There’s so much information to get through in medical school! Here are some of my favourite study resources that help make course work a little less scary for me. Hopefully they’ll do the same for you!
YouTube Videos
Youtube videos are literally what’s getting me through this degree! They are so so helpful and actually kind of fun (plus they’re free!) If you’re struggling to find motivation to study, popping on a short video is an effortless way to get into a flow state of study.
Lecturers have so much content to cover in such a short period of time that they often don’t explain the basics fully (leaving me utterly lost five minutes in.) Youtube videos are great at explaining the basics so that you can actually understand the lecture content.
Here are some of my favourite med study youtube channels…
- Nonstop Neuron – provides cute animated videos that help simplify confusing topics
- 2-Minute Neuroscience – covers neuroscience topics in 2 minutes or less (the joy I feel when I find a study video that’s under 5 minutes cannot be compared!)
- Speed Pharmacology – another great channel which, as the name suggests, flies through pharmacology topics in short, speedy videos (perfect for impatient people like me)
- Ninja Nerd – provides longer but more thorough videos
- Armando Hasudungdan – draws lovely explanatory diagrams simplifying a range of topics (try drawing his diagrams yourself to really help remember)
- Geeky medics – great for basic OSCE prep (but different places do things differently so always go with what your tutors say over a video)
Flashcards
Active recall is essential for remembering mounds of information. Flashcards will be your best friend when it comes to memorising for exams.
Quizlet
Quizlet is a free online flashcard tool where you can make your own flashcards (or study off other people’s – but be careful with this because you don’t know how accurate other people’s information is).
Anki
Anki is similar to Quizlet except it organises your flashcards to help you study using spaced repetition. Anki will make sure you’re going over your flashcards regularly and will prioritise the cards you find more difficult.
Netter’s Flashcards
In my opinion anatomy is the module that relies most heavily on memorising. There are so many nitty gritty details to remember- even knowing the names of things is a struggle let alone their nerve supply, function so on, so on. Netters flashcards made studying anatomy much more bearable for me. They have lovely labelled diagrams on each flashcard and are divided by topic (so satisfying!) Click here if you want to buy Netter’s Flashcards with an enhanced digital version included!
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Books
You don’t need to buy expensive text books for medicine anymore. Nowadays there are so many free online resources that you can get your degree without having to open a book! Also most colleges will have the relevant textbooks in their libraries or past students will sell them at a discount.
However, that’s not to say books aren’t helpful. Personally, I find I remember things much better when reading off a good old fashioned book rather than online (also I love highlighting!) Although online resources are great for summarising the important information, books can give you a deeper understanding of a topic. For me, understanding is key to remembering things so I did invest in some text books. Here are the ones that helped me…
Gray’s Anatomy
I felt so overwhelmed by anatomy in first med but the diagrams in Gray’s made things so much clearer. Even just skimming over the diagrams proved very beneficial pre-reading that made following the fast paced lectures a lot easier.
Click here to buy Gray’s Anatomy with an enhanced digital version included!
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Sherwood’s Physiology
For someone who went into medicine with no further scientific knowledge than the Leaving Cert, Sherwood’s was a great help. This book was particularly useful for getting the basics down in first med but it also in later years when I could refer back to it to refresh my memory.
Click here to buy Sherwood’s Physiology!
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Rang & Dale’s Pharmacology
I actually enjoyed reading this book. It explained things so well and really helped the information stick. Plus it had great tables – perfect for memorising all the drug names!
Click here to buy Rang & Dale’s Pharmacology with an enhanced digital version included!
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Basically, you don’t need to buy text books to get a medical degree. However, if they help you understand and remember the content more then why not use them to your advantage?
Online Websites
Online websites such as Teach Me Anatomy and Kenhub are excellent resources for providing easy-to-understand topic summaries.
Just be mindful of the credibility of information found online. Although helpful, online sources can be less reliable than books & lecture content etc.
Summary
There are so many study resources out there for medical students, I’ve only covered a few of my favourites in this post. It’s important to test out as many different study tools as you can to find the one can gets you the best results.
If you have any questions about studying in medical school (or student life in general) feel free to message me through my contact page or comment below!
2 responses to “The Best Study Resources For Medical Students”
[…] apps and YouTube videos can actually be kind of enjoyable if you find the right ones for you. Click here for my favourite med school study […]
[…] lots of helpful youtube channels and websites online that make studying easier in medical school. Here are the study resources that I find helpful. Also check out my study tips […]