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Why AAP Prep Questions are NOT the Best Study Questions

AAP PREP® QUESTIONS – WHEN YOU SHOULD (AND SHOULD NOT) USE THEM!

AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS (AAP) PREP DISCLAIMER
Shhhh it's a secret!

It's a Secret

A question I’m often asked is “Ashish, what makes your pediatric study guide better than prep questions?” Whether they are talking about general board prep questions or the American Academy of Pediatrics PREP® questions, my answer is always the same (read on).

THE SECRET NO ONE TALKS ABOUT WITH AAP PREP QUESTIONS

The AAP PREP questions are NOT written by the American BOARD of Pediatrics (ABP). They are written by the American ACADEMY of Pediatrics (AAP). The names of these organizations are so similar (American ______ Pediatrics), that MANY pediatricians believe that they are one and the same.

THEY ARE NOT!

Yet, the AAP's annual question series has somehow become the “go-to” Q&A resource for the pediatric boards.

Many pediatricians tend to use AAP PREP questions exclusively as their source of study for the boards. I'm baffled by this. While PREP is a great resource for anyone who is a board-certified pediatrician looking for Continuing Medical Education (CME), or for any non-board certified pediatrician trying to simulate an ABP practice session, these questions should NOT be used as a primary study resource while studying for the ABP initial certification exam.

THE MOST COMMON REASON PEDIATRICIANS FAIL THE PEDIATRIC BOARDS

Here is a note I received from a PBR alum, now a Board Certified Pediatrician, who made one of the most dangerous test-taking mistakes the year that she failed her pediatric boards:

Hello Ashish, Last year I failed my boards. I spent countless hours studying using prep questions but didn't have one good source to use to really learn from and I thought using questions would be my key to success. Unfortunately, I was wrong. I was so lost and frustrated after I received that FAIL, and I thought there was no way that I was going to pass. I had spent hours and months studying… What more could I have done?!? I googled ‘failed pediatric boards' and PBR came up. It was an answer to prayer. It was exactly what I needed. I was blown away by the help that PBR gave me. From the PBR book itself to the videos, audio, and online portals – I am so incredibly thankful. I think PBR should be adopted by residency programs nationwide as it would be a great resource to have to study for in-training exams and to use alongside rotations. Just my two cents!! If there is something that I could do to help you and the PBR membership, please let me know!
Dr. Stephanie Moses, Board Certified Pediatrician

LESSONS LEARNED

Learn from Stephanie’s experience; it takes more than questions to pass the pediatric board exam. There are three pillars I like to refer to when it comes to successfully passing the boards:

  1. CONTENT: How well you know the material.
  2. TECHNIQUE: How to quickly and effectively process board-style questions.
  3. COMMITMENT: How disciplined you are to the process.

You can read more about these pillars in my article covering the 3 must-have ingredients to passing the pediatric boards.

In order to succeed on the boards, you have to separate your board prep time into two buckets. Your CONTENT TIME (the time to develop your knowledge base) and your TECHNIQUE TIME (the time to develop your test-taking strategy).

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Failed But Then Finally Passed With PBR TTS and Coaching

Again, the AAP has put together a GREAT resource. I actually think it stands above all others in the marketplace for simulating the board exam experience. It's also wonderful for pediatric continuing medical education (CME). However, you should NEVER use it as the sole resource for board study. I simply cannot imagine that the AAP would ever cover all of pediatrics as a comprehensive board review in a set of 200-300 questions.

STEPHANIE FOCUSED ON QUESTIONS, AND FAILED THE BOARDS

Dr. Stephanie Moses is now a board-certified pediatrician practicing emergency medicine. But, that wasn't always the case. In the video below, she talks about the advice that she received and how she focused on PREP the first time that she took the boards. Her second experience was very different. What she says is amazing. Watch the video below now, and be sure to watch until the end.

HOW MANY AAP PREP QUESTIONS SHOULD I DO?

In short, you should do at least 5 practice questions per day in addition to your studying materials. These should be from PREP as well as from other Q banks. This way, you can experience various question flavors and gain a broad understanding of how to write questions for the boards.  Read my article called “How Many AAP Prep Questions Should I Do?” and learn more about why I recommend this.

