5 Ways Top Students Study That You (probably) Don't

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Here’s how I believe we’re able to study so much in medical school:
0:00 Intro
1:14 Flood and Retreat Titration
3:35 Feynmann’s Clinical Test
5:43 Malignant Active Recall
8:27 Emotional Damage
10:22 Learning By Osmosis
WHO AM I: I'm Elizabeth, a medical student, painter, KZbinr and Podcaster in London. I love to think and talk about life, art, medicine, books and meaning. And also how to find the time to do those things. If you'd like to watch me paint and talk about life, I do that on my podcast ( / @feelosophywithelizabe... ) and if you'd like to read my thoughts and book notes, I have a newsletter you can join (go.elizabethfilips.com/newsle....
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The 5 Best Study Techniques No One Ever Taught You

[@calamari9943]

1. Flood and retreat titration Take an hour/a day/a week to flood your brain with everything you need to know about a chapter. Retreat: learn things step by step to let it sit better in memory 2. Explain things like you would to a child 3. Malignant Active Recall Interrupts forgetting curves. Things taken out of original context and we become better at remembering them. KZbin, Wikipedia, Textbook, real life examples. 4. Emotional damage. Case where mistake happened that led to tragedy 5. Learn by osmosis Long exposure= source of valuable information. Being in environment helps you grasp things subconsciously. Passively absorb

[@qzwxecrvtbynumi256]

In Floor and Retreat titration, the "retreat" stage also includes application of the information you learn in "flood" stage

[@guadapalesa3836]

osmosis you mean the serie? lol

[@calamari9943]

thank you for correcting! unfortunately my YT doesn’t let me edit the comment… 🤔

[@aiswaryadevu434]

Thanks 😊

[@sweetyyyy68]

Thank you so much for this!!!

[@pendafen7405]

Not to get heavy, generalise, or castigate med students, here (most are great people), just a PSA: if you're a non-med student or person who is close friends with someone starting a medical degree or course, be emotionally prepared to lose that friend inside of a few years, particularly if they're studying at a higher institution with a class-based reputation. These types take on a volume and intensity of work/study expectations that precludes a lot of friendships, plus their insular social bubble tends to shut out anyone not in the 'inner circle'. I lost a few good longtime school & Uni friends that way, realising eventually that their career track in medicine (and in white-collar) was everything to them, and my friendship was one of the sacrifices they deemed necessary to follow it. Am not making a moral judgement, either, just sharing my story and making sure others know that it is a very common one and likely to occur.

[@TACOCOWUWU]

That’s literally life, happens during, moving, high school, uni, any change that are major because people change when environments change it’s not really about education level and which is more major or if they are a med student or not as life goes on you will lose friends

[@pendafen7405]

@@TACOCOWUWU right, that's true, I'm not disagreeing. However, my point still stands that the particular intensity and class focus unique to medical degrees makes the loss of friendship a more likely occurrence. My comment was really a heads-up and a "hey, I see you" to anyone not on the track who went through a loss of a relationship due to medicine, rather than intending to criticise med students. Ngl but your first response comes across a little defensive and backhanded, or like a veiled accusation of 'snowflake' behaviour, which as I've just explained is a misreading of what I initially replied. Have a nice day

[@isidoooora]

@@pendafen7405 yes as a med student myself whose highschool friends also went to healthcare i definitely agree that it is so so hard to keep in touch with anyone. don't think of it as a "sacrifice" tho, it really is just how it goes. our life starts to be 100% medicine and the shifts and study load just don't allow us to have time to grab a coffee with a long-time friend, something that my HS friends that went into engineering do have. i also agree the first response came off as defensive: obviously there are other factors to loosing touch with friends, but you just can't pretend that doctors dont have way more work load than most other jobs

[@mariamariafujoshiinurarea2524]

I lost almost all my friends after I started dental school because I couldn't hangout with them anymore, of course I had to sacrifice my time with them in a lot of occasions as I literally have an exam or 2 every week , but what hurts the most is them not trying to understand the pressure I was going through , even going to the point of calling me a lier . I never had that so called inner circle in dental school , I always did my best to meet them outside my intense exam periods, but It was not enough I guess . The grass is not greener on the other side 🤷‍♀️

