Category: Study Schedule & Tips

Medicine can be rigorous. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel, try utilizing tips and tricks that have worked for others. Here are some posts on various study tips, example schedules, and study tricks. I hope you find it helpful!

Study Schedule & Tips/

5 Reasons You Are Dreading to Study

Struggling to Hit the Books? You are not alone in dreading to study! Uncover the 5 Hidden Reasons You’re Avoiding Study Time 📚😫 – Find out what’s really holding you back from academic success!

Feeling a sense of dread or resistance when it comes to studying is a shared experience, and it’s essential to understand the underlying reasons. Here are five possible reasons why you might be dreading to study:

1. Lack of Interest:
Lack of interest in a subject or topic can indeed be a significant factor behind the dread of studying. When you’re not engaged or enthusiastic about what you’re learning, it’s natural for studying to feel like a tedious chore. To overcome this challenge, consider finding ways to make the material more relatable and relevant to your life. Try connecting the subject matter to your personal interests or future goals. Break down your study sessions into manageable chunks and reward yourself after completing them. Seek out additional resources such as documentaries, podcasts, or real-world applications that can make the subject more engaging. Moreover, setting clear goals and reminding yourself of the bigger picture, like how this knowledge can contribute to your overall growth, can help reignite your motivation and make studying a more enjoyable experience. Remember, your mindset plays a crucial role in your study journey, and finding ways to cultivate genuine interest can go a long way in making the process less daunting.

Check out my YouTube video on How To Study Efficiently 

2. Overwhelm:
Feeling overwhelmed while studying can undoubtedly lead to a sense of dread. When you’re confronted with an avalanche of information, it’s easy to become disheartened. To combat this, start by breaking down your study tasks into smaller, more manageable portions. Create a schedule that allocates specific time slots for each topic or chapter, and don’t forget to include short breaks to recharge your focus. Prioritize what’s most important and tackle one thing at a time. Additionally, consider seeking support from peers or instructors when you encounter challenging concepts. Sometimes, discussing your difficulties with others can provide valuable insights and reduce the feeling of isolation. Lastly, practicing relaxation techniques such as deep breathing or mindfulness can help alleviate the stress associated with being overwhelmed, making studying a less daunting endeavor. Remember, taking things step by step and maintaining a sense of balance in your study routine can go a long way in combating the dread caused by being overwhelmed.

 

Check out my blog post on how to prepare for Step 3 CCS

3. Fear of Failure:
The fear of failure can be a powerful force that deters many from even starting their study sessions. It’s essential to recognize that failure is a natural part of the learning process, and it’s through setbacks that we often learn the most. To overcome this fear, try shifting your perspective. Instead of seeing failure as a dead-end, view it as a stepping stone towards improvement. Set realistic goals and celebrate small victories along the way. Break your studies into manageable chunks, and if you’re struggling with a particular topic, seek help from teachers, peers, or tutors. Remember, everyone makes mistakes, and it’s these mistakes that pave the way for growth and success. Embrace the idea that every moment spent studying is a step towards personal development and knowledge, regardless of the immediate outcome. By doing so, you can gradually reduce the fear of failure and approach your studies with greater confidence and determination.

Check out my YouTube video where I share how I overcame this. 

4. Distractions and Procrastination:
Distractions and procrastination can be the two-headed dragon that keeps us from successful studying. The constant allure of social media, entertainment, and other diversions can easily pull us away from our books. To combat this, start by creating a dedicated study space free from distractions. Put away your phone or use apps that block access to time-wasting websites during study sessions. Break your study time into shorter, focused intervals, and reward yourself with a brief break when you complete them. Additionally, set clear goals for what you want to achieve during each study session, and visualize the satisfaction of completing your tasks. This can serve as a powerful motivator to beat procrastination. Remember, staying organized and disciplined is key to conquering distractions and procrastination, allowing you to make the most of your study time.

Click to read about my ADHD story

5. Negative Past Experiences:
Negative past experiences, whether academic or personal, can cast a shadow on your motivation to study. It’s crucial to recognize that these experiences don’t define your future potential. To conquer the weight of the past, start by reframing those experiences as valuable lessons rather than failures. Understand that setbacks are a part of everyone’s journey. Set realistic expectations for yourself and break your study tasks into smaller, achievable goals. Seek support from mentors, friends, or counselors if needed, as discussing your feelings can help alleviate their hold on you. Ultimately, remember that your past does not dictate your future. You have the power to reshape your academic path and create a brighter, more fulfilling learning experience. Embrace the wisdom gained from your past and use it as fuel to drive your future success.

