This structured presentation can serve as a textual “graph” to enhance your understanding of these memory-aiding techniques.
Here is a categorised list of mnemonic devices:
I. Clinical and Emergency Response Mnemonics
These devices are primarily used in high-stakes environments like healthcare and emergency services to ensure critical information recall and adherence to protocols.
• SOAP (Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan):
◦ Purpose: Used by doctors and nurses to ensure all relevant information is included when conducting patient assessments and writing clinical notes. It categorises information into smaller, manageable chunks.
• 4W1H (Who, What, Where, When, How):
◦ Purpose: Addresses five crucial communication strategies specifically for clinical handovers. It focuses exclusively on guiding effective communication processes during these transitions.
• GRRRR (Greeting, Respectful listening, Review, Recommend or request more information, Reward):
◦ Purpose: Another mnemonic device specifically focused on guiding effective communication processes during clinical handovers.
• “I AM THOR” / “DUST DAHO” (its French translation):
◦ Purpose: Developed by the Paris Fire Brigade to teach initial measures for undertaking Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) events. Each letter corresponds to an essential task in the CBRN chain of survival: Immediate decontamination / Décontamination d’Urgence, Assessment / Symptômes, Medication / Traitement, Thorough decontamination / Décontamination Approfondie, HOspital / HOpital, Re-evaluation. This mnemonic aims to improve memorisation, especially in stressful and uncommon situations.
• “MARCH”:
◦ Purpose: Employed by the US military in Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) since the 1990s. Each letter corresponds to a term in the diagnosis and treatment protocol, presented in the correct order of relevance, for managing a war-injured individual. It serves as a mnemonic device to recap checklists, crucial for optimal performance in harsh environments.
• Other Clinical Handover Mnemonics:
◦ There are numerous other mnemonics used in clinical handovers, such as ISBAR, VITAL, ISOBAR, SBAR, SBARR, SBAR-T, JUMP, Just Go NUTS, M.I.S.T. Report, PACE, PEDIATRIC, P-VITAL, SIGNOUT, STICC, TAG, You’re it!, and WHO MISSED IP?. These represent frequently used key elements in clinical handovers. It is noted that similar forms and pronunciations, like those of ISOBAR and SBAR, could potentially confuse users.
II. Academic and General Learning Mnemonics
These are widely applicable tools for memorising diverse information, from lists to complex concepts.
• Acronyms:
◦ Purpose: Simple mnemonic devices that use the first letter of words to form a new word or phrase, helping to recall a list of items. Examples include “ROY G BIV” for the colours of the rainbow and “Old Elephants Have Musty Skin” for the US Great Lakes in geographic order.
• Reverse Acronyms:
◦ Purpose: Similar to acronyms, but the mnemonic phrase is created to spell out the original information. An example is “I Value Xylophones Like Cows Dig Milk” for the ascending values of Roman numerals (V, X, L, C, D, M).
• Memory Palace (Method of Loci):
◦ Purpose: An ancient Greek technique that involves associating mental images of information with a series of familiar physical locations (e.g., rooms in your home). By mentally “walking” through these locations, one can retrieve the associated memories. It is particularly useful for organising and holding large volumes of material. Psychology students in Oxford have used this method to structure their exam essays, linking key ideas to vivid characters and locations within cafés or on campus. This method primarily serves as an organising system for retrieving learned information, rather than a learning tool in itself.
• Rhyme Schemes (Peg Method):
◦ Purpose: Involves pairing numbers with rhyming, concrete images (e.g., “1 is bun, 2 is shoe”). These rhyming images act as “pegs” on which to “hang” items you want to remember from a list, such as daily tasks. The rhyming images remain constant, while the associations they evoke change each time a new list needs to be memorised.
• Songs and Poems:
◦ Purpose: A song or poem can provide a mnemonic structure, linking lyrics in each musical phrase to an image that cues the retrieval of desired memory. For instance, the Mongol “Long Song” is believed to have been used to communicate movements across vast distances, with varying tones and trills conveying specific locations.
III. Indigenous Cultural Memory Devices
These highlight the deep entanglement of memory, cultural practices, and material forms in various indigenous societies.
• Rock Art as Mnemonic Trigger:
◦ Purpose: Rock art is considered a significant mnemonic trigger for cultural knowledge and narratives across time for Indigenous communities worldwide. It is often part of a broader cultural memorisation technique entangled with material culture, emotions, performances, dances, and oral narratives, including storytelling, songs, and sounds.
◦ Examples of Rock Art in practice:
▪ Cheŵa Chinamwali Rock Art (south-central Africa): Used in female initiation ceremonies to transmit moral codes and cultural traditions (mwambo). Images can convey complex secret teachings, and sometimes seemingly simple designs (SEDs) can represent multiple meanings (e.g., a dance, a washing ritual, a baboon caring for offspring). The term ‘chingondo’ demonstrates how an image, an object, a person’s body decoration, and a ceremony phase can all be referred to by the same word, indicating deep symbolic interconnections (Trust For African Rock Art – Prehistoric African Paintings and Engravings, 2022) https://africanrockart.org/malawi/.
▪ Kimberley Rock Art (Western Australia): Repetitive scratchwork, drawing, and pecking on pre-existing paintings were performative acts that served to pass on cultural knowledge and narratives. The “doing” or action of marking was often more important than the visual end-product, acting as a mnemonic to remember and revitalise narratives. Dance and songs associated with figures like the Wandjina also serve as mnemonic aids for creation narratives https://japingkaaboriginalart.com/articles/kimberley-rock-art-overview/.
