The following is the official update list for the 2008 Ed of the First Aid for the USMLE Step 1 text. For a complete list of all updates to this edition, please visit the Step 1 Corrections page.

Updated for April of 2008

1. p.91, Rate-determining enzymes of metabolic processes
   1. The rate-limiting step of gluconeogenesis is fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (FBP-1), not pyruvate carboxylase.
2. p.98, Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency
   1. The sentence in the third column under Heinz bodies should read, “Bite cells result from the phagocytic removal of Heinz bodies by macrophages, not “from macrophages.”
3. p.100, Amino acids
   1. In the discussion of glucogenic/ketogenic essential amino acids, threonine (Thr) should be replaced with tryptophan (Trp).
4. p. 117, Autosomal-recessive diseases
   1. “a₁-antitrypsin deficiency” should be removed from the list of autosomal-recessive diseases, as it is considered to be codominantly inherited.
5. p.119, Autosomal trisomies
   1. The “prenatal screening” row of the Down syndrome column should read, “[down arrow] a-fetoprotein, [up arrow] B-hCG” (i.e., the direction of both arrows should be reversed). The remainder of the entry, “[up arrow] nuchal translucency,” should remain unchanged.
6. p.129, Branchial arch innervation
   1. The maxillary branch (V₂) of the trigeminal nerve does not have a motor component.
7. p.160, “Tricky T’s”
   1. Endemic typhus is caused by Rickettsia typhi, not R. rickettsii; the latter causes Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
8. p.163 and 167, RNA viruses, hepatitis viruses
   1. Hepatitis E virus is now classified under the family Hepeviridae, so the virus type corresponding to HEV should be changed in both entries from calicivirus to hepevirus.
9. p.196, Antibody structure and function
   1. The labels indicating the light-chain and heavy-chain hypervariable regions are reversed in the figure.
10. p.210, Transudate vs. exudate
    1. Transudate is due to [down arrow] oncotic pressure, not [up arrow].
11. p. 258, Infarcts: red vs. pale
    1. The first sentence of this entry should read, “Red (hemorrhagic) infarcts occur in loose tissues with collaterals, such as lungs, intestine, or liver, or following reperfusion.” The duplicate word “liver” should be removed.
12. p.266, Antihypertensive drugs
    1. An adverse effect of diazoxide is hyperglycemia, not hypoglycemia.
13. p. 277, Adrenal steroids
    1. Label B in the key at the bottom of the page refers to 21-hydroxylase deficiency. The letter “a” should be removed.
14. p. 296, Digestive tract anatomy
    1. In the figure for this entry, the “mucosa” callout should be changed to read “muscularis mucosa,” and the existing callout for “muscularis mucosa” should be deleted along with its arrow.
15. p. 302, GI hormones
    1. In the “secretin” row of this table, the last four words in the “regulation” column should be shifted to the “notes” column. The “regulation” column should thus read, “[up arrow] by acid, fatty acids in lumen of duodenum,” and the “notes” column should read, “[up arrow] HCO₃^– neutralizes gastric acid in duodenum, allowing pancreatic enzymes to function.”
16. p. 313, a₁-antitrypsin deficiency
    1. As mentioned in item 4 above, this disorder is autosomal codominant, not autosomal recessive. The last two words of this entry should be changed accordingly.
17. p. 316, Pancreatic adenocarcinoma
    1. The image reference on the third line should be to Image 141, not Image 134.
18. p. 327, Lab values in anemia
    1. TIBC is an indirect measurement of transferrin, rather than “indirectly proportional to transferrin” as written.
19. p. 344, Brachial plexus
    1. The unlabeled black-and-white image in the third column should be labeled “Pope’s blessing.”
20. p. 386, Brain lesions
    1. A lesion of the parapontine reticular formation (PPRF) causes the eyes to look away from the side of the lesion, not toward. In addition, the spelled-out version of the acronym PPRF should be changed to paramedian pontine reticular formation.
    2. A lesion of the frontal eye fields would cause the eyes to look toward the lesion, not away from the lesion as written.
21. p. 393, Facial lesions
    1. The sentence in Bell’s palsy, “Only lower face is affected, since upper face has contralateral and ipsilateral innervations by CN VII,” refers to the UMN lesion section and should be moved accordingly.
22. p. 428, Renal tubular acidosis
    1. Type 4 renal tubular acidosis causes hyperkalemia rather than hypokalemia as written.
23. p. 430, Glomerular pathology
    1. In the discussion of SLE, “membranous glomerulonephritis” should be replaced with “diffuse proliferative glomerulonephritis.”
24. Color plates, Image 41
    1. The first portion of the caption for this image should read as follows: “Color Image 41. Alzheimer’s disease. Key histologic features include “senile plaques” (not pictured); a coronal section showing atrophy, especially of the temporal lobes (A); and focal masses of interwoven neuronal processes around an amyloid core (B); arrows mark neurofibrillary tangles).”
25. p. 461, CO poisoning
    1. For consistency with column three of the “hemoglobin modifications” entry on page 112, the first line of “CO poisoning” should read, “CO has 200´ greater affinity for hemoglobin than does O₂,” not 50´.
26. p.509, Review resources,
    1. The correct 2008 rating for Rapid Review: Behavioral Science is “B.” Therefore, the duplicative review on page 509 should be deleted in favor of the one on page 512.

