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Category Archives for "Study Schedule & Tips"Articles included in this category help you map out a plan of attack for study for your particular board exam.
A Pediatric Board Study Schedule with Step-By-Step Instructions
Why You DO Need A Study Schedule for the 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 this is the schedule for you! I would recommend that you find 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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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. I also share some pearls of wisdom towards the end to help you manage your study time!
What If I'm "At Risk" of Failing the Boards?
If you feel you don’t meet the above criteria, 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.
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:
- Failing the boards doesn’t make you a bad pediatrician.
- Passing the boards in 2019 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...
Passing the Pediatric Board Exam – Maximizing CRUNCH Time
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:
- 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?
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…
Passing the Pediatric Boards – The 3 MUST HAVE Ingredients
The 3 MUST HAVE Ingredients for Board Success
Passing the the pediatric boards is challenging, but it's far from magic. In this article I'm going to introduce you to the 3 main areas you must focus on to pass the boards. If you don't, then even as a good pediatrician you will be at high risk for failing the boards.
By the end, you will have a much better handle on the general framework within which you will need to focus your energy. I predict that it's going to be quite liberating for you!
Let's start with a few stories…
Each year after the pediatric board results are released, I ask PBR members for feedback. “How was it for you?” The replies vary considerably, but there are specific overwhelming emotions which come through time and time again;
Relief
“a big weight has been lifted off my shoulders and I feel lighter and free.”
– “Dr. Wiseman”
Celebration
“My family and I celebrated all day long. We cried tears of happiness knowing the endless hours of studying are over AND payed off!”
– “Shy Doc”
Gratitude Click Here And Continue Reading…
2013 Pediatrics Board Review Corrections and Clarifications
50-70 Pages of FREE High-Yield Content Now Available!
In 2012, the Pediatrics Board Review Corrections & Clarifications Guide was only about 25 pages. The guide contained corrections that I found and that others found in the 2nd edition of the Pediatrics Board Review Core Study Guide. The guide provided a TON of value and helped many people correctly answer questions they would have otherwise gotten wrong! I think there's still value in reviewing it today because these guides give me the freedom to write freely about pretty much anything related to topics, studying for the boards, etc.
Want the 2012 guide? Just click LIKE below and then download it (Sorry! As of Sept. 2014, the LIKE software no longer works… so I'm now just giving it away! Just click on the image to download the guide. It would be GREAT if you could visit https://www.facebook.com/PedsBoardReview and give it a LIKE).
A Board of Pediatrics Overview
ABP Exam Overviews
The American Board of Pediatrics overview article was very well received by both pediatricians planning on taking the initial certification exam, as well as those preparing for the pediatric recertification exam. If you’re taking the recertification exam, you should definitely read the article and watch the video since it shows how you can get access to 200 free questions written by the ABP.
In this article, I’ll share a general overview of the structure of the initial certification and recertification exams, and I’ll also share a ton of resources available to you within Click Here And Continue Reading…