Studying Tips

"I hate studying," admits Carl Streed Jr., a student at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland. "I don't know how to do it well," he continues. "And apparently it's required in medical school."

Streed lamented his difficulties with studying on The Differential, a popular Medscape blog for medical students. He asked other students how they master the large volume of material that begins to accumulate on the first day of medical school, and he invited them to share their thoughts on the discussion board. Over 220 readers responded.


Many students offered their own secrets to studying. Of course, studying efficiently is partly a matter of getting motivated, as many hinted. There is no single best technique to study: rather, the method you choose will depend on what sort of learner you are, what type of material is presented in class, and how interested you are in the topic. The main challenge is to figure out what works best for you.

That said, you may find some of their specific advice very helpful:

Summarize your notes. Come exam time, you will have just 1 place from which to review.

"In my opinion, short notes are essential," writes 1 medical student. "Summarizing your lecture notes (while adding important information from the relevant textbooks) may help you remember facts better if you go through those notes every now and then."

That method is also promoted in How to Study in Medical School , written by Armin Kamyab, MD, who is currently a general surgery resident. In his book, he explains how he summarized his notes on the same evening of each class.

Preview material before going to class. That way, the lectures are a review of the information you've learned the night before. Many medical students agree that repeating the material is crucial, and some say that it helps to read it, say it, and write it.

Pick your sweet spot. Do you work most efficiently at home, at school, or somewhere else? Streed studies anywhere but home and school, because for him, these places lend themselves to distractions. Instead, he heads to cafes, libraries, and even airports. Avoid your own distracting venues.

Technologic tools can be helpful. What students find useful ranges drastically, from colored highlighters to mind-mapping software. Some write that they record lectures and listen to them later in the car, at the gym, or at home. Many mentioned making notecards or highlighting liberally, using a different color for each topic.

Visual learners and creative types might like software programs such as Curio by Zengobi for Mac. Curio allows users to take notes (incorporating pdf clippings and images), manage tasks, and create mind maps, tables, and index cards. You can download a free trial to see how it works.

Another recommended mind-mapping tool is MindManager, available for both Windows^® and Mac^®. It allows users to not only organize notes but also manage tasks and projects. MindManager users can create maps and send them to Microsoft OneNote® , a digital notebook that's part of Microsoft Office^®. OneNote provides a single place where one can manage notes and tasks. None of the programs is free, but all have free trial versions you can download to help you evaluate them.

Another potentially helpful resource is CueCard, a free tool that allows users to make flashcards for anything they want to memorize. The program allows you to quiz yourself on the content you created, focusing on your weakest areas.

Study with peers (productively). Discussion groups can be a worthwhile supplement to time spent alone. "Some of your classmates may be using different textbooks that may bring out some concepts more clearly, and therefore your classmates may be able to share some of their ideas with you," 1 student suggested in the Medscape discussion.

Another student works with his housemates -- who are also his classmates -- to pool questions for a timed practice exam.

Still another medical student sits with a friend and a textbook. Both start silently reading the same paragraph. The first person to finish covers the paragraph and recites everything he can remember. The other person fills in any gaps in information. "I have noticed over time a great boost in my memory skills, comprehension, and reading speed, so every time you sit down to study you are not only gaining knowledge, but also aptitudes that will surely help you to study by yourself," the student writes.

Try something completely different. Some students use what might be considered unconventional methods. For instance, 1 medical student makes a summary of notes, and then reads them aloud at home in a broadcast news voice or a French accent. Another student reads books and materials as if they are a novel. Make up your own odd methods and mnemonic aids or borrow from books such as Mnemonics and Study Tips for Medical Students, Two Zebras Borrowed My Car , written by Khalid Khan.

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