What is your typical study plan?

[wizkidviz]

Yeah I have the same concern, I myself cannot answer this though. I will probably have to make the switch when I start school. Multiple people have stated using notability for their power points so that everything stays on their computer (I haven't used it myself, I did experiment with pearnote and it was pretty cool how it syncs what I type with the lecture). I believe the application notability allows for one to write on the ppt (if someone on can confirm).

I also am a pen and paper type person, because I could take all my notes and spread it on the table versus having it clumped up on computer. It will be hard getting used to keeping all my notes on the computer. I do believe that it helps because you can use word search instead of flipping through all the powerpoint pages when you look up a certain topic. There are still those who use pen and pencil. One of the residents had stated in another thread that writing it is one of the best forms of recall/retention when compared to highlighting, rereading, and typing (I do believe this myself). So I think it will be a matter of feeling it out which method works best for us when we start.

I think notability allows for the annotation of PDFs, so I guess you would just print the PowerPoint to PDF and you can annotate that

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[Postictal Raiden]

Handwritten one page single sides note per one hour lecture. Also include in these notes details and mintuae mentioned in FA and Pathoma that are not in your school lectures. Review those notes once every night.

Seems like a lot of work but it will save you tons of time when studying for exams. I almost never studied more than 6 hrs the day before the exams.

 

[shadowlightfox]

Handwritten one page single sides note per one hour lecture. Also include in these notes details and mintuae mentioned in FA and Pathoma that are not in your school lectures. Review those notes once every night.

Seems like a lot of work but it will save you tons of time when studying for exams. I almost never studied more than 6 hrs the day before the exams.

You said include stuff from FA and Pathoma, but aren't the materials covered from the lectures independent of Pathoma and FA? Like I thought people read FA and pathoma on their own time during which there are no lectures, right?

 

[wizkidviz]

Handwritten one page single sides note per one hour lecture. Also include in these notes details and mintuae mentioned in FA and Pathoma that are not in your school lectures. Review those notes once every night.

Seems like a lot of work but it will save you tons of time when studying for exams. I almost never studied more than 6 hrs the day before the exams.

So you go home and do that right?

 

[Dr Tony T. Chopper]

Wanted to get some input of bros deck day 1 vs firecracker day 1. Ill be using the FC month trial regardless but just wanted to see SDN's opinions.

 

[Postictal Raiden]

So you go home and do that right?

Other than times when I need to go to OMM, SP encounters or exams, I never went to school. I watched the lectures from home at 2.1x while taking notes. Saved tons of time and energy.

 

[Postictal Raiden]

You said include stuff from FA and Pathoma, but aren't the materials covered from the lectures independent of Pathoma and FA? Like I thought people read FA and pathoma on their own time during which there are no lectures, right?

Yeah, some things that are covered in Pathoma and FA are not covered in class, but they may show up on boards, so it's never a bad idea to learn these topics early on so when you prep for boards these concepts aren't foreign to you.

 

[shadowlightfox]

Yeah, some things that are covered in Pathoma and FA are not covered in class, but they may show up on boards, so it's never a bad idea to learn these topics early on so when you prep for boards these concepts aren't foreign to you.

Did you start using Pathoma in your first or second year?

 

[Dr Tony T. Chopper]

Other than times when I need to go to OMM, SP encounters or exams, I never went to school. I watched the lectures from home at 2.1x while taking notes. Saved tons of time and energy.

I keep hearing that people always "figure out" to not attend lecture during year two and watch lectures on double speed instead. In that case, should I just skip class starting beginning of year one?

 

[shadowlightfox]

I keep hearing that people always "figure out" to not attend lecture during year two and watch lectures on double speed instead. In that case, should I just skip class starting beginning of year one?

I think it makes sense to at least attend all the classes in the beginning, and once you get used to med school, then you can start viewing lectures at home. At least, that's how I plan on doing it. Also, there are some classes at least in my school where attendance is mandatory, so I don't think it's possible to view every single lecture from home.

