Medicine: between understanding and memorization

[IgR]

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Does medicine depend on understanding OR memorization at the first priority?

Please vote, and post if you have some comments.😕

 

[deleted109597]

The problem with memorization is that you can't memorize everything. And for some reason, most patients don't read the book, so their symptoms aren't what you memorize. Critical thinking is what saves lives.
As you go on, you start to notice that the mnemonics for tests are usually present in less than half of the patients. S1Q3T3 for example.

 

[chintu]

I agree. Yes, memorization will get you better marks in the first two years, especially if you are the "learn it, dump it" type. But once you get to third year you'll realize that a lot of common sense and knowledge of just the core concepts tested on stepI will make you more successful rather than knowing random facts because a LOT of patients will have atypical presentations and so on and you'll have to be flexible and think broad about the differential and the actual diagnosis.

 

[Dr Who]

It depends on the course. In first year for example, gross anatomy, embryology and histology are basically memorization of massive amounts of details. Other courses such as biochem and physiology require you not only to memorize detail, but to conceptualize and understand the processes and how they work. Third and fourth year rotations puts more enphasis on the "understanding" part, as opposed to rote memorization of details. I think you can apply that question to particular courses in med school, but not to the med school experience as a whole, because you can find both in any one particular course.

Dr Who

 

[raidermedic]

One probably needs a good balance of both. But if I were to pick the one it would be understanding. If for no other reason you can always look up that drug you forgot or plug symptoms into 5mcc and have it shoot out differentials. But theres no PDA program for "WTH are things not working?"

 

[Callogician]

If medicine wasn't mostly memorization, I probably wouldn't have become such a stupid tool over the last 13 months.

 

[tacrum43]

Practicing medicine = understanding.
Passing classes like Gross Anatomy = memorization.

So, you need both skills. 🙂

 

[IgR]

I think that even Gross Anatomy depends on understanding more than memorization!

 

[Church]

The problem with memorization is that you can't memorize everything.

Oh, yeah? Just the other day I memorized everything about... about...

 

[YouDontKnowJack]

first understand the info.

then memorize that info

no way around it. i understand everything i read in med school. but the next day, all the **** slipped my mind.

 

[Gosha]

Well, I think that the two are interconnected (and you shouldn’t really try to separate them), provided that there was a proper memorization rather then a dumb drilling. Memorization helps and sometimes even precedes understanding and vice versa – if you truly understand something and basically refresh the knowledge of it every once in a while then it’ll stay in your head. Actually there is a whole system (
click here to find out) that provides you with memory training. Through this memory training you develop a SKILL rather then just a basic knowledge about some “useful” memory tricks. It comes in a lesson form with lots of exercises especially aimed at you actually developing this skill. Memory needs training and exercises in order to stay fit.