VitalNotes

Paramedic Thinking. Essential Ideas. One Page at a Time.

Anki for Clinical Recall

Why Use Anki?

Paramedicine demands that you recall specific, high-stakes information under pressure: drug doses, directive criteria, contraindications, and clinical red flags. That means memory isn’t optional—it’s essential.

Anki is a flashcard app that uses a method called spaced repetition to help you remember facts for the long term. Instead of reviewing everything all the time, Anki shows you information right before you’re about to forget it. This is the most efficient way to beat the forgetting curve.

An Anki setup/user guide is available here: Anki Setup & Use Guide

What Is Spaced Repetition?

Spaced repetition works by increasing the time between each review of a flashcard:

  • Day 1: You learn the fact
  • Day 3: You review it again
  • Day 7: You see it once more
  • Day 15: It’s shown again only if you’re still remembering it well

If you forget a card, it comes back sooner. If you remember it, Anki pushes it further out. Over time, this means you’re always studying the right material—at the right time.

What Makes a Good Anki Card?

Anki cards should be simple, specific, and test a single fact. Avoid long paragraphs or vague ideas.

Poor Card Example:

Front: What do you know about CHF?
Back: (Too long, too broad)

Better Card Examples:

Front: What is the adult dose of epinephrine for anaphylaxis?
Back: 0.5 mg IM

Front: Name 3 symptoms of left-sided heart failure.
Back: Crackles, orthopnea, paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea

Front: What is Beck’s Triad?
Back: Hypotension, JVD, muffled heart sounds (cardiac tamponade)

You can even use image occlusion (hiding parts of a diagram) to label anatomy or protocols.

How to Use Anki Effectively

Step 1: Make Cards from What You Learn

Every time something surprises you in lab, shows up in a lecture, or challenges your memory—make a card.

Example:

  • Scenario: Chest pain patient receives ASA
  • Card: “What is the PCP dose of ASA for suspected MI?” → “160–162 mg PO, chewed”

Step 2: Tag or Categorize Your Cards

Group by topic:

  • Airway
  • Cardiac
  • Medications
  • OSCEs
  • Directives

This helps when you want to review only a specific area (like before an airway scenario day).

Step 3: Review Daily (Just 5–10 Minutes)

Anki works best when used consistently:

  • Do your reviews every day
  • Don’t worry about adding dozens of new cards at once
  • Add 1–3 good cards per day based on what you learned that day
  • Don’t mark a card “Easy” unless you could explain it to a classmate without pausing.

Real-Life Example

After a respiratory lab, you learned the importance of recognizing early signs of pulmonary embolism:

  • Card 1: “Classic triad of PE?” → “Dyspnea, pleuritic chest pain, hemoptysis”
  • Card 2: “O2 saturation in PE?” → “Often low despite clear lungs”
  • Card 3: “What condition mimics PE but shows wheezes?” → “Asthma”

You now have three sharp recall tools that will resurface for you automatically until they’re locked into memory.

Tips for Paramedic Students Using Anki

  • Focus on high-yield content (drugs, directives, red flags)
  • Test application when possible (not just memorization)
  • Use scenario experiences to generate real-world cards
  • Be consistent—not perfect

Final Thoughts

Anki isn’t a crutch—it’s a memory gym. With just a few minutes each day, you can build a durable knowledge base that supports faster recall, safer practice, and stronger clinical confidence.

Combined with your smart notes in Obsidian and your reflection habits, this tool makes you retention-proof.

I. Learning Foundations

Build a strong system for thinking, studying, and remembering in high-pressure fields.

II. Practical Application

Move from theory to field-ready practice. These tools help bridge simulation, lab, and real calls.

  • Scenario Days – Make Learning Stick
    How to get more from scenario practice using repetition, debriefs, and learning loops. Turn repetition into retention.
  • Mastering Directive Decision-Making
    A breakdown of how to use directives in real-time, with pattern recognition, logic triggers, and threshold thinking.
  • Reflecting Without Journaling
    Not everyone journals—this guide offers quick, low-resistance alternatives to build metacognition through regular reflection.
  • Lab Integration Guide
    Use lab sessions to build decision-making habits, not just check off skills. Includes scenario prep, debriefing, and error capture.

III. Clinical Reasoning

Develop clarity under pressure. These pages train your diagnostic eye, pattern sense, and mental workflow.

IV. Resources

Your support tools: guides, summaries, templates, and setup walkthroughs.

  • Summary
    Recap of the big ideas behind VitalNotes: learn reflectively, study actively, and build a system that supports decision-making under pressure.
  • Helpful Resources
    Downloadables and quick-reference tools: directive cue sheets, Anki decks, debrief templates, and scenario aids.
  • Anki Setup & Use Guide
    Step-by-step instructions for downloading, customizing, and optimizing Anki for long-term retention.
  • Obsidian Setup & Use Guide
    How to build a clinical note vault in Obsidian: folder structures, templates, and linking strategies.
  • Sources and References
    A list of research and literature that supports the methods taught in the blog, with commentary on their application to clinical learning.