memory retention..???

[chef]

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I feel like after spending a whole day on a section & doing all UW q's on a subject, I've got most of it down, but after a few days of intense cramming of other subjects, my retention of earlier stuff seems like it's fading away.. am i the only one

 

[GMDMD]

Relax, it's only your imagination.

People make the most visible progress during the first 2-3 weeks. They don't appreciate the progress as much during the next 2-3 weeks but rest assured that knowledge is going somewhere (at least until about the 8 week mark at which point all knowledge disappears). If you're putting the work in, have faith. You are learning >>> than you forget.

EVERYONE feels that way.

 

[lord_jeebus]

Forgetting occurs most rapidly in the hours or days after you memorize something - hence the need for persistent repetition. Retaining everything is futile, you can only work to preserve as much as possible.

 

[UditNarayan]

the key for me was to also find a way to relate to what i was learning or to learn it well the first time around. sure, i definitely forgot little details everyday but when a question asked about a concept that required some details, i could work through the way that i had learned it the first time...repetition is key for having info at your fingertips, but learning it well can let you still think it thru...good luck!

 

[MX health]

Adding to UditNarayan:
What works for me is going over everything at least twice. First time around I do not care about memorizing it. I just need to understand it. The things that are only to be memorized I try to relate to those, make connections and associations, in other words try to find the patterns. (Bugs, Oncogenes, Arches, Pouches, etc.)...then move on. If while studing for another subject I get a reentrance of my prior subjects and is not related to what I'm currently doing I just extinguish the tought.

Second time around I refresh those connections I tried previously and to my surprise the tougths are in there and just need a little refreshening.
The ones that are most difficult to remember I write in a notebook to review the week before the exam. For CK I ended up with 20 pages of a notebook worth of FACTS. For Step 1 I'm already at 20 half way trough...might not be as useful but I'll have to learn the hard way...

(I'm an IMG who decided to take CK(248/99) before step 1.)

Hope this helps someone.

MX