9 Study Techniques That Got Me Through Surgical Training | Science-Backed

Summary

This video shares nine evidence-based study techniques that helped the speaker rank first in postgraduate surgical exams while working full-time and building a business. The focus is on studying smarter, not harder, with tips like reverse study timetables, strategic resource use, surveying and sprinting, knowledge priming, incremental complexity, engagement enhancement, understanding over memorization, tackling hard topics first, and prioritizing self-learning. The video also includes AI prompts to save time and improve study efficiency.

Takeaways

• 📅 Use a 'reverse study timetable' to prioritize personal time and work life before planning study sessions.
• 📚 Prioritize practice exams and past papers over textbooks for more focused and efficient studying.
• 🏃‍♂️ Engage in 'survey sprints' to quickly skim through materials to build context before deep diving into topics.
• 💡 'Prime' your knowledge by creating a foundational understanding of topics and linking them to existing knowledge.
• 🌱 Build knowledge iteratively, increasing complexity with each study session to enhance understanding and retention.
• 🔥 Boost study engagement by making content interesting, relevant, and maintaining good health for consistent focus.
• 🧠 Focus on understanding concepts rather than memorizing facts for better application and problem-solving.
• 🏋️‍♂️ Use tools like the Feynman technique and Bloom's taxonomy to check and enhance your understanding of topics.
• 🛠️ Tackle the most challenging topics first to ensure adequate time and energy is spent on areas needing the most improvement.
• 🌟 Remember that learning is a personal journey; take ownership of your education for effective and meaningful study sessions.

Q & A

What is the 'reverse study timetable' technique mentioned in the video?

The 'reverse study timetable' technique involves planning study time around non-study activities rather than the other way around. It prioritizes relaxation, socializing, and other commitments before scheduling study sessions, ensuring a balanced approach to time management.

Why is it beneficial to use practice exams and past papers for studying?

Practice exams and past papers are beneficial because they provide a focused and efficient way to study. They offer realistic questions in the format of the final exam, which helps in active recall and understanding of the material, making it a time well spent.

Can you explain the 'Survey and Sprints' technique for studying?

The 'Survey and Sprints' technique involves quickly reviewing material at a superficial level to build context before delving into deeper study. It's done in short bursts, or Sprints, to familiarize oneself with the content and identify areas of difficulty or relevance to existing knowledge.

What does 'priming on knowledge' involve in the context of studying?

Priming on knowledge is the process of creating a foundation for understanding new material by relating it to what is already known. It involves a deeper pass after a quick survey, aiming to build a basic organizational structure in the brain to facilitate better encoding and retention of new information.

How does building knowledge over time with increased complexity aid in learning?

Building knowledge over time with increased complexity helps in learning by gradually adding layers of understanding around a topic. This approach involves active self-testing and revisiting high-yield topics multiple times, which aids in long-term retention and deeper comprehension.

What is the significance of improving the quality of study time?

Improving the quality of study time is significant because it directly impacts learning outcomes. It involves focusing on engagement with the material and maintaining health to ensure consistent, energized, and effective study sessions.

How can understanding rather than memorization be prioritized in studying?

Prioritizing understanding over memorization involves focusing on the concepts and the ability to apply and evaluate them. Tools like the Feynman technique and Bloom's taxonomy can be used to check comprehension and encourage deeper learning rather than rote memorization.

What is the 'do hard things first' study tip and why is it important?

The 'do hard things first' study tip suggests tackling the most challenging topics or areas of weakness early in the study process. It's important because it allows for targeted effort and improvement in areas that need the most attention, leading to better overall performance.

Why is it crucial to view learning as a personal responsibility rather than an obligation?

Viewing learning as a personal responsibility is crucial because it fosters a sense of ownership and commitment to the learning process. This mindset encourages consistent effort and engagement, which are key to effective learning and personal growth.

How can AI tools like chatbot tutors enhance the study experience?

