Not sure what I am doing wrong

[palmpalm]

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Hey all,

I have been getting lower grades than expected on exams and I am not sure why. I will give you two examples to illustrate my situation:

1. I had a neuroanatomy exam (practical and written) where I had kept up with all the material and had studied on a daily basis, for several hours per day, for 3 weeks for the exam. I also did tutoring sessions with one of the TAs who was also one of the people who wrote exam questions. I felt very confident, I was sure I knew my stuff and the TA herself said that for sure I will get at least 85 per cent. I ended-up getting 77 percent (combined score of practical and written). I went over my written exam and saw that, obviously, I simply didn't know some things as well as I thought I did. What really got to me though was my grade was the lowest in the whole class! I have friends who did less preparation and did better.

2. I had an anatomy bellringer for which I prepared well (or so I thought). I kept up with the material throughout the term and for the week before the exam I was in the anatomy lab every day going over the cadavers and prosections. I also reviewed Netter's and Rohan's many times. I also did tutoring sessions with a few different TAs, all of whom tested me several times and thought I would do really well. I ended-up, again, with the lowest grade in the class, passing by only 1 percent. Friends of mine, that I studied with, friends who seemed to be about at the same level as me, got much higher grades.
Some of the questions I got wrong were stupid mistakes (like knowing the answer then changing it for instance). Some of the questions I got wrong were because it was material I did not even study (we were told that exam was only from our lab material but the exam ended-up having non-lab manual stuff as well...I argued with the prof about this but that was to no avail). And some of the stuff I got wrong was stuff that I knew whenever I was studying in lab but, for whatever reason, did not recognize during the exam. But my friends did so, why not me?

Now, these happenings lead me to one of the following conclusions: either a) I am just not that smart, b) I am not studying enough (though I cannot imagine what more I could have possibly done, please help me out here). c) maybe I have some kind of undiagnosed learning disorder or trouble taking exams. The trouble with c) is that I did fine in university.

So, what do you all think? Thoughts, suggestions, ideas, advice, recommendations? Please, I really want to do better and I don't know how.

 

[pratik7]

Its hard to know what you dont know till you know it. A couple of days before an exam, my roommate and I would quiz each other for a hour or two. Its pretty helpful in filling in gaps that you may have overlooked. Also try more active learning. Reading just doesnt do it for me..i just cant retain it that way. So i would read, but spend more time doing questions, flashcards, or writing things out on a dry erase board

 

[RugbyJC]

if you got this far, you are not dumb by any means. there are times where I am convinced that I am the stupidest person alive, but I know its not true. med school does that to you. it takes any bit of self confidence that you were born with and flushes it down the toilet. at least for some of us.

i would imagine that you are just studying the wrong way or do not fit into your schools style of testing/learning. you can try different techniques, like studying with a group, making diagrams, watching kaplan videos, using other texts/review books than the ones provided for the classes, making outlines of notes, etc. I thought most of the first two years was rote memorization, with the exception of physio/path which required more of an understanding. maybe you are just not a good memorizer? Maybe you are not "really" studying when you think you are? Do you find you are being more social or take long breaks or screw around on SDN when you really should be studying?

Or, you could do what I did and decide that as long as you are passing you will not stress about grades. I mean, getting the lowest grade on a test might be a big bump in your pride, but as long as you are passing your classes (or do you have a grading system?) and then do decently on the boards, you will still get into residency. The style of learning/testing is far different during the last two years, and unless you want something super competative your grades now really won't mean anything (unless you are failing).

Good luck

 

[palmpalm]

thanks for the responses so far, guys. It seems that the both of you have honed in on maybe I simply don't know my stuff well enough (i.e. option b), not studying enough/properly). I am thinking that also but I am not sure. Me and my friends do quiz each other before tests/exams and I test myself (old tests, writing out what I know from memory, labeling diagrams from memory etc., etc.) I appreciate your input. Please keep it coming guys, I want to hear what everyone has to say 🙂

 

[Perrotfish]

You didn't really mention group study in your analysis of your study habits. Do you work with study groups regularly?

 

[palmpalm]

hi Parrotfish, yes, me and a couple of friends like to get together and go over stuff/quizz each other.

 

[OncoCaP]

The main thing that you are doing that I'm not doing is comparing yourself to others. It's the med school "way" to compare students, even brilliant students and this can cause a lot of unnecessary pain, as far as I can tell (it can have positive effects too, but I'm leaning toward 95% damaging).

Guess what, someone in your class is going to get the lowest grade in the class. I've known a number of people will poor grades as undergrads that have gone on to be extremely successful outside of school. Just keep in mind that while grades can be helpful, there are many other factors (such as work ethic, attention to detail, people skills) that determine personal worth and chances of success.

No one wants to be that person with the lowest grade, but you could be a genius and if you are in a class with students who perform better on tests, you will still come out at the bottom. It sounds like you are being very responsible and learning the material as best as you can. Maybe just keep it up and learn what you need to know to become an excellent physician. The grading scale in "real life" will be much different. The physicians I have run across who have been less successful than they hoped to be didn't necessarily score low on exams; they had other more basic issues such as certain ethical problems.

