August 2023 Tip of the Month

For ABOG 2023 Certifying Exam Candidates

It is time to research your review course options and register. We are a bit biased, as we feel we have the ideal course; however, you should look for the following features. We recommend a board review course, not just a review course, for an exam-focused review. You also want a faculty that lectures following the latest ACOG recommendations and not on their boring research or the latest, yet unproven, fads. The faculty needs to be particularly knowledgeable in the oral exam process and content and provide Mock Oral Exams and Case List Reviews. We suggest our August 15-20 course, which is primarily designed for those taking their oral exam. You can attend this course in person or virtually via Webex. Keep in mind, this is the only in-person course being held for the remainder of the year. We strongly encourage you to register sooner rather than later, especially if you plan on attending in person. The course will be held at the MAHEC Education Campus in Asheville, NC. To complement the content covered in the review course we have added the Oral Exam Workshop that is devoted to the strategies of taking an oral exam. The earlier you take the workshop, the better, as your studying will take far more time than you budgeted; so, it is better to identify as early as possible the topics you need to prioritize. Half of your test is defending your case list. Send your case list NOW to your local/regional consultants or colleagues for recommendations in DEFENDING your case list:           

                        
Make sure you give them a strict deadline. Since the clock is ticking, now is the time to schedule a time to sit down and review their recommendations. Our ABC faculty can review and provide a Comprehensive Case List Review. For more information on getting your case list reviewed contact Melissa Krauss. Please keep in mind that case lists will not be accepted after August 11^th for August 16^th submission. 

Study Tip:
Lock your textbooks away. The only references you will need are the Compendium, Precis, and Prologs, and did we mention THE COMPENDIUM? These are the answer guides for your test. Contact acog.org if you need to order the newest version. A well-kept secret is to check the back of the green journal, Obstetrics & Gynecology, every month for the latest updates to the Compendium. You’ll impress the examiner if you are that current.
You can do it … we can help.

For ABOG 2024 Certifying Exam Candidates

The results for the written boards will come out by October 2023. If you choose the fast track, you can sit right away for your oral exam. However, remember the collections started in July, as in last month. You cannot apply for the certifying exam typically until February 2024. However, if you wait this long to enter cases, you’re already EIGHT months behind – BIG MISTAKE! Don’t fret about details of how to enter the data because you’ll change your mind at least a half dozen times. For all GYN patients, start a habit of collecting H&Ps, operative notes, pathology reports, and discharge summaries. For all OB patients, keep a file of the prenatal forms, delivery notes, discharge summaries, and postpartum notes. Don’t worry about the office patients yet. Take a stab at entering the data online, and just use your common sense.
Rest assured, we will have a Case List Construction Workshop as a part of our April 2024 review course. Start today to create a good habit of collecting and entering cases.

Strategy Tip:
Should you get in the fast lane and go for the accelerated track or sit back and relax for a year? If you just started your subspecialty fellowship or if your practice will be limited (e.g. GYN only or laborist), jump on the fast track. You will be shocked at how quickly you will forget your off-specialty. Besides, the fast track isn't warped speed, since your exam is not until the fall of 2024.
On the other hand, if you just started a general OB/GYN practice, sit back and take a well-deserved break. Not only do you need some time to adjust to being out on your own, but this experience will catapult you leaps and bounds ahead in your clinical acumen. It’s similar to that exponential learning curve in going from a medical student to an intern. This newfound experience will help enormously when you sit for your exam two years later.
You can do it … we can help

Subspecialty Fellows Sitting for their 2023 ABOG General Certifying Board Exam

So that’s where they get the expression, “If you don’t use it, you lose it”. Our review course is ideal for Fellows, as we tell you just what you need to know; then you can joyfully repress it again after your test. Even if your exam is not until December, there is much to relearn - OK, for some of you to learn. We strongly recommend you come to our August 15-20 course to gather all the material you will need for 90% of your test. You can attend this course in person or virtually via Webex. Keep in mind, this is the only in-person course being held for the remainder of the year. We strongly encourage you to register sooner rather than later, especially if you plan on attending in person. The course will be held at the MAHEC Education Campus in Asheville, NC
We’re most sincere when saying, “You can do it … we can help”.

Study Tip:
Raise your right hand and repeat after me, “I solemnly swear I will NOT study my subspecialty topics until last. You don’t even need to study them at all. But if you insist, review it from a generalist’s perspective. After all, you are taking your general oral exam.
… with you every step

For AOBOG 2023 Oral Exam Candidates

If you’re planning on taking the October 2023 exam, lock in your spot now. We have a Virtual Board Review Course October 4-8 strategically timed just before your October exam. We’re a bit biased, as we feel we have the ideal course. Your osteopathic colleagues concur as we’re the #1 go-to source for those preparing for their oral exam. If you cannot come to a live course, then the next best thing is one of our Oral Exam Home Study packages. Our course materials cover all your core topics, and we include mock orals for articulation. There’s no better way to practice than with our private mock orals.
You can do it…we can help.

