- Joined
- Apr 7, 2005
- Messages
- 91
- Reaction score
- 0
so how does one go about doing these tasks?>
thanks...
thanks...
memorizing brs path, phys, 1st aide
- Thread starter zion
- Start date
- Joined
- Aug 28, 2005
- Messages
- 37
- Reaction score
- 0
When people say they "memorized" those three books... do they really mean they MEMORIZED them? People who got ~240 tell me they had them memorized, which I think is a massive task if you really memorize every single detail. For example, do people have every step and enzyme of glycolysis that is in first aid memorized?
Or, are people just TRYING to memorize every detail, but nobody really gets all three books memorized? Of that's the case, I wouldn't start out trying to memorize them because you'll be wasting your time with details in the beginning. I would start by highlighting and memorizing only what you choose. Then, if you've got that, start memorizing what you didn't highlight.
Or, are people just TRYING to memorize every detail, but nobody really gets all three books memorized? Of that's the case, I wouldn't start out trying to memorize them because you'll be wasting your time with details in the beginning. I would start by highlighting and memorizing only what you choose. Then, if you've got that, start memorizing what you didn't highlight.
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2005
- Messages
- 109
- Reaction score
- 0
One technique is to use a 5x8 index card, and turn the book page into a giant flash card.
Read a sentance or two, cover them up, and see if you can repeat, pretty much word-for-word, what those sentences just said. Once you can do these, then slide the card down, and work on the next sentence, line, or whatever.
When you get this technique down, you can cover a page in 10-15 minutes (sometimes less if you're already really familiar with the subject), so 4-5 pages an hour.
You WILL need to go back over this material daily for the next couple of days, so just resign yourself to spending 30% or more of your daily study time on review of freshly-learned material. After several days repetition, it sticks pretty well, and you can review this same stuff every week or two to stay fresh.
As bigfrank said - "Repetition!"
Read a sentance or two, cover them up, and see if you can repeat, pretty much word-for-word, what those sentences just said. Once you can do these, then slide the card down, and work on the next sentence, line, or whatever.
When you get this technique down, you can cover a page in 10-15 minutes (sometimes less if you're already really familiar with the subject), so 4-5 pages an hour.
You WILL need to go back over this material daily for the next couple of days, so just resign yourself to spending 30% or more of your daily study time on review of freshly-learned material. After several days repetition, it sticks pretty well, and you can review this same stuff every week or two to stay fresh.
As bigfrank said - "Repetition!"
- Joined
- Jun 18, 2005
- Messages
- 1,915
- Reaction score
- 13,379
zion said:
Whenever someone uses the word "memorize" in a step one context, I have a micro-infarct.
- Joined
- Apr 17, 2003
- Messages
- 1,397
- Reaction score
- 9
Pompacil, you DO have to memorize. Of course you also have to UNDERSTAND how everything fits together, but that's what doing lots and lots of practice questions is for (at least for me). But you can't 'understand' that, for example, H. influenzae is encapsulated, or that Omeprazole blocks the H/K ATP pump. Once you know these facts you of course have to be able to apply them... but the OPs question makes sense, I think, for all of us: how the heck to go about memorizing the millions of facts we need to know in order to... get it. I'm certainly still working on that myself. *sigh*.
On a side note, do you guys think most people start reviewing for the boards months in advance like we're doing (i've been studying since late Jan, taking boards in late May). I just can't imagine how people manage to 'review', say, all of micro in 5 days or something. Crazyness.
Q
On a side note, do you guys think most people start reviewing for the boards months in advance like we're doing (i've been studying since late Jan, taking boards in late May). I just can't imagine how people manage to 'review', say, all of micro in 5 days or something. Crazyness.
Q
- Joined
- Jun 18, 2005
- Messages
- 1,915
- Reaction score
- 13,379
quideam said:
On your first point....yes I know you have to memorize. I have fond memories of glomerulonephidities and trying to remember if parvoviruses have single or ds DNA. But whenever I see threads about "memorizing" various sexy board review books I always wonder whether or not the OP understands that you have to apply the info as well. Plus I visualize two gunners arguing over what the 3rd word in paragraph 3 of pg 203 in BRS path is. Funny.
On studying....you can go through the salient points of micro, for example, if your really motivated in less than 5 days and then reinforce with qbank...not that hard really. You could study from late Jan on as well, but personally I'm a big fan of having a life. Besides, you still have to learn year 2 stuff right now. So my advice is to look at the corresponding chapters in FA of whatever your studying and chill a little 😉
- Joined
- Oct 6, 2002
- Messages
- 337
- Reaction score
- 5
I doubt that poeple just take those 5 wks and cram all this material. Most people claim they aren't studying for boards just like med students like to pretend they don't study very hard for classes when in reality they hide in the library or home and are studying. I just know that majority of my classmates are studying for boards in one form or another, they just like to play it low by telling others that they'd rather study for classes and learn material well. Do what works well for you; for me I am not a good crammer so I started studying early january for 1-2 h/day and I knocked out pharm, beh sci, and some micro thus far .
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2004
- Messages
- 956
- Reaction score
- 16
In my school, I'd say most of us are not studying for boards quite yet. I guess because our second year curriculum is keeping us busy enough. If I devote too much time to boards right now, I will kill my grades for second year. So most of us really do only study five weeks.
- Joined
- Oct 29, 2003
- Messages
- 2,502
- Reaction score
- 0
i started studying a little at the end of jan, very little in feb, as we just finished finals, and i'm on spring break right now, studying hardcore biochem and neuro. 😴 what an *awesome* spring break 🙂 i keep hearing people say, anything more than 6 weeks of studying, and you'll be sick of it too soon, forget stuff, etc....i'm taking comlex and uslme at the end of may/beginning of june, and we have a whole week of finals, practicals, etc, before we finish 2nd year....in the MIDDLE OF MAY. it sucks, but i iknow that by may, i'll have finished most of the stuff i've wanted to study, without the burden of having to finish it in only 6 weeks (at this point, i have 13 wks), and then i can review all i want the last 4 weeks in may, do qbank, etc. i think my method rocks. 👍 😛 oh, and memorizing of first aid pretty much happens after the 2nd time of reading it anyways.....the mnemonics and super succinct summaries totally help bring everything into focus and to give you the big pic, as long as you have a good background on the info.
