Back

Explore every episode of the podcast Medical Mnemonist (from MedEd University)

Dive into the complete episode list for Medical Mnemonist (from MedEd University). Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.

Rows per page:

1–50 of 98

TitlePub. DateDuration
Regenerating Your Minds with a New Season!27 Apr 202300:08:49

For fans of Medical Mnemonist podcast​, enter a new journey into medicine with a 360* view from the top with our host Chase DiMarco MD! 

Visit our Website - MedEd University 

Email us at - support@meded.university 

Follow us on our Social media accounts -

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedEdUniversity/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MedEduniversity 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mededuniversity 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mededuniversity 

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mededuniversity 

YouTube: http://youtube.com/mededuniversity 

MedEdge Method for Self-Care, Rest, and Growth (Ep. 98 Rebroadcast)03 Mar 202200:12:13

In this final installment of the MedEdge Method mini-series, Chase DiMarco talks about self-care, rest, and growth. He dissects the benefits of self-care, why you need to stop procrastinating, and the relationship between rest and growth.   

  • [02:25] Rest and Recuperation 
  • [04:34] Self-care in Medicine 
  • [07:19] Why Procrastination is a Form of Self Hate 
  • [09:05] The Smallest of Increments are Greater than the Greatest of Intentions  

Full show notes

Visit our Website - MedEd University 

Email us at - support@meded.university 

Follow us on our Social media accounts -

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedEdUniversity/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MedEduniversity 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mededuniversity 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mededuniversity 

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mededuniversity 

YouTube: http://youtube.com/mededuniversity 

Durable Learning Strategies with the Learning Geek's Jake Gittleson (Ep. 11 Rebroadcast)30 Dec 202100:30:08

Jake Gittleson discusses how Mindset and Learning Ecosystems play a pivotal part in our learning success. 

A Learning Geek joins us to talk nerdy about learning! Jake Gittleson joins us to discuss how Mindset and Learning Ecosystems play a pivotal part in our learning success. We also cover how mental representations and making material personally relevant has a great impact on the lasting nature of what we learn. As a Learning Strategist, Jake helps organizations and individuals implement the best learning techniques into their programs for maximum efficiency. We explore some concrete examples of how to utilize these strategies in our academic and medical studies. 

Intro 

1:45 About the Man and the Podcast 

4:28 Durable Learning Strategies 

8:06 Explore Personal Relevancy in the Materials & Writing Personal Goals 

11:55 Format your own Self-Directed Learning 

15: Stress Mindset and Spaced-Retrieval 

20: Mental Representations and Utilizing Instructor Knowledge 

22: Walk Down Memory Lane 

Recommendations  

Visit our Website - MedEd University

Email us at - support@meded.university

Follow us on our Social media accounts -

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedEdUniversity/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MedEduniversity

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mededuniversity

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mededuniversity

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mededuniversity

YouTube: http://youtube.com/mededuniversity
 

101. Sage Advice from Over a Decade in MedEd with Ben White MD23 Dec 202100:31:44

Chase DiMarco talks to Dr. Ben White, a Neuroradiologist with three books and a long-running website (BenWhite.com.) Dr. White shares practical advice for med students gathered from spending over a decade in the MedEd space.   

  • [00:45] Getting to Know Dr. Ben White 
  • [05:50] Comparing Medical Books of Today and From 10 Years Ago 
  • [09:10] Online Resources for Medical Students 
  • [12:00] Curriculum Replacement Platforms 
  • [14:40] The Future of Med School is Online 
  • [18:30] Why Soft Skills are Essential in Med School 
  • [21:50] Extracurricular Activities and Med School Admissions  
  • [26:16] Mental Health and Attitudes in Medicine 
  • [28:40] Parting Thoughts  

Full show notes

Visit our Website - MedEd University

Email us at - support@meded.university

Follow us on our Social media accounts -

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedEdUniversity/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MedEduniversity

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mededuniversity

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mededuniversity

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mededuniversity

YouTube: http://youtube.com/mededuniversity
 

Game Learning for Clerkships and Residents with Michael Cosimini MD (Ep. 73 Rebroadcast)22 Dec 202100:23:34

Dr. Michael Cosimini discusses gamification and games for clinical education. Dr. Cosimini is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the Keck School of Medicine at USC, and the author of Empiric, a card game for learning guidelines-based antibiotic selection.  

  • [02:08] Challenges of Creating Games for a Clinical Setting 
  • [02:56] Gamification Versus Serious Games 
  • [07:22] How to Balance Between Entertainment and Education 
  • [08:09] Tabletop Games Versus Video Games 
  • [12:23] How Medical Students Can Apply Games to Their Learning 
  • [13:49] How Empiric Works 
  • [20:21] How to Find Out More About Michael & Empiric  
Gamification Versus Serious Games 

Many medical instructors already gamify their educational content, for example, by transforming a PowerPoint slide into a game of Jeopardy, giving out stickers for accomplishments, and having a leaderboard in class. An example of gamification in the literature is when surgical residents performing laparoscopic procedures were split into competing groups. The randomly selected students who trained in this gamified setting trained longer and performed better. 

Dr. Cosimini does support gamification, but he more strongly promotes “serious games” which go beyond gamifying existing educational content, to creating a game for the purpose of education, rather than pure entertainment. For example, the game GridlockED, which resembles Clue, trains players to handle emergency room throughput. Michael’s card game, Empiric for learning antibiotic selection is also a serious game. 

How to Balance Entertainment and Education in Games 

To help find the appropriate balance between entertainment and education, Dr. Cosimini emphasizes the importance of testing the outcome of a game, to see what students have actually learnt. As a rule of thumb, be respectful of the player’s time. Do not have a game that is long, unless there is evidence that shows that this contributes to the learning process. 

Tabletop Games Versus Video Games 

Dr. Cosimini promotes tabletop games over digital or video games for medical education. He cites a study by Mary Flanagan of Tiltfactor, a game design company. The study compared the iPad and tabletop version of Pox: Save the People, a game about disease spread. With the tabletop version, people tended to interact and work together more, which is important for the social aspect of learning. 

How Medical Students Can Apply Games to Their Education 

Creating their own card games might be too involved, and too time-consuming for a medical student. Students can instead use off-the-shelf card games from resources such as East Midlands Emergency Medicine Educational Media, #EM3, which provides games for learning about pediatric EKGs, pediatric dermatology, and pediatric and adult orthopedics. For instructors, Michael recommends MedEd. He of course also recommends his own game Empiric, for learning about antibiotic selection, and his upcoming game about emergency medicine. These games are more helpful for clinical education i.e. for medical students on their clinical rotations, or for residents, and less helpful for first and second year medical students. 

How Empiric Works 

Empiric is based on the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Red Book, 2018-2021. Dr. Cosimini includes visual cues — such as color coding — for facts such as the mechanism of delivery and the spectrum of activity, to enable students to memorize facts more quickly. It can be difficult to keep up with the changing facts around antibiotic resistance, and other antibiotic research. Currently, Dr. Cosimini does this by updating the printable card decks online, after the research is updated. 

Check out Empiric’s Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and website. The website includes a list of medical and non-medical card games

Sign up for a Free Coaching session with Chase DiMarco, sponsored by Prospective Doctor! You can also join the Med Mnemonist Mastermind FB Group today and learn more about study methods, memory techniques, and MORE! Do check out Read This Before Medical School. Like our FreeMedEd Facebook page and find our Medical Micro course, blog posts, and podcasts at FreeMedEd.org! Feel free to email any questions or comments.

Visit our Website - MedEd University

Email us at - support@meded.university

Follow us on our Social media accounts -

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedEdUniversity/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MedEduniversity

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mededuniversity

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mededuniversity

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mededuniversity

YouTube: http://youtube.com/mededuniversity
 

Optimizing Medical Student Memory & Skills Development Though Hacking Brain Physiology (Ep. 56 Rebroadcast)28 Oct 202100:37:20

Dr. Shae Datta is a neurologist and Director of Concussion and Neurocognition in New York. She also serves as the Chief Executive Officer at Residency Success. Dr. Datta has researched numerous subjects in the area of brain trauma, including the gut/brain link and study success through brain health. 

Residency Success is a platform to help students with the application and interview processes to ensure success and build habits that will stay with you throughout your career. 

Today’s episode will cover how to improve your brain health and preparatory habits to improve memory.  

