Alex and I write about spaced repetition over at KevinMD

We’ve all heard it said that learning medicine is like drinking from a firehose. Yet many students and schools don’t use one of the most effective study techniques available to them. Spaced repetition is a powerful, evidence-based study technique that can enhance learning and long-term retention of medical knowledge. Medical students and schools could both benefit from understanding and using spaced repetition to produce more knowledgeable and better-informed doctors.

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In our previous post, we talked about the power of spaced repetition.  But sometimes, a picture is work a thousand words.  Here’s a YouTube simulation comparing spaced repetition with studying topics at random.  The animation shows a steady stream of new material being learned (like what you’re learning in class) and contrasts studying randomly (like when you review from a note sheet) with spaced repetition.  Fresh memories show up as brightly colored circles, as you forget a fact, it fades into black.  At the end, compare how much you’re losing with random study, and how much better spaced repetition fares.

Random study:

Spaced repetition: