Incoming MS1... what is Anki/Zanki

[Blake333]

Hey guys!
I’m an incoming Ms1 and want to be ready for school! I’ve been reading some stuff about anki and zanki. What are they? What is the difference between the two? How do you get them and how do you use them? Feel free to give me the basics. I literally know nothing about this. Thanks for your help!

Love,
me

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[swissnational]

Anki is the app. Zanki is separate deck that you can download in the app. As for everything go to r/medschoolanki that will answer all of your questions

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

Youtube is your friend.

 

[Vladimir7]

Youtube is your friend.

Yes, look up Anki resources on Youtube. I personally started with Medical School Insiders for his tips on using Anki to study for MCAT, and how to set it up.. for more in depth guides see: AnKing (Youtube). AnKing will show you what settings to use on Anki, which updates to get, which decks to download based on what you're looking for etc...

Zanki is the most recommended deck for the first two years of medical school, it has 24,000+ cards I believe.

 

[aldol16]

I personally think that Zanki is overkill. Step 1 emphasizes concepts a lot more than random facts (although you do get random facts). I'm not saying don't use Anki at all, but I think that some of the minutiae in Zanki isn't worth the time you put into it.

 

[Cranjis McBasketball]

I personally think that Zanki is overkill. Step 1 emphasizes concepts a lot more than random facts (although you do get random facts). I'm not saying don't use Anki at all, but I think that some of the minutiae in Zanki isn't worth the time you put into it.

I mean.. isn't Zanki basically First Aid, Pathoma, and Sketchy (all essential board prep materials) made into flash cards?

 

[aldol16]

I mean.. isn't Zanki basically First Aid, Pathoma, and Sketchy (all essential board prep materials) made into flash cards?

From what I've seen of Zanki, it tests the information in a very minutiae-oriented way, i.e. can you name the x number of side effects of this drug. While there are certainly high-yield facts/associations to know (e.g. Viagra and vision changes), Step 1 mostly focuses on mechanisms that are known rather than random associations, unless those associations are very important clinically (e.g. pyoderma gangrenosum and IBD).

 

[Vladimir7]

From what I've seen of Zanki, it tests the information in a very minutiae-oriented way, i.e. can you name the x number of side effects of this drug. While there are certainly high-yield facts/associations to know (e.g. Viagra and vision changes), Step 1 mostly focuses on mechanisms that are known rather than random associations, unless those associations are very important clinically (e.g. pyoderma gangrenosum and IBD).

Right, but the point of Zanki isn't just to ace STEP (a comprehensive test) but its also to do well in your core classes which WILL have specific questions on the exams at the end of each module/system.

 

[Cheeni17]

Did you google it before asking

 

[hungrydoc710]

Sooo, worth it to download Anki and the Zanki deck over the summer in prep for second year board studying?

 

[CJhooper123]

Sooo, worth it to download Anki and the Zanki deck over the summer in prep for second year board studying?

Probably worth downloading prior to M1. Based on what people have said, it's easier to start earlier than get overwhelmed with cards/review material during M2. Not going to pre-study, but I'm definitely going to get familiar with Anki before getting train-wrecked by med school.

 

[hungrydoc710]

Probably worth downloading prior to M1. Based on what people have said, it's easier to start earlier than get overwhelmed with cards/review material during M2. Not going to pre-study, but I'm definitely going to get familiar with Anki before getting train-wrecked by med school.

Just finished OMS1 year.
Trying to gather boards materials and organize everything before heading back to school again in 3 weeks for block 5.
Stressful.

 

[teenyfish]

Probably worth downloading prior to M1. Based on what people have said, it's easier to start earlier than get overwhelmed with cards/review material during M2. Not going to pre-study, but I'm definitely going to get familiar with Anki before getting train-wrecked by med school.

Plan on doing the same! I briefly used anki for the MCAT and then forgot all about it. I'll probably watch Youtube and play around with the program prior to med school.

 

[CJhooper123]

Just finished OMS1 year.
Trying to gather boards materials and organize everything before heading back to school again in 3 weeks for block 5.
Stressful.

Nice! I'm sure you'll be fine starting in M2. Good luck!

Plan on doing the same! I briefly used anki for the MCAT and then forgot all about it. I'll probably watch Youtube and play around with the program prior to med school.

Exactly. Trying to streamline my Anki habits. And to be honest... whatever study strategies I think will work, will probably need revising once school starts haha. Anticipating that med school learning will be very different vs. undergrad learning.

