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Study skills for medical school students

Medical school is considered by many to be one of the hardest academic curriculu


ms that a person can go through. It is four years of intensive study, long hours
, lack of sleep, and exam after endless exam. Good study skills are essential fo
r medical students. As a medical school graduate, I have learned a few tricks ov
er the years that made my study life easier.
There are some things you can do to make your studying more efficient. Of course
, everyone is going to have a slightly different style, there is no one-size-fit
s-all study method for every medical student.
Attend the lectures.
There are lots of medical students who find the lectures an inefficient use of t
heir time. It is true that lectures can take up a large part of your day during
the first two years of school. And it's also true that there are some lectures w
hich are a waste of time. However, in general, lectures are the best way to get
the information you need in an organized way.
Stay on top of the material.
You've never been in a program that presents as much information to the students
as medical school. You will be overwhelmed by the volume of information. None o
f the concepts in medical school are difficult on their own - the difficultly is
in the massive volume. Because of this, you absolutely MUST keep up with the ma
terial everyday.
Procrastination in medical school is a sure way to fail. You simply cannot allow
yourself to get behind on the reading.
Repetition is the key to learning. Repetition is the key to learning.
One more time: repetition is the key to learning. Much of what you need to know
in the first two years of medical school is based on a large degree of memorizat
ion of facts. The best way to learn those facts is to go over the material again
and again. This could mean making flashcards, or it could mean re-writing your
notes a few times. Whatever works for you. But whatever method you use, the more
times you look at the material, the better chance it has of sticking in your br
ain.
Take a break.
At some point you need to give your brain a chance to consolidate the informatio
n. The means that you MUST stop and take a break. Make some free time. Play a sp
ort, go running, watch a football game, do anything other than study for an hour
a day. And be sure to get plenty of sleep. Studies have show that information s
ets in the brain better if you follow a study session with a good nights sleep.
Don't underestimate the power of resting your head. Besides, medical school is a
marathon, not a sprint.
Good luck - you're going to need it!

Hurdling medical school is a herculean task. It does not only require intellect,
perseverance and hard work, but also the correct study skills. Wise strategy is
needed for you to be able to conquer those mounds of notes and piles of books.
If you're to imagine one subject having numerous reference materials - sometimes
several books - then multiply these with your number of subjects , then you get
hundreds of books per subject to read. This of course, is not possible even for
a genius. That is why you have to adapt a smart strategy to maximize your learn
ing process. Here are some study skills that you can utilize:
1. Know the reference books recommended by your professor.
This is usually found at the end of your course syllabus. If the professor recom
mended a textbook, then this would be your first priority. You should buy the bo
ok. If you have enough budget, then buy at least three additional reference book
s listed in the syllabus. If you don't have the means, then just use the library
. As you go on, try to access all the listed books in your syllabus.

Before day 1, start reading your textbook. Don't wait for the first meeting. Rea
d ahead as often as you can. This would facilitate your understanding of the sub
ject matter when the professor lectures on the topic. You may also impress him w
ith your advance reading and would start you on a good footing with him.
2. Do not cram.
Cramming is never advisable. This is the major cause of mental block. If you rea
lly want to learn, then you have to study everyday. Medical subjects are very in
teresting. Imagine learning about the circulatory system; how blood is transport
ed to the left and right auricle and ventricles and back to the body cells. Isn'
t that awesome? Develop a genuine interest in your subjects and you'll be motiva
ted to learn more.
3. Understand what you are memorizing.
Memory recall would be easier if you understand the concept first. Never memoriz
e verbatim. Read the subject matter and then summarize in your own words. You sh
ould be able to explain using your own terminology. Writing it in paper could he
lp a lot in retaining information that has been read.
4. Make use of mnemonics.
This is very useful in simple recall information, like items for enumeration.Get
the first letters of the data to be memorized and form a memorable word that yo
u could easily remember. i.e.
FOG for F-flow of blood, O- oxyhemoglobin, G - globin.
5. Use actual material.
If you're studying bones, then use a genuine skeleton. Go the library or laborat
ory and name them as you hold the bones in your hand; if you're to focus on the
heart then get a heart model and go through it like you're explaining to the cla
ss.
There are also several teaching visual aids, videos and CDs you could use. Some
books come with an accompanying CD.
Select these books over the plain ones.
6. Keep your notes well organized.
Make use of highlighters. Highlight the major points with a red pen and then the
minor points with perhaps, a pink color. The color depends upon your preference
s. This would make you remember things very easily.
Rewrite your notes into a neater and cleaner page. Use bullets and spaces in bet
ween data. Don't write one long paragraph. This is visually discouraging. Organi
ze your notes in such a way that it facilitates your reading process.
You could prepare an outline of each chapter. During the preparation, you would
read and understand more and at the same time you are synthesizing topics for re
view materials during exams.
7. Prepare a time table for your study period.
All subjects should be given ample time of study, the more difficult subjects fi
rst. More time can also be devoted to those topics you find hard to understand.
Allocate time for accomplishing assignments, case studies, thesis and additional
workload.
8. Use the RSE method (Read, Summarize and Evaluate).
Read the topic, summarize it in a sheet of paper, and then evaluate what points
you have missed. Keep doing this until you are able to summarize all the salient
points needed. i.e. The Excretory Organ processes in the nephrons, to the colle
cting duct, to the urethra, to the ureter and then to the excretory outlet.
In summarizing, use association with everyday life. Have a picture in your mind
of an event or object you're well acquainted with and associate this with the to
pic.
In the case of the above topic, you could associate it with a sugar cane factory
where all nutrients are segregated and taken in, and all waste materials thrown
. You could create more meaningful associations based on your own experiences.
9. Mentoring by your professor or others.
If you still could not cope up with the lessons, then you can ask help from your
classmates or from your professor himself.
You could also initiate a group study where you meet with your classmates and di
scuss one topic per session. Each of you should contribute what he knows about t
he subject matter. Questions are raised and answered by the group until such tim
e that all are answered.
These skills are sometimes difficult to acquire, but don't give up. Skills are n
ot developed overnight. It takes time for you to turn them into your daily routi
ne. But you can do it with persistence and determination.

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