[@ginussy5510]

While preparing for meds I did lose alot of my highschool friends and I fcking miss them, yes they just thought that I wasn't interested in being friends with them but really my studies required that much of work. Life went ahead though and I'm okay with how things are now

[@howtoally]

I grew up in an environment that there was a strict schedule I needed to adhere to regardless of my mental state to be even considered 'genius'. And as I grew up, I realized that there were people smarter than me that didn't need to follow the same drill I did and they are better in terms of output. I was in a dark place after that because my parents and peers compared me to them while saying I was lazy even if I did all what they said. Its a lot better now though, I realized that studying techniques can change since our mind does to, and it's totally okay to change your strategy and doing a lot of work without enjoyment is just painful versus and searching an alternative that can make you happy and allow you to retain more is not 'lazy'.

[@ProMinecraftSprite]

yea and they are saying that you do bad meanwhile you have less resources than others

[@howtoally]

@@ProMinecraftSprite OMG yes, don't get me started on the 'resources' debate!

[@mutelarsorhougbe4606]

Love this ‘our minds change so our study techniques can too.’🙌🏽

[@3iknet327]

I also think explaining things is the technique that helped me learn the most. Every time I stumble upon a new complicated topic I immediately explain it to people around me even though I might only understand 20% or less. Often their questions are similar to the ones I have, but through the dialogue answers just pop up and connections form in my head that I wouldn't have grasped by looking at the same text for hours.

[@bill_jennings]

I'm a life-long learner, so I appreciate all of the techniques that I can incorporate in my studies.

[@xmoreno3366]

Same

[@katherineliriano6164]

I love describing myself as a life-long learner as well. Being a Doctor as well, there’s not a day I’m not learning something new or relearning stuff I learned during my 7 years of medschool. It is stressing and hard and I feel like an idiot 97% of the time but it is satisfying as well.

[@doubleinchbarbie]

​@Yalla Beena no

[@justasplanned8023]

@@yarazy355 No. I’ve met many people who seem to view learning as a threat to their ego. Because it means admitting that you don’t already know everything

[@mutelarsorhougbe4606]

1- flood and retreat (learn it in that first instance, with all the complexity but not *expecting* yourself to remember or know everything. It is to get FAMILIAR with the extent of the topic- you will then begin to KNOW it LATER: ie when you choose to study or when you see it again practically etc.) 2- Feyman’s technique (How would I explain this to a patient/client?) Everything will need to be explained to a patient/client at some point, and the Sam- you need to be able to understand everything in it’s simplest terms and clearest forms, so always practice breaking down and explaining things to yourself easily. You can never know the most complex things the way you want to without first understanding it in a very basic way. *dont fear ‘not knowing’. -communicate in a way you would have understood 5-10 years ago. 3- active recall *forgetting is INEVITABLE; don’t fear it or think it means you do not know that thing well. •’Malignant active recall’ - getting yourself to recall things when they arise at different points in life, in random contexts at any point during your life. Getting into the habit of it; helps you to grasp the information in its fulness. Eg watching a movie or chatting at the dinner table. So we don’t have to rely on just scheduled study. 4- ‘Emotional Damage.’ Mistakes are actually super super helpful and very very important. Lool. You won’t forget after that. Also attaching what you’re learning to an emotional experience. 5- learning by Osmosis You learn a lot from ‘passively’ being in areas or places that are subject specific by absorbing information. Eg- greys anatomy; reading friends’ paper etc.

[@fabianesoares7231]

Thanks🙏

[@marabanara]

Flood & retreat describes how I naturally approach subjects I want to learn, and have done this from childhood unknowingly. Who knew? Great stuff as usual!