  • 3:10 What is Residency Success and How Did it Come to Be? 
  • 4:10 Overview of Topics to be Covered 
  • 5:35 The Anatomy of the Brain in Relation to Memory 
  • 6:00 The Mind and Body Connection 
  • 6:35 The Detriments of Multi-tasking 
  • 7:47 Meditation to Improve Memory and Attention 
  • 11:40 Healthy Food Habits and Optimum Nutrition 
  • 14:40 Eating the Rainbow 
  • 16:45 Caffeine Consumption: The Benefits and Knowing When to Stop 
  • 19:45 Exercise and Neuroplasticity 
  • 23:10 The Role of Light Exposure in Chemical Balancing 
  • 24:15 Memory Consolidation and Sleep 
  • 25:00 Sleep Hygiene 
  • 26:30 Creating Memories: The Three Stages of Memory Formation 
  • 27:40 The Use of Memory Evoking Scent for Consolidation 
  • 30:35 Eliminating ‘Junk Light’ 
  • 32:36 How Residency Success Can Benefit You 
  • 32:30 Scheduling Tips  

Resources 

Residency Success can be found here: Residency Success 

You can also contact Dr. Datta by email here: residencysucess2000@gmail.com or by calling: (917) 524-8067 

Apps for meditation: 10% Happier, Headspace 

Don’t forget to sign up for our online education summit at: FreeMedEd.org/omes Tickets are free! 

Join the Medical Mnemonist Master Mind Facebook group and find our Blog posts, Podcasts, and other Resources at FreeMedEd.org! Feel free to Email any Questions or Comments.

Visit our Website - MedEd University

Email us at - support@meded.university

Follow us on our Social media accounts -

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedEdUniversity/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MedEduniversity

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mededuniversity

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mededuniversity

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mededuniversity

YouTube: http://youtube.com/mededuniversity
 

What’s Your Prognosis? Gamified Diagnosis with Medical Joyworks’ Dr. Nayana Somaratna (Ep. 59 Rebroadcast)21 Oct 202100:29:41

Dr. Nayana Somaratna is CEO and Co-Founder of Medical Joyworks and creator of the Prognosis app series and the Clinical Sense app. As well as holding a medical degree, Dr. Somaratna also holds an IT degree and just this year completed a law degree. Today’s episode sees him discuss his background and inspiration for his company as well as how to apply the learning from his app series.  

  • 02:17 The Creation of Medical Joyworks 
  • 04:15 The Experience of Medical School in Sri Lanka 
  • 06:15 How and Why Prognosis was Conceived 
  • 09:15 Obtaining Clinical Insight via Prognosis 
  • 11:11 Basing Algorithms and Processes on Clinical Workflow 
  • 13:01 The Differences Between Prognosis and Clinical Sense 
  • 14:22 Which App to Use for Exam Preparation and Why 
  • 15:32 Who is the Audience: Students Practitioners 
  • 16:37 Available Research into Gamification for Medical Study 
  • 19:00 Expanding Online Curriculums and Telemedicine Post Covid-19 
  • 21:34 The Future of Joyworks 
  • 23:50 What Would You Change if You Could Go Back in Time? 
  • 26:54 Medicine is an Odyssey  

Resources
Medical Joyworks
Clinical Sense
Prognosis 

Join the Medical Mnemonist Master Mind Facebook group and find our Blog posts, Podcasts, and other Resources at FreeMedEd.org! Feel free to Email any Questions or Comments.

Visit our Website - MedEd University

Email us at - support@meded.university

Follow us on our Social media accounts -

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedEdUniversity/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MedEduniversity

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mededuniversity

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mededuniversity

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mededuniversity

YouTube: http://youtube.com/mededuniversity
 

Game Thinking in Medicine with Professor Karl Kapp (Ep. 62 Rebroadcast)16 Sep 202100:26:56

Karl Kapp is a Professor at Bloomberg University and author of several books about gamification and game thinking. Karl received a Doctorate of Education in the Instructional Design program at the University of Pittsburgh. He is also a frequent speaker and business consultant, helping organizations to implement learning strategies through technology. 

Today’s episode continues conversations about gaming in medical education and how to use creative and interactive modalities to benefit education. 

  

0:52 What Gamification Means to Karl 

3:19 The Main Approaches to Gamification Design: Structural and Content 

4:50 Learning Objections: Retaining Information by Creating Engaging Challenges 

5:30 Gamification as a Design Affordance 

7:00 Confidence Builds Competence: Implementing Gamification Before Residency 

9:50 Overcoming the Stigma of Fun Learning Approaches 

11:35 Creating Desirable Difficulty 

12:20 How Society Impacts Gamification 

14:29 Leveraging Analog Formats to Overcome Funding Restrictions 

17:40 The Importance of Collaboration for Creativity 

19:00 The Scalability of Gamification for Other Disciplines 

20:04 Resources for Creating Your Own Learning Game 

23:00 The Retention Benefits of Creating Your Own Game 

24:04 Using Game Creation as a Self-Assessment Tool

  

Resources 

Information about Karl Kapp can be found here: 

http://karlkapp.com 

https://twitter.com/kkapp 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/karlkapp 

Books 

The Theory of Fun for Game Design by Raph Koster 

Websites 

Quizlet 

Print and Play 

The Game Crafter 

Gamestructor 

Construct 

The Game Agency 

Enspire 

  

Join the Medical Mnemonist Master Mind Facebook group and find our Blog posts, Podcasts, and other Resources at FreeMedEd.org! Feel free to Email any Questions or Comments.

Visit our Website - MedEd University

Email us at - support@meded.university

Follow us on our Social media accounts -

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedEdUniversity/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MedEduniversity

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mededuniversity

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mededuniversity

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mededuniversity

YouTube: http://youtube.com/mededuniversity
 

Increasing Motivation, Test-taking Skills & Board Prep Success (Ep. 53 Rebroadcast)09 Sep 202100:42:52

Discover test-taking tips, test-prep strategies, how to increase motivation, and more! 

Chase DiMarco finishes up this 7-part mini-series with test-taking tips, test-prep strategies, how to increase motivation, and much more. We all struggle with these topics at some point in our academic careers. However, knowing how to notice when things are going astray and how to correct your actions is a skill we were often never taught. Keep motivated, organized, and keep self-assessing and you WILL reach your goals! 

Key Episode Points! 

0:41 Study Buddies & How to Select the Right One for You 

5:18 Making Learning more Durable and Finding Personal Relevance 

14:50 Developing Practical Knowledge & Improving Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation for Medical Students 

22:08 Failing Upwards: How a Supportive Environment Encourages Positive Mistakes 

Proper exam materials and techniques 

27:34 Test-prep Skills, Materials, Organization, & Pitfalls 

32:18 Using Analysis of Board Exams to Qualify Our Testing Strategies

Visit our Website - MedEd University

Email us at - support@meded.university

Follow us on our Social media accounts -

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedEdUniversity/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MedEduniversity

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mededuniversity

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mededuniversity

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mededuniversity

YouTube: http://youtube.com/mededuniversity
 

Video Game Mechanics for Fostering Medical Learning with Dr. Eric Gantwerker - Level Ex (Ep. 54 Rebroadcast)02 Sep 202100:31:34

Dr. Eric Gantwerker is the medical director of Level Ex games which include CardioEx, PulmEx, AirwayEx, and GastroEx. Gaming is a great way to inspire attention and active learning in medicine but also one we rarely use in education. Today’s episode will cover some of the psychology and research behind game design in medical learning.  

  • Intro 
  • 2:55 Gaming as an Active Learning Strategy for Medical Students 
  • 11:39 Why Students (and Teachers) Should Consider Adding Gamified Curriculum in Medicine 
  • 15:48 Game Design for Education & for FUN! 
  • 22:00 Games and Apps for Medical Student Education  

Resources 

Chase DiMarco at the Florida Mensa Regional Gathering
Twine
Polycraft
EcoMUVE
Fold.it
Microbe Invader
Habatica
Prognosis
The Body VR
Touch Surgery
Plague Inc, Bio Inc
Unity

Visit our Website - MedEd University

Email us at - support@meded.university

Follow us on our Social media accounts -

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedEdUniversity/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MedEduniversity

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mededuniversity

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mededuniversity

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mededuniversity

YouTube: http://youtube.com/mededuniversity
 

100. How Physicians are Changing the Medical Education Landscape30 Aug 202100:18:00

Chase DiMarco shares his presentation about FindARotation at InnovatorMD’s World Congress 2021. This annual convention is the largest conference where physicians and entrepreneurs connect and offer their ideas on how to change healthcare for the better. Chase talks about why he built FindARotation and how it will change medical education for both students and preceptors.   

  • [01:40] Why Chase started FindARotation 
  • [04:06] FindARotation’s Mission 
  • [05:35] How FindARotation benefits students and preceptors 
  • [08:21] Remote Rotations during the COVID-19 Pandemic 
  • [09:53] How to Use FindARotation 
  • [11:32] Q&A Portion
      

Full show notes

Visit our Website - MedEd University

Email us at - support@meded.university

Follow us on our Social media accounts -

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedEdUniversity/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MedEduniversity

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mededuniversity

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mededuniversity

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mededuniversity

YouTube: http://youtube.com/mededuniversity
 

99 “Jeopardy Tournament of Champions” Memory Tricks with Sam Kavanaugh05 Aug 202100:30:19

Chase DiMarco talks to Sam Kavanaugh, winner of the 29th Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions. They discuss memory techniques, the similarities between preparing for Jeopardy! and studying medicine, and effective flashcard learning strategies.   

