November 2023 Tip of the Month

For ABOG 2023 Certifying Exam Candidates

December Exam Candidates

It’s showtime! A great way to pull it all together (or salvage what’s left if you procrastinated) is to take advantage of our in-person D3 Mock Oral Sessions in Dallas, Texas. We will provide private mock oral exams, our signature structured case of the day, case list review, or whatever you need for last-minute polishing or cramming for your big day. Don’t want to reinvent the wheel? Our Oral Exam FAQs itemize those questions most frequently asked for specific topics. Half of your exam is structured cases. Did we mention Mock Oral Exams? The number one regret of past candidates is that they wished they had taken more mock oral exams. It’s time to call in the “A” team, as in the ABC faculty. ABC offers Mock Oral Exams, and our signature, one-of-a-kind Structured Cases.

Test-Taking Technique:
The questions will come at you in rapid fire. Often, the examiner will push you until you finally don’t know the answer. Don’t misinterpret this as failing the question. On the contrary, you probably passed it long before. Still, the examiner may simply want to explore the depth of your knowledge or at least reassure himself that you will acknowledge your limitations.
Let the last question go and focus on the question at hand. Do not let worrying about whether you got the last question correct distract you, and thereby compromise you getting a sure pass question correct.


Subspecialty Fellows Sitting for their 2023 ABOG General Certifying Board Exam

Can you believe that this is your case list? Did you manage all those patients in your off-specialty? How come you can’t remember them? That’s where they get the expression, “If you don’t use it, you lose it.” Consider one of our many Home Study packages - designed with over 42 hours of content so that you can study at your own pace. Don’t want to reinvent the wheel? Our Oral Exam FAQs itemize those frequently asked questions for specific topics.
Try our Structured Cases sets, as they are invaluable study guides that can be used for self-study. Even more effective is to have others quiz you so you can practice out loud.
You can always reach out for a Case List Review on all or just your off-specialty sections of your case list for anticipated questions on your cases. Finally, we encourage you to tap into our in-person D3 Mock Oral Sessions in Dallas, Texas. They will provide an opportunity for last-minute polishing or cramming.

Study Strategy:
Our Structured Cases are perfect to challenge you on your off-specialty subjects. We even have a special set of 85 cases for subspecialists preparing for their certifying exam. Heck, memorize them if you must and then you can gleefully throw them out the window after the exam.
 

ABOG 2024 Certifying Exam Candidates

You cannot apply for the 2024 oral exam until March 2024. However, if you wait this long to enter cases, you’re already EIGHT months behind, since the collections started in July. 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 form, delivery notes, discharge summaries, and postpartum notes. Rest assured you can start today with our signature Case List Construction Course online. The live workshop will be held virtually and is scheduled for April 9th, 2024. Start today by creating a good habit of collecting and entering cases.

Case List Construction Tip:
Don’t fret about the details of how to enter the data. You’ll change your mind at least a half dozen times before it’s all said and done. Take a stab at entering the data on the case list forms; then just use your common sense. Don’t worry about collecting patients for your office list yet. That will come later. For now, focus on the OB and GYN lists.

ABOG & AOBOG 2024 Qualifying Written Exam Candidates

For ABOG folk, the $1700 examination fee is due by February 16th, 2024. Following this date, you may submit your application no later than March 1st with a late fee of $360. No applications are accepted after March 1st. For those of you taking your AOBOG spring exam, the application window opened on October 16th. The $1175 examination fee is due by February 19th, 2024. The final application deadline is March 18, 2024, with a late fee of $352.50. For those wanting to score big on their CREOGs, or to explode out of the gate for their written board exam, consider purchasing our Written Exam Online Learning Prep Course. It includes everything you need to pass your exam, self-paced from the comfort of home. Our Test Taking Skills Online Course is perfect if you have not scored > 200 on your CREOG in-service training exam, failed your written board exam, or have just wished your score reflected your knowledge, this course is a must. In just 2 months you can perfect the CQRPE method and test drive it on the January CREOG exam. Faithful users typically score one standard deviation or 20 points higher! Just imagine the possibilities for your board exam!

Test-Taking Technique:
Anyone, not just residents, can take the CREOG exam, and it is STRONGLY advised for those who are repeating their board exam. Don’t worry - the results come only to you. If too much is at stake and you don’t want to experiment for the first time, take a test drive with our Written Questions.

For AOBOG folk, the exam is April 17-19 at the Pearson VUE testing centers.
It’s always good to keep it all in perspective. Begin with the end in mind. Make sure you cross-reference to the AOBOG list of exam content before you launch or to monitor your studying.
               GYN                      39-43%
               REI                        7-11%
               FPMRS                 6-10%
              Oncology              4-8%
              OB & MFM            34-38%


AOBOG 2024 Oral Exam Candidates

For those preparing for their Spring 2024 exam, you want to get a head start by purchasing our AOBOG Home Study Courses. It includes everything you need to pass your exam, self-paced from the comfort of home. There are over 42 hours of high-yield, exam-focused recordings including OB, ONC, Urogyn, Primary Care, Periop, OFC GYN, and REI topics. Our Visual Clinical Scenarios walks you through 20 visual aids with subsequent answers and an OMT presentation. It’s a great refresher before you sit for your oral exam.

Chief Residents Planning 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, Family Planning, and FPMRS 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 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.

Test Taking Tips:
You are almost halfway through your academic year. You will never rotate again on certain subspecialties. You must track the ones for which you will need to collect cases and strategically choose those during the rotation. Better yet, keep a list of all the cases so you have the luxury to choose which ones you want to keep. Remember - once you leave your residency, it becomes a logistical nightmare to go back and collect cases.

ABOG Maintenance of Certification (MOC)  

Part II Lifelong Learning ALL 30 articles are due by December 15th.  I know a rare few of you haven’t even done any. If you’re desperate, you need to pass 80% of 120 questions; 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.
Part III, Secure Written Exam For those of you in MOC Year 6, you must register by November 15th and pass a written exam by December 15th. We recommend you get a head start by purchasing our Course Recordings. This product includes our Course Binder with the accompanying lecture handouts to follow along and take notes. Also included is a free copy of the Test Topics Manual to ensure your studying is exam-focused. Finally, the Board has acknowledged that an emphasis will be placed on both the Compendium and the articles. So, don’t you think the highest yield will be those MOC articles that overlap with the Compendium? Oh, just in case you think you’re coasting after you pass your written exam, think again. You still must read the 2023 articles. No rest for the weary!

Test-Taking Tip:
You must pass the exam by December 15, 2023. You get a total of five attempts. SIGN UP FOR THE EXAM NOW. The written exam is on the computer. Go to www.pearsonvue.com/abog ahead of time for a tutorial to familiarize yourself with how to take an exam on the computer.

AOBOG Osteopathic Continuous Certification in Obstetrics & Gynecology (OCC) 

The Advanced Real-time Certification aka (ARC) 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. As you evolve and practice evidence-based medicine, our course is designed for the adult learner and all lectures follow the national ACOG guidelines. You’ll walk away with Category I CME hours and loads of clinical pearls.

Royal College 2024 Exam Candidates

For those wanting to score big on their CREOGs or to explode out of the gate for your written board exam, we recommend our . If you’re taking the OSCE Applied Exam, we highly recommend our Audiovisual Course Recordings. We offer over 42 hours of high-yield, exam-focused recordings including OB, ONC, Urogyn, Primary Care, Periop, OFC GYN, and REI topics. You also get a 1-year subscription to our audiovisual recordings using ABC's LMS system, Litmos, and easier access with the free mobile app. For more information on the Royal College Exams please visit https://www.royalcollege.ca/

 

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