1. Pathways: Know any neural pathway that Dr. Franklin teaches backward, forward, and at any point in between! The previous statement may sound extreme, but being able to reproduce these pathways can improve your understanding and allow you to be more confident and successful on exam day. I highly recommend using colored pencils or pens to distinguish between the various pathways and their components if you are a visual learner. Dr. Franklin will demonstrate effective strategies for drawing out the neural pathways during his recitations, as discussed in a future point. 2. Radiology Returns: Similar to some of the aforementioned concepts, radiology pertraining to the CNS also reappears from Anatomy and is taught by Dr. Ayoob. For the class of 2025, this consisted of one full day of lecture with Book Widget Imaging pre-work. While it is only one day of lec ure, a lot of ground is covered. Make sure to dedicate time to understanding this material as it made up a portion of the first exam’s questions. It is important that you watch the pre-work and familiarize yourself with the material beforehand if you plan on attending class in-person. 3. Preview the Material: While it may be difficult to read ahead for every class, I recommend looking at the topics to be covered in the upcoming week during the weekends. One weekend study strategy that I found to be effective (and can be applied to other classes) was to dedicate Saturday’s study time towards reviewing and reinforcing the previous week’s material. This included rewatching particular lectures, reviewing flashcards, or skimming through the PowerPoints. Then, reading through the available PowerPoints for the following week’s lectures was effective for studying on Sunday. Since all four of the exams occur on Fridays, the division of weekend study time between past and future material helps to prevent any “cramming” of material before an exam. This weekend preparation can help you identify potential questions as well as prepare you for the review lectures and, ultimately, the exams. I would also advise taking the weekend following each Friday exam to relax, spend time with friends and family, and to take a much needed break from studying. 4. Repetition is Key: Spaced repetition is of paramount importance in the Neurosciences course. This may seem paradoxical considering the great amount of information being presented, but the more times that you review a concept in different contexts, the more likely you are to remember it. The most effective method for spaced repetition depends entirely upon personal preference. For instance, some find Anki to be useful while others (including myself) rely on a personalized plan of lecture PowerPoint review or homemade flashcards. 4. Ask Questions: There are some challenging concepts presented in this course, but the professors are very willing to answer students’ questions, either via email or through in-person office hours. Personally, I asked all of the course directors questions at some point in this class, and each professor was helpful in addressing any questions regarding content or OSCE preparation. We are fortunate to have professors that welcome questions and truly want each student to succeed! 5. Attend the Recitations and “Putting It All Together” Sessions: I would highly recommend attending (in-person, if possible) the recitation or pre-exam review lectures held by Dr. Franklin, Dr. Farrell, and Dr. McFarlin. The recitations, usually taught by Dr. Franklin, provide summaries of the neural pathways covered earlier in the week. Dr. Franklin works through the main pathways and identifies key lesions. On the day before each exam, I would recommend rewatching each of the recitations on Echo as a final reinforcement of some of the key content. Additionally, the “Putting It All Together” review sessions are equally important, and these lectures are taught by Dr. Farrell and Dr. McFarlin. Students get the opportunity to review cases and answer questions that feature high yield information for the upcoming exam. Dr. Farrell and Dr. McFarlin talk through each case and provide a clinical perspective for the neuroanatomy concepts that Dr. Franklin teaches during his neural pathway recitations.

The Neurosciences course contains one OSCE consisting of an in-person neurological exam with a standardized patient and an online headache assessment. The course directors dedicate a time period on the study day prior to the third exam towards an OSCE practice for all students to observe a neurological exam. Dr. Rudy provides a helpful video outlining the exam as well as in depth instructions for each step that is useful to watch before attending the OSCE practice. The online headache assessment involves watching a series of videos in which a physician interviews a patient whose chief concern is a headache. One must reason through what type of headache that the patient has and offer reasonable alternatives. To best prepare for this portion of the exam, I recommend printing out the study guide that Dr. Rudy provides and adding notes in the margins from his lecture on headaches or any mnemonics that you find helpful. I lightheartedly add: For additional practice, identify your tension headaches on busy days of studying and be able to disprove the other types of headaches.

M1s, put your amygdala at ease and activate your Papez circuit for an eight week exploration of the central nervous system. My biggest piece of advice is to find a study plan that works best for your learning style and schedule, and you will do great!