Step 1 and classes

[Kaputt]

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This only applies if you attend a school that has a board relevant curriculum. Many schools teach clinical stuff beyond Step 1 etc.

Everybody whines that their school doesn't teach to the boards, but in reality every US school teaches you the fundamentals you need for Step 1. My school drowns us in PBL and inefficient team-based learning but when I cracked open FA for my board prep time it was not a tough transition at all because I worked hard during my first two years to learn what they were teaching me. All I needed to do for boards was fill in some details and do a bunch of questions.

Put me in the coursework, coursework, coursework camp. Deep fundamental knowledge is essential. You're selling yourself short if you open up First Aid too early because it may limit the depth of your knowledge because it's really only there for review.

 

[FIREitUP]

Everybody whines that their school doesn't teach to the boards, but in reality every US school teaches you the fundamentals you need for Step 1. My school drowns us in PBL and inefficient team-based learning but when I cracked open FA for my board prep time it was not a tough transition at all because I worked hard during my first two years to learn what they were teaching me. All I needed to do for boards was fill in some details and do a bunch of questions.

Put me in the coursework, coursework, coursework camp. Deep fundamental knowledge is essential. You're selling yourself short if you open up First Aid too early because it may limit the depth of your knowledge because it's really only there for review.

Believe or not, but the information you're receiving from teachers is actually just distilled information from textbooks with added minutiae and other crap you won't need to know. No matter the topic, I can guarantee that there is a book out there that explains it better than 90% of professors can. Micro? CMMRS. Path? Robbins, Pathoma, Goljan. Physio? Costanzo. Immuno? Levinsons. And so on...

I'm glad doing coursework serves you, personally I am a very independent learner and don't need someone to lecture me on something I can get in 1/10th of the time by reading it on my own.

 

[docnotsopc]

Everybody whines that their school doesn't teach to the boards, but in reality every US school teaches you the fundamentals you need for Step 1. My school drowns us in PBL and inefficient team-based learning but when I cracked open FA for my board prep time it was not a tough transition at all because I worked hard during my first two years to learn what they were teaching me. All I needed to do for boards was fill in some details and do a bunch of questions.

Put me in the coursework, coursework, coursework camp. Deep fundamental knowledge is essential. You're selling yourself short if you open up First Aid too early because it may limit the depth of your knowledge because it's really only there for review.

well thats good that you attend a school that covers enough depth to cover board material. However, again, now every school does that so some of your statements are just incorrect.

For example, during my Cardio course they heavily focused on management of various diseases. None of it is relevant to step 1, only step 2. They taught adequate physiology. They taught adequate pharm. However, they focused more on diseases that aren't covered in first aid as opposed to the ones in it. I memorized as much as I could in the course and did very well. Does this mean I know the cardio section of FA inside out? Absolutely not. If the school doesnt teach it the first time, you can have as much knowledge as you want on other cardio topics, its not going to help

 

[calvnandhobbs68]

Everybody whines that their school doesn't teach to the boards, but in reality every US school teaches you the fundamentals you need for Step 1. My school drowns us in PBL and inefficient team-based learning but when I cracked open FA for my board prep time it was not a tough transition at all because I worked hard during my first two years to learn what they were teaching me. All I needed to do for boards was fill in some details and do a bunch of questions.

Put me in the coursework, coursework, coursework camp. Deep fundamental knowledge is essential. You're selling yourself short if you open up First Aid too early because it may limit the depth of your knowledge because it's really only there for review.

I don't disagree with this that much but the added problem for those of us (which may have been you too) on a block schedule is the last time we saw some of this stuff is a year ago. I hadn't cracked open CMMRS since last May and I honestly know basically nothing about most of the organisms in there now. It's gonna be the same thing with anatomy and biochem (lower yield I know but still needed) and even with plenty of pharm, which we took in a quick block at the beginning of the year.

I mean, a "strong foundation" works for things like physio and pathophys but for some stuff (I'm looking at you micro) you're basically time limited. Doing awesome in micro class a year ago isn't gonna help me remember what the gram negative, non-lactose fermenting, oxidase negative organisms are unless I just happen to recall it (and chances are I actually did know it a year ago) nevermind what those bugs actually cause and what you kill them with. You have to go back and memorize that crap all over again and the only way you do that is by cracking open First Aid next to CMMRS, figuring out the board relevant stuff and start doin work.

