Prior to joining the medical program in Egypt, I went to per-medical course. The orientation course in which we are exposed to WHOLE basic medical science subject within 3 months. For each lecture, we are cramped with a lot of basic medical concept that we ourselves must understand. We form a study group so that no one missed the topic discussed in seminars and tutorial. We were taught with whole lot of knowledge in VERY VERY BRIEF time.
From that experience, I develop a habit of understanding the basic concept of a knowledge. What is the logic ? Why they create it in a first place? I develop an habit of discussing what I don't understand with closest peer. I develop a creative study method to cope with enormous knowledge and stress in very brief period of time. I started to imagine the anatomy of human body. I place myself in the area of our body to understand it relation to other part of our body. I develop skill of imagination in which I used to imagine every single bodily process that occur inside the body. Honestly, this "power of imagination" did benefit me until now ! imagination is the power. We all have supercomputer in our brain that react from storage of memory interconnecting to each other. What you have to do is stimulate your neuron to think. Physiologically, this create new neuronal pathway that stimulate response and, if you reinforce this pathways repeatedly, this new pathway will become permanent. It create a along term memory.
The whole purpose of knowledge are not to be memorized. Knowledge is human experience that are recorded from various experiment, event, situation and case done. Some case are done well, the the author record it. Some not, so the author of the book warn the reader to not do the same. This is how knowledge is passed on from one generation to another.
Back to Egypt. In Egypt, the university I used to study, there is a lot of free time. We were expected to arrive at university at 8 a.m and leave the university at 3 p.m (if no lab / practical session). We got a lot of hours to spend on. The curriculum of the university is very book based. The lecture are very experienced. They write the book, and they give us very loong lecture. So, if you attend the lecture, you literally don't need to read the book. The lecture are passionate, they feels honored to teach us, Malaysian student there in Egypt.
But, I'm not a good memorizer. I have this two good friend of mine who always there for me. Literally always there. The only place they didn't follow me are to the toilet. Otherwise, he will followed me every single place I visit. I teach them every lesson doctor teach us. Everyday, after every single class, I will summarize the lecture. I will refer the note. Draw every anatomical structure in our body. Every muscle. Every blood supply, from where it come, to where it ends. Every nerve supply. I will forced myself to understand every biochemical reaction that occur in the body.
On, the evening, we (my two friends) went to Medinah Mosque for Maghrib prayer. After Maghrib prayer, I will teach them every single thing I learned from lecture, from the literature, from any materials I studied. I know my strength is focus. So, I teach them everything until they mastered the knowledge in and out. And then, I forget everything. My memory capacity not that good. I repeat this learning and teaching process almost everyday. Literally everyday.
When the exam season, my friend are the one who will be my teacher. They teaches me everything. Everything that I thought the earlier.My friend of course have a very good memory. He literally can remembered an event, even, a price of goods in supermarket! So, we are benefited from each other. The lesson from this story is, don't be insecure when someone knowledge is superior that you and, If you are knowledgeable man. Please spread the knowledge. You will get good deed when the person who you share the knowledge with practice it. Teach it to someone else. In Islam, this is continuous good deeds even when you are dead. Just imagine, this medical know how you shared might save someone lives later, who knows right. Remember, learning is continuous process. Don't ever stop learning until you die.
