Quick Tips

Paraphrase or explain a concept in your own words when you are activating prior knowledge, summarizing key takeaways, and/or recalling information learned recently.

This may take the form of outline, visually separating main ideas from other topics or you may imagine you are preparing a lecture: What are the main ideas you will include? What are the key "take away" points? How will you explain them to your audience?

You may also do this aloud with a study partner or group and get their feedback on your explanation and understanding. 

Summarization questions you may ask yourself:

• What key concepts can I recall from the Pathoma video on Autoimmune Disorders?
• Can I explain the physiologic changes that occur during hypovelmic shock?

Compare similarities and differences between related concepts or diseases. 

Examples of comparing and contrasting: 

• How do I distinguish between the different nephritic and nephrotic syndromes?
• What are the key signs and symptoms of each type of anemia?
• What are the main differences between Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis?

Arranging information into tables and charts can help draw connections between related information and further develop schema.

Many outside resources, such as First Aid for the USMLE Step 1, may have premade tables and charts that you find helpful. 

Using active recall to complete these from memory first before looking up any gaps in knowledge is a great way to engage in retrieval practice and promote long term retention.

Examples of tables or charts you may create: 

• Vitamin functions, deficiencies and toxicities
• Lysosomal Storage Diseases
• Movement disorders including presentation and common lesions

Drawing a diagram can help you visualize a biochemical or physiologic process, while creating concept maps can help you visualize relationships between new and existing knowledge. Completing either of these activities from memory first is a great form of retrieval practice that can improve long term retention. 

Examples of diagrams you may draw: 

• Lac operon
• Collagen synthesis steps
• Brachial Plexus

In addition, after the diagram is drawn you can elaborate by asking yourself what would happen if a step in the process or a specific piece of the diagram were inhibited or affected in some way? What symptoms would you expect to see?

Concept maps often begin with chief complaints, such as: 

• Dyspnea 
• Abdominal Pain
• Blurred vision

Major headings in your concept map may include: common causes, relevant history, physical exam, or lab work; urgent vs emergent symptoms. These would further connect you to information on management, prognosis, etc.

If you can't ask a question, you don't know the material well. For example if you are studying diuretics, some questions might be: 

1. What is the rationale for selecting this drug (A) over this other drug (B)?
2. How is drug A different from drug B even though they are in the same class?
3. What is the process that drug A uses?
4. What pathways are impacted by the use of drug B?
5. Why is drug (C) an effective treatment for _____?
6. Why is there an interaction between this drug and this drug?
7. Because of the actions of drug A, what accumulates inside affected cells?

Use questions provided by the instructor, an outside resource, or question bank to practice with self-testing. Identify why the right answer is correct and why the wrong answers are wrong. Think about this: What would need to change in the question to make one of the other options correct? Spend more time on this review than on completing the actual questions.

After you have studied the information and you think you know your stuff, try to create a patient to illustrate application of this newly acquired knowledge. To achieve this, here are some questions you can answer:

• How will a patient with disease/disorder x appear?
• Is age/race/sex, etc. important to disease x?
• Is a particular lifestyle/environment a risk factor for disease x?
• How common is disease x?
• What will the patient complain about?
• What significant findings will appear in the patient’s history?
• What significant findings will appear on physical exam?
• What tests would you do and what results might you expect?
• What underlying agent/cause is responsible for disease x?
• What treatment (drug, surgery, lifestyle change, etc.) might be needed to correct disease x? What treatment might be needed to prevent disease x
• What is the prognosis of disease x?
• What key point from the lecture is illustrated by disease x? What does it exemplify?

A practice question or flashcard may ask you to recall one fact, but you can expand upon your review by asking yourself questions about related information or tweaking the question and reflecting on how that may change the answer.

Examples: 

• What else can I recall about this topic (risk factors, process or pathway affected, anatomical structures, mechanism of action of treatment, key symptoms, etc.)?
• What would need to change in the question to make another answer correct?

When you are studying for Step 1 or Step 2, using the Task and Competency Outline provided by USMLE can give you great ideas for elaborative questions. 

Consider using the Full Circle Technique (adapted from Creighton University): 

This mock schedule includes key components which are helpful to your study schedule:

• Previewing & preparation
• Time in class or lab
• Study time
• Catch up time
• Comprehensive and cumulative review
• Break time

These can be viewed as puzzle pieces that you can move around to make a schedule that is suitable for you. You can also move them around to accommodate other things that come up in the week like club activities or family events. The time spent on each is just a suggestion and may look different depending on the amount of content to prepare or review, the amount of catch up needed, etc.

Scheduling break time and self-care into your routine is an important part of wellness. Self-care activities may include: working out, taking a walk, reading a book, watching TV, cooking, cleaning, watering your plants. It is simply something that you enjoy and can help you feel relaxed.

This mock schedule includes key components which are helpful to your study schedule:

• Previewing & preparation
• Time in class or lab
• Study time
• Catch up time
• Comprehensive and cumulative review
• Break time

These can be viewed as puzzle pieces that you can move around to make a schedule that is suitable for you. You can also move them around to accommodate other things that come up in the week like club activities or family events. The time spent on each is just a suggestion and may look different depending on the amount of content to prepare or review, the amount of catch up needed, etc.

Scheduling break time and self-care into your routine is an important part of wellness. Self-care activities may include: working out, taking a walk, reading a book, watching TV, cooking, cleaning, watering your plants. It is simply something that you enjoy and can help you feel relaxed.

This mock schedule includes key components which are helpful to your study schedule:

• Previewing & preparation
• Time in class or lab
• Study time
• Catch up time
• Comprehensive and cumulative review
• Break time
• Step 1 focused studying*

These can be viewed as puzzle pieces that you can move around to make a schedule that is suitable for you. You can also move them around to accommodate other things that come up in the week like club activities or family events. The time spent on each is just a suggestion and may look different depending on the amount of content to prepare or review, the amount of catch up needed, etc.

*Step 1 prep is not an essential part of your schedule. There may be weeks where you have time and relevant content you want to review and there may be weeks you do not. This is just one way of incorporating this type of study into your plan. Be flexible with yourself!

Scheduling break time and self-care into your routine is an important part of wellness. Self-care activities may include: working out, taking a walk, reading a book, watching TV, cooking, cleaning, watering your plants. It is simply something that you enjoy and helps you relax.