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Monthly Archives: July 2016

Passing the Pediatric Board Exam – Maximizing CRUNCH Time

Don't have any regrets!When it comes to passing the pediatric board exam, all logic and reason can get thrown out the window during “crunch time.”

In this article, I want to share some resources and tips to help you calm the nerves, help you focus on maximizing your chances at passing the pediatric boards and most of all… ensure that at the end of the test-taking process you have absolutely NO REGRETS!

What Should I Do When It's “Crunch Time?”

Well, let’s answer all the following questions:

AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS (AAP) PREP DISCLAIMER

  • Should I Be Doing A Ton Of PREP Questions?
  • What Are The Best Pediatric Board Review Books For Me To Study?
  • What’s the BIGGEST “Bang For The Buck” At CRUNCH TIME?
  • What’s the ONE THING I Can Do to LEARN MORE EFFECTIVELY?
  • What Should I Do If I Have Questions About A Topic That’s Confusing Me?
  • Is Passing the Pediatric Board Exam Realistic for Me?

Should I Be Doing A Ton Of PREP Questions?

I answer this question in detail in a Pediatrics Board Review article titled, “How Many AAP PREP Questions Should I Do?”

In summary, the idea behind using ANY sort of board questions should be for PRACTICE. It is NOT to learn board-relevant content. For that, you should be focusing on a single, primary study resource (called the PBR).

This means that you don’t aim to learn new content from those questions. Your aim should be to practice your test-taking SKILLS. When I refer to “test taking skills,” I mean…

  • Are you falling for traps?
  • Are you reading the English within the actual question carefully?
  • Are you extracting the appropriate information from the clinical vignette?
  • Are you keeping a steady pace, and able to LET GO of a question when it is one that is…
    • Taking you forever to think through?
    • About a topic that you KNOW you are weak in?
    • Is SUPER long?

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Passing the board exam requires a blend of strong board-relevant clinical knowledge, plus test-taking skills. Many physicians do not realize this and they continue to fail over and over again. They assume that board questions are like miniature patients, but they are not! Click Here And Continue Reading…