When to Expand Past First Aid

[AnonymousD.O.]

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So...... I am a first year and my school does a strict block format. Thus, so I don't forget everything from this year by the time next year rolls around (especially the pathology), I have started review. Basically, of the MSK and Neuro sections of First Aid etc.

I am noticing that often times, the classes eclipse what first aid has. For instance Muscular Dystrophies in Robbins, Goljian and my classes have a few more muscular dystrophies than what is presented in FA (for instance Myotonic, Limb Girdle etc.) When do you put down the first aid book and and turn to other sources. Do you have to expand past First aid to get a high score, I'm talking 240 +.

Obviously USMLE World etc will give a better idea, but I'm not there yet. And yes I know that not everything in class or in Robbins is high yield, but how have people decided to draw the line. I'm guessing knowing FA cover to cover and question banks

 

[lymphohystiocytosis]

The problem here is that you're reviewing very low yield subjects, and then wondering why the stuff you're reviewing isn't in review books. FA covers the high yield topics. Does that 100% guarantee that you won't see an obscure muscular dystrophy? No. But chances are on your entire test you MIGHT have two questions on muscular dystrophy. If they ask, there'll probably be a gowers sign. They like to ask about the differences between Beckers and Duchennes in terms of age of onset, survival, etc. But spending 15 minutes reviewing ocolopharyngeal dystrophy is as effective as staring at the wall for 15 minutes in terms of improvement of your step score.

Jesus, people, how many times do people have to tell you that reviewing for step 1 in first year is pointless? And yet here I am, banging my head into that same wall.

Source: step 1 255

 

[AnonymousD.O.]

I'd have to disagree about reviewing first year, unless you too went to a school that was blocked in which you learned MSK path in November (if that is the case, and you didn't review until 2nd year props to you).One of the things about student doctor is I don't see many forums about schools that have block schedules. Obviously at most schools path isn't started until 2nd year so it's a little different. I have started review in April, which at most schools is basically almost summer anyway.

If I don't review at all now, and if I were to start say around Christmas of second year, it would have been over an entire year, and almost a year and a half, since I had learned basically pathology and block 2 material (for us MSK stuff).

 

[lymphohystiocytosis]

I'd have to disagree about reviewing first year, unless you too went to a school that was blocked in which you learned MSK path in November (if that is the case, and you didn't review until 2nd year props to you). Obviously at most schools path isn't started until 2nd year so it's a little different. I have started review in April, which at most schools is basically almost summer anyway.

If I don't review at all now, and if I were to start say around Christmas of second year, it would have been over an entire year, and almost a year and a half, since I had learned basically pathology and block 2 (for us MSK stuff).

Heh. Every M1 says this, and every M3 says don't. 6 months from now you'll have forgotten it all (again) and have to relearn it anyway. I give up. Go ahead and waste your time. Of course, the more time you spend treading water on MSK (probably 6-10 questions total on Step 1) is more time away from doing something like getting a publication, or setting up a cool volunteering thing, or doing a unique and interested extracurricular. But it's no skin off my back.

 

[AnonymousD.O.]

Certainly a valid argument, and I see your point. I may very well look back and think it was a waste. But if anyone wants to answer the question I had instead of a debate about first year prep that'd be much appreciated.

 

[dyspareunia]

I'd have to disagree about reviewing first year, unless you too went to a school that was blocked in which you learned MSK path in November (if that is the case, and you didn't review until 2nd year props to you).One of the things about student doctor is I don't see many forums about schools that have block schedules. Obviously at most schools path isn't started until 2nd year so it's a little different. I have started review in April, which at most schools is basically almost summer anyway.

If I don't review at all now, and if I were to start say around Christmas of second year, it would have been over an entire year, and almost a year and a half, since I had learned basically pathology and block 2 material (for us MSK stuff).

MS1 disagreeing with MS2+ about how relevant MS1 information is? Lol. Cmon.

MS2 reviews all the pertinent MS1 because MS1 is a base for which to build MS2 on.

 

[Donald Juan]

You need to go outside of FA for path, because it is more important to really understand the process and not just associate a list of buzzwords with a disease. That's why people say do Pathoma or Goljan. FA is a review book, so its usefulness of teaching you things is very limited; you need to go outside for really any subject that you don't understand or never understood the first time through.

 

[AnonymousD.O.]

MS1 disagreeing with MS2+ about how relevant MS1 information is? Lol. Cmon.

MS2 reviews all the pertinent MS1 because MS1 is a base for which to build MS2 on.

Like I said my schools block schedule is much different than the traditional medical school curriculum in regards to how it is arranged. The traditional 1st year consisting of hardcore science, anatomy and such followed by path and so on second year doesn't apply. For instance we started learning the basic pathology principles first block, and have completed the path for each system as the year has gone on (General, MSK, Neuro and now CardioPul). That is what I meant by disagreeing with lympho because maybe what he is saying doesn't apply to every curriculum.

I thought that was how it would be interpreted, I'm not trying to sound like I am some first year who knows everything about the boards

 

[Brain Bucket]

When do you put down the first aid book and and turn to other sources.

- When you know what's in that section of FA. Does that make sense?

Do you have to expand past First aid to get a high score, I'm talking 240 +.

- Yes.

 

[dyspareunia]

Like I said my schools block schedule is much different than the traditional medical school curriculum in regards to how it is arranged. The traditional 1st year consisting of hardcore science, anatomy and such followed by path and so on second year doesn't apply. For instance we started learning the basic pathology principles first week. That is what I meant by disagreeing with lympho because maybe what he is saying doesn't apply to every curriculum.

