 1, 2nd year tool?

 

[Encephalectomy]

you could start using it first year, I actually think it is ideally started either during first year or the summer before second year (to get all of the first year stuff banked). You're probably not (depending on your curriculum) going to be able to use it as a source to study for most first year classes, but if you bank the stuff along with classes starting first year it would be a great way to get a jump start on your board prep IMO.

 

[zebalong]

As a first year i've been using it and i like it so far.

It doesn't really help me with my classes but it does expand on things that are covered in FA but not covered in my course work. for example of the lysosomal storage diseases we only covered tay sachs and Fabry's.. but in FA there are like 7. Also the different HLA subclasses associated with the different disease were not emphasized in my immuno course like they are in FA. I think it is good to familiarize myself with all of the ones covered in FA so that when next year comes around I'm truely just doing review of FA and not learning a bunch of things that weren't covered in our cirriculum. Especially since it seems knowing FA cold is one of the foundations to doing well in the step.

O yea, and add to that the time commitment it takes to finish all the flash cards in a session and master the recall questions, i think first year is a good time to start GT

 

[ar2388]

I completely disagree. I just started GT two weeks ago and my test is in 3 months.
Throughout my coursework, I haven't had any trouble understanding the concepts, and why things happen the way they do. However, I always had trouble with memorization. I've done GT for 3 subjects now (endo, hem/onc and GI) and although it takes a LOT of time, it really helps me memorize facts.
You have 5 months! more than enough time to get through the material.

Plus, and this is the most important, GT is COMPLETELY based on FA. So every fact GT helps you learn is a fact you should be memorizing anyways, if you are following SDNers' "memorize FA" advice.

In any case, you can get a free 1 month trial. So, just try it out... no harm done!

totally agree with this! ive had gt since dec of first yr but didnt use it too much until 2nd year and really kicked up my use in these past few months. im taking my exam may 19.

 

[myhandsarecold]

i didnt use the flashcards, just the qbank and ended up just fine. i bet u've been told this multiple times but the more the q's, the better. althought GT q format is not similar to step 1, it still kinda trains your mind on what to pick...

 

[Ty Webb]

if your test is in june or so I would say you definitely still have time.

When I first heard of GT, i had my doubts. In fact, the name turned me off, and when people at school ask what i'm using for board prep, i still hate saying "gunner training". just feel like it sounds a little douchey.

but it's a great program, and unique. hard to really explain the virtues of it without sacrificing brevity here; you really just have to try it (and give it at least a few hours of time before evaluating if it's for you).

anyways, they allow paying members (such as myself) to give away free one month trials. if interested, click on the below link. you'll have a free month to evaluate the product (had some friends do it--pretty sure you don't even have to enter any billing info or anything).


One month free trial:
http://www.gunnertraining.com/free_trial/1607169

Disclosure of potential bias: I get a free month if you sign up after the trial.

 

[Slade]

You don't have to put in any billing info.
You just need to give them an e-mail addresss and a name (doesn't have to be real, in fact I recommend against it since the person whose free trial link you are using can see the name you signed up with, but no other info).

 

[bchandler]

Guys, thank you so much for the awesome feedback. We will be digesting this thread for many months and doing our best to address all concerns and keep improving on our strengths and things you like.

Re: How many months you need for Gunner to be helpful - Our current aggregate data shows a 49% gain in retained knowledge (i.e. better memory) over 4 reviews (i.e. initial quiz after studying the material, then 3 reviews thereafter). Importantly, the minimum time until the 4th review was 26 days and the max was 115 days. So, if you stick with GT for 4 reviews / 1-4 months, you should see some impressive gains. In fact, the largest gains come between the 2nd and 3rd review and between the 3rd and 4th review (again, this is really the 1st and 2nd review and 2nd and 3rd review if you don't consider the initial quiz a review) so you really have to use us for a month or two before you are likely to see and feel the value. Check out a visual of the data on our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/gunnertraining

In fact, this is the biggest problem we have; people who stick with us love us, but people who don't can't always see the whole value. This is one reason why we offer a free trial when others don't. I really appreciate our older members sticking up for what they believe is a valuable resource. We just want to help you guys succeed and really do think what we have can help tremendously.

