Studying
by
Justin Morgan
—
last modified
Jun 21, 2006 01:22 AM
So now that I'm a medical student, I just go to class, right?
We asked Jeremy Jones, a member of the Class of 2002 to offer some advice to the First Year student. His advice is also followed by a number of suggestions that have been contributed from other people. There are as many strategies for surviving the first year as there are students, and everyone's got to figure out their own way of getting through. Remember, the tips below each come from different students, so don't be surprised if you see conflicting advice. Take everything you read here with a grain of salt. New tips are always drifting in, so keep checking in and maybe you'll find something useful.
Unfortunately, there is no “magic bullet” for successful studying in medical school, and just as we are all different, our study skills and approaches are uniquely different as well. The best advice that one student can give to another is simply to be as prepared as time will allow. During your undergraduate years, there was ample time to prepare for exams, quizzes, or presentations a few days prior to the event, but in medical school, things are certainly different. The classes are not any more conceptually difficult than undergraduate classes, but learning the shear amount of material is the most challenging part. An analogy about water can illustrate this point rather well. High school is like drinking water from a water fountain; college is like drinking water from a hose pipe, while medical school is like drinking from a fire hydrant. Although the water (at least theoretically) tastes the same, the amount flowing out is unmistakably different.
You will soon learn that time itself is the most expensive commodity that cannot be bought; knowing this is a key to successful preparation. You want to maximize your study time with the material, and the best way to do that is to begin early. We all learn best through repetition, so the more time you have to study your notes, the more you will recall both for the exams and ultimately for the USMLE Step 1 boards.
Reading through your notes before a class begins is an effective way to enhance your time in lecture. Although you may not understand everything before the lecturer speaks, you will gain an insight into what was emphasized and will comprehend more during that class since you introduced yourself to the subject before the lecture itself.
While in gross anatomy, you should definitely take an active role in the dissections. Previewing your notes, then hearing the lecture, followed by actually finding the structures will certainly add both to your comprehension and recollection. Make sure that you review several cadavers in the lab since variations are very common. The same is true with histology; study several atlases along with complement slides. A few professors will take some slides out of Sobotta’s atlas, so get a copy if you can (about $25.00). Your second-year student may have a used copy that you can buy or borrow.
Study old exams as a way of testing yourself. Since professors typically stress the same concepts each year, test files or clean tests purchased at the “CopyIt Center” will prove invaluable.
Whatever your approach, do not get overly anxious about “Black Mondays.” Although it’s stressful having multiple exams during one day, becoming too nervous will only hinder you. If you have adequately studied the material and reviewed old exams, then you will be prepared. Afterwards, relax and take some time off. As a matter of fact, several students actually preferred having multiple exams during one day, as opposed to having an exam just about every week (during the second semester). Allow your nervous feelings to enhance your concentration and awareness instead of hurting them.
Finally, realize that medical school is not your whole life. Take some time to live a little, and you will find out that those breaks will help you concentrate and study more effectively. Do not allow yourself to become burned out; you will do much better if you set an obtainable pace and not overwork your brain!
The following are tips submitted by other University of Louisville medical students: General:
Study in groups, study old tests, know the departmental notes (frontwards and backwards), and make up mnemonics (not pneumonia). Skip unnecessary lectures (I won't mention names).
DO OLD TESTS! NEVER take an exam without having done at least a couple of the previous year's tests.
Go through the notes and write everything out in your own hand. Make flash cards of things that have to be memorized. Skipping classes for me was risky, but worked great for others. Learn the material the first time.
Try studying in different places if you start to get burned out.....a park, on the main campus, or my favorite -- on my front porch.
Some recommend that you buy the board review books you'll be using at the end of your second year AS YOU GO ALONG THROUGH EACH CLASS. That way you'll be familiar with them when the time for cramming comes.
Take all tips with a grain of salt. You are guaranteed to hear false rumors.
Do whatever you did to get here only more frequently and with greater concentration
Study in groups. Learn your own self and do what works, plus take plenty of snack breaks.
Take time to smell the roses: that's the only advice you need to survive. We are all smart enough or we wouldn't be here.
Draw out diagrams and flow charts neatly and in detail. It will help you to learn the concept much better than looking at a diagram for hours and hours and hours.
Don't blow off the first Neuro test (Sidman & Sidman book) because the average is usually very high and it can help your grade later when the topics get tougher.