AI tools like chatbot tutors can enhance the study experience by providing personalized assistance, offering examples in real-life contexts, and setting challenges that align with learning objectives. They can also help explain difficult concepts and simulate interactive learning experiences.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Mastering Study Techniques for Success

This paragraph introduces a video focusing on nine evidence-based study techniques that the speaker utilized to excel in postgraduate surgical exams, work full-time, and build a successful business. The emphasis is on studying smarter rather than harder, with the inclusion of AI prompts to save time. The first technique discussed is the 'reverse study timetable,' which involves planning study time around non-study activities, prioritizing relaxation, socializing, and business management. This approach contrasts with the traditional method of filling in study slots first, highlighting the importance of a balanced life for effective learning and retention.

05:00

📈 Strategic Resource Utilization for Effective Learning

The second paragraph delves into the importance of being strategic with study resources, especially when time is limited. The speaker advocates for prioritizing practice exams and past papers over extensive textbook reading, recognizing the value of active recall as a study method. The use of online question banks and study apps with AI tutors is encouraged for efficiency and understanding. The paragraph also introduces the concept of 'surveying in Sprints,' which involves quickly reviewing material to build context before deep diving into specific topics, enhancing the learning process by connecting new information to existing knowledge.

10:02

🧠 Building Context and Understanding through Priming

Paragraph three discusses the technique of 'priming on knowledge,' which is about creating a foundation for understanding new information by linking it to existing knowledge. After an initial survey of the material, the speaker suggests spending time to think deeply about the content, identifying main concepts, and filling in knowledge gaps. This process is illustrated with a practical example using the book 'The Miracle Morning' by Hal Elrod, where the speaker connects the book's content to their own morning routine and life transformation goals. The paragraph emphasizes the importance of building a broad understanding and applying new knowledge to personal life for effective learning.

Keywords

💡Reverse Study Timetable

The 'Reverse Study Timetable' refers to a strategy where instead of planning when to study, one plans when not to study, thereby structuring study sessions around personal and professional commitments. In the video, this concept is used to highlight the importance of prioritizing personal time and aligning study sessions with one's lifestyle, which is particularly relevant for individuals with busy schedules, such as the speaker who was working full-time and building a business while studying.

💡Active Recall

Active recall is a learning technique where one actively tries to remember information without looking at the material, which is said to enhance memory and understanding. The video emphasizes the effectiveness of active recall by suggesting that it should be a primary study method, especially when time is limited. The speaker recommends using practice exams and past papers to engage in active recall, which can lead to more efficient learning.

💡Survey and Sprints

Survey and Sprints is a two-step learning approach where one first surveys the material superficially to get a broad understanding (survey) and then dives deeper into specific areas (sprints). The video describes this method as a way to build context around the learning material, which aids in effective encoding and retention. The speaker uses this technique to skim through materials initially to understand the structure and then focuses on specific topics within that structure.

💡Priming Knowledge

Priming knowledge involves creating a foundation or scaffold for understanding new information by relating it to existing knowledge. The video explains that after a quick survey of the material, one should spend time deepening their understanding by connecting new concepts to what they already know. This process is crucial for effective learning as it helps in organizing new information within the context of prior knowledge, as illustrated by the speaker's example of preparing for surgical exams.

💡Incremental Learning

Incremental learning is the process of building knowledge gradually over time, adding complexity with each iteration. The video suggests that learning is a journey where mistakes are valuable for memory retention. The speaker emphasizes the importance of not being afraid to engage with challenging material early and often, using self-testing as a means to progressively deepen understanding and build upon previous knowledge.

💡Engagement

Engagement, in the context of the video, refers to the active involvement and interest in the learning process, which is crucial for maintaining focus and consistency. The speaker suggests that to maximize the quality of study time, one should find ways to make the content interesting and relevant, and also take care of their health to stay energized and focused. This includes strategies like linking new information to personal interests or turning study sessions into a game.

💡Understanding over Memorization

The video stresses the importance of understanding concepts deeply rather than merely memorizing facts. Understanding allows one to work out answers and deal with a variety of questions, whereas memorization is a basic step, useful for specific types of learning like language vocabulary. The speaker uses tools like the Feynman technique and Bloom's taxonomy to ensure a deep understanding of topics, which is more effective for long-term retention and application.

💡Feynman Technique

The Feynman technique is a learning method where one tries to explain a concept in simple terms to check their understanding. The video mentions this technique as a way to sense-check one's comprehension at the end of a study session. If one can explain the material clearly, it indicates a good grasp of the topic; if not, it signals the need for further study or clarification, which aligns with the video's theme of effective and efficient learning strategies.

