First Aid for the USMLE Step 1 2013 (First Aid USMLE)

After my many issues with the Kindle edition and the lack of response and support from the publisher, I ended up buying the physical copy and it was an amazing decision. As others have mentioned, many of the errors from 2012 have been removed and some of the terms have been changed to more recent nomenclature (compare orotic aciduria in the two texts). I have also been using Kaplan to study and the material is very cohesive with the online Kaplan material. The only problem - and not a problem with this book - is that Kaplan has not updated page number references to reflect the newer edition.This is a review for the kindle edition of the book. Not for the printed edition.First the positives for the book:The pages and layout of the book beautiful and it looks like the paperback version. With the iPad retina display, the text is very clear even when zoomed in and easy on the eyes. The images also reproduce very well compared to ebook format texts. Additionally, you can take nice notes, bookmark pages, and highlight the text. The entire set of notes, highlights, and bookmarks show up in the margin when needed and it provides a nice summary that syncs between devices.Now the major, major, issue:However, there is one significant issue, which in part might be due to the high quality of the text. The pages in the book take forever to load. For example, if I go to page 63 and flip all the way to 70, pages 71 and onwards take about 1 to 2 minutes to load and then the same problem occurs every 5-10 pages. This does not seem to be a device issue- I have tried this on the ipad 2, ipad3, macbook air, and sony vaio. On the ipad app, the pages remain white and when you try to zoom in and out, you can see the text but it still takes forever to load. It almost seems like the pages have loaded but just aren't visible. I am not sure if the issue is the actual kindle app but as I mentioned earlier, the glitches aren't limited to my kindle apps. On the computer version it takes a long time to reach the next page (gives the loading symbol) for both windows and mac.Also, I have the entire purchased version, not the trial version. This problem did not arise with the trial version. Until this issue is resolved, I am giving the Kindle product a 2 stars.Update: For the ipad application: The only solution I have found is that if the book is left open for a few minutes, more of the pages load but if you go backwards, the pages return to their blank white state. Just to be clear, if you have highlighted information or taken notes, those are not lost. For the macbook (brand new pro and air): the book seems to crash the application.2nd Update: I tried to contact the publisher and after telling me that they would contact me in 24 hours, the finally did more than a week later. They told me to contact a second email address and that email address did not work. Since this is a review for a product and not just the quality of the book, I am rating at as 1 star. If it was closer to the actual boards, this would be extremely frustrating.

Having just begun preparing for Step I (May 29 is the day!), I eagerly picked up the newest copy of First Aid. And by newest copy, I'm referring to the actual physical text, not the Kindle version. I've been working with the 2012 edition, but picked up the 2013 edition as I plan on doing Doctor's In Training 2013, and they require the most up-to-date text. I haven't read the book through in earnest yet, but from my quick skimmings, what I have noticed is that most of the content is very similar to the 2012 edition, except that the HUGE list of errata from the 2012 edition has been corrected. Other than that, you'll find a few picture tweaks here and there, but nothing major. I did notice the cover is made of a newer material this year, which is much hardier than previous editions, not to mention more "spill-proof."I have since had the binding from my copy removed and the text 3-hole punched, and was relieved to find that a typical 3-hole punch will not punch out any words or graphics. Now my edition is in a nice binder, ready for annotation and adding of other material as I see fit.If I come across any huge errors or problems with this text, I'll update my review, but as for now, I'm pleased with the updates they've made.EDIT: I have noticed some errors as I have gone into my devoted Step I study period, but they are still much less than that of the 2012 edition. I still like the small changes they made (like incorporating embryology into each section rather than give it its own chapter) and think this is one of the better releases! Check First-Aid's website for a most up-to-date list of 2013 errata.

2012 First aid was absolutely full of errata and had a fairly useless index and table of contents. Most purchasers would cut the binding and have it rebound in spiral- so that they could add notes and bookmark area to get past the poor index.2013 improves upon these errors completely, I cannot stress enough how much better it is than 2012.You need to have a clear philosophy of use when working with the First Aid series- this is not a first line resource for learning the material. Instead, I think of it as a checklist- you know that you are prepared in a particular section for the USMLE based on your ability to go through that section in first aid and recognize everything it mentioned while also being able to expand the level of detail they present.Another huge benefit to having First aid is that it combines common features together into memory tools. I found the list of P450 inhibitors and inducers to be a very useful example of this, these are lifesavers as study tools.Ultimately I'd argue that every student preparing for the boards needs a copy of First Aid, and I hope that this review has made it clear that 2013 is the (current) one to get. When combined with added notes, lots of question banks and additional books in especially big topics (pharm, micro, pathology) it will see you through the STEP 1. As a final warning though, this cannot be used as a 'monotherapy' to studying for boards, it must be used with the aforementioned resources for maximum benefit.