The Memory Curve That Changed My Life
There are moments that change everything — not with noise, but with quiet realization.
For me, that shift didn’t come during my MBBS at KEM or my PG at BJ Medical College.
It came at age 30, already years into my medical career… when I finally understood why I kept forgetting what I studied.
That’s when I discovered the Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve — a simple graph that exposed a truth I had been missing for years:
We don’t forget because we’re not intelligent.
We forget because we don’t revise at the right time.
From Top Ranks to Self-Doubt
I had always been an intelligent student.
🎯 AIR 98 in PMT as a fresher
🏥 Secured admission at KEM Hospital, Mumbai — one of India’s finest
🎓 Cleared PG in first attempt at BJ Medical College, Ahmedabad
Life was on track.
Then came marriage in 2010.
Then pregnancy in 2014.
And then — in 2015, my world changed forever with the birth of my son, Aarjav.
Motherhood was beautiful — but it also shook the rhythm I once had.
Suddenly, it wasn’t just about my books.
It was diapers, feeding schedules, a home, a joint family, hospital duties, and a new life that depended entirely on me.
The Struggle Was Real
Studying again — under these conditions — wasn’t just difficult.
It felt impossible.
🩺 I was managing a full-time job,
👩⚕️ Running an evening clinic,
👶 Caring for a newborn,
💍 Fulfilling roles as a wife, daughter-in-law, and mother,
…all within the emotional labyrinth of adult life.
This wasn’t just about exams.
It was about reclaiming my identity.
Failure… Before the Rise
In 2014, before pregnancy, I had attempted EDIC Part 1 twice.
And I failed — both times.
The heartbreak wasn’t just academic.
It was emotional.
I started questioning whether I still had it in me.
But in the back of my mind… something still whispered,
“Try one more time.”
2017: The Year That Opened My Eyes
Until 2017, I had been studying the same way I always had — reading, underlining, highlighting, hoping things would stay in my head.
But after two painful EDIC failures in 2014, I had started to believe maybe I couldn’t retain anymore. Maybe my brain had slowed down. Maybe motherhood, work stress, or age had changed me.
But in 2017, something changed. I came across a simple but revolutionary concept — the Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve. It felt like someone finally handed me the user manual to my brain.
What I learned stunned me:
🧠 Within 1 hour, we forget up to 50% of what we’ve read.
🧠 Within 24 hours, 70% is gone.
🧠 By 1 week, we remember less than 10% — unless we revise.
It was a profound moment. I realized I had been blaming my brain… when the real issue was my method.
I Didn’t Need a Better Brain — I Needed a Better System
So, I changed everything.
I stopped chasing volume.
I started chasing retention.
Here’s how I transformed my study method:
✅ I planned revision cycles:
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First review within 24 hours
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Second on Day 3
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Third on Day 7
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Then Day 15, and monthly follow-ups
✅ I broke big chapters into small “memory bites”
✅ I used active recall instead of passive re-reading
✅ I started keeping a revision tracker — not just what I read, but when I reviewed
✅ I made use of Pomodoro sessions — 25–30 minutes of deep focus, followed by short breaks
✅ I used early mornings (thanks to The 5 AM Club and SAVERS) as my sacred time — the mind was fresh, the house quiet, and my power hour came alive
What I Learned About My Brain
For the first time, I stopped treating my brain like a hard drive that should just “store” everything.
I began treating it like a living garden — it needed water, light, repetition, and space to grow.
🧠 I learned that forgetting is natural, not a flaw
🧠 I realized the brain loves patterns, emotion, and simplicity
🧠 I understood that spaced repetition turns short-term memory into long-term mastery
🧠 I saw how stress and multitasking weaken learning, while calm, focused study amplifies it
And most importantly, I learned this:
“It’s not about how much time you study — it’s about how intentionally you use it.”
That year, with a two-year-old at home, a full-time job, and no fancy hours to spare —
I studied smarter, not longer.
And that made all the difference.
The Books That Rewired Me
📘 How to Memorize Anything – Aditi Singhal
📕 The 5 AM Club – Robin Sharma
📗 SAVERS Routine – Hal Elrod
📙 Emotional Intelligence – Daniel Goleman
🧠 Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve – Helped me master retention
⏳ Pomodoro Technique – Just 1 hour/day, but deep focus
💬 Landmark Forum – Helped me believe again and communicate fully with myself
I began using revision cycles (Day 1, 3, 7, 15), journaling my learnings, and practicing stillness.
With just one sacred hour every morning, I began rebuilding my brain, my belief, and my identity.
The Comeback That Still Gives Me Chills
In 2017, I attempted EDIC Part 1 again —
✅ Cleared it.
Six months later, I cleared Part 2.
Not just cleared — owned it.
In 2019, I moved to the UK and attempted FFICM —
considered one of the toughest intensive care exams.
✅ Part 1: Cleared in first attempt
✅ Final: Cleared in first attempt
But the biggest win?
I was no longer just passing exams.
I had become a focused, emotionally intelligent, and internally anchored woman.
More Than a Doctor — A Lifelong Learner
After FFICM, I didn’t stop.
I now read at least one book every month, and my personal library is my favorite place in the world.
Topics I read?
📚 Economics
📚 Medicine
📚 Psychology
📚 Artificial Intelligence
📚 Stock Markets
📚 History, Revolutions, Philosophy… and what not
Reading keeps me grounded, awake, and expanding.
It keeps my brain alive. My heart calm. My spirit young.
What I Know Now — Deeply, Fully, Unshakably
✨ I can clear any exam, in any field, at any age — if I choose to.
✨ I don’t need perfect conditions. I need a powerful WHY and a clear plan.
✨ I am not my failures. I am my comebacks.
✨ I am not just a doctor or mother — I am Srishti. Whole. Growing. Glowing.
To Anyone Reading This
If you're a parent…
If you're working full-time…
If you're married, managing a home, running on empty…
And yet still dreaming of more —
Please don’t give up.
You’re not behind.
You’re just buried under roles.
But your essence is still intact — waiting to rise again.
All you need is:
📅 1 hour/day
📘 The right guidance
🧠 A little memory science
💗 A whole lot of self-belief
My Life-Changing Toolkit (That You Can Use Too)
✅ How to Memorize Anything – Aditi Singhal
✅ The 5 AM Club – Robin Sharma
✅ SAVERS Routine – Hal Elrod
✅ Emotional Intelligence – Daniel Goleman
✅ Landmark Forum – For inner breakthroughs
✅ Pomodoro Technique – 1 focused hour/day
✅ Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve – Your revision blueprint
Today… I Am
👩⚕️ A Critical Care & Chest Physician
📚 A Lifelong Learner
🌅 A Morning Warrior
👩👦👦 A Proud Mother
🧠 A Resilient, Evolving, 41-year-old woman — just getting started.
And I’m here to remind you —
You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to begin again.
With fierce love,
Dr. Prof. Srishti Jain
Morning Warrior | Proud Mother | Lifelong Learner
