Retrieving memories isn’t like checking out DVDs at Blockbuster (RIP). Each time you remember something you’re constructing a memory representation and relearning that information. Here’s why that means our learning strategies have to evolve with our career goals, from running Qbanks to studying with Human Dx.
Read morePitch with Confidence: 3 strategies for remembering what you want to say
Though not strictly academic, the ability to say your spiel with confidence is beneficial to most of us. Alex and I try to make a point to never memorize lists we can write down (or Alexa can write for us), but there are just some things you want to be able to say fluently, whether for work or personal improvement.
Read moreResidency Interviewing: 3 Evidence-Based Learning Strategies Than Can Help
It's almost impossible to believe it’s been over a year since Cathy and I started the seemingly never-ending process of residency interviewing. Here are three evidence-based learning strategies I applied which made the interviewing ordeal a smidge more tolerable.
Read moreLearning anatomy: a strategy for memorizing muscles
What's the best way to memorize the muscles of the arm? Cathy discusses her two-step approach to developing adaptive expertise in anatomy, which will play a big role in our future careers—scroll to the bottom to find out where we're headed next year!
Read moreThe Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up (Your Memory Palace)
Prone to a messy palace? Hop on the bandwagon and use Mari Kondo's method to keep a tidy space.
Read moreHit the Ground Running: A Quick Guide to Mastering the Memory Palace Before School Starts
We’ve received a few messages recently from people who are starting a professional school this year. While we love the memory palace technique, there can be a significant barrier to use, especially if you're about to enter a high-stakes learning environment. Here's an easy one-month ramp up to mastering the palace technique before you start a new learning adventure.
Read moreShould I Reserve Special Memory Palaces Like My Home?
Should special memory palaces (like your home) be reserved for more important topics? Alex shares his approach to palace allocation.
Read moreSilence Is Golden? White Noise, Coffee Shops, and the Learning Boost of Habituation
Do you prefer to work in silence? With music? The jury's still out on the benefits of white noise, but we've got our own preferences. Cathy shares her thoughts from a coffee shop.
Read moreThe Body Palace: Memorizing the Review of Systems
A key tool in the physician’s arsenal is the review of systems, or ROS—a run-through of pertinent symptoms while taking a patient history. To the novice clinical student, it can feel overwhelming. Medical students often first learn the ROS as Alex did—as a giant, inscrutable list of symptoms. Here’s how he uses a memory technique to tackle it painlessly.
Read moreIt's in the Genes: How to Memorize Tricky Number/Letter Associations
Our newest question comes from a reader who’s a medical student in Italy: “I use a lot the memory palace for my studies but I was wondering if you can help me to memorise in an easy way the genes, because they are made with letters and numbers for example: BRCA1, FGFR1, HLA, Cn3D.... something like this! I hope this can be helpful for all the other medical students.”
Read moreHow Should Medical Students Use Memory Techniques in the Clinical Setting? [Video]
Ever wondered how best to apply memory techniques in the clinical setting? Should I use memory palaces for patient interviews? For presentations? How might practicing physicians make use of memory techniques? In the video below, we give an overview of how we think memory techniques are best applied in clinical practice.
Read moreMemory Tips for Medical Students (Live Seminar) [Video]
A short seminar we recently gave to the first year class at our medical school. It covers some science-backed tips we think every learner should know.
Read moreHow to Memorize the Entire Facial Nerve Using a Memory Palace [Video]
In this 20-minute video, Alex walks through how to memorize the entire facial nerve (cranial nerve VII) using a memory palace. The facial nerve is a key player in neuroanatomy and pops up during gross anatomy in medical school.
Read moreHow to Memorize the Drugs that Cause Pancreatitis in 60 Seconds (and Remember Them a Week Later) [Video]
We collaborated with medical learning powerhouses Osmosis and Sketchy Medical to create this intro video on memory palaces. We demonstrate the technique with a list of drugs that cause pancreatitis. Here's how to make those essential drug groups really stick. (7:05)
Read moreFighting Palace Fatigue with Interleaved Practice
Interleaved practice is great for keeping things interesting and making sure you can do a quick mental jump to the relevant locus. Research has shown that training this way can improve learners' problem solving abilities.
Read more3 Reasons Why You Should Be Using Memory Palaces (and Not Only Standalone Images)
Standalone mnemonics are also a relatively simpler yet still effective way for, say, an absolute beginner to pick up new foreign language vocab. When it comes to carefully learning structured material, however, I’ve found there to be three main arguments in favor of palaces.
Read moreWhy Double-Encoding Is a Double-Edged Sword
I often run into scenarios in which the same piece of information pops up in different contexts. Here's why encoding info multiple times might not be the great idea it seems.
Read moreDo Memory Palaces Hinder Learning? Our Top 3 Don't-Miss Tips
If you're someone struggling to apply memory palaces, look no further. Here I discuss my top 3 realizations about memory techniques as they pertain to learning—the ones that took my approach from frustratingly ineffective to invaluable.
Read moreShould I Memorize Everything Using Memory Palaces?
Bottom line: No! Here's how to know when (and when not) to encode information using a memory palace.
Read moreHow to Use Memory Palaces to Learn Pathology: Acute Pyelonephritis [Video]
We cap off the Step Up series by doing a real-life example in real time, showing how we each use a memory palace to memorize the acute pyelonephritis section from the First Aid medical student review book. Here's how to lock in the tricky, nonintuitive details of diseases. (16:24)
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