February 2022 Tip of the Month

ABOG & AOBOG 2022 Qualifying Written Exam Candidates

The CREOG in-service training exam is a good predictor of you passing your written boards. We strongly advise taking a BOARD prep course, not just a review course. This year we’ll be offering a live course with in-person and virtual options. Our April 20-24 course is an exam focused review. In just five days, we’ll cover 90% of the exam topics. Our faculty base their lectures on ACOG clinical guidelines. Most importantly, every lecture concludes with written exam questions. For those who have traditionally struggled with written exams, failed the written board exam, or did not score at least 200 on your CREOG in-service exam, you cannot continue your modus operandi. It didn’t work before, so why set yourself up for the same outcome? We have found that knowledge is rarely the problem. You couldn’t have made it this far if that were the case. It’s typically a processing problem. Our Online Test Taking Skills Course will give you an evidence-based proven methodology. Adopting this technique can improves CREOG scores on average 1 standard deviation! This may be just what you need to boost you over to a pass for your board exam. In addition, we offer performance reports for accountability. Our experienced ABC faculty will evaluate your progress and send you specific ways to stay on track. For $75 you can have unlimited correspondence via email with faculty. Looking for written questions? Our Written Questions Manuals consist of 1200+ questions that are organized by the major exam subjects: OB, GYN Surgery, Office, REI, GYN Oncology, FPM & Ethics. Even sweeter, they are further organized by subtopics, so you can beeline to questions to immediately check your subject review. No more wasted hours of sifting through sources with random questions! Available in print form or online by subscription.

Test Taking Technique:
You pretty much must know everything about OB/GYN. However, for you “lists folk,” both boards give a breakdown of the categories.
ABOG folk, go to the 2022 Specialty Qualifying Bulletin via abog.org for a list of topics covered on the exam. They break it down by OB, GYN, Office Practice/Preventative/Primary Care, and Cross Content areas. Although the examples in parentheses are not meant to be all-inclusive, you would be a fool to not know them.      
AOBOG folk, go to aobog.org and click on “Exam Content Outline”. Yours are broken down into GYN, GYN ONC, REI, FPM, OB and MFM. Notice you don’t have Cross Content topics.
But hey, did we mention we cover 90% of exam topics in just five days at our course?

ABOG 2022 Certifying Oral Exam Candidates

You can apply online for the 2022 Oral Exam on February 10^th at www.abog.org. Your application and the application fee of $940 are both due by March 17^th without a late fee. Applications submitted from March 18^th until April 1^st will accrue an additional $360 fee. Applications submitted on April 2^nd until April 15^th will accrue a hefty $840 late fee. No applications will be accepted after April 15^th. Fees must be paid online at the time of application. Don’t risk overlooking this menial, but necessary, administrative task. Remember that case list collections started JULY 1, 2021 or seven months ago!  So now you’re over the hump and only FIVE MONTHS LEFT to complete your collection of cases. You must enter your cases online only through the ABOG portal. By this time, you must be in a routine for entering your cases. ABC recommends that you keep a stash of case list forms in your surgery and L&D locker. Right after you dictate your operative or delivery notes, complete the case list form. Once a week, enter this data into ABOG portal. Don’t fret about details of how to enter the data. For now, just use your clinical sense. You’ll change your mind at least a half dozen times before it’s all said and done. You should now have three binders for each of the three sections - OB, GYN, and Office. For each GYN patient, compile their case list sheet, H&P, operative notes, pathology report and discharge summary. For all OB patients, keep a file of the prenatal forms, delivery notes, discharge summaries, and postpartum notes. For the office patients, file the case list sheet, appropriate copies of the office visit(s) and supporting labs, imaging studies, etc. By now, you should have at least half of the 40 office categories collected. Your goal is to have ¾ of the cases collected by March. It’s nice that you can enter your cases through any device with an internet connection. However, you still must have a well-constructed list and their guidelines are still woefully sparse. Don’t fret – come to our one day Case List Construction Workshop offered April 19^th, the day before the review course. We’ll show you how to raise your case list head and shoulders above the other candidates. If you’re wanting the best available review for your exam, come to our April 19-24 Board Review Course. This year we’ll be offering a live course with in-person and virtual options. The advantage of starting in the spring is that you have a good idea of the topics on your case list. You don’t have to do any heavy-duty studying until August, as your only priority from May to August 1^st is to get that case list done and design your strategy. However, once August 1^st hits there is precious little time to study if your exam is the first month in October. Thus, coming to a review course in the spring greatly facilitates exploding out of the starting blocks. For those wanting to be even more prepared, order your copy of the Pass Your Oral OB/GYN Board Exam by Dr. Das for a complete step-by-step guide.

AOBOG 2022 Certifying Oral Exam Candidates 

Applications for the October 2022 exam, along with the $3275 fee, are available online March 1^st.  Make sure you go online March 1 because the number of candidates is limited, and spots fill up quickly. If you want to officially launch your preparation for your fall exam it’s time to register for a review course. Our April 20-24 board review course is perfect for a streamlined exam-focused review and this year we’ll be offering in-person and virtual options. Did you know our syllabus even highlights the core topics? Each core topic is just an umbrella for many other spin-off topics.  Not only will we cover 95% of your test topics, but we also have the faculty skilled in giving you Mock Oral Exams. Since 2011, 99% of our board course attendees passed their AOBOG oral exam. All agreed our signature Structured Cases closely simulate the exam content and conduct and were instrumental in their passing. Another exam prep option is one of our Home Study Packages that includes over 44 hrs of course lectures and strategy videos created just for the AOBOG oral exam candidate. We include an OMM or OMT refresher, mock orals with DO practitioners and structured cases to round out the packages. 