Test-Taking Tips:
If you are sitting for your 2023 exam you still should have completed your extensive review of EACH core topic. Use the following checklist for each core topic, as the examiners will push you to the nth degree.
General Obstetrics and Gynecology:
  Office-Based
  Hospital-Based
  Maternity Based
Gynecologic Oncology:
         Neoplasms of the Vulva, Vagina, Cervix, Uterus, Fallopian tubes, Ovaries, Breast, and those associated with Pregnancy
Female Medicine and Pelvic Reconstructive Surgery:
         Urinary Stress Incontinence/Genital Prolapse
         Sexual Dysfunction/Pain Syndromes
Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility:
         Contraception Management
         Ultrasonography of the Female Pelvis
         Workup and Treatment of the Infertile Couple
Maternal-Fetal Medicine:
         Evaluation of the High-Risk Pregnancy
         Early Screening Tests and Diagnosis
         Interventions available during Pregnancy
Be prepared to give at least three for your differential diagnosis and treatment options
You can do it … we can help.

For ABOG Qualifying and AOBOG 2024 Written Exam Candidates

If this is your first time taking the exam and you have historically performed average or better on your CREOG in-service-training exam, you can enjoy the summer. For most of you, it’s a hectic time anyway, with everyone moving up in rank.
Applications for the ABOG exam are available online on January 2nd, 2024. Don’t shoot the messenger, but in case you need to budget, the $1,700 application and examination fee are due by February 16^th without a late fee. The final application deadline is March 1^st and it includes a $360 late fee.
Applications for the AOBOG Spring Written Exam are available on October 16, 2023. Better yet, the $1175 application fee is not due until February 19, 2024. There is an additional late fee of $352.50 for all applications submitted past February 19^th. The final application deadline is March 18th, 2024. If this will be your second attempt, spend August doing some soul-searching. Why did you fail? If you have had previous failed attempts and you have a reasonable excuse, such as you simply did not study, or had a significant distraction, such as being newly postpartum or having a family crisis, you can cut yourself some slack. However, promise to commit to passing your exam this year. If you have failed at least twice, there is a pattern. We strongly advise you to come to our August 16-20 course. You can attend this course in person or virtually via Webex. Keep in mind, this is the only in-person course being held for the remainder of the year. We strongly encourage you to register sooner rather than later, especially if you plan on attending in person. The course will be held at the MAHEC Education Campus in Asheville, NC. Not only do you need to come out running at the six-month mark, but perhaps it’s time you consider our Decide if you can and will deeply commit to adequately preparing for this exam. If the answer is anything but an emphatic yes, you are setting yourself up for another disappointment. Statistically, the chances of failing the exam again after two attempts are dismally high. However, the program established by ABC has completely defied those odds. To say that we’ve blown them off the charts is an understatement. Call us and we can help you strategize.
You can do it … we can help.

ABOG Maintenance of Certification (MOC)

Part II: Lifelong Learning
The third and last quarter articles come out next month. Have you let some of the second and first-quarter articles collect dust? Have you even done any? Remember that all articles are due December 15^th, so do the math. With four months remaining, that means 10+ articles per month.
Furthermore, don’t forget that you must have enrolled in at least one practice module each year. If you have not, this can also be grounds to yank your certification – YIKES!
Part III: Secure Written Exam
Those of you in MOC Year 6 who have not averaged 86% or higher on your articles, must pass a written exam by December 15^th. We have a few products to help you prepare for and pass your written exam. For those of you who have always tapped into a review course in preparing for your board-certifying exams, you’ll no doubt benefit greatly by attending our five-day review course being held August 16-20. You can attend this course in person in Asheville, NC, or virtually via Webex. This is not the same type of review course as in the past. Just as you evolve and practice evidence-based medicine, our course is designed for the adult learner, is exam-focused, and all lectures follow the national ACOG guidelines. Heck, you’ll walk away with loads of everyday practice tips, too.
Still looking for more questions? Our Written Questions Manuals provide an additional 1400 questions, plus a narrative explanation for each answer, along with references. Additionally, our Q Banks for the OB/GYN are computer-based 50 multiple-choice questions. They are designed to simulate your written board exam.
You can do it…we can help.

1. Safety
2. Anatomy & Physiology, Basic Sciences
3. Genetics
4. Ethics & Professionalism

AOBOG Recertification Written Exam, Osteopathic Continuous Certification in Obstetrics & Gynecology (OCC)

The recertification exam has been replaced with the (ARC) aka Advanced Real-time Certification. The good news is that it is an online assessment system allowing you to fulfill your OCC Component 3 requirements. Each year you are to complete 24 assessments. Go to the AOBOG website for additional details.

ABC Tip:
Consider coming to our 5-day review courses. This is not the same type of review course as in the past.  Just as you evolve and practice evidence-based medicine, our course is designed for the adult learner and all lectures follow the national ACOG guidelines. Even better, you’ll walk away with Category I CME hours and with loads of clinical pearls, too.