Premed.blog by MedAngle Premed
Active Learning: Secret to Acing the MDCAT
Everyone has a different way of studying, and there is no wrong way to learn, but there are less effective and more effective methods of acquiring information. With the MDCAT right around the corner, now is the time to focus on the more effective strategies.
Typically, most people study passively by reading textbooks, watching educational videos, and making/revising notes. However, using these methods to memorize large volumes of information has proven to be ineffective. If you have been wondering why you are struggling at retaining facts and are unable to solve MCQs, maybe this is the reason.
Active learning means any method of learning that engages you mentally, forces you to recollect various facts and figures, causes you to connect different concepts and allows you to better retain information by testing it from different angles. A study published by the University of Washington showed that amongst a population of students studying the sciences, average examination scores improved by about 6% in active learning sections. Similarly, science students in classes with traditional lectures were 55% or 1.5 times more likely to fail than students in classes with active learning¹.
Active learning can be accomplished by a few methods, but my personal favorite and the most effective would, without a doubt, be active recall. Active recall, otherwise known as practice testing, challenges the traditional methods of learning by forcing you to retrieve information from your memory, rather than simply stuffing facts into your brains as one traditionally does. This serves as an incredibly effective practice for the real deal and helps draw your focus on seemingly minor details that you may not have paid much attention to when first viewing it in a book or a video.
Now you must be wondering, while all of this does sound nice, how do I, an MDCAT aspirant, incorporate active recall into my study routine? The answer is pretty simple: by practicing MCQs! While solving questions, you will not only be solidifying concepts you have built up so far - by revising weak topics and refreshing your knowledge - but you will also be able to identify the most tested topics and essential facts! This would enable you to redirect your energy to the areas you are currently lacking in, allowing you to use your time more efficiently.
With the MDCAT right upon us, you will want to make the most of your time with these newfound tricks. Something that I found incredibly useful for my NMDCAT was Premedical.pk by MedAngle, a platform by medical students who had high scores in their board and entrance exams and are currently studying in my dream universities. The platform consists of top-quality MCQs for each subject and topic that are astonishingly similar to the questions on the actual exam. Premedical.pk’s premium subscription helped me utilize active learning with MCQs, the real-time explanations allowed me to revise topics with ease, and the Timed Test Mode and Mocks simulated real exam conditions, helping me get a hold of my nerves and getting used to the exam setup.
You are currently at a huge turning point in your life, the point where you get to choose what career to invest your time and energy in. My advice at this crucial stage is to start studying smart. You will most definitely see the difference almost instantaneously.
¹https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.1319030111
Author:
Iman Bajwa
