Effective Study Methods for Medical School
by
TDH
- August 27, 2017
Having gone through the last 6 weeks of med school, I think I'm ready to share some successful methods for studying. I have compiled the numerous ways I and my fellow classmates study for exams. Most students that I've talked to, including myself, use a combination of these methods to fit our individual needs.
Disclaimer: These are strictly study methods and I will say that this list is not comprehensive, nor does it include specific study habits or techniques for certain courses. That will all depend on how your school's curriculum is set up and your time management.
If you're interested in my own study schedule, how I manage my time, or how I study for a specific course, let me know in an Instagram DM, comment, or email!
1. Flashcards, Osmosis, Anki
A lot of people like to test themselves with flashcards. That could be physical or electronic with Osmosis and Anki. Osmosis and Anki are online resources that allow you to create your own flashcards and practice questions for anything you'd like. At my school, everyone contributes to the Osmosis questions so we literally have 500 practice questions for each exam. I would take this method with a grain of salt however. Flashcard and student-produced questions are great for testing your knowledge but they do tend to be first-order questions and could contain wrong answers.
2. Write it Out or Draw it Out
All of the information you are given in med school or really any graduate level class is going to overwhelm you. My personal method for wrapping my head around all of the tiny details and extensive amount of players that go into a specific mechanism need to be written out on paper. Take plain, printer paper and draw flowcharts, diagrams, sketches, or anything. I draw lots and lots of arrows, which helps me keep track of the progression.3. One Page Summary
This method is a mix of study guides and writing out material. You will quickly learn in med school that you cannot possibly learn every single detail presented to you. Yes, it may be tested but there's just so much information to learn that you won't remember. A way of getting the big pictures and concepts is to write/draw a one page summary for each lecture or lecture hour (depending on how the info is taught to you). This can also test your knowledge if you do this from memory.
4. First Aid
Since anything you learn in med school is preparing you for Boards, some students' methods are to study along with First Aid. First Aid has a lot of mnemonics and helpful tips for learning certain topics that will help you for exams. If you don't know what First Aid is, it will be one of your holy grail sources for STEP board exams after your 2nd year of medical school. I highly recommend you buy one during your first year.
5. Study Guides
Study guides are most effective if you like all of the information you need for an exam in one place (like me). I particularly don't like to have multiple files or a copious amount of disjoined papers to go through when I'm trying to get everything in my head before an exam. I like to make a "all-in-one packet" per se of everything I need for a particular exam. That could consist of my printed outlines, all of the lecture slides (4-6 slides per page), relevant pictures, practice questions, etc. What you do afterwards is all up to you as a student. I, personally, will annotate and repeatedly go through the packet.
6. Group Study
You can always study by yourself but for an hour or two a few days before an exam it is a good idea to get with a study group. Or utilize your study group to divide and conquer. I've seen some students divide up lectures to create outlines and then combine them to save time. Find a group of people you can depend on, who you get along with and can benefit from each other's knowledge. One person maybe really good at anatomy, while another is really good at microbiology. You will all have something to contribute when one person doesn't understand. Study groups are also beneficial for moral support when you're feeling discouraged or struggling.
7. Picmonic, Sketchy, Boards and Beyond, etc.
If you're a visual and auditory learner, videos are crucial for your studying. Sketchy is GREAT for Microbiology and Pharmacology and it will be your best friend! Picmonic is also great for a wider variety of topics for med school, as well as MCAT, nursing and PA board exams. Pathoma, Boards and Beyond, Lecturio, etc are all great for preparing you for Boards or med school exams if you need the added explanation for reinforcement.
8. Chunking
This is a method actually taught to us by the administrators at our school. It is a method of dividing up your time into deep study, self-check, break, and preview. Each cycle is for one lecture and will total take up about 1 to 1.5 hours. It is a great way of managing your time, but also keeping yourself on top of the material. I do a similar method but I don't follow this to a T. Basically you allow yourself only an hour to go through one hour's worth of lectures, review what you've studied for a few minutes, then test yourself with some practice questions.
9. Rewatch Lectures
If you are an auditory learner and depend on someone explaining lecture material to you, then this method should be your primary way of studying. In med school, lectures are all recorded and uploaded for viewing -- I suggest at 1.5-2x the speed ;). Utilize your time in class by using the live lecture as your first go through with the material, then use the recorded lectures for reinforcement.
