Educational feature:

Cement your knowledge, by Dr Nhishanth Gurunathan, CPD Online Trainee Editor

My recent personal experience of helping a family member revise for his medical school finals has reminded me just how quickly the familiar can become unfamiliar. By now, most of us will be experienced in the art of learning – through our medical school studies, our postgraduate training or learning, and on-the-job experience – and feel comfortable with our particular learning style. But sometimes retaining this knowledge is not so easy. How can we remember what we have learned?

For knowledge to be retained the learning experience must be enjoyable. I am sure we can all remember inspiring teachers and lessons that remain etched in our memories. Sometimes, even the trivial can be imprinted in such a fashion. One of my earliest medical teachers used a peer-group setting and the method of friendly competition to make the mundane seem fascinating. To this day, I cannot forget the 25 causes of the medical condition finger clubbing that he enthused about! Teachers are not alone in their responsibility for improving the learning experience. In the December 2011 edition of the CPD Online e-newsletter, Gavin McKay and Giuseppe Spoto also demonstrate the value of learners making their own learning enjoyable.

Knowledge must also be assessed, whether formally or informally, to reinforce (or possibly even motivate) our learning. For example, at CPD Online, our modules contain end-of-section and end-of-module tests designed to reinforce your learning. Discussion of knowledge within peer groups may provide a more informal method of assessment. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, we must deliberately practice what we learn to embed these skills, using feedback or self-assessment to address any weaknesses (Duvivier et al, 2011). Ultimately, this will help us not only to retain what we learn, but also to translate that knowledge to the benefit of our patients.

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