What does “understanding” actually look like in Phase 1?

 Early in medical school, you’ll hear a lot of advice about understanding rather than memorising. That can sound reassuring — but also frustratingly vague. When you’re faced with a lot of new content, it’s reasonable to wonder what you’re actually meant to do differently.

In Phase 1, understanding doesn’t mean knowing everything. It means being able to explain how things work and why they matter, even if the finer detail isn’t solid yet.

Understanding starts with why, then builds detail

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For example:

• You don’t just know that dehydration causes dizziness — you can explain why reduced circulating volume affects blood pressure and cerebral perfusion.

• You don’t just know that sunburn damages skin — you can explain how disruption of skin layers affects barrier function and thermoregulation.

• You don’t just know that electrolytes are important — you can explain what role sodium and potassium play in maintaining homeostasis.

That explanatory framework is what understanding looks like.

Once that framework is in place, detail has somewhere to attach. Without it, detail is just a list to memorise and forget.

What this looks like in practice when you’re studying

A practical way to approach new content is in layers:

1. Start with the concept
   What is the system doing? What problem is it solving for the body?

2. Add the mechanism
   How does the structure or process actually achieve that function?

3. Then add detail
   Names, layers, pathways, numbers — these matter, but they make more sense once the “why” is clear.

For example, when learning about the skin:

• First understand its role in protection, fluid balance, and temperature regulation

• Then learn how different layers contribute to those functions

• Then add the specific layer names and cell types

All three are important — just not all at the same moment.

Understanding means making connections across subjects

In Phase 1, anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry are deliberately integrated. Real patients don’t present with problems neatly labelled by discipline.

Case-based learning (CBL) reflects this. When you’re working through a case, try asking:

• How does structure explain function here?

• How does function explain the symptoms?

• How are multiple systems responding to the same stress?

If you can start linking ideas across subjects, you’re doing exactly what Phase 1 is designed to develop.

Understanding does not mean avoiding detail

It’s important to be clear about this: detail does matter, and you will need it.

What changes in medical school is not whether you learn detail, but when and why:

• Early on, detail supports understanding

• Later, understanding supports recall and application

As you revisit topics, the detail will become more precise, more automatic, and more clinically meaningful.

A simple self-check

When you’re studying, ask yourself:

• Can I explain this in my own words?

• Can I link it back to the case we’re discussing?

• Do I understand what would happen if this system was stressed or failed?

If the answer is mostly yes, you’re learning in the right way — even if your notes aren’t perfect yet.

A final reassurance

Phase 1 is about learning how to think, not about mastering everything immediately. Feeling unsure at times is normal. What matters is that you’re building a framework that new information can slot into over time.

Focus on understanding first. Add detail deliberately. Both matter — just in the right order.