Useless Med School Notes; Medical Education Through Mnemonics

BACKGROUND: The volume of content required for synthesis by medical students is immense and continues to grow as more insight and information is added to the existing compendium of medical knowledge. Mnemonics, memory palaces, and other visual memory aids have been used throughout history for assisting students and scholars in recalling information; offering an alternative to the practice of rote memorization. While technology has advanced and a shift towards paid-subscription services that offer pre-made mnemonics has gained great popularity among medical students, studies have shown that the act of creating the mnemonic in of itself serves as a powerful memory formation tool. OBJECTIVE: Through engaging students in social media platforms, this project aims to build a bank of mnemonics as well as engage users in the creation of their own mnemonics to facilitate richer and more interactive educational experiences. METHODS: Since its inception, this project has utilized instagram ® as a platform for social communication. Using the app GoodNotes ® as a drawing platform, images are created and then uploaded to instagram ® , where they are shared with the followers of the content. RESULTS: 250+ mnemonics have been created and posted to the platform, amassing over 1,100 followers. Each post averages 800+ views and 40-70 “likes” from followers. CONCLUSION: By increasing the reach of this social mnemonic service, this project intends to become a staple in assisting long-term memory formation for medical students. As the reach of this project continues to grow, it will provide opportunities to assess the impact and effectiveness of the various memory devices, as well as the power of influence that the project has on encouraging students to engage in the creation of their own visual means of learning