Quick memorization better than thorough understanding

[Conando]

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So I'm about a month into M1 year and I noticed something:

20 hours of studying by understanding concepts and details = 90% on quizzes
5 hours of repetition and memorization = 80% on quizzes

I'm okay with 80%. But am I setting myself for failure later on with future classes or with board prep in second year? Thing is, I think when the material gets harder, I might not have enough time to try to understand the material.

This is Anatomy by the way.

 

[DrCoffeeBean]

You have to understand the material if you are to get anywhere. Cramming is damage limitation, and you will forget most of it in a week.

 

[Morsetlis]

How do you memorize without understanding?

 

[adaptation1]

as a med student, i'm surprised you don't know how? In fact, it's in the AOA handbook, first page.

only kidding. sort of.

How do you memorize without understanding?

 

[xanthomondo]

So I'm about a month into M1 year and I noticed something:

20 hours of studying by understanding concepts and details = 90% on quizzes
5 hours of repetition and memorization = 80% on quizzes

I'm okay with 80%. But am I setting myself for failure later on with future classes or with board prep in second year? Thing is, I think when the material gets harder, I might not have enough time to try to understand the material.

This is Anatomy by the way.

For most classes (path, micro, pharm, biochem) I always thought the opposite: quick memorization would score better exam scores. The only problem with this is that you will get smoked on Step1 because there is no way you'll remember everything for the exam with "quick memorization".

 

[xanthomondo]

How do you memorize without understanding?

Memorize this:

"The treatment for an acute asthma attack is albuterol. The side effects can include tremor, tachycardia, palpitations, and headache."

Now tell me, what do you understand about the physiology of breathing, the pathophysiology of asthma, and the pharmacology of albuterol? From the above line, absolutely nothing, but you would get the side effect question of albuterol correct!

(Obviously this is a really simplified example, but you get the point)

 

[Rollo]

You will get schooled on the boards if you just memorize your way through the first 2 years. Spend that extra time understanding the material.

DO NOT MEMORIZE YOUR WAY THROUGH PRE-CLINICAL YEARS!

 

[shadowfox87]

Here's the thing dude, I always prefer understanding to memorization. That's what I've been doing my whole life. Actually, memorization is my weakness. I spend more time studying than most people b/c I like to know the whys and hows. At the end of the day though, I can explain most things to anybody and remember them quite well even after a long time.

Though in M1, unfortunately, many things are more memorization orientated. For integrative thinkers, that sucks, but you have to improve your memorization skills too. When there isn't time to completely understand a concept, move on.

Memorize this:

"The treatment for an acute asthma attack is albuterol. The side effects can include tremor, tachycardia, palpitations, and headache."

See, I wouldn't be able to memorize this. It's bad programming. I'd look up albuterol and see what it does and how it does it. Then I'd look up asthma and find out what the original symptoms were and why. Then, even without trying, I'd already know the above sentence and I'd also be able to guess other drugs that can help along with more side effects that weren't even listed b/c I can understand it.

 

[Conando]

For most classes (path, micro, pharm, biochem) I always thought the opposite: quick memorization would score better exam scores. The only problem with this is that you will get smoked on Step1 because there is no way you'll remember everything for the exam with "quick memorization".

Well, if I study the same amount with just passive memorization, I would get higher scores. But Step 1 is what I'm afraid of. I feel like I don't have enough time to try to understand everything. Which parts do I try to understand, and which parts can I get away with just osmosis-like memorization?

Here's the thing dude, I always prefer understanding to memorization. That's what I've been doing my whole life. Actually, memorization is my weakness. I spend more time studying than most people b/c I like to know the whys and hows. At the end of the day though, I can explain most things to anybody and remember them quite well even after a long time.

Though in M1, unfortunately, many things are more memorization orientated. For integrative thinkers, that sucks, but you have to improve your memorization skills too. When there isn't time to completely understand a concept, move on.

See I'm the same way. Throughout undergrad, I always tried to understand the concepts then try to memorize the little details later. But there's just so much information now, and all my tests reward memorization of details than understanding the concepts. I would rather spend less time getting the same grade, but I feel like it's going to kill me later on.

Here's an example: we're working on upper extremity anatomy right now, and a quiz question was about what vessel could a surgeon ligate and still get blood flow through the rest of the forearm. I knew the answer not because I understand the collateral circulation around the elbow and arm, but rather I just read the answer in some review book and I've gone over 5x before the test.

 

[deleted263296]

You just have to memorize most things. I struggled first year until I realized this because I was like most of you and always preferred understanding things, not memorizing remote details. However, there is no understanding involved in memorizing what innervates what muscle or what receptors a drug acts on or the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for psychiatric illness, or what the Wells criteria are, etc. etc. See where I'm going with this? You do need to attain a basic level of understanding but you obtain that understanding after rote memorization of the same topics multiple times.

 

[celkon]

Memorize this:

"The treatment for an acute asthma attack is albuterol. The side effects can include tremor, tachycardia, palpitations, and headache."

Now tell me, what do you understand about the physiology of breathing, the pathophysiology of asthma, and the pharmacology of albuterol? From the above line, absolutely nothing, but you would get the side effect question of albuterol correct!

(Obviously this is a really simplified example, but you get the point)

I wish microbiology had logical order like this but micro is ALL memorization, its so lame 🙁

 

[Vikingwizardguy]

classic debate. The best answer is: it depends.

It depends on A LOT.

What class you're in, what school you're at, if your professor is a douche. For example, I took a biochem course where pure memorization was a waste of time...I understood how glycogen storage diseases worked and I aced it come exam/step 1 time. This was not the case for anatomy as all that matters in anatomy is how much you can cram in. The pitfalls of memorization is what you mentioned...it's tough to recall later. A strategy you might want to try which optimizes memorization and understanding is to learn by doing...don't read textbooks, do Qbank (not really but find ways to quiz yourself). In the process of quizzing yourself you're forced to understand things but in a way that's applicable to medicine and what details in it are worth memorizing.

 

[Jorje286]

I like to read, read, read before I jump on to memorization. And see if I can start predicting what will come next from my reading. Reading and understanding also makes studying a lot more enjoyable. And then I drill what is left, and in the crunch time. That works best for me. Memorization takes far too much energy and brain power to me. I don't know if that's the case for most people, but I suspect it is. I leave it as a necessary but last resort.

 

[Conando]

A strategy you might want to try which optimizes memorization and understanding is to learn by doing...don't read textbooks, do Qbank (not really but find ways to quiz yourself). In the process of quizzing yourself you're forced to understand things but in a way that's applicable to medicine and what details in it are worth memorizing.

This sounds like a good idea. I will try this, thanks.

 

[ArcGurren]

I can guarantee that if you don't understand something you are setting yourself up to get screwed on the Step 1 and during 3rd year. I have done well on many of my Shelf exams and on my Step 1 even when I didn't immediately know the concept being talked about, because I was able to reason it out with a basic understanding of the phys/pathophys of what was going on.