perfectmedstudent

[perfectmedstudent]

studying methods + tips⋆.ೃ࿔*:･✍🏽

LEITNER SYSTEM ; an effective way to study with flashcards

create flashcards

all ur flashcards should begin with box one or whatever box number (check the example)

for example ; in a box/pouch you'd label it ; box one cards to be reviewed everyday, box two cards to be reviewed every other day etc.

review each flashcard, quiz urself on what u recall/explain the info on each side

if u answered correctly move the card to box two and if u answered incorrectly, move the card to box one

the time frame should be dependent on the amount of time before ur quiz/test that u have to study.

HOT TIP ; treat studying like it's a job and you're getting paid for it. work agreed hours and take arranged breaks as though its a real job.

MORE WAYS TO STUDY ;

add color or diagram your notes and if ur not taking notes, TAKE NOTES

summarize your notes and summarize concepts (if u can explain a concept, thats how you'll know if u studied it enough)

make a concept map

pretend to be a teacher and ur explaining a concept

HOW TO MOTIVATE YOURSELF TO STUDY ;

i watch time-lapse studying videos to motivate myself to study bcuz then it feels like im studying with another person. or i'll set up my phone and film my own time-lapse of me studying to motivate myself.

implementing something that u love into studying. for me i love pink and just being a girly girl so i implement pink into my studying by using super cute stationary and that rly motivates me to use my pink tools.

i dont always study in the same locations, sometimes i'll study in a cafe or in the library instead of just studying in my room bcuz sometimes, all we need is a change of scenery.

[perfectmedstudent]

studying methods + tips⋆.ೃ࿔*:･✍🏽

LEITNER SYSTEM ; an effective way to study with flashcards

create flashcards

all ur flashcards should begin with box one or whatever box number (check the example)

for example ; in a box/pouch you'd label it ; box one cards to be reviewed everyday, box two cards to be reviewed every other day etc.

review each flashcard, quiz urself on what u recall/explain the info on each side

if u answered correctly move the card to box two and if u answered incorrectly, move the card to box one

the time frame should be dependent on the amount of time before ur quiz/test that u have to study.

HOT TIP ; treat studying like it's a job and you're getting paid for it. work agreed hours and take arranged breaks as though its a real job.

MORE WAYS TO STUDY ;

add color or diagram your notes and if ur not taking notes, TAKE NOTES

summarize your notes and summarize concepts (if u can explain a concept, thats how you'll know if u studied it enough)

make a concept map

pretend to be a teacher and ur explaining a concept

HOW TO MOTIVATE YOURSELF TO STUDY ;

i watch time-lapse studying videos to motivate myself to study bcuz then it feels like im studying with another person. or i'll set up my phone and film my own time-lapse of me studying to motivate myself.

implementing something that u love into studying. for me i love pink and just being a girly girl so i implement pink into my studying by using super cute stationary and that rly motivates me to use my pink tools.

i dont always study in the same locations, sometimes i'll study in a cafe or in the library instead of just studying in my room bcuz sometimes, all we need is a change of scenery.

[perfectmedstudent]

We will rebuild. We will recover. We will rise again. We will overcome this tragedy.

#prayforsrilanka

[perfectmedstudent]

MY study tips!!!

I think it’s time to share with you what I actually do when I study. Here’s a list (non-exhaustive) of the main tools I use before an exam. Enjoy! 

I read my notes consciously, then I hide them and try to write down everything I remember. Then I’ll take my notes again, and look for what’s missing. Not only it permits me to see what I still don’t know, but it also consolidates what I already know. This one really works if you have to learn pathways, key concepts, etc. Re-write as it comes to your mind, make a mind-map, use arrows, etc.

Once I identified what I don’t know, I’ll just put a mark on my notes, so I know that this specific part needs to be more reviewed.

When I feel overwhelmed by all the stuff I have to review, I’ll just divide it into sections and create a study plan! 99% of the time, this makes me realize that it’s not that terrible and I can get through this! I feel much better then!

The Forest App. I don’t use it systematically but it really helps me keeping distractions away (AKA my phone) and in the end, I can have a little peek view of my study session!

