Mnemonics

Abstract

When asked to name the facial nerve branches would you go “to zanzibar by motor car”? If so, you've used a mnemonic and probably increased your chances of answering the question correctly. Chibuzo Odigwe and Sarah Davidson explain Among the many uses of mnemonics is the recollection of the branches of the facial nerve (temporal, zygomatic, buccal, mandibular, and cervical), as above. Although modern medical students employ numerous mnemonics, the idea of tying one thing to another to facilitate recollection is not new. The ancient Greeks and Romans had a system of mnemonics, that used the loci et res, method. This combined a familiar structure (locus) and the thing to be remembered (res), allowing information to be remembered in a serial order. 1 The word itself can be traced to Mnemosyne, the Greek personification of memory.1

Chest

“…18 Finally, while use of mnemonics in medical education has proven effective as a strategy to boost memory and improve recall of facts, the goal of mnemonics is not to enhance comprehension. [23][24][25] Furthermore, the clinical practice of NPs who depend on mnemonics may fall short when generalizing disease-specifi c details to the presentations of patients with complex needs. Therefore, NPs should understand the concepts behind the mnemonic letters before employing them.…”

“…Furthermore, the clinical practice of NPs who depend on mnemonics may fall short when generalizing disease-specific details to the presentations of patients with complex needs. Therefore, NPs should understand the concepts behind the mnemonic letters before employing them 25…”

Diagnostic Schemas: Form and Function

“…14 Diagnostic schemas are distinct from diagnostic checklists which ensure consideration of a lengthy differential diagnosis or enforce a diagnostic "time out" with metacognition. 15,16 Schemas also differ from mnemonics 17 , which are memory aids that facilitate recall without connecting to an underlying knowledge structure or meaning (e.g., MUDPILES for anion gap metabolic acidosis).…”