September 2024 Tip of the Month

ABOG 2024 Certifying Exam Candidates

Now that you’ve submitted your case list, the next step is to seek feedback from your local or regional consultants and colleagues. For your Obstetrics cases, consider sending them to an MFM specialist or a generalist. For Gynecology, reach out to a GYN Oncologist, Urogynecologist, or Generalist. Your Office Practice cases can be reviewed by a Generalist, REI specialist, Family Physician, or Internist. Once you’ve sent your case list to the appropriate reviewers, be sure to set a strict deadline—two weeks is recommended—and schedule a discussion to review their feedback. In addition to these reviews, consider utilizing ABC faculty, who can assist in defending challenging cases and pinpointing key exam topics. Our resources also include a Structured Cases product, which is grouped by subject to help you fill in any topic gaps and practice the oral exam format. We offer a set of 85 cases that provide a comprehensive and cost-effective preparation tool. We strongly encourage you to register early for ABC’s Virtual Interactive Board Review Course from October 1-6 via Zoom. Please note that after September 18th, a $150 administrative fee will apply to late registrations. This course includes an Oral Exam Workshop, which focuses on strategy and is led by faculty with extensive knowledge of the oral exam process. It’s essential to start your preparation early. Engaging with these resources sooner rather than later will give you more time to identify and prioritize the topics you need to focus on. Ensure you know your case list thoroughly. For each patient, create a copy of the case, draft a clinical summary, identify key management issues, and compile relevant references. This comprehensive approach will help you solidify your knowledge and prepare effectively for your exam.

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 2024 ABOG Certifying Board Exam

After submitting your case list, you may have realized how much you’ve forgotten in your off-specialty subjects. The saying "If you don’t use it, you lose it" rings true here. Our review course is specifically designed for fellows, focusing on the essential knowledge you need for your exam. Once the exam is over, you can set that information aside, knowing you've mastered what matters. Regardless of when your exam is scheduled, there’s likely a lot to review—or in some cases, learn for the first time. We strongly recommend registering for our October 1-6 Virtual Interactive Board Review Course, where you’ll cover 95% of the material needed for your exam. In addition, we encourage you to participate in our D3 Oral Sessions. These sessions offer an excellent opportunity for last-minute polishing or cramming, with our experienced ABC faculty leading 55-minute mock oral exams in Dallas during your exam week. This is an invaluable chance to refine your skills and boost your confidence just before your exam.

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 in the spring of 2025? If you’re preparing for the fall exam in October, our October 2-6 Virtual Interactive Board Review Course is an excellent option for last-minute studying. This course is also a great choice for those looking to get a head start on preparing for the April 2025 exam. All of our Mock Orals are conducted by experienced osteopathic faculty, and we consistently receive outstanding feedback for how closely our structured cases simulate the AOBOG exam. Each case is subject-based, covering areas such as Urogyn (URPS), Oncology, OB, GYN, and REI. Additionally, we offer a set of cases specific to core topics, including ultrasound, pain, sexual dysfunction, and contraception. We are proud to be the only company offering a product that simulates the scenarios portion of your exam, featuring twenty different scenarios with subsequent questions. ABC provides the guidance you need to stay on track throughout your preparation. We also offer a strategy video in our Home Study Packages, where each core topic is examined in detail, meticulously covering 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 Maintenance of Certification

Remember, all articles are due by November 15th. With only two and a half months remaining, you will need to complete more than 10 articles per month. Additionally, it is essential to enroll in at least one practice module each year. Failure to do so may result in the revocation of your certification.

Part III: Secure Written Exam

For those in MOC Year 6 who have not averaged 86% or higher on your articles, passing a written exam by November 15th is mandatory. We offer several resources to help you prepare for and pass this exam. We recommend our five-day review course, scheduled for October 2-6, via Zoom. Our review course has evolved to meet the needs of the adult learner, focusing on exam preparation and adhering to national ACOG guidelines. You will also gain practical tips for everyday practice. For additional preparation, our Written Questions Online provide 1,400 questions with narrative explanations and references for each answer. Additionally, our OB/GYN Q Banks offer computer-based, 50 multiple-choice questions designed to simulate the written board exam. We are dedicated to your success and are here to support you.

You can do it ... we can help!

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 on their designated subspecialty. They then choose a second book from the generalist’s selectives. The strategy is in matching the exam selective to your mode of practice.
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. Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery
We’re getting many questions as to how to choose your selectives. The Board gives an itemization of the exam topics. Believe it or not, it is the same list of categories for the primary written exam and the oral exam case list; 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
Ethics & Professionalism
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.
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