[@nha8909]

also the ability to link different types of information is something I was able to learn in med school. organ systems are always linked together so when I did my clinical rotations I was able to finally understand how to link organs together since I was seeing the patient as a whole and not as a disease

[@CordeliaRoseWetzkerWilson]

This was a really cool video because I could relate to each study technique even though I was never a medical student. The flood and retreat one especially is what I do automatically when I'm interested in a topic, but I definitely remember the emotional damage one from playing in band in high school.

[@AlexanderFYoung]

Great points. I think the volume of information that medics need to learn means we have to study effectively, especially in postgraduate training.

[@create.59]

This was a life saver. Just as l was beating my head on how to schedule my studying,this video came. (I always loved your channel,it helped me so much) I had some similiar ideas but l couldn't really build it into a system. This video did it for me,so thank you so much. I will be sure to use this. ♡

[@chrisguedes6489]

I grew up around doctors, I worked around doctors for many years... You are going to be a great doctor. This one is great! I have been following for a while over on Nebula and thanks for all the content. I did notice though, and confirmed by quickly going through older videos, your speech appears to have gotten significantly gotten faster and faster over the past two years. Just thought I would mention it. Thanks for taking us along with you through this journey.

[@chan-lc7wi]

The main thing is, how do you handle attending lectures, tutorials / seminars, and on top of that find time to do the flooding and titration of information, and then find time for revising the info to make sure it sticks in your brain? (AND ON TOP OF THAT DO KZbin? / have a hobby / having enough sleep??)

[@KatieRingley]

I wish there were more people like you on KZbin. You’re so unique and I wanna binge your content all day and I’m out of content 😂

[@reader3476]

i'll go to medical school next year and you absolutely helped me a lot with this information, i'll make sure to do all the things that you mentioned, love you liz

[@fizaarman8883]

Yes, we are flooded with the infos like crazy, the teacher expect us to answer each of their questions perfectly!! But at first in items, I have so many infos, that i gave up on learning, and thus when the term comes I go into more details, and when prof comes I gradually capture the whole concept. In medical college the topics are interrelated. So studying one concept doesn’t make any sense!! I have been avoiding panicking from using the flood & retreat titration method for so long without knowing it. Thank you so much!!!

[@mettlerr]

Another great video to improve study and recall. Helps with IT topics as well!

[@RahafFahmyRahaf-cw2gl]

WHAT IS THIS

[@darigaabikenova8724]

When I was in my last school years (10-11 grades), the amount of information was just huge and it was in a test form, so a lot of unrelated information. I studied biology a bit better than other subjects, so we grouped together with anyone who wanted to study biology too and just retell each other topics. So I can definitely see perks of the teaching methods.

[@stellarly]

Exams in three months. Trying to flood myself with information on study techniques. Thanks for tips, Elizabeth.

[@sierrahargrave]

once in a math class, my class mate that sat next to me asked if i could share my notes with her from a lecture she missed, so after class i ended up rewriting my entire set of notes in a way that taught the entire lesson to be sure she had all of the information and concepts she needed, in a much more legible set of notes than my personal notes. that is the MOST i had ever understood a math lesson in my life and i aced the test 😂🫡

[@Cardioid2035]

Keep on keeping on ma’am. Your energy and discipline is needed in this world

[@sirenarussell9250]

Thank you for the flooding technique. I'm hoping it will help me be less hard on myself trying to remember everything at once. I'm studying at home for a few months while saving for actual classes where I will put the info to use.

[@ohhhhhhmygodbecky]

So helpful absorbing your content as an adult going back to school!

[@anjalivue8154]

I love how you stated that you have to know how to explain it in a way that others can understand and I feel like professors need to master that. I've heard a couple professors who checked that box, but majority of them need to work on it!

[@elginubalde2902]

Congratulations and welcome 4th Year (Medical Clerkship in the Philippines) . So happy for you. Keep it up. When you are in Primary Care or Specialization you will developmentally learn it. Team Work Medicine 💊.

[@lenakulish]

Such a great and insightful video! I can apply it in so many aspects of my life! Thank you for your hard work❤

[@bof978]

I really appreciate this video! I go to a school where we have lots of assignments and, even tho it’s nowhere near med school, it can be quite overwhelming at times, thanks!

