General Thoughts

Top 5 Study Strategies & Resources

(1) Read Books

Yes, read. Like a physical book for leisure or on an electronic device. I remember the sense of dread whenever my dad told me to read things out loud as a child. If you despised things similar to this at one point, then it is probably good for you - more often than not. To be clear, audio books or podcasts do not count.


We have a fascination with story telling that threads into every subject, context or medium. You see it in Instagram/Snapchat stories, Disney fairy tales, or TED Talks and it all begins with the written word. Think computer code, books, transcripts, or something scribbled on a bar napkin. You pick up vocabulary along the way or develop new insights, and it really enhances your perspective. You learn to communicate what you are thinking more effectively.


I use the Kindle App on all of my devices. When you look past the (irritating) flaws on the desktop version it is extremely useful for taking notes, screenshots, and searching key terms. Most people say they need a physical book, but all of my tests have been administered through Examplify (another irritating app) on an iPad. You are going to be taking an endless number of exams on a computer, so I suggest consuming as much written content through your screen to overcome any aversion you may have toward it.


Reading builds patience and an increased capacity to focus/concentration - something we all need while processing complicated material. There are times when you want a mildly distracting environments (practice tests), but for the most part you should get used to studying without music, background television, or social media because you will not have those things during tests. Suggestions? Enable screen time limits for apps on your device e.g one hour limit for twitter / instagram / snapchat or convert your smartphone device colors to grayscale so the content appears bland and less visually appealing (apple.com/support). Try it out before dismissing the idea outright and if it works, it works.


Look up college or summer reading lists. NPR publishes annual recommendations (here) for science, non-fiction, and fantasy. Classics can be daunting for me so I try to find material published in the last four years for casual reading maintenance. Aim for twelve books a year. Start with reading one chapter/day and build from there. You will start to notice that it offers meaningful conversations with professors and mentors while building confidence in your acquired knowledge. Here's a few that I enjoyed this past year that really helped me pass the time during the lockdown at the start of the Pandemic in 2020.

Unlimited Memory
Kevin Horsely

You're obviously going to be learning a lot new material. I found some of these tools useful when approaching an unfamiliar topic or a complex concept to develop memory anchors for simple recall. Why do we say 'James Bond' when prompted with the numbers 007? This book tells you why and how to harness it for learning.

While spending so much time away from my family during the pandemic, I looked for way to have more meaningful conversations with my parents and siblings. This book offered some interesting insights about how a majority of our lives are spent in a transition from one life event to another e.g. graduating school, death of a loved one, marriage. The author shares that learning to managing these transitions with grace has obvious benefit.  

This book was just fun to read. Yes, I said it - fun. The author is a physician in preventive medicine, and it leads with genuine curiosity rather than sounding like academic textbook. I found the perspective more relatable and could really visualize descriptions of his journey on the complexity of skin care and how we arrived at our current obsession with staying clean - aside from basic hygiene, of course.

(2) Notability

Key terms that come to mind when using this app: creativity, accessibility, and continuity across all devices (phone, desktop, iPad)


I finished my undergraduate degree with a cumulative 3.1 as a double major in Biomedical Sciences and Cello Music Performance - an unremarkable GPA in the pre-medical realm. Details aside, I bashed through premedical courses with mediocre performance and left my biology counselors silently judging me as I left their well manicured offices. But with seven years of clinical research starting day one after graduation, I learned to leverage my prior work experience and exposure in the performing arts toward a career in medicine. What's my point? Take stock of your current skillset and look for ways to apply it toward your learning objectives rather than fixating on your shortcomings. It might help you in more than one way that you care to realize.


There are other academic applications e.g. GoodNotes, Evernote, OneNote etc. but I run with apple products and Notability fit my needs better than the others. It has it's own limitations but that's a separate conversation. Whatever the circumstance, we have more tools available than ever before so make it work for you.

