6 free resources you should definitely know about as a medical student
- Sabeeh
- Jan 13, 2022
- 5 min read
MBBS, also known as Bachelors of Maniacs & Bachelors of Self-Reliance fictionally, is not less than that if you ask any medical student and to cope with this bachelor’s degree, you need a support system that provides quality over quantity with maximized learning in minimum time. So to help you with critical education more than rote learning, I have some great resources that are not common but very effective.
People just absolutely hate when it comes to pharmacology, and Pixorize is one channel that has helped me throughout my first year. Sketchy is what people prefer, but not everyone can afford the videos, so Pixorize is a game-changer for all those out there who have a photographic memory and love to work smarter rather than harder.
The GOOD: Pixorize can be beneficial for visual learning. It often provides good constructive labels and diagrams which help in retaining memory. It is good for compact learning and effective learning with the added advantage that it is free of cost for everyone.
The NOT SO GOOD: The topics taught do not lay a solid foundation and people who are good visual learners can have the most out of this resource while people preferring to write and take notes are not recommended to use this. Most of the videos are related to pharmacology and pathology hence other basic sciences subjects are not covered.
CONCLUSION: It is a very good resource to revise and learn drugs and pathologies using images and visual learning. However, it is not recommended to use this resource as a core and main source of study due to it being concise and short.
USMLE, I guess it does not need an introduction, when it comes to its preparation, it is thought to be as tricky as finding a needle in a haystack, but with AJ Mnemonics, life has become quite simple. The Mnemonics are available for high yield and volatile topics making learning effective and remembering things for a more significant period.
The GOOD: AJ Mnemonics is a fun and creative way of learning for the med students to remember things for the long term. It mainly focuses on the high yield content and can be highly beneficial for visual learners. It saves time by making learning effective and efficient with lifesaving shortcuts and mnemonics for highly volatile topics.
The NOT SO GOOD: However using a fun way of learning can be a big dilemma for some students as it does not give a comprehensive or a deep look into a topic. Hence you should not build your foundation using this resource.
CONCLUSION: It is a very helpful source if you are planning to revise and review at the 11th hour as it saves a lot of time and effort but is not advisable to use when starting a new topic.
This is a much-underrated channel on YouTube but is equally as effective as other channels and can help you with any subject with quick short videos that you can take before going into a class to build a base. Furthermore, it can also help in deep learning with topics that you turn to if you don’t understand anything in your lectures.
GOOD: Dirty Medicine usually focuses on the core of the topics which can be highly fruitful for students needing support in understanding the complex concepts. The videos can make you revise and build your base for a particular topic. In my opinion, it is one of the best sources to go through before attending a lecture.
The NOT SO GOOD: The videos can sometimes be proven to be boring which reduces the efficiency. The time span of the videos is long hence students having a short focus –attention span can be distracted easily.
CONCLUSION: It is a highly recommended source to use if you want to build your concepts with a bit of fun and twist but people with a short attention span must give it a thought before using the resource.
It is an Indian-based channel that is designed to teach with clinical case representation which makes learning more exciting and compelling. With Covid in place, it was challenging for the students to attend clinics and get exposed to patients and cases. Still, marrow made life easier with original case representation and complications so students don’t lag. It also provides an updated version of Q-bank for the students as an added advantage.
GOOD: Marrow is able to provide effective learning by providing the cases which can help students get a deeper understanding of the concepts as they are able to compare their concepts with the cases they are provided with. It can also help to identify high yield information much faster.
The NOT SO GOOD: The time duration of the videos is quite long which makes students lag watching the whole video with determination and focus. The cases discussed may seem different from the ones we face in our clinics due to multiple factors like region, ethnicity, and culture. Furthermore, the protocols followed for a particular case may be different in our region hence this can be an issue.
CONCLUSION: With Covid-19 in place I feel it is a very good source to practice and learn new clinical cases but you should always be aware of the protocols followed in your region so you can be better equipped and ready for a case and adapt accordingly.
Going through the phase of exams and semesters is very tiring; the Bachelors of Maniacs & Bachelors of Self-Reliance requires more than effort; hence breakdowns and demotivation are as common as muck, so to get back you up after a fall, all you need is an excellent boost and, in my opinion, there is no better place to turn to than the people on Al Midrar institute that not give you only motivation but also guide you when you are lost.
The GOOD: It is one of the best channels if you are looking for spiritual and motivational inspiration based on real-life events and experiences, It can help you boost your confidence in really low times hence is a game-changer for someone like me who loves to listen to people in challenging times and learn.
The NOT SO GOOD: Some videos can be a bit long hence can consume some of your important time. Furthermore, the session and videos are not posted very consistently hence I feel this is the only possible problem with this resource.
CONCLUSION: I highly recommend using this resource to look for motivational content when you feel very low.
I hope these all channels and resources help you in your journey and prove fruitful. So keep hustling and trying hard because one day you will be telling someone, don’t worry, I am your doctor.
References
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