Note-taking Suggestions?

[adrenalinejunkie]

I'm starting medical school this fall and in the past, I've learned/processed information the best when I wrote out my notes, pen to paper. I go to class, take notes on my computer or scribble some notes on scratch paper, and then go home and re-write the Powerpoints with my notes included in a notebook. Now, I know that this is probably not feasible with the sheer volume of information thrown at us. And I'd probably develop carpal tunnel syndrome or early arthritis. That being said, what are note-taking strategies that you have adopted if you were old school like me prior to medical school? Some have suggested getting an iPad and Apple pencil, but I have a Macbook and iPad mini, so I don't want to shell out money for another iPad/pencil unless that's the best option. Thanks for your help!

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[BluegrassBuckeye]

If you're provided course notes print them out and if not just print out the powerpoints and annotate them with your own handwritten notes while following along in lecture. I've made it through nearly two years of medical school and with the exception of flashcards on anki/quizlet I haven't typed a single note and kept up just fine.

 

[NecrotizingFasciitis]

I was the same way as you in undergrad, so in our first block of medical school I didn't know what to do. I tried a completely different method for studying that didn't work for me and ended up actually reverting back to my old undergrad method, with some changes.

In undergrad, I would make my own condensed note pack that was basically the PPT re-written and just write that out a few times and be golden for exams. But you're right, there's too much material in medical school to do it this way.

What I do now is make written notes for big concepts (flowcharts, tables, drawing of things, etc.) and put all the little details into flashcards (you can use Quizlit, Anki, Firecracker, whatever works for you. I currently use Quizlet, but I will be switching to Anki (zanki deck) in MS-II for board preparation reasons.) I usually have 1-2 pages of written notes and about 50 flashcards per hour of lecture.

By the time you have made your study materials (written notes + flashcards) you should have a solid conceptual understanding of the subject. You should put most of your time into the synthesis phase of study materials so that when you are making your 2nd (3rd, 4rth, etc.) pass, all you are doing is memorizing - you want to have the concepts already down. This is when you might read your textbook to figure out a concept or something. If you've made thorough study materials, you shouldn't theoretically have to look back at any powerpoints or read anymore out of your textbook.

When I adopted this method I began to do a lot better in school than I did in my first block. It works extremely well for conceptual topics (e.g. physiology), and is very time-consuming for topics like anatomy (because I like to make flashcards w/ unlabeled images. Now for anatomy I highlight everything I need to know in my Netter atlas, mark the pages with highlights, and just flip through that a few times a week. It's kinda like having flashcards except it doesn't take a lifetime to make them.)

Sorry if I was long-winded, I don't wanna study neuroanatomy so I'm just taking my sweet time with this.

Hope this helps! And remember: no matter how fool-proof you think your study method is, you will feel overwhelmed when you first get to medical school, and your study method will likely change in some way, shape, or form - even class to class (e.g. me with anatomy.) Just learn from your mistakes and do you best to be efficient with your time.

Ok! Back to studying. Good luck!

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

I used to take lots of notes and write everything out. I have yet to write a single note in medical school because repetition is the name of the game and I don’t have time to write everything out.

Don’t be afraid to tinker with different study methods and find what sticks, some of my classmates are still struggling grade wise because they are stubborn and keep banging their head against the wall with the same techniques and are expecting a different result.

 

[Medic741]

Some classes I’ll make Anki cards as my notes, others I’ll hand-write outlines, you’ll figure out what works.

Having an iPad Pro to be able to download slide decks and write directly on them w/o carrying around a bunch of paper has been a game changer

 

[Mr. D.O.five]

I was the same way as you in undergrad, so in our first block of medical school I didn't know what to do. I tried a completely different method for studying that didn't work for me and ended up actually reverting back to my old undergrad method, with some changes.

In undergrad, I would make my own condensed note pack that was basically the PPT re-written and just write that out a few times and be golden for exams. But you're right, there's too much material in medical school to do it this way.

