TRY TO REMEMBER

Ever since I was a young student, I always excelled in Math and Language because I never perceived them as subjects that you had to do “memorization.”  I favored analysis over rote memory.  I learned the multiplication tables not by memorizing them but visualizing multiple groups instead.

As a result, I passionately disliked Social Studies because of the memorization of dates, facts and events.  I did not like Physics and Chemistry because I did not understand the concepts and had to memorize the formulas.  

This dislike extended to even shifting my course from Biology to Psychology because of the fear of memorizing the different taxonomic groups.  However, I was not able to escape memorization because…I WENT INTO MEDICINE! 

Memorization is indeed a part of becoming a doctor.  I had a very difficult time in the first and second years of medicine proper during the basic sciences.  In fact, I think I repeated the Nephrology Board Examination the first time because of this failure to memorize.  Given these failures, I summarize how I coped with trying to remember by the following steps:

First, I had to put myself in the mindset that I do HAVE to study, to do the active memorization and repetition.  I had to devote my time to the memory work.  This state of readiness, I believe, made the difference of whether I would prevail in learning a new topic and making it a new part of me.

Second, I had to repeat, repeat, repeat and repeat!  The Medicine Board Examination was a constant example of this.  I remember studying from literally sunrise to sunset and patiently repeating all the terms and concepts.  There had to be acceptance of this need to repeat in order to learn. 

Third, I had to build on what I already knew.  I noticed that I had to master basic concepts before moving on the advanced ones.  In a sense, the concepts had to be a part of me and just not rote.  In order to do that, I had to utilize examples.  For the initial concepts that had much detail, I had to use mnemonics, make up stories, remember patients in order for me to remember. 

Fourth, review was always imperative!  There is no assumption that “I already knew that!”  For every new test, every new patient, I had to go back to the concepts in order to make sure that I already knew everything by heart.

Fifth, and most important, I realize that I am a group and an auditory learner.  I study best when I study with others in order to pace myself and focus.  I integrate much of the new knowledge by discussing cases with my friends, telling stories of physiologic concepts to my colleagues, and teaching my students.  I think in large part, I want to become a teacher.  In teaching others, I am forced to simplify the concept, teach in my own words instead of copying data from the book and integrating what I know. 

Currently, I really live on my fifth memory rule.  I really want to teach so that I will be forced never to stop learning. J