# How Do Toppers Study?



## Farheen (Nov 10, 2013)

I really don't understand how toppers study. How they get 1000+ marks. I studied for 14-15 hours daily for MCAT [only last 2 months] and scored 967. And I have seen toppers who have had really unserious attitude in class and scored more than me. What's so special about them?


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## izzamughal (Jul 20, 2013)

Wow, you must have worked real hard. I'm the sort of person who studied seriously only the last 20 days before the MCAT, and only because I finally realized I was about to drown. But I suppose the secret lies in a person's concentration, because it's quality that matters, not quantity, especially when you've got loads of conceptual studying to do. And more often, it's easier to stick to the syllabus, and follow some sort of routine. 
By the way, kudos to you for your effort. It's quite admirable. :thumbsup:


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## Crypt (Oct 8, 2013)

Some kids just memorize faster, and better.
And its QUALITY study that counts..

Study with the right attitude and relevantly, u can get done with what seems a 12 hour course in 3-4 hours..


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## SonnenSays (Oct 27, 2013)

There was no conceptual study to be done for the mcat. It was all memorising. So I guess some people are better at memorising trivial facts than others.


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## izzamughal (Jul 20, 2013)

SonnenSays said:


> There was no conceptual study to be done for the mcat. It was all memorising. So I guess some people are better at memorising trivial facts than others.


I disagree. Physics was mostly conceptual. And there's a reason lots of kids found it comparatively difficult. Chemistry and Biology were all about memorizing.


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## SonnenSays (Oct 27, 2013)

I just remember 4 or 5 questions that required a concept. Rest of that too was memorisation.


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## Awais Ishaq (Nov 1, 2012)

SonnenSays said:


> I just remember 4 or 5 questions that required a concept. Rest of that too was memorisation.


There would be many questions that required concepts but you can only remmber a few cuz you are not gud at memorizing


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## duckling (Sep 26, 2013)

hehe


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## Farheen (Nov 10, 2013)

izzamughal said:


> Wow, you must have worked real hard. I'm the sort of person who studied seriously only the last 20 days before the MCAT, and only because I finally realized I was about to drown. But I suppose the secret lies in a person's concentration, because it's quality that matters, not quantity, especially when you've got loads of conceptual studying to do. And more often, it's easier to stick to the syllabus, and follow some sort of routine.
> By the way, kudos to you for your effort. It's quite admirable. :thumbsup:


I had to work hard because I didn't study well in FSc and considering your point that you studied seriously for the last 20 days, I'd say that's probably because you studied well in your A levels. No one can prepare MCAT in last 20 days unless he/she has already gone through the whole syllabus [No offense sweetie].


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## SonnenSays (Oct 27, 2013)

Awais Ishaq said:


> There would be many questions that required concepts but you can only remmber a few cuz you are not gud at memorizing


You are right. Out of 220 questions, only like 10 were about memorising trivial details and the other 210 were all concept.:thumbsup:


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## noffess (Nov 11, 2013)

YES! that's right
i heard soo many people telling me mcat is the main game and it soo comceptual and all but when i gave the mcat i actually realised it is only the game of your memory except for some of the physics OFCOURSE but the rest is only MEMORISING!


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## Awais Ishaq (Nov 1, 2012)

SonnenSays said:


> You are right. Out of 220 questions, only like 10 were about memorising trivial details and the other 210 were all concept.:thumbsup:


oh I was just kidding man


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## SonnenSays (Oct 27, 2013)

Sure you were.


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## NarjisShah (Oct 13, 2013)

SonnenSays said:


> Sure you were.


Calm down there sonnen. We still love you


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## Acer (May 24, 2013)

Let me tell you something. Toppers in MBBS are not good clinicians. Being a good clinical doctor requires more brains than just mugging up MBBS books. People who top generally get around 75%-80%, not in 90s like FSc or MCAT.
However you must aim for more than 95% for USMLE to get residency. :thumbsup:

These are not my words..a successful radiologist told me.


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## NarjisShah (Oct 13, 2013)

Acer said:


> Let me tell you something. Toppers in MBBS are not good clinicians. Being a good clinical doctor requires more brains than just mugging up MBBS books. People who top generally get around 75%-80%, not in 90s like FSc or MCAT.
> However you must aim for more than 95% for USMLE to get residency. :thumbsup:
> 
> These are not my words..a successful radiologist told me.


Thats exactly what i believe. Just needed someone to back up my thoughts. Now i can rest in peace.


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## izzamughal (Jul 20, 2013)

Acer said:


> Let me tell you something. Toppers in MBBS are not good clinicians. Being a good clinical doctor requires more brains than just mugging up MBBS books. People who top generally get around 75%-80%, not in 90s like FSc or MCAT.
> However you must aim for more than 95% for USMLE to get residency. :thumbsup:
> 
> These are not my words..a successful radiologist told me.


True that. But can't say that having a photographic memory doesn't help.

