First Semester Advice: Studying for different classes

In my opinion, what's harder than learning the presented material in the first semester is determining the best study strategies to master the material.  A good baseline is to continue to do what worked for you in undergraduate and make adjustments from there.  I like to condense the lecture slides into 1-3 pages on blank sheets of paper.  Sometimes this takes up too much time, and takes away from review, which hurts my score sometimes.  However, after I review the notes I created 3 or 4 times, I feel that I have a thorough understanding of the material.   This ensures that I am connecting the information and it makes it much easier for later review and quickly finding out information when doing practice problems.  Any major diagram I draw out.  It took me a while, but towards the end of first semester, I realized that I'm a much more visual learner than I ever would of imagined.  I had taken the assessment test for learning styles and visual was never top of the list, but through experimentation I realized that diagrams stick in my head the longest.

Whatever you study strategy is, just make sure you are actively studying.  Don't simply read through the slides over and over.  Add notes in the margins, create questions, create diagrams, flowcharts, make connections between other lecture materials, etc.  A good measurement is that when you're studying and your mind is elsewhere, thinking about music, dinner, classmates, etc.  than you're probably not actively studying. 

Also make sure you are group studying at least one time a week.  The group I like to study actually has sections every night from 7-9 where we recap what was presented during lecture.  I don't go every night, but it's nice to have that option.  Many times you will feel like you're "not ready" to go to group study.  Don't worry, you never will be, it is an opportunity to feel in gaps in your learning, not for you to prove how smart you are.  Actually the times I've felt the dumbest in group are the times I've learned the most.

I've been asked to write on the best study methods for each class, so I'll try to describe which methods gave me the best results for first semester.

Anatomy:

Anatomy will undoubtedly be the subject that takes up most of your time during first semester.  Initially, I made the mistake of seeing the 3-5 hours of anatomy lab as time taking away of studying for lecture material.  It took me a while to realize that the best learning from integrating lecture material while actually finding and touching the structures in lab.  Anatomy lab practical are only worth 5% of the grade, while the mini exams are about 12-20% of the semester grade.  Therefore, it's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that more time should be spent in the books rather than at lab, but the students who do the best on the mini exams, which include many anatomy questions, are those who are also do well on the Anatomy lab practicals.

The most effective learning will come in the anatomy lab.  Be prepared for dissection by watching the prosection videos a couple of times.  Making a quick and simple drawing of whatever body part we were dissecting helped me to visualize and remember where the nerves, vasculature, muscles, etc. should be.  Consistently go into the anatomy lab.  I got the best results when me and a friend went in Saturday mornings and reviewed the dissections we did for the week.  Be able to identify the same structures on different bodies, as you never know which body will be used for the practical exam.  

Biochemistry:

I had success drawing out pathways or making flowcharts.  Know the rate-limiting steps and where a disruption in the pathway would likely cause pathology.  Also, go to Smolanoff's office.  He has many slides, many which aren't important, but pay attention to what he emphasizes or repeats during lecture. Know your amino acids, which ones are basic, acidic, hydrophobic, hydrophilic, etc.  There are mnemonics you can find from a google search.  Don't worry, organic chemistry, will not play much of a role.

Microanatomy/ Histology:

Repetition, repetition, repetition.  Microanatomy can be very detailed, so be sure to pay attention to any bolded or color text in the lecture powerpoints.  You simply have to keep going through the material, start with understanding the overall picture and gradually add more and more detail.

Physiology:

I like Physio, because it is very conceptual.  There is not much memorization involved, as opposed to Anatomy.  I liked supplemental sources such as BRS or Khan Academy for Physio as they presented the same concepts in different ways.  Not as much repetition is necessary, once you understand the concepts.

Behavioral Science:

This is the easiest subject, the "marshmallowy" topics of medicine such as be kind to your patients, treat them with respect, listen, etc.  Also some of the social work, sociological, and cultural aspects of medicine. This subject can be a gift or a curse.  I do best when I tackle these lectures first, and make sure they are reviewed early on when studying for a mini and also right before the mini.  The questions are generally easy, but it is easy to just put off studying for behavior science and lose easy points.