First Aid for the Usmle Step 1, 2016

UPDATE: I'm thrilled - The Kindle formatting has been fixed and is now a perfect replica of the print version!* I recommend buying the Kindle version for EASY SEARCHING, even if you use a printed copy for your studies. You can also use the Kindle version to sync your annotations and highlights between devices, so you'll always have FA with you. If you're having a hard time finding the Kindle version on Amazon, search for B019IX6GB6 (the ASIN associated with the Kindle version). * Or, well, almost perfect: I found a display issue on Page 265, where the figure in the Cardiovascular Anatomy image is missing the heart. There might be other glitches like this, but I bet they'll get fixed.

First Aid doesn't really need a review anymore concerning content, as it is pretty much unrivaled. I had the 2015 edition, so I'm just comparing material quality. The cover on the 2016 version is a lot nicer, a friend told me that's how her 2013 First Aid cover was; guess they went back to it, and it's great. I noticed a problem though with the ink in the 2016 book, it smudges real easily. I didn't have this problem with the 2015 book. If you rest your hand on a page for more than half a minute, the ink is smudged all over that area. Hope this review helps them improve the coming batches for other people. Good luck to everyone on their boards!

I actually really hate how necessary this book is. Does it have everything you need to know for step one in it? Yeah, absolutely. But, this is just a bunch of lists in a book and some diagrams every now and then. Oh, and some really, exceptionally bad mnemonics. That said though it is one of the most tried and true study resources for step one and I'm using it for my studying. The important thing to realize is that if you need more than just lists to remind yourself of all the things you need to know then plan on using another resource in addition to first aid or go with something else. This will tell you the topics you need to be familiar with but for the most part won't help you learn them.

If you are taking the Step 1 exam, you need this book. Just make sure you have the errata (found online) because they usually come with a lot of mistakes. The reason I still give it a 4 is because it is the only compilation of step 1 material given in note style that is easily accessible. So, watch out for mistakes. Also, make sure as you go through question banks, that you annotate and paste in notes of your own. Lecture slides may explain a process better than this book can. You can always take it to a kinkos to change the binding to accommodate adding notes and things. The other thing that I would critique about this book is that most ppl annotate them and yet there is not enough room to do so.

Has the information but the kindle version has issues. For example, because a large portion of the ebook is in a PDF like format it is not searchable. Which is one of the main reasons I wanted the kindle version. So if you want to know everything mentioned about psammoma bodies it will give the search results for what is in text, but anywhere it is mentioned in the PDF like format it will not show that result (some of the pdf stuff is only text also, which does not make a whole lot of sense). I go back to my 2014 First Aid Kindle version when I want to search information.

this plus uworld will be your cornerstone for step 1 studying. my advice would be to annotate it with information from uworld and whatever other resources you use. decent reference during medical school as well. it doesn't really teach you the material but it does a fantastic job at organizing the information for you to review.

So pleased that I received it 2 weeks earlier than expected. This is my first purchase of "First Aid" so I can't compare it to other editions that I haven't seen but still there's nothing I can complain about. The cover is well made and durable, the pages paper is slightly thinner than what I'm used to (in reference to other original medical books published by other companies that I own) but still it's very good and makes the book lighter for me. Honestly I was a bit concerned about the quality of paper and printing but it didn't disappoint me at all especially that my eyes get tired fast when reading. If you are hesitating like I was before I ordered mine, don't. just order it!

- 5 stars for the added content and the modifications. - 1 star for paper quality. All pages are all wrinkled and whenever I write anything with a pencil, it marks two additional papers. This is really bothering me, especially that it wasn't there in FA15. If I could afford another one with better paper quality, I would get it. It's that much annoying.

If you're taking Step 1, buy this. High yield. I anki'd this whole book, then did the anki decks every day, and I did fine. The information in First Aid covers most of what you need to know.

This book is crucial for any medical student wishing to nail not ably the USMLE Step 1, but depending on how well you studied for the exam and annotated this book, it will likely help with Step 2, Step 3 and maybe even your IM board exam! Not exaggerating here.

UPDATE: I'm thrilled - The Kindle formatting has been fixed and is now a perfect replica of the print version!* I recommend buying the Kindle version for EASY SEARCHING, even if you use a printed copy for your studies. You can also use the Kindle version to sync your annotations and highlights between devices, so you'll always have FA with you. If you're having a hard time finding the Kindle version on Amazon, search for B019IX6GB6 (the ASIN associated with the Kindle version). * Or, well, almost perfect: I found a display issue on Page 265, where the figure in the Cardiovascular Anatomy image is missing the heart. There might be other glitches like this, but I bet they'll get fixed.

