Office of Academic Support & Counseling

Study Methods

Unless you have been in medical school before, expect to find that whatever study methods you applied to get into medical school are often very different from what sustains you to get through medical school. The rich course content of course material usually requires the development and evolution of different study methods than you may be use to. However, any change in your study methods is contingent upon your willingness to want to change/improve and perform better on your exam scores. If you are unwilling to approach your study habits differently, no amount of suggestions, ideas, or outlines can help much.

The practices offered here are provided to help you improve your learning and understanding, and ultimately, positively contribute to your exam performance. Culled from various proven study techniques, the information has been presented in a way to help you "practice" new strategies.  No two people study the same way, and there is little doubt that what works for one person may not work for another.  However, there are some general techniques that seem to produce good results.

Everyone is different, and for some students, studying and being motivated to learn comes naturally.  As with learning anything, learning new study methods requires that you “train" them, as a new behaviors,  through practice and reward.  When you've accomplished something new or achieved a goal, reward yourself by taking a break and doing something you enjoy.  Be prepared to have at your disposal, a concrete collection of non-study activities you like to do, have very little time to do, and make them rewards.

Remember your success at Einstein often depends on your openness to acquire new study strategies, and your willingness to practice and learn them.