When it comes to how many questions you should do before taking your boards, the answer is “it depends.” At the end of the day, answering board-style questions is a skill. You can only answer so many questions before you reach a plateau. Once you do that, the rest of your time should be spent on maintaining your newly developed test-taking skills. For most physicians, though, having “skill” at taking a board exam is a foreign concept. However, through PBR's test-taking strategy courses, we've proven that investing a fraction of your time in learning the technique behind processing and answering board-style questions can produce unbelievable results.

PBR members have gone from previously failing up to six times to finally passing and becoming board certified by the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP). Click here now and learn more about PBR's test-taking strategy courses to see which one is right for you.

MORE THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND

Here are a few additional key points about using the AAP's questions, as well as any other board prep questions:

USE THE RIGHT RESOURCES

If you insist on using questions to study, pick a company that creates study materials for the boards as well. This will (hopefully) ensure that the questions actually correlate with the content you need to know for the boards. This way, the answers/explanations tie in seamlessly with the core content necessary to pass the boards. However, finding this magical batch of questions that will give you everything you need to know for the boards typically does not exist. That’s why it's IMPERATIVE to study from a well-written and easy-to-understand study guide and to use questions for the practice of your test-taking TECHNIQUE.

STAY UP TO DATE

The boards are not always current! PREP does a great job of staying current, but the ABP questions you'll see on the boards are not always that up to date. So BE CAREFUL.

STRENGTHEN YOUR TEST-TAKING STRATEGIES

PREP answers/explanations often go into excellent detail to explain all possible viewpoints. When you're studying for the boards, EFFICIENCY IS KEY so SKIM the answers. If you answered the question correctly, pat yourself on the back and MOVE ON! If you answered the question incorrectly, focus only on the answer that you chose and also on the answer that was the correct answer. Figure out where you went wrong. Was it a TECHNIQUE problem, or was it purely a CONTENT problem? If you felt like you had a good handle on the subject matter but still answered the question incorrectly, it was definitely a TECHNIQUE problem and you must figure out how to strengthen your test-taking strategies.

PREP is a great tool when used correctly*PREP great tool*

So, to answer the question posed in the title of this article, “Ashish, what makes your pediatric study guide better than prep questions?”, it’s near impossible to find ANY board prep questions that would do a good job of serving as a stand-alone STUDY resource.

Yes, you will undoubtedly learn some information about pediatrics by going through board prep questions. But your primary goal should be to use prep questions for PRACTICE and refinement of your test-taking TECHNIQUE rather than a STUDY resource.

THEN, HOW DO I STUDY FOR THE PEDIATRIC BOARD EXAM?

Set time aside to specifically grow your knowledge base and work on your test-taking technique. If you aren’t sure how to create such a schedule, I have two articles with step-by-step directions on how to set up your study schedule. Regardless of how much time you have left before the boards, these articles are great resources!

If you consider yourself to be a great test-taker, or if you are taking the boards for the first time, follow this schedule. If you have failed the boards before (welcome to the club!), or if you are not a great test-taker, then follow this study schedule.

For those who want to take that next step to pass the boards, the go-to resource is Pediatrics Board Review. As a PBR member, you’ll have access to high-yield board review questions and our test-taking strategy resources!

To get the most out of our catalog of study materials, we created the No Brainer package. Our members commonly use the No Brainer package to prepare for and pass the Initial Certification Exam. It provides you with a comprehensive and multimodal approach to studying. It also includes three 90-Day Personalized Schedules created by Team PBR and our Full Online Test-Taking Strategies Course.

Not a PBR member yet? What are you waiting for? Click here now & to find the right PBR resource for you!

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How Many AAP PREP Questions Should I Do?

AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS (AAP) PREP DISCLAIMER

PRACTICE VERSUS STUDY – A BIG DIFFERENCE

I love the American Academy of Pediatrics PREP series of questions for PRACTICING test-taking skills, but NOT as a substitution for studying for the boards from a board-focused study guide.

The difference can be confusing! That is why it's IMPERATIVE that you understand my thoughts on why PREP questions are NOT the best study questions before you read the rest of this article. The gist is that it's almost impossible for any question bank out there to give you a comprehensive, board-focused review of what you need to know for the pediatric boards. Therefore, you should focus on one, primary study resource for the CONTENT, and then use question banks for PRACTICE of board-style questions.

THE REAL VALUE OF AAP PREP QUESTIONS – PRACTICE

Where does the real value lie in PREP questions as they relate to your preparation for the American Board of Pediatrics initial certification exam or MOC exam? Is it true, or a misperception, that you “must” go through PREP questions to pass the boards?