First Aid doesn't really need a review anymore concerning content, as it is pretty much unrivaled. I had the 2015 edition, so I'm just comparing material quality. The cover on the 2016 version is a lot nicer, a friend told me that's how her 2013 First Aid cover was; guess they went back to it, and it's great. I noticed a problem though with the ink in the 2016 book, it smudges real easily. I didn't have this problem with the 2015 book. If you rest your hand on a page for more than half a minute, the ink is smudged all over that area. Hope this review helps them improve the coming batches for other people. Good luck to everyone on their boards!

I actually really hate how necessary this book is. Does it have everything you need to know for step one in it? Yeah, absolutely. But, this is just a bunch of lists in a book and some diagrams every now and then. Oh, and some really, exceptionally bad mnemonics. That said though it is one of the most tried and true study resources for step one and I'm using it for my studying. The important thing to realize is that if you need more than just lists to remind yourself of all the things you need to know then plan on using another resource in addition to first aid or go with something else. This will tell you the topics you need to be familiar with but for the most part won't help you learn them.

If you are taking the Step 1 exam, you need this book. Just make sure you have the errata (found online) because they usually come with a lot of mistakes. The reason I still give it a 4 is because it is the only compilation of step 1 material given in note style that is easily accessible. So, watch out for mistakes. Also, make sure as you go through question banks, that you annotate and paste in notes of your own. Lecture slides may explain a process better than this book can. You can always take it to a kinkos to change the binding to accommodate adding notes and things. The other thing that I would critique about this book is that most ppl annotate them and yet there is not enough room to do so.

Has the information but the kindle version has issues. For example, because a large portion of the ebook is in a PDF like format it is not searchable. Which is one of the main reasons I wanted the kindle version. So if you want to know everything mentioned about psammoma bodies it will give the search results for what is in text, but anywhere it is mentioned in the PDF like format it will not show that result (some of the pdf stuff is only text also, which does not make a whole lot of sense). I go back to my 2014 First Aid Kindle version when I want to search information.

this plus uworld will be your cornerstone for step 1 studying. my advice would be to annotate it with information from uworld and whatever other resources you use. decent reference during medical school as well. it doesn't really teach you the material but it does a fantastic job at organizing the information for you to review.

So pleased that I received it 2 weeks earlier than expected. This is my first purchase of "First Aid" so I can't compare it to other editions that I haven't seen but still there's nothing I can complain about. The cover is well made and durable, the pages paper is slightly thinner than what I'm used to (in reference to other original medical books published by other companies that I own) but still it's very good and makes the book lighter for me. Honestly I was a bit concerned about the quality of paper and printing but it didn't disappoint me at all especially that my eyes get tired fast when reading. If you are hesitating like I was before I ordered mine, don't. just order it!

- 5 stars for the added content and the modifications. - 1 star for paper quality. All pages are all wrinkled and whenever I write anything with a pencil, it marks two additional papers. This is really bothering me, especially that it wasn't there in FA15. If I could afford another one with better paper quality, I would get it. It's that much annoying.

If you're taking Step 1, buy this. High yield. I anki'd this whole book, then did the anki decks every day, and I did fine. The information in First Aid covers most of what you need to know.

This book is crucial for any medical student wishing to nail not ably the USMLE Step 1, but depending on how well you studied for the exam and annotated this book, it will likely help with Step 2, Step 3 and maybe even your IM board exam! Not exaggerating here.

I really enjoyed the book. It's clear, objective and comprehensive in the way content are presented. The point I disliked was the way some high yield basic sciences were shown like microbiology, that in my opinion could be presented in a more interactive manner, with keen examples. Overall, highly recommended!

I am a first year medical student, and I have been using this book, along with the First Aid Organ Systems and General Principles, to study for our NBME based organ module exams. This book is not as in depth as the organ system book, so it is great for a quicker first bass to get the most important details down. The organ system book is good for polishing up on details later. These 3 books are probably my best buy yet.

Agree it is a must-have resource for Step 1 studying. Felt that it included the majority of facts tested on in the exam; in fact you could probably rely on only this book for fact review and still perform well. Less useful for studying during medical school, although I know many who use this for medical school exams.

Love it, but I also hate it because I have to use it so much. It's great though, for real. If you haven't cracked this open or are thinking you can study for the boards without it, rethink your strategy. You could study without it, but why bother? Everything is covered in such a concise, straight forward way.

Definitely a GUIDE to topics you need to know for the USMLE. It won't give you all the details or elaborate important points to prepare you for Step, but it is a very helpful starting place. I recommend following with FA during your first 2 years of school, then when you start doing Qbanks and dedicated prep for the Step, you annotate FA with missing information.