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Acer said:


> Let me tell you something. Toppers in MBBS are not good clinicians. Being a good clinical doctor requires more brains than just mugging up MBBS books. People who top generally get around 75%-80%, not in 90s like FSc or MCAT.
> However you must aim for more than 95% for USMLE to get residency. :thumbsup:
> 
> These are not my words..a successful radiologist told me.


True that. But can't say that having a photographic memory doesn't help.


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## Acer (May 24, 2013)

NarjisShah said:


> Thats exactly what i believe. Just needed someone to back up my thoughts. Now i can rest in peace.


Great. Are you aiming for USMLE by the way? Which college?


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## NarjisShah (Oct 13, 2013)

Acer said:


> Great. Are you aiming for USMLE by the way? Which college?


Islamabad Medical and Dental College.
I'm a little indecisive right now. Between USMLE and PLAB.


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## Acer (May 24, 2013)

izzamughal said:


> True that. But can't say that having a photographic memory doesn't help.
> 
> - - - Updated - - -
> 
> ...


I agree. It does help for a lot of things in courses like medicine.

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NarjisShah said:


> Islamabad Medical and Dental College.
> I'm a little indecisive right now. Between USMLE and PLAB.


I have also been told by a doctor not to aim for PLAB. Its way too hard and troublesome. 
Its everyone's own choice though.


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## Crypt (Oct 8, 2013)

izzamughal said:


> True that. But can't say that having a photographic memory doesn't help.
> 
> - - - Updated - - -
> 
> ...


Theres two aspects to this ryt...
Those exams, the proffs...

That cud be helped by with all the mugging, i.e just memorizing in a way thats interesting enough to stick.

And that clinical practice..
That makes you ace your practical side as a doc.

A balance is necessary i suppose...

NOT hitting those books like one needs to might not get those soaring scores.

Nowhere but in PAK does the theory system exist anymore for the professional exams,
Its all MCQ now..

Wonder if in a decade that might come around for us too.

But i until it doesn't...
Memory (and good as it is the better..) is gonna be playing that mbbs game.


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## Umer Yamin (Oct 2, 2013)

Those 832 words of vocabulary, all ratta, guess I barely did 5 or 6 out of 14, bad at english
Then the good crammers even knew the rules of grammar while me? Lol
Then Biology, 88 mcqs, not even one that involved any real concepts, great.
Chemistry, still mostly memorizing, like they want us to know the enthalpy of formation of CO2, I thought it wont be ratta, it has to be negative, thats the concept but then I saw three out of the four values were negative, like couldn't they give us all the values and make us calculate it, idiots, Physics was conceptual but not much, hardly any numericals
Then they said MCAT's gonna be conceptual.


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## arslan98765 (Nov 7, 2013)

it's all of their luck....!


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## NarjisShah (Oct 13, 2013)

Acer said:


> I agree. It does help for a lot of things in courses like medicine.
> 
> - - - Updated - - -
> 
> ...


Really? :/ thanks for the heads up! Gonna look into USMLE now. So far i've only been considering PLAB.


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## izzamughal (Jul 20, 2013)

Farheen said:


> I had to work hard because I didn't study well in FSc and considering your point that you studied seriously for the last 20 days, I'd say that's probably because you studied well in your A levels. No one can prepare MCAT in last 20 days unless he/she has already gone through the whole syllabus [No offense sweetie].


None taken. 
But that's the thing, I took a gap year. And even my A Levels studies were rough around the edges. And the last 20 days were really all I had, but I stuck to the syllabus through and through. 



Crypt said:


> Theres two aspects to this ryt...
> Those exams, the proffs...
> 
> That cud be helped by with all the mugging, i.e just memorizing in a way thats interesting enough to stick.
> ...


Yep. No one should ever just stick to memorizing because that alone would never help. But it would be so wrong to say that it doesn't play a crucial part in a field like medicine, because let's be honest, when it comes to the analytical skills, you need concepts, but for the rest of it, whether it's knowing all the diseases or medicines, you need to have a good memory, that's just how it works.


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## ezra (Sep 29, 2011)

FSC and UHS exam don't matter if you aim to be a good doctor,do they sweeten the deal? Sure! but since the exam system in Pakistan is **** and 90% of the time the paper is out its now nearly impossible to get into a public sector college. But once your in things change, like REALLY CHANGE! MBBS study is fun, I personally enjoy studying (****ty i know) but still... Fact is it doesn't matter how much effort you put in the fact is, as long as the system doesn't change, number of hours and hard work doesn't count. Here is an example : my roommate when we were in first year repeated fsc and gave the uhs test again, he scored 940 in UHS that last year and boosted his merit for 80% to 84% he was sure to get in so he left the hostel. Turns out the merit closed at 84. something... He got detained as he didn't give the final exam and thought to repeat the UHS exam, This year he score 960. And the merit went above 86. something... i heard so... Yea life is unfair


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