  • [01:28] Getting to Know Sam Kavanaugh  
  • [04:40] Bulking up for Jeopardy! 
  • [08:20] Weaving Together Common Threads in Memory Building 
  • [13:50] Developing Memory Techniques 
  • [17:18] Adding Environmental Stimulus and Difficulty to Study Routines 
  • [18:20] How to Learn Faster and Retain More 
  • [20:58] Top Tips for Studying and Memory 
  • [25:00] Effective Flashcard Learning Strategies  

Full show notes

Visit our Website - MedEd University

Email us at - support@meded.university

Follow us on our Social media accounts -

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedEdUniversity/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MedEduniversity

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mededuniversity

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mededuniversity

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mededuniversity

YouTube: http://youtube.com/mededuniversity
 

MEM for Board Exam Success (Ep. 97 Rebroadcast)24 Feb 202200:16:35

In part five of the MedEdge Method mini-series, Chase DiMarco talks about board exam success. He dissects the test-taking technique table and breaks down several test answering strategies such as the tie-breaker technique, the post-exam autopsy, and the error monitoring chart.   

  • [04:35] Test-Taking Technique Table  
  • [04:47] Basic Technique 
  • [07:17] The Tie-Breaker Technique 
  • [09:50] Post-Exam Autopsy 
  • [11:22] The Error Monitoring Chart  

Full show notes

Visit our Website - MedEd University 

Email us at - support@meded.university 

Follow us on our Social media accounts -

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedEdUniversity/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MedEduniversity 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mededuniversity 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mededuniversity 

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mededuniversity 

YouTube: http://youtube.com/mededuniversity 

92 ATOM BOMB: The Memory Palace - Medical Mnemonics Series 610 Jun 202100:23:06

ATOM BOMB: The Memory Palace is the sixth episode in a miniseries on medical mnemonics. In this episode, Chase DiMarco talks about mind palaces and how to create one for your medical studies. By combining all of the previously learned mnemonics into a memory palace, you can recall dense chunks of information with more ease.  

  • [01:27] What is a memory palace? 
  • [04:02] Creating a memory palace 
  • [09:46] Adding visual markers to your mind palace 
  • [16:03] Homework Exercise  

Full show notes

Visit our Website - MedEd University

Email us at - support@meded.university

Follow us on our Social media accounts -

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedEdUniversity/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MedEduniversity

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mededuniversity

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mededuniversity

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mededuniversity

YouTube: http://youtube.com/mededuniversity
 

91 The Story Method (Journey Method) - Medical Mnemonics Series 503 Jun 202100:15:01

The Story Method is the fifth episode in a miniseries on medical mnemonics. In this episode, Chase DiMarco talks about the journey method's basic structure and the different applications of the technique. The story method ties in all the previously learned mnemonics into a memorable sequence.  

  • [02:28] The Journey Method 
  • [05:24] Using the Story Method for Medical Topics 
  • [08:43] Example of the Journey Method 
  • [12:08] Homework Exercise  

Full show notes

Visit our Website - MedEd University

Email us at - support@meded.university

Follow us on our Social media accounts -

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedEdUniversity/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MedEduniversity

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mededuniversity

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mededuniversity

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mededuniversity

YouTube: http://youtube.com/mededuniversity
 

90 Advanced Mnemonics Creation - Medical Mnemonics Series 427 May 202100:18:06

Advanced Mnemonics Creation is the fourth episode in a miniseries on medical mnemonics. In this episode, Chase DiMarco talks about the PAO method and the use of anchor and linking visual markers. These memory devices can be used on their own; but when used together, the combined techniques provide the best results.  

  • [02:02] The PAO Method 
  • [08:05] Homework Exercise 1 
  • [09:27] Anchor and Linking Markers 
  • [13:37] Homework Exercise 2  

Full show notes

Visit our Website - MedEd University

Email us at - support@meded.university

Follow us on our Social media accounts -

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedEdUniversity/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MedEduniversity

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mededuniversity

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mededuniversity

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mededuniversity

YouTube: http://youtube.com/mededuniversity
 

89 Creative Study Tactics w/ Mind Maps - Medical Mnemonics Series 320 May 202100:15:36

Creative Study Tactics with Mind Maps is the third episode in a miniseries on medical mnemonics. In this episode, Chase DiMarco talks about mind maps and how its structure and visual elements improve long term retention.  

  • [01:13] What is a mind map? 
  • [03:47] Example of a mind map 
  • [06:18] Color-coded categories 
  • [09:49] Visual markers for improved recall 
  • [12:22] Homework Exercise  

Full show notes

Visit our Website - MedEd University

Email us at - support@meded.university

Follow us on our Social media accounts -

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedEdUniversity/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MedEduniversity

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mededuniversity

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mededuniversity

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mededuniversity

YouTube: http://youtube.com/mededuniversity
 

88 Using the Peg Memory System for Medical Education - Medical Mnemonics Series 213 May 202100:13:23

Chase DiMarco explores the Peg Memory System for medical education and discusses how to use visual markers to memorize important numbers.  

  • [01:37] The origins of the Peg Memory System 
  • [02:18] Why you should use the Peg Memory System 
  • [03:33] Creating your own Peg System 
  • [04:57] How to create visual associations with numbers 
  • [07:02] Homework exercise 
  • [08:59] Creating a theme for numbers over 10  

Full show notes

Visit our Website - MedEd University

Email us at - support@meded.university

Follow us on our Social media accounts -

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedEdUniversity/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MedEduniversity

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mededuniversity

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mededuniversity

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mededuniversity

YouTube: http://youtube.com/mededuniversity
 

87 Start Creating Your Own Visual Mnemonics - Medical Mnemonics Series 106 May 202100:13:23

Start Creating Your Own Visual Mnemonics is the first episode in a miniseries on medical mnemonics. In this episode, Chase DiMarco covers the value of visual markers in mnemonics and memory tactics in general.  

  • [01:06] What are visual markers? 
  • [02:25] Why you should use visual markers 
  • [05:50] How to use visual markers 
  • [07:09] What not to do 
  • [08:38] Homework exercise  

Full show notes 

Questions, comments, concerns? Leave us a voicemail

Visit our Website - MedEd University

Email us at - support@meded.university

Follow us on our Social media accounts -

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedEdUniversity/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MedEduniversity

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mededuniversity

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mededuniversity

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mededuniversity

YouTube: http://youtube.com/mededuniversity
 

86 How Students Can Handle Chronic Stress & Mental Health29 Apr 202100:16:44

Chase DiMarco talks about one of the most ignored yet crucial topics in medicine: mental health. He explains why physicians and medical students struggle with mental health, the rise in suicide rates in medicine, and the benefits of having a social network.   

  • [00:50] Mental Health in the Medical World 
  • [02:50] The Neuroscience Aspect of Mental Health 
  • [04:24] Chronic Stress and the Recency Bias 
  • [07:17] The Importance of Having Social Networks 
  • [10:40] Positive Effects of Mindful Self-Compassion  

Comments, questions, concerns? Leave us a voice message 

Full show notes

Visit our Website - MedEd University

Email us at - support@meded.university

Follow us on our Social media accounts -

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedEdUniversity/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MedEduniversity

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mededuniversity

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mededuniversity

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mededuniversity

YouTube: http://youtube.com/mededuniversity
 

85 The Power of Atomic Habits22 Apr 202100:19:24

Chase DiMarco talks about The Power of Atomic Habits, a concept borrowed from two best-selling books, The Power of Habit and Atomic Habits. He dissects how mentality affects habits, the importance of rewarding successful habit adoption, and developing habit-creating skills.   

  • [01:50] The Power of Atomic Habits 
  • [06:37] Willpower and Keystone Habits 
  • [10:45] Habit Creating Skills 
  • [11:55] Habit Stacking and Temptation Bundling 
  • [14:10] Rewards and Habit Tracking  

Comments, questions, concerns? Leave me a message 

Full show notes

Visit our Website - MedEd University

Email us at - support@meded.university

Follow us on our Social media accounts -

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedEdUniversity/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MedEduniversity

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mededuniversity

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mededuniversity

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mededuniversity

YouTube: http://youtube.com/mededuniversity
 

Interleaving Study Materials (Ep. 66 Rebroadcast)15 Apr 202100:15:46

Chase DiMarco shares tips for practicing an evidence-based study technique called interleaving, which can be difficult to apply.  

  • 01:28] Interleaving Topics 
  • [03:36] Interleaving Materials 
  • [04:33] Choosing Study Resources 
  • [06:52] Filtering Question Banks 
  • [08:19] Stress + Rest = Growth 
  • [10:57] Recency Bias 
  • [12:14] Repeating the Same Question Bank  

Comments, questions, concerns? Leave us a voice message. 

Full show notes

Visit our Website - MedEd University

Email us at - support@meded.university

Follow us on our Social media accounts -

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedEdUniversity/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MedEduniversity

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mededuniversity

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mededuniversity

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mededuniversity

YouTube: http://youtube.com/mededuniversity
 

84 Easier Isn’t Better- Science of Successful Learning08 Apr 202100:16:21

Chase DiMarco talks about the science of successful learning and debunks the most common myths we have around it. He shares better learning strategies and insights from “Make It Stick”.  