💡Bloom's Taxonomy

Bloom's Taxonomy is a classification of learning objectives within a hierarchy, from basic knowledge to the ability to create and evaluate. The video uses this concept to suggest that learners should aim to apply and evaluate concepts, and even create solutions based on their understanding. This approach helps in mastering a topic by ensuring that learning reaches the higher levels of the taxonomy, which is exemplified by the speaker's method of using past papers to test understanding against the taxonomy's criteria.

💡Prioritizing Difficult Topics

Prioritizing difficult topics means focusing on the challenging areas of study first, rather than the easier ones. The video suggests tracking progress and using systems like color coding to identify and target weaknesses. This strategy is important for effective study as it ensures that more time and effort are dedicated to areas where understanding is lacking, as opposed to spending disproportionate time on already mastered topics.

💡Ownership of Learning

Ownership of learning refers to taking personal responsibility for one's education and viewing it as a crucial aspect of personal development. The video concludes with the idea that learning should be treated with the same importance as health and job responsibilities. By taking ownership, learners are more likely to study effectively and persist even when faced with challenges, which is a key message throughout the video about the mindset required for successful learning.

Highlights

Reverse study timetable technique for effective exam preparation while balancing a full-time job and business.

Prioritizing non-study time to ensure relaxation, socializing, and business activities are not compromised.

Using reverse planning to structure study schedules around life commitments, not the other way around.

The importance of strategic resource use in professional learning, focusing on practice exams and past papers.

Active recall as a study method, and the benefits of using online question banks and AI tutors.

Surveying and Sprints technique to build context around learning material before deep diving.

Priming on knowledge as a second deeper pass to create a scaffold for understanding new topics.

Building knowledge iteratively, increasing complexity with each study session to enhance retention.

Focusing on high-yield topics that frequently appear in exams for efficient study time utilization.

Boosting study engagement by making content interesting and relevant, and maintaining health for consistent focus.

The significance of understanding over memorization for long-term retention and problem-solving.

Using the Feynman technique to check understanding by explaining topics in simple terms.

Applying Bloom's taxonomy to assess and deepen understanding of learned concepts.

Prioritizing difficult topics first in the study schedule to target weaknesses effectively.

Taking ownership of learning for personal growth, treating it with the same importance as health and job responsibilities.

The value of learning from mistakes and the importance of showing up for consistent learning progress.

