Medical What should I do after failing a course?

[TheBoneDoctah]

I failed the molecular medicine first semester of MS1. Because of this I am going to be redoing the whole semester next year including anatomy. I'm going to be working part time this semester that I have "off" but I will also be going back through all the material from the semester. I want create a study schedule / method that helps me with long term retention.

First semester, I used a combination of passive learning with class ppts and Rohen's which led me to do okay in anatomy (got a B), but for Molecular it was a nightmare. I did well on 1 test using the same methods but then failed the other three. I altered my study methods each time using Anki, then Pixorize/Picmonic, but struggled with retaining the little details so quickly. My school does the accelerated thing where anatomy is taught first then molecular. The final exam ended in me panicking/crying during the exam cause I knew I was very unfamiliar with the material.

Planning on using Anki but any tips on this? or other methods?

Also I will have access to the new material that I won't be in the classes for for systems based courses, would anyone recommend continuing to keep up or just focusing on the material from the first semester?

Everyone learns differently. For example, I never touched Anki but know many people who swear by it. You need to figure out how you learn first off. Also, different classes are going to need to be approached differently. Flashcards may be good for remembering drug names/mechanisms but aren't going to be so good for other courses.

If you haven't looked into Boards and Beyond, I HIGHLY suggest it. In your time off, I would watch, and watch, and watch, and rewatch the videos and do the quizzes for the course you failed and really nail down this material.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[AlteredScale]

Sounds like either anki isn’t the right method of learning for you or you were using it wrong. It’s a spaced rep program so the ones you were getting wrong should have been tested in your deck more to reinforce those things you forgot. It also sounds like you switched methods in a panic in the middle of studying and that isnt usually ideal either. Did you do practice test questions?

You should find a learning specialist that most US medical schools provide as well. They will help guide you through.