Ways to MAXIMIZE FIRST AID

[EdwardKim]

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I have begun studying for the Step 1 and I wanted to ask for your opinion in going about studying with FA.

For those of you had a great success on the Step 1, could you please share your thoughts on what is the best way to retain information from the FA?

I am thinking of just reading through multiple times and jotting notes down on the side. What are some other ways I could go about this?

I don't thinks imply reading through will help me retain the information.

If you have any tips, please share.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Phloston]

Muscle a straight cover-to-cover pass as your "first pass" of the text.

Then do USMLE Rx in tutor-mode. Read all of the explanations and annotate into your FA accordingly, re-reading the associated sections in FA following the QBank's explanations.

This is what I did. It took me about 3 weeks at 8-10 hrs/day to get through FA the first time. Rx definitely reinforced the text. I went through Rx at ~48 Qs/day.

I considered the first pass of FA and USMLE Rx to have been my "intro" to USMLE material. It was slow, but also foundational.

After you get through that barrier, everything gets easier/faster. So just continue doing questions / reviewing FA from that point on.

Repetition is key.

 

[ijn]

I turned First Aid into digital flash cards. The act of making them, and then reviewing what I didn't remember rather than the whole text felt more efficient.

 

[iCY]

completely disagree. never read FA cover to cover as a first pass, it is a gigantic waste of time & not necessary. I would suggest you pick either kaplan or Rx qbank (i prefer kaplan because the explanations are more indepth while Rx just recites words out of FA). then make one block of subject (like a block of immunology) & do all the immunology questions/annotate into FA, reading the appropriate sections in FA as you do the immunology questions. Blindly trying to memorize FA facts is a waste of time, because after you finish your qbank, & after you finish uworld, YOU WILL HAVE MEMORIZED IT THROUGH DOING QUESTIONS. so you don't actually need to sit & memorize FA before doing qbanks, the qbanks through repitition will drill the facts into your head. Once you finish qbank, then you can go back & look @ everything that hasn't been ingrained into your head already & memorize those things.

 

[StressedMedStud]

i'm doing DIT to get through FA. Its good because its like someone is reading and explaining it to you. It just takes a long time.

 

[Phloston]

completely disagree. never read FA cover to cover as a first pass, it is a gigantic waste of time & not necessary. I would suggest you pick either kaplan or Rx qbank (i prefer kaplan because the explanations are more indepth while Rx just recites words out of FA). then make one block of subject (like a block of immunology) & do all the immunology questions/annotate into FA, reading the appropriate sections in FA as you do the immunology questions. Blindly trying to memorize FA facts is a waste of time, because after you finish your qbank, & after you finish uworld, YOU WILL HAVE MEMORIZED IT THROUGH DOING QUESTIONS. so you don't actually need to sit & memorize FA before doing qbanks, the qbanks through repitition will drill the facts into your head. Once you finish qbank, then you can go back & look @ everything that hasn't been ingrained into your head already & memorize those things.

That's pretty poor advice, no offense. If you don't first-pass the material in FA before doing questions, then you're not using the questions for reinforcement. Pollux, who achieved a 276, even specified this.

 

[EdwardKim]

Thanks for your advice. What are your opinions on DIT? Is it worth it?

 

[iCY]

That's pretty poor advice, no offense. If you don't first-pass the material in FA before doing questions, then you're not using the questions for reinforcement. Pollux, who achieved a 276, even specified this.

wow your eally worship pollux don't you. Theres plenty of people who get 270s who don't waste a year doing it, so you might want to mix in some advice from other people.

doing a 1st qbank like Rx or kaplan serves as a "first pass" through FA. once you finish that qbank, you will have effectively gone through/understood all the HY concepts in FA & you can then approach uworld on random & know where everything in FA is. sitting down & reading FA when you don't really understand what the concepts mean & how they are tested is a waste of time.

