The Bottom Line
- Immediate feedback is efficient for fast correction and novice learning.
- Delayed feedback can support retention and deeper processing in some contexts.
- Your real lever is not timing—it’s the quality of error correction + retest scheduling.
Use the ‘novice vs discriminator’ rule
If you’re still building the basic concept: review sooner. If you’re learning discrimination between similar options: you can delay review—then retest.
Doctors often over-invest in review timing debates and under-invest in error correction quality. Feedback timing matters less than: (1) extracting the correct rule, (2) identifying the discriminator, and (3) retesting after forgetting has begun.
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Case 1: You’re a novice → review immediately
If the topic is new, correct fast to avoid cementing the wrong schema. Then retest soon (within 72h).
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Case 2: You’re discriminating → review after a block
Do 10–20 questions first to surface a pattern of confusion. Then review the entire cluster in one sitting.
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Write one discriminator per miss
Example: ‘SOB + orthopnoea + basal creps + raised JVP → think HF; wheeze alone isn’t asthma.’
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Retest after delay
Your brain needs to retrieve under slight forgetting to strengthen memory. Schedule a retest ticket.
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Stop when learning quality drops
If you’re reading explanations and nothing is sticking, you’re no longer learning—switch to sleep, food, or a walk.
My feedback timing defaults
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Practice
Test your knowledge
Apply this concept immediately with a high-yield question block from the iatroX Q-Bank.
SourceSystematic review/meta-analysis: immediate vs delayed feedback
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