Whenever I’m reading something important that I know I won’t automatically remember, I write it down on a piece of paper. Indeed, I always use a bloc-notes when studying, so I just write down important points. By doing this, I become more active when learning and actually remember better! And sometimes I keep those pieces of paper so I can re-read them just before the exam.

I try to stick to a memorization routine. For example, if it’s the first time I read a specific topic that I have to memorize, I’ll re-read it 3 days after, then again a week after, then 10 days after, etc. This is the best way to memorize: « repetitio est mater studiorum » as my anatomy teacher says.

When reading your notes, always try to think about what could be the possible questions that are “exam askable”.

If you have any specific topics to learn about the same main subject, try to summarize each topic on only one paper sheet. It’s been proven that we tend to memorize more when we see the information only on one paper than many. For example, I’m currently preparing my microbiology exam, so I did a sheet for each virus or bacteria and put them in plastic sleeves and store them in a binder. By doing this, I’ll be able to re-read them all the days before the exam and retain the most important information! 

The textbook is cool, but sometimes I’m in a rush and summaries made from previous years students will do the job. Of course, I make sure there’re no mistakes inside. And it can actually help with difficult subjects. 

I only use flash cards for vocabulary (my dear Spanish!) or pharmacology. They are the PERFECT way to memorize some things by heart!

I multitask intelligently. For example, when I workout I listen to audiobooks or watch medical-related videos on youtube while walking on the treadmill 

I test myself. I take online quizzes, I ask some friends or my boyfriend to interrogate me so I train my brain to see the problems differently and learn more! 

STUDYGRAM 

[perfectmedstudent]

Anything to pass the test🤷‍♀️

[perfectmedstudent]

Full disclaimer!!! This is acid base in its most simplest terms - please don’t rely on this as a sole source of info.

Hopefully it helps someone! it’s a couple of years old i went digging for it today after trying to explain it to a student today at work. 

[perfectmedstudent]

How To Be A Good Med Student In The Clinical Years

A doctor once told me that the best instrument we have is medicine is the retrospectoscope.  Basically he was saying that often it is easier to make sense of things when looking back from the vantage point of the future.  This is true of life too.  After being an intern for two months I suddenly understand what things make for a strong med students, and what things do not.  Unfortunately, I feel like I lacked many of the qualities that would have made me a helpful med student.  Though I cannot rectify my own mistakes, perhaps I can pass my advice on to future generations of third and fourth year medical students.  I now present, how to be a good clinical med student:

Show up.  This seems obvious.  When you are there to work, then be there to work.  It is so frustrating when medical students are mysteriously absent all the time (only to be found later in the cafe or cafeteria) or when they are there but totally disinterested in what is going on.  I understand that sometimes as a medical student things get slow - like when the interns are putting in orders and notes or when there is a slow call day.  But at least bring something to read.  Don’t play Pokemon Go.  Don’t spend all day on Uworld.  Make an effort to learn real clinical medicine.

Take initiative to learn.  When I was a third year I would wander the hospital to find learning opportunities.  I made friends with the telemetry nurses and they started a folder of good tele strips to give me each day.  I would go to other teams and see if their patients had good exam findings.  I found the cardiology fellows and asked if they had good patients with murmurs.  There is so much learning that can happen if you are willing to experience it.  Now, referring back to number 1, make sure you always let your residents know where you are.  Personally, I would be ecstatic if my students went to hunt down murmurs rather than playing Pokemon Go. 

Read your patient’s chart.  This can be very helpful and will make you look like a star.  Residents are busy taking admissions and sometimes don’t have the time to hunt down records that are three and four years old.  You can stand out by doing that  Look at a patient’s past hospital notes or their specialty clinic notes.  For example, you might be able to alert the resident that an old echocardiogram demonstrated a below normal ejection fraction, which in turn might change how much fluid the patient is given.  Or perhaps you found that during a hospitalization in the past the patient became delirious and needed a one-to-one sitter.  Find ways to add information in a helpful, non-prescriptive, non-judgmental way.  I guarantee your reviews will benefit.