In conclusion, studying can be a challenging endeavor, especially when faced with obstacles like lack of interest, overwhelm, fear of failure, distractions, and negative past experiences. However, with the right mindset and strategies, you can overcome these hurdles. By finding ways to connect with your subject matter, breaking down your study sessions, seeking support when needed, and reframing setbacks as stepping stones, you can transform your study habits and regain control over your learning journey. Remember, your potential is not defined by your past or your fears; it’s shaped by your determination to persevere and grow. So, tackle those study sessions with confidence, knowing that you have the tools to succeed and the resilience to overcome any challenges that come your way. Your academic journey is yours to shape, and the possibilities for growth and achievement are boundless.

Medical School/

Initial HPI New Born Presentation Example

Click here to go to my google drive where you can access the PDF

If you are like me, you may have a hard time with presentations. Here is my contribution to teaching what I wish I was better taught and practiced more of! There is more to come! Let me know if this is helpful and if there are any recommendations that you may have! I will be making videos eventually going through these presentations to provide better details, etc. For now, I just did not want to delay it being posted any further.

Don’t forget to subscribe to my YOUTUBE channel and follow me on my INSTAGRAM!

Medicine Life/

Step 3 CCS Strategy

Studying for Step 3 CCS and you have no idea how to begin?

First you need a source. I personally use UWorld Step 3 CCS interactive cases to practice. You can purchase it on their website. To use it you must log in on your laptop/desk top and cannot not access it on your iPhone. Once you purchase and log in through their website, launch Step 3 CCS and then click on the “Interactive Cases” tab. This will present you with 51 cases. Launch the first one, and now you BEGIN!!

I created a schedule based around these cases. In 21 days you can get all of the 51 cases DONE (and over 900 UWorld questions)! Check out my YouTube video on Step 3 Study Schedule to get you set up and running. Or you can read about it here on my blog by clicking here.

Now, let’s begin on how to tackle Step 3 CCS cases.
You can also listen to me explain all of this in a YouTube video. Click here to watch my youtube video on Step 3 CCS Strategy!

The Strategy

1. Basic information
You are presented first with basic information on your patient. This includes age, gender, medical history, social history, etc. After reading the vitals and the thorough history of present illness you will already have a good idea what the potential diagnosis will be

2. Emergent or non-emergent?
After reading through the HPI, you must decide which one it is. If emergent, you need to do emergency orders before doing the physical exam. You give vital signs, and this will give you information on their hemodynamic stability.

Emergent (Life-threatening situation)
Pulse ox
Oxygen
IV access +/- NSS
+/- Cardiac monitoring
+/- BP monitoring
+/- EKG (12 -lead)

Non-emergent (not life-threatening): Directly go to physical exam

3. Physical exam
Complete physical exam:
— If stable and pt has a broad generalized signs and symptoms, do a complete physical exam.

Focused physical exam:
— If unstable, ALMOST ALWAYS FOCUSED. You do not want to waste your time doing unnecessary physical exam. You will get points taken off if you do complete when it is unnecessary and you cannot waste time.

— If stable and complaint is pretty focused to an organ system, then you do more focused exam. For example, pt comes in with what seems to be a UTI, then you are not going to need a breast exam, neuro exam completed.

4. Orders: Labs/Studies
Geared towards diagnosing and excluding differential diagnosis. You will either order them Stat or Routine. Depending on the emergency, you can decide which is necessary. Usually if in the ER, its Stat. At the office, it is usually Routine.

Images (US, XR, CT, MRI, Echo)
Blood work (CBC, BMP, Blood culture, TSH levels)
Urine (UA, Ketone, Urine toxicology)
Pregnancy (serum/urine b-HCG – qualitative vs quantitative)
Others (Cardiac enzymes, EKG, biopsies)

5. Locations
Depending on the situation, if they are coming to your office, you can send them home while their test results come in. Make a follow-up appointment in 1-2 weeks and then move to next orders depending on your test results.

Home
Office
ER
Wards
ICU

6. Are you admitting them to the ICU or the Ward?
If you are admitting them, then you must think of the following orders to always put in. Watch my YouTube Video on Step 3 CCS strategy where I talk about all of this.

IV access (most likely already have this ordered)
Fluids
Diet (NPO, cardiac diet, regular diet)
Activity (bed rest, head of bed elevated, )
Symptom management
— Morphine, NSAIDs, or acetaminophen
— Nausea – Zofran, Phenergan
— Antidiarrheal – loperamide
Vitals (Q1, Q4, Q8)
Tubes (NG, Foley catheter)
Urine output
LMWH or pneumatic compression

7. Treatment
This will depend on what is needed for that particular case. However, when you need to do surgery, you have to order specific orders prior to the surgery every time. And remember to consult the specific specialty before treatment is made, unless an empiric abx is required.

