Customer Reviews

Le, Vikas, Bhushan, Vasan's First Aid for the USMLE Step 1, 2009 (First Aid for the USMLE Step 1, 2010 (First Aid USMLE) by Tao Le, Vikas Bhushan, Neil Vasan)

5 star:		(39)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I just got my FA 2010 yesterday. Here are the differences I noticed when compared to the 2008 edition:

1. A few of the colored pictures are new and they incorporated a lot of gray colored pictures inside the notes. In the evolution of MI, for example, they have real pictures instead of drawn pictures in the 2008 edition.
2. Some of the information are converted to table and graph format, which I liked. And they labeled some of the old charts and graphs for easier understanding.
3. In terms of new information, I think anywhere from 1-5 % are new, depending on section. In the cardio section, for example, half a page of vascular tumors are added.

Overall I would buy it if I still have more than a few months to study for the exam.

First Aid has it all covered. I use USMLE world, and annotate my first aid. Some people sit and read first aid, but it's not really a book to sit and read, as there is no text, mostly figures, charts and factoids. But it contains most of what you need to know, and there is space to scribble in the things you learn from the Q-bank. This edition is updated, terrific, and spot-on for boards. Included are reviews of other study materials for board exams which I found to be very useful. This book and a Q-bank, I'd stick with World or Kaplan, are all you truly need. I think going through both Q-banks would be more worthwhile than reading more board prep books. Other review books are useful during your coursework though. (I made the mistake of ordering USMLE consult, mostly 1-step as opposed to the 2 or 3 step questions you find on Step 1 and it doesn't lock you out of other computer programs, so it's easy to get distracted, and twice it erased my practice tests. Cheap, but not worth it, despite the great names listed as contributors.)

I had already bought the 2009 edition, but since I will be taking Step 1 in 2011, I researched the 2010 updates and found that enough had changed to warrant purchasing the newer version. Though the basic content is the same, there are more details included in 2010. Also, the layout is a little different from '09, with more information organized into tables and charts. In my opinion, it is a highly useful resource and definitely worth the money.

Some good tables compared to 2009 but basically the info is the same. Really helpful resource for 2nd year.

This book is a great book to study from. It's very concise and easy to follow, with some good hints on how to remember key concepts. I use it as an overview when studying for class to get the big picture on certain topics, and then use my primary notes for a more in-depth look at the material. This book came highly recommended to me, and thus far, it is proving to be quite useful in my studies. I will be using it as my primary resource when I study for the USMLE STEP 1.

I think this book is essentail for preparing for STEP 1...it is even better than the 2008 edition (I purchased the 2008 edition when I first begun med school). For those of you that have just begun medical school don't waste your money purchasing this book yet...wait until a few months before you are about to write STEP 1 and purchase the most recent edition that you can get your hands on....the information in the book does change because it tries to emphasise what is most high yield / recent trends in testing on the exam.
Good luck to everyone writting in 2010.

First Aid USMLE is by far the best book you will buy while in medical school. This book takes the MUST KNOW facts from all of the other medical books used while in medical school. No question about it, every 3rd or 4th yr medical student will tell you this is the single best resource period.

FIRST AID IS A MUST FOR ALL MEDICAL STUDENTS! The 2010 edition is excellent. I had the 2009, but I can attest that the 2010 is much better. There are minor changes, but they make a big difference when you reach them. There are a lot more tables, and better pictures. Even some of the information given is converted into a table to make it much easier to read and sort out.

Definitely a must!

I have the First Aid 2008, and the 2010 edition has definitely made some improvements! The biochemistry section is much heftier than it was before, and more of the information has been assembled into tables. It's much easier to go through now. Also there are way more pictures than before, which is also helpful.

This book is practically my study buddy. It's great for reviewing important points that are high yield. However, I only recommend it only if you have studied the subject in the big books b4 reading them in this book (REVIEW only). Good luck on your boards!