How to study for Medical School Microbiology

Micro is one of those rote memorization courses and requires constant repetition. It can, however, be organized so that associations can be better made (such as breaking gram positive bugs into cocci, bacilli, and branching filaments and then further breaking the cocci into coagulase positive and coagulase negative...etc) and tables should be written and used to help facilitate this. Micro questions, however, are predictable and as long as you put the work into memorizing the associations each bug has as well as where it fits within the overarching context of bacteria, it shouldn't be too terrible. This is a course where flashcards and brute memorization will do well.

Steps to studying Microbiology (in order)

Read through the lecture notes/lecture slides. Compare with reliable review texts.

Make a diagram

You'll have to tailor your learning to how your school teaches microbiology. However, the easiest way to understand all of the bugs you will learn about is to create an overlying framework of what you're studying. For example, if you're learning about gram negative bacteria, you should draw out a table that separates them into rods, diplococci, coccoid rods, and comma shaped, with each category extending into multiple other factors/bugs; similarly, for viruses, you should list the all of the different viruses in each viral family and memorize them in the context of their family. Essentially, the goal is to be able to differentiate, say, Strep. pyogenes from Strep. agalactiae, because you know that Strep. pyogenes is bacitracin sensitive and Strep agalactiae is bacitracin resistant. You could do this with flashcards, sure, but the easier way is to draw it all out and see how each one relates to each other in reference to various differing characteristics. This should be done first, before you learn about all the intrinsic qualities of each bug. On your diagram, write in little details or conceptional ideas for each bug. 

Make flashcards

Use Anki to make a deck of flashcards that will quiz you on one-to-one associations. DO NOT make flashcards with lengthy answers. 

What do I need to know for Microbiology? For each bug, in addition to the above, know the following

What it does/causes

For example, EHEC causes hemolytic-uremic syndrome and congenital syphilis causes saber shins and hutchinson teeth, among others

If there is a special agar/stain/lab test that it grows on/is stained by/tests for it, know it

For example, Haemophilus needs chocolate agar, Legionella is stained with a silver stain, and Helicobacter can be tested for by a urea breath test). 

For parasitic microbes, know how it is transmitted

for example, Naegleria in freshwater ponds

For viruses, know the family each viruses is in as well as the DNA/RNA structure.

The structure isn't as important on Step 1 but they may be tested on your inhouse exams.