success on step one using first aid

[medicinehopeful]

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i see many students at my med school always carrying first aid with them...in lecture, while studying. all of these students work very hard. so i kinda wonder how they may do on the step one. i hear that if you have first aid MEMORIZED, step one will be smooth sailing. but is that true for everyone? does memorizing step one really lead to 240+ scores? my boyfriend is also a med student, and he hardly studies. he hasnt bought first aid and reads only the necessary chapters for an upcoming test. but i'm still sure that he gets better grades than the ones that are using first aid religiously. any thoughts?

 

[AmoryBlaine]

People who tell you they "memorized" FA are full of it. No one can memorize a book like that. Don't get all freaked out if 1 week before boards you can't quote pg 164 from memory.

It is a great book to start with, and I would say that you should focus on it before/more than any other resource.

I used mainly FA and I did great on boards, you can PM me if you want details. Good luck.

 

[(nicedream)]

i see many students at my med school always carrying first aid with them...in lecture, while studying. all of these students work very hard. so i kinda wonder how they may do on the step one. i hear that if you have first aid MEMORIZED, step one will be smooth sailing. but is that true for everyone? does memorizing step one really lead to 240+ scores?

Basically yes, assuming you use other sources as well.

my boyfriend is also a med student, and he hardly studies. he hasnt bought first aid and reads only the necessary chapters for an upcoming test. but i'm still sure that he gets better grades than the ones that are using first aid religiously. any thoughts?

Grades don't correlate with boardscores.

 

[DHMO]

Basically yes, assuming you use other sources as well.



Grades don't correlate with boardscores.

Exactly! Studying lecture notes/syllabi will get you good grades, studying review books (i.e. FA) will get you good board scores.

 

[allendo]

Exactly! Studying lecture notes/syllabi will get you good grades, studying review books (i.e. FA) will get you good board scores.

So should I focus more on board study this year and forget about the class grades?

 

[lord_jeebus]

Preclinical grades aren't related strongly to USMLE scores, but I believe that the quality of your preclinical learning is very much related.

There are great review books out there but they are not a substitute for learning stuff well over the course of this year.

 

[DHMO]

So should I focus more on board study this year and forget about the class grades?

Everyone has to decide what works best for them, and if you want to focus your efforts more on boards or classes. You can't ignore either. Personally, I was more concerned with nailing step 1 than getting all honors, so for 2nd year, I based my studying on review books. I tried to 'memorize' First Aid (as much as that is possible), and read good review books (like BRS path, listening to Goljan audio). After doing that, I felt I had a good foundation for the basics of the material, and for the ~5 days before the class exam, I would read through the syllabus notes once or twice. At the end of the year I was pleased with my step1 score and my class grades. Note, however, that I learn well from review books, and I liked going over them first because I felt it gave me a good understanding of the basics before I got to the specifics of the class notes. Not everyone learns like this, and some of my classmates say that they don't get anything out of review books until they know more of the details from reading the class notes/textbooks. So, it really is individual specific and you need to find what works for you. And remember, in the end, the object is to learn the material and retain it, not to get honors in an exam or get 290 on the boards. Find a study method that allows you to learn the material and the grades/boards will follow. Good luck

 

[YouDontKnowJack]

FA has a sh*tload of info, and only a tiny portion of students have it truly memorized. These guys started from day one MS1.
FA has plenty of info to get you 220+ if you truly memorize it though. If you don't believe me, pick up any practice test, and do it open book with FA. Now imagine if you had that all memorized closed book......

 

[HamOnWholeWheat]

I disagree that good grades don't correlate with good board scores. Does anyone have any data on this, or is it just based on the assumption that your classes may test different material than the USMLE? FWIW, the people who did the best on Step I at my school also got good grades on their classwork.

I think what people mean to say is "good grades doesn't GUARANTEE good boards scores".

HamOn

 

[(nicedream)]

I disagree that good grades don't correlate with good board scores. Does anyone have any data on this, or is it just based on the assumption that your classes may test different material than the USMLE? FWIW, the people who did the best on Step I at my school also got good grades on their classwork.

I think what people mean to say is "good grades doesn't GUARANTEE good boards scores".

HamOn

Well, I know my grades were just okay and I killed the boards, and some people in my class with good grades failed or barely passed. My point was there doesn't seem to be any correlation either way, some with good grades do well on boards, some do poorly, and vice versa.