Old embryo questions are not enough for Dr. Nettleton. He's tough!
Dr. McGraw is a great resource in Neuro Lab.
Go to all of the Physio PBLs. Easy points!
Go to the Gross Lab reviews. You may be surprised that the same tag remains on test day.
Study old exams for all classes. The last 5 years are the most useful. Generally, for neuroscience, old exams are only good for Dr. Mower and Dr. Magnusson.
Get up early! If you can make it to the shower and into your clothes, you can make use of your mind while it is fresh. How many of you have attended 8 hours of lecture only to find yourself too tired to concentrate when you set down to study in the evening? You are not alone! This will also allow you to enjoy your evenings without guilt.
There is an overwhelming amount of information, I found it helpful to prioritize learning well, the information in the provided handouts, notes, etc. Then, if there's time, bring in other information, i.e book reading, BRS books, etc.
If you find you're having problem in a class DO NOT hesitate to find a tutor! The school will pay for you to be tutored (If you're elligable), and the majority of the tutors are very good. Don't wait until 2 weeks before the final to get your tutor. If you wait until that late in the class, then there's little that he or she can do for you. Before a test make sure that you're focused. 100% into the examination. If you put in less for that 2 hours you'll kick yourself later.
The key to doing well first year is staying one day ahead of the game. Study the next day's lecture before you go to class and use class time as a review.
Look over each lecture the day before class, roughly outlining it on the blank side of the page opposite the professor's outline. Then, any notes given during class, just fill in to your own outline. That way, come study time, you may never even look at the professor's side of the page. Also, each night, try to review and memorize everything you did that day. If you can stay current and continually review over several days, then come test time, you'll find you've already learned everything and need to only brush up on it to be ready for the test. There is no "cramming" left to do.
Bring along heaps of humor; good humor. Actually, truck loads of it! When you least expect, this arsenal will lift you to new highs and keep you going. It works better than Mountain Dew & those other CNS stimulants you'll be tempted to guzzle.
For a study break: Greentree 4 Cinema (in Clarksville) has movies for under a dollar each Tuesday.
DON'T trust ANYone of your professors! When they tell you that they're not really interested in X,Y,Z during lectures: Be SURE to read X,Y,Z first (and know them like the back of your hands) before the next exam. But of course, you'll have to know EVERYthing else like the back of your hands!! So, have fun knowing the back of your hands for the next four years!!
Specific Courses:
--Biochem:
For Biochem: Lippincott's Biochemistry is very good for concepts, but don't neglect your notes!
In studying for Boards I came across Lippincott's and wished I'd used it as my text during Biochem. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!
--Embryo:
Old exams are not sufficient for Dr. Nettleton. If you have time, read the textbook.
While you are given a book of lecture outlines, the faculty were often unable to keep to the order of the outline. Embryo is one of those classes that can quickly pull you down in histology if you are not careful.
--Gross:
Mark pages of Netters with post it notes stating relationships you need to know that are clearly illustrated on that page.
Get the Color Atlas of Anatomy (photographs) and use it like a constant practice practical. On Gross review days, stick to Nettleton or Campbell (especially Campbell) like glue.
Do a Saturday Review Session for Gross at least every 2 or 3 weeks so you don't fall too far behind. Also study with at least one other person for a while to act as a check... otherwise you could be convincing yourself of the wrong structure.
Netter-ize all structures in your mind--that's how they'll present them on the practical. Teach someone else what you really know--after all, not all 150+ students can stick to Nettleton and Campbell!
For Gross practicals: everyone else will stick to Nettleton and Campbell like glue. If you are either very short or somewhat slow on review days, track down Dr. Wagner. He's usually not so compulsively followed, and he'll cheerfully walk you through every system you need. He does a lot of the bone questions so you can probably ask him to go over them really fast. It would be worth the time...
--Histology:
The laserdisc is great. You can find it in the library. Check the front desk and they will know how to help you.
Most study for practicals using the following materials in the following order of importance:
1. Histology Website
2. Atlases
3. Laserdisc
4. Slides on the microscope.
Looking at your slides is very time consuming, and following this order allows you to get maximal exposure to this material in a reasonable time frame. Some never opened their slide boxes. It is VERY TIME CONSUMING to look at the slides. Plus, you may not be looking at the correct structure unless you hound the professors or a T.A. For Histology practicals, form a group and quiz each other with slides. Each person puts up a slide and then the rest try to identify it.
