July 2024 Tip of the Month

For ABOG 2024 Certifying Exam Candidates

Please ensure you pay your examination fee of $1225 and submit your case list collections by August 1st, 2024. The final deadline for submitting your case list and application fee is August 16th, with a late fee of $395 applied after this date. It’s crucial to note that being assigned your exam month doesn’t guarantee approval of your case list. Your top priority should be completing and refining your case list. Aim to revise it thoroughly, as initial drafts are rarely perfect. Constructing your case list is akin to practicing medicine — there are various approaches. Step back and review your list as an examiner would, not as the candidate. What questions might arise? Adjust the wording strategically to provoke the desired inquiries. Given that many candidates may not have seen numerous case lists, ensure peers review yours before submission. We’re pleased to offer a Comprehensive Case List Review; contact Melissa Krauss for details — Note the deadlines for case list submissions: July 25th for August 1st submission and August 8th for August 16th submission. Start exploring your review course options early. We recommend our August 13-18th Hybrid Board Review Course held at the MAHEC Education Campus in Asheville, NC, also available remotely via Webex. The course includes high-yield lectures covering OB, ONC, Urogyn, Primary Care, Periop, OFC GYN, and REI topics, along with interactive sessions led by faculty onsite. We advise registering soon, particularly for in-person attendance.

Case List Construction Tip:
The 80:20 rule applies to your case list, too. The examiner has only 30 minutes to examine you on your case list. They typically can get through only 10-15 cases. Thus, for 80% of your case list, you want to be crystal clear as to why you did what you did. The remaining 20% are strategically worded to beg the line of questioning that you desire.
The most common mistake on constructing your OFFICE case list is column confusion. The Results column is intended to be for the results of your treatment, NOT for the results of your diagnostic procedures. Put the results of your procedures in parenthesis in the Diagnostic Procedures column.
 Problem  
Diagnostic Procedures Results
Treatment  
Results
Painful vulvar lesions  
H&P (ulcerations on vulva)
STD counseling
Resolution of symptoms
Culture (Herpes)
Acylovir   
Analgesics     
     

 

Subspecialty Fellows Planning for their 2024 ABOG General Certifying Oral Board Exam

Your specialty cases should be drawn from your fellowship, including your office case list. For your off-specialty list (either GYN or OB), chief residency cases are acceptable. Be sure to register for our August 13-18th Hybrid Board Review Course, held at the MAHEC Education Campus in Asheville, NC, also available remotely via Webex. Our course is well-regarded among subspecialists for its focused, streamlined approach to exam preparation. Early registration is highly encouraged, especially if you plan to attend in person.

Case List Construction Tip: 
You are required to have exactly 20 patients in your off-specialty list. However, it is much to your advantage to have as many categories as possible. This gives you, rather than the examiner, more control. If you have sparse topics, the examiner has free rein to go in any old direction he pleases. Just say WHOA! Rein him in and unhand him by having a nice depth and breadth of topics. I challenge you to have 20 categories.

For AOBOG 2024 General Oral Exam Candidates

The deadline for applying without incurring a late fee has been extended to July 11th. Applications submitted after this date will be subject to an additional late fee of $982.50. AOBOG restricts the number of candidates eligible to sit for the exam, so we urge you to apply promptly. Our August 14-18th Hybrid Board Review Course, hosted at the MAHEC Education Campus in Asheville, NC, and accessible remotely via Webex, is an ideal resource to aid in your preparation for the exam. The course features high-yield lectures encompassing OB, ONC, Urogyn, Primary Care, Periop, OFC GYN, and REI topics, complemented by interactive sessions led by our faculty onsite. Early registration is recommended, especially for those planning to attend in person. Alternatively, consider our Oral Exam Home Study package, designed for convenient completion from your home or office. Pairing this with our Mock Orals will establish a comprehensive study regimen.