Surgery pre-op orders
PTT/PT/INR
Blood type and cross
If female and pregnant, Rh type should be done as well.
Abx (cefazolin)

8. Reassess – Check in with the patient
You will do an interval follow-up and a focused physcial exam to check in on the patient when they are admitted or when they return for a follow-up exam at your office. This will let you know if they are getting better or they are getting worse.

9. Screening and Counseling
Always look to see if you need to order any screening tests depending on the age and lifestyle. And in just about every single case you will counsel.

Screening examples: pap smear, colonoscopy, mammogram (etc)

Counseling examples: smoking, exercise, medication compliance, alcohol limitation, seat belt, etc.

And that is it you guys! This is a great check list to go through as you are doing the cases! It helps to get through the cases smoothly and making sure not to forget anything. You do not necessarily do all of this in this order. You might need to transfer them to the ER after they came in to the office before doing any orders, etc.

I am providing an image or pdf here for you guys in this post to save. You can use it to look at as you go through the cases and over time you should get the hang of it and do it without needing to look at it! A quick cheat sheet.

Best of luck!!!
Mursi

Medical School/

OnlineMedEd Case X Review

If you are a fourth-year medical student you are very much thinking this: “Omgosh, I am forgetting all that I have studied for the USMLE exams!!”

Dude, I get you. I am struggling to get the motivation to get back to studying mode (USMLE Step 3).

I don’t want to lose all that I have learned! One of my biggest pet-peeve as a 3rd year was hearing 4th-year med students excusing themselves from not remembering concepts because they are done with taking USMLE exams. True that while one is studying it is fresh on your mind, but just because exams are over, it shouldn’t mean you can become stupid — (harsh words, Mursi). It just bothered me so much because we need to know medicine for a living… With that said . . . here I am after just finishing my fourth-year, I am becoming stupid. LOL. Well, at least it feels like I am slowly getting my knowledge drained out of my brain cells.

THIS NEEDS TO STOP. NOW.

My plan to get my shit back together and not be a hypocrite: I have started doing Case X, a newly added study material from OnlineMetEd. Case X is good for 4th years, new residents, older residents, even attendings (why not?). As I am studying for Step 3, I will be adding Case X by doing 1-2 cases a day on weekdays. I want to go thoroughly through each case — this is the plan, for now.

I have done several and here are my thoughts so far on Case X by OnlineMedEd:

Honestly: this is absolutely great so far. This is the real deal. This is the real world studying, no more multiple choices. This is you getting your brain cells working and coming up with reasonings based on your knowledge and problem solving. This is your favorite resident/attending during clinical years making you think by asking you all the right questions. This is you being challenged and then learning from your mistakes. This is you reading well-explained reasoning behind the thought process. It is easy to follow and does not feel overwhelming.

Not all of us can open a textbook and read page to page and feel accomplished. Most of us, I included, can’t even get a textbook opened, let alone go through so much material. Case X allows you to take a case at a time. No overload. Just a section at a time with questions to go with each case.

Let me show you a case here, plus a cool perk.

OME provide videos with each case. This is a great tactic because this gives you that visual to trigger your recall when you get a similar real case in real life. You will remember the steps to make the right diagnosis, go through the right management steps, etc.

This is a Case under Cardiology section of Internal Medicine (PS. you will see the diagnosis).
A history of present illness provided after you have watched the video.
You get the full history to go through, including physical exam.
You get questions, but you can only see a question at a time. Once you have thought about the question and answer it to yourself you can click on it to see the answer. This will then unlock the next question.
These are all the locked questions that will only unlock once you have answered the previous questions.
You can click on the icon in the right lower corner to open up a note section to take notes to look back on later. You can exit out and it will save it for you there.
I exited out… look at next screenshot.
Clicked on the notes again.
Woot, woot! I like this.
Then it ends off with key points at the end. And you can give a feedback as well.

OME is doing it again, bring great content!

You can check out their website www.onlinemeded.com. Let me know your thoughts and how you are going to schedule this in.

Much love,
Mursi

Medical School/

Step 2CK Study Schedule | 1 Month

Hi, you guys!

I apologize for the delay in this topic. I will have a youtube video and IG post on this topic this month (February 2019). You can catch any one of them to learn how to schedule your study time for Step 2CK. The links provided below. Let’s get started!

First of all, YOU NEED TO PICK THREE MAIN SOURCES:
1. A review book (ONLY ONE)
2. UWorld qbank
3. A video source (OnlineMedED, Osmosis)

One of the worst things you can do is have too many resources. This will not be beneficial. After completing each rotation and studying for each rotation with your chosen textbook for that particular rotation, you should have the details under your belt by now. You now need to solidify the information you have in this dedicated 1-month study time. So, please do yourself a favor and pick just one review book –trust me. Honestly, it does NOT matter what anyone has said in regards to which they think is better. Everyone has their own preference. I have heard just about all of the options attested for. See if classmates above you or a library carries them, and look at a few pages in each and see what you like in terms of your own preference.