▪ Southern Scandinavian Rock Art: Human figures and scenes depicting fighting, seafaring, and weaponry might reflect memories of heroic tales and outstanding individuals in non-literate societies. The depiction of suspenseful moments in fighting scenes (e.g., before a strike lands) could increase a story’s “tellability” and memorability, suggesting rock art helped keep stories fresh in the audience’s memory https://www.gu.se/en/shfa.
▪ Andean Rock Art (Southern Andes): Images and sites were continuously used and resemanticized to construct dynamic memories, sometimes integrating both Indigenous and European practices and logic. Place-names (toponyms) in Quechua or Aymara can directly refer to rock art sites (e.g., quellkani meaning ‘place with writing’), revealing a contemporary link between visual records and oral traditions https://www.rupestreweb.info/yanantin.html.
▪ O’odham Petroglyphs (North American Southwest): Used as mnemonic devices similar to calendar sticks, aiding in remembering personal and cultural aspects of geographical space. They mark trails and important places referenced in traditional songs, serving as reminders of traditional practices (himdag) and records of ancestral experiences https://www.archaeologysouthwest.org/explore/painted-rock-petroglyph-site/.
• Calendar Sticks:
◦ Purpose: Used by O’odham communities in southern Arizona to chronicle significant events. They were marked with notches for individual years and incised or painted symbols (o’ohadag, or “song flowers”) to remind the keeper of corresponding events. These symbols often resembled petroglyphs. The interpretation was highly personal to the stick keeper, though the record itself pertained to the community’s collective memory https://borderlore.org/record-rod-tales-of-truth-enscribed/.
• Clay Reliefs (vilengo) and Clay Headdresses (chingondo/timbwidza):
◦ Purpose: Actively used in Cheŵa female initiation ceremonies in south-central Africa to transmit cultural knowledge and moral codes (mwambo). Vilengo (clay reliefs) were traditionally unfired clay figures (e.g., animals like pythons, snakes, crocodiles) accompanied by specific songs and dances. They are considered to have “soul” energy and life, deepening their mnemonic power. Chingondo (clay headdresses), modelled as animals and covered with spots, are displayed publicly by initiates. The term ‘chingondo’ itself serves as a mnemonic, referring interchangeably to the headdress, body decorations, and even white dots in rock art, illustrating interwoven symbolic meanings across different media.
• Mbusa (clay figurines and wall paintings):
◦ Purpose: An overarching term for mnemonic devices used in the Chisungu girls’ rites of passage among the Bemba people. These figurines and wall paintings are associated with specific teachings, and each is accompanied by a particular song. They can carry multiple symbolic layers of meaning, revealed through repeated participation in ceremonies.
We explored Clinical and Emergency Response Mnemonics, briefly touched on Academic and General Learning Mnemonics, and even delved into the history of Indigenous Cultural Memory Devices. But the real question is — what techniques work best for you? Try experimenting with the following strategies:
- Spaced Repetition (a.k.a. “Over-learning”)
Repeat the information at least three times, then revisit it at spaced intervals over several days. Frequent, short reviews are more effective than cramming during longer, infrequent sessions.
- Playful Engagement
Approach the material with a sense of fun and curiosity. A playful mindset relaxes the brain and makes learning enjoyable. Look for humour, quirks, puzzles, and oddities in the content.
- Test Yourself
Quizzing yourself is one of the most effective ways to retain information. Regularly test your recall rather than just rereading notes.
- Sleep on It
Sleep is essential for memory consolidation. Review your material before bed, then test what you remember the next day.
Try linking new knowledge with what you already.
- Use Mnemonics
Mnemonics (pronounced ne-mon-ics) are memory tricks — like using the first letters of a list to create a memorable word or phrase. Try linking new knowledge with what you already.
- Write It Out
Rewriting information in your own words, multiple times, strengthens recall and understanding.
- Make It Personal
Relate the material to your life. Ask yourself:
• How does this affect me?
• Who or what does it remind me of?
• Why does it matter — to me or to someone I care about?
You can find out more about boosting your memory power in one of Emma Beddington articles in here: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2022/jul/03/memory-games-how-to-boost-your-brain-power
References
• Behrens, V., Osten, J., Herrler, A., Behrens, S., & Clarner, T. (2025). Presentation number: P8.09 Topic: Latest developments in undergraduate and postgraduate training Role of Examination Format, Teaching Material and Methods in Anatomical Courses for Dental Students. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aanat.2025.152647
• Beddington, E. (2022). Memory games: how to boost your brain power. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2022/jul/03/memory-games-how-to-boost-your-brain-power.
• Brown, P.C., Roediger, H.L., & McDaniel, M.A. (2014). Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning. The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.
• Cottrell, Stella. The Study Skills Handbook, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 2019. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/open/detail.action?docID=6234945
• Giaume, L., Daniel, Y., Calamai, F., Derkenne, C., Kedzierewicz, R., Demeny, A., Bertho, K., Travers, S., Prunet, B., & Dorandeu, F. (2021). “I AM THOR/DUST DAHO”: mnemonic devices used by the Paris Fire Brigade to teach initial measures in undertaking a CBRN event. Critical Care, 25(116). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13054-021-03539-z
• Kurc-Darak, B., Domagala, D., Muzyka-Wozniak, M., & Domagala, Z. (2025). Anatomy learning is a key factor for becoming a medical professional. Anatomical features retaining is a challenging matter. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aanat.2025.152649
• Yung, A.H.W., Pak, C.S., & Watson, B. (2023). A scoping review of clinical handover mnemonic devices. International Journal for Quality in Health Care, 35(3), mzadd065. https://doi.org/10.1093/intqhc/mzad065
• Zubieta, L.F. (Ed.). (2022). Rock Art and Memory in the Transmission of Cultural Knowledge. Springer Nature Switzerland AG. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-96942-4