I thought that was how it would be interpreted, I'm not trying to sound like I am some first year who knows everything about the boards

I'm not sure you know what block scheduling is (or maybe I don't)... Block scheduling is

Anatomy for 10 weeks, biochem for 8 weeks, cell bio for 6 weeks, micro/immuno for 8 weeks, etc. This is the way most schools do it.. thus, most schools are on block scheduling.

Are you on a traditional schedule? As in you take multiple classes at the same time and learn things in systems? So you learn all the anatomy, biochem, cell bio, etc for cardio, then repeat for respiratory, etc?

Regardless, if your curriculum is indeed special and like no other med school, then according to you (based on what you said to the older student who tried to help you) nobody but M3s, M4s, and graduates of your particular school can help.

 

[AnonymousD.O.]

I'm not sure you know what block scheduling is (or maybe I don't)... Block scheduling is

Anatomy for 10 weeks, biochem for 8 weeks, cell bio for 6 weeks, micro/immuno for 8 weeks, etc. This is the way most schools do it.. thus, most schools are on block scheduling.

Are you on a traditional schedule? As in you take multiple classes at the same time and learn things in systems? So you learn all the anatomy, biochem, cell bio, etc for cardio, then repeat for respiratory, etc?

Regardless, if your curriculum is indeed special and like no other med school, then according to you (based on what you said to the older student who tried to help you) nobody but M3s, M4s, and graduates of your particular school can help.

1st block (about 10 weeks) was Foundations of Medicine....(Biochem, Genetics, Pathology, Anatomy, etc.)
2nd Block (about 10 weeks) Anatomy, Pathology, Physiology, "Clinical Medicine" pharmacology etc. All related to MSK
3rd Block (about 10 weeks) Same as Block 2 but for Neuro
4th Block (12 weeks) Same as 2 and 3 but all Cardiopulmonary

So by end of first year We will have had all the path and everything else for those subjects. Maybe I'm mistaken, but that is a little bit different than most schools because we get Pathology, Anatomy and Physio spread out over both years. Am I wrong that most people don't get Path until year 2?

I'm also not saying this way of doing things is the best. It's just how my school does it

 

[Apoplexy__]

When do you put down the first aid book and and turn to other sources. Do you have to expand past First aid to get a high score, I'm talking 240 +.

In MS1, I would approach FA as something you pick up after looking at all your class resources, not something you put down then go to others. In MS1, it's just a reference for you to get concise, clear info and good mnemonics. Also, it's an outline of what's most high-yield...scratch that, it's a checklist of things you need to be sure to at a minimum know. That is, expect that your tests in class will be mostly not in FA. I use this wording though, because sometimes you can get so caught up in your classwork that you miss super-important board-relevant things -- that's where FA has utility in MS1.

I don't really understand what you're asking regarding "expanding past FA".

 

[Donald Juan]

I'm not sure you know what block scheduling is (or maybe I don't)... Block scheduling is

Anatomy for 10 weeks, biochem for 8 weeks, cell bio for 6 weeks, micro/immuno for 8 weeks, etc. This is the way most schools do it.. thus, most schools are on block scheduling.

Are you on a traditional schedule? As in you take multiple classes at the same time and learn things in systems? So you learn all the anatomy, biochem, cell bio, etc for cardio, then repeat for respiratory, etc?

Just FYI, doing things by subject is considered the older more "traditional" way of doing things. Most schools do a systems based schedule now.

With that being said, most schools go through the systems twice: in 1st year doing basic science things (anatomy, biochem, physio) and again in 2nd year doing mediciny things (micro, immuno, pharm, path).

The OP is saying he goes to a school that is systems based, but they don't cover the systems twice. They cover all subjects at one time for each system.

 

[notbobtrustme]

fun fact, oculopharyngeal distrophy is a real thing

 

[DermViser]

The problem here is that you're reviewing very low yield subjects, and then wondering why the stuff you're reviewing isn't in review books. FA covers the high yield topics. Does that 100% guarantee that you won't see an obscure muscular dystrophy? No. But chances are on your entire test you MIGHT have two questions on muscular dystrophy. If they ask, there'll probably be a gowers sign. They like to ask about the differences between Beckers and Duchennes in terms of age of onset, survival, etc. But spending 15 minutes reviewing ocolopharyngeal dystrophy is as effective as staring at the wall for 15 minutes in terms of improvement of your step score.

Jesus, people, how many times do people have to tell you that reviewing for step 1 in first year is pointless? And yet here I am, banging my head into that same wall.

Source: step 1 255

Sorry, but reviewing alongside with First Aid, not to the point of exhaustion, is not "pointless". Exposure is helpful and breeds familiarity.

 

[AnonymousD.O.]

Just FYI, doing things by subject is considered the older more "traditional" way of doing things. Most schools do a systems based schedule now.

With that being said, most schools go through the systems twice: in 1st year doing basic science things (anatomy, biochem, physio) and again in 2nd year doing mediciny things (micro, immuno, pharm, path).

The OP is saying he goes to a school that is systems based, but they don't cover the systems twice. They cover all subjects at one time for each system.

Finally somebody that at least partly agrees with me.

And I do want to point out it's not like I, As a first year am blowing off all my classes and reviewing hard for the boards, that would be too much. I'm doing some light review and annotations into FA so next year when I come back, I can relearn and retain information quicker. Because I have had Pathology for MSK, Neuro and Cardiopulmonary already, I don't see why this is a bad thing. I think other people can take advantage of this that have a similar curriculum.