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As doctors, we treat patients with evidence-based medicine, meaning treatment modalities that
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are backed with sound scientific research. We can do the same when it comes to study
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strategies. These are the 7 evidence-based study techniques with supporting scientific
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evidence.
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Dr. Jubbal, MedSchoolInsiders.com.
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We can thank the psychologist Herman Ebbinghaus for studying his own memory and generating
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what is known as the Forgetting Curve. In its simplest terms, the Forgetting Curve demonstrates
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that after forming a memory, we gradually forget more and more of it as time elapses.
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With attempts to retain the information at increasing intervals, just before we forget
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it, the memory becomes more durable.
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We know from neuroscience fundamentals that repetition potentiates neural connections
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and allows us to remember information more effectively. The problem is that we have far
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too much information to learn - we can't repeat every fact we need to know on a daily
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basis. Enter the Spacing Effect. By repeated exposures to a piece of information at increasing
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intervals between each repetition, we can optimize memorization and retain the most
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information in the least amount of time.
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Spaced repetition is most powerful when the timing is just right. If too little time elapses
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between repetitions, the information is not reinforced as strongly. If too much time passes,
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you forget and are unable to recall the desired information.
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If we see the same information multiple times over increasing intervals, we'll be far
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more effective at encoding those facts into long term memory. This is why cramming is
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so ineffective. Studying for 8 hours over 2 weeks will generally result in superior
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performance compared to studying for 8 hours in one sitting.
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I'm a big proponent of using tools and systems to streamline and automate processes. I recommend
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you take this same approach with spaced repetition. You could create a study schedule for yourself
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where you plan out when to review older lectures in addition to recent lectures. Alternatively,
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you can offload the process to other apps, like Anki, which will test you on bite-sized
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pieces of information through flashcards and automatically schedule the cards based on
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the difficulty of recall for each.
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The most common mistake is procrastinating and cramming just days before the exam. This
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undermines any of the potential advantages of spaced repetition.
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When practicing spaced repetition, make sure you're using effective study strategies
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and not simply re-reading your notes. Re-reading your notes is a form of recognition, whereby
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you look at some facts and tell yourself, “oh yeah, I know that.” This is unreliable.
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Instead, spaced repetition is most effective when combined with active recall, whereby
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you test yourself for the answer. Which brings us to the second evidence-based study strategy.
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Active recall is the practice of using the Testing Effect to your advantage. If you're
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already using active recall, chances are you love it because of the resulting drastic improvement
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in performance. If you aren't using it yet, there's a bit of a learning curve which
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may be discouraging. You should expect active recall to be a difficult process, as active
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learning methods are, by definition, far more challenging than passive forms.
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When it comes to active recall, I normally advise students to create flashcards through
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Anki, or to use practice problems, which also has the added benefit of practicing higher
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order level thinking.
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There are other ways to incorporate active recall, though. For example, you could write
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or sketch out everything you know about a certain topic without looking at your notes.
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Be as thorough as you can be, and afterward check what you've written compared to your
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class notes for accuracy and to fill in points you may have missed.
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Many students try active recall for a short period of time, only to give up soon after
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because they find it difficult. The key is to understand that if it feels difficult,
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that means it's working. And with anything in life, with practice you'll get better
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at it. It becomes easier with time.
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Another common mistake is studying facts in isolation. Particularly with flashcards, students
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may focus too much on individual facts without adequate comprehension. Do not neglect comprehension,
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which means truly understanding the relation between ideas and how certain concepts are
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similar or different.
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Lastly, remember to not only practice the recall part, but also check your answers.
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If you are practicing recall without verifying accuracy, you may be reinforcing incorrect
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information.
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Closely intertwined with active recall is the concept of desirable difficulties. This
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states that a learning task that requires a considerable amount of effort will improve
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long-term performance, even though it may slow down learning initially. Research demonstrates
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that the traditional easy forms of passive learning show better temporary performance
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effects, but more difficult tasks, such as learning with active recall, result in improved
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performance in the long term.
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Think of it like going to the gym. If you bench press 10 pound dumbbells, you're technically
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doing chest exercises, but you're not challenging yourself enough to improve. This is like passive
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learning. On the other hand, if you bench press 100 pound dumbbells in each hand, you'd
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be exerting yourself to a far greater capacity, resulting in muscle breakdown and ultimately
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hypertrophy. This is a desirable difficulty, which you are more readily able to achieve
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with tools such as active recall.
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Desirable difficulties is an overarching principle that serves as a common thread throughout
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the 6 other evidence based learning techniques.
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Elaboration refers to further describing and explaining various ideas or concepts that
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you're studying to solidify your understanding of the material.
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The concept of elaboration sounds great, but the tricky part is how to effectively implement
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the technique. Here are a few suggestions:
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1. Generate questions for yourself about how various concepts or principles work and the
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underlying reasons as to why. Try answering on your own first, and then turn to your class
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materials or study buddies for verification and further explanation.