[@sameeral-ahmadi7130]

Thanks. It was very useful. Excellent techniques for learning in general.I have now made sure of the amount of time you spend as doctors in collecting data, which is preceded by extensive theoretical science and applied science based on previous statistics and experiences, a logical link between disease cases, and then a complete visual output for each case.

[@learningmetaverse4981]

I always like your tag lines that start from the small and grow it to bigger. Take small steps to reach the destination. Maybe there is your own efforts behind this theme of life that you transfer to the other, but it is really practical. God bless you.

[@SolanaAemoira-fu9jf]

Your content is always so inspiring! Thank you for sharing your knowledge and supporting other learners ❤

[@mansoor3159]

Thank you so so so much Elizabeth for this video and your videos are too too helpful to me in my life and I love your videos so so much and I wish you reach 700K Subscribers very very soon!💫💕☺️

[@nicovidocq5118]

This is a very interesting summary! it relates eating carrots, distractions and memory where often a recall of memory takes us away from true understanding in the direction of personal benefit

[@arturoalberca2521]

Since your second brain notion video, I have been following your channel. Thanks a lot! Greetings from Peru.

[@beatrizsfsilva]

Amazing content as always!

[@tiryaclearsong421]

I'm in a physics based field as a graduate student. I'm so glad to see we use a lot of similar techniques (they force us to describe what we're doing without jargon to discuss our experiments to the school newspaper often). I'm going to go forth and apply these more intentionally now. The one I've noticed I have to be the most intentional about is active recall. My field is aerospace so I clutter my subscriptions with pilot training videos and NASA related news. I also like to watch crash investigations from official sources or highly informed channels. It keeps me thinking about the fundamental principles and it keeps the idea of designing for the human factor firmly in my mind. There are crashes that seem like the crew were just bonkers, but those crashes are so often caused by the system not giving them good information and/or them forgetting a memory item (like a warning that means one thing on the ground means something else in the air... but they have never seen it in the air so they disregard it). Otherwise I am very far removed from the pilots who benefit from my work. I design and use software for the edge of what can be done on a supercomputer to research tiny effects in very simple geometries in high speed air flow. The end result of my research is often niche and it will have to trickle down for awhile until it gets to a real airplane design, but the goal is improved aircraft performance and safety. Even if I'm just looking at a tiny, simplified part in a big engine or the pylon in the juncture behind a wing.

[@hardeepchumber]

Oh really?

[@SimranjeetKaur-tw5dh]

Discovered you recently and now I am hooked

[@merjendursunova391]

I am sooo in love with her editing skillss ))

[@ABHIGYANDIXIT]

☺ Agree, have courage to follow your own heart and intuition, intuition is synonymous to intellect.

[@pepejjgl]

Great Video Liz. By Osmosis XD I believe in that in a way, like when you are listening some material and actually doing another thing like modeling 3D or something, and reading in think kind of similar when you are sync in some way to your system.

[@anon6056]

This is so beautiful and amazing thank you so much. I will never forget this. I am just wowing through this whole video. This is exactly what i needed today! I'm getting curiosity stream now today just before i watched this video, by chance, i was thinking about the primary education system (i'm from australia so it's probably different here than there) but how i wish it did more. So learning about how the medical education system is absolutely amazing. And your insights about emotional damage and osmosis too. And the explain it to a child thing. So true. But yeah today i was thinking about educational systems and wondering if early education could be any better. I definitely think it can and this really sparked my interest even more. And yeah youtube has a lot of opportunities but a platform that's more catered to learning is just what i want rn. I'm not able to go to a library at this point in my life but you are also fuelling that dream for me even more. oh and a learning tip of my own. This is probably obvious but i find that when i passively engage with some information (just hearing it) it really doesn't matter how much i understand it, if i don't write some kind of note about it, i forget it. (okay, not always. But the note taking really helps)

[@NoelleSam]

How do you handle the flooding stage of learning for optimal results? What mindset do you have to avoid quitting in medical school? How do you memorize, if you do not take notes?