 

[palmpalm]

OncoCap,

Thank-you for your remarks. I want to note, though, that I am not comparing myself to others in the sense that I feel I am competing with them. Not at all, I don't care what grades others get. What I care about is how I am doing and, the point is, I am doing poorly, barely passing. That should not be happening when I do all my work, study, and feel that I am prepared. Indeed, the people who make the exam questions even tell me I am prepared and then I still do poorly. There is obviously some disconect and I wish to find it and fix it as best I can. I realize that I can't always be on top, and that is fine with me. But I should certainly be getting better grades than I am getting, this has nothing to do with the others. I am comparing myself to myself. It simply does not make sense that when I have studied so hard, so much, and feel so confident, I should get a sixty-something on an exam that a statistically significant number of people did much better on. Something just doesn't make sense and I want to find out what that something is and fix it ASAP. You are right that someone needs to be at the very bottom but for that someone to be a smart, hard-working student who does all his work and feels prepared, who is both personally confident and has the approval (in terms of readiness for the exam) of the very people who write the exam questions
is quite odd indeed. Either I am not studying enough (I can't imagine how I could study more but I suppose it is possible), not studying properly, or I am not at by best for the exams, for some other reason (LD, too much anxiety, though I don't feel that really, something else?).

The more I write about this and talk about this and think about this the more I am drawn to the conclusion that I am just not working hard enough. Perhaps I really do need to study more. The fact is, I just don't know how/if that is possible. I could cut into my sleep time but then, of course, I would be less productive due to sleep deprevation. The truth is, though I think that more studying would help, I don't feel that I have the time. Which then makes me feel like I just ain't cut out for this despite my loving it. I have fought a very hard road to get to medical school (I won't trouble you all with my story here but if anyone wants to know I don't mind telling them) and I ain't gonna quit now. I just wanna do better. I don't wanna pass exams by just 1%. I'm gonna go ahead and invoke a comparison now 😛, if other people can do better than there is NO reason why I can't as well! I just need to identify the problem, construct a solution, and implement it.

Please keep the responses coming! 🙂

 

[TMP-SMX]

Medical school, and practicing medicine are going to be full of ups and downs. You can study hard and do your best job but your patient may just die anyway. A test can be especially hard and a lot of it comes down to luck. You can minimize the role luck plays by preparing fully and taking practice tests. I went from my highest grade in medical school to the lowest from unit 3 to 4 anatomy. There's often no rhyme or reason to it just pass and do your best. Don't get down on yourself by comparing your grade to others. It's an endurance race and if you don't like your grade you just have to study more and it's as simple as that. Another example is that I thought I failed our first physiology test because it was so brutal. However when I take into account my standard score compared to the rest of the class it was one of my highest grades. Unfortunately that also means that a lot of people failed the test. Average was 73 and the danger zone was 69. On the other hand, our biochemistry was our easiest test of med school so far and the average was an 88%. I got an 82% and considering the average it's one of my lower grades of med school.

 

[anum]

Hey all,

I have been getting lower grades than expected on exams and I am not sure why. I will give you two examples to illustrate my situation:

1. I had a neuroanatomy exam (practical and written) where I had kept up with all the material and had studied on a daily basis, for several hours per day, for 3 weeks for the exam. I also did tutoring sessions with one of the TAs who was also one of the people who wrote exam questions. I felt very confident, I was sure I knew my stuff and the TA herself said that for sure I will get at least 85 per cent. I ended-up getting 77 percent (combined score of practical and written). I went over my written exam and saw that, obviously, I simply didn't know some things as well as I thought I did. What really got to me though was my grade was the lowest in the whole class! I have friends who did less preparation and did better.

2. I had an anatomy bellringer for which I prepared well (or so I thought). I kept up with the material throughout the term and for the week before the exam I was in the anatomy lab every day going over the cadavers and prosections. I also reviewed Netter's and Rohan's many times. I also did tutoring sessions with a few different TAs, all of whom tested me several times and thought I would do really well. I ended-up, again, with the lowest grade in the class, passing by only 1 percent. Friends of mine, that I studied with, friends who seemed to be about at the same level as me, got much higher grades.
Some of the questions I got wrong were stupid mistakes (like knowing the answer then changing it for instance). Some of the questions I got wrong were because it was material I did not even study (we were told that exam was only from our lab material but the exam ended-up having non-lab manual stuff as well...I argued with the prof about this but that was to no avail). And some of the stuff I got wrong was stuff that I knew whenever I was studying in lab but, for whatever reason, did not recognize during the exam. But my friends did so, why not me?

Now, these happenings lead me to one of the following conclusions: either a) I am just not that smart, b) I am not studying enough (though I cannot imagine what more I could have possibly done, please help me out here). c) maybe I have some kind of undiagnosed learning disorder or trouble taking exams. The trouble with c) is that I did fine in university.

