Suppementing M1 lecture material with First Aid?

[Jumb0]

As I'm following along in First Aid, I notice that it contains some extra details that my school doesn't cover in its lectures. For example, we covered Rb, the tumor suppressor, but the lecture material never mentioned anything about the fact that it inactivates the transcription factor "E2F." It just said that it inactivates *A* transcription factor, but we never learned the specific name of it...Another example: When learning where the different types of collagen are located, our lecture material only listed dermis, tendons, ligaments, and bones for Type 1 collagen, whereas First Aid also included dentin, fascia, cornea, and late wound repair.

Is it wise to go above and beyond the lecture material by learning these extra tidbits of info that appear in First Aid for the corresponding subjects? On the one hand, it could conceivably help me for Step 1...On the other hand, it could overload my brain with stuff that is guaranteed to not appear on my class exams. Long term payoff vs. short-term payoff...Should I learn it anyway?

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[Taddy Mason]

If you're in a traditional 2 year curriculum (biochem, anatomy, embryology, histo, and phys 1st year; path, pharm, micro 2nd year) wait until January of the year you take Step 1 and order the newest edition of FA.

 

[Psai]

If it's on first aid, it's been on step 1. Save step 1 studying for step 1. You will be shocked at how many facts you will learn and forget and relearn over and over again.

 

[Taddy Mason]

If it's on first aid, it's been on step 1.

Meh, there was a lot of crap in FA that never showed-up in UWorld, NBMEs, or on my actual exam. There was also a bunch of stuff that showed-up in UWorld, NBMEs, and my actual exam that FA didn't come close to touching...there's also the plethora of errors in FA. For the most part FA serves its purpose but its a bit over-hyped. If someone really wanted to, he/she could easily make a better go to resource than FA.

 

[Azete]

As I'm following along in First Aid, I notice that it contains some extra details that my school doesn't cover in its lectures. For example, we covered Rb, the tumor suppressor, but the lecture material never mentioned anything about the fact that it inactivates the transcription factor "E2F." It just said that it inactivates *A* transcription factor, but we never learned the specific name of it...Another example: When learning where the different types of collagen are located, our lecture material only listed dermis, tendons, ligaments, and bones for Type 1 collagen, whereas First Aid also included dentin, fascia, cornea, and late wound repair.

Is it wise to go above and beyond the lecture material by learning these extra tidbits of info that appear in First Aid for the corresponding subjects? On the one hand, it could conceivably help me for Step 1...On the other hand, it could overload my brain with stuff that is guaranteed to not appear on my class exams. Long term payoff vs. short-term payoff...Should I learn it anyway?

Haven't taken Step 1, but as I review and do practice questions I've found that rarely is not knowing a random transcription factor (or other minutiae) the reason I miss a question. I've found that there's usually several hints to steer you in the right direction, or you'll have an answer list of common transcription factors that you do (or should) know, so it's just an exercise in finding the odd ball.

 

[Goro]

This illustrates the dangers of relying on FA only. Too many students take it as the Gospel, despite the fact that it really represents the bare-bones minimum of what you need to know, and it still has tons of errors in it.

Your Faculty, I suspect, are doing something that I do...deciding that the minutiae that FA covers, and what they don't, won't be asked for on Boards. It's all in the art of being a Faculty member because you can't possibly learn everything.

I strongly recommend that you look at a few more Board review materials to see if they mention the Rb/E2F interaction. I suspect that they won't. I submit that it's more important to know what tumors are associated with Rb defects, and the interaction between Rb and the HPV E7 protein.

As I'm following along in First Aid, I notice that it contains some extra details that my school doesn't cover in its lectures. For example, we covered Rb, the tumor suppressor, but the lecture material never mentioned anything about the fact that it inactivates the transcription factor "E2F." It just said that it inactivates *A* transcription factor, but we never learned the specific name of it...Another example: When learning where the different types of collagen are located, our lecture material only listed dermis, tendons, ligaments, and bones for Type 1 collagen, whereas First Aid also included dentin, fascia, cornea, and late wound repair.

Is it wise to go above and beyond the lecture material by learning these extra tidbits of info that appear in First Aid for the corresponding subjects? On the one hand, it could conceivably help me for Step 1...On the other hand, it could overload my brain with stuff that is guaranteed to not appear on my class exams. Long term payoff vs. short-term payoff...Should I learn it anyway?

 

[failedatlife]

Yes you must know the TF, had it on a question in either UW or the real thing. I would have a broader core of knowledge than FA and Uworld. My test had a crap ton of stuff not in these sources on the test. I actually feel I got most of it right. Turns out I completely bombed the test and now my future is dim. Don't make this mistake.