A Pediatric Board Study Schedule with Step-By-Step Instructions

Why You DO Need A Study Schedule for the Pediatric Boards

I often get asked questions along the lines of…

“Can you give me a general pediatric board study schedule?”

“I'm in practice and very busy. Can you provide me with a pediatric board study plan that's going to work for me?”

“Can you provide a pediatric board study schedule for those of us with an erratic schedule because we're in fellowship?”

The answer to all of these questions is "yes." But, when you’re preparing for your pediatric board exam, the most essential first step is to map out a dedicated amount of time for your studying based on your personal availability and the recommendations in this article. If you are a first-time test taker, and you:

• Graduated from a US medical school
• Have done well on prior board exams
• Scored above a 222 on the USMLE Step 1
• Come from a residency program with a high passing rate, and
• Have done well on your most recent In-Training Exam

Then you are likely at low risk for failing the pediatric boards, and this is the study plan for you! For low risk test-takers, I recommend finding a MINIMUM of 300 hours to block out in your schedule, with plans to go through your Pediatrics Board Review material at least THREE times.

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Why You DO Need A Study Schedule for the Boards

What If I AM "At Risk" of Failing the Boards?

What Should I Review to Pass the Pediatric Boards?

Pediatric Board Study Schedule For First-Time Test Takers

What If Your Board Exam Is Less Than 8 Weeks Away?

Highlighter Study Tip for Passing the Boards

STUDY SCHEDULE: WEEK #1 – WEEK #6

STUDY SCHEDULE: WEEK #7- WEEK #10

STUDY SCHEDULE: WEEK #11 – WEEK #12

STUDY SCHEDULE: WEEK #13

STUDY SCHEDULE: WEEK #14

Setting Up Your Pediatric Board Mock Exams

Please remember, though, a schedule is only as valuable as your DETERMINATION to follow it. In this article, I break down those 300 hours into a manageable, concrete schedule that you can use to guide your studies and PASS the pediatric boards. 

Since it’s impossible for me to know exactly what your commitments are, what I’ve tried to do below is map out 14 weeks of study time based on the goal of studying approximately 300 hours.

Even if you do not agree with everything I recommend, keep reading to get some ideas that you can incorporate into your own board preparation plan. At the end of this article, I also share some pearls of wisdom towards to help you manage all of the study time that will be needed to pass your boards!

What If I'm at "Moderate to High Risk" of Failing the Pediatric Boards?

If the risk calculator helped you realize that you are at moderate or high-risk for failing the boards, don’t worry! I've created a 16-week study schedule to help you succeed on the boards! The recommendations in the other article are tailored towards graduates who were told that they were "at risk" of failing the boards based on their in-training exam scores, and those who have already failed the boards at least once.

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Failed Pediatric Boards? Here’s A Study Schedule That Works!

So, You Failed the Pediatric Boards. Now What?

A failed pediatric boards attempt is devastating and having failed once myself I can only imagine what is going through your head.

But before you throw yourself back into the depths of studying, here are two things I want you to understand:

1. Failing the boards doesn’t make you a bad pediatrician.

2. Passing the boards in 2020 has more to do with having a comprehensive strategy rather than a board review resource.

I have found that the biggest differentiating factor between failing and passing the boards is having a schedule that takes a more strategic approach to studying and keeps you accountable.

Almost 50% of the pediatricians who buy our study guides have failed the pediatric boards before. With the right plan in place, though, you can pass. We know this because we have helped multiple people pass after as many as SEVEN failed attempts.

My goal in writing this article is to outline a detailed schedule that will help you pass the boards, even if you’ve had a failed attempt. Specifically, how to do so with materials that will HELP you (not fail you) during your next pediatric board exam.

Some housekeeping items before jumping into the schedule:

• Your failure(s) on the boards may have been due to a lack of knowledge or because you have a poor handle on test-taking. For most people reading this article, failure is the result of a combination of both of those factors. Following this 16-week schedule will give you the pediatric knowledge that you need to pass the boards. For help with test-taking strategy, poor attention to detail, falling for traps, pacing, and you must also start to explore solutions through the PBR article on test-taking strategy.
• Throughout this study schedule, you’ll find references to the AAP PREP® questions you should be practicing with. Please keep in mind that PREP® questions should NOT be used to study. PREP® questions, along with other question bank queries, should be used to help you master your test-taking strategy. You can learn much more about why we recommend this and how to best use the AAP questions here.
• If you are a first-time test taker, and you:
  • Consider yourself a decent test-taker,
  • Have done well on past board exams, or,
  • Come from a residency program with a high passing rate,

Then this schedule isn’t right for you.

Go check out my 14-week study schedule for first-time test takers. That schedule is similar to the one below but less rigorous!

THE “ASHISH GOYAL” HIGHLIGHTER TRICK

As you go through this schedule, try this great highlighter trick that I teach my PBR members as a focused studying tool. If you can master this, you will have a more efficient board preparation experience.

For each reading of the material, you highlight (or underline) only the areas you are interested in reviewing again. If you know something well enough to recall it on the day of the exam, don’t highlight it.

First, start with your lightest color. Then, with each read through thereafter, use a slightly Click Here And Continue Reading…