Must-haves study materials for medical school
As a third year medical student, I can speak on the third-party resources I used that helped me do well my first two years of medical school and when/how often I used them.
Medschoolbootcamp - I used these for the most difficult classes which for me were renal, pulmonology, and cardiology. I liked how the videos were visually stimulating and kept my attention. They did a great job of breaking down the physics behind certain concepts which is what I needed the most help in.
Sketchy - this is a go-to resource to help you memorize microbiology and pharmacology. This is a great resource for people who are visual learners. The creators come up with comic-like sketches based on the topic and each character/symbol in the sketch is made to help you remember something important about that topic. For example, when studying about gram negative bacteria, all of those sketches have a purple background.
First Aid STEP 1- this is the holy grail for many medical students during their pre-clinicals. It has all of the information one needs to know for STEP 1 and I commonly used it when I was reviewing my practice questions.
Anki - This app uses active recall and spaced repetition to help you memorize information. I highly rely on anki to study for my exams. There is a great resource called AnKing, a premade deck made by a medical student for medical students, that you can download to Anki and use that deck to study as you are learning.
UWorld- this is another holy grail for medical students. This is a question bank that closely resembles the exams that we take. While memorizing the information is important, you also need to do practice questions so that you start recognizing medical conditions in question format.
Boards and Beyond - This one I mainly used for concepts that I just needed light review in. The long videos did not work for me sometimes, which is why I also used medschoolbootcamp as another video resource. I do like their quizzes after each video, as they are in exam format and are great testing my retention of the concepts I just learned.
It took a lot of trial and error for me to settle with these resources and to know when to use these resources. It also takes time to find out how you best study, so do not stress yourself out in trying to figure out what works for you right away.
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As you embark on your medical schooling journey, finding the right tools can make a significant difference. Many students swear by resources that promote active engagement with complex subjects. For instance, platforms like Medschoolbootcamp offer engaging video content tailored for challenging subjects such as renal and cardiology. These resources not only make learning more enjoyable but also enhance retention. Visual learners particularly benefit from Sketchy, which employs memorable comic-style illustrations to simplify difficult concepts in microbiology and pharmacology. The visual cues created in these sketches aid in long-term memorization, a crucial skill in medical studies. Additionally, First Aid STEP 1 is often considered essential for its comprehensive content, covering key concepts necessary for the STEP 1 exam. It integrates well with practice questions, providing a robust framework for review. Anki has gained popularity due to its effectiveness in utilizing spaced repetition and active recall techniques, especially with pre-made decks like AnKing that cater specifically to first-year medical students. UWorld is another critical resource, offering an extensive bank of questions that mirror the style and difficulty of actual exams, helping students gauge their preparedness thoroughly. Lastly, Boards and Beyond is an excellent supplementary resource for those looking to cement their understanding with quizzes that mimic exam conditions. This combination of resources allows for a personalized and effective study strategy as you navigate the demanding landscape of medical education.
are all these free, and do you need to be a certain age to sign up?