Tips to effectively study, maximize retention and memorization of USMLE and Medical School concepts.
1. Choose a target score and make a schedule depending on how much study time is available to you. Spend your day in a structured fashion minimizing on inefficiencies and still setting some time aside for relaxation.
2. Begin by taking the oldest available NBME Assessment first. That will serve as a guide and help you in determining weak areas which you need to focus more.
3. Sleep 6 to 8 hours a night. Due to factors not under your control, if you are sleep deprived, then make sure to take a 15 min power nap just before you sit down to study to help in memory retention.
4. Study in 25 to 50 min blocks depending on your attention span. Then take a break of up to 30 mins. When learning something, do it with focus, avoid any distractions like smartphones, internet surfing etc.
5. While reading, focus on the key (important) words…repeat them either by glancing one more time or reading keywords aloud after every 4-5 sentences.
6. Learn important ideas or bullet points first. You can find them at the end or beginning of a chapter in a book.
7. Paraphrase in your own words after you read a section before going to the next section.
8. Be active with the material you are reading, like...make your own notes or flashcards, jot down what you learned on a board or explain the concept to someone else.
9. Make learning fun and interesting. Use the “mind / memory palace” concept of making a visual memory of the important or difficult concepts in the material.
All the best, Happy Learning 😊