Former cleaner who graduated in medicine gives tips for optimizing studies at university After producing a method with content memorization cards, called flashcards, to pass the entrance exam, former cleaner Bruno Eulálio Santos, aged 27, graduated in medicine. The graduation, from the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), took place on Sunday (12). ?Click and follow the g1 SC channel on WhatsApp He worked at a car wash in a favela in Contagem, Minas Gerais, before moving to Santa Catarina. He was a cleaner at a hospital in Balneário Camboriú, on the North Coast of the state, and stayed at university for six years to graduate. The study and work routine was a challenge. "I can't romanticize it, it was very, very difficult", he summarized. Bruno Eulálio Santos when he passed the entrance exam for medicine, with 'flashcards', and now graduated in medicine from UFSC Personal archive Interest in medicine came through work It was at the hospital that he began to be interested in medicine. "At the beginning of 2018, I was working in a private hospital, in Balneário Camboriú, as a cleaner. At that time I was already studying, but I didn't want medicine. But, seeing the routine and getting along with the staff, I started thinking about this area." Studying for the entrance exam while working was a challenge. To find guidance, he took an online course. Among the processes developed, Bruno created more than 1,300 cards with questions aimed at remembering the content, so-called flashcards, based on weeks of study based on the content that was on the online platform. Each block of letters, in a format adapted to carry in your pants pocket, had practical recommendations for the time of the test and encouraging phrases. Block for a week of study Personal archive He even studied on the bus to make the most of the little time he had. In March 2019, when his contract with the hospital ended, he dedicated himself to his studies with the help of his sister to maintain the house. With two years of study, Bruno managed to pass the entrance exam in the selection process through the Unified Selection System (Sisu) 2020. "When I passed, it was an indescribable feeling. It was a relief from two years of a lot of effort, studying and working, and a moment of great happiness with my family", he summarized. A new phase began and, with it, an evolution of flashcards. Box with letters and study plan made by the student Personal archive 'Flashcards' evolved into digital format Bruno's university life began with another challenge: the Covid-19 pandemic. "Studying during the pandemic was a little bad for mental health. I think it was a sad time, bad for physical health, I couldn't do much, it was very difficult." The first two semesters of the course were online, before returning to the classroom. One detail that didn't change between studying for the entrance exam and at university were the flashcards. They just evolved. "I continued using my method during university, but I discovered that there were applications where I could make flashcards within them and that made it much, much easier." He explained how the digital process made studies simpler. "The organization to do this is more complicated on the physical flashcard than on the application, because the application is already programmed to return that card from time to time. This is the biggest difference and the best ease." Flashcard studies have also become income for him to help him stay on course. “When I published my method on social media, I managed to receive work,” he reported. He did this mainly in partnership with a cram school. He was also a monitor at the university. But he stated that it is not easy to maintain a routine of studies and work. "I can't romanticize it, it was very, very difficult. I had to make a lot of abdications, I didn't do physical activity, my mental health was neglected. But it was what I needed to do because it was the only way I could", he summarized. He also received support from UFSC's student assistance policies at one point. For those in a work and study situation, the advice is to understand and be patient. "Keep in mind that it's a bad situation. Keep in mind that you're going to need, unfortunately, to do more than what other people are doing, otherwise it won't work." Now that he has graduated, Bruno wants to focus on working in the area. "Work for a while. And then I intend to be either a cardiologist or maybe go into the field of mental health, psychiatry, which I really like too." Former cleaner combined digital platform, tickets and letters to develop study technique VIDEOS: most watched on g1 SC in the last 7 days