 

[NickNaylor]

I don't disagree with this that much but the added problem for those of us (which may have been you too) on a block schedule is the last time we saw some of this stuff is a year ago. I hadn't cracked open CMMRS since last May and I honestly know basically nothing about most of the organisms in there now. It's gonna be the same thing with anatomy and biochem (lower yield I know but still needed) and even with plenty of pharm, which we took in a quick block at the beginning of the year.

I mean, a "strong foundation" works for things like physio and pathophys but for some stuff (I'm looking at you micro) you're basically time limited. Doing awesome in micro class a year ago isn't gonna help me remember what the gram negative, non-lactose fermenting, oxidase negative organisms are unless I just happen to recall it (and chances are I actually did know it a year ago) nevermind what those bugs actually cause and what you kill them with. You have to go back and memorize that crap all over again and the only way you do that is by cracking open First Aid next to CMMRS, figuring out the board relevant stuff and start doin work.

100% agree.

(sent from my phone)

 

[Kaputt]

Believe or not, but the information you're receiving from teachers is actually just distilled information from textbooks with added minutiae and other crap you won't need to know. No matter the topic, I can guarantee that there is a book out there that explains it better than 90% of professors can. Micro? CMMRS. Path? Robbins, Pathoma, Goljan. Physio? Costanzo. Immuno? Levinsons. And so on...

I'm glad doing coursework serves you, personally I am a very independent learner and don't need someone to lecture me on something I can get in 1/10th of the time by reading it on my own.

Well, what I mean by "coursework" is reading actual books as opposed to review books. I didn't go to lecture and mostly self-studied, but I tried to avoid First Aid cause get resorting to their 2 sentence summaries of things is the easiest way to sweep the the rug under your feet if you're an independent studier.

 

[Kaputt]

I don't disagree with this that much but the added problem for those of us (which may have been you too) on a block schedule is the last time we saw some of this stuff is a year ago. I hadn't cracked open CMMRS since last May and I honestly know basically nothing about most of the organisms in there now. It's gonna be the same thing with anatomy and biochem (lower yield I know but still needed) and even with plenty of pharm, which we took in a quick block at the beginning of the year.

I mean, a "strong foundation" works for things like physio and pathophys but for some stuff (I'm looking at you micro) you're basically time limited. Doing awesome in micro class a year ago isn't gonna help me remember what the gram negative, non-lactose fermenting, oxidase negative organisms are unless I just happen to recall it (and chances are I actually did know it a year ago) nevermind what those bugs actually cause and what you kill them with. You have to go back and memorize that crap all over again and the only way you do that is by cracking open First Aid next to CMMRS, figuring out the board relevant stuff and start doin work.

You'll remember way more than you give yourself credit for. Even micro.

 

[calvnandhobbs68]

You'll remember way more than you give yourself credit for. Even micro.

I'm glad you have a super memory. However, I was speaking from experience.

 

[FIREitUP]

Well, what I mean by "coursework" is reading actual books as opposed to review books. I didn't go to lecture and mostly self-studied, but I tried to avoid First Aid cause get resorting to their 2 sentence summaries of things is the easiest way to sweep the the rug under your feet if you're an independent studier.

ahh I gotcha. I totally agree, reading first aid without any background leads to rote memorization and quick dumping of learned material.

 

[235009]

You'll remember way more than you give yourself credit for. Even micro.

I'm glad you have a super memory. However, I was speaking from experience.

speaking from more experience I agree with the first statement.... you'll be surprised how much you remember

 

[calvnandhobbs68]

speaking from more experience I agree with the first statement.... you'll be surprised how much you remember

Classic sdn. Thanks guys for letting me know how much I'll remember.

By speaking from experience I mean I am reading CMMRS right now. I am looking at First Aid while I do it. I am making notecards of micro-organisms. I am telling you that I do not remember much from micro class a year ago (probably due to the way we were tested which was random free response questions). This isn't some theoretical study plan I'm talking about here.

 

[JShephard]

Classic sdn. Thanks guys for letting me know how much I'll remember.

By speaking from experience I mean I am reading CMMRS right now. I am looking at First Aid while I do it. I am making notecards of micro-organisms. I am telling you that I do not remember much from micro class a year ago (probably due to the way we were tested which was random free response questions). This isn't some theoretical study plan I'm talking about here.

Do whatever works for you.👍

Learning is individual. I don't see how anyone can advocate a single approach that works for everyone in every curriculum. Yet, many giving advice were very successful - so I would try to incorporate their advice with your unique strategy.