The Effectiveness of Spaced Repetition in Medical Education: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis

Spaced repetition studying techniques such as Anki are increasingly prevalent in undergraduate and postgraduate medical education. However, the evidence base for the effectiveness of these techniques in a medical education setting is unclear. This meta-analysis investigates the effect of spaced repetition use in medical education on learner performance in objective tests.

The systematic review and meta-analysis was performed in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Electronic databases were searched in February 2025 for relevant articles, assessed using predefined eligibility criteria. Methodological quality was assessed using the Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument (MERSQI). Effect sizes, heterogeneity and publication bias estimates were calculated using the R programming language.