AnKing/Anki

Note: Click here for a step-by-step setup and use guide with pictures. Below is an explanation with more context. 

Click here for a sample day of Anki use

General Anki

Anki (official download linked here) is an app you can download for making flashcards. Once you have the basics you can get started with decks. Most people use the AnKing deck (detailed below) but many also use other decks they find and make their own as well. This is just one of the many things you’ll have to get a feel for as you go through medical school.

How to download AnKing

Here is a reddit post for the download of the official legal download of the AnKing deck.

The top comment of this reddit post has the anking deck with copyrighted content. These links have been reported to be safe and are used frequently. However, the authors of M1goto do not condone the illegal use of copyrighted content.

How to use

The AnKing deck is made from multiple decks which use First Aid as their primary resource. To use the deck you watch or read a third party resource related to what you’re studying in the block, then find the tag for that specific resource. You then unlock the cards under that tag and work through them until you’re done for the day. Continue this process throughout the block to stay current with your knowledge.

Most people suspend cards related to a block once they are done with the block. If you do not do this, cards can build up very quickly and you will be clogged with cards which are irrelevant for the block. Some people prefer this, but most don’t. Figure out what works for you in this department.

Another strategy to study using the AnKing deck is through the search tool. If you come across a topic you think will be important and you’d like to study it, but you don’t have the third party resource or you’ve already learned about it through lecture and/or objectives, you can search for cards related to that topic and unsuspend them. This can be somewhat difficult as you have to do some digging to find the cards which are relevant, but it’s also very helpful as you can select for cards that are covered in the block yourself. High effort high reward here.

Notes

Anki is the primary study resource for many people. If you feel like Anki is eating into your time, that can just be part of it. It’s still an excellent resource and is the bread and butter of most medical students.

That being said, not everyone uses anki and not everyone uses it equally. For some, it’s almost all they do to study. Although I don’t personally recommend this, it works well for some. Others use it moderately throughout the block. Some don’t use it at all. Each of these styles is okay. The most important thing is to spend time figuring out what works for you. If you don’t like anki and you don’t think it’s helping you, don’t use it. I recommend at least trying it, but the most important thing is to avoid wasting time on things that don’t work for you. Find what does work and ditch what doesn’t, even if everyone else really likes something you don’t.