Stop asking "is this enough"

[me454555]

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Over the last 3 or 4 months, I'ver read this forum pretty regularly. One of the themes that keeps coming up is "Is (fill in the blank review book) enough" This question invariably gets many responses from people saying "yes I used this book and got a 240+" to "I think (other very similar commercial review book) is better and I got a 240+ too"

The bottom line is that all the commercially available review books are adequate as far as content goes and most of us know which books they are. There is SOOOOOOOOOOO much information in each review book that it really doesn't make much of a difference which book you use. This test is about APPLYING the knowlege in the review books. Having a broad base of knowlege is worthless if you can't connect it and apply it when applicable. Instead of focusing on whether or not your review book has every last detail, worry about applying the details that the book does have. This will increase your score much more than trying to make sure you know every detail in every subject.

The people who are breaking 240 are not doing it b/c they have the largest base of knowlege. They are doing it b/c they understand how to apply that knowlege. They understand WHY each detail is important, not ThAT a detail is important. In summary, there is plenty of information in FA, BRS, HY, Kaplan or any other commercially available souce. Use the ones you feel most comfortable with and LEARN as much information in those books as possible. If you do this, you will be fine. There will always be out there questions that you just can't prepare for. Don't worry about them. Know the HY stuff and the stuff from FA or Kaplan and you'll do just fine.

 

[yaah]

👍 👍 A lot of step I and II is just simple test taking skills. People who test well do better, even with the equivalent knowledge base.

 

[bluebirdie]

So....If I read BRS path, will this get me a 240+ on step I??

 

[me454555]

So....If I read BRS path, will this get me a 240+ on step I??

No you won't. But thats not the point of the book or my post. If you read BRS path will you have enough info to rock all the path questions? YES and thats the point. Any of the review books designed for for a subject are good enough to get the job done

 

[bigfrank]

No you won't. But thats not the point of the book or my post. If you read BRS path will you have enough info to rock all the path questions? YES and thats the point. Any of the review books designed for for a subject are good enough to get the job done

I read BRS Path three times and got >250. So if you read BRS once, you'll probably get around a 240.

 

[bluebirdie]

I read BRS Path three times and got >250. So if you read BRS once, you'll probably get around a 240.

I'm hoping that both of you know that I was joking

 

[Pox in a box]

No you won't. But thats not the point of the book or my post. If you read BRS path will you have enough info to rock all the path questions? YES and thats the point. Any of the review books designed for for a subject are good enough to get the job done

I find this to be a complete farce. No way does that statement hold true. You can not find some of the material on the Step 1 in many of the review books. Why do you think Goljan has to go hunting in the British textbooks for certain topics?

 

[Pox in a box]

I read BRS Path three times and got >250. So if you read BRS once, you'll probably get around a 240.

Confounding data Frankie J. You must not have read FA Behavioral Science or HY Behavioral Science.

 

[me454555]

I find this to be a complete farce. No way does that statement hold true. You can not find some of the material on the Step 1 in many of the review books. Why do you think Goljan has to go hunting in the British textbooks for certain topics

Not ALL the material needed is contained in the books but enough info is there so that you can get >95% of the questions on the exam if you know them cold and can apply them appropriatly. Anyone who can do that WILL break 240. There will always be tough tricky out there questions where the informatino is in an obscure british journal but those aren't the questions that stop people from breaking 240.

The the people that break 240 are the ones w/the fundimental grasp of the details and the ability to apply it. To that end, there is more than enough info provided in the common review books. I think its more beneficial to know one review book down cold than a bunch of them half a$$ed b/c the majority of the exam is take from material that is common to most review books.

 

[HiddenTruth]

Actually, I've also been visiting this forum "regularly", as you say, and I've also seen the posts that people put up about choosing between various review books. And, first of all, there aren't many people who say, "I used BRS and got a 250" (except maybe big frank)....I think most med students are smart enough to know that there is a fundamental knowledge and background that needs be present to efectively utilize review books. Likewise, it has been said umpteen times that a layman walking down main street can't memorize FA and even come close to passing the test. So, I think your whole arguement is kind of flawed. The posts that are put up asking about review books, are not asking "which review book do i need to get a 240"...rather, they are comparing the content and the specific presentation of the material, which I think is completely legitamate. Granted, most of the reviewbooks out there share similar content, but there is a reason why certain books are always highly considered... and likewise, there are multiple books which are considered highly by many students; therefore, getting a braod and varied opinion about different review books is completely understandable. The whole reasoning behind it is to choose the most adequate book, both in content, and presentation, so people don't read multiple books. Anyways, carry on.

