Archive
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.
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…
Need a Step-By-Step Pediatric Board Study Schedule?
Trust me… You DO Need A Schedule!
In the article titled “Need a Pediatric Board Study Plan?” I talk about how important it is to commit enough time to your studies.
I often get asked questions like…
“Can you provide a general pediatric board study schedule?”
“I'm in practice, can you provide me with a pediatric board study plan that works for me?”
“Can you provide a pediatric board study schedule for those of us in fellowship?”
For first-time test takers who usually score ABOVE the national mean on their board exams, I recommend a MINIMUM of 2-300+ hours, and a MINIMUM of 3 rounds of reading all of the “core” Pediatrics Board Review material.
Please remember, though, a schedule is only as valuable as your DETERMINATION to follow it. In this article, I breakdown those 300 hours into a manageable, concrete schedule that you can use to guide your studies. 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…
BoardVitals Pediatric Board Review Questions – Discount code
BoardVitals pediatric board review questions are now available through PBR at discounts or for FREE!
PBR Has Partnerships That Will SAVE YOU MONEY!
Through Pediatrics Board Review, you can now get access to over >1250 pediatric board review questions at a discounted rate! BoardVitals is now a PBR affiliate and we are working together to provide you with study resources that you have asked for. Soon, PBR will also be able to help you with discounts on Exam Master pediatrics questions as well. Unfortunately, the AAP is not interested in working with PBR to help you on pricing.
In term of PBR's own board review questions, they are admittedly limited in number. BUT, I consider them to be CORE material that should be reviewed multiple times and not simply be used once for practice.
So, that means you still need at least 700 questions to use for PRACTICE. The American Academy of Pediatrics PREP® questions are often considered the “gold standard” for preparation, but Click Here And Continue Reading…