Medical education tips: Meaningful learning

 As undergraduates, many of us could get away with a simple formula: Read → Retain → Reproduce for exams. But let’s be honest—how much of that knowledge stuck once the semester ended? 🤔

Here’s the problem: Retaining information for reproduction is not the same as retaining knowledge for application.

📌 Consider this example:

✅ If I ask you which cranial nerve innervates the tongue muscles, you might easily answer: Cranial Nerve XII, the Hypoglossal Nerve.

✅ If I ask you to list the functions of the intrinsic and extrinsic tongue muscles, you might also get that right.

That’s reproducing knowledge—important, but not enough.

💡 Now let’s take it a step further:

What if I ask you to describe the clinical findings in a patient with a left hypoglossal nerve lesion?

To answer that, you need to apply your knowledge:

• What muscles are affected?
• How does this impact tongue movement?
• What signs would you see on a physical exam?

This is the difference between memorisation and true understanding—between learning lists of facts and learning HOW and WHY things happen.

🔹 Strive for deep learning.

🔹 Always ask HOW does this connect? WHY does it matter?

🔹 Shift from memorisation to application and problem-solving—that’s what makes a great clinician!

📦 Want to learn more?

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