Determining the Time Management Techniques and Study Strategies of Master’s Students Enrolled in a Graduate Gross Anatomy Course: a Pilot Study

Abstract

Upon entering graduate or professional school, students are often overwhelmed by the robust amount of information being delivered and the short time frame in which they are expected to learn the content. Students who lack sufficient study skills and time management techniques typically struggle to adapt to the heightened demands of graduate school. However, students who are self‐regulated learners possess the skills to adequately manage their time and monitor their own learning. Self‐regulated learning is the ability to set learning goals, plan study time, and assess learning. At the University of Mississippi Medical Center, there is a one‐year Master’s program—the Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences (MS‐BMS)—intended for students who are pursuing a future career in healthcare. This program introduces students to the coursework often encountered within the first year of medical or dental school, and the academic demands of the program prepare them for the heightened rigor of professional school. This study (IRB Protocol 2020V0105) sought to describe the study strategies and time management techniques of students enrolled in the MS‐BMS Gross Anatomy course. Students who consented to participate in the study (n=84) were asked to complete study logs documenting when, how long, where, and how they studied. In addition, students were asked to complete reflection questions both prior to and following each exam. These questions prompted students to reflect on how they were preparing for upcoming exams, what strategies worked well in their exam preparation, and what strategies needed to be adapted or changed. The information provided in the study logs and student responses to the pre‐ and post‐exam reflection questions underwent thematic analysis to establish codes that capture the time management techniques and study strategies of the Master’s students enrolled in the graduate gross anatomy course. The codes were utilized to establish common themes to describe the predominating student approaches in studying gross anatomy content. Some students reported utilizing less useful methods such as rereading their notes, reading through the lecture presentations multiple times, and watching recordings of the lectures again. Other students implemented more effective methods like using flashcards, self‐quizzing, and creating their own resources such as diagrams and charts. Student perceptions of the assignments were also analyzed, and many students acknowledged the assignments were helpful, held them accountable in their studying, and encouraged them to reflect on the effectiveness of their time management techniques and study strategies. The results of this study will be used to direct the implementation of future assignments geared towards bettering the time management and study strategies of this population.