A little study tip time...

I'm afraid I don't have any magic answers on how to succeed in the exam, other than, "Study Hard", "Practice Often" and "Study Some More".

The thing is, that "Studying" is one of those ill-defined things that I say "I'm going to study", but actually I'm not sure what I mean, and that's what's held me back, I think, from getting on with some proper work.

Now I hate "drawing up a studying plan" (or "study plan", if you like), and I've never done that. What I do, however, is decide what it is I hope to learn by the end of my session of "studying", whatever length of time that may be.

This morning I decided I was going to learn about principles of anaesthetising patients with cardiovascular disease, including hypertension, abnormal ECGs, valve disease, and congenital heart disease. That sounds like a big topic, and it is in some ways. However, by grouping it all together under the "Cardiovascular Diseases" heading, and not spreading them out over a few days, I felt I was better able to integrate the information. Whether it's gone in for good or not is another question!

Let me explain a bit more: because I had in my mind to learn about CVS disease and the impact on anaesthesia/anaesthetic technique, I had a peg to hang things on. If I then read about some CVS, some renal, some hepatic, and then came back tomorrow to read about some more CVS, it would be kind of jumbled up. Comprende? Instead, because I read all about it in one go, I was able to take ideas from one bit and integrate them with another bit and it all makes (more) sense.

Anyway, that's what I mostly do, try and have an idea of what it is I want to learn by the end of the session, rather than generically "learning something, anything!"

I did spend about one and a half hours with one of my friends doing some viva voce practice, but I can't say I felt very positive at the end of it. I would like to excuse myself by saying I have just finished 5 nights, but that doesn't really make me feel much better.....