Study aids and board review books... Complete review book or individual subjects?

[gioia]

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Several people have reccommended purchasing and using the USMLE board review books for MS1 study aids and general guidance.
Comments from other threads lean toward FIRST AID and HIGH YIELD. While a few DO students unfavorably view using USMLE board review books for prep work, others find them invaluable.

Now comes my question: Should I get the FIRST AID or STEP UP review books (which are inclusive and require one book purchase only) OR the HIGH YIELD type books that are individual subjects?

If any of you suggest purchasing individual books, which ones are/have been the most effective for you? Are some subjects easier to handle when using individual board books, or would an inclusive text be just fine?

 

[Green912]

Both first aid & step-up are invaluable. Although they cover much the same information they really do complement each other. Step-up is in the systems format which is great if your school follows that format while First-Aid is more a core format. When you're not sure what's important within what you're studying, both help clear it up quickly.

As far as other review books go I'd recommend High Yield Neuroanatomy, BRS Pathology & BRS Physiology. For micro, the Micro Companion. And for pharm, The pharm companion.

 

[luckystar]

Pharm recall is great for pharm too. For path, Robbins review is a must, and Goljan's materials are also highly recommended. The review books by subject were great for first year, and I plan on using the more comprehensive books, like FA, during second year.

 

[DrQuinn]

It all depends on how YOU study... hopefully by now, you'll have figured out which way you like to study.

I'm assuming that you're using it mainly for medical school studying? Books for boards is a completely different subject...

But I never used any board review books during medical school for classes alone. Boards is different, but I found that when studying for class, its best to use the notes provided, as most professors will test driectly from the notes, not from the "general knowledge base." The hardest part of medical school is learning how to "play the game" in regards to the tests the 1st two years.

Q, DO

 

[sophiejane]

The hardest part of medical school is learning how to "play the game" in regards to the tests the 1st two years.

This is unfortunately very true. The people who do the best in the first 2 years are not the smartest necessarily, but are those who figure out early what is and what is not "high yield" for a particular test...then have memories like steel traps to keep it all in. They are the good test takers--not easily led astray by distractors in multiple choice exams and cool under the pressure of a timed test.

I have found the Step Up books helpful--mainly because the diagrams are simple and the information is succinct. I would agree that you have to study mainly from the prof's notes and assigned readings, but the board review books are good for a "zoom out" to see what's important for the future, and many times, these are also the things that make it onto tests in your first year classes.

 

[gioia]

Excellent advice, thank you.

As for the 'game' aspect of preparing for exams: that is exactly my motivation for obtaining Board Review books. I have endured a few undergrad courses that were more about how one understood potential Qs for the exam than what the material really was. I figured I could at least orient myself properly from the beginning.

You guys are great.

Thanks Quinn and Sophie.

 

[DrQuinn]

Excellent advice, thank you.

As for the 'game' aspect of preparing for exams: that is exactly my motivation for obtaining Board Review books. I have endured a few undergrad courses that were more about how one understood potential Qs for the exam than what the material really was. I figured I could at least orient myself properly from the beginning.

You guys are great.

Thanks Quinn and Sophie.

I completely agree with Sophie's post. Read it twice. Thrice, even. Put it to heart. That is how you succeed yoru first two years of medical school. Know, however, that your medical school grades are only a small part of your application to residency. It may seem like the most important aspect of your life while you're an M1 or M2, but trust me, when you're an M4 and are interviewing, it won't mean SQUAT. I know you don't believe me... but keep this post tucked inside your cute little short lab coat.

Medical school is just about surviving. And learning the game. You will be tested on your general knowledge on boards. That's when you need to hunker down.

I am a pretty good test-taker, and can read relatively fast. But I don't soak in all I read and I am able to recognize test questions and have a good "visual" intutiion on what the answer is (which may explain why I do so well on tests). Not everyone is like me, and others need to study differently (and thats' fine). In general, for medical school: study notes. For boards: study lots of different review books.

Q, DO

 

[Total180]

I use First Aid and the BRS subject books for every exam. I like to use the first aid book for quick review, and the BRS books for slightly more indepth explanations and PRACTICE questions. Really the practice questions for me are the most important. A lot of our professors test very similarly to how the questions in the BRS books are asked. I usually have my powerpoints for the class up while I'm using both books to make sure I am looking over the right stuff. Also, I have talked to a lot of 2nd years who have advised taking some extra notes in the first aid book, so that you have a really comprehensive study guide already made for step 1....so I have started doing that recently. If nothing else it gives you a bunch of passes through the high yield stuff before the intense studying for boards.

 

[gators21]

Does nobody look at dates anymore? These people are all attendings or residents by now

 

[Total180]

That is so weird. This thread came up as the thread most recently commented on in this forum....which is why I didn't check the date. It wasn't like I was doing a search or something and found this. I wonder why it came up like that?

 

[JeetKuneDo]

I'll ask this question here instead of starting another thread. Are BRS and first aid still the recommended review books to get for subject review? It probably is really early, but I'd like to get an idea of what review books to get for first year.