Re: 'Lite' Mode - We created this because we realize that our program can be a little too burdensome for people, especially who are just starting out, use other study resources more, etc. Read more about 'Lite' vs. 'Comprehensive' mode here: http://info.gunnertraining.com/

Re: Other questions - we just updated our FAQs, so check them out if you are trying to decide how/if we can fit into your study plan and, of course, let me know if you have any questions or concerns (you can also write us at [email protected]): http://www.gunnertraining.com/home/faqs#q09

We also just put together this short video overview of our core value proposition (i.e. helping you learn and retain high-yield info) which may be helpful as well.

Re: Our name - we've actually been debating changing our name and if you'd be willing to give us your two cents, we'd really appreciate it! Some people love it, some people hate it, and some (especially professors) find it offensive. We have some ideas we'd love to run by you. We be happy to give a free month or something to those of you interested in doing a quick focus group over IM or something. Let me know if you're interested.

Was this helpful?

- Ben

 

[bbydoc]

Re: How many months you need for Gunner to be helpful - Our current aggregate data shows a 49% gain in retained knowledge (i.e. better memory) over 4 reviews (i.e. initial quiz after studying the material, then 3 reviews thereafter). Importantly, the minimum time until the 4th review was 26 days and the max was 115 days. So, if you stick with GT for 4 reviews / 1-4 months, you should see some impressive gains. In fact, the largest gains come between the 2nd and 3rd review and between the 3rd and 4th review (again, this is really the 1st and 2nd review and 2nd and 3rd review if you don't consider the initial quiz a review) so you really have to use us for a month or two before you are likely to see and feel the value. Check out a visual of the data on our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/gunnertraining


Was this helpful?

- Ben

this was very helpful, thanks.

 

[jejun]

I've found the site helpful. The only two problems i have are:

1) Some of the questions are things like: list the 13 effects of <topic X>. I don't find these helpful (some kind of prompt/hint is needed). These can get frustrating... our brain is not designed to spit 13 things out without some kind of prompt/context.

2) Some times the answer is not highlighted (or isn't really explicitly there).

Other than that GT is really good considering it's price 🙂

 

[bbydoc]

1) Some of the questions are things like: list the 13 effects of <topic X>. I don't find these helpful (some kind of prompt/hint is needed). These can get frustrating... our brain is not designed to spit 13 things out without some kind of prompt/context.

this is an excellent point. you can not build long term memory of big lists, if there was an mnemonic to it maybe...

 

[zebalong]

this is an excellent point. you can not build long term memory of big lists, if there was an mnemonic to it maybe...

The weird thing is althought it does take a lot longer to master the longer lists (aka the "please list the 7 diseases related to...") if you let this program do its thing and keep ranking your recall low, eventually you will remember it. I think it is the beauty of this program, after awhile you DO remember things that seem almost impossible to remember.

I've been amazed at my own results and at remembering random things... awhile ago we were talking about pernicious anemia... instantly hashimoto's thyroiditis popped into my head.

 

[bbydoc]

The weird thing is althought it does take a lot longer to master the longer lists (aka the "please list the 7 diseases related to...") if you let this program do its thing and keep ranking your recall low, eventually you will remember it. I think it is the beauty of this program, after awhile you DO remember things that seem almost impossible to remember.

I've been amazed at my own results and at remembering random things... awhile ago we were talking about pernicious anemia... instantly hashimoto's thyroiditis popped into my head.

hmmm...cant say anything against that...but, just hypothetically:
1. lets say to build long-term memory you need 20 repetitions for a card where you have to name the live vaccines (9 facts)
2. and you need 6 repetitions for a card where you have to name type1 cells of the carotid body

- for 1. you need 6000 repetitions to learn 300 cards and
- for 2. you need 6000 repetitions to learn 1000 cards

so, what would you rather do and whats the solution?
a good solution would be to give mnemonics for 1. like Mrr. VZ Mapsy for Mumps, Rubella, Rotavirus, Vericella Zooster, Measles, Adenovirus, Polio, Small Pox, Yellow fever)

now you might only need 8-10 repetitions.