While I do feel that they are the BEST pediatric board review questions to simulate the boards, I also believe that ANY pediatric board review question bank will help you PRACTICE your test-taking techniques.

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I also believe that you SHOULD use other question banks to practice your skills as a test-taker so that you can gain exposure to a VARIETY of question styles and question writers. The ABP's questions were not developed by one person. They have been slowly created over decades by MANY question-writers, including myself.

Dr. Robin Scott, a PBR Alum, summed it up VERY WELL in her message below.

I did not look at PREP at all. I passed the 2013 exam after multiple prior attempts by reading PBR, taking the [Test-Taking Strategies] course, and practicing hundreds of questions (from Board Vitals). I used questions just for practice, not for content. I asked Ashish about using other sources outside of PBR; I wanted to study/memorize all of MedStudy pediatrics. He dissuaded me. I was skeptical, but I had nothing to lose so I did what he recommended. That's my story, and I'm here to say it worked!”

– Dr. Robin Scott

PRACTICE

Again, PRACTICE is the absolute best reason to use any board-style prep questions. You must NOT confuse practicing test questions with building knowledge, but since we all have the desire to review the answers (discussed more in detail below), this particular series of questions is probably the BEST pediatric question bank you could use. The AAP's questions have likely been vetted to the nth degree, and you can usually be sure that the correct answer is correct. They also seem to be a good mix of short and long questions.

  • PRACTICE TIMING: Since the questions are often LONG, they are perfect for allowing you to work on your TIMING. Give yourself the same amount of time you'll give yourself on the exam. About 1 minute and 15 seconds per question. Once you have broken down and “processed the question” to the best of your abilities if you still can't narrow down your search to a single answer then GUESS, MARK IT, and GO on to the next question!
  • PRACTICE DISCIPLINE: It takes a great deal of discipline to move through questions at a regular pace. The more often you do it, the more likely this will become a habit for you. You must get comfortable with the idea of processing questions systematically so that you always have an endpoint to the question in front of you. Getting to that realization is CRITICAL in allowing you calmly move on to the next question without frustration and anxiety.
  • PRACTICE AVOIDING TRAPS: You have to be able to look for Click Here And Continue Reading...

Pediatrics Board Review: A Resource for Pediatric Residents and Pediatricians

IN THIS POST:
  • Are you a pediatric resident?
  • Are you a pediatrician?
  • Have you failed the pediatric boards?

I've really been surprised at how many orders have been placed from pediatricians in the United Kingdom (UK) and Asia.

But, who is PBR written for? Well, the goal for PBR is to help anyone studying for their pediatric boards. It's a course written for pediatric residents and new pediatricians who are going to be taking the American Board of Pediatrics Initial Certification Exam.

  • ARE YOU A PEDIATRICS RESIDENT? I firmly believe that PBR would have saved me hundreds of hours of grief during my peds residency. It also could have helped me do well on my in-service exams so that I wouldn't have to have the walk of shame out of my program director's office each year. It's concise, includes tons of memory aids, exam pearls and it covers the highest yield information you'll be expected to know for the boards, and in residency. I wish I had it as an intern, so I've made sure that even pediatric interns can benefit from the 100% money back pass guarantee. Buy it now, use it in residency, and take your boards. Even if you're in a combined program, take your exam within 5 years of purchasing the study guide I'll still guarantee that you will PASS on the ABP exam for 5 years. The longer you have a good study guide, the more familiar you'll be with it, and so of course you will pass!

Welcome to Pediatrics Board Review!

Ashish Goyal, MDHi! My name is Ashish Goyal, the CEO and chief mentor at Pediatrics Board Review. I'm so excited to help make preparation easy for you, as you get ready to take on your board exams. I created Pediatrics Board Review (PBR) to do one thing… help pediatricians and pediatric residents pass the boards on their FIRST try. While these materials started out helping pediatricians pass their initial certification exam given by the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP), we have grown to help thousands pass recertification, in-training, and even international medical exams. PBR is a blog, a study guide, a social media study tool, and best of all, it's a community that you rely on for all of your pediatric questions.

I've heard so many stories about pediatricians failing the boards up to 3 times, and it's horrifying. THERE'S NO REASON THE AVERAGE PEDIATRICIAN CAN'T PASS! Trust me… I didn't do so well the first time, but I'm an average guy with an average brain, and I ended up passing the pediatric boards by  130 points.  Click Here And Continue Reading…