Obviously this is the book you're going to use when you're studying for Step 1, but the quality is disappointing. The pages are very thin, poor quality paper that tears easily. The ink also smudges really easily. If you even rub your skin across the print it starts to smear. I also have the 2015 version and that one has thicker paper and the ink doesn't smudge as easily.

100% buy this book (or the most recent version) if you are studying for step 1. First aid is an essential study resource.

***THIS IS A PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT. THE FULL POST WITH LINKS CAN BE FOUND ON OUR BLOG FIRSTAIDTEAM.COM*** First Aid for the USMLE Step 1 2016 is finally here! The new edition is a labor of love representing thousands of hours of coordinated effort over the past nine months by dozens of student authors and editors, faculty experts, illustrators, and editorial staff. Some of the more notable highlights include: - 50+ entirely new facts, including a new section on quality improvement principles and safety science (p. 44). - Hundreds of major (and thousands of minor) fact updates culled from more than 100,000 comments and suggestions by experienced medical students and board review experts. - 250 new or revised full-color photos to help visualize various disorders, descriptive findings, and basic science concepts. Labeling, colors, and arrows have been optimized to enhance learning and retention. - Dozens of new and revised line diagrams that integrate pathophysiology, therapeutics, and diseases into memorable frameworks for annotation and personalization. We are sharing some example redlined pages embedded below and on our blog Firstaidteam.com so you can better appreciate the nature and extent of revisions throughout the text. Here is a direct link to the post: http://www.firstaidteam.com/8828/whats-new-in-first-aid-for-the-usmle-step-1-2016 - Thicker, embossed cover and heavy-duty binding for increased durability and longevity. We hope you enjoy this book as much as we enjoyed putting it together. Verified errata (when available) can be found exclusively on our blog Firstaidteam.com. First Aid for the USMLE Step 1 is a perpetual “work in progress,” and we invite you to share your thoughts and ideas on our blog to help us continually improve the book for future learners. Best wishes for your studies, The First Aid Team FirstAidTeam.com ***We have verified a missing heart image on p. 265 of the Kindle version. This does not affect the print book. Amazon and the publisher has been notified. Thanks for your patience.***

Illustrations are revamped and have a lot more arrows. A few more drugs were added here and there. If you are going to be staring at a book for 200 hours might as well get the newest printed version IMHO. I compared a chapter of neuro from 2015 and found enough differences to make this purchase worth it.

This is one of the best sources for step 1 review. So you can't go wrong with it. They added a lot of details that were not present on previous versions that I've added on the side. Up to date and consistent.

Not change as always, may be better organized..but great for review...more pictures thats a great improved always welcome.

Ideal para el estudio

Has enough updates from the 2015 version to make it worth it - the main things I've noticed are diagram / picture updates, but there's also some content update.

Lots of great diagrams and charts. I bought this book as a MS1 and its come in handy numerous times. When board studying time hits, I guarantee I will be readying this book everyday.

This book is an excellent upgrade from the 2015 Anniversary Edition due to its improved imagery/content and overall cover and paper quality. For every medical student, this book is a must have for preparation for the first step of the USMLE (USMLE Step 1) and individual module preparation for NBME exams.

As usual, this year's First Aid is incredibly helpful and concise. This version has plenty of updates from previous versions, with better layouts, better images and diagrams, more complete information, and extraneous information has been removed. Well worth the price.

must have book for step 1. get the new version that comes out each year.

Has better pictures than the previous one. Thereare also few helpful additions You could never go wrong with First Aid. Please, get it if you are a medical student.

Very dense and has most of what I need to review for the USMLE =(.

The book is suppose to include flash cards. Although I purchased a more expensive NEW book, my code is already used/expired. When I tried to return the textbook, the seller refused to. I basically paid the full price for half the material. Not good!

What can I say? It's FA, and you must have it if you want to pass! Love this edition, better paper quality and strong binding.

It is the most important book you would need to prepare for Step1. Know every single sentence and page very well it greatly helps. I supplemented this with flash facts and express videos because it's to boring to go over it alone

Fist USMLE i have gotten. I study it along side my classes and so far it has had great information. It doesn't have detailed information but i fill it in with my class notes.

The book is great but the formatting is poor. It is barely readable

Good

Amazing

I can't say I love this book, because I hate reading it daily. But, it has everything you need for STEP 1 and this is the BIBLE of M2, so get this!

good quality.

Hello, I recently got to a section of my First Aid book purchased through y'all, and discovered that there was ink smeared across many pages. I assume there was an error in the printing process, however, I am unable to use those sections of the book because the content isn't legible, mainly on the borders. Is there anything that can be done about this? Please let me know. I did not realize this was the case when I purchased it.

