Learning the material in medical school is quite a skill; there is SO much material and so little time. The systems are intertwined, and the terms are complex. There’s passive and active studying, spaced repetition, and interleaved practice. Where does one even begin?
Video Series (B&B, Pathoma, Sketchy, or OME)
I will share what worked for me in the next few days. I am an auditory and visual learner, so I discovered early on that I enjoy watching video series and taking notes on them. At first, I would try to make my own notes from scratch but realized there was just not enough time with the material we needed to learn. Therefore, I annotated my First Aid Step 1 or First Aid Step 2CK from a video series.
- For Step 1 – check out this blog post to know which resources I used.
- For Step 2 – check out this blog post to know which resources I used.
- For Step 3 – check out this blog post to know which resources I used.
Importance of Annotations
The importance of annotations is to have all the notes in one spot; when creating notes, it’s creating YOUR individual cheat cheat for the week of the exam to review quickly and bring back all the information to the surface of your head.
“What should I annotate?” – is a common question I receive, and my answer to that is, if the video series explains a concept in terms that you understand better, then annotate that. If it’s a buzzword that isn’t in the book, annotate that. It’s not a one-answer fit, but it’s what YOU think is necessary.
Color Scheme
My annotating notes system consists of five colors that have had meaning since DAY 1.
I have used this system for years, and the color scheme has helped me stay organized and consistent. I have also been able to reread my notes very quickly, skimming and finding the words I need to associate with one another. Having all my notes in one place makes it easier to look them up. When I do more questions or videos about the same topic, I can see all the different angles in one location of the questions.
Understanding
The volume of information is so much, while yes, a lot of it is memorization that will come by reinforcing the material with ANKI or questions. First, one must really UNDERSTAND the material. Asking “why” while learning the material helps you think deeper about and understand the topic more. Sometimes you have to treat yourself like the student and teacher, take out a whiteboard, draw it out, and explain it a few times. Or find a supplemental YouTube video to further assist your understanding.
It also helps to talk it through with a friend or tutor. Sometimes what you may understand may have a gap, and someone else hearing it out loud can help fix that gap knowledge.
Application
Immediately after doing a set of videos, I would do the UWORLD Question and ANKI questions to further reinforce and apply the topics. Listening and annotating the videos is a passive form of studying, but actively doing questions allows one to see where the testers may ask questions from and reinforce the importance of minute details in a system. The question will enable you to further strengthen and understand the topic.
Conclusion
Learning the material in medical school requires time, a system that works for you, and consistent studying to truly understand and learn to apply the knowledge.
I hope this helps, and stay tuned for the next blog post.