Test Taking Technique:
ABC’s OMM for the OBGYN is designed specifically for our AOBOG candidates, covering topics for those preparing for their written, oral, or OCC osteopathic exam. It includes 25 multiple choice questions, 50 questions with write-in answers, Visual Clinical Scenarios based upon osteopathic structural exams and related OMT/OMM techniques. Click on the links for more details.

Chief Residents Planning a Subspecialty Fellowship

Subspecialty fellows are permitted to select 20 patients from their Chief resident year for their off-specialty case list. In other words, GYN Oncologists, REI and Urogynecologists will need an OB list and MFMs need a GYN list. Therefore, make sure to hold onto that residency log! Refer to the ABOG Bulletin on how those 20 patients are selected. To be on the safe side, we recommend you collect at least 30, so you can strategically select the final 20 later. For those patients, keep a file of the following: for the GYN patients, collect the H&Ps, operative notes, pathology reports, and discharge summaries. For the OB patients, keep a file of the prenatal forms, delivery notes, discharge summaries, and postpartum notes.  Don’t worry about the office patients at all, as you may compile this only during your fellowship. A word of caution – right now you are at your peak for general OB/GYN knowledge. Believe it or not, two years from now, your knowledge base will regress to that of an intern. Yes, it’s true . . . if you don’t use it, you lose it. So those cool, esoteric, bizarre, once-in-a-career cases now will be a nightmare to defend later. Your greatest allies are your junior residents. If they can’t easily defend that case, discard it and “go fish” for another.

Test Taking Technique:
For many candidates, Oncology is a love/hate relationship. Commonly, many don’t even have any oncology on their GYN case list, since most generalists refer the patient to the GYN oncologist upon the diagnosis, or even suspicion, of cancer. Nonetheless, you will be held accountable for oncology on your oral exam.
As a resident, oncology is practically second nature for you.  Make sure to choose some oncology cases for your case list if you will be using your chief log for your GYN case list. Just go with the bread-and-butter cancers, such as ovarian, uterine, and cervical cancers. You’ll be glad you did, as it will be easier to retain or relearn these topics two or more years from now.

Subspecialty Fellows Planning for their 2022 ABOG General Certifying Board Exam

You knew it was too good to be true. Those non-specialty subjects that you gleefully suppressed have come back to haunt you. You can only take the general oral boards once during your fellowship, so strategize carefully to see which year will best set you up for success. If you neglected to collect cases in your off specialty from your chief year, you must get back to your residency institution to gather those cases. GYN Oncologists, REI and Urogynecologists will need an OB list and MFMs will need a GYN list. If you currently must take call for these off services, you can use those cases. Yes, it’s true . . . if you don’t use it, you lose it. So, we suggest you take the exam right away or start collecting cases the first year of your fellowship.

Test Taking Technique:
If you are retrospectively collecting cases, go with your comfort zone. Dang, how could you have forgotten so much in such a short time? Unfortunately, it’s true . . . if you don’t use it, you lose it. Go with the bread-and-butter cases.  Remember, this is your general boards. We recommend you chose those cases that reflect high-yield topics. Our Test Topics Manual and the Pass Your Oral Ob/Gyn Board Exam by Dr. Das offers excellent step-by-step guidance.

ABOG Maintenance of Certification (MOC) Part II

All 45 articles are due December 15^th, even for those of you who also took your written exam this year. I know a rare few of you haven’t even done any. If you’re desperate, you need to pass 80% of 120 questions, so that’s only 30 of the 45 articles; however, you only get 25 Category I CME credits. The holidays are rushed enough without having to also complete the articles while waiting in the shopping line. You don’t want Santa to stuff your stocking with a big fat late fee! Remember also that you must have enrolled in at least one practice module each year. If you have not, that can also be grounds to yank your certification.

Part III: Secure Written Exam
If you have not maintained at least an 86% average on your MOC articles and your about to enter MOC Year 6 in 2022, you must pass a written exam by December 15, 2022. Incredibly, you get FIVE attempts to pass the exam and can take it practically any day of the year!  Finally, the Board has acknowledged that an emphasis will be placed on both the Compendium and the articles. Come to our April 20-24, 2022, Board Review Course for fun!  This is not the same type of review course from the past. Just as you’ve evolved 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.
There are three options for CME AMA PRA Category 1 accreditation for completing MOC requirements. You can check out these options on the ABOG website under the MOC bulletin section for more information.
You can do it … we can help!

AOBOG Osteopathic Continuous Certification in Obstetrics & Gynecology (OCC) Written exam

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 giving you the opportunity 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 attending our 5-day review course April 20-24, 2022. 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 you’ll walk away with Category I CME hours and with loads of clinical pearls, too.

Royal Canadian College 2022 Exam Candidates