I can’t believe the pediatric board exam results for 2014 are already here, and so early this year! Based on the emails I'm getting, it was a GREAT year to take the exam. Since I failed the first time I took the boards, I’m especially happy to hear that PBR made the difference for SO many repeat exam takers who previously failed the pediatric boards. It wasn’t all good news, though, and my heart really goes out to those who didn’t make the mark.
I never realized that the release of the annual creation of the Pediatrics Board Review Corrections & Clarifications Guide would become such a big deal. It started off as a 25-page document in 2012 that I sent out to the PBR membership as a courtesy, and now it's something that the membership essentially begs me for! The 2014 Guide is now available and it's towards the BOTTOM of this article. If you submitted at least 7 errors, helped with at least 5 lookups, or you're a PBR For LIFE! member, you should've gotten this for FREE already 🙂 – Thank YOU!
Want the the 2012 and 2013 guides for FREE? Just email us to upgrade to PBR For LIFE! Since this is a BONUS for PBR For LIFE! members, it's not something I can just give away for free… BUT, if you “pay” for it with a Facebook LIKE… it's yours!
NO! Pediatric board questions are NOT like mini-patients.
Don’t believe me? Well, by the end of this article you’re going to:
Learn the difference between real life patients and test patients
Learn 3 strategies towards correctly answering board-style questions that you can put into practice IMMEDIATELY to increase your board score
Become familiar with free and paid resources at your disposal to help you work on your test-taking techniques
Feel inspired to approach board-style questions as 75-second puzzles rather than stressful patient encounters
A SAMPLE PEDIATRIC BOARD REVIEW QUESTION
How would you proceed with the little girl below? It’s a short question, so please set your timer to 60 seconds, read the question below and commit to ONE answer choice.
A 3-year-old female toddler presents for a routine well child visit. You note an abdominal mass on exam. You suspect the child may have a Wilms tumor. There have not been any urinary symptoms, but urine dipstick shows evidence of blood. There’s a history of breast cancer in the family.
Which of the following is the most appropriate diagnostic test to determine the cause of the patient’s abdominal mass?