So, what do you all think? Thoughts, suggestions, ideas, advice, recommendations? Please, I really want to do better and I don't know how.

i think you are pulling yourself a bit too hard....look working hard is the best thing in the world!!! there is nothing compared to it but!!! this hardwork must be directed in the right direction!!!

from what you write i sense that you are studying to get 85, 95 or so not to know the subject....be passionate about the subject not about the grades and you will get more than the set target! try this and i dont think if u r getting 77 u have some problem with learning! good luk and a very happy new year!😉

 

[OncHeme2B]

YOU'RE NOT STUPID!!! YOU NEED A FRIEND TO QUIZ YOU ON STUFF - YOU CAN DO IT! I HAVE BEEN THERE AND I KNOW IT STINKS - BUT KEEP THE FAITH!!!

Good luck 🙂

 

[Xotica]

I noticed that you wrote about not knowing something as well as you thought you did. One thing that I've noticed in med school is that you have to completely understand a concept before moving on to the next one (because they will test the details!) For me, I can "kind of" get a concept on the 1st or 2nd read through but it takes a lot of concentration and effort and may be a 5th, 6th, or 7th read through to fully understand everything. Be meticulous, read slowly, and read for comprehension.

Also, try to recall things that you've memorized the next day and three days ago etc. One thing that has helped me is to write a question about the main topic that I'm studying when I'm studying it. Maybe I'll write 10 total questions (I don't write the answers it takes too long) for a lecture. After I'm done studying I'll ask one of my friends all the questions (on the same day). If he does not get the question I will explain the answer to him as completely as I can. Then I keep the list of questions and will glance at it maybe 3 days down the road and make sure that I can recall all of the answers.

 

[OncoCaP]

Oh, ok. I see where you're coming from more clearly now. Seems like people have made a number of suggestions already. The important thing is that you are passing, barely or not. This means you have some time to tweak your study approach. Give yourself some time to improve (since you have the time). You can't just start studying differently and expect to master the new approach on day one. Your grades may actually go down a bit as you adopt better studying techniques but have not yet gotten comfortable with them yet. Methodically make improvements and you will get there, even if you have setbacks. Opt for small changes and see if they seem to help. It will take some time and you'll have ups and downs, but from what I can tell you have a good attitude and work ethic that *WILL* pay off. Give yourself some time to improve and continue to do your best.

 

[NotAProgDirector]

In your original post, you point out that when you correct your exams you find the following errors:

1. "Stupid mistakes" (Your words, not mine 🙂) -- you know the right answer, answer it, and then change to a wrong answer later on.

2. You simply did not ever know the answer, and thus never had a chance to get it right.

3. You "knew" the answer when studying, but then "blank" when you take the exam.

Exactly how to change your studying would seem to depend on how much each of these affects your final score.

#1 is "easy" -- you should make a rule of never changing answers. IN general, your first gut instinct is correct.

#2 is hard -- the only solution is studying more, or studying "differently", whatever that means...

#3 is in some way the hardest. It could be that you panic and freeze up. It could be that you really didn't know the material as much as you thought. How to address this is not clear. If you're freezing, then some relaxation techniques might be good?

 

[mjl1717]

YOU'RE NOT STUPID!!! YOU NEED A FRIEND TO QUIZ YOU ON STUFF - YOU CAN DO IT! I HAVE BEEN THERE AND I KNOW IT STINKS - BUT KEEP THE FAITH!!!

Good luck 🙂

Decent advice!! Bloody or not.. Just keep fighting!!

 

[Hoya11]

I felt compelled to say something since this sounds a little like what I went through during first year...I started turning it around at about this point in the year.

From reading what you have said, it sounds like you have not developed the "med school study method". This was my problem since I came from a non-bio major. You are meeting with TAs, you have tutoring sessions, you study daily...
sounds like all fluff and no brute force. You are not trying to understand things here on a deep level, you are looking to PLOW through material and know absolutely everything about what you just read on a rote memorization level.

This is what I did...

stop going to classes.

sit down with ONE source, a syllabus, class notes, a particular textbook, etc.. but only one source and focus on knowing every word in that source.

get a stimulant, coffee, energy drink, rx, whatever.

sit down and read in a quiet room where u can be comfortable, not the library for me.

set a reasonable reading goal for each day and accomplish it according to a planned schedule. no more no less.

you should study for about 8 hours consecutively with only 1-2 10 minute breaks max (you are trying to "get in the zone" and dont want to break it). and no getting out early, if you finish before 8 hours start again or hone in on the stuff scheduled only. no new stuff. plan to do nothing else afterwards or before.

do 3-4 of these days in a row and then take a day off to avoid burnout where maybe you do questions from old tests for an hour or so max. spend the rest of the time on your off day recovering from intense studying, showering, eating, sleeping, etc..

finish reading all the material for your first time at least three days before the test. 3 days before the test start re-studying everything top to bottom in the order you read it in the first place. this may take two days. no more than two days of cumulative reviewing, intense 8 hours days w/stimulant like before.