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2. Cross reference different ideas, even if your professor or class materials didn't
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explicitly do so. By comparing and contrasting relatable components, you'll better understand
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the nuances of each, how they interplay, and you'll be less likely to confuse the two.
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3. Make the content relatable. While elaborating on a concept, relate it to your own life experiences
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or memories for a stronger memory anchor. Integrating new material with concepts you
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already know helps you organize the new ideas, facilitating recall in the future, such as
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on test day.
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Don't be overzealous with your elaboration, meaning keep it within there scope of what
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is accurate and reasonable. Overextension of elaboration can actually cause further
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confusion in the long run.
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Practicing elaboration with small groups, such as with the Feynman technique, can be
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helpful, but beyond three people the drawbacks begin to outweigh the benefits.
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Interleaving is the practice of alternating your studying from one topic to another rather
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than blocking time for only one subject for an extended period of time. The literature
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suggests that this strategy is particularly helpful with subjects requiring problem solving,
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such as physics, chemistry, or math. Why is this counterintuitively beneficial? Interleaving
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facilitates finding the links, similarities, and differences between ideas.
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Interleaving simply means you need to switch between topics, ideas, or subjects during
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a study session. Avoid studying one focused area for too long.
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As you interleave, it's recommended you approach the topics and subjects in different
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orders to facilitate improved understanding. While doing so, make it a conscious practice
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to think how you can link principles between the different concepts.
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The added benefit that goes overlooked is one of sustained endurance. When you're
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strategically shifting between topics, you can ward off burn out and boredom through
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novel stimuli. I used this practice almost religiously as a medical student to get through
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study marathons on an almost daily basis.
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Interleaving requires a bit of calibration — if you spend too little or too much time
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on a single topic, it can prove detrimental. Switch too often and you begin to face the
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issues of multi-tasking, whereby you fail to achieve meaningful deep understanding and
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effectiveness drops. Spend too much time and you're not interleaving but rather just
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performing traditional blocked studying.
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My recommendation is to perform at minimum 1-2 Pomodoro blocks before switching to a
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new topic. At the end of the study session, summarize the relevant key points, but do
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so in a different order than when you first reviewed the information.
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Concrete examples are a useful tool in facilitating understanding complex or difficult concepts.
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It's quite simple — find relevant examples that illustrate the principles from a lesson
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you're trying to learn, and ensure you deeply understand how the concrete example is a reflection
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of this principle in practice.
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To implement this practice, collect examples and then explain how the example illustrates
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the principle you're attempting to learn, and repeat. You can also create your own examples
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or exchange examples with your study group for added benefit.
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When practicing this technique, ensure that the examples are actually relevant and accurate
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to the concept or principle you're studying. Too often, students will find poor examples
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online, through friends, or from other resources that reinforce an improper understanding.
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Dual coding is the practice of inputting information related to the same concept through multiple
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forms of media. For example, you may read about a concept in a textbook, and additionally
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use visuals and diagrams to drive the point home.
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To most effectively implement dual coding, don't simply look at a visual and think
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“ah yes, I know this,” but rather actively explain the concept in your own words. Even
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better, take the information you've read about in a textbook or heard about in lecture
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and create your own visuals. This goes back to the summary sheets and synthesis questions
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I spoke about in my how to take notes video. This will not only prove helpful in the active
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process of creating the diagram, but now you also have a condensed high yield visual for
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future reference.
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The most common mistake to avoid with dual coding is passively reviewing the various
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forms of media rather than approaching the practice through active methods. To demonstrate
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mastery, you should be able to draw necessary figures from memory without cheating and looking
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at your notes.
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Understand that these seven principles are not to be practiced in isolation, but rather
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are interrelated and should be used in conjunction. I refuse to believe the myths that how you
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do in school or on standardized exams is fixed and based on predetermined intelligence. I
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believe anyone has the ability to dramatically improve their study techniques, efficiency,
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and performance on test day. If you need help taking your performance to the next level,
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our team at Med School Insiders will help you implement these 7 techniques and more.
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Not only are our tutors top tier performers with top percentile scores on the MCAT, USMLE,
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and other tests, but they're also phenomenal teachers as well, helping thousands of students
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drastically improve their performance. Unlike other companies, we don't just take any
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tutors - we are insanely selective and only recruit the best. My team and I have worked
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tirelessly in creating the best 1-on-1 tutoring experience for future doctors. We've obsessed
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over creating the most effective and rigorous system that optimizes for one thing – delivering
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results. If you want to crush your MCAT, USMLE, or need help doing better in any class, from
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organic chemistry or physics to cardiology or surgery and everything between, our team
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has got your back. Visit MedSchoolInsiders.com to learn more.
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Out of the 7 evidence based study techniques, which ones are you neglecting and going to
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practice moving forward? Let me know with a comment down below. If you liked this video,
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please give us a thumbs up to keep the YouTube gods happy. To see more content like this
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Much love to you all, and I will see you guys in that next one.