also questions are NOT meant to just be a source of reinforcement. They are meant to be a primary learning tool, theres a reason why it takes people 3-4 hours to read through a block of uworld, because uworld gives you all the info that you need to know as if you have never heard it before. Have you tried uworld yet?

not everyone gets 9 months to waste on doing unnecessary reads through FA

 

[Phloston]

wow your eally worship pollux don't you. Theres plenty of people who get 270s who don't waste a year doing it, so you might want to mix in some advice from other people.

doing a 1st qbank like Rx or kaplan serves as a "first pass" through FA. once you finish that qbank, you will have effectively gone through/understood all the HY concepts in FA & you can then approach uworld on random & know where everything in FA is. sitting down & reading FA when you don't really understand what the concepts mean & how they are tested is a waste of time.

not everyone gets 9 months to waste on doing unnecessary reads through FA

It doesn't quite work like that.

FA is just a stepping stone. If you haven't used other resources prior then one might not gain the most from the review FA has to offer. However, repetition of the detail in FA is crucial. One should definitely "see" the book before doing questions. Also, having read FA first can help guide what does and does not need to be annotated in from the QBanks.

And btw, iCY, I hadn't picked up a USMLE resource until second semester of my second year of med, so if I can do the math correctly, I'll have a little over a year's worth of prep and you'll have two by the time we both sit the exam.

 

[iCY]

It doesn't quite work like that.

FA is just a stepping stone. If you haven't used other resources prior then one might not gain the most from the review FA has to offer. However, repetition of the detail in FA is crucial. One should definitely "see" the book before doing questions. Also, having read FA first can help guide what does and does not need to be annotated in from the QBanks.

And btw, iCY, I hadn't picked up a USMLE resource until second semester of my second year of med, so if I can do the math correctly, I'll have a little over a year's worth of prep and you'll have two by the time we both sit the exam.

again, you're not understanding. Qbanks serve as a primary study source. you DON'T need to read review books before doing practice questions because the qbank answers provide all of the background information on the topic. I'm assuming you haven't yet tried uworld qbank & have only done RX? i've looked @ the FA Q&A book, & the answers provided in the book are HORRIBLE. they just recite FA & don't offer any explanation. Uworld answers are 5x the length of the answers provided in RX & they explain all of the background information in the detail you would get from a textbook, so its the equivalent to reading a review book. For example if you get a question about the maturation process of T cells, the answer will actually explain the entire pathway of T cell maturation from being born in the bone marrow to going to thymus & (+) / (-) selection, EVERYTHING that you need to know about the topic.

Reading review books before hitting qbank only serves the purpose of fluffing up your score & making you feel proud that you are above the average % on uworld. the best way to learn is to jump into the pool & splash around till you get it right

 

[iCY]

It doesn't quite work like that.

And btw, iCY, I hadn't picked up a USMLE resource until second semester of my second year of med, so if I can do the math correctly, I'll have a little over a year's worth of prep and you'll have two by the time we both sit the exam.

I don't understand your math here. you have 2 years of medical school + a year to study for step 1 & that = 2 years of studying?

while I have 2 years of med school + 6 weeks of studying & that = 2 years of studying?

😕😕

 

[Go Ducks]

Throwing my two cents in... Everyone has a different approach that works for them. My advice: don't re-invent the wheel during STEP study time. Hopefully in the past two years, you've come across a method that has worked well for you. If you use the school's lectures a lot during the year and do well, then use DIT or Kaplan. If you use flashcards during the year, make flashcards. If you write notes and copy material over during the year, copy notes from FA. If you make lots of tables, make tables. If you just sit and read, then sit and read. Use whatever has worked for you in the past.
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/member.php?u=445783
Phloston, how are you getting "a little over a year" of step prep if you just picked up your books this past semester? How long do semesters last in Australia??

I do agree with Phloston that it is better to get through FA once before starting questions. It gives you a framework to use when cataloging the information. However just going over the bare bones of FA is difficult, so using a source that walks you through it like DIT can be very helpful.