[@eklavyakhursel2536]

Your presentation of video is out of the world 👌👌❤️

[@David-jb5dv]

Always good to hear you

[@rachelthompson7754]

This is so true about clinical psychology training as well !!

[@ABHIGYANDIXIT]

True. 😊 I'm happy with your simplified content....

[@cherrry-sq1zc]

I am an econ grad student, and this is exactly how we are learning stats, calculus and econometrics. And I love it! Our earlier courses were oversaturated with so many concepts, techniques, etc. but since we are going towards real-life applications now, I find it much easier. Even if you don't know the concept in and out, just the familiarity helps with understanding a lot.

[@muktagarad4867]

Thank you so much!😁superb content

[@ThanhBui-ku6ku]

thank you a lot. This channel saves my life

[@Thehaydayzone]

I just randomly came across your video.. I just got amazed by all the topic you touched... And also you are just so beautiful..

[@philipswain4122]

While studying to become a patent attorney, I regularly used the Feynman technique. It helped enormously

[@linyuting343]

Thank you, this is so useful! ( I'm about to start my semester in nursing school.)

[@riddhidutta5601]

Love your videos as a med student!

[@glazibal]

Thank you Eliz... you're amazing... :)

[@Agent_Orange_Peel]

Great points. I feel like a lot of this can be translated to the IT field too.

[@veemanzano7082]

Omg I'm early! I'm a fan of your videos, Elizabeth! Because of you, I enjoy studying now not just for the grades but for the sheer curiosity too. Thank you, & keep doing what you're doing.

[@hardeepchumber]

Honestly I also watch these videos

[@ArthelasPL]

Thanks for this video, its great

[@ellahopkinson]

The flooding makes sense- i think i learned well this way i just didn't realise that's what it was. I would take in a huge amount of information last minute before an exam and then surprisingly did much better than when i revised in a more 'sensible' way

[@void2078]

I loveee this thank youuu

[@MoniqueLea08]

I love learning this way 💕

[@dylan4331]

Beautiful explain :)

[@michaelyoon9355]

For basic science, I found that spamming question banks about the material makes it stick faster and stay long term. Hit the subject from multiple angles. I actually found that once you get to the clinical wards, things stick more when you talk about the problem. Unfortunately, pimping does work though (sucks, but it is effective)....

[@deutschmitpurple2918]

Excellent video

[@adamm5107]

For me, it's Anki and handwriting notes. Lately though, I've been recording myself on a cellphone reading notes. Then I can listen to them when I drive to/from university 😁😊

[@sgoseofnbakansks]

this is my fav yt channel

[@melusine826]

Fineman is similar to what I did at work in a contact centre because I had to explain complicated government schemes to general public mostly but sometimes also people who know more than me.

[@karinashraf3982]

I just got into med school and I'm so excited. I want to prep ahead because I'm afraid I might not be able to keep up once it starts.

[@biostudyclaud]

Good video!! :D

[@mr.midgardville]

I just found myself having a psychological crash course with you. Thanks for your thoughts! :D

[@lorettagrey7383]

That sponsor mention was so smooth and clever that I didn't mind watching it lol

[@daphnebunny1496]

Incredible video. Love it. I'm a Law student.

[@krys6491]

you are literally a goddess tysm omg

[@suryo_utomo]

I still learning about my own mind anatomy, how repetition can increase electricity impulse on neurones; and at the end of the day, "thoughts is made by electric sparks started with the drive of repetition"... 🤣👍

[@boualemimedjdouben2171]

Hi, thanks for your video

[@alf.2929]

FYI: On your YT "About" page needs updating. Revue had shut down so your "Book Club" and your "Newsletter" links just go to a general page telling that Revue is no more.

[@juzlam]

Such a fruitful content. Thanks. Especially to the point tht using more universal languange to explain some point. I am engineer by background and profession.. That part of explaining technical thing to other, is where i am failing so much..up until this point, i dont think my family understand what im doing day in day out.. Maybe i should put more afford to tone down the languange as you suggest..thanks

[@rutujakolkur8254]

flood and retreat stage sounds similar to the last night cramming. just that it is much less time consuming to do last night cramming and works for only some ppl.

