Is my study strategy conducive to doing well on step 1?

[strongboy2005]

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Hi. I'm an MS1 just coming out of my fourth week of exams and I am worried that the way I study will not be conducive to doing well on step 1 when the time arises next year to start studying for it.

So far I have done very well on all my exams, easily in the top 25% of my class, but still not confident in the way I study. What I do is take every lecture and convert it in its entirety to flashcards. I am so thorough that there is no need to refer back to the syllabus for any more information - everything is on my flashcards. I used to print them, but I tried out a new program for reviewing them on my computer and did well this last test doing it that way.

My worry is that this method will not work for studying information from review books like First Aid. To apply my method, I would have to convert the entire book to flashcards. I am afraid to try learning other ways of studying because I don't want to fail, and I know my current method works.

I have read about the Taus method of annotating First Aid and thought it was an interesting way to study - but I'm afraid studying like that would be difficult to do after 2 years of studying one way only. I'm not sure I can just passively read information and make it stick the way it does when I review my notes 4-5 times via active recall with my flashcards.

I see others studying by reading their notes, occasionally stopping to scribble on a self-made review sheet. Is this what is meant by annotating? Is the purpose of annotating more about consolidation of resources to passively read later or is it more to induce active reading and recall? How are you able to memorize fine details like the ten layers of the retina or biochemical pathways by just reading the information multiple times?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[lord_jeebus]

The bulk of my study strategy (which is detailed in some old post that I probably couldn't even find) was to convert all review books to supermemo flash cards and do daily drills up to test day. If you use your review books along with your classes, you will finish your flash card set before you even enter the Step I cramming period. I did not start making flash cards until January of MS2 so I had a lot of catching up to do.

I have a theory that if I took any incoming medical student, had them
-download supermemo (or any flashcard program with a similar algorithm)
-make flashcards covering their coursework and any facts in review books that were skipped by their classes
-do daily flashcard drills with rare exception until Step I
-use subject-specific question collections like Robbins Review with classes (and convert missed questions into flash cards)
-dedicate just enough time needed between classes and Step I to completion of QBank and USMLEWorld

that they would be guaranteed a 240, and would likely exceed 260.

I think your current study method is compatible with this sort of plan, and even if you just keep doing things the way you do now, you will do well on Step I.

I see annotation as a poor method of active learning, although I think this is half of the reason people do it. (the other half being consolidation of facts into a single book)

 

[McGillGrad]

Review books were created to condense your first two years into key words and concepts that jog your memory to the primary information. Creating note cards would serve the same purpose if you do it before your review period begins (otherwise it is a waste of time).

Annotating is adding important words or concepts to First Aid that you need to brush up on or have a hard time recalling, otherwise.