I disagree that it takes 3 weeks to get through it though. I am pretty slow and I did it in less than two weeks, moving through it with DIT. The idea is to go for understanding during your first pass. Don't worry about memorization until your second pass. Unless something else has worked better for you in the past...

 

[Phloston]

How long do semesters last in Australia??

I do agree with Phloston that it is better to get through FA once before starting questions. It gives you a framework to use when cataloging the information. However just going over the bare bones of FA is difficult, so using a source that walks you through it like DIT can be very helpful.

The Aussie academic year is the same as the calendar year. Med school goes Jan-Nov.

I disagree that it takes 3 weeks to get through it though. I am pretty slow and I did it in less than two weeks, moving through it with DIT. The idea is to go for understanding during your first pass. Don't worry about memorization until your second pass. Unless something else has worked better for you in the past...

Lol. Two weeks is fast.

Yet again, my reading isn't really reading. I spend a lot of time repeating things over and over again, making sure I can reproduce a page by memory thrice before moving on. It's very time-consuming. To that effect, maybe this classifies one read as multiple ones then.

 

[JackShephard MD]

Let's be nice.

Everyone has different approaches. We can all be successful and respect each other's views.

There is no single correct way. We all know that learning is an individual process.

 

[Go Ducks]

The Aussie academic year is the same as the calendar year. Med school goes Jan-Nov.

Wow, I guess you really have had a year then. My last semester started in March and ended a few weeks ago. We get six weeks for STEP prep and one week of vacation but I'm cheating and using my vacation week for STEP prep too. Six weeks is standard in the US. That's part of why I tried to pound through FA pretty fast on the first round. That's also why using a source for FA really helps; it keeps you on schedule, and with only seven weeks, I could not afford to fall behind schedule.

I guess I should modify my advice: if you have extra time, it would have been nice to do some sort of pre-course before starting FA. If I had a year, I would have done the Kapan course while looking at FA, then done my first full pass after already having the background set in place by Kaplan. I've heard that they are much more detailed than DIT but I can't say that from experience.

 

[JackShephard MD]

Wow, I guess you really have had a year then. My last semester started in March and ended a few weeks ago. We get six weeks for STEP prep and one week of vacation but I'm cheating and using my vacation week for STEP prep too. Six weeks is standard in the US. That's part of why I tried to pound through FA pretty fast on the first round. That's also why using a source for FA really helps; it keeps you on schedule, and with only seven weeks, I could not afford to fall behind schedule.

I guess I should modify my advice: if you have extra time, it would have been nice to do some sort of pre-course before starting FA. If I had a year, I would have done the Kapan course while looking at FA, then done my first full pass after already having the background set in place by Kaplan. I've heard that they are much more detailed than DIT but I can't say that from experience.

A year is too long.

 

[Go Ducks]

A year is too long.

I agree. The most I've ever heard before is a Caribbean school that gave six months. If I had a year, I would be going crazy.

 

[Phloston]

I agree. The most I've ever heard before is a Caribbean school that gave six months. If I had a year, I would be going crazy.

What would you be going crazy for?

 

[JackShephard MD]

What would you be going crazy for?

Cocoa puffs.

 

[Go Ducks]

What would you be going crazy for?

I only leave my apartment once a week to walk to the grocery store. I'm used to being out and about, doing things for school or volunteering. During med school, I went to required classes and did hospital stuff at least a couple times a week. Now I get up and study until I fall asleep (except for the time I waste on SDN, of course).

It has been five weeks since I last spoke to anyone who I know, except for running into a classmate at the grocery store.

If I did this for a year, I would be miserable. But if you can handle it, all the more power to you!

/end rant

Cocoa puffs.

I'm always going crazy for Cocoa puffs, so that would be nothing new.

 

[Phloston]

I only leave my apartment once a week to walk to the grocery store. I'm used to being out and about, doing things for school or volunteering. During med school, I went to required classes and did hospital stuff at least a couple times a week. Now I get up and study until I fall asleep (except for the time I waste on SDN, of course).