 

[Postictal Raiden]

I keep hearing that people always "figure out" to not attend lecture during year two and watch lectures on double speed instead. In that case, should I just skip class starting beginning of year one?

Yes, but only if you are disciplined and know that you won't fall behind

 

[Postictal Raiden]

Did you start using Pathoma in your first or second year?

Second semester of first year when we started the systems

 

[ninjaman22]

I am a 2nd year.
This is what I usually do. Go to class --> listen to lectures (most of the time) --> review those powerpoints couple of times after coming back home --> read pathoma/fa/do some practice questions (COMBANK + KAPLAN - usually 15-30 Qs/night) related to the topic covered that day in lecture or the systems we are covering that block. Repeat the whole week. Some days, I might not have time to do pathoma/fa/practice qs due to taking too long to go over lectures. We usually have quiz every friday (lectures from prior thursday to current week wednesday - usually 16 lectures); thursday night I go over all those lectures again couple more times. Integrated exam every three weeks/two weeks (total of 3 exams/block); the weekend of the exams - I will go over all the lectures again couple more times and review pathoma/fa. I have been following this schedule since first year minus the fa/pathoma/practice qs (which I started this year), I have had straight A's except one or two B's (in OMM!) here and there.

Just wanted to update everyone. I continued this method for the rest of my second year + added UWorld and DIT. Ended up with a 695 on the COMLEX and 251 on USMLE. Doing well in classes will really pay off down the road!

 

[shadowlightfox]

Just wanted to update everyone. I continued this method for the rest of my second year + added UWorld and DIT. Ended up with a 695 on the COMLEX and 251 on USMLE. Doing well in classes will really pay off down the road!

Have you been doing Pathoma/COMBANK/Kaplan starting second year or first year? Also, did it feel like doing all those took up your time and as a result you didn't have much down time?

 

[ninjaman22]

Have you been doing Pathoma/COMBANK/Kaplan starting second year or first year? Also, did it feel like doing all those took up your time and as a result you didn't have much down time?

I did some Pathoma and COMBANK during the summer between my 1st and 2nd year. Beginning second year, I did Pathoma/COMBANK/Kaplan. No, I still felt like I had free time. Doing questions really do not take that long. 20 questions/night + reading explanations shouldn't take more than 45 mins especially since these aren't UWorld explanation.

 

[PathoTurnUp1865]

I did some Pathoma and COMBANK during the summer between my 1st and 2nd year. Beginning second year, I did Pathoma/COMBANK/Kaplan. No, I still felt like I had free time. Doing questions really do not take that long. 20 questions/night + reading explanations shouldn't take more than 45 mins especially since these aren't UWorld explanation.

What did you do for questions during first year? Old exams?

 

[shadowlightfox]

Just wanted to update everyone. I continued this method for the rest of my second year + added UWorld and DIT. Ended up with a 695 on the COMLEX and 251 on USMLE. Doing well in classes will really pay off down the road!

If I may ask, when did you start using First Aid? Was it around the same time you started Pathoma or from day 1 of medical school?

 

[ninjaman22]

If I may ask, when did you start using First Aid? Was it around the same time you started Pathoma or from day 1 of medical school?

I actually started it from the very beginning, but I would only use it as a review after going over all the lectures and stuff. I started using it religiously from beginning of second year.

 

[ninjaman22]

What did you do for questions during first year? Old exams?

Sorry for the late reply. Our school doesn't give us the old exams. I didn't really do any questions during the first year. I did do some COMBANK questions during the summer break between 1st and 2nd year just to review some stuff from 1st year (i.e. micro, immuno, biochem, neuro).

 

[deleted646902]

Sorry for the late reply. Our school doesn't give us the old exams. I didn't really do any questions during the first year. I did do some COMBANK questions during the summer break between 1st and 2nd year just to review some stuff from 1st year (i.e. micro, immuno, biochem, neuro).

