Pass 1: The Preview

• Goals of the preview:

o Get a better idea about what topics/content the lecture will cover
o Become familiar with the Learning Objectives
o Begin to identify specific terms, topics, visuals/graphics etc. that are new to you.
Ask yourself “what do I already know about this topic or a related topic?”
• How to make the most of the preview
o Plan on spending 10-15 minutes per lecture
o Spend that time scanning the powerpoint while referring to the Learning
Objectives
o Pay particular attention to titles, headings, bolded/underlined terms, visual
graphics
o Notice how the presentation is structured; what proportion of the presentation
does each topic have
o Make a list of topics you need to listen for during the lecture

Pass 2: The Lecture

• Goals of the lecture:
o Get an introduction to the topics being covered
o Further prioritize what is most important to study later on
o Listen for those topics identified during the preview stage
o Take selective notes (annotation style). Annotations on the slides may include:
key ideas to remember, questions, lists, reactions, notes to think about the
content more.
• How to make the most of the lecture:
o Refer back to the list you made during the preview
o Listen for not only what the instructors says about that content but also how
he/she says it. Take note of any obvious or subtle cues as to the relevance and
timeliness of that info. Think about the instructor’s background; clinical or basic
science.
o Make decisions about which parts of the lecture you will focus your study on

Pass 3: The Study Period (See Active Study Strategies Handout)

• Goals of the study period:
 o Re-organize the lecture material in a way that makes intuitive sense to you.
Group related pieces of information into meaningful units.
o Get to know the material you have identified as a priority on a deeper level
o Make associations/connections between the topics lectured on that day
o Create added meaning and context to this information by seeing how it fits in
with what you already know
• How to make the most of the study period:
o Have a defined time dedicated to each lecture and/or subject area (e.g. 1.5
hours per lecture)
o Focus your attention on those parts/topics of the lecture you identified as
important during the preview/lecture phases
o For each topic/ subject area engage in active study (see active study strategies
handout)
o Keep up with your daily study. If you don’t get to 1 or more lectures/ topic areas
the same day it was introduced during the lecture, plan to study it the following
day.
o You will complete stages 1-3 for every lecture presented that week by Friday
evening if you are up-to-date

Pass 4: Weekend Review

• Goals of weekend review:
o Confirm/verify what you do and don’t know
o Revisit material you don’t know one more time by reviewing your notes on that
subject
o Look up that week’s topics in a USMLE review book such as First Aid and/or
Pathoma
• How to make the most of the weekend review:
o Test yourself using practice questions and/or a peer study group. If you can
verbalize what something is, how it works, why it is important etc. then you
probably know it well enough.
o Review your condensed notes, concept maps or summaries as opposed to the
full powerpoint presentation.
o If you still don’t understand something, use the assigned readings to help fill in
the gaps.
o If this is week 2 of a bi-weekly period, incorporate review of the previous week’s
notes.
o Keep your weekend review sessions to 4 hours per day or less. Use the rest of
your weekend to relax.