Summary of "How To Review Anki Cards Faster In Med School"

Summary of “How To Review Anki Cards Faster In Med School”

This video provides practical advice and strategies for medical students on how to use Anki flashcards more efficiently to maximize study productivity. The main focus is on speeding up both the creation and review of flashcards, whether using pre-made decks or making personalized cards from lecture materials.

Main Ideas and Concepts

1. Introduction to Efficient Anki Use

Anki is a powerful tool for medical school studying but can be time-consuming if not used efficiently.
The presenter, Lux, an internal medicine resident, shares his unique methods to speed up flashcard creation and review.
The video complements other resources on the channel, including a “five-hour study method.”

2. Options for Using Anki Decks

Pre-made decks: Examples include Zanki, Brosencephalon, Pepper, and others.
- Cover a wide range of topics (immunology, neurology, psychiatry, etc.).
- Typically feature concise, one-fact questions aligned with high-yield resources like First Aid.
- Advantages: Saves time on card creation and allows quick review.
Personalized decks: Creating your own flashcards from lecture slides or class materials.
- Conventional method involves making multiple detailed cards per slide, which is time-consuming.
- Lux’s method uses screenshots of entire slides with key titles/questions to create one flashcard per slide.
- This captures both big-picture concepts and details in one card and drastically reduces creation time.

3. Method for Making Flashcards from Lectures

Create a new deck for each lecture/topic (e.g., “Osteomyelitis”).
Instead of typing questions and answers, copy-paste or screenshot entire slides.
Use the slide title or a concise question as the card front.
This allows quick card creation (10–20 seconds per card).
Review cards by recalling key points and details embedded in the slide image.
Add notes or extra details if necessary, but keep it high-yield and concise.

4. Reviewing Flashcards Faster

Use a timer: Give yourself 5 to 10 seconds to answer each flashcard.
Quickly assess what you know and what you don’t.
After answering, spend about 10 seconds reviewing the card to learn one new piece of information.
Use Anki’s spaced repetition intervals (1 minute, 10 minutes, etc.) to reinforce knowledge.
This method allows multiple repetitions per session, enhancing retention without spending excessive time on each card.
Even with pre-made decks, apply the same timed approach to speed up review.

5. Example of Reviewing Complex Cards

For image-heavy or detailed cards (e.g., imaging modalities for osteomyelitis or protein structures in cell junctions), focus on recalling main points within 10 seconds.
Use repeated exposures to gradually learn additional details.
This approach balances depth of knowledge with time efficiency.

6. Recommended Study Schedule Using Anki

If using personalized decks:
- Spend about 30–40 minutes creating flashcards for 2–3 lectures the day before.
- After lectures, spend another 30–40 minutes reviewing those cards.
- Total daily study time for Anki: roughly 1.5 hours.
If using pre-made decks (e.g., Zanki):
- Create custom decks for specific topics or lectures by moving relevant cards into those decks.
- Review these decks daily with the timed approach.
Prioritize high-yield material and avoid adding unnecessary details.
Before exams, add extra review sessions for older cards.

7. Additional Resources

The presenter links to his five-hour study technique video and a free video course on studying in medical school.
Offers a free resource library called “The Med Vault” with books and courses.
Encourages viewers to subscribe and engage with comments for personalized help.

Detailed Methodology / Instructions

Making Flashcards from Lectures

Create a new deck for each lecture/topic.
Use slide titles as the front of the card.
Screenshot entire slides and paste as the answer.
Optionally add notes for extra details.
Keep cards high-yield and avoid excessive detail.

Reviewing Flashcards Quickly

Set a timer for 5–10 seconds to answer each card.
After answering, spend about 10 seconds reviewing to learn one new fact.
Use Anki’s spaced repetition intervals to repeat cards multiple times.
For image-heavy cards, focus on recalling key points first, then add details over time.
Avoid spending multiple minutes on a single card.

Study Schedule Example

Day before class: 30–40 minutes making flashcards for upcoming lectures.
After class: 30–40 minutes reviewing flashcards from that day’s lectures.
Repeat daily for consistent review.
Before exams: add extra review sessions for older cards.

Speakers / Sources Featured

Lux – Internal medicine physician and resident, creator and presenter of the video and channel “The MD Journey.”

This video is a practical guide to using Anki more effectively in medical school by focusing on speed and efficiency in both card creation and review, emphasizing the use of slide screenshots, timed reviews, and strategic spaced repetition to maximize learning with limited time.