HOW TO STUDY MEDICINE

Reynaldo O. Joson, M.D.

*Why learn how to study medicine effectively and efficiently?

You have to learn how to study medicine effectively and

efficiently in order to:

1. Facilitate the achievement of your goal to become a

physician.

1.1 Be able to pass certifying examinations.

1.2 Be able to master the competencies expected of a

physician.

2. Cope up with the enormous scope of the medical

profession.

2.1 Be able to develop a framework to facilitate your

learning of the vast scope of medicine during your

training proper.

2.2 Be able to use a framework to learn whatever is

necessary to practice the medical profession

effectively and efficiently throughout your life.

2.3 Be able to develop a competency of self-directed

learning considering that medicine is a life-time

of studying and learning and considering that no

teacher can teach you everything.

*What is a self-directed learner or what is self-directed

learning?

A self-directed learner is someone, who with or without the

help of others,

diagnoses his own learning needs;

sets relevant, feasible, and measurable learning objectives;

determines generally acceptable standards or criteria which

will be applied to assess whether learning has in fact

occurred as planned;

and finally, formulates a coherent learning agreement or

personal curriculum for the course.

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*What is the importance of self-directed learning?

It is impossible for the teacher to teach everything during

a formal teaching seession.

It is impossible for the student to learn everything during

a formal learning session.

There is always still a lot of things the student has to

learn after a formal course.

The only way to self-improvement, updating competencies, and

solving future problems is self-directed learning.

The student should acquire self-directed learning skills

while he is still in school.

For the teacher, the final gauge of accomplishment or end-

point of teaching is whether he has helped develop his

student's self-directed learning skills or not. If not,

his job is not yet done.

*What are the steps in accomplishing or promoting self-directed

learning?

1. Doing a situational analysis.

Facilitator helps students develop the skills and

insights they need to analyze their own situations

critically. This may be done by the student himself,

if he knows how to.

Compiling a "competency profile".

"What are the competencies expected of me when I

become a physician in the community?"

"What knowledge, attitude, and skills do I need in

order to be an effective, efficient, and humane

physician in the community?"

Defining professional competencies is essential for the

learner to make decisions about what should be learned

and for the learner to assess how effective his

learning has been.

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The facilitator helps the learners define the specific

competencies they will require to function effectively

after the course. This may be done by the student

himself if he knows how to.

After compiling a competency profile, the learner does

a self-analysis or self-assessment. Here, he

identifies his learning needs, what he doesn't know

and what he needs to learn.

2. Formulating learning objectives.

3. Drafting a learning plan.

3.1 Learning objectives

3.2 Learning strategies/activities/resources to

achieve objectives

3.3 Methods of assessment and evaluation indicators

3.4 Timetable

4. Implementing the learning plan.

5. Evaluating the outcome.

6. Improving.

*Can you see the processes of management in self-directed

learning?

Planning

Diagnosis of learning needs

Formulation of learning objectives

Formulation of learning strategies and activities

(learning program)

Formulation of methods of assessment and evaluation

indicators

Implementation

Evaluation

Improvement

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*What are effective and efficient ways of learning medicine?

I. First, you must always have a learning plan.

This learning plan can originate from you as part of

your self-directed learning activity. Or, it may be

influenced or partly dictated by your faculty

facilitator.

The learning plan must contain the following elements:

- Specific learning objectives

- Learning strategies, activities, resources

- Timetable

- Methods of assessment

- Evaluation indicators

1. The learning objectives must be specific,

measurable, attainable, realistic (relevant), and

time-bound (SMART). These objectives serve as the

basis for the learning activities and evaluation

procedures. They also imply prioritization in

consideration of importance, relevance, and time

constraint.

2. The learning strategies, activities, and resources

must be such that they facilitate attainment of

your learning objectives in the most effective and

efficient way possible.

2.1 Efficiency means attainment of your learning

objectives with the least amount of resources

or at the least expenditure of time and cost.

This implies the use of skills in

prioritization and resource (especially, time)

management.

2.2 Effectiveness means attainment of your

learning objectives.

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2.2.1 Learning, which is your generic goal,

is defined as a change in behavior,

disposition, performance, or capability

which persists over a period of time.

It can also be defined as

accomplishment of all the specified

learning objectives. In practice,

however, this latter definition has the

shortcoming of lack of assurance of

sustainability of change.

2.2.2 The most effective way of learning is

when the students are actively involved

in the learning process.

2.2.2.1 Take a look at the diagram below:

Learning

Read/reflect +

Hear/reflect +

See/reflect +

Do/feel/reflect +++ - ++++

2.2.2.2 Examples of active learning

activities are:

- Writing

- Drawing

- Performing

- Role playing

- Discussing

- Debating

- Accomplishing projects

2.2.3 Other ways of effective learning are:

- Learning in the functional context

such as:

Problem-based learning

Community-based learning

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- Using a framework:

Overview

|

Foundation

|

Development

|

Mastery

3. The timetable should be given emphasis not only to

set the time that learning should be completed but

also as a training in time management.

4. The methods of assessment should be such that

they are valid, reliable, and practical.

4.1 Validity means the methods of assessment are

able to measure accurately what they are

are supposed to measure. In practice, the

things to measure are the learning

objectives, whether they are attained or not.

4.2 Reliability means the consistency with which

a method of assessment measures what it is

supposed to measure.

4.3 Practicality means the most effective and

the most feasible method of assessment in the

presence of constraints such as manpower, time,

and cost.

4.4 The general methods of assessment are the

written, oral, and practical examinations.

5. Evaluation indicators must be specific, the

presence of which will clearly indicate that

you have learned or you have achieved your

learning objectives or vice versa.