The professors use lots of slides from Sobotta in class. Although this is not the required text, it might be an advisable resource to acquire, since the samples will look more like what will be on the practicals than what you saw under the microscope.
--Neuro:
Dr. Moriarty, Dept. of Neurosurgery and a CNS lecturer for second year, recommends Clinical Neuroanatomy Made Ridiculously Simple. Be careful in that it is very basic and often leaves out important details.
Several professors refer to Kandel & Schwarts in their lecture notes. Plus, a lot of the figures that you'll see on slides in class are out of Kandel, so if you want to be able to see those again to refresh your memory before the exam, it might be worth it simply for that benefit.
--Physio:
Study old quizzes to prepare for the quizzes.
Look at Physio old tests (especially for Stremel).
Use Physio Board Review Series book. It provides clear, concise and, most importantly, understandable summaries of the lectures.
Study in groups and make sure you understand old test questions. Also, when Dr. Stremel says choose E when you don't know the answer, he really means it. He's notorious for accepting multiple answers (usually E, none of the above)...
Beware of Star Trek references from Dr. Stremel. This is filler and can be ignored generally. The real content to answer the question usually procedes or follows the space jargon.
Read Dr. Stremel's questions carefully. Sometimes, you can answer the question without even reading the question. If you can't put a question to the answer, then that answer's probably wrong.
Don't underestimate the questions that Anderson gives in Physio. Although the others' are hard, you are prepared for this. Watch out for Anderson because he is usually underestimated and his questions are generally HARD.
ALWAYS study with at least one other person. Especially for Anderson's material, work his sample questions and old exams with the aim of explaining, in detail, why each answer choice is right or wrong. Usually, that second person will make a good sounding board and will correct you when your logic is too convoluted (which is a very easy trap to run into in this class).
Unfortunately, there is no “magic bullet” for successful studying in medical school, and just as we are all different, our study skills and approaches are uniquely different as well. The best advice that one student can give to another is simply to be as prepared as time will allow. During your undergraduate years, there was ample time to prepare for exams, quizzes, or presentations a few days prior to the event, but in medical school, things are certainly different. The classes are not any more conceptually difficult than undergraduate classes, but learning the shear amount of material is the most challenging part. An analogy about water can illustrate this point rather well. High school is like drinking water from a water fountain; college is like drinking water from a hose pipe, while medical school is like drinking from a fire hydrant. Although the water (at least theoretically) tastes the same, the amount flowing out is unmistakably different.
You will soon learn that time itself is the most expensive commodity that cannot be bought; knowing this is a key to successful preparation. You want to maximize your study time with the material, and the best way to do that is to begin early. We all learn best through repetition, so the more time you have to study your notes, the more you will recall both for the exams and ultimately for the USMLE Step 1 boards.
Reading through your notes before a class begins is an effective way to enhance your time in lecture. Although you may not understand everything before the lecturer speaks, you will gain an insight into what was emphasized and will comprehend more during that class since you introduced yourself to the subject before the lecture itself.
While in gross anatomy, you should definitely take an active role in the dissections. Previewing your notes, then hearing the lecture, followed by actually finding the structures will certainly add both to your comprehension and recollection. Make sure that you review several cadavers in the lab since variations are very common. The same is true with histology; study several atlases along with complement slides. A few professors will take some slides out of Sobotta’s atlas, so get a copy if you can (about $25.00). Your second-year student may have a used copy that you can buy or borrow.
Study old exams as a way of testing yourself. Since professors typically stress the same concepts each year, test files or clean tests purchased at the “CopyIt Center” will prove invaluable.
Whatever your approach, do not get overly anxious about “Black Mondays.” Although it’s stressful having multiple exams during one day, becoming too nervous will only hinder you. If you have adequately studied the material and reviewed old exams, then you will be prepared. Afterwards, relax and take some time off. As a matter of fact, several students actually preferred having multiple exams during one day, as opposed to having an exam just about every week (during the second semester). Allow your nervous feelings to enhance your concentration and awareness instead of hurting them.
Finally, realize that medical school is not your whole life. Take some time to live a little, and you will find out that those breaks will help you concentrate and study more effectively. Do not allow yourself to become burned out; you will do much better if you set an obtainable pace and not overwork your brain!
