How do other people do it?

[Lidocaine]

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I was wondering if anyone else has had this problem? My problem is that no matter how hard I study I am still at the lower 2/3 of the class during Med tests.
I study at school and I come in at about 7:00-7:30 where I do prereading and make notes of the day's lecture. Class starts about 9:00 and end around 11:00 or 12:00 pm. I eat lunch from 12:00-1:00 and get back to studying or attend afternoon class around 1:00 to 7:00.

When I am study I am making notes, going over lecture material. I am mostly reading my notes and lecture notes and trying to memorize as much as I can.

What do you guys do, any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

 

[willow18]

1. Remember you're in med school; the 'bottom' 2/3 are very smart, so feel honored. But if you are that ultra-gunner, keep reading.
2. This may sound cheesy, but maybe focus on understanding things instead of memorizing facts.
3. Analyze your tests to see what kinda questions you've been missing. Are they those random factoids, or comprehension questions...? If the latter, maybe supplement your studying with a little reading from a textbook. If the former, forget about it. You apparently are not great at memorizing 100% of the factoids. Don't fret over it. Or do. And go over your lecture notes 10 more times.

 

[Wizard of Oz]

2. This may sound cheesy, but maybe focus on understanding things instead of memorizing facts.

Blasphemy!

 

[Troll]

are you just dumb?

 

[45408]

"lower 2/3"? you realize that 2/3 of medical students won't be in the top 1/3, right? Those people just might be naturally smarter and harder working than you are. Try your best, but then that's it. You can't do any more than your best.

 

[Troll]

Try your best, but then that's it. You can't do any more than your best.

Is that what your mummy told you?

Its a lie, people make up their "best" in their mind.

 

[Lidocaine]

I guess what I am really driving at is what is your technique to studying and doing well.

 

[lord_jeebus]

Not only look at what questions you're missing, but look at the content of what you're trying to learn/memorize.

I know lots of people who wasted a lot of time memorizing trivia that just wasn't "testable," at the cost of the important stuff.

 

[beefballs]

go meet with the profs-hit them up early and often for clues...that rminds me of the Hardy boys on south park and their raging clues-great episode

 

[edmadison]

Do you know what they call someone who graduates last in their class at medical school?

Doctor.

Medical school is hard transition. Almost all of us were the cream of the crop in high school and college. Well, there are a few hundred startinng quarterbacks in Division 1 of the NCAA. There are only 32 in the NFL. We are at a new level in med school. Half of us are below average!

You are going to be a doctor. Keep working hard. Remember that in 3-4th year, different attributes are rewarded.

Ed

 

[MyNameIsOtto]

I just learn the material cold. Also, I don't stress out about an upcoming exam.

I'm not a gunner but I find that I do better by studying alone and not with others.

 

[beefballs]

I just learn the material cold. Also, I don't stress out about an upcoming exam.

I'm not a gunner but I find that I do better by studying alone and not with others.

I agree with this but I do enjoy quiz sessions with a few of my more intellegint peers-I glom off their higher mental acumen

 

[MyNameIsOtto]

I agree with this but I do enjoy quiz sessions with a few of my more intellegint peers-I glom off their higher mental acumen

Yeah, I used to do quiz type things with others but it always turned into a competition or close to it...more stress than anything.

I mean there's only so much of this stuff we can cram into our brains and then we try and quiz ourselves on little facts here and there...I guess others could help jog your mind more though.

 

[MDstudent79]

All other comments above aside, I think something else to keep in mind is that by mathematical definition, a very small percentage of students are ALWAYS going to score in the top 1/3rd on exams and such. There's always going to be the biochemistry or immunology PhD out there who's going to nail one course over another. And we all have our strengths and weaknesses.

Maybe just start by shooting for the top 1/3rd for one or two courses each semester and work from there as you go?

Good luck!

 

[humuhumu]

Do you have access to old exams or practice questions? You might find that instructors emphasize different points than you do in your reading. Doing practice questions are a great way to assess your level of preparation and reinforce points that you might have overlooked.

