How to study (a specific method needed)?

[Lunare]

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Hi guys,
Just a quick note: I am aware of many topics with the same premise but I didn't see any that would answer my question.

I am 1st year med student and I am yet to find a good study method. Here's what I have done so far:
1) For my high school finals I used flashcards only and it gave me a good result. From the begiinning of medschool I was also using flashcards (Anki) but soon realised that I am learning the answers, not the material.
2) I switched to google sheet for making flashcards. The benefit over Anki is that the questions are not scattered and it is easier to grasp the whole concept. The problem is that I still learn answers only. For example: I can learn what each gland secretes, but if you ask what glands secrete X I could be in trouble. This is especially important on histology exams, where questions are formulated in a way that each answer (ABCD) is completely different - hard to reject any without very detailed knowledge.

I am thinking about Cornell note taking system, because it utilizes flashcards (questions on the side) and allows me to organize the material in a way I can easily grasp it, or so I think.

What are your ideas?

 

[mrbreakfast]

I can learn what each gland secretes, but if you ask what glands secrete X I could be in trouble.

I.e. you're not actually learning the material, you're just learning what goes in each blank. That's the problem with anki, or at least how I've seen it used: it's easy to make a huge number of low-yield cards.

If you want to use flashcards, try high-yield cards. I personally prefer old-fashioned (hand-written), but the general idea is:
1) pick something broad for the front (e.g. thyroid gland)
2) on the back, write out everything you want to know about it in bullets. Like, location, function, what it secretes and its effect, histological info, anything else high-yield from the slides. You might have to write small.
3) When that card comes up, (in your own words) say in your mind everything on the back, like if you were explaining the gland to someone else.
4) Turn it over and if you missed anything, put it in the repeat pile.
5) Run the deck and the repeat pile until everything is correct at least daily until the test.

Obviously making the cards is extremely time-consuming, but the process of making them is studying itself, and you only have to run them a few times total before the test. You could probably do something like this in google sheets or powerpoint too.

 

[PugsAndHugs]

You can always do a double clozed deletion.

For example:

The {{c1::adrenal medulla}} secretes {{c2::catecholamines}}

This way it will test both ways. I do this a lot.

 

[Lunare]

You can always do a double clozed deletion.

For example:

The {{c1::adrenal medulla}} secretes {{c2::catecholamines}}

This way it will test both ways. I do this a lot.

It works for simple sentences like this, but I do not see it working for more complex facts. For example: GI histology test might include a question which is correct? where answers are X gland has layers W, Y, Z.

2) on the back, write out everything you want to know about it in bullets. Like, location, function, what it secretes and its effect, histological info, anything else high-yield from the slides. You might have to write small.
3) When that card comes up, (in your own words) say in your mind everything on the back, like if you were explaining the gland to someone else.
4) Turn it over and if you missed anything, put it in the repeat pile.
.

Those could no longer be considered flashcards because they would consist of quite a few textbook pages. I would still have to divide the material into chunks I could put in flashcards. Your idea seems to go well with Cornell note taking, though.

 

[WildZoo]

Hi guys,
Just a quick note: I am aware of many topics with the same premise but I didn't see any that would answer my question.

I am 1st year med student and I am yet to find a good study method. Here's what I have done so far:
1) For my high school finals I used flashcards only and it gave me a good result. From the begiinning of medschool I was also using flashcards (Anki) but soon realised that I am learning the answers, not the material.
2) I switched to google sheet for making flashcards. The benefit over Anki is that the questions are not scattered and it is easier to grasp the whole concept. The problem is that I still learn answers only. For example: I can learn what each gland secretes, but if you ask what glands secrete X I could be in trouble. This is especially important on histology exams, where questions are formulated in a way that each answer (ABCD) is completely different - hard to reject any without very detailed knowledge.

I am thinking about Cornell note taking system, because it utilizes flashcards (questions on the side) and allows me to organize the material in a way I can easily grasp it, or so I think.

What are your ideas?

You can make cards that get at the material you are looking to learn

So if you think it would be important for you to know which glands secrete x, then make that card.

However, you also should be able to deduce that based on the cards you have, if you're really learning them. If you know the enzymes that glands a, b, and c secrete, your brain will be able to make the connection that x is secreted by b and c, but not a.

I also would not do what was suggested above where you put everything on one card. It's more effective if you split it up into smaller chunks so that when you are reviewing you really know which chunks you need to focus on and which ones you've already learned.

 

[libertyyne]

Anki can be as granular, or as broad as you like, the more specific the better the card. As far as application is concerned , in medical school it is dependent on ability to retrieve a fact and apply that information to rule out answers and select the correct plausible one. It seems like you are having a difficult time with the application aspect. The best solution to that problem is by doing questions and practicing the application. The flip side is you can just brute force where answers are (X gland) has layers (W),( Y), (Z). with cloze deletions around each item, or alternatively you could have an image occluded with the gland and all the layers as individual occlusions.
I tried and failed at cornell notes because , the in house exams we have and the amount of granular information you need to retain for them was too high to every efficiently be covered by other methods by me.

Another thing that i do , that is not strict anki or follow best practice but works for in house exams is take sections of the assigned readings as images and image occlude important facts on the page. This forces me to have context when answering a question, allows me to quickly make cards to cover the material , and be able to recall small factoids.