2 days before the test have an off day. take a practice test. thats it.

finally, the day before the test is one last intense day like before but you spend this time reviewing your test from the day before and going over the answers, answer choice by answer choice for each question and why it is wrong or right. may or may not do a general review once more through your source.

take test.

good luck, it worked for me...

 

[palmpalm]

thanks, Hoya, for the reply but that sounds pretty intense. Also, we have mandatory classes and not all of our classes have clear outlines/syllibi so going to class is pretty important. Also, I don't think I would last long doing what you are suggesting. And stimulants and me don't mix (just one cup of coffee makes me twitch and jitter and gives me anxiety attacks).

What does everyone else think about what Hoya said?

(I also find that textbooks contained way too much detail then we need to know so reading them can be wasted study time sometimes. What do you all think?)

I am all open to study strategies/ideas for me. I have read through many of the threads on here on how to study and memorize but perhaps, Like Hoya had, you all have some specific recommendations for me based on what you now know about me. Prescriptions please! 🙂

 

[TMP-SMX]

Just try tea and work yourself up to coffee with higher amounts of caffeine. It takes time. Make sure the last few days before a test you are really hitting your notes hard. Make sure you go through all of your material over and over and make sure you know the stuff conceptually. There is no secret.

What I do isn't pleasant but you need to study pretty much all day for those last few days. But as you go along just make sure you study at least for a bit every single day. Take a day off if you would like but if you study a bit every day and take a day or so a week to consolidate your knowledge and review what you've done already then I guarantee you will pass and probably do well depending on how well you take tests.

 

[PenguinHead]

I'd echo most of what others have said. Since you are already studying hard, I'd say you have to change your method.

1. Make sure you're getting plenty of sleep. Sleep is necessary to consolidate memory.
2. If you've been avoiding thick text books, maybe give them a try. Sometimes they help, sometimes not. It helped me a LOT in neuro.
3. After you've learned a concept, (like branchial apparatus), take a look at it in FA. They have great ways to memorize key concepts.
4. For what it's worth, I always work old tests twice. Old questions are extremely high yield for those that have access to them.

 

[Snarky]

Often times in medschool, understanding the key concepts well include finding a good source that works for you. For me, I start out with a review text book and then once I understand the basic concept, I refer to a text book to get an overall in depth understanding of the concept. For example, for anatomy, either before attending the in class lecture or watching the lecture video, I would look at the syllabus and go to aclands video and watch the video of the material that would be covered in the lecture. I get more out of the lecture by watching the acland video prior to the lecture. Then after class, I read the BRS first (that usually doesn't take too long because its succint) and then follow up with reading grays anatomy for students.

Also, I never miss a chance to explain whatever concepts I have learned or know to a friend that needs help (sometimes people might mistake you for a show off, but if you do it sincerely enough, it'll work out). Being able to explain something clearly to someone is the best indicator of mastery of the concept. I have found that sometimes I catch myself saying something that is clearly wrong (Understood it in the wrong way initially) or have difficulty explaining the concept (I need to study/understand the concept better). Also I tend to remember things that I have taught to someone else.

I agree with a lot of what Hoya said. But I have personally found it better to attend most (not all) lectures and take good notes. If need be, I'll watch some portions of some lectuers again. Also, I don't recommend studying consecutively for 8hrs with only 1 or 2 10 min breaks. YOu are not going to save much time by doing that but, will retain more if you take breaks. Take a 10 min break every hour.

Remember:
REPETITION IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS.
EXPLAIN CONCEPTS YOU HAVE LEARNED TO OTHERS.
TRY TO APPLY THE CONCEPTS TO CLINICAL SITUATIONS.

If you do these, I am sure that you will start doing well in medical school. Good luck!!

 

[chaser08]

You have some good advice above. Let me add my .02 since I was in a similar situation a couple of years ago:

It's likely you are not studying effectively. Several things I would suggest:

1. Talk with your professor. S/He may be able to help you in terms of what to study (the book? ppt slides? handouts?) and this will let them know that you are concerned about your grade. If possible, try and set up remedial sessions with the professor or TA. Hopefully you are not relying too heavily on the quizzes for what will be on the test. Some professors will deliberately avoid covering those same subjects in the same way because they know the old quizzes are out there.

2. Get in the gross lab! Some people can learn from the atlas, but for most people, lab time is directly proportional to grades on the practical. It's not only about looking at your body, but all of the bodies so that you can see how the same organ/vessel/nerve can look different in different bodies. Also, when in the lab, stick with the "smart kids" - they will not only help you identify body parts, but will likely also give you "good to know information" (innervation, action, insertion, etc) that helps with the written portion. Once you feel confident that you know the bodies, drag someone in with me and "teach" them what you know. This will help confirm what you think you know.