Transcripts

in today's video we're going to go

through nine evidence-based study

techniques that helped me to rank first

in my postgraduate surgical exams while

working full-time as a doctor and also

building a seven figure business we're

specifically going to focus on

techniques that help us to study smarter

not harder and I've even included some

AI prompts to help us to save even more

time too so let's get right into

it

tip number one is called the reverse

study timetable in med school I wrote a

normal study timetable with subject A1

week then subject B the next week when

studying for exams around a busy day job

I wrote my timetable completely

differently I used what I call the

reverse study timetable while mediocre

and bad students put in first when

they're going to study the top students

put in when they're not going to study

as I was working a full-time job and

building a business I model studying

around my life life not the other way

around this meant that I prioritized

time for relaxing socializing and

running my business when it came to

planning my study schedule I used

reverse planning starting from the

curriculum and working backwards

identifying the most challenging topics

and putting days first when it comes to

studying we tend to think that

sacrificing everything and working for

long hours is the best way to manage our

time but this is actually completely

wrong by taking breaks looking after

ourselves and managing our time

effectively we're much more likely to

retain what we're learning in any given

study

session evidence-based study tip number

two is all about being strategic with

the resources that we're using to revise

from as a professional learner I just

didn't have time to be reading through

every single book recommendation on the

surgical exam reading list most

textbooks are enormous and were're often

overwhelmed with information from online

lectures to textbooks and even from our

own notes I therefore prioritize doing

practice exams and past papers to be

much more focused and efficient with my

time there's a ton of evidence around

the benefit of using active recall as a

study method and spending time

identifying an online question bank or

past papers that provide realistic

questions in the format of the final

exam at an appropriate difficulty it's

going to be time well spent the best

online question Banks and study apps now

also have ai tutors built in that can

help us to more quickly and effectively

understand difficult Concepts and avoid

application switching being strategic

with the resources you use to study and

selecting the best ones is a meta tip

that isn't talked about

enough tip number three is something

that I call survey in Sprints and it's

all about building context around what

we're learning before we actually begin

whether I'm diving directly into

questions reading a book or looking

through the exam syllabus I'll review

all of the material at a superficial

level first so that I know what's coming

up and what might be hard I'll do this

right at the start of planning my study

timetable and I'll also do this at the

start of each study session and I'll do

this in Sprints for example I might

first survey and skim over the whole

curriculum or book chapter in one

specific Sprint which takes me around 5

to 10 minutes when I then come to revise

a specific topic or chapter in that book

I'll again start with a Sprint to

quickly survey everything that's in that

chapter if I'm going directly to a

question bank I might skim through a

bunch of questions without worrying

about whether I'm getting them right or

wrong to just survey that content and

know how it relates to my existing

knowledge as I do this I'm focusing on

the structure initially and trying to

identify anything related to things I

already know I can then focus on the

fine details later now surveying isn't

complicated it's just skimming through

any Learning Materials as a kind of

first pass to allow our brains to begin

building context which is the main thing

that helps with effective encoding of

what we're actually learning so for

example if I was reading through this

book and trying to learn the miracle

morning by Hal Elrod I might first flip

to the contents page and then quickly

flip through each of the individual

chapters to just get a feel for what the

book is about how it's laid out and look

at any key Concepts or topics that keep

coming up this will take me just a few

minutes and I'm not worried about

learning anything in detail or trying to

remember anything on this first survey

Sprint or first pass of the

material evidence-based study tip number

four is called priming on knowledge and

it's the second deeper pass after we've

quickly surveyed what we're learning

when we're priming we want to create a

scaffold or foundation for what we're

understanding our goal is to have a

broad understanding of the entire topic

we're studying with Rel relevant points

linking to things that we already know

to help our brains organize any new

information this is what good encoding

is all about to look at this practically

after I've spent the first 5 minutes of

a study session skimming through and

surveying the content I'll be learning

at a superficial level I'll now Prime my

knowledge by spending another 5 to 10

minutes thinking more deeply about this

content and I'll focus on building a

basic organizational structure in my

brain in simple terms I'll just be

thinking about what the main concepts

are and how these relate to what I

already know I'll also be thinking about

what I have no clue about and how I'm

going to identify and fill in the gaps

in my knowledge all of this primes our

brains for deeper more meaningful

learning rather than just encountering a

New Concept for the first time and then

struggling with it because we haven't

taken the time to consider where it fits

into the wider subject which we're

learning and around our existing

knowledge so for a practical example

here again using the miracle morning by

Hal Elrod if I've been looking through

the contents page of the book I can

quickly see see that there are a couple

of chapters which bring in things like

six practices or a six-minute miracle

morning or at the end of the book The

Miracle morning 30-day life

transformation now immediately I'm

thinking what do I already know about

these things and what does my own

morning routine entail I can then flip

to those chapters individually and look

through each of those six steps and see

whether anything is drastically new or

whether it's a variant of what I already

know I now know that there's a challenge

coming up at the end of the book and so

my goal here is going to be to

understand each element of the book

contents and then apply that to the

challenge at the end to truly know it

and apply it to my own life this is what

