# How to Actually Complete First Aid

> The four-reading method for First Aid: understand, apply, correct, retain — 4–5 days per system, whole book in about 8 weeks.

URL: https://vault-guides.vercel.app/first-aid-method.html
Canonical: https://vault-guides.vercel.app/first-aid-method.html

## Summary

Explains a four-pass method for getting through First Aid instead of reading it once to memorise it. Pass 1 understands the page using the First Aid Guide (videos, ELI5, page MCQs), pass 2 applies it via Mehlman or UWorld with the RPSR method, pass 3 corrects by reviewing every wrong UWorld answer inside First Aid, and pass 4 retains via the Foundation Anki deck. Each system takes 4–5 days, putting the whole 646-page book at roughly 8 weeks.

## Key facts

- Four readings of First Aid, each with a different job: understand, apply, correct, retain
- 4–5 days per system; whole book in roughly 8 weeks
- All 646 First Aid pages on the Vault have 3 YouTube videos, an ELI5 pill, and page-specific MCQs
- Reading 1 takes 1–2 days per system; readings 2–3 (UWorld blocks plus review) take 2–3 days
- UWorld blocks of 20 per system in tutor mode using the RPSR method (Read, Pre-solve, Solve, Review)
- Foundation Anki deck is ~2,400 cards mapped page-by-page to First Aid; ~400 cards/day gives a whole-book pass in 5–6 days
- Warns against reading all of First Aid cover to cover before starting UWorld
- Renal system is free on usmlevault.com

## Covers

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## Source

USMLE Vault — https://usmlevault.com
Author: Dr. Marish Asudani

Updated: 2026-08-26