In my first two years of PT school, I would “study” for hours on end, only to get a C on the exam. Sound familiar? Then, I would spend the rest of the semester working twice as hard just to barely cross the borderline and get my grade to a B. There’s a saying that goes around in PT school: “B’s make PTs.” Every student wants to strive for an A [Even I have some A’s in PT school.], but it’s nice to know that B’s are okay too. I knew the study methods I used in undergrad would not work in PT school, but how I was studying in PT school was not conducive. If you are struggling to stay afloat in yout PT courses like me, here are some strategies I have implemented.
You probably have seen some of these tips on YouTube by creators I admire like Ali Abdaal, Liam Porritt, Kevin Jubbal of Med School Insiders, and Thomas Frankly of College Info Geek. I viewed the same videos of how to study over and over again, and I never truly put them to the test [pun intended] until I restarted this summer semester. For some reason, I have to listen to something in 5-9 different ways at different times before it finally clicks in my brain. Consider this post as another take on the topic of “How to Study,” and I’ll do my best to apply it to PT school concepts.
I need to preface this post by saying these strategies will be most effective if they are integrated and maintained at the beginning of the semester. If you’re reading this at the end of the semester, these strategies take time and probably won’t work for you. Perhaps I can make another post about short-term study strategies. Also, just because these study strategies worked for me may not work for you. These study strategies are not only for by grad students (SPTs), but college students (Pre-PTs) too!
1. Flashcards Deluxe
Back in 2018, I downloaded the app Flashcards Deluxe on my iPad to study Pharamacology terms. However, I rarely used it. Now, I use the app in the beginning of my study sessions to get in a focus mindset. Flashcards are great for quick studies in 7-10 minute bouts.
I realized my issues with flashcards in general were my laziness to make them and study them. It seemed ridiculous to me to make a flashcard for every slide of the powerpoint. While some students actually do this, and it works for them, it does not work for me. With that being said, I only use Flashcards for certain concepts (ex. causes of pathological gait deviations by phase, the Rancho Los Amigos Levels of Consciousness, management of cognitive dysfunctions). If there’s a chart or a table, I will turn it into a Flashcards set. I overcame my laziness by telling myself, “You only have to make the flashcards once.”
Similar to the infamous Anki flashcards, Flashcards Deluxe includes the option to study in the form of spaced repetition, so you don’t have to worry about which cards you know/don’t know and remember the last time you studied them. What is Spaced Repetition?
2. Spaced Repetition
Prior to my restart, I would learn the lecture material after class and add it to my hefty outline study guide and not look at it until 3 to 4 days before the exam. This is essentially cramming, and it does not work every time.
Spaced repetition is a study technique based on the Curve of Forgetting, or Ebbinghaus’ Forgetting Curve. Essentially, the first time you learn something, you’re going to remember most of it when you review it later that same day. As time goes by, your memory slips and you don’t remember as much information compared to the day you initially learned it. To stop the downhill trend of forgetting the information, studying the same material at gradually increasing time intervals. Review the material every few days, weeks, and 1 to 2 months. With this method, you’re exposing yourself to the information more than once, and you’ll retain more information.
I use a printable by studyquill to keep track of the lectures and labs in each class. I also color code my study effort. Color coding my study efforts was an idea I learned from Liam Porritt. Green means that’s I retained 75% of the information, yellow signifies mediocre studying, and red is poor. If it’s not colored in, I didn’t study it that day. The topics that are associated with yellow or red are the ones I need to spend more time mastering. Sometimes I’m one or two days behind schedule, and I go through everything at least once 3 to 4 days before the exam, but at this point it’s mostly review. This worksheet was really helpful as it made me realize that I always have something to study.
3. Active Recall
Active recall is testing your memory. There are many ways you can regurgitate what you know and see what you don’t know.
First, use a whiteboard. Spend 15 minutes writing down everything. Then spend another 15 minutes filling in the gaps you didn’t remember. You could also apply this method when you’re flipping through flashcards with lengthy answers. This method also works with good, old fashioned paper + pen, but I don’t want to waste paper.
Second, just think about it throughout the day. Repetition and recall go hand in hand. If I think about it, I’ll say the answer to myself and verify it with my notes. This works best with little bits of info. Examples include: What are the parameters of a high quality walking session? What are the scores that indicate a fall risk for the 6 core neuro outcome measures? Usually, this quick test happens when I study and the statement I’m reading connects to another concept. For instance, I’m studying a slide that mentions ICP…QUICK! What are the signs of increased ICP?
Third, try making an outline. Within a few days of the lecture, I will type up an outline of the PowerPoint lecture on OneNote. Again, I spend 15 minutes to type all I can remember, usually it’s big picture stuff and tidbits that stood out to me. Then, I go back in fill in the details in a different color. By doing this, I can see how much I still need to learn. I use this form of active recall the most considering I make multiple outlines. Doing it on OneNote also saves paper, which is needed for the next study strategy.
4. Study Guides
I don’t run a studygram, but I do love some pretty notes! I used to do this with every lecture, but now I only do it when: a) I need to reorganize the lecture info for better understanding, and b) I can condense the 55-60 slide PowerPoint into 5-7 pages. Before making a guide, I ask myself, “Would this make a good brochure?” If the answer is yes, it’s a study guide. Do your best to write your guides in your own words. It sticks better that way and will only help you understand the info if you write it in your language. After all, you’re going to be the one that reads it. You can apply this to certain topics within the lecture. For example, I wrote out the prosthetic components, but I didn’t include info about socks and prosthetic fit. Just remember to study the other concepts not included in the study guide. Perhaps use my outline method?
That’s it! I can rave on and on about the Flashcards Deluxe app, but I’ll save that for another day. Maybe you have heard of these study strategies. Perhaps you may have tried these strategies yourself. You should know of the study concepts I mentioned are backed by scientific evidence with positive results. If my drastically improved grades and scientific research aren’t enough proof, I recommend you watch the YouTubers I mentioned in the beginning of this post. After watching these videos at the start of every semester, I finally applied them to my studies, and I haven’t looked back to my old study habits. I just wish I personally knew someone who used these techniques and told me about them.
Anyway, I hope you studied this article and remembered something you learned. I encourage you to save this post in your reading list, bookmarks, or notes, so you can quickly reference it during your studies. As always, the best way to follow me and my journey #forthedpt is on Instagram (@jordaineriquez).
Until next time,
Jordaine Enriquez, SPT and study buddy
[…] second time around because I was able to use my old study guides. I mentioned this briefly in a previous blog post, but I’m gonna say it again: Sometimes you have to hear the same thing in 9 different ways to […]