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Flashcard Creation

⁠

My Ultimate Study System to Learn From Anywhere

After years of trying every flashcard app, textbook highlighter, study timetable, and last-minute cramming strategy out there… I finally found something that works consistently - no matter where I am, how tired I am, or how complex the topic is.

This post is a walkthrough of my complete system for turning any topic into a flashcard deck, a podcast, and a mental framework - in under 30 minutes - so I can study:

👟 while running

🚌 during commutes

🛏️ before bed

🏥 even between ward rounds

It’s simple, scalable, and uses tools you already have access to.

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🧠 Step 1: Choose the Next Topic (Smartly)

I don’t waste time figuring out what to study. Instead:

I hop into

my RemNote profile⁠

, which already has my active decks organised by system.

I use ChatGPT to auto-generate the next logical subtopic I need to cover based on what I’ve already done. (I.e say, “my next block is orthopaedic surgery and trauma, what sub-topics will I have to master to be the best doctor that I possibly can be?”

🔍 Why? This makes studying systematic instead of random - and gives me confidence that I'm covering what actually matters.

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📚 Step 2: Find the Best Source Material

Next, I go to my central source of truth - usually

AMBOSS⁠

- and pull high-quality information:

Signs & symptoms

Mechanisms

Clinical pearls

Management plans

💡 You could also use UpToDate, textbooks, class notes, or even just raw information straight from GPT (e.g ask it to give you a textbook chapter covering all of the above)

🛠 Why? The key here is depth and accuracy - my flashcards and podcast rely on this, so I make sure I’m learning from the best material possible.

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🤖 Step 3: Create Flashcards with GPT

Once I’ve got the content, I paste it into my custom GPT Flashcard Creator, which:

Converts it into RemNote-ready Markdown

Adds structured formatting with headings and sub-bullets

Uses emojis 🧠 (these aren’t just cute - they anchor memory via mind palacing, see

our full explainer here⁠

)

Adds memory cues to highlight exam-worthy details

I then paste these into

RemNote⁠

, and it becomes an active deck I can revise anywhere.

⚡️ Why? Because formatting is the barrier for most students. By automating this, I focus on actual learning, not faffing around with indenting or styling.

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🎧 Step 4: Generate a Personal Podcast Episode

This is the secret sauce that makes this system work from anywhere and anytime.

I take that same content and paste it into

NotebookLM⁠

, (absolutely free) where I:

Upload the source information

Use my podcast-generation prompt (e.g.

“Create the ultimate deep dive podcast, for me, a final year {insert specialty} student, on {insert topic}. Ensuring that I can listen to it on the go and quickly conceptualise, visualise and understand the nitty gritty details of the pathology, clinical signs and management. This needs to cover the basics and also include advanced level facts and concepts so that I can impress my consultant on rounds, and to ensure I’ve mastered the topic. Revise information regularly and give me easy ways to remember key information.”

Let it generate a default length, high-yield, audio episode

Then I upload it to

my personal Podcast Google Drive⁠

, which is open to you as well, if you want to just use the episodes that we’ve already made.

📱 Why? Because I don’t always have my laptop, but I always have my phone. This turns any downtime — walking, driving, brushing teeth - into productive revision or learning time. I can always listen to a 15 min overview while driving or running an errand (in fact, learning on the move actually assists with memorisation, because our brains are wired to remember place - see section on

The Mind Palace⁠

)

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🧪 Step 5: Daily Active Recall (in 5–10 Minute Blocks)

Every day, I open my RemNote deck and:

Review cards using spaced repetition

Prioritise topics I’ve recently added or struggled with

Keep it flexible - in a queue, before ward rounds, while waiting for consultants

⏱ Why? Spaced repetition is the most evidence-based way to retain complex information long-term. Flashcards make it easy. Pairing it with podcast episodes just supercharges it.

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📚 Access Everything I’ve Made

If you’re on this course, you get access to:

🎧 My full podcast library (updated weekly): 👉

Open Google Drive Podcast Folder⁠

⁠

🧠 All flashcards I’ve made so far (organised by system): 👉

Visit my RemNote Profile⁠

⁠

These are yours to use, adapt, and add to your own system.

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🚀 In Summary

This whole process takes under 20 minutes per topic once you get into the rhythm. Here's the flywheel:

1. Pick a topic → 2. Pull quality info → 3. Auto-make flashcards → 4. Generate a podcast → 5. Review daily.

Whether you're studying for finals, squeezing in revision between calls, or prepping for rounds - this system makes it possible to learn from anywhere.

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