Read about your patient’s condition.  Even if you just browse Medscape, UpToDate, or some other curated source, make sure you understand the basics of your patient’s primary diagnosis.  If they are there for heart failure, read over the basics of treatment.  If they have autoimmune hepatitis look up some info on diagnosis and prognosis.  These things will get noticed, especially when you ask intelligent questions on rounds.  Do not be like a med student I had who, when asked, reported for 4 straight days that he had not read about his patient’s disease.  He instead responded he was too busy with Uworld so he would get a good shelf score.

See your patients.  I literally had students who, on rounds, tried to present without actually having seen the patient in the morning.  This is a huge no-no.  Get to work early enough to see your patients, review their labs, and their overnight events.  

Practice your presentations.  Even if it is on your own or with other medical students, spend time working on your presentation skills.  Heck, even ask the residents to watch you.  I would be happy to do that for any of my students.  Unfortunately, none have taken me up on that offer and instead bumble through their presentation each day making the same mistakes.  By the end of medical school you need to be able to make a good presentation. 

Spend time working on note writing.  Compare your notes to your residents’, your attendings’, and the specialists’.  Everyone has a different style.  Look at lots of notes to determine a style for yourself.  

Forget all the step 1 stuff you learned.  I find many students perseverate on the terrible stereotypes and patterns they see on step 1.  Not all black people with cough have sarcoidosis.  Not every patient with acute kidney injury needs urine eosinophils.  These are good associations, but realize that step 1 has little overlap with real clinical medicine.  Take those associations with a grain of salt. 

Don’t just look for zebras.  I cannot tell you how many times students opt not to follow a patient because the case “doesn’t seem that interesting.”  The majority of medicine is made up of mundane and common diseases such as heart failure, pneumonia, COPD, cirrhosis, etc.  It is pretty rare to get the exciting cases, like disseminated histoplasmosis or a crazy paraneoplastic syndrome.  A lot of learning can happen on cases that are “bread and butter” medicine.  Make sure you follow those cases too. 

Be gentle to your interns/residents.  The transition from 4th year to being a doctor is swift and brutal.  It is easy to criticize when you aren’t the one taking 5 admits.  Find ways to help your intern/resident, because in return they will help you.  I learned this lesson the hard way my 4th year, when I unintentionally threw an intern under the bus while trying to look smart.  Afterwards she took me aside and reminded me that she controlled much of my fate while I was a student under her.  I learned my lesson and we went on to become very good friends.

The clinical years of medical school are daunting.  You constantly feel like a tap dancing monkey, trying to impress people you barely have time to get to know.  But personally, I am not looking for someone who knows everything about everything.  That’s why you are in school.  The best thing you can get out of third and fourth year is how to do a good history and physical, how to write good notes, and how to triage patients.  The best students are interested, willing to learn, and know their patients well.  If you keep that in mind, the clinical years are much simpler.  I promise, if you follow your patients you will learn much more than just doing qbank questions.   

Best of luck on your clinical rotations.  Don’t make things too complicated.  At the end of the day have fun, treat your patients right, and keep an open mind.  The learning will happen whether you recognize it or not.

[perfectmedstudent]

6 Things People Don't Always Tell You About Studying

1. you ace tests by overlearning. you should know your notes/flashcards/definitions basically by heart. if someone asks you about a topic when you’re away from class or your notes and you can answer them in a thorough and and accurate answer, then you’re good, you know the material. 

2. if you don’t understand something, it will end up on the test. so just don’t disregard and hope that this specific topic won’t be on the test. give it more attention, help, and practice. find a packet of problems on that one concept and don’t stop until you finish it and know it the best. 

3. sometimes you just need that Parental Push. you know in elementary school, they would tell you “ok now it’s time for you to do your homework! you have a project coming up, start looking for a topic now!” ONE of your teachers might be like this. be thankful for it and follow their advice! these teachers are the best at always keeping you on track with their calendar. if not a teacher, then have one of your friends be that person that can keep you accountable for the things you promised you would do. 

