Sometimes, however, your tasks won’t line up well with the fixed block schedule used in the Pomodoro Technique or a study group doesn’t make sense for what you need to review. There are dozens of other study techniques that can be used to ensure your retention of material. Here are a few to get you started:

Active learning is something you can practice in a variety of study contexts. Instead of passively watching high-yield medical videos or multitasking and thus not taking in as much information as possible, active learning helps you give yourself direction and stay focused on the content. To practice active learning, you should do small self-check-ins before, during, and after you review. Before you start studying, establish what you’re about to learn and what you already know about the subject. While you’re reviewing the material, make sure you know how it fits into the bigger picture, that you understand what you just watched or read, and write down keywords you might want to use for future review. After you’ve completed your study session, ask yourself what you can take away from the study session and make notes of what you need to review or continue learning the next time you approach this topic. By practicing active learning, you not only give your current study session direction, but you can also reflect upon and adapt your study technique in the future.

Problem-Based Learning (also called reverse learning) is a learning technique often used in a classroom setting, in which a class meeting is focused around answering a clinical case question and learning the relevant material as you go. PBL also works as a study technique for dedicated study, for example, as you’re preparing for your licensing exams. In this context, you can use a Qbank to reverse-engineer your studies. Give this a try at home! Instead of starting by reading chapters in First Aid® or watching high-yield video lectures, start by answering clinical case questions. Read through the questions and answer them first, practice test-style. Then, use the related materials (such as text and video answer explanations, First Aid® references, etc.) to enhance your understanding of the topics, or to better understand why the correct answers are in fact correct. Are you new to patient-centered clinical vignettes? Lecturio has a free eBook that walks you through the ins and outs of reading and answering 30 different Qbank-style questions to help get you started.

Unless you have a photographic memory, you likely won’t remember everything you studied on the first try. Regularly reviewing what you’ve learned is as important as learning it right the first time. There are many retention strategies out there – some people use paper or virtual flashcards for recall, some people use songs to help jog their memories, and some use mnemonics to keep information straight. But how often should you review certain topics? Spaced Repetition is one method. The idea behind Spaced Repetition is that, instead of learning as many facts as possible within a short period of time, you should review material at increasingly spaced intervals after learning it.

Using Lecturio means that you’re already using a resource based on the science behind effective studying, including the three aforementioned study techniques. When you watch Lecturio videos, you’re always asked quiz questions to make sure you understood the content (active learning), all of which then go into an algorithm that feeds the questions back to you over time based on your confidence in your answers (Spaced Repetition). The Lecturio Qbank offers not only thousands of clinical case questions in all USMLE® subjects, but also text and video explanations, plus updated First Aid® references that will enhance your studying and prepare you for your next licensing exam (PBL/reverse studying).