Great for board prep. Definitely get organ systems and general principles for the first 2 years while learning the info. I wish someone would have told me about those books along with this one.

It is very useful and the best pay well cheap, thanks..

An essential for any medical student. Provides the basic framework for step studying.

Excellent

I bought the 2015 and annotated it like a zombie and never thought the day would come for me to have to say goodbye. Well this new edition had enough changes and upgrades for me to have to make the leap and am now re-annotating it before my exam in June. There are a ton of new facts and errata corrections and def worth the leap. Why 4 stars instead of five. They tried to make the book smaller by reformatting the pictures. 1) Pictures no longer have descriptions under them. Wahh? Why. Take for example Paget disease of bone. Page 427 (2016). The old edition clearly marks it as thickening of calvarium. The new book never mentions the word calvarium (a great opportunity for students to increase their vocab - the boards love these type of words too). The paget disease on 2015 also had a beautiful histology picture that is not found in the 2016. Oh and did I mention the pictures have all been reduced in size. Not to be all negative, on the same page Osteomalacia now has pictures that it didn't have before and Osteonecrosis has a really nice picture too. Great additions. So overall, I am really happy with the upgrade and think it's worth the switch, but wished they had preserved some of the pictures and descriptions.

very concise, less unnecessary pages. I use this book along with my class to help me catch concepts that are important for boards.

Thank you!!!

I've been using this for my exam prep and the new edition is wonderful! Lots of color photos and quick explanations. Editors have done a good job!

Absolute must have for any med student!

First, the packaging and shipment for this product was fast and it came in perfect condition! Everything went through seamlessly. This is hands down a MUST HAVE for any Y2 going through boards in the summer. It is not only incredibly helpful for board reviews, but majorly helpful for going through classes. The buzzwords are incredible for any exam and for general knowledge in interviews and learning. The medical microbiology section is kind of helpful; but, when supplemented with Clinical Microbiology Made Ridiculously Simple, it is so helpful for class and anything in lab. I do wish that this was hardcover, but it is well worth the buy!

Of course this is the gold standard for STEP 1. It's not my personal favorite learning style but it did the job. Can't really study for step 1 without it though.

the bible for medical school students, highly recommend

your bible for medical school. Go along with this to get main ideas, easy understanding of pharmacology and study for board at the same time

the pages are thicker than the 2015 version. but the color is a bit duller other than that it there is some added pics.

My go to book for step review. Haso the high yield material in one spot with wide margins to write in your own notes.

My son is sitting for the exam in August...stay tuned

Forget question banks, memorize this book for a high score.

Must have for any medical student period!

Didn't get it it the first time but amazon made sure to deliver it on time! :D Well can't say it's a great book since I have to study from it. lol! but this edition is great!

better than lecture.

I wrote all over the previous edition, so I decided to get this new version. I like FA but I'm not particularly a fan of this "new" one. There are still mistakes all over this book and it is taking forever for them to accumulate an errata. They've decided to add a ton more pictures, but they've also took away important sections that complete the topics. For example, there is a whole page on Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, but they have deleted the section on Hodgkin's lymphoma. The Neurology section needs to be better organized, right now it's a mess. I find it better for me to go back to my older version instead of using this one.

buen libro!!!!

As expected

Excellent source of updated information. Very helpful to review content knowledge in all areas. Material is easy to access and understand. The several tables presented throughout the book are very relevant to be ready for the test.

Very important book for my daughter

First Aid = bible for boards.

even better than the 2015! Only thing there is like for pages with like a photocopy error, you can still read it but the borders look awful.

The best for prep

An absolute must have for Step 1 studying. There are mistakes here and there in the book. Look up the errata for details.

Excellent service and excellent product

Good quality paper, nice printing. Soft covers (I read they used to be hard)

A few errata (published online) and missing a fair amount of crucial content from UWorld (try searching for decorticate/decerebrate posturing - you won't find it). However, as far as Step studying is concerned, this is a crucial, condensed summary resource. Happy studying!

Most important book for first two years and boards.

good review book！

Med School bible, updated with several pictures and all the essentials to fit in with that Boards study group you've been making googly eyes at all semester.

Great book, really useful, although it has some printing issues i think editors should consider double check. I cant read half these pages,

Excelent

Purchase went well and item arrived fast, all as expected! I'm leaving 5 stars but I'm not paid for this nor do I get items for free.

every med student should have this book to review before any exam and after studying

Step 1, First Aid 2016! It just keeps getting better and better!