What I do now is make written notes for big concepts (flowcharts, tables, drawing of things, etc.) and put all the little details into flashcards (you can use Quizlit, Anki, Firecracker, whatever works for you. I currently use Quizlet, but I will be switching to Anki (zanki deck) in MS-II for board preparation reasons.) I usually have 1-2 pages of written notes and about 50 flashcards per hour of lecture.

By the time you have made your study materials (written notes + flashcards) you should have a solid conceptual understanding of the subject. You should put most of your time into the synthesis phase of study materials so that when you are making your 2nd (3rd, 4rth, etc.) pass, all you are doing is memorizing - you want to have the concepts already down. This is when you might read your textbook to figure out a concept or something. If you've made thorough study materials, you shouldn't theoretically have to look back at any powerpoints or read anymore out of your textbook.

When I adopted this method I began to do a lot better in school than I did in my first block. It works extremely well for conceptual topics (e.g. physiology), and is very time-consuming for topics like anatomy (because I like to make flashcards w/ unlabeled images. Now for anatomy I highlight everything I need to know in my Netter atlas, mark the pages with highlights, and just flip through that a few times a week. It's kinda like having flashcards except it doesn't take a lifetime to make them.)

Sorry if I was long-winded, I don't wanna study neuroanatomy so I'm just taking my sweet time with this.

Hope this helps! And remember: no matter how fool-proof you think your study method is, you will feel overwhelmed when you first get to medical school, and your study method will likely change in some way, shape, or form - even class to class (e.g. me with anatomy.) Just learn from your mistakes and do you best to be efficient with your time.

Ok! Back to studying. Good luck!

same same haha

 

[jcve34]

I take a lot of notes. I basically rip apart power point presentations (I think power point is the death of education).

My notes are probably closer to what a “mind map” is. I think in terms of images and arrows connecting ideas. I want to stress that when I take notes it’s basically drawing pictures and arrows and writing out information so that it’s not a linear flow of information which tends to happen with a power point lecture. Definitely look into the mind map and if you like the idea adapt it as you see fit.

However, with true anatomy i don’t do that at all and instead just look at the atlases and then I go through lectures to get functions and relationships.

Hope this gave you a starting point for some ideas. I only use OneNote as well which has definitely made me successful in school.

 

[You shall know the Truth]

I hand write notes out the very first time after lecture, then I review and watch the lectures over an over.

 

[austintr]

I'm starting medical school this fall and in the past, I've learned/processed information the best when I wrote out my notes, pen to paper. I go to class, take notes on my computer or scribble some notes on scratch paper, and then go home and re-write the Powerpoints with my notes included in a notebook. Now, I know that this is probably not feasible with the sheer volume of information thrown at us. And I'd probably develop carpal tunnel syndrome or early arthritis. That being said, what are note-taking strategies that you have adopted if you were old school like me prior to medical school? Some have suggested getting an iPad and Apple pencil, but I have a Macbook and iPad mini, so I don't want to shell out money for another iPad/pencil unless that's the best option. Thanks for your help!

You'll probably end up trying a few things out and seeing what sticks. I'm surprised I haven't seen whiteboards mentioned yet (although I admittedly just skimmed the replies), so if you get more from actually writing the notes yourself instead of reading the ones you've written, I'd consider a whiteboard. As mentioned above, flow charts/mind maps etc are great for a lot of med school content. Some things are best learned by making charts, some are best learned by drawing out pathways and such, and some the old fashioned way...just reading. You'll find what works for you. What works for me may not work for you, but here's an example of what I do for ~75% of classes:

Watch lectures once
Annotate slides with what is and isn't emphasized
Look over the slides and see what makes sense
Draw out what doesn't make sense
Make stupid memory hooks of all utility levels
Relate what I don't know to what I do know
Go through a classmate's Quizlet the night before
Hit the minutiae the morning of the test
??
Profit (if upper second quartile = profit)