When I signed up to take Anatomy and Physiology during my final JanPlan term, I knew that I would have to work hard and have a lot of material thrown at me in a short amount of time. Despite this, I was incredibly excited about the opportunity to take this course as it was not previously offered as a semester course, and it is critical knowledge for any medical professional. As a senior taking my final major requirement, I came into the course confident in my ability to quickly learn the material and succeed on assessments. However, during the last month, challenges posed both in the course and in my personal life, have caused me to grow as both a student and person and expand my mind to what success and balance look like.
During the first week of January, I got very sick, and this illness began a month-long series of sicknesses that I could not shake. While I spent much of the month being annoyed that I could not get well, this forced me to reflect on my routines and approaches to succeeding as a student and its effect on my health. When your body is that run down, it is clear that you need to treat it better, which is even related to the material we learned in this course and the message that Dr. K gave us. For the first half of the month, I tried to half focus on recovery and half keep up with this fast pace course because I did not want to let anyone or myself. Looking back, I would advise anyone to take a full week, or even two if you need it, and rest as you will be able to make up for lost time better once you are recovered. Dr. K definitely helped me to realize this and was probably the most understanding professor I have ever had at Colby.
My second piece of advice I would give to students in this course is some studying tips that I have learned, which help specifically when the material is delivered at a rapid pace and you have to absorb a lot at once. Firstly, prepare prior to the class by looking over the slides and flagging any topics that you are confused about. Write down specific questions from these sections that you do not understand and be prepared to speak up during class (a lot of times questions might be answered during the lecture, but this is still helpful because you will be more aware during this part of the class and less overwhelmed because not all of the material is brand new). Secondly, I would suggest that you utilize space repetition. This is a tool that I have always found helpful, but I was unsure how to do this when we were taking quizzes every day. You can still utilize space repetition though, even if you study for 30 minutes, break, come back, studying again for 30 minutes. I find the break to be so helpful and tests if I really understand and will remember the material long-term. Finally, study with a partner and take turns teaching material to one another. This was very helpful to me and speaking it out loud made me realize what parts I did not understand. Additionally, listening to someone else explain material allowed me to see it in a new way and uncovered some misunderstandings. Also, it makes it more fun to study with a partner 🙂
This course taught me that you need to prioritize your health and get well before anything else. If you keep pushing yourself too soon, your body will not be able to handle it. Additionally, it taught me that success in a course is not necessarily only what we usually consider an “A”, but rather it is measured by what you learn to better yourself as a learner and person and how you will apply that in the future. I have years and countless classes before I am officially a medical professional, and now, in addition to learning the material in those courses, I will be more intentional about developing habits that will make me the best healthcare provider I can be. This class has excited me for a career in medicine!