4. you just need to kick your own ass. seriously. i know it sucks and its hard to study for two things at once. BUT. I DONT CARE IF IT’S HARD. you need to do it and at least do it to get it over with because you can’t keep putting things off. If you do, you will eventually run out of time and you will hate yourself. force yourself to do it. i made myself sign up for june ACT even though there’s finals because if i didn’t, i probably never would. like do i think i’m gonna be ready in one month? probably not, SO I BETTER GET ON IT AND START STUDYING! 

5. do homework even if it doesn’t count. if you actually try on it, then you will actually do so much better on the tests, it’s like magic. 

6. literally just get so angry about procrastinating that you make yourself start that assignment. I know how hard it is to kick the procrastination habit. I have to procrastinate. So I make myself start by thinking about my deadlines way early. I think, “oh i have a presentation in three weeks (but it really takes 2 weeks to do), i’ll be good and start today.” when that doesn’t happen, you say you’ll do it tomorrow, and this happens for like the next four days. I get so mad at myself for not starting when i am given a new chance to do so with every passing day. By that time, you actually have exactly how much time you need for it AND you were able to procrastinate the same way you usually do ;)

[perfectmedstudent]

Let’s get this done 🤓

[perfectmedstudent]

The 5 Best Revisions Methods I Want to Start Using

Hi, guys! Whilst planning my next few months to do well on my final exams, I started researching and found a few great study techniques that are a bit underrated. Thus, I compiled a post with information about each one and all the materials you need to put them to use. These are most useful if you’ve already studied the material and are now starting to revise.

A. Feynman Technique

This method was coined by Nobel Prize winner Richard Feynman. This system works by writing down everything you remember about the topic you’re currently revising in a blank piece of paper. When you get stuck, go back to your study materials. The gaps in your knowledge should be blatant after you finish. Review and simplify. Keep repeating until you know for certain that there’s nothing left out and you’ve successfully learned the topic. :-)

For this method you will need:

Blank piece of paper

Pen/Pencil

B. Spaced Repetition

This method has been gaining traction for the past few years but it still doesn’t get the recognition it should. It’s fairly simple. It consists of time intervals between study sessions, which allows you store information better in your long-term memory. While there aren’t set times for when to do your next revision session, I’d recommend the one by Piotr Wozniak:

First repetition: 1 day

Second repetition: 7 days

Third repetition: 16 days

Fourth repetition: 35 days

This method can be used both through an analog system and a digital one. 

One of the simplest techniques to implement spaced repetition while using paper flashcards is the Leitner system. First, you decide how many boxes you need for your system. Each of your boxes represents a different study time interval:

Every flashcard starts out in Box 1. When you get a flashcard right, it passes to the next box. If you get a card wrong, it goes back to Box 1 – even if it was on Box 4. This makes sure you are constantly reviewing the materials. Remember to devise a calendar with the dates and boxes you need to revise each day. 

For this method you will need:

Boxes or simply different colored rubbers to differentiate the piles

Flashcards

Pen/Pencil

If however, you prefer a digital method, Anki is the best option for you. It is available online, on both Windows & Mac and there’s also an incredible practical app. It uses the spaced repetition method while taking the trouble of having to hand write hundreds of flashcards and remembering when to study each one.

Simply create an account, then a deck in which you’ll add your flashcards. The app and website allow you to add images and/or sounds to the flashcards. Customize them all you want. Once you’ve finished, save them and check the app every day to revise the flashcards of the day.

For this method you will need:

Anki app (iOS, Android) and/or website

C. Past Papers

I’ve been guilty in the past for not using this method. I got so caught up in my perfectionism that I didn’t even want to try. I learned, though, that getting things wrong is not a sign of failure and that persisting until you get it right is the real strength (and discipline) you ought to have. Do not let your procrastination and/or perfectionism prevent you from learning your weaknesses on a topic and not reach the grade you were hoping for.

Time yourself while taking the test and then correct your answers with a different colored pencil/pen so you can differentiate between correct and wrong answers.

For this method you will need:

Past papers

Pen/Pencil

D. Teach someone

This method is really helpful if you have oral assessments and/or your professor uses the Socratic method in class. You can practice your speech and knowledge all at the same time. Find someone who’s willing to listen to you talk about the topic you’re studying. Even if no one’s willing, you can still explain the matter to an object in the house. Don’t get embarrassed by this! While speaking, you’re organising your thoughts and only when explaining to someone else can you really assess your knowledge.