It has been five weeks since I last spoke to anyone who I know, except for running into a classmate at the grocery store.

If I did this for a year, I would be miserable. But if you can handle it, all the more power to you!

/end rant



I'm always going crazy for Cocoa puffs, so that would be nothing new.

I'm not schizoid but I do tell the few people I see on occasion that I prefer being uni-dimensional, if they ask. Sometimes people get weirded out, but other times someone will understand. I'm not well-rounded and am okay with generally having no life apart from studying. I can get around the isolation by studying with earplugs in at the 24-hour library here on my campus; that way I'm still getting stuff done but am "not alone."

Cocoa puffs.

There was a 2 for $5 deal on Reese's peanutbutter puffs yesterday. I was tempted but already have a surfeit of crappy tasting oatmeal at home.

 

[Aclamity]

It really depends on your study style. some people get a lot out of reading, in which case reading FA multiple times might be the answer (this is me). Others get very little out of reading for several hours at a time, in which case DIT or questions would be the better option. Draw on your previous 2 years as a med student to figure out your style

 

[katarina90]

Just took exam yesterday, so no score to back it up yet but this is how I did it. I did 2011 x 3 during school year and 2012 x 3 in the last month.

1st read FA: slow, had Cecil's, Pharm textbook by my side to look up/clarify anything I didn't know and annotate it in the margins. I can say for certain that I got at least two questions right on my USMLE solely from looking up a 'buzzword' I didn't understand in FA and possibly even more than that.

2nd read FA: marked/starred concepts I was having trouble with, compiled list of facts from each section I wanted to memorize/understand for quick few days-before cram review.

3rd read: much faster, focused on the stuff I had marked and basically skimmed the rest. Also for each entry, thought about how I'd write the question or how I thought it would be asked and scribbled these things in the margins paying attention to the standout things like blue sclerae, cherry red macula, retained primary teeth, etc that pretty much go with a specific dz at least for our purposes.

Again just my opinion, learning style for me is very active, so I have to feel like I'm doing something other than just reading the same-old thing

 

[JackShephard MD]

Just took exam yesterday, so no score to back it up yet but this is how I did it. I did 2011 x 3 during school year and 2012 x 3 in the last month.

1st read FA: slow, had Cecil's, Pharm textbook by my side to look up/clarify anything I didn't know and annotate it in the margins. I can say for certain that I got at least two questions right on my USMLE solely from looking up a 'buzzword' I didn't understand in FA and possibly even more than that.

2nd read FA: marked/starred concepts I was having trouble with, compiled list of facts from each section I wanted to memorize/understand for quick few days-before cram review.

3rd read: much faster, focused on the stuff I had marked and basically skimmed the rest. Also for each entry, thought about how I'd write the question or how I thought it would be asked and scribbled these things in the margins paying attention to the standout things like blue sclerae, cherry red macula, retained primary teeth, etc that pretty much go with a specific dz at least for our purposes.

Again just my opinion, learning style for me is very active, so I have to feel like I'm doing something other than just reading the same-old thing

You owned + used Cecil's during M2?

Curious, how do Cecil and Harrison's compare in length or detail, or just compare in general? And are you talking about Cecil Essential or the larger Cecil?

 

[katarina90]

It was for our clinical systems course, just the Essentials not the larger one. Still pretty useful, best explanation of lipid metabolism I've ever read.

 

[Phloston]

It was for our clinical systems course, just the Essentials not the larger one. Still pretty useful, best explanation of lipid metabolism I've ever read.

Katarina, how is the weather over in Nevada? I'll be in Vegas next week 🙂 (my grandparents live there).

And, yes, I realize that has absolutely no relevance to the USMLE.

 

[katarina90]

Weather is really hot here... think it was 105 or something today, so not so pleasant outside. Evenings get nicer around 7 PM when the sun isn't beating down as much

Eh, its ok. To be honest, I think I'd rather talk about the weather than USMLE at this point