Thursday, October 30, 2014

FINDING THE RIGHT PARTNER FOR USMLE



It’s common for medical students to work in group while preparing for their tests, having someone to share the experience and keep you on the right track can be a great aid for your preparation, especially when tests are so extensive and studying becomes a lifestyle,

Even when our recommendation for studying theoretical subjects is to get used to study without a partner since someday along your career you will have to learn to study alone, it could wait if you feel you work better with a partner by your side, not changing too much your habits can help increase your results and of course having a study partner becomes necessary to practice and master the physical exam for clinical skills, doing a neurologic exam in less than 5 mins. needs practice after all.

If you are looking for a study partner it’s important to have some details in mind before accepting someone in your study group:

-Study schedule:  Not everyone has the same study schedule as much as there are morning persons and night owls, find someone who shares your schedule or the one you are trying to get used to.

-Type of learner:  Not all types of learners will work well together. Are you a thinker and need quiet time to process things or are you the type to do quick  flash cards, read aloud type, having a noisy partner when you are trying to concentrate could be holding your learning, be sure to find someone who understands you and has the same type of learning.

-Study habits:  some people’s habits while studying can prove to be really distracting, for example chewing gum, listening to music, texting, phone, games etc. if your selected partner has some distracting habits be sure to let them know beforehand.

-Shared goals:  to have a partner that understands you, he/she should have the same core goals as you have, if you’re aiming for a top class you should study with someone who has the same motivation and drive.

-Doesn’t criticize you:  Choose someone who won't cut you down if you answer incorrectly, and won't get mad at you if you're 1 minute late, it’s important to find someone to help you maintain your motivation and enthusiasm. 

Having a study partner is like all ohter human relations some work others don’t, if you feel someone is keeping you from achieving a great score, you can change your study partners; here are some reasons to change your study partners:

Is distracting:  if someone is distracting you all the time, maybe it’s not the type of partner you are looking for.

Gets lousy grades:  someone that gets low scores will probably teach you all their bad habits.

Is unmotivated:   someone who is lacking motivation will get you down, be sure to stay away from people that thinks they are going to fail all the time.

Is unprepared:  if you find yourself having to explain even the most basic concepts all the time maybe it’s time to find someone else.

Criticizes you:  if someone constantly keeps telling you why you are going to fail, or the reasons why you don’t have what it takes, maybe it’s time to let them go into the world and find someone better in the process.

Hopefully these ideas will help you find a great partner for your exams, if you have other experiences and ideas, please share them with us in the comments, 

 Please remember to visit us at www.usmleprepguide.com to find our latest USMLE tutoring guides, 

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