Question for everyone - Are there any downsides to using AnKing's overhaul vs the original Anki deck?

 

[aldol16]

Right, but the point of Zanki isn't just to ace STEP (a comprehensive test) but its also to do well in your core classes which WILL have specific questions on the exams at the end of each module/system.

Those specific questions aren't necessarily covered in Zanki. As is evident, each med school has a different curriculum and will emphasize different things. One exam might ask you what the prevalence of T2DM is in the U.S. whereas another might want you to know what neurons in layer IV of the neocortex do. The best way to study for core classes is to find out what is emphasized by those core classes and study that. Along with whatever you need to know for the boards, of course.

 

[TheIllusionist]

STEP1 has a **** ton of minutia. at my school, all 4 270 plus scorers over the last few years swear by it. It isn't a lot, if you do it early enough. STEP requires rather limited fluid intellect. conceptualness is overrated

just do u world. majority of supposedly conceptually tough questions will get covered. I rarely get a question wrong in medicine for thinking the wrong way like in approach to a physics problem. It is more I didn't remember. Also, having a big knowledge banks helps you a lot with eliminating choices, so dividends are really high in slowly memorizing all the high yield stuff.

 

[jhenj529]

STEP1 has a **** ton of minutia. at my school, all 4 270 plus scorers over the last few years swear by it. It isn't a lot, if you do it early enough. STEP requires rather limited fluid intellect. conceptualness is overrated

just do u world. majority of supposedly conceptually tough questions will get covered. I rarely get a question wrong in medicine for thinking the wrong way like in approach to a physics problem. It is more I didn't remember. Also, having a big knowledge banks helps you a lot with eliminating choices, so dividends are really high in slowly memorizing all the high yield stuff.

In fairness, 4 isn't good sample size. Someone in my class said he only studied for step <2 weeks and got a 273

 

[TheIllusionist]

In fairness, 4 isn't good sample size. Someone in my class said he only studied for step <2 weeks and got a 273

In all fairness, there is no data to go by either way. It is all anecdote. If your memory isn't photographic, you have a lot of work to do to know plenty of factoids cold. There is thinking but that isn't the rate limiting step for students that got in meritocratically.

This is fundamentally a licensing exam and knowledge. It isn't meant to be an aptitude test, hence why scores at elite scores don't average all that much higher than scores at middle and even bottom tiers despite being entire standard deviations diff on MCATs

Learning of concepts occurs via questions anyway and carefully doing them. after that, it is about knowing a lot of facts cold. Also, anyone can memorize and then reverse reason into thinking they "understand" by reverse rationalizing with one set of logic due to confirmation bias of knowing the memorized answer. If the answer was unknown, often even good logic would lead the person down the wrong path. Memorization is the basis.

 

[don't you dare]

Do you have to download the $25 AnkiMobile Flashcards or can people just use the free AnkiApp Flashcards?

 

[deleted600623]

Do you have to download the $25 AnkiMobile Flashcards or can people just use the free AnkiApp Flashcards?

Are you talking about the apps on the App Store for iPhones and iPads? If so, buy the $25 Anki mobile app. Make an Anki web account and that way you can sync your progress across multiple devices and do cards if you’re waiting in line for groceries or whatever.

 

[NonTr4ditional]

I'm in an Early Decision Program that will let me know whether I will enter the 2024 class or not by August of this year. If accepted, that will give me a one year heads up before I begin med school in July 2020. What do y'all think of pre studying the Zanki deck for one year?

 

[LebronManning]

I'm in an Early Decision Program that will let me know whether I will enter the 2024 class or not by August of this year. If accepted, that will give me a one year heads up before I begin med school in July 2020. What do y'all think of pre studying the Zanki deck for one year?

No. Earliest to start Zanki is day 1 of med school.

 

[Ko8e24]

Has everyone had a net positive experience with Anki, Step score wise? Incoming MS1 at a newer med school and would like to be proactive with the prep- wondering if Anki is the best way to go.

 

[iforget2]

Has everyone had a net positive experience with Anki, Step score wise? Incoming MS1 at a newer med school and would like to be proactive with the prep- wondering if Anki is the best way to go.

If you google reddit med school Anki there are a lot of success stories using zanki. An important thing to point out is using Anki correctly. Don’t just use Anki as a first pass, don’t put a cap on reviews, finish all reviews every single day