The Boards

Gentry King MD

The Boards

• Proficiency Test vs Obstacle

• Very Difficult

• Recall and Analysis

• Study-able

If you study and pray…you will pass

StatisticsBoard Passing Rate

0.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

70.00%

80.00%

1 2 3 4

FebruaryAugust

Feb Aug2007 53.42% 65.40%2008 54.10% 60.38%2009 64.50% 71.28%2010 46.20%

The Boards

• Test Structure:– 12 subjects: Basics and Clinical– 2 weekends: Saturday and Sunday)– “Tick the Box” multiple choice (4)

• Criteria to pass:– Average of 75% through all subjects– Not one subject below 50%

Review Class or Self Study?

• Review Class: Pros– Structured and Scheduled (for people who lack

the discipline)

– “Live” / Emphasized Pearls– Mock Exams (learn how to pace yourself)

– Handouts– “Juicy” Lectures

Review Class or Self Study?

• Review Class: Cons– Not everything is high yield– Not very flexible– Can be boring (not for people who sleep in

class)

– Expensive

Review Class or Self Study?

• Self Study: Pros– Very Flexible

• Cons:– Very easy to lose focus– Can be expensive– Retention can Be difficult

Review Class or Self Study?

• Conclusion: Combination of both• Review classes:

– UST: comprehensive vs indulgence– UP: brevity – UE

• ***Prev Med and Legal Med lectures from UST / UE

How to self-study

• Approach:– What is my goal? (Glory vs Nightmare?)

– How solid is my knowledge base? (what are my weaknesses?)

– How did I study before? (learner vs crammer)• Learner: expansive stock knowledge• Crammer: covers a lot of ground• OPTIMAL: Combination of both

– How hard am I going to study?• Stay healthy• Maintain weight!!!

"kelangan mo talaga mag-aral hangang sumakit ang puwet mo sa kakaupo."

How to self-study

• Methodology:– When to start studying?

• Isolate/Focus vs Keeping Sanity• Expect distractions• Make a schedule

– When to study? (simulate)

– How long will I study per subject? (at least 2 readings per subject)

– Where to study? (starbucks vs home)

– By system or by book?

Coffee or Tea?

***5 Golden Rules for Board Review

• Study your weaknesses / most difficult subjects first

• Know a little of everything not all about something

• “Appreciate the forest before the trees” (CHD)

• Stick to what works (familiarity)

• Take notes only of things you will surely forget

Some say…

• “The objective of studying for the boards, is to pass…not necessarily to learn…”

• “Studying will lower your threshold for recall..”

Tips…

• Read/think like an examiner (Ganong vs Guyton)

– “The most common…”– “The characteristic lesion of dx is…”– “The earliest change seen in….”– “The fundamental defect in…”– “The prototype disease of…”– “The absolute contraindication to….”– Tables, Diagnostic Criteria, Sensitivity/Specificity

• Know your examiners

• Know the history of the boards

• …You are all in this together!!!

Materials for study

• Reading Materials:– Mama vs baby– Reviewers– Med School Notes

• Samplex– Previous Boards– UPEC (Prev Med, Legal Med)

***1 Reviewer, 1 reference, 1 samplex

***Keep in schedule, prioritize and move on

Anatomy and Histology

• Danger: 5/5 Difficulty: 9/10• Main Reviewer: Snellito + Clinical Ana vs

Mama Snell• Total days for first reading: 2 weeks at least• High Yield Topics: Clinical Anatomy• Difficult topics: Perineum, Head and Neck• Dangerous topics: Basic Anatomy, Joints and

Musculoskeletal, Genitourinary histology.

Biochemistry• Danger: 5/5 Difficulty: 9/10• Kaplan Biochemistry, UST handouts, 1st aid

step 1 • 5 days to a week• High Yield Topics: DNA/RNA, Carbohydrate

Metabolism, Lipid Metabolism, Metabolic Integration, Urea Cycle

• Difficult topics: Purine and Pyrimidine Synthesis and Metabolism, Protein Metabolism, Hormones, Syndromes

• Dangerous topics: as above

Physiology

• Danger: 3/5 Difficulty: 8/10• BRS, Ganong• 4 to 5 days• High Yield Topics: Respiratory,

Gastrointestinal, Renal, Musculoskeletal, ANS

• Difficult topics: Special Senses, ANS• Dangerous topics: Special Senses,

ANS, Deep Sea, High Altitude, Space

Pathology

• Danger: 5/5 Difficulty: 7/10• BRS, 1st aid step 1, Kaplan, Robbins• 4 to 5 days• High Yield Topics: Cardiovascular, Respiratory,

Renal, Infectious, Neoplasia• Difficult topics: Renal, Hematology, Immunology• Dangerous topics: Immunology! Renal,

Hematology, Inflammation, Neoplasia, Environmental.