 

[abmd]

Here's a free trial for one month if anyone wants it www.gunnertraining.com/free_trial/1017302

 

[zebalong]

hmmm...cant say anything against that...but, just hypothetically:
1. lets say to build long-term memory you need 20 repetitions for a card where you have to name the live vaccines (9 facts)
2. and you need 6 repetitions for a card where you have to name type1 cells of the carotid body

- for 1. you need 6000 repetitions to learn 300 cards and
- for 2. you need 6000 repetitions to learn 1000 cards

so, what would you rather do and whats the solution?
a good solution would be to give mnemonics for 1. like Mrr. VZ Mapsy for Mumps, Rubella, Rotavirus, Vericella Zooster, Measles, Adenovirus, Polio, Small Pox, Yellow fever)

now you might only need 8-10 repetitions.

Mnemonics work for some people (and i do use a few) but some of them i find i get the mnemonic confused and would have been better off just memorizing the facts through reasoning... its definitely depends on the person. After awhile i found mnemonics worked against me for the most part, some are good, but most don't fit my learning style.

The long lists helped me comprehend a lot. for a simple example listing the different receptors on a B cell (IgM, IgD, CD 19 20 21 40 B7 MHC2 ect...) helped me remember how a b cell is activated, and how it goes from mature b cell -> plasma cell. For example it touches on the topic that mature b cells have both M and D, but also i link that fact to that B cells use MHC2 to find antigen and get primary, secondary signals which will change those immunoglobulins.... for me it helps at least.

This understanding and linking of concepts I, personally, would not have gotten from a mnemonic.

 

[KeyzerSoze]

hmmm...cant say anything against that...but, just hypothetically:
1. lets say to build long-term memory you need 20 repetitions for a card where you have to name the live vaccines (9 facts)
2. and you need 6 repetitions for a card where you have to name type1 cells of the carotid body

- for 1. you need 6000 repetitions to learn 300 cards and
- for 2. you need 6000 repetitions to learn 1000 cards

so, what would you rather do and whats the solution?
a good solution would be to give mnemonics for 1. like Mrr. VZ Mapsy for Mumps, Rubella, Rotavirus, Vericella Zooster, Measles, Adenovirus, Polio, Small Pox, Yellow fever)

now you might only need 8-10 repetitions.

They're not mutually exclusive. You can use mnemonics when doing GT. I think it even provides some, or you can use the ones from First Aid.

 

[bbydoc]

They're not mutually exclusive. You can use mnemonics when doing GT. I think it even provides some, or you can use the ones from First Aid.

that was my point.
my post was a suggestion on how to improve GT, i.e. GT should provide mnemonics to long lists that are unavoidable.
research suggests that it is a lot harder to build "permanent" memory of long lists, however it is quite easy to build "permanent" memory with 1-3 characteristics, alternative for long lists for example:
Q: "what acts as a signal transduction complex and lowers threshold for antigens on B-cells?" A: CD19, 20, 21.
Q: Which Immunoglobulins are found on B-cells? A: IgM, IgD.
Q: Which cell-surface molecule does the B-cell use for antigen-presentation? A: MHC-2.
Q: What cell-surface molecules on B-cells are used for co-stimulation of T-cells? A: B7 and CD40.
for these questions, the brain fires in milliseconds. but if you have to list everything...well, you get my point.

if you want to strengthen these memories (axons), you could amplify the effect even further:
Q: What is the purpose of CD19, 20, 21? A: Signal transduction complex on B-cells.
etc...