The following are tips submitted by other University of Louisville medical students: General:
Ten Rules for Medical Students:
- Don't complain about how hard you are working - everyone above you is working harder than you.
- Don't Ask "Can I go home?" - instead ask if there is anything left that you can do.
- Be on time.
- Kill "Them" with kindness. When nurses, residents, staff, etc. start pimping, picking, or yelling at you, remember, flattery works.
- Help your fellow students. If someone is having a bad day, a small act of kindness can make all the difference.
- Always volunteer - for 1st night call, to go first presenting, to take the extra patient, to switch with your classmate who has a wedding to go to, etc. It may mean extra work or less sleep but it will pay off in the end.
- Know everything about your patients and something about all the patients on your service.
- If you don't know, say so. If you guess or make something up, you will regret it. But if you say, "I don't know" then you can add "but I will find out" and at least have a chance to redeem yourself.
- Don't answer other students' questions. It pisses them off and makes you look like a back-stabber.
- Just do it - If you are lying in bed on call wondering if you should go see the patient you were just called about, the answer is YES
Study in groups, study old tests, know the departmental notes (frontwards and backwards), and make up mnemonics (not pneumonia). Skip unnecessary lectures (I won't mention names).
DO OLD TESTS! NEVER take an exam without having done at least a couple of the previous year's tests.
Go through the notes and write everything out in your own hand. Make flash cards of things that have to be memorized. Skipping classes for me was risky, but worked great for others. Learn the material the first time.
Try studying in different places if you start to get burned out.....a park, on the main campus, or my favorite -- on my front porch.
Some recommend that you buy the board review books you'll be using at the end of your second year AS YOU GO ALONG THROUGH EACH CLASS. That way you'll be familiar with them when the time for cramming comes.
Take all tips with a grain of salt. You are guaranteed to hear false rumors.
Do whatever you did to get here only more frequently and with greater concentration
Study in groups. Learn your own self and do what works, plus take plenty of snack breaks.
Take time to smell the roses: that's the only advice you need to survive. We are all smart enough or we wouldn't be here.
Draw out diagrams and flow charts neatly and in detail. It will help you to learn the concept much better than looking at a diagram for hours and hours and hours.
Don't blow off the first Neuro test (Sidman & Sidman book) because the average is usually very high and it can help your grade later when the topics get tougher.
Old embryo questions are not enough for Dr. Nettleton. He's tough!
Dr. McGraw is a great resource in Neuro Lab.
Go to all of the Physio PBLs. Easy points!
Go to the Gross Lab reviews. You may be surprised that the same tag remains on test day.
Study old exams for all classes. The last 5 years are the most useful. Generally, for neuroscience, old exams are only good for Dr. Mower and Dr. Magnusson.
Get up early! If you can make it to the shower and into your clothes, you can make use of your mind while it is fresh. How many of you have attended 8 hours of lecture only to find yourself too tired to concentrate when you set down to study in the evening? You are not alone! This will also allow you to enjoy your evenings without guilt.
There is an overwhelming amount of information, I found it helpful to prioritize learning well, the information in the provided handouts, notes, etc. Then, if there's time, bring in other information, i.e book reading, BRS books, etc.
If you find you're having problem in a class DO NOT hesitate to find a tutor! The school will pay for you to be tutored (If you're elligable), and the majority of the tutors are very good. Don't wait until 2 weeks before the final to get your tutor. If you wait until that late in the class, then there's little that he or she can do for you. Before a test make sure that you're focused. 100% into the examination. If you put in less for that 2 hours you'll kick yourself later.
The key to doing well first year is staying one day ahead of the game. Study the next day's lecture before you go to class and use class time as a review.
Look over each lecture the day before class, roughly outlining it on the blank side of the page opposite the professor's outline. Then, any notes given during class, just fill in to your own outline. That way, come study time, you may never even look at the professor's side of the page. Also, each night, try to review and memorize everything you did that day. If you can stay current and continually review over several days, then come test time, you'll find you've already learned everything and need to only brush up on it to be ready for the test. There is no "cramming" left to do.
Bring along heaps of humor; good humor. Actually, truck loads of it! When you least expect, this arsenal will lift you to new highs and keep you going. It works better than Mountain Dew & those other CNS stimulants you'll be tempted to guzzle.
