ABIM Board Preparation
We get it. It’s stressful to just get by on a daily basis as a resident, especially when you’re on the floor rotation or ICU. Some days the pagers wouldn’t stop beeping; you need to hunt down people to get things done; there are all the notes to write up; new admissions coming in at 4:59 pm; sick crashing patients; discharges and all its paperwork; talking to social workers about discharge planning; patients wanting to leave AMA; family updates; goals of care discussions etc. Did we mention the Code Blues and Rapids over the PA system after the beep-beep followed by a 2-second sinus pauses (yours, not patient’s)? And while doing all that, somehow you have to find time to use the restroom, drink water, and eat something. Argghhhh!
Sheldon’s reaction would be an accurate depiction of how we all feel internally, especially as an intern. The good news is, all the residents who have come before you have done it, and you will be able to do it too. You absolutely can do this, and if you start preparing for it early, you’ll have plenty of time to be ready by the time you have to take the exam. All you need is a good study plan (and actually stick to the plan, of course).
How To Study for Boards: 5 Ways to Prepare for Boards
Discover your learning style - Are you a visual or auditory learning? Find out which style works for you, and use it to your advantage.
Plan to put in the time - Mastering the material will take some time, perhaps more than you bargained for. Plan ahead so you don’t cram in the last minute. Studies showed spaced repetition of the material is effective in retaining the information you learned.
Avoid burnout - Remember to take study breaks. Last thing you want is to be burned out studying. Exercise during breaks. Do fun things. Get enough sleep!
Enhance your efficiency - Finding a good studying environment, avoid distractions, and turn off your cell phone if you must during the protected study time! Take advantage of mobile resources to study for boards.
Test yourself - This may be the best way to study. Do MKSAP questions a few times, simulate the timed environment every now and then.
Resources
Use any or all of the following resources to help build a study plan:
ABIM Blueprint - Here you will find all the topics covered in the exam, and how many % of exam they entail. This will give you an idea of how much time to spend on each section.
MKSAP18 - You should all have access to MSKAP18 and Board Basics. These are great resources; many people have said they’re the only study source they use to ace the exam.
UWorld - Many have used this question bank to study for boards as well. If you’ve finished your MKSAP questions and want to find another Q bank, you may try this. That said, there are many other question banks out there that may be useful too. Shop around if you want.
Board Review Course - ACP has a board review course that is quite expensive. There are many out there. The program has paid for Awesome Board Review for the Class of 2020, and they may continue to do so. That board review was an intense six 12.5-hour days boot camp, which was fast-paced, and really intense. Not everyone liked it, but almost everyone felt it was useful to a certain extent. If you don’t think that suits your learning style, you may want to try out something else that allows you to watch the videos at your own leisure, and at your own pace. Personally, if I have time to review more materials, I’d pick Mayo Clinic IM Board Review or NEJM Knowledge Plus’s Board Review. They both seemed great. Feel free to do your own research.
NEJM Knowledge+ Board Review Study Tips - Click here for that. And click here to figure out your study style (whether you’re a planner, a crammer, or an episodic studier). They provide a study guide for each study style.