Step 1- First Aid?

[medhope4]

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I'll be starting med school in 2013. I've been told to purchase First Aid prior to starting and to read it while taking the basic sciences. Does that really make sense though? Considering Ill need to do the basic sciences prior to preparing for Step 1? When is a good time to start preparing for the step. Immediately upon starting, or towards the end of basic sciences?

 

[thatsmate]

In general, don't worry about it for the first year. Just try to excel in your classes and get a great foundation in physiology. Trying to study really hard for Step I in your first year will not be high yield. It will be much better for your future residency apps for you to spend that time doing research and getting a publication. A student with a pub and a 250 is more competitive than the student with a 255 without a pub, and you're not going to increase your score that much by starting so early- you'll just need to relearn it all two years later.

Buy First Aid starting second year. Focus on Step 1 then.

 

[Phloston]

Go through the Sanjiv Microcards, the Lange pharm cards and Goljan audios during MS1. I would also cover the pharm/micro in FA during MS1.

 

[image187]

Go through the Sanjiv Microcards, the Lange pharm cards and Goljan audios during MS1. I would also cover the pharm/micro in FA during MS1.

lmao

 

[san2]

I would buy Kaplan medessentials and first aid and just use them alongside your courses. But right now, just relax and have a good time.

 

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[Jonari]

guys, just a word of caution. if you have first aid 2012, you know that there is a lot of errors. be sure to correct all of them before you use it to study. i got about 2-3 questions wrong on my exam today due to a few errors in first aid, and one of them was not in the errata sheet - specifically, clindamycin is not a peptidyl-transferase inhibitor like it shows in the diagram. like erythromycin, it inhibits the translocation step. that's all, folks. good night, everybody.

You should email them this.

 

[Akarat]

guys, just a word of caution. if you have first aid 2012, you know that there is a lot of errors. be sure to correct all of them before you use it to study. i got about 2-3 questions wrong on my exam today due to a few errors in first aid, and one of them was not in the errata sheet - specifically, clindamycin is not a peptidyl-transferase inhibitor like it shows in the diagram. like erythromycin, it inhibits the translocation step. that's all, folks. good night, everybody.

Hard to say about clindamycin. I did some research and found that sources are conflicting as to whether it is a peptidyl-transferase inhibitor or an inhibitor of the translocation step.

Basic & Clinical Pharmacology, 12e (by Katzung et al.) states that:

Clindamycin, like erythromycin, inhibits protein synthesis by interfering with the formation of initiation complexes and with aminoacyl translocation reactions.

Goodman & Gilman's The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics, 12e states that it binds to the 50S ribosomal subunit and suppresses protein synthesis, but is vague as to the details.

Clindamycin binds exclusively to the 50S subunit of bacterial ribosomes and suppresses protein synthesis. Although clindamycin, erythromycin, and chloramphenicol are not structurally related, they act at sites in close proximity (Figures 55–2 and 55–3)

The figures just show the mechanisms of action for the macrolides and chloramphenicol.

Jawetz, Melnick, & Adelberg's Medical Microbiology, 25e states:

Lincomycin (derived from Streptomyces lincolnensis) and clindamycin (a chlorine-substituted derivative) resemble erythromycins in mode of action, antibacterial spectrum, and ribosomal receptor site but are chemically distinct.

The source from Wikipedia about clindamycin is from this website: http://sitemaker.umich.edu/mc3/clindamycin which states:

Clindamycin's mechanism of action resembles that of the macrolides. The agent binds to the 50s subunit of the ribosome and prevents translocation of the peptidyl-tRNA from the A-site to the P-site during protein synthesis.

AHFS Drug Information 2012 states:

Clindamycin appears to inhibit protein synthesis in susceptible organisms by binding to 50S ribosomal subunits; the primary effect is inhibition of peptide-bond formation. The binding sites of clindamycin appear to be the same as or to overlap those of chloramphenicol and erythromycin.

WHO TO BELIEVE!? 😕 I suppose in the long run, it's whatever the Step I test makers mark as the right answer.

 

[MCAT guy]

guys, just a word of caution. if you have first aid 2012, you know that there is a lot of errors. be sure to correct all of them before you use it to study. i got about 2-3 questions wrong on my exam today due to a few errors in first aid, and one of them was not in the errata sheet - specifically, clindamycin is not a peptidyl-transferase inhibitor like it shows in the diagram. like erythromycin, it inhibits the translocation step. that's all, folks. good night, everybody.

First off, I'm not defending first aid because the errors are ridiculous. But don't you think you both should at least look at the errata before going off on it. I believe that was corrected before the may 2012 errata, it wasn't even new in the July errata (last time I checked). They even have page # in the errata. 208 clearly states clindamycin should be moved to block translocation .

I would suggest to thoroughly check out the errata if you're using the book. Especially the errors that have been corrected for over 6 months.

 

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[MCAT guy]

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[MCAT guy]

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[MCAT guy]

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[MCAT guy]

this post does not make any sense. i get the feeling that english is not your first language, and that actually... explains everything, reading comprehension and all. carry on.

Ad hominem ad nauseum... expected. : ). I'm on full tuition scholarship, so that English as a second language thing is working. : D

I'm done, I think we all realize you made a mistake by ignoring to check the errata. Your advice to avoid being negligent is well received.

 

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[MCAT guy]

it's not an ad hominem argument; it's reality. your english is okay, but be wary of your own abilities. you mistook many things that i explained very clearly and went off on tangents based on those misinterpretations, and you stick to your guns much to your own demise. the sad part is that you've convinced yourself of your own victory without stepping back and looking at the whole exchange. maybe that's the trouble - what makes sense to me doesn't exactly make sense to you. you're not as smart as you think you are, full tuition scholarship and all.

I agree with you. You screwed up and others should avoid your mistakes.

If you're using first aid you should use the updated errata and not the errata that's almost a year old. That's the only thing I've learned from you. Don't be negligent. I'm sure one or two people who aren't up on things will be helped by your advice.