Have you ever felt so lost? Where to start and what to study? Textbooks, lectures, videos, notes, clinical rotations, etc. As a medical student, being lost is a part of who you are, we all have been there, don’t worry buddy! I have been struggling to develop a study technique suitable for me for more than 4 years but eventually I knew what worked best for me and I adopted it. Here I am sharing with you some of my study tips and tricks hopefully it helps you as well. Well, first off, let’s all agree that studying medicine is super cool! You’re not studying fictional numbers or hypothetical situations you’re reading about a real disease that you might know someone has it and you will encounter it in real life, so enthusiasm is welcomed. It is also important for you to know what your learning style is? is it visual, auditory or tactile and learn how to develop it and implement techniques that help you. Enough with the chit-chat and let’s start, 1- Change you mindset. You are not studying to ace the exam, well of course we all want so but this shouldn’t be your sole purpose. You are studying to be a good physician. This really matters, trust me. 2- Quiz yourself! Yes, before reading any new information about this new disease, quiz yourself about it, what you already know or have heard about it, have you seen anyone who has this disease? What were the symptoms? Were they taking steroids? Maybe? 3- Watch a video. If you have a visual memory like me, this will greatly help you. I can totally recommend osmosis videos for a quick focused idea about the nature of the disease and how to treat it. 4- TEXTBOOK TIME! Do not get discouraged I know it takes time to read all the chapter, but you get it. Find a student-friendly version of the textbook you use. And google whatever you don’t fully get. 5- Make your own notes. Don’t hate me guys for this, but it always works! You don’t have to make notes for everything you read, I know how busy you are. But sometimes you need to make a quick mind-map or a table for what you have been reading for hours before you forget about it. Just to summarize it so you don’t have to go through all this process again. 6- Engage in the lectures. You are already there, don’t waste your time observing how cute the birds outside are, instead, actively listen and don not ever be afraid to ask. 7- Get your knowledge into action. Discuss what you have read with a friend, a senior or your mentor. Listen to a patient’s story with the disease, how they first presented, were they easily diagnosed, what treatments are they taking now. This by far is the best memory anchor. Now you are ready to conquer the field of medicine. Wait, have I told you that you will probably forget about 90% of the new information you have studied after one week? Bummer, sorry! That’s why you should link your study with actual cases and patients, so they’re always remembered. Good luck guys and always remember that persistence makes perfect!