For this method you will need:

Your voice

Someone/Something who loves you very much

E. Proper sleep & exercise

Yes, I know, these aren’t revisions methods. But as helpful as the previous systems were, they won’t work if you aren’t sane in body and spirit. It’s incredibly important that you rest. Teenagers (13 to 17 years old) ought to sleep from 8 to 10 hours every day, while young adults (18 to 25) only need 7 to 9. You should also get fresh air and exercise. This helps with mental alertness, concentration, an efficient memory and a positive mood. Stay hydrated throughout the day. & please, don’t skip meals! 

For this method you will need:

Proper sleep (x, x, x, x, x)

Exercise (x, x, x)

Healthy diet (x, x, x, x)

[perfectmedstudent]

An incomplete list of things to remember about psych pharmacology

Antipsychotics

Risperidone: most antidopaminergic atypical therefore the most EPS-prone atypical antipsychotic, highest risk of prolactinemia (amenorrhea, galactorrhea)

Most likely to cause metabolic syndrome: olanzepine, clozapine, quetiapine

Ziprasidone: most known for prolonging QTc (others can cause this as well)

Clozapine: last resort because of risk of agranulocytosis, needs monitoring

Depot injections for concern of non-adherance: haloperidol, risperidone

Mood stabilizers

Need levels for narrow therapeutic window: lithium, valproate

Lithium: don’t use in kidney disease, can cause renal and thyroid side effects

Valproate: liver toxicity

Oxcarbazepine: can cause hyponatremia

Lamotrigine: good for bipolar depression, not so much mania

The anticonvulsants (carbamezepine, oxcarbazepine, lamotrigine) can cause Stevens Johnson rash

None are good in pregnancy - use antipsychotics?

Antidepressants

Paroxetine: most serotonergic, worst withdrawal symptoms, 1st trimester cardiac birth defects

Trazadone: priapism

Venlafaxine: diastolic hypertension

Bupropion: lowers seizure threshold. Contraindicated in bulimia because of the electrolyte abnormalities also lower threshold.

Most sedating: mirtazapine (low doses for sleep, higher doses for depression), trazadone (pretty much only for insomnia)

Serotonin syndrome: risk with combos of SSRIs

MAOIs: hypertensive crisis when eating wine and cheese (too much norepinephrine)

TCAs: lethal dose is only a few weeks supply so concern for suicide.

[perfectmedstudent]

how to: STUDY PHYSIOLOGY

Physiology is the scientific study of the normal function in living systems. And no, it is not the same as Psychology as I sometimes have to remind my friends. This science can be absolutely interesting but on the other side it might be  demotivating if you have to remember all the different channels and ion flow… 

The books

I can recommend using a textbook which deals with an basic overview at the beginning. I have read this one first and deepened my knowledge in the other book with more detailed information. 

Invest your money wisely in a good book, and by good book I am meaning a basic work and not those 4-year old lectures notes from previous students. It might hit in the pocket, but in my opinion it will be worth, especially when you see the satisfied face of your professor during the practical course. 

Surely, you can also lend a book from the library but unfortunately all books are already gone within 1 day and it is hard to get one when your year was faster than you …

The lectures

There is the well-known question “Should I go to lectures or not?”. If you ask me: YES, you should. Physiology is a science that never ends. If you are attending lectures, the profs will mention the “most important” facts to them and you can calculate your study-to-do-list better. Moreover, it’s always good to hear things first. And let’s be serious: If you don’t go to lectures, you are more likely to do somethings else … (at least I am)

The practical course

Nowadays, many med schools draw attention to “practical Physiology”. In most cases, universities are providing a course script for the different experiments. My advice: Always appear prepared. First of all, you will probably save time since you have already read the instruction once and you can focus better on the outcomes and interpret them better. Moreover, use the course time to understand facts & do not see it as a boring must go. On top of that, try to explain your findings to each other. 

