Studying in Iraq - A bit confused. (2nd year)

Hello,

(Please, forgive me for the long thread, it's few thing, but I just write too much - I have this problem in Arabic and English).

I am a 2nd year student in Iraq (the course we have here, is 6 years, in the first year we take Anatomy/Histology/Biochemistry, and continue them in the 2nd year adding up Physiology and Embryology with them).

I didn't really study that good in the 1st year (I was a "star" in the first semester, but I got frustrated of how they teach here, and accordingly I stopped studying, and ended up with a 76% average in the end of the year).

I had this problem - which everyone's talking about -, I didn't stick to one way of studying, or any source, and progressively, I didn't even study anything by the end of the year. I hated the (copied from Wikipedia) lecture notes they gave, the 80s edition textbooks they asked us to read, and the questions, that weren't in Wikipedia or the aged textbooks, they brought up in exams - and suddenly had this fear that I am going to be a "bad doctor" - just like most (hopefully, not all) doctors in this country.

Now, we have started the 2nd year - for a week. And I don't want what last year happened, to happen again, I want to ace this class, and maybe in the next summer I will review whatever I took in the 1st stage using BRS/Kaplan/HY..

The idea I am getting about good studying in medical school is (Please tell me if I am wrong): Take your own notes "effectively" from whatever source you are using, and in the end of the day make sure that these notes contain your doctor's handouts information (so you can pass the exams), and the High-Yield information in the review books (so, you don't skip information you need as a doctor, or you need to pass exams like USMLE); these notes should be summarized intensely for future review before finals.

But I am having problems about this, and I hope you guys help clearing them up:

1. The textbooks to use.
   • Anatomy: the doctors use and recommend reading Snell - I find it extra descriptive and lacks appropriate illustrations, I just can't understand it (maybe it's more of a psychological thing, because the school uses this book, and it's the only new edition book they have!) -.
     From my own aspect, the right way is: understand anatomy in Gray's (I did buy the 2nd edition, and I use it from time to time), and check the clinical blue boxes in Big Moore for the clinical correlation - then, solve clinical cases/check some images on Sobotta Atlas -. The only downside about this: I am not sure what review book to use so I don't pass by important information.
     But, anyways, that would be too much work, too much time, and usually I lose the motive doing it, because I would lose marks in the school exams at the end. I just can't remember every hole in every bone - the exams are very descriptive.
     By the end of last year (that's before I started not studying at all) I just kept using the handouts given by the doctor (that's after cleaning up grammatical/syntax mistakes and putting them into bulletins with images from Netter - this also took too much time).
     I used to cram 6 or 7 lecture and read them before quizzes..
     The Question is: should I leave Gray's/KLM Boxes strategy, and just read snell/note it before lectures? Or should I take my notes from Gray's/KLM boxes and then put whatever thing that the doctor add into the notes? - I hate when a doctor adds something in a lecture and I haven't read it before - But I guess not every book has it all, and if there's such (like Big Moore maybe), it would be so boring to study -.
   • Physiology: The college gave us Guyton (1986 edition). I can buy the new 12e Guyton (and Hall - looks like they added an author and our college doesn't know about it), as I saw it somewhere. But I am more inclined to a smaller book, maybe Costanzo? I guess reading Costanzo textbook for understanding, then solving cases in Coztanzo Cases is a good way to study Physiology - I can always use Costanzo BRS for notes if I don't have time for writing my own (looks like a good deal).
     I can always add any extra information from the doctor's handouts.
   • Biochemistry: Now, the college recommends Lipincott's, it looks like a solid book. read the Glycolysis for this week lectures and it was good - much understandable than Harper's which I had from last year, when our doctor recommended it for his Lipids structure lectures.
     That, and Rapid Review for High-Yield looks like a good reference - Although, I would like to use the Harper's I bought, but I don't know how.
   • Embryology: Langman, they recommend it, it's small, and everyone likes it. but I am not sure if there's a good High-Yield book for review.
   • Histology: They recommend Junqueira, but they still didn't give it to us. Someone gave me Rose Histology, and I studied the Integumentary system with it. And I am thinking about sticking to it, because I really liked the way they made it.. It's just outstanding!
     I am not sure about what review book to use, BRS is ultra-big, it's like reading a textbook (also, where should I practice histo? like some slide exams online? or Apps/programs to buy?)
2. The way to take notes: What I do is: Hand write notes from textbook - in unorganized way -, then type them into a word document, and then print them. study with them.
   The thing is: I don't like writing on the textbook, I mean the paper just gets creepy and unclean - that's why I have a pen and notebook near me. Is that healthy? I mean everyone got these stickers getting out of their books.. how do they do that?!
3. The Gibberish in the anatomy lectures! I mean it's so descriptive nonsense and nothing's clinical. Nothing! and when I go summarizing them and putting them into my notes. the notes go gigantic! and I hate that, it made me skip many lectures in the finals! means losing too much marks! Also, it will make my notes useless if I want to take USMLE Step 1 exam for instance.. and I don't like reading other people's notes, even if they were Kaplan's/BRS/HY or whatever - I am ready to do that for 1st year subjects, but I am not for this year, I want to really study this year.
   What should I do about that? - Is there anything to do about that?!

I guess, that's the most important things.. Thanks alot for anyone who will help! and if anyone had Extra Advice, it will be highly appreciated!

Thanks again!