[@3lH4ck3rC0mf0r7]

11:09 I remember that time I shocked my med student cousin by going real in-depth into the role of different cells that participate in the immune system and their connections to each other, and then going "oh yeah, I learned it from an anime."

[@marija1922]

which anime?

[@3lH4ck3rC0mf0r7]

@@marija1922 Cells at Work. And I also watched Doctor Mike reacting to some of the episodes here on KZbin as well.

[@1980rlquinn]

はたらく細胞！I love that one!

[@poppy9907]

your voice is so pretty!

[@chrissy96]

Great video Elizabeth! I had a brief episode of PTSD when she said "How is pharmacology treating you?" 😂🥲 Newly minted medic here, but the memories are still fresh!

[@annaspeaks373]

Thank you I will use this new techniques❤️

[@micmacha]

I work in multimedia and information processing, and the Feynman technique has always helped me. He was a genius physicist, but I secretly suspect that it was his technique that got him there. Also, obviously I do a lot of math, and I have to maintain that until you understand _why_ something like the Pythagorean Theorem is true, as, say, an artist would, you don't _really_ understand how to use it!

[@mv6303]

Thank you.

[@bootatoboo]

im a fifth year and doing my step 1 and i still do not know how my brain is managing to keep and remember this many info

[@jankarybarikova7779]

Dr. Mike in one illustration with all the fictional characters made my day :D 0:43

[@cheska9999]

I'm enjoying trying to apply all your content to language learning, Just curious if you hzve anything directed to that kind of learning.

[@jaysonmatining23]

nice Elizabeth😊

[@David_CK]

Genius Girl ❤ Is it normal to have a pain sensation when I focus

[@abdolhamedsharef2924]

Awesome ❤️

[@eldritchelsbells]

“how is pharmacology treating you?“ *cries in pharmacy student* 😭🙈😂

[@GarrettH1]

I haven't even started my pre reqs for College seems like a very daunting road ahead.

[@sarahhughes8729]

Hello Elizabeth, I'm interested in joining your bookclub, but I saw that Twitter has closed the platform that hosts your bookclub. Do you plan to move it to another platform and, if so, how will you let us know where it has moved? Thanks. Sarah

[@allyparker5127]

Hey Elizabeth! I watched a video of yours where you talked about a new browser you were loving (that did vertical tabs/tab groups). But I can’t for the life of me figure out which video it was, could you please share with me the name of the browser (and perhaps the name of the video again too). Thanks so much in advance!!

[@frantz3965]

This is pretty similar to how physicist and mathematicians in my uni are taught and learn!

[@lillianpham1271]

as a pharm student I can say that pharmacology causes me physical pain

[@mcconn746]

If you are asked a question about a person's health even as a student, ALWAYS refer them to their Dr. You may get away with making a suggestion but ALWAYS refer them to their Dr. A Dr friend was playing doubles tennis with another Dr. A Guy on the other team asked what to do about a problem. He, off the cuff, suggested a common over the counter drug and then they continued playing. The Guy had cancer. He sued the Dr for malpractice. He said the Dr. should have referred him to his Dr for tests. The Dr was retired and did not have malpractice insurance. He was ruined. Whatever else you may say, always refer them to their Dr.

[@DamolaKayode]

Christina Yang! 😅❤️❤️

[@Icelander00]

Thanks

[@Rohidash_1]

Love from India♥️♥️

[@fun_g]

9:19 now THAT right there folks is what I call a big brain move.

[@wochenente6977]

Did I understand Flood and Retreat correctly? At first I should just read through all the information I have to know for my exam to get an overview, and then I should go back and repeat each chapter/topic? I never tried that but it sounds logical so I might try it!

[@elizabethfilips]

reading through a whole book might be a loot, but either quick skim of a chapter, or looking at the questions in the end to see what you're required to know at the end, or watching a documentary on the topic, basically having a good idea of what the scope of what you're supposed to know is and a high level understanding of the logic: where this sits in the world and in your brain :)