10 Tips for Your Medical Studies

One thing is certain: just getting a place to study medicine takes a lot of sweat and effort. Mastering the admission requirements is no easy task. The application process also seems complicated at first. When the eagerly awaited confirmation finally comes, of course you don’t want to do anything wrong. That’s why I’ve collected 10 tips for your medical studies. I will introduce them to you below. Not only can you get the best start to your studies, but you can also successfully master your medical studies!

10 tips for your medical studies

1. The right learning material

Lecture, textbook or rather an anvil? How am I supposed to learn now? Especially in the early semesters, many are overwhelmed by the overwhelming range of courses. Opportunities to acquire mountains of knowledge are a dime a dozen. Meanwhile, don’t ignore Medicmind Australia for useful tips, study material, and guidance.

Lecture

Let’s start the lecture right away. I personally believe that you can safely do without a large part of the events offered. If the professor isn’t known for his outstanding teaching, you’ll probably be much more efficient by studying from home. To the lecture hall, 90 minutes sitting on the bench, a little chat in between and back home again. Half the day is good and you can do it. And: If you take the right textbook to hand, you will still be able to understand the connections well.

Textbook

But which one is best to take? I would say: Better the small, handy short textbook than the thickest standard work that the professor recommends to you. First you should acquire a solid basic knowledge before you go into detail. Because otherwise you will soon no longer see the forest for the trees or you will not have the time to work through the entire exam material. For many a small subject, however, it is absolutely sufficient to take a look at the lecture.

Finally, my absolute recommendation: learn right from the start in parallel with the material (anvil or final sprint) that you want to use later to prepare for your exam. Because then the content will be much more familiar to you later.

2. The right learning strategy

Shortly after the start of the semester, the mountain of learning gets bigger day by day. But how are you supposed to manage all of this in such a short amount of time? My next tip for your medical studies: get to know the learning style. Because only those who know how to learn best are most effective and make learning easier. In which of the four learning styles do you recognize yourself? Below is a brief overview:

The auditory type internalizes the content particularly well by listening. Attending the lectures makes sense for you. But reading texts aloud can also help you memorize the content. In addition, there are now many exciting podcasts on medical topics. Is not that something for you?

The best way for people of the visual type to memorize things is to read them carefully. So feel free to pick up the lecture, a textbook or an anvil and browse through the learning content. Would you still like to go to the lecture? Then I recommend that you go through the material beforehand. Otherwise, attending the lecture will probably be time-consuming and pointless for you. Another tip: self-designed mind maps, tables and sketches, but also self-written index cards or summaries can also help you learn effectively. It’s not for nothing that the saying goes: “From hand to head”.

For people of the motor type, it makes sense to move during the learning process. So you can e.g. walking up and down the apartment with your study material or using good weather to do a lap around the block. Or would you like B. memorize certain symptoms? Try imitating them. All of this could make your learning a lot easier!

The communicative type learns best in exchange with others. So you can z. B. Set up study groups with like-minded people. In addition, you can regularly ask each other questions. This allows you to see where there are still gaps in your knowledge and you also get helpful input from your learning buddy.

Did you recognize yourself in any of the four types? Or maybe several? A mixture of several types is also possible. Just try it out. Because once you have found your best learning strategy, it will make learning much easier for you in the future. I’m sure!

3. The perfect place to learn

We have now clarified the “how”. Now the question arises: Where is the best place to learn? At home? Or in the bib? It’s best to try it out! Because there are advantages on both sides.

If you study from home, you save yourself having to pack your backpack and go to the next bib. In addition, you cannot forget anything at home and you are also more flexible in organizing your day. And what could be nicer than studying on the balcony in summer with a cool drink and your laptop on your lap? It’s almost like vacation! However, some here lack the motivating environment among like-minded people. Or a lunch break with friends. Sometimes it’s also easier to switch off in the evenings when learning and leisure are physically separated.

As you can see, both have their good and bad sides. I think it’s all in the mix. So on bad days in the library I look forward to the rousing atmosphere among all the other students. If I start the day motivated, I like to make myself as comfortable as possible at home. In winter with tea and a cozy blanket, in summer with cool drinks in the sun on the balcony.

4. Help the exams are coming up – the perfect preparation

A tip that probably every medical student from higher semesters would give you: cross, cross, cross. In particular, exams in smaller subjects are often based on old questions. But old exams also provide important information on what you should focus on when learning. Crossing is also a great way to check your own level of knowledge and uncover possible gaps! Your university or student council often offers collections of old questions. Just ask around!

