First Aid chapter deck
First Aid Microbiology — Flashcards for the Buzzword-Heavy Chapter
Microbiology is the buzzword chapter. Chocolate agar, currant jelly stools, sulfur granules. Every pathogen has a fingerprint. Ellie turns them all into cards.
The First Aid microbiology chapter is roughly 80 pages covering bacteriology, virology, mycology, and parasitology. Bacteriology alone is ~40 pages of gram-positive and gram-negative organisms with virulence factors, media requirements, and treatments. Virology covers DNA and RNA viruses with genome structure, envelope status, and clinical syndromes. Mycology and parasitology round it out.
Microbiology is arguably the most memorizable chapter on Step 1 because every organism has a fingerprint — a buzzword, a lab finding, a clinical syndrome that maps uniquely. 'Currant jelly stools' → intussusception + Salmonella / rotavirus. 'Rose gardener' → Sporothrix. 'Chocolate agar' → Haemophilus + Neisseria. These map perfectly to flashcards.
SketchyMicro is the gold-standard visual mnemonic for this chapter, but retention still requires spaced repetition. Ellie generates the retention layer for whatever Sketchy or First Aid supplies as content.
How to structure microbiology cards
Every organism deserves at least 4 cards — the fingerprint 4-tuple:
- Front: {organism} — key virulence factor? Back: the specific toxin/enzyme/capsule
- Front: {organism} — clinical syndrome? Back: the disease presentation
- Front: {organism} — buzzword lab finding? Back: agar type, stain, or morphology
- Front: {organism} — treatment of choice? Back: the antibiotic + resistance concerns
- Add a 5th card for high-yield organisms: transmission route + reservoir
Bacteriology — the largest sub-section
Card by gram stain group. Gram-positive cocci (Staph, Strep, Enterococcus). Gram-positive rods (Bacillus, Clostridium, Listeria, Corynebacterium). Gram-negative cocci (Neisseria, Moraxella). Gram-negative rods (Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonas, Haemophilus, Bordetella, Legionella, Yersinia). Then atypicals (Mycobacteria, Rickettsia, Chlamydia, Mycoplasma, Spirochetes).
Virology — genome structure is the anchor
DNA vs RNA. Enveloped vs non-enveloped. Single-stranded vs double-stranded. Positive-sense vs negative-sense. These features map to families (Herpesviridae, Picornaviridae, Orthomyxoviridae, etc.). Card the classification tree first, then individual virus cards.
Mycology and parasitology — smaller but tested
Fungi: Candida, Aspergillus, Cryptococcus, Histoplasma, Blastomyces, Coccidioides, Pneumocystis, dermatophytes, Sporothrix. Parasites: giardia, entamoeba, cryptosporidium, plasmodium (all four species distinct), leishmania, chagas, trichinella, tapeworms, flukes. Fewer organisms but each has its own buzzword.
How to review micro decks
Micro cards are shorter than pharm cards on average, so reviews are fast. 20 minutes daily during micro rotation. Then 10 minutes daily maintenance for the next 6–8 weeks. Micro is one of the subjects where dedicated cramming works reasonably well — but daily review during M1 makes dedicated less painful.
Frequently asked questions
SketchyMicro or Ellie for this chapter?
Both. SketchyMicro is the encoding tool — it makes 200+ organisms memorable with visual mnemonics. Ellie is the retention tool — daily spaced review that keeps SketchyMicro's encoding fresh. Watch Sketchy, then generate a companion Ellie deck for spaced review.
Is Anking micro comprehensive enough?
Yes — Anking's micro tag is one of its strongest sections. If you're on Anking, you may not need a separate Ellie micro deck. Use Ellie for school-specific labs and any organisms your school covers that Anking underweights.
How much micro is on Step 1 vs Step 2?
Micro is more heavily tested on Step 1 (basic science emphasis). Step 2 focuses on clinical diagnosis and treatment; micro appears as a diagnostic tool, not a subject in itself. Retention from Step 1 carries into Step 2.
What about COMLEX Level 1?
COMLEX Level 1 tests micro at roughly the same weight as USMLE Step 1. First Aid micro chapter works for both. Ellie generates a single deck usable for both exams.
How many cards does micro generate?
500–800 atomic cards depending on granularity. Bacteriology is the bulk.
Are viruses easier than bacteria?
For most students, yes — fewer distinct organisms, clearer classification. Card viruses second, after bacteriology, when you're used to the format.
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