The following is a list of the official FA Cases for the USMLE Step 1 Errata 1st Ed. This list does not include changes made to the text other than the recognized Errata.

1. p. 136, Endocrine System, Case 11
   1. The fifth question should read, “her sibling,” not “her sibling’s.”
   2. The second sentence in the answer to the fifth question should read, “Her sibling’s probability of having the mutation is 50%,” not “Thus the probability of her sibling’s having the mutation is 50%.”
2. p. 139, Endocrine System, Case 14
   1. The answer to fourth question should read, “external branch of the superior laryngeal nerve,” not “external laryngeal artery branch.”
3. p. 252, Neurology and Psychiatry, Case 21
   1. The question stem and answer to the fifth question should read, “obsessive-compulsive personality disorder,” not “obsessive personality disorder.”
4. p. 270, Neurology and Psychiatry, Case 35
   1. The case vignette should read “the physician performs a test that includes placing cold water into the patient’s right ear canal.” Not “the physician performs a test that includes placing warm water into the patient’s right ear canal.”
5. p. 274, Neurology and Psychiatry, Case 37
   1. The last bullet in the answer to the fifth question should read, “Akinesia, seen after four days, is the inability to initiate movement,” not “Akinesia (characterized by extreme restlessness).”

Dr. Tao Le (series editor for the First Aid for the USMLE Step 1) invites you to a free Webinar Tuesday, March 25th from 9-10pm EDT!

This high-yield talk will cover the basics of the USMLE Step 1 including an overview of the boards, goal setting, high-yield topics in each subject area, study strategies, review resources, and study schedules. There will be an opportunity for a live Q & A session at the end of the talk.

ATTENTION:  You will need to be able to make a long distance telephone call to listen to the conference audio.

The way it works:

1. Register to hold your place now (space is limited).
2. Make sure that your computer meets the system requirements for the visual portion of the online conference (details below).
3. Be able to call the conference phone number to listen to Tao’s presentation. This can be done with a home phone, cell phone, or internet phone.
4. Come with questions!
5. Try to call in a few minutes early for the Webinar as the phone lines tend to get a little jammed around 1pm.

• Title: First Aid for the USMLE Step 1 by Dr. Tao Le
• Date: Tuesday, March 25th, 2008
• Time: 9:00 PM - 10:00 PM EDT
• System Requirements
  Required: Windows® 2000, XP Home, XP Pro, 2003 Server, Vista OR
  Required: Mac OS® X 10.3.9 (Panther®) or newer
• Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
  https://www.gotomeeting.com

https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/676756310

This is a reminder that Tao Le, author and editor for the First Aid series, will be at AMSA’s 58th Annual Convention March 12-16th in Houston Texas. Tao will be giving a First Aid for the Wards talk on Thursday, the 13th at 8am and a First Aid for the USMLE Step 1 talk at 4pm the same day. Come down to Texas and meet with your fellow medical students!

The official errata list for the 2007 Q&A for the USMLE Step 1 has just been updated.  You can see the complete list here or download the pdf.

Good luck studying!  The FA/USMLERx Team.