studying micro

[Fatalis]

at my med school, micro is just brute memorization. The volume is a lot, so I need a good way to memorize all of these bugs in a short way. I cant read off a chart as it just takes too long. My current approach is using quizlet and putting the information in terms of a question and answer. I really dont know if this is effective.
Any suggestions?

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[Wordead]

at my med school, micro is just brute memorization. The volume is a lot, so I need a good way to memorize all of these bugs in a short way. I cant read off a chart as it just takes too long. My current approach is using quizlet and putting the information in terms of a question and answer. I really dont know if this is effective.
Any suggestions?

Clinical micro made ridiculously simple.

You should try to understand rather than just memorize. A lot of it makes sense once you have an overall picture and see how they're related.

 

[bobow98]

Use categories. If you see a sign or symptom, you should be able to come up with a list of differentials based on what's presented in the case.

Also, use stories and things that sound like the word.
Example: Mucor the lava monster (mucormycosis) dwells in your nose cave and is super powerful. Only Amphoteracin B can kill him and he requires physical removal (debridement) or he'll go to your brain and destroy you. He's super hot at 90 degrees (right angle hyphae branching). That itself gives you lots of identifying info about the organism and is a unique story that you will not confuse.

The cheesier and funnier the story, the better.

 

[chronicidal]

Visualized story mnemonics (e.g. picmonic.com) > verbal story mnemonics > acronym mnemonics > no mnemonics.

Anki (adaptive spaced repetition) > quizlet and other flashcards > reviewing a book like Deja Review that is in question-answer format > rereading a review book or textbook without quizzing yourself

Going from big picture to little picture > going from little picture to big picture > only knowing the big picture > trying to brute force memorize the little picture

Use First Aid and Clinical Micro MRS.