3. Get a new study group. It's obvious that the one you are using is not working for you. I went through several study groups before I settled down to studying with one other partner. Qualities to look for in a study partner: 1) Preferably, they be smarter than you. At least in the subjects you need help with. 2) Challenges you. I've been in groups where I just end up being a sounding board for a partner and I don't end up learning anything. My final partner was someone who would not let up until I proved that I knew the material ("Quick! Tell me all the enzymes for glycolysis in reverse order! Now alphabetically!") - I thanked him many a time in the middle of my exams 🙄. 3) Friendship has nothing to do with it. In fact, often these can make the worst study partners. It's got to be about setting goals and getting results. No results? Move on. NB: Don't be a leech. You've got to come to the study group having read and prepared to review, quiz, teach, and learn.

4. Study smarter, not harder. You can't learn everything, and no one expects you to. But you've got to become savvy about what is important. Generally, it's what's in class, handouts, ppts, etc. Even if it is more than this, if you know these items back and forth, that should go a long way to helping you get a better grade. Talk to the smart kids - the ones who look like they work hard and are rewarded for it. Ask them what they're doing, how they're studying. Try to minimize cramming - my partner and I would basically try to finish studying 2-3 days before an exam and start hard core reviewing. That way, you've gone through everything at least twice (and probably 3-4 times if you've been reviewing along the way).

5. Figure out how you learn. Are you an auditory learner? Hands-on? For me, listening to lectures is useless - I have to write everything down, even if it means re-writing a ppt slide, then I write a summary in my own words. I've wasted lots of paper (trees scream in terror when I walk by!), but it gets the job done. This is going to be key because there's going to come a time when you won't be able to use a group (3rd yr, residency) and you're going to have to learn on your own.

Last but not least, you are certainly not stupid or otherwise learning disabled. While your grades may not be the best, you still seem to be doing fine. I think once you find out your best study method, you will see your grade improve dramatically.

HTH.

 

[chicklett1]

To the OP, I feel you. I think the two courses you mentioned, Neuro and Gross, are particularly challenging when compared to other subjects, because they are comprised of a totally different kind of information than, say, biochemistry or hematology. Neuro and gross both require you to be able to visualize really complex things in your head, and understand what those mental images mean spatially. Maybe you're like me and your problem isn't so much that you're not studying as it is a need for increased proficiency at spacial relations. For example, I found that I couldn't learn any details about the dorsal column medial lemniscus pathway until I knew exactly where it was and how it traveled up the spinal cord and where it crossed over and what that looked like in cross section. Likewise, I can't tell you what a particular forearm muscle does unless I can picture in my head exactly how it should lie in relation to all the other forearm muscles. What helped me, particularly in neuro, was to train myself to start with a blank sheet of paper and draw it--even if it's just a schematic. Look at how Netter draws the brachial arteries as an example. If you know it well enough in your head that you can throw it down on paper in a few seconds, than you really really know it. I even went to staples and bought a huge white board so I could draw stuff at home while I studied.

Hope that helps. Try not to get too down on yourself. The stuff that you've really struggled to learn will probably stick with you well after the test.

 

[MonkeyNuts!]

FIgure out what's gonna be on the test, and then study the hell out of it.

Look at old exams, ask your upperclassmen what was on it and how they prepared for it, etc.

With all the material that's covered in a single class, it's ridiculous to think you might know everything or should know everything. Anything that won't prepare you for your exam is a waste of time.

 

[hakim100]

don't worry to much, I think a lot of people are in the same boat. I for one attribute it to the fact I'm naturally better at concepts and math, which gets you no where in medschool. Give me some calculus and I'll nock it out easily. Memorizing masses of material is painful for me. I was an engineering major in undergrand, and didn't do any memorizing for almost 5 years (except for biology and organic). Learning how to memorize has taken me a lot of work, and I'm still struggling. EVEN when I put forth my best effort and bust my ass (put in as many hours as I possibly can), i only do slightly above our class average...

I have learned I have a bad habbit of skipping over words I don't know as long as I get the concepts (which goes back to my natural engineering tendencies). So to counter that I underline all the buzzwords that I don't know and force my self to focus on them. I think medschool is all about figuring out how you learn and its different for everyone. Unfortunately by the time I get it down, 2nd year will be over

 

[babel]

4. Study smarter, not harder.

5. Figure out how you learn.

I think these points really are the most important things to focus on - I recently revamped my study habits, and saw my exam scores shoot up. From my own experience:

1. Focus on what is important!! This may vary by school, but I think it is safe to say that material presented in lecture is DEFINITELY important. Start with this! Don't feel compelled to do the reading if it doesn't work for you. There is only so much time in the day - Early on in anatomy, I was so worried about missing some detail in Gray's that I spent hours and hours reading, and retained nothing. Now I've let the assigned reading go (the horror! ) and I start with the lectures - if a topic isn't well explained, or I need a diagram etc., then I will consult the book, and write the necessary details in the margins of my lecture notes. And this leads into....

