How to Study in Medical School

 

India, February 25, 2025: Gaining acceptance to an MD program is a huge accomplishment. While it’s certainly a celebration-worthy event, medical school students need to quickly transition to prepare for the rigors of medical school. That not only means hitting the books in the classroom, but also preparing yourself for clinical rotations, licensing exams, and matching for residency.

 

Here’s the top 10 tips from some practicing physicians had to say about how to study in medical school. Although these are not the only ways, the list below provides some of the most efficient ways to study in medical school that helps you best retain material.

 

1. Review material regularly

The need to study regularly is one piece of advice just about every doctor recommends. Dr. Inna Husain, laryngologist and assistant residency program director for simulation education at Rush University Medical Center. She recommends developing diligent study habits and a daily study practice as soon as possible.

 

2. Write it down

While reading all of your assigned text is essential, you probably shouldn’t expect to remember all of it. For Dr. Malini Reddy, an internist at Reddy Medical Group, writing things down was a must and helped with retention.

 

3. Test yourself

Regularly testing yourself is essential to preparing for licensing exams like United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE), sometimes referred to as “the boards.” You can quiz yourself from your own notes or as part of a group, but you should also contemplate question banks. Consider that there are multiple ways to test yourself with the same list of questions.

 

4. Create an effective learning environment

Identifying a good learning environment is a key component of figuring out how to study in medical school—perhaps just as important as the study methods themselves.

 

Dr. Reddy did a mix of reviewing material at home and in the library. While both worked, she liked how efficiently she could study in the latter location.

 

5. Improve memorization with mnemonics

Elementary students rely on the acronym mnemonic “Roy G. Biv” to remember the order of colors in a rainbow, and that same strategy can work just as well in medical school. In fact, some medical residency programs use a mnemonic approach to help trainees retain critical knowledge.

 

6. Use visuals

If you’re a visual learner, take advantage of opportunities to use imagery by creating sketches that make it easier to digest complex medical material. It also helps reinforce what you see and read during your courses.

 

7. Incorporate auditory methods

Some individuals find they’re able to recall information better if they hear it. For example, Goljan Audio is a popular lecture series Dr. Reddy and many others recommend. It contains more than thirty lectures.

 

8. Consider forming a study group

While reviewing material with others doesn’t work for everyone, study groups are a great option for those who do learn well when collaborating with fellow students. Dr. Husain says study groups can be particularly helpful for reviewing clinical scenarios and answering practice quiz questions.

 

She has several recommendations for forming a group of your own:

 

Keep study groups to a maximum of four students

 

Find students who have similar goals

 

Share the work equally

 

Avoid studying with your regular social group to minimize distractions

 

You may even be able to use your school to form a group. Some institutions, like St. George’s University (SGU), build collaborative review sessions right into the program along with other support services.

 

9. Ask for help

Because there’s so much material to get through in medical school, it’s essential to be proactive about seeking help when you need it.

 

10. Take care of yourself

While good study habits are important, make sure to incorporate regularly timed breaks to allow yourself some time to recharge.

 

Now that you have a better idea of how to study in medical school, you can feel confident about gearing up for the medical licensing exam series later on in your education