We live in a world where binge-watching, scrolling reels, playing online games, shows, wandering, and so many more activities interest us more than studying.
Getting into a medical program is quite a struggle, but you should start developing good study habits to maintain a good memory, health, posture, and concentration. You have to begin now preparing your mind and body for clinical rotations, exams, internships, residency, and all things that you need to check off to become a doctor! To help you get going, we will walk you through the study habits of highly effective medical students that you can also develop for yourself with a little bit of effort and discipline.
Proven study habits of highly effective medical students
Let’s explore the most effective and useful study habits for medical students that will save you hours and help you become more productive.
Maintain your notes and review them regularly
Maintaining notes is an essential study habit for medical students. You should write the notes in your language so that you understand them perfectly and don’t have difficulty understanding them later. You should review your notes and what you learn in your class regularly; so it practically lives in your mind. For example, while the teachers at Commonwealth University College of Medicine teach in such a way that the students understand it pretty well, and they practice in the labs as well, still taking notes will ensure that all those concepts and learning stay in your brain for longer.
You should use your study material in every possible way. Write down the notes, read them loudly, make some things visual as well, like diagrams or things that will help you learn something in an easier way, and imagine what you are reading. For example, we remember the movie scenes well, right? It’s because we remember what we see easier than what we read in a book.
Get a study table
You can buy a desk to study in a quiet place like your student hostel dorm room. Studying at a table helps you to relax and be alert at the same time and focus in a better way. Whether you set study time limits for yourself or simply work until your task is finished, a desk motivates you to create a productive study area that will help you make good progress.
If you study on the bed, it invites you to take a nap, and you fall for it! Don’t you? Whereas studying at a desk isn’t that comfortable, so you don’t fall asleep and focus on studying.
Take quizzes
Taking quizzes and testing yourself tells you about your progress. It helps you to know what you need to work on and what you need to revise. This is one of the most effective study habits of medical students. Taking quizzes will help you prepare for any medical exam or test.
Quizzes can also help you stay motivated as you feel like studying for an actual test while taking a med quiz.
Note down the questions that trouble you and practice
While making notes or revising, or taking a test for yourself or even an actual exam. During this mock exam, you should note down the questions that trouble you or that you don’t understand or remember. When the teachers say that you can ask them the questions that you don’t understand and that you can ask them as many times you want, well, they don’t lie. You can ask them your questions without any shame. And there, the questions you noted down from your mock test will help you ask readily and make difficult concepts easy to understand for you.
Take regular breaks
Well, you shouldn’t always be studying and overworking yourself. You must take breaks. Researches show that a break should be of 10-60 minutes. Taking a break helps in:
- Boosting your memorization skills
- Strengthens your body
- Improving your health
- Reducing stress and tension
- Boosting your creativity and performance
- Giving you energy and activity levels
Exercise daily
Exercising is a way for you to divert your mind from lifestyle changes, studies, stress, or moving out of your comfort zone and home.
It not only increases brain power, but it can also help you to manage challenges in your life and stay healthy, strengthening your overall well-being and stamina to continue working hard and be productive.
An expert at Mayo Clinic highlighted that an average adult should get 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity and should do strength exercises for all major muscles twice a week. And you should meditate as well on a regular basis for your mental health.
Plus, you can also take up extracurricular activities on campus to distract yourself from your usual routine. By the way, the Commonwealth University Campus has a large playground, park, and a lot of other spaces to help you indulge in interesting activities beyond education.
Work on your concentration
In a world full of distractions that we live in, it is hard to concentrate on your studies. If you’re studying on your phone, any friend can send you some memes on Instagram, or if you’re studying on your laptop, Netflix’s notifications will bother you, or you’ll open Youtube to listen to some songs while reading your notes! Trust me, you’ll end up singing along!
The point – many things can distract you.
To stay focused, you need to do is find somewhere more peaceful and quiet; the fewer the people, the more concentration. Turn off those notifications, turn on the do-not-disturb mode, and sit down and study. Limit distractions to concentrate more.
Bonus point: Don’t procrastinate
Procrastination is the biggest enemy of getting things done. Don’t overwhelm yourself with a large number of tasks, it’ll only make you feel like running away. Keep challenging yourself. Keep switching between places, it will help you to clear your mind and give you motivation.
One more bonus point: Get enough sleep
When you don’t get enough sleep, you can’t concentrate, comprehend or motivate yourself to do tough tasks. When running short on sleep, you’re not motivated to work on tasks, especially those that are more difficult, and you’re more likely to procrastinate. So, don’t compromise on sleep; take enough to get yourself going and keep your health in good shape.
Ace your medical career now
I hope that these proven medical study habits and tips will help you ace your medical education and become a great doctor that you always dream of and are working so hard for And remember, if you need any help with your medical education, you can always contact our counselors who will be more than happy to help you.