Why I NEVER Made Notes at Medical School | My Secret to Staying on Top of Work

Summary

In this educational video, the speaker, Faye, a second-year medical student, shares her unique approach to note-taking for medical studies. She reveals that she doesn't take traditional notes, instead focusing on active learning strategies like flashcards during lectures to enhance retention. Faye emphasizes the importance of active recall and spaced repetition, inspired by Holly Abdul's study methods. She demonstrates how she creates digital flashcards on Quizlet in real-time during lectures, turning lecture content into questions to reinforce learning. Faye's method aims to make the most of lecture time, ensuring she feels engaged and retains information effectively, without letting studying consume her life.

Takeaways

• 📚 The speaker, Faye, a second-year medical student, does not take traditional notes for her degree.
• 🤔 Faye initially struggled with the volume of content in medical school and found her initial note-taking methods inefficient.
• 🔍 She was inspired by Holly Abdul's videos on study methods, particularly active recall and spaced repetition.
• 📈 Faye realized the effectiveness of flashcards from her GCSE days and decided to incorporate them into her medical studies.
• 🚫 Faye advises against completely discarding a study method that works for you; instead, adapt and build upon it.
• 💡 During lectures, Faye creates flashcards by turning lecture content into questions, which aids in active learning.
• 💻 Faye uses OneNote to store lecture PowerPoints and organizes them by curriculum blocks and weeks.
• 📝 She makes notes in a 'summary tab' for concepts that are not fully grasped or for concise notes found online.
• 📅 Faye uses a checklist to track her progress, coloring in lectures as she creates flashcards for them.
• 🔄 Faye emphasizes the importance of not letting medicine consume her life and seeks a balance with other achievements.
• 📱 Faye utilizes her flashcards for revision during spare moments, leveraging active recall and spaced repetition for effective learning.

Q & A

What is the main issue the speaker struggled with at the beginning of their medical degree?

The speaker struggled with the volume of content and the process of making the information stick in their mind.

What advice does the speaker give to those starting medicine regarding note-taking and revision methods?

The speaker advises looking into different revision methods and studying techniques, specifically mentioning active recall and spaced repetition.

Which YouTuber's videos does the speaker recommend for learning about study methods?

The speaker recommends watching Holly Abdul's videos for insights into effective study methods.

What was the speaker's method of revision during their GCSEs?

The speaker used flashcards for revision during their GCSEs.

Why did the speaker stop using flashcards during their A-levels?

The speaker's mother suggested that they couldn't just rely on flashcards and needed to actually learn the material, leading the speaker to not use flashcards during A-levels.

What is the speaker's current approach to note-taking during lectures?

The speaker does not take traditional notes but instead makes flashcards on Quizlet while the lecturer is speaking, turning the information into questions.

How does the speaker handle information that is not included in the lecture slides?

If the lecturer says something not included in the slides, the speaker types it down as additional notes.

What tool does the speaker use to organize their lecture materials and flashcards?

The speaker uses OneNote to store all the PowerPoints for lectures and Quizlet to create and manage flashcards.

What is the speaker's strategy for dealing with lectures that are too fast-paced to keep up with?

The speaker will star the parts of the lecture they skipped, intending to return to them later and create flashcards.

How does the speaker feel about the efficiency of their current note-taking and revision method?

The speaker finds their method of making flashcards during lectures very efficient and it helps them assimilate information without taking up too much of their time.