When It Comes to Studying In Med School, Think ‘Retrieval,’ Not Review

When you’re struggling in med school, it can feel like you’re jumping from one study strategy to the next, hoping that something sticks. While there is no “one-size-fits-all” study method, retrieval practice could be the key to getting more out of your study sessions. 

Skip Review and Focus on Retrieval Practice

“I’ve turned ‘review’ into a bad word. Review is anytime you have your eyeballs looking over something you’ve already studied. It’s passive and it gives that sense of familiarity; it entrenches the trap of familiarity. The opposite side of review, to me, is this idea of retrieval practice… Retrieval practice is anytime you attempt to recall something you already studied. You allow for failure and then self-check it.” - Ryan Orwig 

In this podcast episode, host Ryan Orwig sits down with Dr. Jim Culhane, Assistant Dean of Academic Success Programs and Professor at Notre Dame of Maryland University School of Pharmacy. In part one of the two-part miniseries, they analyze the benefits of retrieval versus other, more passive study methods.

Ryan and Jim examine why traditional study methods, such as rereading, can yield low results, and explore how retrieval practice has been proven as an effective study strategy. 

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