2. Repetition! You may feel like you know something well, but studying it over and over really is key, I think. This leads back to #1 because given the time you need to spend on repetition (and studying things in different formats - flashcards, outlines, diagrams for arteries/nerves etc.) you will most likely have to limit the sources that you use for studying - and though all schools are different (mine has even changed our exams substantially from previous years, which has been oh-so-fun), I think starting with the lecture notes is your best bet, in any case.

In conclusion, I think you just need to figure out a better way to study (you certainly seem neither lazy nor incompetent). Good luck and hang in there!

 

[fang]

Lots of great advice here. I'll add mine to what others have said-- make sure you study the highest-yeild material. You need to be savvy to figure out what that is. At my school, it was the lecture notes... I literally wrote them all out again (particularly the nit-picky details to memorize) and then read my notes the night before the exam, and it worked very well.

 

[cfdavid]

The main thing that you are doing that I'm not doing is comparing yourself to others. It's the med school "way" to compare students, even brilliant students and this can cause a lot of unnecessary pain, as far as I can tell (it can have positive effects too, but I'm leaning toward 95% damaging).

Guess what, someone in your class is going to get the lowest grade in the class. I've known a number of people will poor grades as undergrads that have gone on to be extremely successful outside of school. Just keep in mind that while grades can be helpful, there are many other factors (such as work ethic, attention to detail, people skills) that determine personal worth and chances of success.

No one wants to be that person with the lowest grade, but you could be a genius and if you are in a class with students who perform better on tests, you will still come out at the bottom. It sounds like you are being very responsible and learning the material as best as you can. Maybe just keep it up and learn what you need to know to become an excellent physician. The grading scale in "real life" will be much different. The physicians I have run across who have been less successful than they hoped to be didn't necessarily score low on exams; they had other more basic issues such as certain ethical problems.

I totally agree. It does you no good to "compare" yourself to others all the time. As long as I feel competent, I really don't care about what my classmates know or don't know (within reason. you know what I mean). If you stay focused on yourself, you'll be a lot better off.

I think it comes down to confidence in a way. Not sure what you can do to foster this, but perhaps just realizing that different people have different strengths. And, I'll tell you something. If you're not the best memorizer (an asset in med school), it's not the end of the world. By the time you get let loose on the public, you'll be competent.

Whatever the case may be, it seems like you're trying hard and getting the necessary help. But, I've found that the best way to do well is to simply go over the material as much as possible. Repetition. You may not be getting enough repetition if you're spending so much time with tutors etc. Try something different, like hitting the material hard on your own.

Good luck. Also remember that perhaps those subjects simply aren't your strengths.

 

[palmpalm]

Hey all,

First, thanks again for all the amazing replies; most of them were indeed helpful.

Second, I want to let you all know what has transpired since I last posted. I passed all but two of my exams. Both of the exams that I failed were written when I had not slept and was suffering from anxiety for which I am now taking medication. (there was some non-med school related stuff going on in my life during exams that stressed me out). So I am actually pretty proud of myself for doing as well as I did.

Third, I am thinking that my main problem is not memorizing all the details. That is, when I read over stuff or listen/watch lectures on stuff I almost always understand everything, every little detail. But I don't always remember every little detail. So perhaps I need to work on memorizing stuff better. What do you all think?

Like, let's say I go through lecture notes a few times I will remember like 80 per cent of it but I miss that other 20 percent, I am not remembering ALL the details. How can I improve in this area I think is my new question. What do you all think about this?

Thanks again!

 

[crimsonkid85]

dunno if this will be helpful, but here's my 2cents, anyway.

1. your pre-clinical grades don't matter all that much. i'm a first-year, so this isn't coming from my personal experience so much as just a repetition of what older students/residents/professors say, but if it helps you allay your anxiety a little during your test, maybe you'll do better because of it, and every little bit helps, right?

2. remember that some things come easier to some people; perhaps you just haven't found you niche yet. i studied organic synthesis and chemical biology in college. med school biophysical/biochemical principles, cell physiology, genetics, and metabolism was a breeze to me. i took a class on immunology during college, so this was easy, too. my friend was a neuroscience major in college, and took most of her courses in organismal biology/electrophysiology. she did NOT well during the first few months of med school. but then anatomy arrived, and we both waded through thorax, abdomen, and back/limbs. then head/neck came, and omg i sunk like a rock and she took to it like a fish to water. now we're in neuroscience/neuroanatomy/psych, and she lives/breathes this stuff, and i can't WAIT till it's over. perhaps you just haven't found your best subject yet...it'll come.

3. perhaps this is a little jaded...but. if you want to do well on tests, then you must remember that there are professors writing this exam. as such, you MUST figure out what they like to put on exams. Stuff from lecture slides? Stuff from lecture notes? Stuff not talked about in class, but covered in the reading? Once you know where the emphasis is, FIRST study that part, THEN look at other things. I found that during anatomy, for example, although Grey's Anatomy was a great way for ME to learn material (I'm a textbook reader), rereading it for the exam would be stupid, since none of our questions came from it. So after I read Grey's once through, I memorized every last line of lecture notes. Who really thinks that the hip joint differs from the glenohumeral joint in EXACT 4 ways? Nobody, but that's what's on the lecture notes, and that's the 4 things they're looking for on the exam.

