To make or to buy flashcards?

[Zharp]

Curious what peoples experiences/thoughts are with the pre-made Kaplan and AAMC flashcards? Are these worth my money, or should I invest the time into making my own on Anki?

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[YayPudding]

Both Kaplan flashcards and AAMC (especially AAMC practice cards) are excellent and I used them with great success.

HOWEVER I highly advise you to also make your own pack. You'll be amazed at how writing things down in your own way with your own hand will aid in learning and recall.

 

[NecrotizingFasciitis]

Maybe a hybrid answer to this question might be:

Purchase pre-made flashcards and make your own deck of flashcards of things that don't seem to stick in your head as well.

I agree that making your own flashcards definitely helps with retention, but you don't need to spend time making cards for things you know cold.

 

[leturbinator]

In my honest to god opinion? Don't bother yourself with the flashcards. While they're very good at memorizing information, the MCAT requires application of knowledge that goes beyond how flashcards prepare you. I would only recommend using flashcards for psychology/sociology. Everything else, work on memorizing as you go through a chapter.