(3) Attending Lectures

byfollofPreview slides the night before lecture to prime yourself on the next day's material. There's plenty of research supporting spaced repetition for efficient memorization, so make it a habit to test your knowledge by whatever means you find most appealing (Flashcard platforms e.g. Quizlet, Anki, or recognized note-taking methods such as Cornell notes)


Consolidate subject material after lecture with a partner or by yourself - same day. Others may like to wait a day before reviewing, but I prefer to solidify what I learned that day to identify any gaps. Also, this can be an entry-level means of developing working relationships with classmates if you don't have a default study group. There's usually a sense of anxiety/intimidation of not knowing answers to questions, but remember that you're on the same team and here to learn. You should feel comfortable enough to make mistakes but productive when working together in a neutral space consistently.


Attend office hours or ask questions right after lecture. Get to know your professors, their style of teaching, and gain any insight on how they would test the material. Be curious, rather than blatantly asking "will this be on the test?". I can only imagine how irritating this questions can be for professors.


Don't be afraid of sitting in the front row whether your longterm intention is to make an impression or eliminates distraction. Pay attention to their interests, facial expressions, or quirky jokes, slogans, and visual descriptions. 


I cannot stress enough how important it is to physically read out loud and (re)write/draw your summary tables or concept map. You probably heard this before, but don't just go through the motions or copy it mindlessly with music in your ears or background noise. Ask yourself 'how would I be quizzed on this?' followed-up with the correct answer. Tell yourself 'science is amazing and I love this crap' - whatever it takes to immerse yourself in the material. You just have to know some things cold, so make it make sense to you before test time. 


As for a specific recommendation, your processing power will increase with consistent practice. When pressed for time, I usually type notes to convert into targeted flashcards with cloze deletions (key information is blanked out).

(4) Study Tips

There’s usually a better way to write notes e.g. rearrange, create summary tables, or condense


I prefer having a typed up version of notes after class since it is easier to find answers within seconds not minutes, and will physically write notes on lecture slides during class that I have uploaded and previewed before lecture.


You have to rewrite summary tables or redraw key pathways/concepts to memorize plain and simple. If your mind blanks but you've written it enough time, muscle memory steps in during tests. 


Take a LASSI assessment (below) to get a better idea of how you learn. I always hear about 'visual/auditory learners' but this was a new approach that quickly identified my weaknesses using validated survey methods.

 

This was my baseline LASSI results at the start of the semester that I reviewed with the Learning Specialist (thank you, Leslie!). It's a useful starting point to highlight strengths while working on your weaknesses at the beginning of the semester. Percentile metrics include Anxiety, Attention, Concentration, Information Processing, Motivation, Selecting Main Ideas, Self Testing, Test Strategies, Time Management, and Using Academic Resources.

 

I did not use third-party programs to supplement my learning during Fall 2021 semester for a couple reasons. (1) Their constant solicitation efforts for a limited time discount is annoying and (2) I didn't want to pay extra for something that I would be using infrequently. It might be useful for off-season practice during the winter or summer, but I had enough material to go through, so maybe another time.

A former med student once mentioned to me how if he could go back, he would have utilized 3rd party material such as First Aid in parallel while learning lecture material to create a more structured approach to preparing for Step 1.

p.s. These are general considerations - not endorsements - at the moment. I do like how this illustration by Picmonic summarizes the available platforms from their perspective. Maybe I'll use Osmosis one of these days.

(5) Testing Strategy

Ear plugs - the true noise cancelling device of all time, but practice using them BEFORE your test so you're not surprised by the thumping of your heart beat before/during each exam. People have mixed opinions, but there's nothing quite like peeling out those bad boys right after a test and flicking them into the trash like a booger. Just be sure to squirt some hand sanitizer on your fingers.


Develop a ritual e.g. delete social media applications two weeks before test.


Begin day in silence (no news, social media, emails, mindless scrolling).


My physiology professor once reminded our class of 'loss aversion' after sensing anxiety from some panicking students. In psychology, we experience losses more severely than equivalent gains i.e. it hurts differently to lose $1 compared to saving/gaining $5. What's my point? I'm not a fan of asking or answering specific questions right after taking exams. It's a nice way to erode your confidence, so spare yourself some mental torment with some nice pushups.