  • [01:48] The Illusion of Knowing 
  • [03:09] Interleaving Practice 
  • [04:53] Easier isn’t Better 
  • [08:13] The Dunning-Kruger Effect 
  • [11:58] Apply Different Learning Styles 
  • [14:03] Have a Growth Mindset  

  

Full show notes 

Comments, questions, concerns? Leave us a voice message

Visit our Website - MedEd University

Email us at - support@meded.university

Follow us on our Social media accounts -

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedEdUniversity/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MedEduniversity

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mededuniversity

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mededuniversity

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mededuniversity

YouTube: http://youtube.com/mededuniversity
 

MedEdge Method for Self Assessment & Exam Growth (Ep. 96 Rebroadcast)17 Feb 202200:18:13

In this fourth installment of the MedEdge Method mini-series, Chase DiMarco talks about self-assessment and exam growth. He talks about studying using the production effect, the benefits of physician mentorship, and post-lecture and post-exam study sessions.   

  • [01:40] Post Lecture and Post Exam Study Sessions 
  • [07:23] Studying Using the production Effect 
  • [09:15] Improve Academic Performance Using Deliberate Practice 
  • [10:33] Benefits of Physician Mentorship 
  • [11:28] Emotional Intelligence and Academic Performance 
  • [13:12] The Growth Equation: Stress + Rest = Growth  

Full show notes

Visit our Website - MedEd University 

Email us at - support@meded.university 

Follow us on our Social media accounts -

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedEdUniversity/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MedEduniversity 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mededuniversity 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mededuniversity 

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mededuniversity 

YouTube: http://youtube.com/mededuniversity 

83 Peak - The Science of Medical Student Expertise (RIP K. Anders Ericsson PhD)01 Apr 202100:18:22

Chase DiMarco talks about how you can use deliberate practice to become an expert. This time around, he delves deeper into studies and examples from “Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise” by Dr. K. Anders Ericsson (RIP). 

   

  • [02:02] Improvement Comes from Practice 
  • [04:07] Steps of Deliberate Practice 
  • [07:33] Inefficiencies in Medical Education & Practice 
  • [12:42] Adaptive Thinking 
  • [13:42] There is No Natural Ability 
  • [14:28] Identifying Your Weak Points  

  

Full show notes

Visit our Website - MedEd University

Email us at - support@meded.university

Follow us on our Social media accounts -

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedEdUniversity/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MedEduniversity

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mededuniversity

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mededuniversity

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mededuniversity

YouTube: http://youtube.com/mededuniversity

82 How to Find Flow in Your Medical Education26 Mar 202100:16:37

Chase DiMarco talks about flow, the mental state of immersive focus. He draws insights and tips from Mikaly Csikszentmihalyi’s book called “Finding Flow”. Unsurprisingly, attention and curiosity are necessary to get into that zone of concentration. 

   

  • [00:58] Defining Flow 
  • [01:38] How to Reach Flow State 
  • [08:06] Learning Requires Undivided Attention 
  • [09:33] Develop Curiosity for Greater Enjoyment 
  • [13:31] Flow VS Happiness  

  

Full show notes

Visit our Website - MedEd University

Email us at - support@meded.university

Follow us on our Social media accounts -

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedEdUniversity/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MedEduniversity

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mededuniversity

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mededuniversity

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mededuniversity

YouTube: http://youtube.com/mededuniversity

81 Eat That Frosch: Study & Prioritization Tips for Medical Learners18 Mar 202100:20:17

Chase DiMarco talks about task management and prioritization. He shares insights and tips from Brian Tracy’s book called “Eat That Frog”. Learn how to organize your to-do list effectively using these 5 principles. 

   

  • [01:26] Planning Saves Time 
  • [03:30] The Law of Three 
  • [05:24] The 80/20 Rule 
  • [07:53] The ABCDE Method 
  • [11:37] How to Tackle Big Tasks 
  • [14:30] The Law of Forced Efficiency 
  • [16:45] Summary of Key Points  

  

Leave us a voice message 

Full show notes

Visit our Website - MedEd University

Email us at - support@meded.university

Follow us on our Social media accounts -

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedEdUniversity/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MedEduniversity

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mededuniversity

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mededuniversity

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mededuniversity

YouTube: http://youtube.com/mededuniversity

80 Boost Your Motivation the Evidence-based Ways11 Mar 202100:17:04

Chase DiMarco talks about how medical students can increase their motivation level. He cites several studies that delve into intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and the factors that can influence both.  

   

  • [03:29] Theories of Motivation 
  • [05:58] Intrinsic Motivation vs Extrinsic Motivation 
  • [09:48] How to Affect Motivation 
  • [11:37] The Role of Self-Concept in Academic Success 
  • [12:48] Make the Change You Need  

  

Full show notes

Visit our Website - MedEd University

Email us at - support@meded.university

Follow us on our Social media accounts -

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedEdUniversity/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MedEduniversity

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mededuniversity

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mededuniversity

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mededuniversity

YouTube: http://youtube.com/mededuniversity

Boost Your MCAT/USMLE with Joel Ramirez MD (Ep. 70 Rebroadcast)04 Mar 202100:27:45

Dr. Joel Ramirez talks about how tutoring can be a valuable resource for medical students studying for the USMLE exams. As someone who personally benefited from tutoring, Dr. Ramirez has a passion for educating and tutoring. MedSchoolCoach provides tutoring for both USMLE board exams (shelf and step), as well as the MCAT. 

   

  • [02:38] Tutoring for the MCATs Versus Board Exams 
  • [04:06] How to Determine if You Need a Tutor 
  • [06:37] Pinpointing Weaknesses in a Medical Student 
  • [10:00] What to Expect from a Medical School Tutor 
  • [13:37] Weighing the Financial Costs of Tutoring 
  • [16:46] The Focus of a MedSchoolCoach Tutoring Session 
  • [20:54] How Much Tutoring It Takes for a Student to Get a Passing Score  

  

Full show notes

Visit our Website - MedEd University

Email us at - support@meded.university

Follow us on our Social media accounts -

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedEdUniversity/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MedEduniversity

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mededuniversity

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mededuniversity

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mededuniversity

YouTube: http://youtube.com/mededuniversity

79 7 Habits of Highly Successful Medical Students25 Feb 202100:14:34

Chase DiMarco talks about 7 habits of highly successful medical students, a concept borrowed from Stephen Covey's The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. He tries to dissect how the book's strategies can be applied to the medical world and explain why habits can make or break your medical journey. 

   

  • [03:29] Be proactive 
  • [04:57] Begin with The End in Mind 
  • [06:23] Putting First Things First 
  • [07:34] The Win-Win Situation 
  • [08:53] Understand Before Understanding 
  • [10:30] Synergy 
  • [11:57] Sharpening Your Saw  

  

Full show notes

Visit our Website - MedEd University

Email us at - support@meded.university

Follow us on our Social media accounts -

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedEdUniversity/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MedEduniversity

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mededuniversity

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mededuniversity

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mededuniversity

YouTube: http://youtube.com/mededuniversity

78 Student EQ, Group Study, and Card Games with Paulius Mui MD18 Feb 202100:30:03

Dr. Paulius Mui, a family medicine resident, discusses Table Rounds, the medical card game he co-created to help medical students learn medical terms and topics. 

   

  • [02:25] Understanding Table Rounds and How You Can Benefit From it 
  • [06:31] Active Learning Through Gamification 
  • [11:07] Why Most Games Require Some Foundational Knowledge 
  • [12:58] The Future of Games in Medical Education   
  • [19:48] How Games Help in Group Study Settings 
  • [24:40] The Things Dr. Mui Could Change if He Could Go Back in Time  

  

Full show notes

Visit our Website - MedEd University

Email us at - support@meded.university

Follow us on our Social media accounts -

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedEdUniversity/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MedEduniversity

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mededuniversity

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mededuniversity

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mededuniversity

YouTube: http://youtube.com/mededuniversity

Applying Spaced Repetition and Visual Mnemonics to Medical Study with Gabe Wyner (Ep. 55 Rebroadcast)11 Feb 202100:47:45

Gabe Wyner, author of Fluent Forever, is fluent in 8 languages and has developed multiple strategies for mnemonics-based learning. Today’s episode will cover how to apply those strategies to the medical field. 