4. I can't tell if you're studying hard enough. Personally, I'm a nerd and happen to study a lot. But a lot of my friends study less than me, and they do fantastically, too. But they ARE spending signifcant amounts of time studying. Ask yourself, are you studying enough?

 

[nightowl]

Do you have access to old tests? If so- they are your best friend. Use them! Go over the material once. Then look at old tests, or just study questions from a review book- and see what kind of questions they're asking. I had a really, really hard time first year. I was trying too hard to "understand the concept" without spending nearly enough time memorizing high yeild details and studying strategically the stuff they were most likely to test on. When people say "study smart" that's what they're talking about. I had no idea last year what the h*ll that was supposed to mean. My grades were hit or miss- sometimes high, sometimes failing. Since I've figured out my strategy though, they've been consistently pretty good.

I also make note cards on picky details I need to memorize, for some extra repitition. Take them to the gym, read over them when it's convenient. Those details matter when it comes to the test!

I'd say spend 60% of your time going over the material and reviewing it, and 40% working questions/old tests and figuring out why you picked the wrong answers.

Hope this works for you. Just hang in there, all you really have to do is pass!

 

[palmpalm]

Thanks for the replies. I always try to go over the notes and then do old tests/exams but I find that I simply don't have enough time to effectively do both. Indeed, sometimes it takes me so much time to go over the notes that I barely finish those ones before an exam. For most of my exams this past term, it took me about 2 days to get through just the lecture notes once. Then, with whatever time I had left (usually just a few hours) I would go over some old exams/tests.

This lack of time is true during the term itself when I am in class from 8am-6pm 5 days a week. At bare minimum,, I try to review my notes for the day when I get home but I am usually pretty fried.

 

[crimsonkid85]

Thanks for the replies. I always try to go over the notes and then do old tests/exams but I find that I simply don't have enough time to effectively do both. Indeed, sometimes it takes me so much time to go over the notes that I barely finish those ones before an exam. For most of my exams this past term, it took me about 2 days to get through just the lecture notes once. Then, with whatever time I had left (usually just a few hours) I would go over some old exams/tests.

This lack of time is true during the term itself when I am in class from 8am-6pm 5 days a week. At bare minimum,, I try to review my notes for the day when I get home but I am usually pretty fried.

quit studying your lecture notes! ALWAYS do ALL of the practice exams. they will tell you what you know/don't know. when doing the exams, whenever you get a question wrong, go to that section of the lecture notes, and go through that lecture. this is the method that works for me.

 

[palmpalm]

quit studying your lecture notes! ALWAYS do ALL of the practice exams. they will tell you what you know/don't know. when doing the exams, whenever you get a question wrong, go to that section of the lecture notes, and go through that lecture. this is the method that works for me.

I've tried that but without looking at my lecture notes first I can't usually do any of the questions on the old exams. I need to go through the notes first, at least once, before I can do the questions. I mean, I don't remember lectures I had in September in the middle of January, I have to review them first. Me, and my friends, always feel like going over old exams without having first reviewed the material is a big waste of time.

 

[samenewme]

Make your review of the notes a little more cursory so you can get through it all. Don't memorize the things yet. Then go through the old exams, question by question. If you get it right, hurray. If you get it wrong, look at all the answers, figure out why it's right, what you would have needed to know to get that right, learn that, and move on. It is not necessary to *really* know the material on the practice exam to benefit from using it. The object is NOT to accurately predict your future score for betting purposes, but to find out what you don't know and learn those things.

 

[sprinkibrio]

i like to look over my test after i get the score back and analyze why i got each question wrong... was it that i didn't read the question because i needed to slow down, was it because i didn't think i had to know that equation/pathway. it helps a lot for the next test in the class.

also, i would go talk to my learning adviser if there's a position like that in your school (a person that sets up tutoring or helps those who's failing and who gives study advice). they can give you a ton of suggestions.

 

[palmpalm]

Hey, I thought I would give y'all an update on what I have been doing. I stopped going to class and started reading at home instead. It has been okay but there as been no difference in terms of my exam/test performance. I am doing about the same, barely passing or not passing at all. Also, I am finding it hard to keep up with all the reading instead of going to lecture. I also feel guilty about not being in class, feel like I have been slacking off. I am going to start going to class again from now on and am going to try to do a fair bit of textbook reading as well. My advisor thinks this is a good idea. We shall see what happens.

 

[remo]

I felt compelled to say something since this sounds a little like what I went through during first year...I started turning it around at about this point in the year.

From reading what you have said, it sounds like you have not developed the "med school study method". This was my problem since I came from a non-bio major. You are meeting with TAs, you have tutoring sessions, you study daily...
sounds like all fluff and no brute force. You are not trying to understand things here on a deep level, you are looking to PLOW through material and know absolutely everything about what you just read on a rote memorization level.