5.1 Evaluation indicators usually come in the

form of passing a test either administered

by yourself or by other people.

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II. After drafting your learning plan, the next thing you

must do is to implement it.

1. In implementing, you must as much as possible stick

to the plan. You can only do some changes if you

think they will be of benefit to your learning goal.

2. In implementing, time management should be

emphasized.

3. Hardwork, discipline, and sacrifices are some traits

that will contribute to successful attainment of the

learning goal.

III. After the implementation of the learning plan, the next

step is evaluation, to determine whether you have learned

or not, whether you have achieved your goals or

objectives or not.

IV. After the evaluation, you determine what improvements you

need to do. These improvements will serve as your new

learning needs. With these learning needs, you formulate

another learning plan.

*There is really no end to learning as long as you are still

alive and willing to learn.

*How do you prepare for an examination?

There are four general and basic ways of preparing for an

examination. These are, namely:

1. Know the objective of the examination.

Is it for diagnosis?

Is it for certification?

2. Know the scope of the examination. If this is not

possible, know at least the topics or subjects to be

covered in the examination. Prepare for it by

mastering the content based on the scope, topics,

and subjects.

3. Know the type of examination to be given and prepare

for it (testwiseness).

4. Have drills and exercises before the actual

examination.

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*How to pass certifying written examinations like the Philippine

Board of Medicine examinations?

Situational Analysis

1st problem - Anything goes!

Nobody knows what will be given in the exams.

Everything depends on the examination

committee and its members.

The examiners are "variable" in knowledge,

attitude, and skills in test construction and

in assessment.

If only you know what questions will be given,

preparation for the exam will be easier.

Do not bank on a leak. It may not occur at all or

if it does, it may not reach you.

Go for a legal way of preparation!

2nd problem - No standard learning or review materials!

Objective

Despite the problems you have on hand,

you must by all means pass the exam.

Only you can take and pass the exam.

Your teacher can only coach you on how to prepare and how to

pass the exam.

Your teacher can

advise you

on how to prepare for the exam (books to read, time

management, etc.)

on areas to put emphasis on in your review

based on his experience with the

past exams

examiners

current trends in medicine

teach you on

testwiseness

how to answer test questions

fill in your knowledge gaps.

You as the examinee must do all of the struggling and hard

work, if you really want to pass the exam.

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General strategies in preparing

1. Be overprepared than underprepared.

2. Map out your plans and strategies.

2.1 Try to know the examination as well as the

examiners if you can

2.1.1 Get hold of old examinations.

2.1.2 Ask around (past examinees and examiners).

2.2 Read, analyze, comprehend, and memorize.

2.2.1 Textbooks

2.2.2 Reviewers

2.3 Prepare for the examinations.

2.3.1 Have drills and exercises.

How to take the written examinations

1. Make sure you understand the question (stem) before you

proceed to the responses or options.

If the stem is not easy to understand, go over the

options rapidly to get clues on what the question

wants. Then, go back to the stem and then, back to

the options.

2. Consider each option in terms of

T (true) or F (false)

x (least likely), / (possible), // (most likely)

or ? (don't know)

whichever is applicable.

Note: If allowed, use pencil in your analysis and

then erase the marks you made when you

don't need them anymore.

3. Weigh the probability of each option to be the correct

answer. Look for clue in the question (see testwiseness).

4. Choose the answer which will most likely be the correct

answer. Don't waste your time trying to be absolutely

certain with your answer. If you do so, you may not

finish your exam. You may panic later on when the

proctor will announce "last ten minutes" and you stil

have 50 questions or so to answer.

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5. Don't spend too long a time on an option or a question.

Decide or guess for an answer for difficult questions.

Don't leave any question unanswered once you pass through

it. You can place a (?) mark on questions you want to go

back to after you finish with the last item in the test.

6. Testwiseness tips:

If you are not sure of the answer,

consider an option most likely to be true or correct,

- if you find the words "sometimes, maybe, probably".

- if the option is long.

consider an option most likely to be incorrect,

- if you find the word "never".

if the stem because of its grammar calls for one

answer in multiple correct response question, choose

no. 4 option or a "D" answer.

if the options contain (a) and (b) or (a),(b), and (c)

as possible answers, in a choose the best answer

question, concentrate on these options rather than on

the single option answers. The same thing holds true

for questions with "all of the above" option.

if the options contain a "none of the above", chances

are this is not the right answer, unless you are

definite that the other options are not the correct

responses or answers. So, concentrate on the

specific responses and choose one.

NOTE: THE WRITTEN EXAM IS ESSENTIALLY A GUESSING GAME.

ANALYZE EACH OPTION AND COME OUT WITH AN ANSWER WHICH

YOU THINK WILL MOST LIKELY BE CORRECT.

YOU CAN NEVER BE ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN WITH AN ANSWER.

SO DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME TRYING TO BE ABSOLUTELY

CERTAIN WITH ANY OF YOUR ANSWER.

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How to take an oral examination

Tips:

1. Be at ease.

2. Understand the question.

3. Answer the question direct to the point.

4. Be clear in your answer.

5. Be logical in your answer.

6. Be systematic in your answer.

7. Be brief and concise in your answer.

8. Be courteous. Show respect to the examiner.

9. If you don't know, say you don't know.

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FRAMEWORK/FOUNDATION OF HOW TO STUDY

Reynaldo O. Joson, M.D.

Learner

| Goal

|

V

How to Study ----------------------------------------- > Learning

Planning

Diagnosis of needs

Specific learning objectives

Strategies

Effective and efficient strategies

Methods of evaluation

Evaluation indicators

Implementing

Using the strategies formulated in the plan

Evaluating

General parameter:

Achievement of learning objectives in the most

effective and efficient way possible

Improving and further learning

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