 

[DOdgeballs]

Well, I know my grades were just okay and I killed the boards, and some people in my class with good grades failed or barely passed. My point was there doesn't seem to be any correlation either way, some with good grades do well on boards, some do poorly, and vice versa.

im in that boat, but i think residencies care more about 2 years worth of studying than 1 afternoon of testing. 😳

 

[HamOnWholeWheat]

Well, I know my grades were just okay and I killed the boards, and some people in my class with good grades failed or barely passed. My point was there doesn't seem to be any correlation either way, some with good grades do well on boards, some do poorly, and vice versa.

Hey congrats on the boards! I'd love to see the hard data on this, otherwise its just two guys throwing "I know this one guy" stories at each other.

One thought though. Do you know anyone who did BAD in classwork, meaning almost failed, and rocked the boards? I know plenty of people who did intentionally mediocre in classwork, because they were studying their asses off for boards, who naturally did better on Step I than their grades would suggest. That might part of the reason there doesn't seem to be a correlation.

 

[MadameLULU]

im in that boat, but i think residencies care more about 2 years worth of studying than 1 afternoon of testing. 😳

i've heard exactly the opposite from numerous ppl. How else are residency programs going to compare candidates from different schools? Apparently board scores are more of an equalizer than basic science grades.

 

[(nicedream)]

im in that boat, but i think residencies care more about 2 years worth of studying than 1 afternoon of testing. 😳

Preclinical grades are way down on the totem poll my friend. No worries.

 

[(nicedream)]

One thought though. Do you know anyone who did BAD in classwork, meaning almost failed, and rocked the boards? I know plenty of people who did intentionally mediocre in classwork, because they were studying their asses off for boards, who naturally did better on Step I than their grades would suggest. That might part of the reason there doesn't seem to be a correlation.

I agree, I was talking about those that intentionally neglect class studies to focus more on boards. I think there is quite a few of them, more than there are of those that barely pass classes while trying. The OP compared her bf, who only studies classnotes and gets better grades, with others who only use FA. So I was referring to those two types. Those that try hard at classes and struggle are going to have difficulties all-around.

 

[dynx]

People who tell you they "memorized" FA are full of it. No one can memorize a book like that.

I love quotes like this. Yes, you can memorize a book like this. And then you get a 250+ score. The key is not waiting till a month before the test to learn the contents. if you want a 230, tell yourself no one can know all that.

 

[AmoryBlaine]

I love quotes like this. Yes, you can memorize a book like this. And then you get a 250+ score. The key is not waiting till a month before the test to learn the contents. if you want a 230, tell yourself no one can know all that.

Well no, the average person can't. You can become very familiar with the contents but I think saying stuff like "I memorized FA" only makes people nervous and gets them feeling inadequate.

I certainly did not have FA memorized chapter and verse even though it WAS my main study resource. PM me if you want my score.

 

[plusminus]

Well, I know my grades were just okay and I killed the boards, and some people in my class with good grades failed or barely passed. My point was there doesn't seem to be any correlation either way, some with good grades do well on boards, some do poorly, and vice versa.

N=2

People who study hard for their class exams tend to study hard for step 1 and do well on both. I promise you there is a correlation.

 

[OnMyWayThere]

I disagree that good grades don't correlate with good board scores. Does anyone have any data on this, or is it just based on the assumption that your classes may test different material than the USMLE?
HamOn

I recall reading a paper that studied these correlations and found a significant correlation. I'd search google but I'm sleepy 😴

 

[Summer.Thunder]

if one can't even memorize a book - first aid, how can we possibly remember from all those other thick textbooks?

 

[jngo2]

Just thought I'd give my two cents.

I'm a MS1 are the University of California Irvine. I know I just started medical school but one of the administrators on the admissions committee for residency programs here are UCI spoke with us during our orientation.

He gave us a list of criteria that the committee looks at when deciding on candidates. I don't remember the complete list but I do remember the important points. Relative importance, 5 is the most important and 0 is not important.

USMLE Step 1 = 5; Dean's letter = 5; Clerkship grades (3rd year) = 4.5; Interview = 4.0;
Basic Science Grades (first two years) = 0.5

I've talked to quite a few med students applying to residency programs and they told me that the Board Scores are probably the most important thing, along with your 3rd year scores...4th year not so much because you apply your 3rd year. The Dean's Letter supposedly contains one line about your class rank...which I discovered was calculated as follows: 70% weight is given to your 3rd year grades, 30% to your first two years of basic sciences. Based upon that, they rank you into thirds. If you're in the top 1/3 of the class, you get a certain characterization...(i.e. This student did "excellent" ) If you're in the second third you get another characterization ( "superb" or something like that) and if you're in the bottom 1/3...I think it's "satisfactory"...something along those lines. Anyway, I was also told that the Dean's Letter consists of one line about your grades and usually 2-4 pages of evaluations from your clerkship attendings...etc.