Quick question,

When you went throught the lectures each time did you just read through them or did you take any notes? My school has the EXACT same schedule as yours and i'm trying to figure out the best way to study.

 

[ninjaman22]

Quick question,

When you went throught the lectures each time did you just read through them or did you take any notes? My school has the EXACT same schedule as yours and i'm trying to figure out the best way to study.

I took some notes usually at the bottom of the powerpoint slides but nothing really major. Mostly just read through the lectures, memorized the important details, and tried to understand the big picture.

 

[shadowlightfox]

I took some notes usually at the bottom of the powerpoint slides but nothing really major. Mostly just read through the lectures, memorized the important details, and tried to understand the big picture.

Did you pre-study, lecture, and then post study or just lectures and post study?

 

[ninjaman22]

Did you pre-study, lecture, and then post study or just lectures and post study?

I just post studied. I didn't find pre-studying very helpful, but I know a lot of my classmates did.

 

[Major]

SUB.

 

[moy505]

Other than times when I need to go to OMM, SP encounters or exams, I never went to school. I watched the lectures from home at 2.1x while taking notes. Saved tons of time and energy.

.

 

[Postictal Raiden]

What time did your school post lectures? If class is from ~8am-1pm, then wouldn't lectures not be posted till like 2pm? What did you do from ~8am till 2pm? Were you always a day behind on lectures?

I slept till noon, woke up had "breakfast" and watched TV till evening. I watched the lectures and studied at night. Life was great. Not anymore.

 

[DetectiveAlonzo]

On biochem now... figured making a study guide using the teacher's objectives would help since one lecture can encompass over 100 slides and don't really feel like clicking through slides to know everything.

I guess it just depends on the class.

 

[moy505]

I slept till noon, woke up had "breakfast" and watched TV till evening. I watched the lectures and studied at night. Life was great. Not anymore.

so is it possible to be an early bird and still watch recorded lectures (without being a day behind)?

 

[Postictal Raiden]

so is it possible to be an early bird and still watch recorded lectures (without being a day behind)?

With the recorded lectures being posted few hours later, I don't see how that is possible. You will always be at least a 1/2 day behind. If you are an early bird, you could start off your day by reviewing your notes and study old material until the lectures of that day become available for streaming.

 

[67552931811]

I slept till noon, woke up had "breakfast" and watched TV till evening. I watched the lectures and studied at night. Life was great. Not anymore.

Man after my own heart. Hopefully the future mrs is cool with nighttime shifts...

 

[MrTaco92]

Handwritten one page single sides note per one hour lecture. Also include in these notes details and mintuae mentioned in FA and Pathoma that are not in your school lectures. Review those notes once every night.

Seems like a lot of work but it will save you tons of time when studying for exams. I almost never studied more than 6 hrs the day before the exams.

How do you manage to fit 1 hour of lecture onto 1 page? That's incredible

 

[shadowlightfox]

How do you manage to fit 1 hour of lecture onto 1 page? That's incredible

Write really small and use code words instead of long words. You're not publishing your notes. The notes are only for your own convenience.

 

[Postictal Raiden]

How do you manage to fit 1 hour of lecture onto 1 page? That's incredible

Yeah, it can be challenging, especially during the first few lectures of every course as they introduce new concepts, but as you progress through the course same concepts get revisited over and over and you won't need to take notes on those. Also, you don't need to write sentences like "the cell membrane is a phospholipid bilayer" because you know that you know it and won't need to study it. Also try to draw your own diagrams or pictures to summarize processes and mechanisms; this will save you from writing many sentences.

 

[MYRIAD909]

Where do you type your notes? Under the PowerPoint note section or on word?

Pen and paper. dont waste time asking questions like this.

 

[IslandStyle808]

I slept till noon, woke up had "breakfast" and watched TV till evening. I watched the lectures and studied at night. Life was great. Not anymore.

You don't know how much I envy you right now...

mandatory attendance, that explains everything...