In addition, a learning plan can be useful for dividing the time well and visualizing the learning success. Maybe that would be something for you too? Because it is precisely the ticking off at the end of the learning day that gives many people a satisfying feeling. Be sure to consider breaks and buffer days when creating! In addition, it is clever to work on easy topics at the beginning and to repeat difficult chunks over and over again.

As already mentioned above: A look at the lecture never hurts. After all, the lecturers know best what they consider important and what they ultimately want to examine with you. Finally, learn the big picture first, then the details. Because not that you run out of time in the end and you actually still have half of it ahead of you.

5. Balancing everyday learning

Yes, the amount of material is large, but nobody can, should and has to just learn all day long for months. The right balance is important and lets you start the next day of learning with a lot of momentum and energy. Sport in particular has been shown to boost brain performance. Do you like to go running or do you love doing a tough workout? Or are you more of a fan of team sports? But also a meeting with friends, meditation and yoga or just a cozy evening on the couch are wonderful ways to end the day of learning in a relaxed manner. The important thing is that you allow yourself breaks and find the right balance for you. How it looks is entirely up to you.

6. Compulsory internships during the semester break – how do I go about it?

The exam phase has finally been mastered and the semester break is just around the corner. But whoops, don’t you also have to do one-month internships during the holidays? Unfortunately yes! Three months are waiting for you in the pre-clinic. There are four in the clinic.

For your nursing internship, I can recommend that you start as early as possible. Preferably before you start your studies. If that is not possible for you, then start right away in the first semester break. Because in the last semester break before the physics course, you will be happy to fully charge your batteries again and not have to spend a month or two in the hospital.

The same applies to traineeships. Practice early! A possible doctoral thesis or the block internships after the ninth semester, which you can bring forward, are also things that take place during the semester break. You will be happy if you still have time for vacation at the end of your studies. And another tip: depending on the federal state, you can get pocket money for your family doctor internship.

Would you like more tips for your first nursing internship or clinical traineeship? Or are you mainly interested in testimonials? Then our Instagram channel would be something for you!

7. The path to a doctorate – the sooner the better!

Didn’t I just mention the doctoral thesis? Yes! And the same applies here: It’s best to look around in good time. After the physics course up to the sixth semester is, in my opinion, a very good time. Because the following applies here: The whole thing usually takes much longer than initially expected. Whether clinical or experimental, the work usually drags on like chewing gum. Before starting work, better still before the PFY, the thing should be in the towel. Therefore: The sooner you look around, the more realistic the goal!

8. Ask the elders – helpful tips from higher semesters

What I can also highly recommend is to ask students in higher semesters for tips and tricks. Because they are the ones who have lived through what awaits you before. So you know e.g. which lecturer gives a good lesson and which lecture you can give yourself. Or which exams are particularly difficult and where a look at the old questions is enough. Maybe they can also give you access to helpful learning collections that are often passed around among students. At the University there are e.g. the buddy program. Here you will be assigned a tutor from a higher semester, whom you can pester with all your questions.

9. Thinking outside the box broadens the horizon

I am sure that any further experience in the medical field outside of your studies will greatly expand your horizons. Be it e.g. a part-time job to gain practical experience. Or additional seminars to expand your knowledge base, because the course cannot cover everything by a long shot. In addition, language courses are offered in order to learn medical specialist appointments in foreign languages. In this way you can prepare yourself perfectly for your traineeship or your PJ tertian abroad. But it is also a clear advantage for contact with foreign patients if you can express yourself professionally in another language. As you can see, the possibilities are endless! Find what interests you the most and will get you the furthest on your journey.

10. Listen to yourself and don’t orientate yourself on others

Finally, I would like to give you one more thing on your way: We are all individual. Find the right way for you! Some like to write stacks of summaries, others just look at the book. Some start studying as soon as they wake up, others have their most productive peak in the late evening hours. One feels like he can already do all the material on day one of the semester, the other needs the pressure of the upcoming exams. Don’t let yourself be unsettled if some fellow students can already pray down the entire material when you are still at the very beginning. Experience has shown that the loudest are not necessarily the most successful. Comparing often only increases the pressure to perform. Listen to yourself, what is good for you and how you can successfully and happily master the upcoming challenges!