 

[Pox in a box]

Not ALL the material needed is contained in the books but enough info is there so that you can get >95% of the questions on the exam if you know them cold and can apply them appropriatly. Anyone who can do that WILL break 240. There will always be tough tricky out there questions where the informatino is in an obscure british journal but those aren't the questions that stop people from breaking 240.

The the people that break 240 are the ones w/the fundimental grasp of the details and the ability to apply it. To that end, there is more than enough info provided in the common review books. I think its more beneficial to know one review book down cold than a bunch of them half a$$ed b/c the majority of the exam is take from material that is common to most review books.

I hate to tell you but you're wrong. EVERYONE uses First Aid. I don't know anyone that didn't. Most people I know read it at least twice. These are people that are good students and have good memories. They will not get 240 on their exam. You are being unrealistic. Everyone uses First Aid. Not everyone can get a 240. It's going to be Gaussian. I can guarantee you that >95% of the material IS NOT TOTALLY CONTAINED WITHIN FA or any other review book for that matter. I agree with you on your last two sentences. Yes, there is more than enough information in the review books to do well. You're not guaranteed by any means, however, of getting a 240+ score just by memorizing a couple of review books.

 

[bigfrank]

Confounding data Frankie J. You must not have read FA Behavioral Science or HY Behavioral Science.

Actually, if I would have read either of these two more times, I could have increased my score by 0.324 SDs.

 

[me454555]

I hate to tell you but you're wrong. EVERYONE uses First Aid. I don't know anyone that didn't. Most people I know read it at least twice. These are people that are good students and have good memories. They will not get 240 on their exam. You are being unrealistic. Everyone uses First Aid. Not everyone can get a 240. It's going to be Gaussian. I can guarantee you that >95% of the material IS NOT TOTALLY CONTAINED WITHIN FA or any other review book for that matter. I agree with you on your last two sentences. Yes, there is more than enough information in the review books to do well. You're not guaranteed by any means, however, of getting a 240+ score just by memorizing a couple of review books.

While its true that everyone READS FA, not everyone UNDERSTANDS FA and knows how to apply it. Thats the difference between a 240+ guy and someone who just gets the mean. The person who gets a 240+ knows how to apply all those random details in FA and not just memorize them. To that end, you just need to find the book that helps you apply the info the best and not worry so much about the actual content in most commercial review sources b/c they all contain excellent content.

If you took someone who had complete mastery of Kaplan path, and compared that to somone w/complete mastery of the material inside BRS for path and compared that to somone who used pathophys for B&W and knew it really well. I'd say all 3 would have similar path scores and all 3 would do exceedingly well. As long as you find a resource that helps you apply the material and know it really well, it doesn't make much of a difference which one you use b/c they are all excellent

 

[yaah]

I read BRS path zero times and got >250.

The point is, study in the way that helps you. For me, this is practice questions. I have very little use for review books because they don't teach me anything in a way that is affective. I go to the textbook if I don't understand something, and if I do understand a question there isn't much point to review it in a review book.

I thought the webpath questions http://www-medlib.med.utah.edu/WebPath/EXAM/EXAMIDX.html were good for step I review - obviously there are areas that webpath doesn't cover that are also on step I, but it gets you thinking in the right way about a lot of it that is. Plus, you can click on the wrong answers and see why they are actually wrong. It's not always satisfactory to know the right answer - the best way to study is to be able to not only explain what answer is right, but to explain why each of the other answers is wrong.