 

[Lidocaine]

Do you have access to old exams or practice questions? You might find that instructors emphasize different points than you do in your reading. Doing practice questions are a great way to assess your level of preparation and reinforce points that you might have overlooked.

No we don't have access to old exams, most professors don't like showing old exams. That's how I use to study in College, but now my biggest studying technique is gone.
Where would one find access to appropiate practice problems, are there some kind of books that everyone else knows that I do not? Does anyone here have a link to any good sites with problems? Right now we are doing Renal.
Thanks

 

[doctorp82]

#1 - Tests aren't IQ exams. They test your rote memorization or your comprehension. Be better at comprehension

#2 - Doctors look stuff up when they forget something like a random factoid. But, it's not often a random factoid changes the outcome of patient management

#3 - In 20 years, you'll know it because you've done #2 so often

 

[Bitsy3221]

To the OP:

Are you frustrated because you aren't understanding the material or are you upset because you aren't happy with your class rank? THAT is the first question you need to answer for youself.

In my own experience (n=1, so take it for what it is worth) I tried a lot of different study techniques, but I ultimately found doing tons and tons of study questions helped the most. Study books (BRS, Pre-Test, NMS, UCV etc) were my best friends, as they tended to pick the major topics which I tended to see on the exams. I tried studying with classmates, but this is tricky--sometimes it stressed and panicked me more than helped, as a previous poster alluded to. Periodically I found people I was at a similar level with who I also felt comfortable saying "I don't know" around without having them look at me cross-eyed, but only studied with them periodically. Mostly I practiced parallel studying: at school/lab with classmates around to bounce ideas off of once in a while but mostly each of us doing our own thing.

If you are stressed about your rank, just wait it out. Although I have no idea where you go to medical school and what their exact rank procedure is, MOST schools weigh third year very heavily and your rank can change dramatically. I am sure every M4/resident on here can relay a story of someone in their class who either started third year at the top and fell 35 spots by the end, or who started in the lower half of the class and ended up AOA.

 

[doctorp82]

I ultimately found doing tons and tons of study questions helped the most. Study books (BRS, Pre-Test, NMS, UCV etc) were my best friends, as they tended to pick the major topics which I tended to see on the exams.

Definately my strategy. Best way to see pre-exam whether you really know certain topics. Especially if you don't have a classmate to always ask you questions.

 

[Jamers]

I was wondering if anyone else has had this problem? My problem is that no matter how hard I study I am still at the lower 2/3 of the class during Med tests.
I study at school and I come in at about 7:00-7:30 where I do prereading and make notes of the day's lecture. Class starts about 9:00 and end around 11:00 or 12:00 pm. I eat lunch from 12:00-1:00 and get back to studying or attend afternoon class around 1:00 to 7:00.

When I am study I am making notes, going over lecture material. I am mostly reading my notes and lecture notes and trying to memorize as much as I can.

What do you guys do, any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

I don't know if anyone suggested this but, try going to the gym or doing something other than studying. Sometimes, the more you study, the worse you actually do.

 

[Dr. McDreamy]

wow, you're working really hard. too hard it seems. It doesn't sound like your study method is effective. (though i dont seem to understand the whole bottom 2/3 of the class...what does that mean? that's a pretty big range. does that mean your at the 50th percentile? or the 10th percentile????)

first, how do you learn best? i'm NOT an auditory learner, so I don't go to class. not even one. I get nothing out of going to class. 1 hour after sitting in a lecture, i probably remember the topic of the lecture (ie, the title of it), but not much else.

if you are a visual learner, make diagrams, draw pictures, etc.

But it doesn't sound like just reading the material over and over is going to do it.

second, i find making flash cards so useful. I probably make about 500 cards for every exam (say, monthly). then i go over the cards. all 500 of them.

3rd, do practice questions. and not just the night before the exam.

doing all these things have raised my grades ALOT. I used to struggle to get 75%. Now i'm getting high 80's or 90%s on my exams (except pharm, which i have learned to accept I just suck at).