Studying Medicine

In November 2013, I messaged my younger brother and sister, both of whom are studying Medicine at two different medical colleges.

This is what I wrote.

1. Imagine your dreams, desires coming true. Feel the pleasure. Think how becoming a great physician can help make your dreams, desires into reality. (Say to yourself, "Yeah! I can turn all of my dreams into reality! What am I waiting for?") Now stop doing everything else and start studying! (Motivate yourself regularly.) 
2. Ignite your curiosity. (Say, "Hey, I know this and this about how we see things with our eyes! I want to understand the whole vision thing more deeply!") As you read, never lose sight of the things you wanted to know and the questions you had in your mind when you started out. As you learn more, ask more questions and study, think to find out answers to your questions. (Write them down if you find it useful.) (Say, "So now I understand how image forms on the retina, but how does the signal reach the brain?") Get excited! (Say, "So there is a primary visual area and a secondary visual area!") Feel proud of yourself! (Say to yourself, "Huh! How many of my friends can explain / understand it like the way I can!") Become passionate! 
3. Just as we build model of a person ("he is such and such"), build models of different systems and integrate “everything” you learn to those models. 
4. Build models of different systems and subsystems: Cardiovascular systems (subsystem: heart), Nervous systems (subsystems: spinal cord, eyes-vision, brain etc.). Integrate whatever you learn about a system in that system’s model. Visualize – try to see everything in your mind’s eyes. As you learn new concepts integrate them into respective models. Draw pictures, diagrams. Write on those pictures, diagrams. 
5. Consider hierarchy of systems (how cells make different tissues, tissues make different organs).
6. Learn how different systems interact (e.g., stress triggers hormonal responses: endocrine system). Visualize – draw - use graphs / networks (diagrams with lines connecting different systems). 
7. When learning pathology, build models of diseases. Now model how different systems (cardiovascular, immune) work / dysfunction (as a result of e.g., a particular class of virus / bacteria) to give rise to diseases and the treatment plan. (Say, "So this is why the treatment plan for this disease is that pharmaceutical!") 
8. Never forget to visualize! When you visualize / draw diagrams, you can take in a lot of information at a time and all the facts you learn seem real.