Drug Card, Part II - Memory Trick

In this post, I am going to share a trick I used to quickly and permanently memorize the drug card. This technique comes from a book called Moonwalking with Einstein, by Joshua Foer.  Moonwalking is a non-fiction study of the world of competitive memorization.  Many of the 'professional memorizers' in Moonwalking who perform incredible feats of memory are actually employing very simple tricks or mnemonics, such as the one presented here.

This trick involves using a code to convert a sequence of numbers into a sequence of letters.  The sequence of letters is then turned into a phrase or sentence.  Then all you have to do is simply memorize the sentence, which, you can convert back into the original sequence of numbers using the aforementioned code.  Think of the code as a sort of Rosetta Stone, translating one arcane language, numbers, into a better understood language, interesting words and phrases.

Which sounds easier to you:  Memorizing all the numbers on the card for the concentration, dose, typical bolus and syringe of Ephedrine Sulfate, amid all the other numbers for all of the other drugs....or memorizing the phrase 'Loose Lettuces'? 

If you chose the latter, then this trick might be for you.  Here is what you do:

The Code

First, you have to learn the letter code.  It is the key to this trick, and it must be memorized.  The code assigns the following letters/letter sounds to the integers 0-9:

0=S

1=T or D

2=N

3=M

4=R

5=L

6=Sh or Ch

7=K or G

8=F or V

9=P or B

So, for example, the code for the number 559 could be LLP, or LLB. Your choice.

Next, make a memorable phrase or sentence out of your code letters.  LLP might be 'Limited Liability Partnership';  LLB could be 'Lindsay Lohan's Boobs'.  

A better way to do it is to condense the letters in your code into as few words as possible, ignoring vowels or consonants that are not part of the code.  For example, the number 55599 could be coded as LoLLiPoP=LOLLIPOP.  Notice 'o' and 'i' are unassigned letters--they are not part of the code and do not stand for any numbers--so you ignore them when translating LOLLIPOP back to its original number sequence.

And that's it. Why does this work?  Because our memories operate well with images, to a much greater extent than with raw data, like numbers.  Attaching an illustrative phrase to the raw numbers effectively locks them into your memory incredibly fast and incredibly well.

The Mnemonic in Action

For the drug card, I took each drug, singled out the numbers along each row, converted that string of numbers into letters, then used the letter sequence to create a phrase or sentence.  I went a step further and made flashcards with the name of the drug on one side, and a picture depicting the image of the code phrase or sentence on the other.

Let me walk you through it using Ephedrine as an example.

Look at Ephedrine Sulfate on the drug card.  The numbers from left-to-right for Ephedrine Sulfate are as follows:

Conc. 50 mg/mL, Dose titrate, Typical Bolus 5 mg=1 mL , Syringe 10 mL

Ignoring 'titrate', the sequence of numbers is:

 50, 5=1, 10, or 505110

Then, I applied the code letters to those numbers

50  5  1  10

LS  L=T  TS

(Remember in the code: 5 is 'L'; 0 is 'S';  and 1 is either 'T' or 'D')

Finally, I incorporated non-code letters into the sequence to form a memorable phrase--LOOSE LETTUCES.  (Notice that 'O,' 'E,' 'U' and 'C' are not part of the code, and are safe to use to fill in phrases) Then, on a flashcard, I drew a picture of two heads of iceberg lettuce in bed together, with martini glasses on the nightstand and undergarments scattered all over the floor.  A little tasteless, I know, but the more provocative the image, the better you remember it.

Now this all sounds a little ridiculous, and like an utter waste of time, right?  Honest to god, it took me less than 2 cumulative hours to memorize the entire drug card with this trick.  What's more, I spent the majority of those 2 hours either learning the code, or creating memorable phrases or sentences--not studying, per se.

Here are a few more gems from my personal list of codes:

Toradol=MUSIC point LIKELY MISTED ('point' indicated a decimal point). 

               3   0            .5 .75     3  0 1 1

    (Conc) 30  (Dose) .5-.75  (Bolus) 30=1 (Syringe) 1

Ketamine=TOYA'S LOWEST-ASS TOENAIL & TWO  LOW TOES

                 1        0 5         01    00 1     2   5     1        5       1    0

                     

                      10         50       100    1     2.5     1        5         10

               

               (Conc) 10, 50, 100 (Dose) 1-2.5 (Typical Bolus) n/a (Syringe) 1, 5, 10

....Morphine bordered on the poetical:

Morphine= DOSE                                 10             (Conc)

                 .SLOW NOW.                      .05-2         (Dose)

                  NOW LAY=NOW LAY         2-5=2-5     (Typical Bolus)

                  DO OR DIE(S)                     1 or 10      (Syringe)

Getting the hang of it?  

In Conclusion, Toya Still Has Low-Ass Toenails....

Many of you have probably begun studying the drug card, and kudos to those of you who have memorized it already.  For those of you who are behind and feel short on study time, or even if you are struggling to keep all the random numbers straight, I highly recommend this trick. Not only did it save me bundles of time, but it also permanently seared the drug card into my brain.  I may never be able to forget all those little weird phrases, and so long as I remember the code, I can tick off the drug card info at the drop of a hat. s