Medical school is about finding what works for you, try something and track your scores and progress and time and see if was efficient enough to get you what you needed in terms of score and time.

 

[Lunare]

I tried and failed at cornell notes because , the in house exams we have and the amount of granular information you need to retain for them was too high to every efficiently be covered by other methods by me.

Do you mean Cornell is inefficient because of the amount of information one needs to remember?

Another thing that i do , that is not strict anki or follow best practice but works for in house exams is take sections of the assigned readings as images and image occlude important facts on the page. This forces me to have context when answering a question, allows me to quickly make cards to cover the material , and be able to recall small factoids.

I belive that providing too much context makes you learn to answer the question (fill the blank) rather than grasp the concept.

 

[libertyyne]

Do you mean Cornell is inefficient because of the amount of information one needs to remember?
I belive that providing too much context makes you learn to answer the question (fill the blank) rather than grasp the concept.

IDK if you have noticied but medical school is not very conceptual. And when you do get asked a conceptual question it requires you to remember three pieces of information and apply it.There is too much information to remember for cornell for me. But here is the thing, you should do you. If it works for you who cares if it works for a stranger on the internet or not. My method works for me .

 

[sunshinefl]

IDK if you have noticied but medical school is not very conceptual. And when you do get asked a conceptual question it requires you to remember three pieces of information and apply the.There is too much information to remember for cornell for me. But here is the thing, you should do you. If it works for you who cares if it works for a stranger on the internet or not. My method works for me.

This is what kills me. I’m very conceptual and terrible at rote memorization. I always say that on my first pass of material I’m very thorough and learn/conceptualize, but that it takes 1727383662 passes to try to fill in all those details.

I hate when I’m doing a practice question and as I’m reading the stem I come up with the diagnosis, but then they give it in the next sentence. So I think of the hallmarks, prognosis, diagnostic method, epidemiology, etiology, and treatment. But then the question stem goes on to mention all of those too... and I’m like um okay so what are they going to ask? And then it’s some random molecule or something. Ugh.

 

[libertyyne]

This is what kills me. I’m very conceptual and terrible at rote memorization. I always say that on my first pass of material I’m very thorough and learn/conceptualize, but that it takes 1727383662 passes to try to fill in all those details.

I hate when I’m doing a practice question and as I’m reading the stem I come up with the diagnosis, but then they give it in the next sentence. So I think of the hallmarks, prognosis, diagnostic method, epidemiology, etiology, and treatment. But then the question stem goes on to mention all of those too... and I’m like um okay so what are they going to ask? And then it’s some random molecule or something. Ugh.

I would have very much described myself the same as you did. I used to get really annoyed when they would superficially cover soemthing in m1, and then go into detail that seemed completely unnecessary for other topics in the same lecture.
But there is some method to the madness, if you look at the super detailed stuff you recognize it is 1. it is some unique mechanism. 2. it drives treatment through a drug or mechanism. 3. it breaks down in pathology. The other problem is with the extent of observational science associations are not always logical, or we dont alway see the logic and there are paradoxical effects, outcomes and associations that you cant logic through because some case series described something once.

 

[sunshinefl]

I would have very much described myself the same as you did. I used to get really annoyed when they would superficially cover soemthing in m1, and then go into detail that seemed completely unnecessary for other topics in the same lecture.
But there is some method to the madness, if you look at the super detailed stuff you recognize it is 1. it is some unique mechanism. 2. it drives treatment through a drug or mechanism. 3. it breaks down in pathology. The other problem is with the extent of observational science associations are not always logical, or we dont alway see the logic and there are paradoxical effects, outcomes and associations that you cant logic through because some case series described something once.

You are right about those 3, as I’m finding by doing Uworld. I especially have been getting a lot of 2 lately. As of 3am I am now officially well versed in the mechanism of Tamiflu lol.

 

[CyrusHabs7695]

BB/Pathoma/Zanki done

 

[Goro]

Hi guys,
Just a quick note: I am aware of many topics with the same premise but I didn't see any that would answer my question.

I am 1st year med student and I am yet to find a good study method. Here's what I have done so far:
1) For my high school finals I used flashcards only and it gave me a good result. From the begiinning of medschool I was also using flashcards (Anki) but soon realised that I am learning the answers, not the material.
2) I switched to google sheet for making flashcards. The benefit over Anki is that the questions are not scattered and it is easier to grasp the whole concept. The problem is that I still learn answers only. For example: I can learn what each gland secretes, but if you ask what glands secrete X I could be in trouble. This is especially important on histology exams, where questions are formulated in a way that each answer (ABCD) is completely different - hard to reject any without very detailed knowledge.

I am thinking about Cornell note taking system, because it utilizes flashcards (questions on the side) and allows me to organize the material in a way I can easily grasp it, or so I think.

What are your ideas?

Suggest visiting your school's education or learning center.

 

[Lunare]

Suggest visiting your school's education or learning center.

I do not think my university has any 'learning support' stuff but I will check

BB/Pathoma/Zanki done

Nothing will work as my exams are very...specific and require me to use certain resources none online tools use

 

[Goro]

I do not think my university has any 'learning support' stuff but I will check


Nothing will work as my exams are very...specific and require me to use certain resources none online tools use

You have to have some sort of Student Services...check in with them.

And read this:

• Goro's Guide to Success in Medical School (2018 edition)