Superlearner story: Dr Sophia’s medical student and intern

Dr Sophia reached me when she was a medical student, almost 10 years ago. She is now a respected doctor in her field, and occasionally we talk about her progress. This a story of small struggles and big achievements.

As Dr Sophia put it in her own words:

I did not achieve immediate success on my journey to becoming a well-respected professional. It was a path marked by unwavering determination, never-ending education, and, in the end, the transformational power of memory. My medical school career began with the same intimidating task of sorting through a flood of data, as do many other students. It felt like there were insurmountable barriers in the form of anatomy, biochemistry, and intricate illness processes, all of which required an almost superhuman memory. The overwhelming sense of pressure from tests and clinical rotations only made things worse. The combination of mnemonic and self-help techniques you teach allowed me to deal with my challenges. Now I feel calm and confident in my abilities. Thank you,…

Struggles and Frustrations:

The initial approach to learning is similar for many students. It is only natural to proceed in the University with things learned at school. Passive highlighting of textbooks for long hours produces little. Constant repetition of stuff to remember can be daunting. The tension is increased by the expectation to do well in a field known for having a rigorous curriculum. Students who excel above all their peers in school, discover that they are quite average in a more competitive environment. Stress and shorter sleep actually reduce the ability to learn new things and grades. Students become chronically tired. Caffeine and sugar provide short-term fixes but no long-term solution.

A Shift in Direction:

Memory techniques enable a more structured approach to the frustrating parts of learning, eventually reducing the stress. Even basic speedreading techniques, before subvocalization suppression, provide valuable minutes both at home and in examination rooms. Clearly, experts benefit from faster reading and massive memory structures to organize things, but for students simply changing the approach works well.

Specifically, Dr Sophia adapted my memory techniques approximately at the pace I published them in my video courses. She started with linking markers, but several years later she was building mental landscapes with mental palaces, PAO visualizations in each room’s corners, and mindmaps on the walls.

Self-help Practice:

Let us be clear, in my video courses I provide well more techniques than anyone needs. Even I myself use the techniques I teach quite sparingly.

For Dr Sophia simple NLP techniques like the circle of competence worked best, probably because her case was not very complex. All she needed was more sleep and a boost of confidence to overcome the self-doubts. Later in her career, she focused more on full-body scan and various breathing techniques since her work was quite physical.

Embracing Active Learning:

Another way of dealing with stress is taking control over one’s life and actively reorganizing the learning materials. Dr Sophia’s words:

I set out to redesign my approach to learning after gaining this fresh understanding. The era of routine memorizing was over. So, I started using strategies for active learning, such as making mental maps, using flashcards, and actively remembering facts without consulting other sources. These techniques not only helped me gain a deeper comprehension, but they also improved my capacity to make connections between seemingly unrelated bits of knowledge. Now, I am actively interacting with the material, building a strong mental network of knowledge, as opposed to passively taking it all in.

Motivating Others:

Social support is another way of dealing with stress. Sophia became actively involved in off-line and online study groups. In her words:

The way I transformed my journey was clear to everyone. After observing my development, my peers asked me for advice on efficient study methods. Before long, I was leading unofficial study groups, passing down the same strategies that had helped me to excel academically.

I volunteered my time to advise and assist aspiring medical professionals as part of student mentorship programs, driven by my passion for helping others realize their full potential.  I even started posting to blogs and internet forums.

Ten Years Late:

Dr Sophia finished her degree with high grades and became an expert in her field. Rather than investing deeply in clinical activities, Dr Sophia was more drawn to research activities and eventually joined a pharma company. She reported that a combination of memory techniques and systematic inventive thinking allowed her to be a valuable member of a team that discovered and patented some drug which is kind of amazing. She bought the full lifetime membership and every now and then asks me for further techniques embedded in my courses. Some of my more advanced materials were developed to help her. The Massive Memory Structures book was partially compiled from the materials requested by Dr Sophia.

Turn the Mistakes into Lessons:

I asked Dr Sophia to summarize her experience for this  article:

My narrative isn’t over with a happily ever after. I had obstacles and disappointments along the way, just as with any admirable undertaking. There were moments when the amount of knowledge felt overwhelming and the motivation faded. Self-doubt began to creep in, casting doubt on the efficacy of my recently adopted tactics. The challenge of juggling the responsibilities of school with personal obligations was another.

However, I overcame these obstacles with the same tenacity and fortitude that had defined my path from the start. I accepted the idea of failing ahead, utilizing my mistakes as teaching opportunities to improve my strategy. In addition, I actively sought out peer and mentor help, creating a cooperative learning atmosphere that encouraged motivation and progress among all participants.

If you want to improve your memory using special and new methods inspired by ancient memory techniques, you should try my memory masterclass. You do not have to pay the full price. Contact [email protected] and ask for a deep discount. Your satisfaction is guaranteed. But remember, because this is a more difficult method, you should have some basic memory training first before you try it.