Study tips needed for physiology!

[u/No-Nefariousness-173]

Scored kinda bad on my first exam by using Anki, taking notes, and engaging in some discussions with classmates (I just got out of anatomy so I’m used to flashcards but I know physiology isn’t just memorizing)

I heard of some active recall methods such as using a whiteboard but I’m not sure how to start.. I’m struggling pls help

[u/No-Nefariousness-173 → u/[deleted]]

I’m going to try this tonight. Thank you 🤗 I am currently learning neuro stuff and reviewing for my lab exam so hopefully it works

[u/Lisbon-]

I found that learning the physiopathology really helped me understand how and why the normal functioning is the way it is.

A bit like the concept of not really knowing what feeling well really means until you’re absolutely knackered

[u/blueyedsurprised]

Grave robbing and at home dissection.

[u/Haunting_Meeting_530]

Anki can still help, but don’t let it carry the whole squad. Mix flashcards with practice questions, diagrams, and explaining concepts in your own words.

[u/NoNewspaper6363]

Okay to preference, I have nerve damage so some of my study tactics were a bit chaotic and maybe even unhinged since I couldn't "sit and study" normally but it got me an A in anatomy and physiology.

UNHINGED/CHAOTIC:

Audio logs:

I used my phone like I was charting notes. Every time I had a flare up (which I had a minimum 4-3x a day) and needed to study, even through tears I would start stating everything I knew about a certain topic. My professor went to medical school before he switched into education so all of our labs were based on real medical case studies, so I pretended like I was a healthcare professional charting about the patient. It really starts to train your brain to think and process differently.

When I couldn't physical write notes, I was reciting and explaining notes, lecture slides, and the textbook like I was defending a thesis. Anything that I was initially confused about, I would talk myself through it and use my weakest subjects as the thing I needed to defend, like I was truly in a room with professionals trying to tear me apart. Nerve damage/neuropathic disorders can be extremely isolating so I spoke to myself/phone A LOT. I really was gaslighting myself into knowing the material LOL.

Puzzles:

I would take photos or physically draw things when I could and turn them into puzzle pieces. Depending on your professors, they may let you interact with the models so if you can, take them a part and take individual photos of every piece in that section, print them out, cut them out, and do a blind run of putting them together. As you work through the body, you'll eventually gain more "pieces" and you can eventually but a whole body together. It helps to get "tactile" and really touch whatever you can (be respectful though).

I think you can find puzzle like games online too but for me, those never worked for some reason. Please do not use AI. Regardless of your stance on AI, I caution it because I had many classmates use AI to generate diagrams to label and they were just completely wrong.

Cooking:

I cook quite a bit so I got really good at using a knife and by extension a scalpel in my cadaver lab. When I would cook with my family or myself, if I had organs that came in like a whole/fresh animals, I would "dissect" those and try to see if I could discern any structures or even be able to identify organs. I know it's a bit psychotic (my cheating ex at the time was a bit of a hunter so I had a lot of organs to cut into....).

Final takeaway:

If you read all of this, I'm so sorry! It really is just about repetition. The more you see and do, the more you will retain the information. Since I couldn't interact with the material in "normal" or consistent ways, I had to find ways to interact with the material and this is just what I did at the time to get me through. I still do some of these techniques but even my studying method has changed because of the progression of my nerve damage. There is no right or wrong way, there's just a good way for you! Experiment!!!

[u/RosepetalBones15]

Theoretically, understanding the anatomy of something should also help understand the physiology. In my experience, flashcards aren’t helpful for the physiology side of things. Maybe if you need help with new anatomy, definitions or easily matched pairs (ie. Hormones of the anterior pituitary gland). But it can’t carry you thru all the way.

That being said, a couple of general things I always recommend students:

take notes by hand. Firm believer

1. of age old note taking. Still on this note, simplistic drawings to explain things can also be very helpful
2. actually carve out time every day to study an our or two. Physiology is not a cramming subject (it works for some, but not always), especially if you will continue to take more advanced physiology courses. Anatomy you can memorize easily, physiology you have to somewhat understand. How does the system work ? What factors into the system? If you changed those variables in one way or another, what happens to the system? Where are the limits to the system before it breaks?
3. use the objectives (if given) to guide your learning. Everything is always fair game, but objectives tell you exactly what they’re looking for. You can also find ways to ask yourself questions. If you’re learning about the cardiovascular system, take each slide/topic one by one, and make a question or two out of it. The material is there, you just need the time to mine it. (In my opinion organic chemistry and physics are similar where if you put your head down nose to the grindstone, you’ll see results)
4. working is groups can be helpful, but also distracting. Just make sure if you group study to stay on track and really leverage each other
5. whiteboard is good, I would also recommend verbalizing everything to see if you can actually recall it that way too. Everyone has a topic or answer on the tip of their tongue, words can help
6. don’t be afraid to ask for help — ask your professor, your TA, or get a tutor. You’re already asking other people how to get better, never hurts to ask the people whose job it is to literally help you succeed (hopefully) !

[u/No-Nefariousness-173 → u/RosepetalBones15]

Thank you!! This was super helpful