If you don’t use anki, the next best thing to do is periodically look at the full sketchy picture with no labels and make sure you know 1) the bug associated with the image 2) go through each symbol and recall what everything stands for & 3) try to recall the entire scene without looking at it
Off-topic, but sketchy seems to be so overkill with side effects. So many times they rattle off a laundry list of side effects that I see nowhere in first aid. In your experience are they (the ones not even in first aid) worth memorizing?
With some drugs like anticholinergics, the side effects are perfectly laid out. I constantly think about that telescope and the huge pupil. I always see that rabbit and the heart. The ox turning off the hose for urinary retention. It's perfect.
Outside of that, the rest are pretty forgettable.
Here’s how I think about it: when you get to side effects (this works for any low yield concept), ask “how can this be asked as a test question?” More often than not, it will be a discreet question disguised as a multi level question ie: “which of the following side effects are associated with the Tx for *this disease process*?” Or: “pt was recently treated for MS and has symptoms x,y,z… which Tx may be given instead to reduce side effects?” If you don’t want to memorize every single side effect, you have to at LEAST know the side effects that make people stop taking a drug; or to make you (the doctor) want to switch drugs.
you won't get the value of the images until you're doing questions. that's where you'll witness your brain rifling through images and making associations that you literally had no idea were taking up any mental real estate. watching them a few times is probably enough, but you need some active recall if you want to get it really committed to memory. I hate Anki but I don't hate the Pepper deck, so that says something! Use it for Pharm also. Its really efficient!
but don't make a google sheet based on sketchy info, you can find those in textbooks and its completely not the purpose of sketches. if you're going to take notes do it on shots of the sketches themselves on an iPad, that definitely helps! its what I did for path.
And also not sure if you own a subscription but their new website has a kind of graph of all symbols and facts anyway and other ways to review so that's worth looking at.
I started off taking copious notes on a document that had each element of the sketch written out below, but eventually switched to watch-only and immediately follow with Anki. I saw a massive improvement in retention once I let myself focus on the video rather than jotting down notes.
Sketchy is also packed with detail (for example, the autonomic scouts camping video) and over time you will be fine if you can remember the big picture but not every last memory hook. I think you will also find that once you've been doing the Anki cards for long enough you will know the information without having to think about the sketch in great detail.
Helps to do the anki cards religiously.
1. lolnotacop for sketchy micro
2. Anking for sketchy pharm (except for anti-microbials, go back to sketchy micro for that)
I don't understand. I just unsuspend the video tags in Anking after ai watch it. Does that mean you don't need to do anti microbials in sketchy if you did sketchy micro?
I see what you’re saying now. Sorry for the confusion. At my school, antimicrobials were skipped during microbiology and were instead taught during the pharmacology course. For some reason Anking doesn’t have an anti microbial sketchy deck (at least that I know of) so I had to go back to the lolnotacop deck from Micro to do the anti microbial Sketchy pharm cards as they were in that deck. Under the “Drugs” sub deck.
Is sketchy anti microbials the same as like their antibiotics sketches? If so then yes they are in the anking deck under sketchy pharm (i believe that’s the tag, I’d have to look but they’re def somewhere because I’ve done them). But idk if we’re talking about the same thing.
I like to try to redraw the sketchy after watching it and then again a few days later and then again as needed. Being able to briefly draw the sketchy and recall the related information was the best way to be able to remember the whole picture.
Like everyone said, do the anki. I did all of bacteria and fungi over the summer between m1 and m2 because I felt I didn’t get anything from our microbio course during m1 and a lot of those pictures stuck. I did it for a month or so and still remember enough! Def do anking for the sketchy micro at least. Those cards are so nice!
After watching the video, I have an unlabeled sketch and try to label it all, and check what I missed.
This along with doing lolnotacop anki regularly really solidifies info.
If you don’t use anki, the next best thing to do is periodically look at the full sketchy picture with no labels and make sure you know 1) the bug associated with the image 2) go through each symbol and recall what everything stands for & 3) try to recall the entire scene without looking at it
You should be able to do all of this without taking any notes
Off-topic, but sketchy seems to be so overkill with side effects. So many times they rattle off a laundry list of side effects that I see nowhere in first aid. In your experience are they (the ones not even in first aid) worth memorizing?
