I can't remember ANYTHING!!!

[auburnO5]

I know I have seen this discussed here before, but I couldn't really find an old thread.

I feel like after each class, or each test even, that all of the material leaves my brain. I am worried that once I get to 3rd year I am not going to know hardly anything (even though I have heard this is normal).

I was wondering if I could get a 3rd or 4th years perspective on this, and if anyone else is having this problem.

Thanks!

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[OveractiveBrain]

(1) You do not need every detail from every exam in third year. In fact, most of what you learn will leave your active memory.

(2) Leaving active memory does not mean lost knowledge. You will be surprised by how easily you will comprehend new concepts. Even if you cant recall the biochemical structure of glucose or the pathologic changes in cirrhosis, you are learning a new language. The vocabulary happens in first year, the grammar in second. BY the time you hit 4th year, you will be writing full prose.

(3) Third and fourth year requires a new set of knowledge. You will be concerned more about history and physical findings guiding diagnostic tests and then therapeutic options. Some of these are conceptual, bringing intuition from 1st and 2nd year learning. Again, even without the details, the knowledge you have acrued will make discussion of therapies and pathology to physical instinctual. At times, the decision is purely empirical, and must be memorized (negating the useful concepts you generate in 1st and 2nd year).

Speaking as an individual who studied very hard in the first two years and performed well, was worried like you are, I can safely say that my understanding and clinical performance is superior to many others in my class, partly because of my committment to the first two years. If you look at disease in your clinical years carefully you can easily piece in "useless" basic science material to fully comprehend whats going on, and what you are going to do.

 

[Perrotfish]

Review regularly. I was very concerned in 3rd year that I was having a memory dump after every test, but was reassured by everyone that the feeling was normal and I'd get it all back come boards. Come boards my first NBME practice test was in the 160s and I ended up taking a month of vacation to not even beat the national average on the test.

What I wish I did was to buy 1 year of Q bank and set aside an afternoon each week to do quesions from old material while reviewing from first aid. Maybe don't worry about it first year, but once you hit pathology and pharm you're going to need the knowledge again.

 

[Pemberley]

I know I have seen this discussed here before, but I couldn't really find an old thread.

I feel like after each class, or each test even, that all of the material leaves my brain. I am worried that once I get to 3rd year I am not going to know hardly anything (even though I have heard this is normal).

I was wondering if I could get a 3rd or 4th years perspective on this, and if anyone else is having this problem.

Thanks!

I have the same problem! I'm not a good trivia-retainer. The "good" news is that the vast majority of what you've learned in the first two years of medical school is exactly that: trivia. You'll have ample opportunity to review the 5% of those factoids that actually are important.

I was rather worried by exactly the same thing, and ended up being very relieved at how little difference it made. The #1 thing that I actually wished I'd retained better was bacteria & antibiotics -- I'm still looking for a good opportunity to make that up.