Hey there,

Med school can feel like a grind that never ends. This remains true whether you’ve just started, or you’re deep into the degree, it’s normal to feel overwhelmed.

I struggled a lot when I started. But along the way, I picked up a few tips and tricks to help me cut through the noise and study more effectively.

Today, I’ll be sharing those lessons with you. These rules are not strict — take what works for you and leave the rest.

Let’s dive in.

1. Stop Doing More Work Than Necessary

Med school has tons of information. But not all of it is worth memorising.

Take my metabolism lectures in first year for example. I learned every enzyme, bi-product and pathway there was to know. Big mistake.

An older year student later told me there are a few key parts to learn as they come up regularly, the rest are might show up as the odd one-marker - but it’s not worth the stress.

Stick to the 80/20 rule: master the 80% that matters. The other 20% is there to learn, but it shouldn’t be the main priority.

Deeper learning should be done to help understand concepts as a whole. Do it with intention.

2. Memory vs Understanding – Make Intentional Notes

We’ve all been there.

Spamming Anki decks.

Going through cards like there’s no tomorrow.

I won’t deny that going through cards is definitely a part of the study process I used, but I will say it was often done at the wrong times.

I used to see people making flashcards during lectures, I thought it was dumb because no way they understood the topic enough.

Over time it pressured me into rushing making my cards and even start to attempt making them during lectures.

At surface level I felt like I was on top of work because each lecture was ticked off my to-do list.

But as soon as it came to answering a question a friend would ask — poof… I couldn’t remember a thing.

This was the problem.

I had the knowledge in my brain — but no way to piece it together.

Here’s what I realised → understanding comes first, flashcards come second to that. If you can’t give a half-decent explanation of what you’re learning, then you’re not ready to make flashcards on it.

The best way I found to understand a topic was through making notes on notion using the ‘toggle’ feature.

Making notes is almost frowned upon these days on social media.

But making notes that are accustomed to the way you’ve understood something is invaluable to me.

How do you make good notes?:

• Pause the damn lecture if you get stuck and watch some vids/look it up until you’ve understood it. Don’t brush it under the carpet.

• Write down how what you’ve understood exactly how you came to understand it in the first place. Don’t overestimate your future self. You won’t magically remember everything you’ve gone through unless you spell it out for yourself.

• Final step is to link the videos or websites you used, so that you have a reference to go back to in the future (since we know they’ve worked before, they should do again).

Now where do you store these notes to stay organised? Let’s see.

3. Have an Organisation System

You now are able to better understand concepts.

You cut down on unnecessary work.

But you have no way to keep track of anything you’ve done.

If you don’t have a proper organisational system, so much time will be wasted searching for notes or missing deadlines etc.

So, where do you store everything to do with med school?

I use Notion.

I’ve been using notion since 2020, it has become mainstream for a reason. I never used to keep track of stuff, but once I started using notion, I haven’t looked back.

So if you need an organisation system, Notion is a great place to start. Use what suits you though, as that’s the main goal at the end of the day.

At the bare minimum in you’re organisation system you’ll need:

• A table to organise your lectures, seminars and anatomy practical notes.

• A calendar for important dates like exams, meetings or deadlines.

• A weekly agenda plan.

• And a to-do list inbox. You can drop these tasks into your weekly plan.

If you aren’t too sure on how to use Notion — I have a free template on my website here. It mirrors the exact one I use for medicine now and during my pre-clinical years. Feel free to check it out!

This is all you really need in your system.

4. Make Your Flashcards Easy to Go Through

Cards can be a real pain — especially when you have hundreds of them. And it also doesn’t help if they’re poorly worded.

Sometimes you can know the answer to a card, but it was worded so badly that you miss the point.

Sometimes a card has so much info in the answer that you just skip it and don’t even read it.

We should avoid these mistakes as it can make an already boring task 10x more painful.

To avoid these issues, make sure your flashcards are clear and concise:

• Word your questions carefully.

• Use bullet points for your answers instead of long paragraphs.

• Include an "extra" section with additional info that’s nice to know but not essential.

By making your cards easier to review, you’ll feel less overwhelmed and be more likely to stick with your revision sessions.

Final Thoughts

If you’re struggling, there’s a good chance that you’re lacking in one of these 4 areas. Take a moment and just be honest with yourself — where can you improve?

Once you know, take action by using the actionable steps I’ve mentioned today.

Pre-clinical is tough, but you made it to this point because you ARE capable. Don’t feel the need to lock yourself in your room all semester, go out and enjoy yourself as well, it’s all about balance.

That’s all for today! If you found these tips useful, feel free to check out my website or grab the Notion template I mentioned earlier. I hope you crush it moving forward, and I’ll see you in the next letter from The Learning Curve.