Can one improve long term memory?

[Perforin]

Has anyone found a way to improve their long term memory?

I have a great short term memory, and have done very well in all of my 1st year classes so far, but when I am asked to recall something from last semester I'm screwed and always have difficulty remembering. But, once I sit down and review the material it all comes back.

This freaks me out for the boards, though, as long term memory seems to be important for this test. Can't cram for that one, unfortunately for me.

Anyways, if anyone else is in the same boat as me and has any ideas about what to do with this, I'd love to hear it. I guess you can't really "change" your ability to remember things, but have you found ways to study that help long term results? (I know that cramming is not effective in the long run).

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[bodonid]

aricept. good luck getting the note, though!

everyone has this problem, and there are always the one or two people with photographic memories that freak you out. Don't worry about it. You retain more than you think.

 

[HPSPpayissues]

review as you go. Don't just study for class materials, but review also what you had learned..

 

[neil100]

Try knowing concepts and then apply them to unfamiliar situations. This is what Science is all about.


e.g.
knowing about positive species going after negative species.
you get most rxns. in organic chemistry this way.

bronchiestasis, diverticulums, aneurysms occur due to increased radius which causes an increase in wall tension. that's a concept.

nature likes to balance things out. high to low. like breathing. keeping negative itp so that the lung doesn't collapse. making surfactants to reduce surface tension to compensate for increase in pressure caused by small radii of the alveoli. etc. etc.

when there is a disease which has primary word before the name of the disease then that site which causes the defect is where it originates.
primary Hyperparathyroidism. so the actual parathyroid gland secreting lot of PTH. If secondary then another source is causing it to secrete more PTH. Like chronic renal failure, low ca2+, etc.

I mean the list about the concept goes on. THere is a mangeable list of them. But, the applications are endless. You can use them to cure illnesses, solve everyday problems, invent tools, etc.

Valves. the point of them is to prevent backflow. you have them in venous, lymphatic circulation. you have them in heart to prevent blood from going to the chambers that it would go to without valves. Valves on taps. Stop the flow of water and then open them to let water out.

I mean you get the idea now.

You'll be amazed by how much you can learn and retain to get really high scores on exams. Because after all, why memorize something when you can look it up.

 

[labwork]

Reviewing throughout the year is definitely helpful. There are techniques to improve your memory though. If you look up supermemo on wiki it's a interesting article on spaced learning.
Our dean emailed us a website called www.GunnerTraining.com and it supposedly uses spaced learning to help you study for Step 1.

 

[tideleonheart]

Reviewing throughout the year is definitely helpful. There are techniques to improve your memory though. If you look up supermemo on wiki it's a interesting article on spaced learning.
Our dean emailed us a website called www.GunnerTraining.com and it supposedly uses spaced learning to help you study for Step 1.

Do you know anyone who has used this website? I'm curious as to how good it is.

 

[GeraldMonroe]

You're on the right track. Spaced learning gives results better than even a photographic memory. (because a photographic memory is poorly organized, and everyone I know with one has a finite amount of images they can keep memorized at a time) However, there's a vastly superior way to do spaced learning than that website...

 

[ThinkTooMuch]

You're on the right track. Spaced learning gives results better than even a photographic memory. (because a photographic memory is poorly organized, and everyone I know with one has a finite amount of images they can keep memorized at a time) However, there's a vastly superior way to do spaced learning than that website...

its so interesting because i noticed this effect in the world of online video games. there was this game that i played on and off for about 5 years. at what seemed to be random intervals of time (happened maybe 4 times until i quit for good last year) i felt it was getting in the way of my life so i stopped playing it for a few months at a time. each and every time I reinstalled the game after said break, i was much better at it. its as if my brain processed everything it wasnt able to WHILE i was still playing it. then most recently another player who had been playing non-stop since game came out, told me i should take more breaks because every time I came back from break I was a better player.

 

[labwork]

Me and my friends just bought a subscription on www.gunnertraining.com. It seems promising. There are tons of flashcards with pictures (the info seems more complete than first aid or any other review book i've used). It also keeps me interested cause it will ask me pimp style questions after I reviewed a certain amount of flashcards to make sure i'm not just falling asleep like i usually do while studying. It also has scheduled review for me which is kinda cool.

I'm taking the test in a month, I'm thinking of using it to supplement my Step 1 study. Its fairly affordable too. Hope that helps.

 

[MDpride]

You're on the right track. Spaced learning gives results better than even a photographic memory. (because a photographic memory is poorly organized, and everyone I know with one has a finite amount of images they can keep memorized at a time) However, there's a vastly superior way to do spaced learning than that website...

whats that SUPERIOR WAY?

 

[Preop]

this is an interesting forum discussion, cuz i'm always wondering how in the world i'm going to remember the stuff for the test. and then, after a test is done, i usually forgot most of it pretty fast. some memory gets stored, but after all taht studying effort/time, i wish more of it could be retained.

you know those docs on the wards who can recite most of the studies and the numbers in the studies, and know the fine details of some physiological pathway? how do they rem that stuff. i'm sure its not with craming, ha!

 

[BozoSparky]

....You'll be amazed by how much you can learn and retain to get really high scores on exams. Because after all, why memorize something when you can look it up.

Because you can't on the boards and often you need to be fast on the wards.