Now in the real thing, if they are talking about some researcher playing around with CD19 or CD40 cells and you have to identify it, you know whats going on.

and now this is an extreme, but some people who have been exposed to x often enough, have even the same axon firing every time they think of x. it has been shown, that when some people think about Jennifer Anistion, the same neuron/axon lights up, because they have seen repetitions of friends tons of times (guilty myself).

 

[unsung]

They're not mutually exclusive. You can use mnemonics when doing GT. I think it even provides some, or you can use the ones from First Aid.

Make your own mnemonic for the long lists. Problem solved.

Although, personally I like how GT doesn't force a lot of mnemonics on me, by making every list of symptoms into an acronym. I don't like that about some review books.

The ones it does have: "Q CHIMPP" or "SOAP BRAIN MD", I actually like and remember.

But imagine trying to do that with all the manifestations of hyper/hypothyroidism. I think it's fine enough to try to reason one's way through all the symptoms/signs... after a while, I do find I can recall ~ all the key points.

It helps me to chunk out some of the similar symptoms (i.e. perhaps from same mechanism) together, and remember it that way. Or alternatively, invent your own mnemonic, if rote memorization works better. Again, I think it's dependent on the user if you feel like it's helpful to do that. Also, I find typing out the answers to help me remember. So try that out, if you guys haven't used that feature.

But I don't really stress out if I get like 12 out of 15 or something 😉

 

[unsung]

that was my point.
my post was a suggestion on how to improve GT, i.e. GT should provide mnemonics to long lists that are unavoidable.
research suggests that it is a lot harder to build "permanent" memory of long lists, however it is quite easy to build "permanent" memory with 1-3 characteristics, alternative for long lists for example:
Q: "what acts as a signal transduction complex and lowers threshold for antigens on B-cells?" A: CD19, 20, 21.
Q: Which Immunoglobulins are found on B-cells? A: IgM, IgD.
Q: Which cell-surface molecule does the B-cell use for antigen-presentation? A: MHC-2.
Q: What cell-surface molecules on B-cells are used for co-stimulation of T-cells? A: B7.
for these questions, the brain fires in milliseconds. but if you have to list everything...well, you get my point.
and now this is an extreme, but some people who have been exposed to x often enough, have even the same axon firing every time they think of x. when some people think about Jennifer Anistion, the same axon fires, because they have seen repetitions of friends tons of times (guilty myself).

In order to do what you're suggesting, there would have to be WAY more flashcards, way more quiz Qs in GT...

... And personally, I'm having a hard enough time getting through the # of Qs as it is. 😎

Btw, Cue Card is a good program to use for crap like that, which basically requires rote memorization. Just type those cards out yourself and after a while you'll get them. I don't think we should expect GT to be like a perfect end-all. It's enough that the cards seem to cover most of the high-yield/important concepts, imo.

 

[bbydoc]

In order to do what you're suggesting, there would have to be WAY more flashcards, way more quiz Qs in GT...

... And personally, I'm having a hard enough time getting through the # of Qs as it is. 😎

Btw, Cue Card is a good program to use for crap like that, which basically requires rote memorization. Just type those cards out yourself and after a while you'll get them. I don't think we should expect GT to be like a perfect end-all. It's enough that the cards seem to cover most of the high-yield/important concepts, imo.

evidently you did not understant what I was saying.
List all cell-surface molecules on B-cells is rote memorization.
not what I suggested.

 

[tco]

Nm...

 

[bchandler]

@zebalong - You are right on. It's ironic but our founder -- Dr. Frank Lau -- a plastic surg resident at MGH just put together a Plastic Surg version of GT for his personal use and even he was amazed by how much and how quickly he forgot what he thought he knew. And, he was also amazed at how much more he remembered (and more easily) after a few review sessions of the same concepts.

It's not surprising considering the strong evidence both from our own data (see http://on.fb.me/fvl0hB) and external data showing that multiple repetitions/review sessions can literally shift your forgetting curve such that you forget the related material much more slowly after a few repetitions. I've attached a graphic that was in this article in Wired Magazine a few years ago. See the article here (http://bit.ly/WAIx) and the graphic will hopefully be associated with this message!