Test Taking Tips:
Refer to aobog.org for the topics and conduct for the oral exam. The exam is divided into three seventy-five-minute sections with a 15-minute break between each section. Each segment is three sections, and in each section, there are 2-3 cases (total of 7-9 clinical scenarios) per 75-minute segment. These cases have pictures, video clips of surgeries, ultrasounds, and the possibility of OMT videos in the sections. You must obtain a minimum of 75 out of 100 possible points to pass a scenario and must pass 9 of the 12 scenarios to pass the exam. Our Visual Clinical Scenarios product assures you know exactly what you’re walking into.
With you every step…

For AOBOG 2025 Written Exam Candidates

The exam is set for April 30 – May 2, 2025. Despite the temptation of summer relaxation, it's important to consider your preparation if your CREOG in-service-training exam scores have consistently been below 200. Starting to create a focused study plan that targets high-yield exam topics is crucial. Our course syllabus covers a comprehensive range of exam content. Attending our Hybrid Board Review Course on August 14-18, either in person at the MAHEC Education Campus in Asheville, NC, or via our virtual Webex option, will provide invaluable preparation. Additionally, our Test Taking Skills Online Course is designed to help you recognize and correct common mistakes.

Test Taking Technique:
The only resource to predict your performance on your board exam is the CREOG in-service training exam. Dig out your past scores. If your standardized scores were > 200, especially during your chief year, you have an excellent chance of passing your board exam ASSUMING you continue to progress your learning at the same pace that you have these last several years. If you score was < 200, you must devise a plan to improve both your content and test-taking skills. So, to put it quite bluntly, you must approach your CREOG in-service-training exam like it’s your board exam. What’s that adage? Trick me once, shame on you; trick me twice, shame on me.

ABOG Maintenance of Certification (MOC)

Part II: Lifelong Learning and Self-Assessment: By now, you should be halfway through your second quarter articles. While you have the option to extend the completion of these articles until the November deadline, consider the benefits of completing them promptly.

Part III: Secure Written Exam: If your average score on the article questions exceeds 86%, you are exempt from the written exam. You can check your exemption status on your homepage. For those in MOC Year 6 who are not exempt, passing the written exam by November 15 is mandatory. We offer several resources to assist you in preparing for and passing this exam. If you typically utilize review courses for your board-certifying exams, attending our five-day review courses can greatly enhance your preparation. Our August 14-18 Hybrid Board Review Course will be held at the MAHEC Education Campus in Asheville, NC, with the option to join online via Webex. Early registration for in-person attendance is recommended. Alternatively, our October 2-4 Virtual Board Review Course will be conducted entirely online via Zoom. Our courses are designed for adult learners and are focused on exam preparation, with all lectures adhering to national ACOG guidelines. Participants will gain practical tips for everyday practice. If you need additional practice questions, our Written Questions Manuals offer nearly 1400 questions, each with a detailed explanation and references, and are available in print. We also offer online Q Banks featuring sets of 50 multiple-choice single best-answer questions, which are excellent supplementary resources for further practice.

Test Taking Tip:
The written exam is only 100 questions and you answer two books of fifty questions. Generalists get to choose their books or “selectives” for each exam. Subspecialists must take the first book based upon their designated subspecialty. They then have to choose a second book from the generalist’s selectives. The strategy is in matching the exam selective to your mode of practice. Dr. Das has created a series of videos to help with selectives. 

Generalist: Selective Exam A & B (50 questions)

  1. Obstetrics and Gynecology and Office Practice & Women’s Health 

  2. Obstetrics only

  3. Gynecology only (tends to have more Surgical GYN focus)

  4. Office Practice and Women’s Health only (primary care, office GYN & family planning focus)

Subspecialists: Selective Exam A (50 questions)

  1. Gynecologic Oncology

  2. Maternal-Fetal Medicine

  3. Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility

  4. Female Pelvic Medicine & Reconstructive Surgery

We’re getting lots of questions as to how to choose your selectives. VIEW our snippets here. Believe or not, it is the same list for the primary written exam and the oral exam case list categories; although fortunately, the focus is much more clinical. It is well worth going to the Basic Bulletin at abog.org to look through the specific list. The focus for each of the General selectives is as follows:

  1. Obstetrics – Antepartum, Intrapartum, Postpartum.

  2. Gynecology only- Inpatient & Outpatient GYN focus, including REI, Urogyn and Oncology

  3. Office Practice and Women’s Health only - Primary Care, Office GYN, Office Surgery & Family Planning focus

Each Selective can include “Cross Content Areas,” such as
    1. Safety
    2. Anatomy & Physiology, Basic Sciences
    3. Genetics
    4. Ethics & Professionalism 

 

 

Back to blog

Leave a comment

Please note, comments need to be approved before they are published.