Microbiology• Danger level: 3/5• Level of Difficulty: 7/10• Memory: 60% Analysis: 40%• Main Reviewer: MRS, Kaplan, 1st aid, CPM• 1 week• High Yield Topics: STDs, TB, Dengue,

Typhoid, Rabies, Schistosomiasis• Difficult topics: Viruses, anti-virals• Dangerous topics: Fungi/anti-fungals,

Ricketssiae and diseases that don't exist in the Philippines, Sepsis criteria

Legal Med / Med Juris• Danger level: 5/5• Level of Difficulty: 7/10• Memory: 60%Analysis: 40%• Main Reviewer: Summaries of both books, UST/UE

reviewers, Samplex• 4 to 5 days• High Yield Topics: All of Jurisprudence, Sex

Crimes, Virginity, Child Abuse, Medico-legal aspects of identification, Medico-legal aspects of death, Causes of death, Special Deaths, Disposal of the dead body, Physical Injuries, Gunshot wounds, Drowning, IQ.

• Dangerous topics: Gunshot wounds, Poisoning, Jurisprudence Cases

Pharmacology

• Danger level: 3.5/5• Level of Difficulty: 8/10• Memory: 60% Analysis: 40%• Katzung and Trevor's, UST handouts, 1st aid Step 1• 4 to 5 days • High Yield Topics: ANS drugs, Anesthetics, Diuretics,

Anti-microbials, Anti-Seizure drugs, GI drugs• Difficult/Dangerous Topics: Anti-Virals, Anti-

neoplastics, ANS drugs, Anesthetics, Drugs of Abuse, Anti-Arrythimics, Psychopharmacology, Gonadal Hormones and Inhibitors.

Medicine• Danger level: 3/5• Level of Difficulty: 6/10• Memory: 50% Analysis: 50%• No high yield reviewer available, otherwise:

Harrisons, Medicine Blue Book, 1st aid step 2, high yield internal medicine

• 4 to 5 days• High Yield Topics: Infectious, Pulmo • Difficult / Dangerous Topics: Rheuma, Renal,

OB and Pedia (yes, you read that right)

Surgery/ENT/Ophtha

• Danger level: 5/5• Level of Difficulty: 10/10• Memory: 65% Analysis: 35%• No high yield reviewer available, otherwise: Surgery

Oc-Oc notes, Schwartz, Surgical Recall, Surgery Clerkship, 1st aid step 2, Sabiston.

• 1 week• High Yield Topics: first 9 chapters of Schwartz, Skin

and Melanoma, Plastic Surgery, Breast, Thyroid, Colon, Pediatric surgery, Glasgow Coma Scale, Stomach, Pancreas, Head and Neck, Anatomy of the Eye, Fluids

Pediatrics

• Danger: 4/5 Difficulty: 9/10• Nelson, Pocket Pedia, Immunization

chapters of Del Mundo, UST tests• 5-7 days• High Yield Topics: Pulmo, Infectious, Breast

Milk/Feeding, Vaccination, TB. • Difficult / Potentially Dangerous Topics:

Endo, Rheuma, Neuro, Psychologic Disorders, Growth and Development, Social Issues.

OB-GYNE

• Danger: 3.5/5 Difficulty: 7/10• Oc-Oc notes, BRS, Blueprints• 4-5 days• High Yield Topics: Bleeding in

Pregnancy, Abdominal Pain in Pregnancy, PCOS, Amenorrhea

• Difficult / Potentially Dangerous Topics: Gynecology, Puerperium, Gyne Onco

Prev Med

• Danger: 5/5 Difficulty: 8/10• Current UE notes, UST notes, Wikipedia, Philhealth,

First Aid step 1, Dra. Maglonzo's book, UPEC.• 4-5 days• High Yield Topics: Statistics, Environmental and

Occupational Medicine, Study Design, Family Dynamics, Current Health Statistics, Health Laws, Community Medicine.

• Difficult Dangerous Topics: Environmental and Occupational Medicine, Rats, Water, Shit and eggs...yes, eggs.

Test Day

• Know where / how / how long it takes to get to the test center a few days before

• Bring food (siopao) and coffee • Get sleep the night before• Possibility of poor testing conditions (cold vs

warm)

• Imodium, Paracetamol

• Biochem is the first test

Test Day

• Taking the test / Testmanship– Expect wrong grammar and wrong spelling– Expect questions to be repeated up to 4x– Some questions give clues to answers for other

questions

• Do not forget your test permit

• 1 week grace period before clinicals

Never forget the most important part…

God

MD

“No greater opportunity or obligation can fall the lot of a human being than to be a physician.

In the care of the suffering he needs technical skill, scientific knowledge, and human understanding.

He who uses these with courage, humility, and wisdom will provide a unique service for his fellow man and will build an enduring edifice of character within himself.”

Dr. Tinsley Harrison

Good luck and God bless!