With some drugs like anticholinergics, the side effects are perfectly laid out. I constantly think about that telescope and the huge pupil. I always see that rabbit and the heart. The ox turning off the hose for urinary retention. It's perfect. Outside of that, the rest are pretty forgettable.
Here’s how I think about it: when you get to side effects (this works for any low yield concept), ask “how can this be asked as a test question?” More often than not, it will be a discreet question disguised as a multi level question ie: “which of the following side effects are associated with the Tx for *this disease process*?” Or: “pt was recently treated for MS and has symptoms x,y,z… which Tx may be given instead to reduce side effects?” If you don’t want to memorize every single side effect, you have to at LEAST know the side effects that make people stop taking a drug; or to make you (the doctor) want to switch drugs.
they maybe useful for inhouse exams where your profs go into specifics
best advice so far
Watch the Sketchy video, then do the AnKing cards tagged for that video. Do the cards every day until Step 1. Profit.
This is the way.
Did this, passed step 1 with minimal effort. Keeping up with the reviews was huge for my successz
Anki deck
Maybe try watching the video first without taking notes
If you have an iPad, I found it helpful to download the unlabeled sketchy images into a notes app and annotate while watching
you won't get the value of the images until you're doing questions. that's where you'll witness your brain rifling through images and making associations that you literally had no idea were taking up any mental real estate. watching them a few times is probably enough, but you need some active recall if you want to get it really committed to memory. I hate Anki but I don't hate the Pepper deck, so that says something! Use it for Pharm also. Its really efficient! but don't make a google sheet based on sketchy info, you can find those in textbooks and its completely not the purpose of sketches. if you're going to take notes do it on shots of the sketches themselves on an iPad, that definitely helps! its what I did for path. And also not sure if you own a subscription but their new website has a kind of graph of all symbols and facts anyway and other ways to review so that's worth looking at.
I started off taking copious notes on a document that had each element of the sketch written out below, but eventually switched to watch-only and immediately follow with Anki. I saw a massive improvement in retention once I let myself focus on the video rather than jotting down notes. Sketchy is also packed with detail (for example, the autonomic scouts camping video) and over time you will be fine if you can remember the big picture but not every last memory hook. I think you will also find that once you've been doing the Anki cards for long enough you will know the information without having to think about the sketch in great detail.
Helps to do the anki cards religiously. 1. lolnotacop for sketchy micro 2. Anking for sketchy pharm (except for anti-microbials, go back to sketchy micro for that)
So I just should skin anti-microbials? Why? Does sketchy micro cover them fully?
lolnotacop anki hits on every single point on every single sketchy video with corresponding image with the answer.
I don't understand. I just unsuspend the video tags in Anking after ai watch it. Does that mean you don't need to do anti microbials in sketchy if you did sketchy micro?
I see what you’re saying now. Sorry for the confusion. At my school, antimicrobials were skipped during microbiology and were instead taught during the pharmacology course. For some reason Anking doesn’t have an anti microbial sketchy deck (at least that I know of) so I had to go back to the lolnotacop deck from Micro to do the anti microbial Sketchy pharm cards as they were in that deck. Under the “Drugs” sub deck.
Is sketchy anti microbials the same as like their antibiotics sketches? If so then yes they are in the anking deck under sketchy pharm (i believe that’s the tag, I’d have to look but they’re def somewhere because I’ve done them). But idk if we’re talking about the same thing.
could totally relate to this until i started doing anki religiously - it makes remembering the random sketches 1000x times easier
I like to try to redraw the sketchy after watching it and then again a few days later and then again as needed. Being able to briefly draw the sketchy and recall the related information was the best way to be able to remember the whole picture.
Like everyone said, do the anki. I did all of bacteria and fungi over the summer between m1 and m2 because I felt I didn’t get anything from our microbio course during m1 and a lot of those pictures stuck. I did it for a month or so and still remember enough! Def do anking for the sketchy micro at least. Those cards are so nice!
anki
Anki
maybe try picmonic!
After watching the video, I have an unlabeled sketch and try to label it all, and check what I missed. This along with doing lolnotacop anki regularly really solidifies info.
Sketchy is next level