Join me in today’s episode where I chat to the VP of the General Practice Student Network - a society providing medical students with knowledge about a career in General Practice. I ask Alex why he chose medicine and the best and worse things about the course inspiring many others like him.
In today’s episode I take you through my ultimate study tips to help you succeed in your examinations.
LEARNER TYPES
Take time to work out what kind of learner you are.
- Physical: where you carry out physical tasks to learn things better.
- Listener: those who absorb the most information from lectures or auditory seminars.
- Social: learn best in a group of people.
- Solitary learners: prefer to learn alone.
- Verbal: respond well to written or spoken words and make use of acronyms.
- Logical: Use their logic to learn effectively.
TIMING
Studying for an examination requires a certain degree of timing. Starting too early can lead to burn out, and starting to study too late can mean a lot of cramming which then can lead to missing out important subjects but also only stores information in the short term memory. For my own studies, I realised that allowing myself 10 weeks prior to my examinations gave me ample time to learn my modules. If, for example I had 7 modules, I would allocate one week per module leaving 3 extra weeks spare to complete any outstanding tasks but also to have a ‘final’ revision of all 7 modules briefly ready for the examination.
ROUTINE
Give your self a daily schedule. Allocate time during the day to study and reward yourself with breaks once you have achieved something. Don’t forget to get outside and remain active. Smelling some fresh air can help to keep you revitalised and feel more alert for when you do get back to studying. Be sure to fuel your body with healthy food. This is not only important for your physical health but also for your mental health. Snacking on unhealthy fat-laden foods will make you feel lethargic and less energetic having a negative impact on your ability to study. Instead keep hydrated with water, fresh fruit and veg and have your healthy dose of protein each day. As well as keeping your food sources up, be sure to have a good night’s sleep everyday, sleeping helps up to remember what we have learned throughout the day but it also gives you the chance to recharge your batteries ready for the next day.
NOTE KEEPING
This will have to be what’s best for you, however, I found that by keeping short concise bullet points for notes was more effective than trying to learn long prose answers. You may wish to write those bullet points on a flash card or, if like me you’re a visual learner - mind maps. As an example, I would put the topic in the centre of page and branch out important information in the form of bullet points. From here, I highlight the different sub-topics with coloured highlighter pens. When it came to examination time, I would be able to think back to my mind map and colours and be able to recite those important bullet points when required.
REPETITON
We learn by repeating actions over and over again. This is thanks to a scientific process called synaptic consolidation which is where the neurones - our information carriers - actually get stronger the more we repeat a memory.
TEST
You may find it useful to have a dress-rehearsal of what your examination will be like. As a medical student, we would ask the previous years for practice examination questions and some would also be provided to us by the medical school. If you don’t have access to practice questions, you could try to explain a topic to your colleagues, this could be a useful technique if you are a social learner.
ENJOY
If you have managed to study effectively then your examination period should be a time where you can 'show off’ your knowledge and show case all your hard work. If you don’t manage to pass this time, don’t fear, there will always be another opportunity.
CHAPTERS
0.20 Introduction
1:05 Learner Types
2:50 Timing
6:15 Note Keeping
9:15 Repetition
10:15 Test Your Knowledge
13:29 Enjoy
14.34 Conclusions
I hope you enjoyed this video and as always if you have any questions or comments please drop me in a line below.
Happy Doctors’ Day 👩⚕️ To my colleagues over in America, I salute you. The 30th March was National Doctors’ day in the US.
It’s through times like the present that we should recognise and celebrate the amazing efforts of doctors and healthcare workers around the globe putting themselves forward for keeping us all safe and sound.
Thank you for the amazing contribution of healthcare professionals, past and present. It is an honour to be part of the team.
It’s the smallest handheld stethoscope I have come across. Once paired to your mobile device, it allows you to take a listen to the sounds of the body in real-time with unlimited recording.
The best feature about the Stemoscope is the ability to listen to the heart in real-time. This proves to be great for educational purposes, for example, if you are a medical student, a nurse or simply someone who is intrigued about the sounds of the body. The sound quality is very good and captures the heart well. Would I use this for my day to day job? Well, there’s a certain prestige carrying a stethoscope around your neck and certainly the quality of the sound transmitted in-ear is much better than that from a mobile device. However, as someone who likes to educate my viewers on the sounds of the body this is a great addition to my collection and I cannot wait to share more educational videos with you.
PROS
Lightweight 30g
Unlimited recording
Up to 5 hours usage
Very small
Bluetooth to mobile device
Cheap - around $100 AUD
Easy to use device and App
Works 2m apart
Able to use bell/ diaphragm and both
Able to amplify sound
Great hobbiest listening device.
Best used with headphones plugged into mobile device
CONS
Sound quality not as good as an in-ear stethoscope
Doesn’t replace the prestige of classic stethoscope
Requires a mobile device to use
CONCLUSION
This is a great tool if you’re interested in learning more about particular heart, lung or bowel sounds. It would be a useful aid for exam preparation and it looks futuristic. I’ll certainly be keeping mine to film more beautiful sounds of the body.
Thanks for watching and if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to leave me a comment in the comments section below or pop by and see me in clinic.
How to Take Blood Pressure Manually | Doctor Explains 👩🏼⚕️
In this episode, I go back to basics giving you a run through of how to take an accurate manual blood pressure and explain the different Korotkoff sounds.
Thanks for watching and if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to leave me a comment in the comments section below or pop by and see me in clinic.
Take care and stay healthy.
Dr Nora 💉
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