This is what I did...

stop going to classes.

sit down with ONE source, a syllabus, class notes, a particular textbook, etc.. but only one source and focus on knowing every word in that source.

get a stimulant, coffee, energy drink, rx, whatever.

sit down and read in a quiet room where u can be comfortable, not the library for me.

set a reasonable reading goal for each day and accomplish it according to a planned schedule. no more no less.

you should study for about 8 hours consecutively with only 1-2 10 minute breaks max (you are trying to "get in the zone" and dont want to break it). and no getting out early, if you finish before 8 hours start again or hone in on the stuff scheduled only. no new stuff. plan to do nothing else afterwards or before.

do 3-4 of these days in a row and then take a day off to avoid burnout where maybe you do questions from old tests for an hour or so max. spend the rest of the time on your off day recovering from intense studying, showering, eating, sleeping, etc..

finish reading all the material for your first time at least three days before the test. 3 days before the test start re-studying everything top to bottom in the order you read it in the first place. this may take two days. no more than two days of cumulative reviewing, intense 8 hours days w/stimulant like before.

2 days before the test have an off day. take a practice test. thats it.

finally, the day before the test is one last intense day like before but you spend this time reviewing your test from the day before and going over the answers, answer choice by answer choice for each question and why it is wrong or right. may or may not do a general review once more through your source.

take test.

good luck, it worked for me...

This is an awesome post! Hoya11 is right - It's all about brute force studying. I pretty much use the same system but I take much longer breaks. (like 30 min every hour or 2). I study at home and I need to watch tv, check email, etc... every hour or 2 and it keeps me going. It drags out my studying but I don't get burned out. My system is (and I always score average or higher on exams - so far🙂):

 

[GoBuckeyes913]

Some of the questions I got wrong were stupid mistakes (like knowing the answer then changing it for instance).
Now, these happenings lead me to one of the following conclusions: either a) I am just not that smart, b) I am not studying enough (though I cannot imagine what more I could have possibly done, please help me out here). c) maybe I have some kind of undiagnosed learning disorder or trouble taking exams. The trouble with c) is that I did fine in university.

So, what do you all think? Thoughts, suggestions, ideas, advice, recommendations? Please, I really want to do better and I don't know how.

Changing answers is a big no-no! 🙂 But now you are aware. It sounds like you are putting in enough time studying, but may not be studying all the "right" material (easy to do!). Make sure you know something in-and-out before moving on to the next objective.

Hey all,

First, thanks again for all the amazing replies; most of them were indeed helpful.

Second, I want to let you all know what has transpired since I last posted. I passed all but two of my exams. Both of the exams that I failed were written when I had not slept and was suffering from anxiety for which I am now taking medication. (there was some non-med school related stuff going on in my life during exams that stressed me out). So I am actually pretty proud of myself for doing as well as I did.
Thanks again!

This can really put a road-block in your thinking, hopefully the meds help.

Hey, I thought I would give y'all an update on what I have been doing. I stopped going to class and started reading at home instead. It has been okay but there as been no difference in terms of my exam/test performance. I am doing about the same, barely passing or not passing at all. Also, I am finding it hard to keep up with all the reading instead of going to lecture. I also feel guilty about not being in class, feel like I have been slacking off. I am going to start going to class again from now on and am going to try to do a fair bit of textbook reading as well. My advisor thinks this is a good idea. We shall see what happens.

Be careful here: If administration finds out you have been skipping class they will be less lenient and understanding if you fail something and go to them for help/pity. Only certain people can pull off skipping class and doing well/better, and it doesn't seem like you're one of them.. but you realize this and made the right choice going back to class. 👍 What did you do in undergrad to help you succeed? It's easy to get sidetracked with all this advice, but maybe re-kindling what made you succeed in undergrad would help?

 

[palmpalm]

Hey all,

I failed a course and now the admin is telling me I might have to repeat the year (they are considering giving me a retake on the exam but they say they don't know what the odds are). 🙁

 

[lilnoelle]

I didn't have a chance to read through everything here... so I don't know if anyone said this already. It sounds to me like you have issues with test day - anxiety, freezing up, forgetting things you should remember, second guessing yourself and changing your answers. Its not that you know the stuff less than your classmates, but rather that your struggling with test taking itself. Does your school have some sort of test taking resource? My school has a rather in depth assistance program for individuals that ask for help. Maybe dealing with some of the underlying anxiety you are struggling with and just learning how to handle the test day will help you perform better.

 

[palmpalm]

Hey all,

Thanks so much for your support. I failed another course and now I have to repeat my entire first year, including all the courses I passed already 🙁

 

[lilnoelle]

That stinks. At least you ought to be able to REALLY know your stuff next time around. I'd recommend talking to whomever you can about studying methods, test taking strategies, and what you can do to improve your grades. Surely your school provides some sort of assistance to students that are struggling.