I bought 2 copies of First Aid, the first one was 2013 international edition and the second that I just got is 2014 US edition. I bought them 6 months apart. I've been using 13 since I started my journey and I love the book.
The modifications I did in my copy:
I used the book for a while with the original binding which was quite good, but when I heard about the 3 ring binder book and the spirally bound one I felt like Oh yeah I should totally try this out, so at first I got my book in a 3 ring binder. I didn't like it that much. People who use it say it's amazing for the purposes of adding sheets of paper from other sources and making FA your ultimate resource and while this may be true what really annoyed me was that my copy was now completely rigid, I couldn't cope with a book that is really hard to carry and walk with. I had to open it on a desk or a table and it had to be open to full length!!! That really wasn't my style, I preferred to hold the book and walk around reading, so I said enough with the 3 ring binder and got the book spirally bound.The spirally bound book was a great idea, first of all you can remove all the pages that won't be studied and you'd get a book that is around 560 pages instead of 700 pages, a pretty big difference don't you think?
I'd really advice you to get it spirally bound and if you want to add pages, you can just use a stabler or glue whenever you desire, right?
Enough said about the binding of the book. What was hindering me a little was how to take the notes in the book. I've never dealt with a book in which I'd write this humongous amount. I was lost at first and just wrote what I though was worth remembering or understanding, Was I right?
I don't think so, I started of reading textbooks, USMLE oriented but still textbooks not review book, and adding what seemed good at my copy and I used a pen, a huge mistake. I started with Biochemistry and took my time but I didn't do any questions or use a review book, I though I could do it and know it all. Boy, I've never been so wrong. Finishing Biochem and starting to solve questions I know what I've done wrong. I've added materials everywhere in my book and now I didn't have any space to add the notes from the questions, that was my first mistake. The second was that I used a pen to take notes, what an idiot. A pen !!! The notes were in blue and I couldn't erase notes I thought was important then but now think I only added very low yield materials or materials that are explanatory. Over time I've changed the way I take notes in the book, I completely think that this is a matter of personal preference, I've changed the colors I'm using and now have a color for specific resources, even high lightening was random at first, but now I have specific codes for it. In essence I'm going to tell you what I'm using right now and what I'm about to use in my newly bought FA 14 copy.
So, Here is it:
- Notes taken from UW, I haven't solved it during my first run but it will be the first thing to solve and add to the new copy in the second, are written using a 0.4 m RED Pen, yes pen not a pencil as those are permanent and really HY.
- Notes taken from Kaplan Qbank are written in a blue pen also, few of them are not really high yield but It's the 2nd best bank, so a pen is pretty good here, I won't really need to erase them later.
- Notes taken from Rx Q bank are in green, few really as the bank is similar to the book but you can enter a clinical scenario you didn't think could be presented like this, or Consult and Weapon banks. I'm planning to solve the 5 of them in the same order they are listed above.
- Notes taken from QBooks are written using a 0.5 m Pencil.
- Notes that are targeted towards explaining something I didn't get are written using an HB pencil, easily erased, either on the book itself or in a piece of paper that I can easily remove once I'm familiar enough with it.
- Mnemonics are a big deal when it comes for memorizing for some people, I don't really use them or like them that much but some really do. I'm using an orange high-lightening when it comes to an added mnemonic.
- MEDIA, videos or photos, is becoming increasingly really high yield in the exam and for that I'm using a green high-lightening to indicate I either have LM, EM, MRI, CT, video or whatever saved for this and I should revise them again. I don't print them, I have them on the gallery of my tablet for quick access.
- When it comes to mistakes I've made while solving qbanks or books I use the yellow high-lightening but beware UW mistakes are really important so I high-light them with a red color.
So this was how I'm now color coding my book, but what about the space in which I'm writing?! Give yourself enough space to be able to reread what you have read dude. At first I used to write in the tiniest font I can possibly use, a total mistake, organize your book right and write the right stuff down and the 14 edition is spacious, you should manage it :)
I have divided the free spaces into 3 vertical zones in every page, that way I don't waste space but also I have enough space to be able to read my own writing.
Finally, It's a long road but thousands of people are doing it every year, 40,000 :D
I have divided the free spaces into 3 vertical zones in every page, that way I don't waste space but also I have enough space to be able to read my own writing.
Finally, It's a long road but thousands of people are doing it every year, 40,000 :D
BE BRAVE YOU WILL DO IT
