Tuesday, March 6, 2018

NEET preparation in early years of MBBS

Hey everyone! 

Pratibha Jha agreed to write a post on how to study for NEET during MBBS for all those still in medical school! :D

Here is what she has to say -

1. Concentrate on individual year subject: Strengthen your subjects in that year itself.

2. Be friends with reference books: Don't get scared by the size. You don't have to read it completely but just the regular topics, markings, that you read from theory books. Read them from reference books. (Guyton, Robbins, Harrison, Love and Bailey - Always try to read these books!)

3. Raise questions in mind and search answers in books! 
Spend time on understanding what you read. Take help of online videos (Rajeev Ranjan anatomy lectures, Dr Najeeb lectures, Khan academy physiology class, Dr Smily ma'am, Dr. Karthikeyan biochemistry videos, embryology videos, Armando Hasudungan videos - are some specific ones but it is endless on YouTube)

Bottom line is take every effort to make your reading conceptual - it makes learning interesting, don't just mug it up.

Be consistent!
Take college classes, practicals, all exams little more seriously (too much sincere-ness is not possible but little will go long way :P)
Just be regular with reading and library. It is better to read everyday some pages then overloading at the end.

4. Should I join classes?
Yes, I feel it is required to make concepts so if possible join it!
Make sure to come and revise the notes after class or else you will forget them and can't even understand your own words written later.

5. When do I join classes? 
Two strategies:
I. I have joined in second year - it gives u very early orientation of PG exams which is important. It helps in UG years and university exams. You can build base gradually, there is no hurry. You can take your time according to your pace to understand stuff.

II. Some join in majors or internship but I feel by then you are hurried and already occupied by other things. You don't have time to read reference books. In short pressure starts building up. But the advantage is that your notes are fresh, you understand them and it's more fresh memory considering nearness of exams.

6. When to start reading medicine and surgery:
Minor, I feel, is good time. Always sit with pathology and pharmacology books alongside. When reading Harrison, don't be reluctant to go to previous year books when you are stuck with something.

7. MCQ books in UG? 
I think yes. I did it. It sounds too much but it is no extra efforts, really. It is just solving question based on what you have read and like revision, you have don't have to learn anything new. It is just compact version of what you have already read.

8. Read theory given in MCQ book or only solve question? Why not directly solve MCQ book?
Theory is very crisp, read it. Its not new information as you have already read it. First read from book, then read theory in MCQ book and then go for questions and not retrograde.

9. How to do all this together?
Example: If you are in second year, reading inflammation from pathology - Read Robbins, understand, then go through Devesh Mishra - read theory and then test yourself on a question. It is okay to be wrong! Keep solving.

10. Keep a balance. 
Don't neglect fun for studies and end up feeling frustrated and averted to books. Vice versa don't neglect studies for fun so much that at the end, it piles up to a giant monster and seems impossible. A balance between both is very much possible.

11. Don't give up if you don't understand something: It doesn't make sense in first 2-3 reads, really! So that's normal, keep reading and struggling with it till it starts making sense!

Hard work is the key to success. If you start early, it is easier later. So it is the best way. If you start late, it is difficult relatively but if you decide to give the hard work it takes, you can do it. It is never too late.

Written by Pratibha Jha

PS: Pratibha scored an All India Rank of 21 this year (Isn't she completely awesome?)

13 comments:

  1. Very helpful. Thank you very much.

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  2. Read both of your posts! They are amazing. Thanks for your insight

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  3. Well, according to the second post - I am actually doing partial retrograde reading which is not a good way to approach any topic. I read a particular topic from Mcq book and then read it from textbook. I think this makes me quite clear of what to pick from textbook. And then after reading textbook I solve Mcqs. Do I
    need to change my approach?

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    Replies
    1. Hiee ojas...the idea is not to rely solely on mcq book because they are very crisp and do not develop chain of thought..what i see is you combine mcq book theory with textbook and go back and forth between them....so if that helps you and you are clear on your concepts .stick to your style of reading..we all have different patterns..the funda is just to really understand what you are reading..but when you dont understand a topic. start from textbook and go antegrade.

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  4. It's really very helpful. Thank you so much 😊

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  5. I am in 2nd yr... how do we get to know that which topics we have to read from robbins..?

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    1. Hiee..!i think robbins is the best book in entire mbbs ..so the more u read the better..it will help u so so much with medicine in majors
      but to start with it..
      from general pathology..i feel cellular responsse..inflammation..hemodyanamic these 3 topics and from systemic..blood vessel..heart, lung..red blood cell and bleeding disorder..and kidney..these 5 chapters are to be read through and through..for rest of the portion..whatevertopics are marking for university exams ( u can find marking from question booklet bhalani)..read them from robbins..helps you with exams as well...i used to solve mcqs from devesh mishra sirs book..so i used to go back to robbins and read retrograde for the left out topics..and also..it will highlight most important points which you finally have to pick up from robbins and remember.so yeah combine them.both...

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  6. Firstly congrats!
    I'm in 2nd year..I'm confused with carrying out regular studies of clinicals and para clinicals.. Will it be sufficient if I just read d clinical manuals r am I supposed to study theory text books for clinical subjects from now itself??which would be better ??

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    Replies
    1. Thankyou dear..!
      I think you are asking about how to manage medicine and surgery ..in 2nd year along side..patho..pharmac and micro? And may i know.?which clinical manual you are reading...?

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    2. I'm reading surgery from S.Das and medicine Hutchison's manual

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    3. I'm reading surgery from S.Das and medicine Hutchison's manual

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    4. Okayy...Yess..thats sufficient enuf for second year..clear the basic concepts of each system from hutchinson and may be take help of textbook if need comes..but yeah thats good enuf.

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