   

  • [2:20] Developing Initial Learning Strategies. 
  • [7:10] Implementing Memory Skills: Pre-packaged vs. Personalized Options 
  • [10:08] Levels of Processing 
  • [16:10] The Importance of the Personal Level of Processing 
  • [27:00] Topic Management 
  • [37:40] Repetition and Retention 

Visit our Website - MedEd University

Email us at - support@meded.university

Follow us on our Social media accounts -

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedEdUniversity/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MedEduniversity

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mededuniversity

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mededuniversity

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mededuniversity

YouTube: http://youtube.com/mededuniversity

Free Open Access Medical Education (FOAM) Flashcards with Brocencephalon (Ep. 61 Rebroadcast)04 Feb 202100:45:59

Dr. Amreet Sidhu is a Toronto-born Internal Medicine Resident based in Detroit. He is the creator of Brosencephalon, a comprehensive set of pre-clinical flashcards created for self-study that spread worldwide. Amreet’s cards have evolved into a community-driven project by medical students for medical students. Today’s episode will cover the inspiration behind the creation of Brosencephalon, the most useful aspects of Anki and how to create your own effective flashcards for retention.  

  • [3:20] The Inspiration Behind the Creation of Brosencephalon 
  • [7:42] Evidence Based Cognitive Learning for Effective Retention 
  • [9:59] How COVID-19 is Facilitating Change for Brosencephalon and Learning Programs 
  • [13:59] Curricular Design and Application 
  • [15:31] Creating Effective and Efficient Flashcards 
  • [19:58] The Benefits of Cognitive Effort When Creating Flashcards 
  • [23:30] Digital Cards vs. Physical 
  • [25:50] Elaborative Interrogation and its Relevance to Flashcards. 
  • [30:45] How to Integrate Multiple Learning Strategies 
  • [34:19] Using Flashcards for Self-Assessment 
  • [37:53] The Need to Update Standard Western Learning Conventions 
  • [40:00] Amreet’s Favourite Anki Plugins 
  • [41:50] The Use of Mnemonics and Images in Flashcards 
  • [43:43] What Would Amreet Change if He Could go Back in Time?  

Resources 

Information about Amreet and Brosencephalon can be found here: 

https://www.brosencephalon.com
https://twitter.com/brosencephalon
https://www.reddit.com/r/Brosencephalon 

Anki Plugins 

Hierarchical Tags
Frozen Fields
Load Balancer
Heat Mapper 

Websites 

https://apps.ankiweb.net
https://www.reddit.com/r/Anki/ 

Join the Medical Mnemonist Master Mind Facebook group and find our Blog postsPodcasts, and other Resources at FreeMedEd.org! Feel free to Email any Questions or Comments. 

 

Visit our Website - MedEd University

Email us at - support@meded.university

Follow us on our Social media accounts -

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedEdUniversity/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MedEduniversity

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mededuniversity

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mededuniversity

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mededuniversity

YouTube: http://youtube.com/mededuniversity

Memory Palace Excuses/Solutions, Meditations & Habit Stacking with Anthony Metivier (Ep. 63 Rebroadcast)28 Jan 202100:43:42

Dr. Anthony Metivier is a prolific speaker, bestselling author, and creator of the Magnetic Memory Method. This is his third time guesting on the podcast and joins us today to discuss the Magnetic Memory Method, overcoming obstacles to retention and common memory misconceptions. 

   

  • [2:15] About Anthony’s TEDx Talk and New Book ‘The Victorious Mind’ 
  • [4:13] Memory Palaces: Spatial Mnemonics to Promote Retention 
  • [6:45] Overcoming Excuses to Create Memory Technique 
  • [7:29] The Magnetic Method: Creating Reliable Retention and Repelling the Unnecessary 
  • [11:03] The ‘Bad Memory’ Misconception and How to Conquer it 
  • [12:15] The Benefits of Utilizing Memory Techniques Beyond Learning 
  • [13:00] Understanding That Fun Should not be a Requirement for Learning 
  • [16:08] Building Systems That Require Participation to Reach Your Goals 
  • [19:09] Creating Your Goals: Doing Due Diligence to Understand Your Path 
  • [22:20] Pre-Planning: Decreasing Cognitive Load by Creating Visual Dictionaries 
  • [24:35] Multi-Sensory Dictionary Creation 
  • [30:25] Re-visitation Pattern Retention 
  • [33:25] Space Repetition vs. Memory Palace Techniques: There is No Universal Tool 
  • [36:30] Meditations: Reducing the Self-Referential Inner Narrative 

Visit our Website - MedEd University

Email us at - support@meded.university

Follow us on our Social media accounts -

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedEdUniversity/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MedEduniversity

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mededuniversity

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mededuniversity

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mededuniversity

YouTube: http://youtube.com/mededuniversity

MEM for Effective Preparation & Studying (Ep. 95 Rebroadcast)10 Feb 202200:17:41

In this third episode of the MedEdge Method mini-series, Chase DiMarco talks about preparation and studying. He dissects the actual methods and techniques you can use when creating the optimal study space, study technique, and study habits.    

  • [01:50] How to Ergonomically Optimize your Study Space 
  • [03:40] How to Focus on Studying Without Getting Distracted 
  • [05:12] Creating the Perfect Study Mindset 
  • [08:05] The Psychology of Willpower 
  • [09:50] The Pomodoro Technique for Medical Students 
  • [13:05] Using Activity-Based Costing to Improve your Study Habits 
  • [14:07] Achieve your Study Goals Using the WOOP Strategy  

Full show notes

Visit our Website - MedEd University 

Email us at - support@meded.university 

Follow us on our Social media accounts -

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedEdUniversity/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MedEduniversity 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mededuniversity 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mededuniversity 

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mededuniversity 

YouTube: http://youtube.com/mededuniversity 

Tackling Medical Exams and Flashcards with Dr. Ali Abdaal (Ep. 69 Rebroadcast)21 Jan 202100:30:00

Dr. Ali Abdaal discusses evidence-based study methods for medical students, tips for using medical flashcards, and the role of fun in productivity. 

   

  • [01:36] Evidence-Based Study Techniques 
  • [04:55] Anki and Other Flashcard Apps 
  • [06:35] Mnemonics and Memory Palaces 
  • [08:27] Tips for Using Flashcards 
  • [12:36] Defining Productivity & How to be Productive 
  • [14:44] How to Overcome Common Productivity Struggles 
  • [16:45] The Role of Fun in Learning & Productivity 
  • [21:00] Avoiding the Professional “Conveyor Belt” and Achieving Happiness  

  

Full show notes

Visit our Website - MedEd University

Email us at - support@meded.university

Follow us on our Social media accounts -

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedEdUniversity/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MedEduniversity

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mededuniversity

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mededuniversity

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mededuniversity

YouTube: http://youtube.com/mededuniversity

77 MCAT and USMLE Tips from Tutor Leila Javidi MD-NPH14 Jan 202100:19:05

Dr. Leila Javidi and Chase DiMarco discuss when students should ask for help and the perks of personalized coaching.

  • [00:34] How Dr. Leila Joined Med School Tutors
  • [03:10] When Should You Get a Tutor?
  • [04:35] Personalized Learning Through Coaching
  • [07:05] How to Sign Up for 1:1 Tutoring at MST
  • [09:43] MST’s Competitive Advantage
  • [13:08] Med School Tutor’s Pricing
  • [15:10] Up and Coming Services from MST

 

Full Show Notes

Memory and Effective Learning with Michelle Miller PhD (Ep. 57 Rebroadcast)31 Dec 202000:41:49

Michelle Miller holds a PhD in Cognitive Psychology and is Professor of Psychological Sciences at Northern Arizona University. She also serves as President’s Distinguished Teaching Fellow. Additionally, Dr. Miller has published several books and studies on memory and effective learning. Today’s episode will cover principles and techniques for memory effectiveness in the medical field.

  • [3:50] The Emerging Methodology of Teaching Online
  • [4:35] The Core Principles of Memory to Increase Learning Outside of the Classroom
  • [10:30] Factors Involved in Retention
  • [13:30] Techniques for Terminology
  • [18:50] Conceptualizing Context to Shift Memory Modality
  • [22:30] Knowing How and When to Apply Different Techniques for Memory
  • [26:50] Spacing Out Study and Why it is Beneficial for Retention and Recalling
  • [32:35] Reflecting on Techniques That Work for You Resources

Information about Dr. Michelle Miller can be found here: https://www.michellemillerphd.com

Books

Make it Stick: The Science of Successful Learning by Peter Brown

Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer

The Invisible Gorilla by Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simmons

Websites

https://www.retrievalpractice.org

https://www.learningscientists.org

Join the Medical Mnemonist Master Mind Facebook group and find our Blog posts, Podcasts, and other Resources at FreeMedEd.org! Feel free to Email any Questions or Comments.

76 Study Medicine while Dreaming! Memory Palace tips for Lucid Dreams24 Dec 202000:13:11

Chase DiMarco shares his experience with lucid dreaming, how different strategies work for different people, and how to incorporate it into your learning schedule. 