The study methods

I am the type of person who gets easily bored by just starring into the book. First of all, I read the text first while highlighting important key words. Since I am a passionate pen collector, I loved writing summaries. 

Moreover, I used my old filofax and file cards to draw diagrams and write down the most important facts. 

Summing up…

… Physiology offers a great connection between pure science and medical subjects. Have patience and some imagination and you will survive Physiology as you did with Anatomy!

All the best!

How to: Study Anatomy How to: Study Histology

[perfectmedstudent]

MS4′s study guide

Hey! I’ve received a few messages from you, guys, asking how do I study for internal medicine, what are my ways of memorizing & learning about new conditions, etc. So here is my answer! I decided to write a small guide, or rather a quick description of my usual study process when it comes to internal medicine, but not only. :)

1. Organize your day.

First thing I always do is a plan for an upcoming day. I try to think of everything I need to do before and after studying in order to rate how much time I’ll have for my study session. I try to find out which part of day will be the most comfortable for me to focus and study.

Secondly I check how much material I need to go through & how much time do I have for every portion. It helps me choose the most efficient way of studying - sometimes I need to be quick and can’t let myself focus on every detail and sometimes I have enough of time to be solid, take some good notes and memorize everything I need to.

2. Organize your study space, desk, materials.

Usually I study at home so I take care of everything before I finally sit down to actual work. It reduces the amount of potential distractions.

3. How do I study?

I start with reading the chosen part of material. I usually use a highlighter and mark or color code the most important info. It helps me focus on the text and understand it better. Usually it’s enough for me but sometimes I feel a need to take notes. I just do it quick, I want my notes to be condensed and useful for all those last minute revisions.

When I don’t use a book or paper materials and need to work with a computer, I naturally have to skip the highlighting part and gotta deal with my lack of focus in some other way. To help myself in such situation I take notes. I don’t care about making them pretty or colorful but rather as functional as possible. I usually use a notebook with blank pages (I just like it this way, it makes my notetaking quicker) and a pen. Such a small and simple set up reduces the time I tend to waste on creating aesthetic and goodlooking notes.

(If I could give everyone just one practical tip it would probably be this one: Note taking is just a tool that needs to help you learn! Not waste your time and energy. Keep your notes condensed, clear and actually useful.)

After I’m done with my notes and still have some time I repeat everything once or few times again.

4. What about internal medicine?

As some of you know it includes a lot of studying, many conditions, cases, more cases, even more details and so on. How do I deal with it?

Well, I usually start with reading the whole topic. For example a part about conditions of the liver. It helps me create a basic vision of what I’ll be studying about, notice a pattern, similarities and differences. Then I go back to every condition and read about it again. At this point I already try to memorize as much as I can. Then I move to comparisons - do some of those conditions have any similiar symptoms? Do they have any similarities in pathogenesis? How do they progress? Is the treatment the same or different? Noticing how do some condtitions differ from eachothers is really helpful! Not only in making the diagnosis certain but also in the process of learning itself - the more details and differences you’ll notice the more you’ll learn.

Creating such basis is crucial before working on cases, in my opinion. Without any information it will be sensless to try to figure out what’s the matter with the involved patient. But if you’ll be able to use theoretical informations, working on cases will be really valuable. It will surely point your lacks out.

So that’s it! This is how I deal with clinical subjects that are basically my everyday reality on 4th year of a medical university. Naturally I sometimes need to change this scheme a bit, but this is what works for me the best, I guess.

Hope I answered your questions & that I could help! Let me know if you have any more requests. :)

[perfectmedstudent]

How I make flashcards for my class or textbook notes. I make these so that I can easily go thru the chapters & summaries. And in the end its also easier to read thru the flashcards as a revision instead of all of my notes. I choose to print my notes for 2 reasons 1) my handwriting sucks 2) i get more info on one page

[perfectmedstudent]

how to study: clinical skills

i thought i’d do this field next - we’ve suddenly been walloped with a load of clinical skills, and working through them has been a nightmare! 

why learn clinical skills?

in the most basic sense - you should learn your clinical skills well because you need them to function as a vet. 

