Study Skills for Medical Students: Part I

1. Study Skills for Medical Students: Part I Latha Chandran MD, MPH Associate Dean, Academic Advising Interim Chair. Dept of Pediatrics SUNY at Stony Brook

2. OBJECTIVES • Understand your learning style and the differences amongst you • Understand your perceptual preferences • Improve note taking skills • Improve memory skills • Improve test taking skills

3. Learning styles • Important for you to know HOW you learn • The more balanced your style is the easier learning will happen in school • So how do you find out?

4. Questionnaire • MBTI • Myers Brigg Personality Type Indicator

5. Where do you fall? • QUESTIONS 1-11 • High A score - SENSING as your preferred mental function (S) • High B score- INTUITION as your preferred mental function (N)

6. Where do you fall? • QUESTIONS 12-21 • Decision Making attitude • High A score: JUDGING (J) • High B score: PERCEIVING (P)

7. What if you are equal? • Convention ( based on research) is to break the tie by adding a point to the direction that is not culturally weighted • Cultural weighting is for ESTJ

8. Sensors (S) • Experience with your five senses • Noticing and recalling DETAILS • What ACTUALLY happens • Practical, realistic • Read directions BEFORE starting

9. Intuition (N) • Create theories • Look at patterns • Routine bores you • Creativity and originality • Tend to overlook directions!! • Not conscious of details

10. It is often the variance in mental function preference that creates the difference in the way different people perceive the same information!

11. Your job now is to DEVELOP the less preferred areasdeliberately

12. New ways to think • Sensors- start asking “what would happen if….” • start thinking about PATTERNS/Concepts • Intuitives- start asking “what are the facts here?”, start thinking about DETAILS • Always ask “what is happening” and “why?”

13. Decision making • Do you tend to prefer • Closure and settling of things? (J) • Keeping options open so you can go with the flow? (P)

14. Judging • Plan ahead • Have all their ducks in a row • Prefer completion, organization • Like control • Work well with deadlines • WORK ETHIC

15. Perceivers • Live in a flexible spontaneous way • Tend to go with the flow • Life is a journey not a destination • Enjoy experiences and discoveries • Adaptable and curious • Feel uneasy after a decision • WORK/PLAY ETHIC

16. What about in exams? • Js make decisions too quickly • Ps tend to over read questions • Be aware of your limitations

17. Outer With others Interaction Breadth Verbal Action Many relationships Do Accessible Gregarious Inner Alone Concentration Depth Silent Introspection Few relationships Reflect Remote Intimate Which words appeal to you?

18. Other letters • Mental function- thinking (T) or feeling (F) • Source of energy- introverted (I) /extroverted (E) • Es need experience, Is need to ponder

19. Es and Is • Es talk as they think • short/ frequent breaks needed • study in the library- but don’t get distracted by your sociability needs • tired when alone • can’t sit too long

20. Is • Emotional and intellectual work goes on in their heads! • Think through ideas before they speak • Work well alone • May miss some dimensions of a topic • Need to balance alone time with study partner time

21. Objective Head Justice Principles Criticize Analyze Laws Precision Standards Impersonal Subjective Heart Harmony Values Appreciate Empathize Extenuating circumstances Persuasion Good or bad Personal Which words do you prefer?

22. Ts or Fs • Mental function you employ for decision making • Thinkers are fair • Feelers value harmony

23. Results • Now you have your DIAGNOSIS! • My learning style is • ISTJ

24. Our website • www.hsc.stonybrook.edu/academic_advising/index.cfm