   

  • [00:51] Defining Lucid Dreaming 
  • [02:48] Using Visuals Within a Dream 
  • [04:47] What are Memory Palaces? 
  • [06:58] Using Memory Places as Visual Objects During Lucid Dreaming 
  • [09:33] The Different Lucid Dreaming Techniques  

  

Full Show Notes

Visit our Website - MedEd University

Email us at - support@meded.university

Follow us on our Social media accounts -

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedEdUniversity/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MedEduniversity

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mededuniversity

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mededuniversity

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mededuniversity

YouTube: http://youtube.com/mededuniversity

Mind Map Mastery for Medical Students with Barry Mapp (Ep. 40 Rebroadcast)17 Dec 202000:36:43

Barry Mapp is a learning instructor that trained under the memory champion and mind map creator, Tony Buzan. He has successfully trained thousands of learners in mind map technique and creation. Today, he is going to help explain how we can use these organization and memory tool in medical school.

Visit our Website - MedEd University

Email us at - support@meded.university

Follow us on our Social media accounts -

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedEdUniversity/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MedEduniversity

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mededuniversity

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mededuniversity

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mededuniversity

YouTube: http://youtube.com/mededuniversity

WOOP and Evidence-Based Study Techniques with Dr. Daniel Saddawi-Konefka (Ep. 31 Rebroadcast)10 Dec 202000:31:52

Dr. Daniel Saddawi-Konefka is a Harvard physician, program director for anesthesiology at MGH, and an educational researcher with several published articles on the topics of self-directed learning and residency education. Today, we will focus on how to increase study efficiency and utilize evidence-based study practices.

Visit our Website - MedEd University

Email us at - support@meded.university

Follow us on our Social media accounts -

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedEdUniversity/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MedEduniversity

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mededuniversity

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mededuniversity

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mededuniversity

YouTube: http://youtube.com/mededuniversity

75 Become a Sketchy Medical Student with Saud Siddiqui MD03 Dec 202000:26:30

Dr. Saud Siddiqui, founder of SketchyMedical, discusses the effectiveness of several different study techniques and how to improve information recall using the method of loci. 

   

  • [00:50] Early Beginnings of SketchyMedical 
  • [02:55] Using Thematic Scenes for the Memory Palace Technique 
  • [07:38] Improving Information Recall Using Different Study Techniques 
  • [12:46] Sketchy’s Approach to Step 2 CK & CS Learning 
  • [17:13] Dr. Siddiqui’s Experience as Medical Student Entrepreneur 
  • [21:46] Additional Tips for Studying & Clinical Rotations  

  

Chase DiMarco talks to Dr. Saud Siddiqui, the CEO and one of the co-founders of SketchyMedical. They discuss the effectiveness of different study techniques and how to improve information recall using the method of loci. Dr. Siddiqui also shares SketchyMedical’s company journey and his experience as a medical student entrepreneur. 

Founding Story of SketchyMedical 

SketchyMedical was founded by Dr. Siddiqui and his friends while they were still in medical school. They found it difficult to keep up with school requirements using only traditional study methods. When they tried to incorporate art, humor, and stories into learning, their school performances improved. They shared this new study technique to other friends in medical school. 

Before Sketchy had an online platform, it started off as a YouTube channel with explainer videos. The videos were received very positively, with users clamoring for more. Dr. Siddiqui and the co-founders decided to continue creating content, which eventually evolved into Sketchy¾the interactive learning platform we all know and love today. 

  

Using Thematic Scenes for the Memory Palace Technique 

Sketchy’s content prioritizes the key points that students should know. Using the method of loci, also known as the memory palace technique, Sketchy sets up thematic and cohesive scenes. The information is then attached to familiar objects in the scene. Distinct themes are applied to different subject matter. It also helps that they pair words that sound similar to medical terms. For example, they may associate agalactiae – a species of bacterium – to “a galactic baby”. Pop culture references are also included in the content which makes the learning process more fun and memorable. 

When it comes to Step 2 CK and CS materials, Sketchy focuses on the most crucial information that can tip off diagnoses. In their learning modules, they also utilize the SOAP format. Step 2 materials require more than just memorization. Diagnostic algorithms are more complex. Sketchy is continuously making improvements to its content to optimize learning for clinical knowledge and skills.    

How to Improve Information Recall 

There are two important factors that can help improve memory recall. First, consider the context in which you learn the material. Visual learning has been proven to be much more effective than just reading text. Re-reading the material may give you a false sense of mastery. The truth is, when you’re reading, the brain is not actively retrieving learned information. 

Second, the application of knowledge also plays a part in improving recall. Using learned information in new ways reinforces your comprehension. Teaching concepts to a friend or drawing a mind map are simple ways of applying what you’ve studied. By doing so, you also identify gaps in your knowledge. 

To effectively learn and retain information, use a combination of different study techniques. Use questions, space repetition, flashcards, and platforms like Sketchy to cement your knowledge. Concepts and terms will be harder to forget when you take a multifaceted approach to learning. 

What is it Like to Be a Medical Student Entrepreneur? 

Being a medical student is already difficult by itself. Pursuing content creation or another venture while in school will be even more challenging. Dedication to your passion project is what will help you push through self-doubt. 

If he’s not studying, Dr. Siddiqui was using his free time to create content. Eventually, he was able to shift to working solely on Sketchy. Weigh the pros and cons before taking a big leap like Dr. Siddiqui. If you’re not ready to pursue your venture full time, find a way to balance both your project and your studies as a medical student entrepreneur. 

Additional Tips for Studying & Clinical Rotations 

At the start of your medical school journey, you will face recurring exams. Try out different study methods to find what works for you early on. Once you begin clinical rotations, make sure to show up prepared as opposed to just learning on the spot. Use this opportunity with patients to apply what you’ve learned. Refresh your memory by reviewing past lessons and modules. Remember: application of knowledge is key to building your expertise. 

Get in touch with SketchyMedical through their social media channels on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. To reach out to Dr. Siddiqui, send him a message on Twitter or via e-mail. You can listen to episode 17 of Medical Mnemonist for more tips from Sketchy co-founders Bryan and Arron Lemiuex. 

Sign up for a Free Coaching session with Chase DiMarco, sponsored by Prospective Doctor! You can also join the Med Mnemonist Mastermind FB Group today and learn more about study methods, memory techniques, and MORE! Do check out Read This Before Medical School

Visit our Website - MedEd University

Email us at - support@meded.university

Follow us on our Social media accounts -

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedEdUniversity/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MedEduniversity

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mededuniversity

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mededuniversity

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mededuniversity

YouTube: http://youtube.com/mededuniversity

74 Student Depression & Anxiety During COVID26 Nov 202000:17:13

Chase DiMarco opens up about recent events that lead to personal anxiety and discusses how students can deal with anxiety and depression during COVID. 

   

  • [01:50] Mental Issues Among Medics 
  • [03:50] Finding Ways to Deal with Your Anxiety 
  • [04:50] Trigger Events 
  • [08:52] Seeking Help 
  • [12:50] How Stress Can Affect us as Learners 
  • [14:10] The Vicious Cycle That is Anxiety and Depression  

  

The medicine world has often been recognized as a stressful environment that sometimes hurts a medics' performance, physical health, and psychosocial well-being. Throw a global pandemic into the fray, and you'll find that even more medics are falling into a state of either depression or anxiety. Interestingly, medical practitioners are less likely to seek help because of the fear of being stereotyped or judged by their peers.  

With the global suicide stats at an all-time high, it's high time we addressed the mental health issues in a COVID-fatigued society. Although Chase has faced bouts of anxiety since his high school, he has managed them with relative ease. However, a recent trigger event made him feel a little overwhelmed with what was happening around him. This trigger event helped him understand that no matter how small the issue you're facing might be, it has the potential to make you feel anxious or depressed. These triggers can come from anywhere, and it won't matter how insignificant they are; the thing to note is that they affect you, and you need to do something about them. 

We unknowingly struggle with mental issues which means some of us seek help when it's too late. These little anxiety triggers are known to build up and eventually blow up, leading to a spike in negative thoughts crisscrossing through a person's mind. The most important step in the healing process is recognizing that you need help.  

While different solutions can work wonders for different people, a couple of resources that worked for Chase might also work for you. With the pandemic restricting people's access to physical help, online platforms such as BetterHelp and TalkSpace are known to offer help via text, chat, or video calls. Chase advises people to try and seek help from neutral parties since close friends and family typically have a bias because of the relationship you have with them.  

Learners have the most to lose when it comes to dealing with mental health issues. The fact that depression and anxiety can play havoc with one's memory makes it difficult for learners to ingest new material or answer a patient's questions. The mental issues will also affect your sleep patterns, and the longer you wait before seeking help, the longer it will take before you come back to a state of normalcy. 

Chase's message for you today is that it might not be you who's battling depression and anxiety, but you might know someone who is. Not everybody has the guts to come out and talk about what's eating them. If you notice somebody acting differently from what you associate them with, be the friend and offer a listening ear, you'll be surprised by how big an impact you can have by just being there. You can also share this episode with them to let them know that they are not alone and that there is help. We live in trying times, and the best way to look out for one another is by being there for one another.  

Sign up for a Free Coaching session with Chase DiMarco, sponsored by Prospective Doctor! Also, do check out Read This Before Medical School.  

