How I Would Study in Med School (If I Could Start Over)

Summary

In this reflective video, Dr. Justin Sun shares his medical school experience and the learning mistakes he made, such as over-engineering for exams and lacking clinical perspective. He advises students to simplify complex information, focus on clinical reasoning first, and strategically utilize clinical placements to reinforce learning. His tips aim to make medical education more efficient and enjoyable, emphasizing the importance of understanding knowledge in a way that translates to real-world practice.

Takeaways

• 🎓 Over-engineering for exams was a mistake; it didn't translate well into practical clinical use and led to repeated relearning of forgotten information.
• 🔍 Lack of discernment in learning details resulted in a disjointed understanding of the big picture and difficulties in managing complex clinical cases.
• 📚 The speaker regrets not utilizing clinical attachment days effectively, missing out on learning opportunities that couldn't be gained from studying alone.
• 🤔 Clinical reasoning was neglected until late in the medical school journey, which hindered the ability to navigate from symptoms to potential diagnoses.
• 🗂️ The importance of having a system for foundational knowledge was overlooked, leading to inefficiencies in learning and retention.
• 🧩 The realization that learning should not be compartmentalized but integrated from a clinical perspective first, then reinforced with detailed disease-focused study.
• 📉 The shock of failing a clinical attachment due to an exam-focused learning approach highlighted the need for a more practical and foresightful learning method.
• 📈 Emphasis on the need to understand information in a simplified and intuitive manner to avoid feeling overwhelmed and to improve clinical application.
• 📝 The speaker advises to pick important areas to focus on, acknowledging that it's impossible to learn everything in medical school and to prioritize based on clinical relevance.
• 👨‍⚕️ The mindset should be that of a doctor in training, not just a medical student, which changes the approach to learning from memorization to understanding and application.
• 🔄 The recommendation to prepare for clinical placements by studying the most likely conditions to be encountered, creating a direct link between study and practical experience.

Q & A

What was Dr. Justin Sun's profession before becoming a learning coach?

Before becoming a learning coach, Dr. Justin Sun worked as a junior doctor for a couple of years.

What is the main focus of Dr. Sun's work now?

Dr. Sun's main focus now is on education, educational entrepreneurship, and social enterprise, helping students worldwide learn more efficiently.

Why did Dr. Sun fail his first clinical attachment in medical school?

Dr. Sun failed his first clinical attachment because his learning method, which was suited for exams, did not translate well to clinical practice and real-life application of knowledge.

What was one of the biggest mistakes Dr. Sun made during his medical school years?

One of the biggest mistakes Dr. Sun made was overlearning for exams without considering how he would use the information in the future, leading to a lack of foundational knowledge and frequent relearning of the same topics.

How did Dr. Sun's approach to learning change after realizing the issues with his initial method?

Dr. Sun started learning from a clinical reasoning perspective first, then later reinforced his learning with disease-focused pathophysiology, which organized his knowledge functionally and provided more context.

Why did Dr. Sun struggle with understanding patients with atypical presentations or multiple comorbidities?

Dr. Sun struggled because his knowledge was fragmented and disjointed, lacking a big-picture understanding of how different aspects interacted to affect patient presentation and management.

What was the issue with Dr. Sun's approach to learning about shock during his preclinical years?

Dr. Sun's issue was that he learned shock as a collection of different types, ideologies, and clinical findings without a unifying framework, making it hard to remember and apply the knowledge effectively.

How did Dr. Sun's senior help him understand shock in a more intuitive way during his clinical attachment?

Dr. Sun's senior used a simple diagram comparing the body to a pump with tubes in a container, explaining that shock involves problems with the pump, tubes, container, or fluid, providing a framework to understand and question different aspects of shock.

What was the key realization Dr. Sun had about anatomy during his rotation in Orthopedics?

Dr. Sun realized that the reason to know anatomy is not just for the sake of knowledge, but to apply it in practical situations, such as during surgeries, which helped him understand and remember anatomy better.

What advice does Dr. Sun give to medical students about making the most of their clinical placements?

Dr. Sun advises students to focus their studying on the most likely conditions they will encounter in their clinical placements and to engage actively during ward rounds and surgeries to consolidate their learning and ask relevant questions.

What is the importance of simplifying and finding an intuitive understanding of medical topics according to Dr. Sun?

Simplifying and finding an intuitive understanding of medical topics helps create a solid framework for more detailed learning, making it easier to remember and apply knowledge in clinical situations.

How does Dr. Sun suggest medical students approach their studies to reflect clinical application of knowledge?

Dr. Sun suggests that students should first understand medical topics from a clinical perspective and then go back to learn more details about the disease or pathophysiology, which aligns with the trend in medical school examinations towards clinical application.

What is the significance of viewing oneself as a doctor in training rather than just a medical student?

Viewing oneself as a doctor in training emphasizes the importance of learning how to apply knowledge in real clinical scenarios rather than just memorizing facts, which is crucial for long-term retention and effective practice.

Why is it important for medical students to pick their losses and focus on what is clinically relevant?

It is important because it is impossible to learn everything in medical school, and focusing on clinically relevant knowledge helps students to prioritize their learning and better prepare for their future practice as doctors.