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There is a little bit of controversy surrounding the idea of 'pre-studying' for medical school. This is defined as studying prior to the official start of your medical school classes. Some think it is a waste of time & others believe it can help provide a great refresher. For me, I truly believe pre-studying is how I was able to succeed in my first semester of medical school. However, I don't think it is required to become a successful medical student. My pre-studying starting about 6 weeks from the start of classes. I was able to get my hands on a syllabus from a previous semester to guide my studies. I didn't want to waste time studying things that wouldn't be taught in my schools curriculum. I write this blog post not to convince you that you need to pre-study, but simply as a guide to those who chose to pre-study.
Phase 1: Build your network My mother always said, "birds of a feather flock together". We surround ourself with the people who are like us. For this phase, I suggest you find a successful student at your school and use them as a window into what your first semester will be like. They can offer you practice questions, syllabi, and tips on succeeding in your specific curriculum. Here are some examples of questions to ask:
What did your day look like?
What was your study schedule?
How often did you take breaks from your studies?
What were your favorite study resources?
What is something you didn't do that you wish you did?
and many many more ...
A challenge many students have is not knowing what to study. This is why having a network is so important. They can give you the topics that are in the first block. In general, most medical schools curriculum begins with a mix of biochemistry, cell/molecular biology, and genetics. If you are unable to get a copy of an old syllabus, then those are the topics that I would begin with. If you have not taken an anatomy and physiology course, I also suggest learning the basics of anatomy. Focusing on learning the common terminology used such anterior, posterior, lateral, medial, superficial, deep, proximal, distal. Do NOT, I repeat do NOT spend time trying to learn specific anatomical structures. Wanna know why not? Click here.
Here is a video I think covers everything you need to know prior to starting medical school.
Phase 2: Gathering resources The process of gathering your resources is very tedious. As mentioned in phase 1, begin by asking your peers about what resources they suggest you use. In addition to that, knowing what kind of learner you are can help navigate this part of your pre-study plan. You can use the link below to take a short quiz that will determine what kind of learner you are: What is Your Learning Style Quiz?
Once you determine what kind of learner you are, google the best study strategies for people with your learning style. For me, I am an auditory and visual learner. I like to read textbooks and watch YouTube videos to supplement them.
Of all the resources that exist, many of them are universally successful but others miss the mark. There is no way to determine if a resource will work for you other than trying it out. If you are just beginning your medical school research and need a list of the most popular resources then click here. I don't suggest purchasing any subscriptions prior to the start of your semester. You never know what your school will give you and many of the resoucres have time restrictions. I would use the free trial during your pre-studying period. However, if you absolutely fall in love with a resoucres then by all means purchase yourself a subscription.
Phase 3: Planning
In this phase, you will begin planning your study schedule/material. With your syllabus in hand, highlight the topics you know you need to review prior to the start of classes. Take those topics and divide them evenly over the time period you have sat aside for pre-studying. Make sure you include days to review the material as you go along. This is hugely important to retaining information and minimizes the amount of work you have to do when studying for the cumulative exam at the end of the semester.
An example of my weekly study plan can be seen below. I am sure to check task off as I complete them.
Phase 4: Process and Practice
Now, we're on to the last and most fun part. Diving into the material!
You can begin going through the resources you have chosen and processing the material. If you are unsure how to process dense information then watch the video below created by nursing student Dominique Dooley. She outlines step-by-step instructions for how she learns new material.
Don't forget to incorporate practice questions to make sure you are understanding the material. I highly recommend starting with NBME style questions from day 1. Initially they will be tough to digest but as time goes on, you will be able to answer much faster.
Closing Messages
In retrospect: my study schedule did include things that can be considered a "waste of time"; the main one being gross anatomy. We didn't do anything anatomy related until 6 weeks into the semester, by this time I was so stressed about passing the first block, I remembered little to nothing related to anatomy. All in all, stay flexible with your study schedule and if something doesn't work, change it!
If you would be interested in a blog post about how to retain material please leave a comment on this post!
A gift can be found below for those of you who made it to the end of my post💗
xoxo
Tailor Foreman