This book arrived fast and in excellent condition. It is full of beneficial and helpful information.

Excellent book for review high yield concept. It is colorful with a lot of diagrams and fotos to help you memorize concepts.

Absolute must for med students.

It's the golden standard, why don't you own this yet?

Pleased

Best of best

one stop shop. add notes from class, pathoma, & uworld.

Thank you!

New

Very very good material

Good first review book. But not enough solely to pass USMLE. It's a summary of major topics

Excellent product, thanks.

no review needed. FANTASTIC

Best book ever written (for medical students).

The med school holy bible

So far, this book is great for getting the High Yield material in one place. I love it!

All in order

whats more to say, its first aid for the usmle,a must have for the boards.

Great book, even though I hate the boards.

A MUST-HAVE for boards-studying and systems.

Very useful! You have to be careful with it because the pages are thinner like other reviews have said, but overall I would definitely recommend this book for any MD/DO students for their prep. They keep things very simple and have amazing mnemonics to help remember the critical information.

It's brand new, exactly as described. Shipping was really fast too.

Love the updated figures, acronyms, and information. So glad I decided to buy the 2016. I see so many differences as compared to 2015. Definitely worth it! ^_^

Buy with caution. Good book. Shady pricing. They jack up the price in August/Sept

A med student must. And your first step to step one. But don't work too hard! :)

This book, as im sure is written elsewhere, is by far the most comprehensive review book for the USMLE. It is priceless. Helped alot! Make sure to also get the online Q bank and flash cards that first aid puts out.

love it, everything u need for USMLE.

This book is very helpful - 1st year DO student and it breaks things down in a simple format and highlights what is important.

Used FA step 1 for my local licensure, my USMLE step 1 examination. A must for any medical student.

Everything you need to know, well organized and updated.

my daughter is still using it

must have for USMLE step 1

My son is about to finish med school, he find this book very useful

The book was used but it looked completely new and I got it really fast as well. A must have for USMLE Step 1.

i love it!!!

Perfect crisp and clean

Using it for podiatry school. I am a first year and it has great mnemonics and diagrams to use even if you are not studying for boards

Great!

i love it.

great tool as i am a first year in medical school

useful

Great

it came in perfect condition. love it.

fantastic book - Combine this with kaplan and your set - for all the steps btw....1-2-3

Great book.

Needs a better binding. Good for review, a bit overwhelming for me. I don't like looking at lists of information.

the usual first aid good book

Just as expected!

Everything u need to succeed!

Great book.

good

good book

Great condition! Useful!

It was in great condition and of course the information is wonderful and concise for STEP1.

Obviously a must have for any medical student. I like it better than the 2015 version. They improved upon the pictures and diagrams.

IT IS A VERY GOOD AND FAST SERVICE,SO EVEN THE QUALITY OF THE BOOK IS GREAT

Thank you so much!

it came with a coupon for 2 month of Flash Facts

excellent book for step 1 preparation.

works

Great book

the book is the best for step1 but the paper quality is the worst they should really fix this issue, the paper quality has never been good with First Aid

Best physiology review book for step 1.

Overall seems a like an excellent purchase and a good upgrade from 15.

What's not to love about First Aid 2016?

not very well, small prints and hazy photos

perfect..pages are of very good quality

i just got this book from amazon, and the quality is just perfect and also the illustrations inside the book is perfect!

I love it

Simply Amazing

Must have for studying for Step 1.

Good quality of print, and I really love every page of it!

Great!!!

Excellent seller, great item!

the best

Helps a lot to prepare for the test.

As described

good

Perfect.

It is a well organized and helpful book.

love it!

Awesome.

Great

simple to the point, clear.

We have a love-hate relationship, but I couldn't live without him.

I got the book sooner than expected, in excellent conditions. Apparently it's a must-have for the USMLE Step 1, and as far as I've looked, it certainly has plenty information, impressively condensed for quick reading.

Excellent book!!!

Awesome. Adore reading it and studying from it.

Alot of new updates and figures. Must buy for board review.

Just as expected

Life saver right here. A must have for med students.

Great book, very helpful. Pictures are on point!!

Great book.....

It arrived in the condition specified. I'm happy with the purchase !

great

A must-have book from the start of medical school!

Awesome condition! Brilliant, and can't beat the price!

Invaluable for year 2 medical school and studying for Step 1

True treasure!

Excellent review book!! Very happy with this purchase.

Kindle version excellent for quick searching words and associated concepts!

Such a helpful book

I am very happy with these products.

I got the book in perfect conservation state and in the right amount of time! :D

Medical student bible

I am trying amazon prime and the item arrived today as expected

thanks