The point UCI tried to make to us is that unless your gonna be AOA, honoring class isn't a huge factor. Again I want to point out that this is just at UCI...I don't know how other programs are run.

Hope this helps

 

[snapdad]

I love quotes like this. Yes, you can memorize a book like this. And then you get a 250+ score. The key is not waiting till a month before the test to learn the contents. if you want a 230, tell yourself no one can know all that.

I got a 250+ score and by no means did I have FA "memorized." I agree with the earlier post that it's not really realistic for most people to memorize the book. What you can do is work with the info in the book in a lot of different contexts (FA, Qbank, NBME practice tests, Robbins question book, etc.) until you start to see material come up more than once, i.e., a pattern in what's asked. Learn that material well, understand it, and you'll do fine.

Also, I keep reading about people who are focusing on Step 1 and paying less attention to their preclinical classes. I think this is a huge mistake. Step 1 isn't just a test of random facts; it's a test of how well you integrate the knowledge presented in the first couple of years of med school. Most of the questions aren't first order questions, so you have to be able to reason through them. I really feel that the best way to develop this skill is by working hard in your classes and getting the material down. I don't know how you could blow off the classes and expect to know the material well enough to kill the boards, as it's the same material, and there's so much of it that you can't reasonably expect to get it down in a 5-6 week review period if you didn't learn it well in the first place. At least that was my experience.

 

[(nicedream)]

Also, I keep reading about people who are focusing on Step 1 and paying less attention to their preclinical classes. I think this is a huge mistake. Step 1 isn't just a test of random facts; it's a test of how well you integrate the knowledge presented in the first couple of years of med school. Most of the questions aren't first order questions, so you have to be able to reason through them. I really feel that the best way to develop this skill is by working hard in your classes and getting the material down. I don't know how you could blow off the classes and expect to know the material well enough to kill the boards, as it's the same material, and there's so much of it that you can't reasonably expect to get it down in a 5-6 week review period if you didn't learn it well in the first place. At least that was my experience.

Because classes aren't blown off to go to the beach instead, the time is just spent preparing for boards instead of whatever is being covered at school at that time. In other words, self-directed study.

 

[medhacker]

Because classes aren't blown off to go to the beach instead, the time is just spent preparing for boards instead of whatever is being covered at school at that time. In other words, self-directed study.

So you are saying that what these students do is focus on the boards material and as a result they also get prepared to pass their courses?

 

[deleted109597]

USMLE Step 1 = 5; Dean's letter = 5; Clerkship grades (3rd year) = 4.5; Interview = 4.0;
Basic Science Grades (first two years) = 0.5

I'm not sure what field this is in, but I know for a fact that it isn't all encompassing.
Most places I know rank the MSPE pretty low, because there isn't a dean in the world who doesn't want his students to do well. The interview is the number 1 aspect of ranking. They want people who will work at their programs, not increase their average Step scores.

 

[(nicedream)]

So you are saying that what these students do is focus on the boards material and as a result they also get prepared to pass their courses?

I was in a PBL program, so my experience isn't valid for most others I suppose - it encourages, and in fact requires the kind of self-direction I mentioned. So maybe I was remiss in that post since I certainly didn't start studying for boards until spring of ms2.

 

[medhacker]

I was in a PBL program, so my experience isn't valid for most others I suppose - it encourages, and in fact requires the kind of self-direction I mentioned. So maybe I was remiss in that post since I certainly didn't start studying for boards until spring of ms2.

Nicedream

I have always wondered, how do PBL students prepare themselves so that they are up to par with class-attending students?

 

[(nicedream)]

Nicedream

I have always wondered, how do PBL students prepare themselves so that they are up to par with class-attending students?

Well, that question assumes that there is an advantage to lecture pathways. While lecture is the traditional manner of education, I could ask the same question in reverse. It probably depends largely on the individual student, and how best they learn. I've always done best on my own with a book in front of me, and time spent looking at a powerpoint and listening to someone speak is extremely inefficient for me. I can cover and learn 10x the amount of material in a given timeframe on my own, than in a classroom. Also, PBL doesn't mean staying at home - it simply means a clinical case-based small-group learning environment. You meet with your group several times a week and go through cases, and the material from those cases (which are engineered by the faculty in order to guide us down certain paths) are what provide us with the direction and impetus to go study the basic sciences. It is active learning. Some do better in it, others do not. Personally, the freedom it gave me in following my own interests and motivations paid off.