priming is all about it's spending a

little bit of time with our own brains

thinking about what we've just skimm

through and then thinking about how we

can get the most out of it connect it to

our own existing knowledge and apply it

to our own life in the

future

and this brings us to tip number five

which is to build knowledge over time

and increase complexity with every

iteration learning is a journey and the

best thing about learning is that it

doesn't matter if we get something wrong

in fact according to research the things

we get wrong are the things that we're

most likely to remember when I was at

Medical School one of the key things I

noticed that the top performing students

did differently to everyone else was

that they weren't afraid to jump right

into self- testing even if they hadn't

read around a topic first by going over

and over active Reco questions and

forcing ourselves to understand topics

more deeply we gradually build up layers

upon layers of understanding around the

topic adding on more complexity each

time we go over it as learning is a

journey one hack that I absolutely love

is to choose the path of most relevance

we can spend our time learning anything

but our time is best spent studying

those high yield topics that will come

up regularly at exams for example when I

studied for surgical exams I went over

this high Yi topics multiple times and

prioritize them over everything

else tip six is to improve the quality

of our time spent studying by boosting

our engagement with what we're learning

our grades are very much a byproduct of

our quality of work and our quality of

work is a function of two key factors

our ability to focus and our ability to

be consistent with studying in order to

maximize our ability to focus we need to

beat distractions and get into a flow

state if we want to stay consistent with

studying we need to stay healthy and

keep our energy levels up for long study

sessions whether I'm in a class an

online lecture or studying by myself

I'll try and challenge myself to think

what am I doing to increase my

effectiveness at this Primary Learning

event and for me this pretty much comes

down to two things firstly it's about

how we make the content interesting and

relevant to us even if it's boring and

secondly it's how we look after our

health so that we're energized and

focused to maximize our ability to learn

effectively when it comes to eating well

staying healthy and being energized I'll

prioritize these when creating my study

timetable when it comes to making things

relevant and interesting I'll often try

and Link what I'm learning to something

I'm genuinely interested in I might do

this by asking chat gbt to give me

examples of what I'm learning in real

life or if I'm learning something like

history I'll ask chat gbt to act like a

famous historical figure that I can then

talk with failing that I'll try and turn

the study session into a game by

challenging myself to get a set number

of active recall questions correct which

works really well if you're using a

gamified online question

system tip number seven is one of the

most important study tips and it's to

focus on understanding rather than on

trying to memorize facts alone if we

deeply understand the topic and we can

work out the answer we can deal with

most questions that come up up

memorization is helpful as a very basic

first step for things like language

vocab but for everything else I'd always

prioritize understanding there are two

really helpful tools that I tend to use

that massively help when it comes to

understanding any topic the first is

basically a quick sense check using the

Fineman technique I'll get to the end of

a topic and then close my book and

challenge myself to explain that topic

back in simple terms if I can do this

it's a great indicator that I understand

the elements of the topic and if I can't

I then need to go back to the source

material or ask chap gbt to help explain

things more clearly the second tool is

called blooms taxonomy as I progress

through questions from past papers I'll

ask myself whether I can effectively

apply and evaluate Concepts I've learned

and whether I can create a solution

based on my understanding of the

concepts matched to the top tiers of

Bloom's taxonomy showing that I've truly

mastered a topic if I can't do any of

these I can also ask chat gbt to set me

a challenge using a prompt that Maps to

Bloom's taxonomy for example I could say

something like I'm learning about

hypertension in medicine give me a

question or task that maps to the create

section of Bloom's taxonomy to test my

understanding evidence-based study tip

number eight is to do hard things first

when we're studying for exams there's a

very easy temptation to focus on the

things that we're good at so people

invariably revise chapter 1 and chapter

2 of everything far more than chapters

19 and 20 of any book for me when I'm

working through topics I'll either track

my progress in an online question Bank

to see what topics I'm struggling with

or in medad school I used a spaced

repetition system with traffic like

colors to highlight what I needed to

work on and really the point of the

color coding system here is that it

really helps us to Target our specific

weaknesses so if you know you're really

good at math and you know you suck at

geography like I did in school there's

no point spending ages focusing on math

or spending exactly the same amount of a

time focusing on both math and geography

you need to prioritize the hard thing

whether this is early in the day or

whether it's sooner in our revision

schedule we need to attack that

difficult topic

first evidence-based study tip number

nine is a reminder that we're not

learning for anyone other than ourselves

I've had to sit countless exams in

medson where I felt they were absolutely

pointless but at the end of the day

whether we're studying for exams or

learning to prove ourselves we need to

treat learning as importantly as we do

our health and our jobs and this means

blocking out time for Learning and

putting in the effort even when it might

feel like a chore I love getting things

wrong and I love learning as I now know

that I'm growing as a person it's the

same as going to the gym some days I

might be tired or I might not want to go

but I know that if I just show up I'll

feel better for it immediately and by

taking action I'm much more likely to

succeed in the long term than if I don't

show up at all if we take ownership of

our studying and learning we're much

more likely to study effectively now

I've got a great video looking at how I

practically approach studying which will

pop up over here that's definitely worth

checking out if you want a bit of a

deeper practical Deep dive thanks so

much for watching and for subscribing

and I'll catch you again in the next

video