Customer Reviews

First Aid for the USMLE Step 1: 2008 (First Aid USMLE)

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Yeah, like you I listened to people who said FA was not enough. They told me to read 15 review books including Goljans Rapid Review and all the BRS books. Now looking back at things, this book was all you needed. It has everything. It's very underrated and people want to bash it because it's so popular. They corrected most of the errors in the 2007 version and this one is nearly free of errors.

Yes, FA doesn't explain the why or reasoning behind the concepts. But guess what, neither does any other book! If you think you can pick up a set of Kaplan Review Books and know it all, you will be mistaken. Most other text books are loaded with minutae and non-essential information. Some gunners think the more they read the better they will do. Yes, that works well except most of us have to deal with a little thing called TIME so reading minutae can impair your studying.

The problem is most people who criticize FA don't know it cold. They think they know the book well because they read it a couple of times but to know this book well means you really have to commit to it and most don't do that because they are reading 20 other sources at the same time. If you genuinely memorize this book and do thousands of practice questions, you will do well. You don't need to read Rapid Review by Goljan and all the BRS text books etc. It's overkill and you will waste your time.

First things first: This book = PURE GOLD

You HAVE to study before turning to this book. But once you do that, this book really points out extremely high yield info. ANYTHING in this book is in it for a reason. Don't start reading something and say "oh well i know that isn't important" BECAUSE IT IS!

Also - this book is great for shelf exams, especially if you take them right after you finish the course. You'll already have been studying throughout the year, and going through First Aid will definitely suffice.

I never really believed people, started listening to the negative reviews of the book....until I ran out of time...turned to this book and WOW

This is a great book to use as an outline for guiding your step 1 studying. I used it as my main study aid. It is by no means exhaustive, and it is not meant to be. It's role is to list the main concepts and facts important for step 1. For each subject, I used at least one or two other books as well, that went into more detail, and inscribed everything I thought was important into my edition of First Aid. That way I could have it all in one place and help sort out my own thoughts about what I knew/needed to know. Some of the mnemonics are not the most amazing, but you can always make up your own if you like mnemonics as a study aid.

If you just want ONE source for STEP 1, get this book, and know it front to back. Another good source is the Pharm, Micro, Path, and Phys BRS cards set.

I used this book in my step 1 studying and found it an extremely detailed and valuable resource.I recommend reading it over and over after you have gone over the reference books ie.Kaplan once.I initially did not want to get the book because of initial negative reviews, but once I started using it to study, It was something else...It pulls together high yield information in a concise and organized manner and I cant tell you how much I appreciated it after my exam especially as I had a great score three weeks later:) To get the best out of it you have to pay attention to little details....its not a summary book for nothing so if you gloss over it you probably will not get the best out of it.

Use this book early, do a lot of q bank questions, get a good night sleep, and you'll rock the exam. Good luck doc.

This book is an amazing tool for my all Medical School class collectively, it will be a vital piece of my USMLE study regimen.

A must have for the Step 1 and also a great review for current classes. Buy it early and start reading

To review FA in FA style:

All you need to PASS:
Memorize and Understand every page

All you need to be AVERAGE:
Above + Kaplan Qbank / USMLEWorld / NBME exams

All you need to ACE:
Above + Robbins Review of Pathology (big robbins) + 6 mos + 150IQ

This book is going to be my best friend for the next 6 months!! The high yield sections and the scenarios are particularly helpful, everyone I know who has done well on the USMLE and COMLEX has recommended this book, I am also using it for my clinical courses as it is concise and hits the major points you need to know in an easy to understand way. Highly recommended resource for boards! As with any frequently used text, you might want to get it spiral bound and the cover laminated if you really want it to last.