 

[snapdad]

Because classes aren't blown off to go to the beach instead, the time is just spent preparing for boards instead of whatever is being covered at school at that time. In other words, self-directed study.

Right, but I think you miss my point. I don't think it's realistic to "just study for boards" without also paying strong attention to classwork, and vice versa. They go hand-in-hand. The stuff in class is on the boards. Unless you're in a class where the prof drifts all over the place and doesn't give a fig for students' board scores, they're teaching you what you need for Step 1.

This is what I'm talking about. At my school, we got 5 weeks at the end of second year to review for the boards. Even though I was one of those people that did QBank and annotated FA from January on, what I discovered was that there was SO much material that it was difficult to review it all in the 5 weeks. More often than not, when I was doing the NBME tests (or taking the actual test), a question would pop up that I hadn't seen anywhere in my review. Usually it was an integrative, second- or third-order question about a disease process or some such. It wasn't in First Aid, QBank, or any of the review sources, at least, not presented like that. I had, however, seen it in class, and it had stuck because I'd studied like mad for the class exams. So that was a question I got right on Step 1, as opposed to missing it because I hadn't learned the material well the first time. This happened a LOT. Point being, don't blow off the classwork, because it's the best, richest source of Step 1 info you're going to get.

 

[jngo2]

Right, but I think you miss my point. I don't think it's realistic to "just study for boards" without also paying strong attention to classwork, and vice versa. They go hand-in-hand. The stuff in class is on the boards. Unless you're in a class where the prof drifts all over the place and doesn't give a fig for students' board scores, they're teaching you what you need for Step 1.

This is what I'm talking about. At my school, we got 5 weeks at the end of second year to review for the boards. Even though I was one of those people that did QBank and annotated FA from January on, what I discovered was that there was SO much material that it was difficult to review it all in the 5 weeks. More often than not, when I was doing the NBME tests (or taking the actual test), a question would pop up that I hadn't seen anywhere in my review. Usually it was an integrative, second- or third-order question about a disease process or some such. It wasn't in First Aid, QBank, or any of the review sources, at least, not presented like that. I had, however, seen it in class, and it had stuck because I'd studied like mad for the class exams. So that was a question I got right on Step 1, as opposed to missing it because I hadn't learned the material well the first time. This happened a LOT. Point being, don't blow off the classwork, because it's the best, richest source of Step 1 info you're going to get.

I was just curious, perhaps you could give me some advice. First Aid says "pratically speaking, spending a given amount of time on a crammable or high-yield subject (particularly in the last few days before the test) generally produces more correct answers on teh examination than spending the same amount of time on a low-yield subject. Student opinion indicates that knowing the crammable subjects extremely well probably results in a higher overall score than knowing all subjects moderately well."

I wanted to know what's your opinion of this statement and what subject areas did you feel were "high-yield" and which ones were "low-yield" on the boards?

 

[snapdad]

I was just curious, perhaps you could give me some advice. First Aid says "pratically speaking, spending a given amount of time on a crammable or high-yield subject (particularly in the last few days before the test) generally produces more correct answers on teh examination than spending the same amount of time on a low-yield subject. Student opinion indicates that knowing the crammable subjects extremely well probably results in a higher overall score than knowing all subjects moderately well."

I wanted to know what's your opinion of this statement and what subject areas did you feel were "high-yield" and which ones were "low-yield" on the boards?

I think it's pretty much correct from a practical standpoint, i.e., there's always something that can be crammed in the last few days that can boost your score. An example would be the pharmacology section in First Aid. It's really almost all you need to know for Step 1 pharm, but you do need to know it well. It's easy to forget adverse effects, mechanisms, etc. of so many drugs, so if you review it a few days before the exam it can only help you. Same with certain bullet-point items in pathology and microbiology, and probably biochemistry too. First Aid is really good at pointing out which items are high- and low-yield. If it's in the book, it's probably high-yield.

Don't get me wrong from my statement earlier in this thread. I think First Aid is a great book -- it was one of my primary review resources for Step 1. What I was talking about before was building a strong base of knowledge from the first two years of med school, and then springboarding off that with your review when second-year classes are over. First Aid is a great summary resource for that purpose.

 

[karaxand]

First Aid is great for picking out high yield topics but be careful b/c there are mistakes in the book.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=282105