 

[HiddenTruth]

While its true that everyone READS FA, not everyone UNDERSTANDS FA and knows how to apply it. Thats the difference between a 240+ guy and someone who just gets the mean. The person who gets a 240+ knows how to apply all those random details in FA and not just memorize them. To that end, you just need to find the book that helps you apply the info the best

And that is exactly why people ask about multiple books. Sorry, everyone does not have pure geniality and can read FA and apply it and UNDERSTAND it. That is exactly why people ask about multiple books, and which one is best in persentation and content. And, I dont necessarily agree with you that most review books share similar content. They all have their emphasis. And, your analogy about the 3 path books only holds up to an extent. Like I said, there is a REASON why people use various review books. We are all probably in a similar bracket of IQ compare to the layman. So, having a complete mastery of a particular book and being able to apply it in its entirety is inane. There are holes in each book, which is why you are unable to master it and apply it, contrary to an actual text book. Given the enromous amoutn of material we are expected to know, and the time constraints, you have to choose a review book which has the LEAST holes, and persents mateial i a way that can be applied in its near entirety. That being said, it is nearly impossible for someone to read kaplan path (without utilizing robins and other sources) and be at the same level of someone using rapid review, or brs, or whatever other choice book that is more highly rated. Why isn't everyone using HY for path then? Why isn't everyone using Rapid Review or BRS for anatomy. There are certain books which are better than others, and more importantly, it all depends on your fundamental knowledge that you walk in with...'nuff said. What is the point of this thread?

 

[Pox in a box]

Actually, if I would have read either of these two more times, I could have increased my score by 0.324 SDs.

Okay, then for your case we'll make an exception: 100th percentile.

 

[Pox in a box]

While its true that everyone READS FA, not everyone UNDERSTANDS FA and knows how to apply it. Thats the difference between a 240+ guy and someone who just gets the mean. The person who gets a 240+ knows how to apply all those random details in FA and not just memorize them. To that end, you just need to find the book that helps you apply the info the best and not worry so much about the actual content in most commercial review sources b/c they all contain excellent content.

If you took someone who had complete mastery of Kaplan path, and compared that to somone w/complete mastery of the material inside BRS for path and compared that to somone who used pathophys for B&W and knew it really well. I'd say all 3 would have similar path scores and all 3 would do exceedingly well. As long as you find a resource that helps you apply the material and know it really well, it doesn't make much of a difference which one you use b/c they are all excellent

I agree but in order to master the content of FA, it takes other resources or background knowledge. If all resources were created equal then you wouldn't go to your local Barnes & Noble bookstore and see 200 Step 1 review texts. HiddenTruth hit the nail on the head...other books help you to understand so you can apply FA's high yield facts.

 

[bigfrank]

Okay, then for your case we'll make an exception: 100th percentile.

for being "out of service," you sure are posting a lot!!! 😉

 

[VincentAdultman]

"EVERYONE uses First Aid."

This guy didn't.

I guess after dropping a G on Kaplan review courses I didn't find it necessary to spend more on yet another review book. I don't know what my score is yet, but my Qbank average, NBME practice, and Kaplan full length practice were respectable, so I don't think it's going to make that much of a difference.

 

[Pox in a box]

for being "out of service," you sure are posting a lot!!! 😉

Let me clarify. I'm out of service when it comes to answering questions that require beta waves...

 

[Pox in a box]

"EVERYONE uses First Aid."

This guy didn't.

I guess after dropping a G on Kaplan review courses I didn't find it necessary to spend more on yet another review book. I don't know what my score is yet, but my Qbank average, NBME practice, and Kaplan full length practice were respectable, so I don't think it's going to make that much of a difference.

It wasn't meant to be taken literally.

 

[me454555]

I agree but in order to master the content of FA, it takes other resources or background knowledge. If all resources were created equal then you wouldn't go to your local Barnes & Noble bookstore and see 200 Step 1 review texts. HiddenTruth hit the nail on the head...other books help you to understand so you can apply FA's high yield facts.

Thats really all I was trying to say in my posts. As far as content goes, every review book has enough. Worry more about finding a review book that helps you apply the knowlege as best as possible and not so much about the content.

 

[VincentAdultman]

It wasn't meant to be taken literally.

Well...you did say EVERYBODY in caps.

My bad.

 

[Pox in a box]

Well...you did say EVERYBODY in caps.

My bad.

If you look at the entire set of med students who take Step 1, you pretty much can say that EVERYBODY uses it. There are a few that don't, but nearly everyone does.