however, it is beneficial to learn how to do things before you’re confronted with clinics or rotations; it makes you look better and allows you to consolidate skills in a real-life context, rather than learning them anew. 

a lot of clinical skills are about muscle memory - so small amounts of consistent practice will serve you better than one big chunk of work. 

what are the problems with studying clinical skills?

access to equipment. not every university, like the RVC, has a 24/7 clinical skills centre where you can go and practice blood smears or catheter placement. 

lack of teaching. medicine is often taught on the principles of “see one, do one, teach one” - great in theory, but not great if you didn’t really ‘get’ it the first time, and auxiliary resources like the internet are not always helpful. 

lack of standardisation. see above - a lot of skills (e.g. knot-tying) change as the years go on. a vet in practice could teach you a totally different method to the one that you learn in college. 

what are some solutions and tips? 

build your own. for example, you don’t need a fancy suturing kit - i used a banana, a sewing needle, and an old pair of forceps until i’d at least got the basics down. you can learn a one-handed and two-handed surgical tie at home with a piece of baler twine and a bit of patience. 

use the resources you have. the RVC, for example, has hundreds of videos on our VLE of various clinical skills, from stuff as simple as trotting up a horse all the way through to setting up an anaesthesia machine. these can help to consolidate your learning, especially when it comes to revising for OSCEs. you can also use the internet, veterinary TV shows (at a pinch), and your friends’ knowledge to help you. 

ask for help. this is the biggest one, especially when you’re out on placement or rotations. someone will be able to show you how to do things if you’re not sure, and sometimes this is the best way of learning. for example, if there’s a quiet moment, ask a nurse to show you how to set up a drip - it’s the work of a couple of minutes but the demonstration will be worth a hell of a lot more to you than just watching it happen passively. 

to go back to the above - see one, do one, teach one. explaining what you’re doing, even if it’s just aloud to yourself, is the number one best way to fix something in your memory - it works for revision, and it works for practical skills too.

you can see my previous study guides here. good luck with clinical skills, and have a great summer! 

[perfectmedstudent]

Help me to motivate me into studying?

I've been home for a few months and now my finaly year is starting.😂😣😣 I need some help to get me back to studying. Any advice?

[perfectmedstudent]

How to study smarter:

So my (very cool) teacher was talking about this in class the other day, made me want to make a post about it.

The image above is adapted from the National Training Lab in Bethel, Maine. It basically shows how much information the average student retains when using certain methods.

Attending a lecture is only 5% and reading the material is only 10%.

Which could be a potential answer imo to why many people spend hours reading stuff and not retain most of it or not do well on tests.

Anything audiovisual increases the percentage of information you’ll likely retain up to 20%, having it demonstrated in front of you gives you 30%. Discussion (which can be done very easily) can make you retain up to 50%, practicing with your own hands means you’ll retain 75% and finally when you teach others you’ll retain a massive 90%.

So how can you implement this into your study routine to retain the most information?

Audiovisual: I think this is very easy, YouTube channels like Khan Academy cover almost everything, so go online, find some videos relevant to whatever you’re studying and watch them.

Demonstration: This is pretty much your teacher’s job, an example here would be anything related to social or hand skills, in my case interviewing and examining patients. At my school before we interview any patient or examine them my teacher does it first and we carefully observe. So whenever someone is demonstrating something pay full attention. And then if possible practice it (possibly with your friends as a role play) because that’ll increase the percentage of information you retained to 75%

Discussion: This is very basic and can be done simply by just reading the material before, preparing questions and engaging in brief discussions with your teacher throughout the lecture. Or if pre reading isn’t your thing just join a study group and discuss everything you’re learning over there.

I’ve already talked about practice briefly with demonstration, it’s pretty self explanatory (especially for OSCEs, for all you medstudents)

Teaching others: You can volunteer to tutor anyone or just take the lead in your study group. All of my teachers swear by this method. Some even suggest explaining to yourself if you can’t find anyone else but I have never tried it. (or force your family/boyfriend or SO to listen, that’s what I do)

Get creative and make the most of your study sessions, if anyone tries any of these please let me know!!