In one sentence
Most medical students in this Jordanian survey still relied on traditional study tools, but the minority who used Anki reported stronger long-term retention — especially for pharmacology and pathology.
What the researchers did
Almaabreh and colleagues conducted a cross-sectional online survey of 318 medical students from multiple Jordanian universities (October 2024–May 2025). Participants were recruited through academic and social media channels using convenience sampling.
The questionnaire covered demographics, how often students used Anki, which subjects they used it for, reasons for choosing Anki versus other methods, and self-reported academic performance. Researchers analyzed responses with descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and logistic regression in SPSS.
What they found
- Only 80 of 318 students (25.2%) reported using Anki; 74.8% relied mainly on traditional methods.
- Among Anki users, the app was most common for pharmacology (75.9%) and pathology (73.4%).
- Anki users more often reported grades above 90% (21.3% vs 13.9% among non-users), but the difference was not statistically significant in regression (OR 3.93, 95% CI 0.50–31.24, p=0.195).
- Half of Anki users said they used it for USMLE preparation.
- 82.5% of users believed Anki improved their performance; many cited daily review and long-term retention as advantages.
- Reported downsides included time demands, technical issues, and burnout risk without guidance.
What this means for learners and educators
- Anki remains a niche but committed minority tool in this sample — adoption is not automatic even where flashcards fit the curriculum.
- Content-heavy subjects (drug names, disease mechanisms) are where users see the clearest payoff — a reasonable place to start if you are new to spaced repetition.
- Self-reported benefits outran measurable grade differences here — track your own outcomes rather than assuming Anki guarantees higher marks.
- Schools could reduce burnout by offering structured onboarding (deck size limits, review schedules) instead of leaving students to discover spacing alone.
Limitations and what we don't know yet
This is cross-sectional and self-reported — we cannot prove Anki caused better grades; users may differ in motivation or study time. Convenience sampling may skew toward engaged students. The non-significant grade association means no causal claim is warranted. Results from Jordanian medical schools may not match other countries, degree types, or exam systems.