National Helpline 

Psychology Today Therapist Finder 

Better Help 

TalkSpace

Visit our Website - MedEd University

Email us at - support@meded.university

Follow us on our Social media accounts -

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedEdUniversity/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MedEduniversity

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mededuniversity

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mededuniversity

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mededuniversity

YouTube: http://youtube.com/mededuniversity

Advanced Memory Techniques with Mullen Memory (Ep.3 Rebroadcast)23 Oct 202000:24:31

Discover advanced memory techniques from the experts at Mullen Memory. 

Chase DiMarco hosts The Medical Mnemonist podcast episode: Advanced Memory Techniques with Mullen Memory.

Visit our Website - MedEd University

Email us at - support@meded.university

Follow us on our Social media accounts -

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedEdUniversity/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MedEduniversity

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mededuniversity

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mededuniversity

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mededuniversity

YouTube: http://youtube.com/mededuniversity

Memory Palaces Basics w/Mullen Memory's Alex Mullen & Cathy Chen (Ep.2 Rebroadcast)09 Oct 202000:22:07

Alex Mullen & Cathy Chen of Mullen Memory discuss memory palaces. 

Chase DiMarco hosts The Medical Mnemonist podcast episode: Memory Palaces basics with Mullen Memory’s Alex Mullen & Cathy Chen. 

Sign up for a Free Coaching session with Chase DiMarco, sponsored by Prospective Doctor! 

You can also join the Med Mnemonist Mastermind FB Group today and learn more about study methods, memory techniques, and MORE! Do check out Read This Before Medical School

Visit our Website - MedEd University

Email us at - support@meded.university

Follow us on our Social media accounts -

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedEdUniversity/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MedEduniversity

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mededuniversity

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mededuniversity

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mededuniversity

YouTube: http://youtube.com/mededuniversity

MEM for Study Skills that WORK & How Play Increases Learning! (Ep. 94 Rebroadcast)03 Feb 202200:22:10

In this second episode of the MedEdge Method mini-series, Chase DiMarco shares study techniques that can help you learn more effectively. He discusses how including play in studying increases learning and motivation.  

  • [02:14] Setting Goals and Making Plans 
  • [05:19] Interleaving 
  • [06:58] Concrete Examples 
  • [08:31] Dual Coding 
  • [09:25] Spaced Repetition 
  • [10:01] Inquiry-Based Learning 
  • [11:58] Experiential Learning 
  • [14:04] Incorporate Play Activities 
  • [18:08] Key Takeaways 
  • [19:17] Homework Exercise  

Full show notes

Visit our Website - MedEd University 

Email us at - support@meded.university 

Follow us on our Social media accounts -

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedEdUniversity/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MedEduniversity 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mededuniversity 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mededuniversity 

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mededuniversity 

YouTube: http://youtube.com/mededuniversity 

71 What They Didn't Teach You About Racism in Med School With Jill Wener MD24 Sep 202000:42:28

Dr. Jill Wener discusses systemic racism, anti-racism, the Black Lives Matter movement, and the concept of reverse racism. Dr. Wener is the host of the Conscious Anti-Racism podcast. 

   

  • [01:48] Dr. Wener’s Journey into Anti-racism 
  • [08:39] White Supremacy Culture and Systemic Racism 
  • [15:27] Racism in Medicine 
  • [19:26] Why Reverse Racism Cannot Exist 
  • [27:40] Why Black Lives Matter exists 
  • [31:16] Internal Versus External Work to Combat Racism 
  • [37:19] Resources on Anti-racism  

  

Dr. Jill Wener is the host of the Conscious Anti-Racism podcast and creator of a curriculum with the same name. 

But I am Not Racist! 

Dr. Wener began leaning into her discomfort around race after a friend admonished her on the racially privileged perspective of her blog post on the 2016 election. Initially defensive, she knew that if she did implicitly have harmful views on race, she needed to correct them. 

Just like Dr. Wener, many white people are sometimes defensive about race, and reluctant to agree that they are racist and that they benefit from white supremacy and white privilege. They often cite the hard work that they have invested to achieve success, and how they never use their racial privilege. However, Dr. Wener describes the systemic racism in the US as a “toxic fume soup” in which we are all immersed. White people inevitably benefit from their race, even if they do not intend to do so. 

To illustrate one of the many ways in which white people unintentionally benefit from the color of their skin, Dr. Wener shares her story of being ticketed for using her cell phone in the car. She describes exiting her vehicle to stretch while waiting, and trying to explain to the officer that she had only taken out her phone to take a picture of an advertisement for a farmer’s market. Once the officer gauged that she was a doctor, he explained that he would not have ticketed her. At the time, Dr. Wener did not count this as an incident of her white privilege. But in hindsight, she knows that if she had acted similarly as a black person, she would have been shot or arrested. She knows a black friend who drives with a stethoscope and his medical ID hanging on his rearview mirror to protect himself from harm. White people can go through life without considering their race very much, whilst black people must always be aware and take precautions to protect themselves. 

Why Reverse Racism Cannot Exist 

Young adult author Kimberly Jones, encourages us to consider a game of Monopoly where the game has been fixed against some players i.e. black people. For four hundred rounds, black people have been working for no pay under slavery, not being able to own land or anything. Then, for another fifty rounds, money that black people earned was taken from them (consider Tulsa). Now, imagine that after four hundred and fifty rounds, suddenly, black people are told to just start playing the game as “equals.” The hundreds of rounds of damage has not been undone. Therefore, when special spaces are created for black people, or when special opportunities are given to them, it cannot be considered racism on white people, rather, it is taking the first steps towards equality. 

Racism is the systemic oppression of the weak by the powerful. Systemically, white people have the power, therefore they cannot be the victims of racism. Relatedly, Black Lives Matter does not imply that other lives do not matter. Rather, the name demonstrates that previously, black lives have not been treated as if they matter, and now we acknowledge that they matter just as much as white lives. 

Racism in Medicine 

The boards of most hospitals and the dean’s office of schools, in other words people in power, often lack representation from people of color. In patient care, research has demonstrated that med students think that black people feel less pain. Differential diagnosis methods, which are designed with good intentions, often result in stating the races of people of color, whilst assuming the default race to be white. The treatment of sickle cell patients is often entrenched in distrust and false ideas. Racism is rampant in medicine. As a physician, you can practice anti-racist allyship in medicine by reaching out to the diversity inclusion officer at your hospital to ask if there are projects that you can work on. 

Do not put the burden of dealing with your racism on black shoulders by asking about what you can do to be less racist. Black people do enough emotional labor simply by dealing with the racism thrown at them daily. Deal with your racial discomfort internally, and become anti-racist by seeking out amply available online resources, podcasts and books to help you out. To get you started, here are some of them: Dr. Wener’s Conscious Anti-Racism course and podcast, White Coats For Black Lives, How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi, Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi, How to Be Less Stupid About Race: On Racism, White Supremacy, and the Racial Divide by Crystal Marie Fleming ... But I'm NOT Racist!: Tools for Well-Meaning Whites by Kathy Obear, Allies in Action Virtual Bootcamp, Showing Up for Racial Justice, Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present, Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?: And Other Conversations About Race. Anti-racism resources compilation #1 and compilation #2. Also, do check out our related episode Diversity & A New Social History in Medicine w/ Nicole Washington MD, MPH 

Check out Dr. Wener’s TransforMD retreat for women physicians. Check out MedSchoolCoach for more information about hiring a tutor, or have a chat with the enrollment team. Sign up for a Free Coaching session with Chase DiMarco, sponsored by Prospective Doctor! You can also join the Med Mnemonist Mastermind FB Group today and learn more about study methods, memory techniques, and MORE! Do check out Read This Before Medical School. Sign up for free to join Dr. Erkeda DeRouen (The Prospective Doctor), Sam Smith (MCAT Basics), and Chase DiMarco (1-Minute Preceptor & The Medical Mnemonist) on Behind the Mic LIVE on September 24 as they discuss their journey through medicine, why they began podcasting, their dream guests, and more.

Visit our Website - MedEd University

Email us at - support@meded.university

Follow us on our Social media accounts -

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedEdUniversity/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MedEduniversity

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mededuniversity

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mededuniversity

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mededuniversity

YouTube: http://youtube.com/mededuniversity

The Six Strategies of Effective Learning With Learning Scientist, Dr. Megan Sumeracki (Ep.7 Rebroadcast)17 Sep 202000:41:37

Dr. Megan Sumeracki teaches us about Spacing, Retrieval, Interleaving, Elaboration, Dual-coding, and Concrete Examples.  