Don't get me wrong, I know what you are saying. Understanding is key and can get you far. Surviving medical school is different. I found there is no substitute for remembering the facts...and often you won't be able to derive them from first principles.

 

[neil100]

Because you can't on the boards and often you need to be fast on the wards.

Don't get me wrong, I know what you are saying. Understanding is key and can get you far. Surviving medical school is different. I found there is no substitute for remembering the facts...and often you won't be able to derive them from first principles.

You are somewhat right. I would say 35% correct.
But, i was taking a practice physiology sample prepared for the USMLE. I made 94% on the exam. There were 100 questions.
Similiarly is true for immunology (90%) and biochem (91%). I just had to know couple of diseases for biochem questions and same with immunology.
biochem-knowing rxn. rate influences, concepts of enzymes, steric influences, metabolic pathway concepts, etc.

See most of them you can get away with knowing a unifying concept and then logically apply it. But, it certainly isn't true for couple of path questios and especially micriobio( where you are asked what's the bug that causes some disease, etc.) But, you can integrate basically to efficiently make good judgements when picking answer choices. That's what I think at least.

 

[GeraldMonroe]

Even ideas and concepts can be written down, memorized, and periodically reviewed right alongside rote facts.

 

[SpookyDoc]

However, there's a vastly superior way to do spaced learning than that website...

Are you going to back this up, or do you just want the attention?

 

[bostonmd]

There's a Wired Magazine article on improving memory.

Want to Remember Everything You'll Ever Learn? Surrender to This Algorithm
http://www.wired.com/medtech/health/magazine/16-05/ff_wozniak?currentPage=all

Colors/images also improve memory:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090205142143.htm

There are a large number of articles on PubMed regarding memory enhancement; if you're really interested, it's interesting reading.

Frank Lau, MD

 

[Raizy]

Students, I really have no clue how you folks study, but I'm guessing there is a lot of memorization? It's pretty weird as this is my first post, and that I'm not even a med student. I am actually taking high school credits and I was coming here for advice to see if my method would make studying biology many times easier.

I'm glad someone mentioned Wozniak's accomplishment:

There's a Wired Magazine article on improving memory.

Want to Remember Everything You'll Ever Learn? Surrender to This Algorithm
http://www.wired.com/medtech/health/magazine/16-05/ff_wozniak?currentPage=all

So this is the original, not-free software: http://www.supermemo.com/

There is also a bunch of articles you can read on there.

Now if you want to free versions, which I believe is based on the original algorithm for the "spacing effect", you folks could check out:

http://ichi2.net/anki/ This is one is called Anki, and it is the one I prefer.

http://www.mnemosyne-proj.org/ <--- the second one.

Since these are ideal for learning new languages, I would like to know opinions about using this system for learning different subject material; especially biology.

I'd love to hear back from anyone who tried this method for at least a month or two and see how things went for them.

Here is an example of using this flashcard system for memorizing diagrams: Use a good quality digital camera with a "text" preset, and take photos of diagrams. Edit out the labels, and upload two images on Anki; the blank diagram, and the original one.

I can't believe there are people who end up memorizing 10 000 facts per year with this flash card "spacing algorithm"

 

[BORNagainSTDENT]

I am just bookmarking this thread for when I am not on my iPhone

 

[Barfalamule]

There's software called RecallPlus that uses the spaced interval algorithm with concept maps (kind of like UML for programmers out there) where you build your own concepts and associations when you're studying. Does Supermemo have the ability to link text to other cards in order to have the capability to build trees of information for better organization?
I use Mnemosyne right now but just for language learning. I'm thinking of doing a little mock study these next couple of months to see what the best approach is on learning and retaining information.

Supermemo
Mnemosyne
RecallPlus
Anki

The other option is to just buy a draw tablet and make your own diagrams and import them in as pictures.

 

[hb2998]

I have to 2nd (maybe 3rd) the Anki advice. I used RecallPlus for a long time.. it works, but its very hard to not get carried away with it and spend a lot of time for each slide.

Anki is much simpler (basic flash card style). And the thing I love about it is that you sync your data online, so I can use it on multiple computers, and you can even sync it to your iPhone/iPod Touch or other mobile device and review whenever.

 

[MDpride]

any Example of using SUPERMEMO during basic and clinical science years would be great

 

[Isoprop]

any Example of using SUPERMEMO during basic and clinical science years would be great

I could see how it would be useful for pharm. drug name on one side, mechanism, adverse effects, etc. on the other.

 

[Barfalamule]

More than that, I think the power of these programs lies in the process by which you make the flash cards. After doing it for so many years like Wozniak, it becomes a very personalized experience and has been honed for maximum efficacy. Like what is always being stated, finding what works best for you in studying during med school is a trial and error endeavor, and I'm sure that adding one of these programs to your arsenal doesn't change that. You will still have to play with the information-the way it is formed and recalled-before it becomes truly potent.

 

[werd]

Has anyone found a way to improve their long term memory?

I figured out a way one time in med school, but can't recall exactly how i did it...

 

[Optimator]

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[Mr hawkings]

But, i was taking a practice physiology sample prepared for the USMLE. I made 94% on the exam. There were 100 questions.
Similiarly is true for immunology (90%) and biochem (91%).