For a study break: Greentree 4 Cinema (in Clarksville) has movies for under a dollar each Tuesday.
DON'T trust ANYone of your professors! When they tell you that they're not really interested in X,Y,Z during lectures: Be SURE to read X,Y,Z first (and know them like the back of your hands) before the next exam. But of course, you'll have to know EVERYthing else like the back of your hands!! So, have fun knowing the back of your hands for the next four years!!
Specific Courses:
--Biochem:
For Biochem: Lippincott's Biochemistry is very good for concepts, but don't neglect your notes!
In studying for Boards I came across Lippincott's and wished I'd used it as my text during Biochem. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!
--Embryo:
Old exams are not sufficient for Dr. Nettleton. If you have time, read the textbook.
While you are given a book of lecture outlines, the faculty were often unable to keep to the order of the outline. Embryo is one of those classes that can quickly pull you down in histology if you are not careful.
--Gross:
Mark pages of Netters with post it notes stating relationships you need to know that are clearly illustrated on that page.
Get the Color Atlas of Anatomy (photographs) and use it like a constant practice practical. On Gross review days, stick to Nettleton or Campbell (especially Campbell) like glue.
Do a Saturday Review Session for Gross at least every 2 or 3 weeks so you don't fall too far behind. Also study with at least one other person for a while to act as a check... otherwise you could be convincing yourself of the wrong structure.
Netter-ize all structures in your mind--that's how they'll present them on the practical. Teach someone else what you really know--after all, not all 150+ students can stick to Nettleton and Campbell!
For Gross practicals: everyone else will stick to Nettleton and Campbell like glue. If you are either very short or somewhat slow on review days, track down Dr. Wagner. He's usually not so compulsively followed, and he'll cheerfully walk you through every system you need. He does a lot of the bone questions so you can probably ask him to go over them really fast. It would be worth the time...
--Histology:
The laserdisc is great. You can find it in the library. Check the front desk and they will know how to help you.
Most study for practicals using the following materials in the following order of importance:
1. Histology Website
2. Atlases
3. Laserdisc
4. Slides on the microscope.
Looking at your slides is very time consuming, and following this order allows you to get maximal exposure to this material in a reasonable time frame. Some never opened their slide boxes. It is VERY TIME CONSUMING to look at the slides. Plus, you may not be looking at the correct structure unless you hound the professors or a T.A. For Histology practicals, form a group and quiz each other with slides. Each person puts up a slide and then the rest try to identify it.
The professors use lots of slides from Sobotta in class. Although this is not the required text, it might be an advisable resource to acquire, since the samples will look more like what will be on the practicals than what you saw under the microscope.
--Neuro:
Dr. Moriarty, Dept. of Neurosurgery and a CNS lecturer for second year, recommends Clinical Neuroanatomy Made Ridiculously Simple. Be careful in that it is very basic and often leaves out important details.
Several professors refer to Kandel & Schwarts in their lecture notes. Plus, a lot of the figures that you'll see on slides in class are out of Kandel, so if you want to be able to see those again to refresh your memory before the exam, it might be worth it simply for that benefit.
--Physio:
Study old quizzes to prepare for the quizzes.
Look at Physio old tests (especially for Stremel).
Use Physio Board Review Series book. It provides clear, concise and, most importantly, understandable summaries of the lectures.
Study in groups and make sure you understand old test questions. Also, when Dr. Stremel says choose E when you don't know the answer, he really means it. He's notorious for accepting multiple answers (usually E, none of the above)...
Beware of Star Trek references from Dr. Stremel. This is filler and can be ignored generally. The real content to answer the question usually procedes or follows the space jargon.
Read Dr. Stremel's questions carefully. Sometimes, you can answer the question without even reading the question. If you can't put a question to the answer, then that answer's probably wrong.
Don't underestimate the questions that Anderson gives in Physio. Although the others' are hard, you are prepared for this. Watch out for Anderson because he is usually underestimated and his questions are generally HARD.
ALWAYS study with at least one other person. Especially for Anderson's material, work his sample questions and old exams with the aim of explaining, in detail, why each answer choice is right or wrong. Usually, that second person will make a good sounding board and will correct you when your logic is too convoluted (which is a very easy trap to run into in this class).