  • [2:16] The Learning Scientists Podcast & Bi-directional Communication 
  • [4:13] The Importance of Learning Research as open-access 
  • [5:27] The Six Strategies of Effective Learning from the Institute for Education Sciences (2007?) & The National Council for Teaching Quality Report (2016?) 
  • [7:45] A Brief History of Spacing and Retrieval Practice, Ebbinghaus, and Memory Accessibility 
  • [9:57] What is Spacing and How do We Use it? 
  • [12:17] The Ins and Outs of Retrieval Practice 
  • [4:47] Interleaving Your Study Practice (19:10 Taylor and Rore? 2010 blocking v. interleaving) 
  • [21:20] Elaborative Interrogation: The How, When, Why, and Where of Your Study Material 
  • [24:40] Dual Coding: Combining Visual information with your Learning! 
  • [28:05] Concrete Examples: The More the Merrier 
  • [32:54] Closing Advice from Dr. Sumeracki: Use These Strategies!!!  

  

Also, you can find Dr. Sumeracki’s books on Amazonresearch articles, and some great podcasts by the Learning Scientists on Retrieval for medical residents, and an interview with her sister, Dr. Alyssa Smith.

Visit our Website - MedEd University

Email us at - support@meded.university

Follow us on our Social media accounts -

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedEdUniversity/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MedEduniversity

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mededuniversity

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mededuniversity

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mededuniversity

YouTube: http://youtube.com/mededuniversity

70 Boost Your MCAT/USMLE with Joel Ramirez MD11 Sep 202000:27:45

Dr. Joel Ramirez talks about how tutoring can be a valuable resource for medical students studying for the USMLE exams. As someone who personally benefited from tutoring, Dr. Ramirez has a passion for educating and tutoring. MedSchoolCoach provides tutoring for both USMLE board exams (shelf and step), as well as the MCAT.  

  • [02:38] Tutoring for the MCATs Versus Board Exams 
  • [04:06] How to Determine if You Need a Tutor 
  • [06:37] Pinpointing Weaknesses in a Medical Student 
  • [10:00] What to Expect from a Medical School Tutor 
  • [13:37] Weighing the Financial Costs of Tutoring 
  • [16:46] The Focus of a MedSchoolCoach Tutoring Session 
  • [20:54] How Much Tutoring It Takes for a Student to Get a Passing Score  

  

As someone who personally benefited from tutoring, Dr. Ramirez has a passion for educating and tutoring. MedSchoolCoach provides tutoring for both USMLE board exams (shelf and step), as well as the MCAT. Funnily enough, medical students tend to enjoy sitting for board exams more than they did the MCAT, because board exams are more relevant to the medical sciences, as opposed to the MCATs, which involves topics like physics, language and literature. 

There are two major groups of students who benefit from coaching — students who just want to pass their MCATs or board exams, and students who need a very high score because they want to get into a competitive specialty — for example neurosurgery, or want to go to medical school in a competitive geographical location — for example New York or California. And there are two broad categories of problems that students face:  

  1. A knowledge or content gap. 
  2. Insufficient strategy for answering questions.  

The tutors at MedSchoolCoach will design a personalized coaching/tutoring program for each student to prepare them for their MCATs or board exams. All tutoring is conducted in 1-on-1 sessions. 

When a medical student or a potential medical student expresses an interest in hiring a tutor through MedSchoolCoach, they must fill out an intake form in which they talk about their academic experiences, learning style, exam schedule etc. Based on this information, they are matched with a tutor. If a student is unsure that they want to commit to long-term tutoring, they can sign up for a package of five to ten hours first, or they can talk to the enrolment team, who can help them to decide if tutoring is the right option. Although Dr. Ramirez works for MedSchoolCoach, he emphasizes that when consulting with potential students, he always tries to share the best option for the student, which may not be tutoring. 

Many students might be put off by the financial costs of tutoring. Dr. Ramirez argues that if going to medical school in a specific geographical location, or having a specific specialty is paramount to a student’s happiness, then the investment is worth it. 

When asked about how long it would take for a failing student to reach the passing mark, Dr. Ramirez explains that this really depends on the student’s story. A high-performing medical student who simply has not begun board exam preparation yet, will have a much easier time reaching a passing mark than another medical student who has been studying for the board exam for three months, and is still failing. 

Check out MedSchoolCoach for more information, or have a chat with the enrollment team. Sign up for a Free Coaching session with Chase DiMarco, sponsored by Prospective Doctor! You can also join the Med Mnemonist Mastermind FB Group today and learn more about study methods, memory techniques, and MORE! Do check out Read This Before Medical School.

Visit our Website - MedEd University

Email us at - support@meded.university

Follow us on our Social media accounts -

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedEdUniversity/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MedEduniversity

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mededuniversity

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mededuniversity

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mededuniversity

YouTube: http://youtube.com/mededuniversity

69 Tackling Medical Exams and Flashcards with Dr. Ali Abdaal03 Sep 202000:30:00

Dr. Ali Abdaal discusses evidence-based study methods for medical students, tips for using medical flashcards, and the role of fun in productivity. Dr. Abdaal is a FY2 physician in the UK and a successful YouTuber with over a million subscribers.  

  • [01:36] Evidence-Based Study Techniques 
  • [04:55] Anki and Other Flashcard Apps 
  • [06:35] Mnemonics and Memory Palaces 
  • [08:27] Tips for Using Flashcards 
  • [12:36] Defining Productivity & How to be Productive 
  • [14:44] How to Overcome Common Productivity Struggles 
  • [16:45] The Role of Fun in Learning & Productivity 
  • [21:00] Avoiding the Professional “Conveyor Belt” and Achieving Happiness  

Dr. Ali Abdaal is co-host of his own podcast Not Overthinking, but in this episode of The Medical Mnemonist, he discusses two evidence-based study techniques used in his medical studies – active recall and spaced repetition. Dr. Abdaal is also a fan of mnemonic devices. As a medical student, he recalls creating silly mnemonics with his friends. For example, to remember the side effects of pyrazinamide, which is a treatment for tuberculosis, he associated it with the Islamic concept of “zina” or premarital sex which is prohibited. Another act that is prohibited in Islam is drinking alcohol, which damages the liver. Therefore, a negative side effect of pyrazinamide is damage to the liver. 

Using mnemonic devices falls within Ali’s larger belief that having fun is key to productivity. He shares his “productivity equation” which is: 

Productivity = (Useful Output/Time) x Fun 

 Another fun and effective study method that he used in medical school was having pomodoro sessions with his friends. A pomodoro session consists of 25 minutes of studying, and then a 5-minute break, repeated over and over again. 

Although Dr. Abdaal prioritizes fun, he believes that action precedes motivation — a concept that he gleaned from the book, The Motivation Myth by Jeff Haden. Often, people believe that they need the motivation to accomplish something. However, it is more accurate that we get motivation after achieving small milestones in our actions & efforts. Thus, the best productivity tip is to just start. 

As a mental model for productivity, Dr. Abdaal encourages us to consider the analogy of the pilot, plane and engineer. The pilot plots the course, the plane does the work, and the engineer tweaks and optimizes these processes. Ali believes that we should spend 85% of our time being the pilot – planning our tasks, 10% of our time being the plane – doing our work, and 5% of our time being the engineer – optimizing our productivity, say by learning how to type faster or trying out a new productivity app. 

With regards to using medical flashcards, Dr. Abdaal leans towards personalized flashcards which condense lots of information, rather than generic sets of flashcards which contain a single fact each. When using a generic set of single-fact flashcards, we might develop the illusion of productivity by rushing through the set, without really learning anything, or rehashing information that we know well already. Instead, we should consider using flashcards specifically for topics which confuse us. And it is likely better if these flashcards integrate different pieces of information, rather than single facts because this is how information exists in real life — within the context of other information. 

He also shares his fear about falling into the “conveyor belt” of professional life. As medical students, it is easy to keep saying “I will be happy when I get accepted into my residency program” and then later, “I will be happy once my residency is over and I am an attendant.” The cycle could go on and on. Dr. Abdaal even fears that his idea of doing his Step 1 IMG in the U.S. might come from a fear of not having another exam in front of him. He encourages us to ask ourselves the question “What game am I playing, and do I want to be playing this game?” 

Each of us needs an “economic engine” or a way to make money. However, Dr. Abdaal encourages medical students to get this part of our lives sorted as soon as possible, so that we can focus on doing things that we enjoy. He is glad that his YouTube channel supports him, and if he continues to practice medicine, it will be because he really wants to, not to pay the bills. For those of us looking to build up our own “economic engines”, we should think about what we are good at that provides value, or develop the skills required to provide value. 

Take a look at Dr. Abdaal’s YouTube channel and his podcast Not Overthinking. Also, check out Creating Visual Mnemonics with Sketchy Medical Drs. Bryan and Aaron Lemieux as well as Visual Mnemonic Generation with Ron Robertson of Picmonic

Sign up for a Free Coaching session with Chase DiMarco, sponsored by Prospective Doctor! You can also join the Med Mnemonist Mastermind FB Group today and learn more about study methods, memory techniques, and MORE! Do check out Read This Before Medical School.

Visit our Website - MedEd University

Email us at - support@meded.university

Follow us on our Social media accounts -

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedEdUniversity/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MedEduniversity

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mededuniversity

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mededuniversity

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mededuniversity

YouTube: http://youtube.com/mededuniversity

© My Podcast Data