The weird thing is althought it does take a lot longer to master the longer lists (aka the "please list the 7 diseases related to...") if you let this program do its thing and keep ranking your recall low, eventually you will remember it. I think it is the beauty of this program, after awhile you DO remember things that seem almost impossible to remember.

I've been amazed at my own results and at remembering random things... awhile ago we were talking about pernicious anemia... instantly hashimoto's thyroiditis popped into my head.

 

[uNiq1]

@zebalong - You are right on. It's ironic but our founder -- Dr. Frank Lau -- a plastic surg resident at MGH just put together a Plastic Surg version of GT for his personal use and even he was amazed by how much and how quickly he forgot what he thought he knew. And, he was also amazed at how much more he remembered (and more easily) after a few review sessions of the same concepts.

It's not surprising considering the strong evidence both from our own data (see http://on.fb.me/fvl0hB) and external data showing that multiple repetitions/review sessions can literally shift your forgetting curve such that you forget the related material much more slowly after a few repetitions. I've attached a graphic that was in this article in Wired Magazine a few years ago. See the article here (http://bit.ly/WAIx) and the graphic will hopefully be associated with this message!

Are you saying that GT uses the supermemo method?

NVM i figured this out but can't figure out how to delete a post.

 

[Jack is Back]

Guys, thank you so much for the awesome feedback. We will be digesting this thread for many months and doing our best to address all concerns and keep improving on our strengths and things you like.

Re: How many months you need for Gunner to be helpful - Our current aggregate data shows a 49% gain in retained knowledge (i.e. better memory) over 4 reviews (i.e. initial quiz after studying the material, then 3 reviews thereafter). Importantly, the minimum time until the 4th review was 26 days and the max was 115 days. So, if you stick with GT for 4 reviews / 1-4 months, you should see some impressive gains. In fact, the largest gains come between the 2nd and 3rd review and between the 3rd and 4th review (again, this is really the 1st and 2nd review and 2nd and 3rd review if you don't consider the initial quiz a review) so you really have to use us for a month or two before you are likely to see and feel the value. Check out a visual of the data on our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/gunnertraining

In fact, this is the biggest problem we have; people who stick with us love us, but people who don't can't always see the whole value. This is one reason why we offer a free trial when others don't. I really appreciate our older members sticking up for what they believe is a valuable resource. We just want to help you guys succeed and really do think what we have can help tremendously.

Re: 'Lite' Mode - We created this because we realize that our program can be a little too burdensome for people, especially who are just starting out, use other study resources more, etc. Read more about 'Lite' vs. 'Comprehensive' mode here: http://info.gunnertraining.com/

Re: Other questions - we just updated our FAQs, so check them out if you are trying to decide how/if we can fit into your study plan and, of course, let me know if you have any questions or concerns (you can also write us at [email protected]): http://www.gunnertraining.com/home/faqs#q09

We also just put together this short video overview of our core value proposition (i.e. helping you learn and retain high-yield info) which may be helpful as well.

Re: Our name - we've actually been debating changing our name and if you'd be willing to give us your two cents, we'd really appreciate it! Some people love it, some people hate it, and some (especially professors) find it offensive. We have some ideas we'd love to run by you. We be happy to give a free month or something to those of you interested in doing a quick focus group over IM or something. Let me know if you're interested.

Was this helpful?

- Ben

Honestly, I think your name isn't very good either.

Talking to people who have never used your program ask me, "what was that flashcard program you were talking about?" And I don't really like saying GunnerTraining. While is has a good connotation for some people, 80% of people are turned off by the term "gunner."

Btw, I enjoy the program quite a bit and definitely can say there is huge value in the long term use.

The impressive side of GT is they constantly improve their product. This is good 90% of the time, I think about 10% of the time they've been guilty of upgrading and making things overly complex or worse. But I think they are responsive in correcting the "bad upgrades." I'd say it is the best prep out there for what it does (obviously behind UWorld).