Once you decide on one, stick to it and STOP BOUNCING AROUND. Read it thoroughly and front to back. Divide the pages up for the number of days you have. Do questions EVERYDAY!! And review each day any of the notes you made for the day and in addition to the past days. It builds up and fast so stick to it. As you go each day, stop reviewing anything that you have understood well– what we could do is feel better about ourselves by studying what we are good at and avoiding the ones we are not good at (NO BUENO). At this point, you would be wasting time. Learn and keep reviewing things you are not good at.

So, here I have built a layout schedule above where you can insert the topics and build it very specific to you. You can look at this layout as you build your schedule in this empty one below.

I am also providing a sample one that is how I basically scheduled my own here below to get an idea. I also have the 7 most important topics which are the bulk of Step 2CK exam. It is important to have these under your belt because a lot of the questions will come from these topics.

Remember, ultimately, it isn’t about the time you spent, it is the amount of efficient time you spent. Don’t sit in front of your desk and assume you are doing the work when really you are not focused. Put a timer on and study in intervals and give your brain some break as well (more on this topic in a future post)! Come back again for more posts on helpful tips on how to study/how to manage your time/etc.

I hope in writing I didn’t come off mean. You got this!! Focus and soon enough it will be over and you can chill for a bit!!! <3

Check my other social media for more:

Instagram
Youtube Channel


Much love,
Mursi

Medical School/

How To Take UWorld Notes

When studying for USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK, UWorld is the ultimate QBank that is used by medical students worldwide. Why UWorld? Simply because it has all the high yield topics and amazing explanations! With that said, let me tell you how I took my UWorld Notes.

YouTube Video coming soon.

I had not taken extensive notes during Step 1 preparation using UWorld. The notes shown above were for Step 2CK. However, you can use the same idea for Step 1.

What you need:

  1. UWorld QBank
  2. Microsoft Word Document
  3. Patience

There is a trick that I will show you which will allow you to capture the diagrams, pictures & charts and place them in your notes, keep reading…

As I went through my clinical rotations, I did UWorld questions for that core subject. For example, pediatrics – after watching Online MedEd and doing the basic learning, I started doing questions during the second week. And as I did questions, I would take notes on the following questions:

  • questions I got wrong
  • questions I got right but took too long to answer
  • questions I guessed right
  • questions I got right but still needed better understanding of the topic.

Organization is important.
Depending on the core subject, if there were subtopics, such as Peds Pulmonary, Peds Renal, I would categorize them alphabetically and then as I did questions, I would “Control F” and search the subtopic to get me to that particular page and then continue the notes. This keeps it organized and helped when I went back to review particular topics. I made one Microsoft Word document per core subject, and within each document, it was divided per subtopics. EXCEPT, for internal medicine, I made individual sections (one Word Document per system — Endocrinology, Cardiology, etc. This allowed for easier printing).

Let’s say I got a question flat out wrong. I would read the explanation portion that was short and to the point and learn the reason for the right answer. Then I would go straight to the answer choice I selected to read why that was the wrong answer. This allowed me to quickly review before beginning my notes. Then I would read further and start typing a quick synapse of the question at hand and then try my best to explain it in my own words without rewriting the explanation. I used indentations as seen in the photo above. The best and most effective part was taking notes on why the other choices were incorrect. I wrote this out under “differential diagnosis ...”

“Differential diagnosis for a rash that started out on the patient’s face and traveled to the rest of the body”:


This allowed me to associated certain findings with the right diseases or flat out say “this symptom is NOT seen in a patient with ____ because …” Do you see what I am getting at?

Here is the TRICK to putting those charts and diagrams from UWorld Qbank in your Microsoft word document: (Follow the sample screenshots I took below to help you).

  1. Click on “Insert” tab
  2. Look for the camera drop down
  3. Select the one that has the picture you want.
  4. Then crop the picture so that you only include the diagram itself and nothing extra

As you continue to make notes, you will figure out your own preferences. This requires patience and the most benefit comes from typing out the explanations in your own words. Don’t worry about repeatedly explaining the concepts, because it will help you learn the topic more and more. You will find that you will type less on those topics as you go on because you have come to learn it really well as you see more questions on it. Only now, you need to learn the details that you still seem to be getting wrong. Know what I mean?

As you go through your core rotations, you will accumulate a giant binder!! Then once you are prepping for Step 2CK, you will already have your notes ready and you will do the qbank for a second time and review your notes you already took. I turned the Word Documents into PDF and printed them out after finishing each system.Review, review, review. You did not make all those notes to have them sitting there!!!


I hope that was helpful!! See you in the next post!!


Much love,
– Mursi