September 2023 Tip of the Month

September 1, 2023

ABOG 2023 Certifying Exam Candidates

Now that your case list has been submitted, we recommend you send it to your local/regional consultants or colleagues for recommendations in defending your case list:

Case list component Reviewer

OB MFM, generalist

GYN GYN ONC, Urogyn, Generalist

Office Generalist, REI, FP, IM

Make sure you give them a strict deadline - say two weeks - and set a date to discuss their recommendations. Also, consider utilizing ABC faculty. We'll help you defend those nightmare cases or, just as important, point out the usual exam focus for all your cases. The other half of the exam is the Structured Cases. We have a few products to help you get comfortable with this portion of your exam. Our Structured Cases product is grouped according to a subject, so they’re an excellent way to fill in topic gaps and practice the oral format. You get a great bang out for your buck if you purchase our set of 85 cases. ABC’s October 3-8 Virtual Interactive Board Review Course is perfect for you. We strongly encourage you to register sooner rather than later, as there is an administrative fee of $150 after September 19^th registration. Our research consistently shows that your pass rate is higher if you incorporate strategy with content. Therefore, our Oral Exam Workshop, which is devoted to strategy, is included in the course. Our faculty is exceptionally knowledgeable about the oral exam and provides specific services, such as Mock Oral Exams, Case List Reviews, and Structured Cases. The earlier you utilize these services, the better off you'll be, 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. Regardless of the month of your exam, you must know your case list cold! For every patient, make a copy of the case from your case list, draft a clinical summary, identify the patient management issues, and compile both the compendium references on the issues and your clinically oriented review.

Study Tip:

Another surefire way to learn your cases, as well as have some fun coloring, is to get out your four favorite-colored highlighters. Use the same color for ALL the cases with the following commonalities: labs, imaging, medications, and surgeries. For example, everything highlighted in blue is medication. Each area has characteristic features. In this example, for each medication, identify the generic/brand name, mechanism of action, indications, etc. Enter the data on a flash card or your phone and quiz yourself in between cases or awaiting delivery. You can do it … we can help.

Subspecialty Fellows Planning for their 2023 ABOG Certifying Board Exam

Now that your case list has been turned in, you probably recognize how much you forgot in your off-specialty subjects. 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. No matter your exam month there is a lot to relearn…. OK, for some of you, to learn. We strongly recommend you register for our October 3-8 Virtual Interactive Board Review Course to gather all the material you will need for 95% of your test. We also encourage you to tap into D3 mock oral sessions which provide an opportunity for last-minute polishing or cramming. Our seasoned ABC faculty will be providing 55-minute mock oral sessions in Dallas during your exam week which provides an opportunity for last-minute polishing or cramming.

Study Strategy:

Time is short. Remember, you are sitting for your general boards, NOT your subspecialty boards. Starting now, don't study anything in your subspecialty; focus entirely on your off-subjects. You do not need to study the exhaustive, minute detail that you are used to for your subspecialty. It will not score you any more points and is a waste of precious study time. Our Test Topics Manual will provide you with a template for an exam-focused review.

AOBOG Oral Exam Candidates

Are you scheduled to sit for your AOBOG oral boards this fall or spring of 2024? If you are sitting for the fall exam (October) then our October 4-8 Virtual Interactive Board Review Course is a great option for last-minute studying. This course is a great option for those who want to get a head start in preparing for the April 2024 exam. All our Mock Orals are conducted by our osteopathic faculty, and we receive rave feedback that our structured cases closely simulate the AOBOG exam. Each is subject-based, including FPM, Oncology, OB, GYN, and REI. We also have a set that is specific for each core topic, including cases on ultrasound, pain, sexual dysfunction, and contraception. We are the only company that has a product that simulates the scenarios portion of your exam. Twenty different scenarios are displayed with subsequent questions. ABC has the guard rails to keep you going down the long and straight. We also have an evening session or a strategy video on our home study package that puts each core topic under the microscope and painstakingly goes through potential exam topics.

Test Taking Technique:

Practice makes perfect. This is an oral exam. You can study more, but if you can't persuasively articulate, all that work is for naught. Just reach out and touch, as in the phone. The number of private mock orals is limited only by your stamina. You can do it … we can help.

ABOG and AOBOG 2024 Qualifying (Written) Exam Candidates

The ABOG application will be available online at www.abog.org on January 2^nd, 2024. Don't shoot the messenger, but in case you need to budget, the $1,600 application and examination fee are both due by February 16^th, 2024, without a late fee. For those of you taking your AOBOG exam, applications are available in October for the spring exam. If this is your first time taking the exam and you have historically performed above average on your CREOG in-service-training exam, kick back and chill. If this will be at least your second attempt or you have performed at or below average on your CREOG in-service-training exam, you need to decide if you can, and will, truly commit to adequately preparing for this exam. If your answer is anything but an emphatic yes, you are setting yourself up for another disappointment. We strongly advise you to attend our October 4-8 Virtual Interactive Board Review Course or register for our Online Home Study Course. We will provide you with the study materials that cover 90% of your exam and help you develop a study plan to come out running at the six-month mark. Take charge with our Taking Skills Online Course. You will receive over 3 hours of videos focusing on test-taking methodology, strategy, and application.

Study Tip:

The CREOG in-service training exam is in January. Although publicly fellowship directors will tell you that your score on CREOGs doesn’t affect your fellowship application; this is about as credible as medical schools saying MCATs don’t mean much … yeah, right. So maybe your scores don’t hurt you, but they sure could help you …a lot!

The exam is a few months away, of which two are holiday months. Time will slip away quickly. If your residency does not have a regimented CREOG prep course, you need to develop a study schedule now. Kill two birds with one stone by using the ABOG written board learning objectives as your guide. Simply go to the 2024 Specialty Qualifying Exam page for more information.

Anyone can take the exam, even non-residents, so we strongly recommend taking them if you failed your written board exam.

ABOG Maintenance of Certification

Part II Lifelong Learning

ALL 45 articles are due December 15. 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, rather than 35 Category I CME credits. 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 - 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. 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 virtual review course being held October 4-8. 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 almost 1400 questions, a narrative explanation for each answer, and 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

Test Taking Tip:

The written exam is on the computer as you are aware. Go to www.pearsonvue.com/abog ahead of time for a tutorial to familiarize yourself with how to take an exam on the computer. You might consider purchasing our Written Questions Online which are grouped by subject and then topic. Perfect for those topics that are not in your day-to-day practice.

AOBOG 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 that allows 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 one of 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 loads of clinical pearls.

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