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7 Effective Strategies On How To Take Notes In Medical School

Looking at how to take notes in medical school? Check out these 7 proven strategies to help you succeed in your studies.

Jun 18, 2024

person studying for school - How To Take Notes In Medical School

Are you finding that your notes are as scattered as your thoughts after a long shift? How long are shelf exams? Learning to take notes during your medical school journey can feel like trying to solve a Rubik's Cube with oven mitts. This blog post will provide valuable insights on note-taking strategies to help you ace your classes and ensure you're well-prepared when it comes time to take your Shelf Exams.

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Basics Of Note-Taking

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Taking notes shouldn’t be about copying down every word from your professor’s mouth. In a lecture or while reading, jotting down notes will help you to understand and remember the material.

So, note-taking is really about two things:
1. It helps you to remember the facts and understand the information you’re hearing or reading.
2. It gives you a reference to review and revise later.

When you take notes in Med School, it’s all about getting the hard work out of the way to make revision easier down the line.

Practice Function

When you're in a lecture and taking notes, you’re not just a stenographer, writing everything down without listening.
Taking notes is a tool for helping you understand and remember the information you’re recording.
That’s the practice function of note-taking. It’s a bit like how writing something down helps you to remember it, even if you never look at it again.

Product Function

The product function of note-taking is where the real benefit comes from. This is about using your notes to help you revise later on. The more concise, clear, and well-organized your notes are, the easier it will be to remember the information and commit it to memory. Taking notes isn’t just about saving yourself time later—it’s also about helping you understand and remember the information.

Using Your Notes to Study

When it comes time to revise, your notes are a wealth of information to help you prepare for exams. You need to make sure your notes are in a form that’s easy to revise. That’s why it’s a good idea to take some time after your lecture to review your notes, maybe rewrite them to make them a bit clearer, or add anything you think you might have missed.

Then, when it comes time to revise, you’ll have a concise collection of notes that will help you to remember everything you need to. Taking notes in Med School is like planting seeds in the spring. It’s hard work now, but come the summer, you’ll be glad you made the effort. Now go and put your notebook to good use!

Notepad Vs Laptop/Tablet

man holding a tablet - How To Take Notes In Medical School

Taking notes is crucial to learning, especially in the medical field. The first thing to consider when deciding whether to use a notepad or laptop/tablet for note-taking is its impact on your ability to organize and access your notes. When using a notepad, you lose the convenience of storing your notes digitally and searchable. On the other hand, writing notes by hand allows for more active information processing than typing notes on a laptop.

Handwritten vs. Laptop Notetaking

Mueller and Oppenheimer's study in 2014 found that typing notes on a laptop often results in transcribing lectures verbatim, which may hinder deeper information processing. While handwritten notes can facilitate conceptual testing, there is no significant difference in factual testing between the two methods.

Improved Recall for Laptop Users

Dung and colleagues' study in 2012 revealed that participants who used a computer to transcribe lectures performed better on delayed recall tests when allowed to study their notes. Fiorella and Mayer's study in 2017 also showed that laptop note-takers performed better on factual information recall when allowed to review their notes, suggesting that typing notes may lead to better information retention.

Choosing Your Method

Your note-taking approach should be based on factors such as your note-taking speed, the pace of your lectures, and whether your classes are in person or virtual. If you type faster than you write, typing notes may be more effective, while handwriting notes may benefit those who process information better through writing. Your choice may also depend on your instructor’s teaching style and the content of the course.

The choice between using a notepad or laptop/tablet for note-taking should be based on your learning preferences and the specific course requirements. Keep in mind that what works best for one person may not work well for another.

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7 Effective Note-Taking Methods For Medical Students

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1. The Cornell Method

When it comes to taking notes in med school, one of the most effective strategies is The Cornell Method. This approach involves dividing a sheet of paper into three sections - a note section, a key points or questions section, and a summarizing section. First, you take notes on the topic in the note section, then jot down key points or questions in the key points section, and finally summarize the notes in the summarizing section.

This method is excellent for organizing your notes and making it easier to review them later. This method is best used when putting together notes early in Step 1 prep, such as learning pathology and pathophysiology during preclinical classes. When studying a complex topic like the cardiovascular system, you can divide your paper into sections for the anatomy of the heart and blood vessels, physiology of the cardiovascular system, and mechanisms of cardiovascular diseases and treatments.

2. Mind Maps

Another effective note-taking strategy for med students is creating mind maps. This visual method involves creating a diagram to connect different pieces of information. This approach is particularly useful for visual learners who need to see connections between different concepts.

For instance, when studying microbiology, creating a mind map of different bacterial species and their characteristics can help you visualize and understand the relationships between the species, their morphology, virulence factors, and associated diseases. By mapping these connections visually, you can better retain the information and see the bigger picture of the topic you are studying.

3. Outlining Method

The outlining method is another great tactic for taking notes effectively. This strategy involves logically structuring information using bullet points and headings. Organizing your notes this way makes searching for information easier, connecting related ideas, and summarizing complex topics concisely. The outlining method works best for students in “slow” and “medium-speed” lectures, allowing you to break down complex information into more digestible pieces.

4. The Charting Method

The charting method is a note-taking approach that involves creating a table to organize information. This method is especially useful for organizing information that has clear categories or comparisons. Creating a chart can help you visualize the relationships between elements when studying topics with clear distinctions or comparisons. Plus, many Qbanks have charts or tables as part of their answer explanations, so using this method can help you better understand and organize the information presented.

5. Never copy verbatim

Avoiding copying verbatim from textbooks is a common mistake many medical students make when taking notes. Copying text doesn’t engage the brain, making it difficult to understand and retain the material. Instead, try to rephrase the information in your own words to make your notes concise and engage more actively with the content. By avoiding copying text directly from the source, you can train your brain for active learning and improve material retention.

6. The Sentence Method

The sentence method is a simple note-taking strategy that involves writing notes in complete sentences. This approach is useful for capturing important details and especially helpful for students who prefer writing in full sentences.

Keeping the sentences simple and using your own words can improve your understanding and retention of the material. The sentence method is a straightforward way to ensure you capture essential information and can be a helpful tool in your study arsenal.

7. Highlight text in different colors

Color coding your notes is another effective strategy for improving note-taking and learning. Highlighting passages in different colors helps you differentiate content sections and makes it easier to find specific information. Color coding has been shown to improve memory by increasing attention and arousal, making it easier to group similar topics and ideas together. Using different colors to highlight different sections of your notes, you can create a clear system for organizing your information and improving memory retention.

4 Best Practices For Taking Notes On Laptop/Tablet

woman learning How To Take Notes In Medical School

1. Eliminate Distractions

Removing all distractions from a laptop or tablet is crucial when taking notes in class. Airplane mode can help focus during lectures.

2. Avoid Transcribing

When taking notes, it's best to avoid verbatim transcribing. Prioritize understanding the information and putting it into your own words.

3. Take Advantage of Images and Figures

Incorporating relevant images and figures into notes is essential for better comprehension. Tablets can be used to insert photos and screenshots easily.

4. Use a Tablet

Tablet devices offer a blend of convenience and functionality. They allow for typing digital notes and drawing to create a better note-taking experience.

Best Note-Taking Apps For Enhanced Note-Taking Experience

man learning tricks - How To Take Notes In Medical School