July 2021 Tip of the Month

Comprehensive Case List Review

We offer case list reviews from now until August 24th.  Our seasoned faculty can pinpoint errors, column confusion and areas to improve.  You will also have an opportunity to speak directly with your reviewer by phone and ask any questions you may have lingering.  Call Melissa Krauss in our office today at 877-222-6249 ext. 706

For ABOG 2021 Certifying ORAL Exam Candidates

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, ABOG has allowed additional time for the submission of your case list and exam fees. August 16th is the date without a late fee, and August 31st is the final deadline with a late fee. Check the ABOG homepage for additional details. I know that you haven’t even turned in your case list yet, but remember, just because they assign you your exam month, does not obligate them to approve your case list. Your ONLY priority is to finish your case list. Raise your right hand and repeat after me, “I promise I will not study at all, until I FINISH my case list”. Ideally, try to revise the list at least twice, as the first draft is never satisfactory. Dr. Das’ book, Pass Your Oral OB/GYN Board Exam is a great step-by-step guide. The construction of your case list is like the practice of medicine; there is more than one way to do the same thing. Stand back and examine your list as if you were the examiner and not the candidate. What kind of questions would you ask? Do you want that line of questioning? If not, then strategically revise the wording until it begs the questions you want. We realize you haven’t seen many case lists. In fact, often yours is the only one. Make sure you let others review it before you turn it in. We are happy to offer a Comprehensive Case List Review. ABC is the only company in the nation where you receive a call from your reviewer to point out the highlights and give you an opportunity to ask questions. Begin teeing up your review course options now. If your exam is in November, you need our Review Course in September. We are the first out of the gate; our course is September 14-19, 2021. However, if your exam is not until December, January, then come to our November 16-21, 2021 course.

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. He 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 2021 ABOG General Certifying Oral Board Exam

The cases for your specialty must come from your fellowship. Your office case list must also be collected from your fellowship. You can use your chief resident cases for your off-specialty list, either the GYN or the OB. Refer also to the above tips since you are taking your general oral board exam. Dr. Das’ book, Pass Your Oral OB/GYN Board Exam is a great step-by-step guide. Additionally, there is an appendix just for fellows. Make sure you register for your review course. The subspecialists LOVE our course because it is a no-nonsense, stream-lined, exam-focused review. We offer one course right out of the gate on September 14-19 and then another course from November 16-21.

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 2022 General Certifying (Oral) Exam Candidates

Applications for the March 2022 exam are available online on September 1st, 2021. AOBOG limits the number of candidates who can sit, so apply as soon as possible. ABC’s November 17-21, 2021 Board Review Course is perfect to help you prepare for your big day. Another option, is our Oral Exam Home Study package which can be completed in the comfort of your home or office. Pair this with our Mock Orals and you will have a solid study plan. For those of you planning for the Spring 2022 exam, I hope it’s obvious that it is not to your advantage to procrastinate. Our Oral Exam Webinar Archives, was designed by a DO for DOs and can aid you in hearing other candidates articulate their answers to structured cases.  Plus faculty provide invaluable feedback.  

Test Taking Tips:
Refer to aobog.org for the topics and conduct for the oral exam. The exam is still four hours, but the candidate will rotate hourly through three stations. The three stations will use scenarios developed from the topic list along with “visual slides, ultrasounds, video clips or monitor strips to introduce the essay type scoring.” 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.

For ABOG 2022 Certifying ORAL Exam Candidates

The written exam was June 28th. The hard part is waiting for the results. Typically, candidates will receive their test results by August. Try to enjoy the summer and catch up with friends and family that you have neglected the last couple of months. If you elect the fast track for the 2022 oral exam, you will begin collecting your cases JULY 1 – nope, that’s not a typo. No rest for the weary. Even though you cannot apply for the exam until February 2022, if you wait that long to start collecting your cases, you’re already SEVEN months behind. Don’t fret about 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. 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 forms, delivery notes, discharge summaries and postpartum notes. Don’t worry about the office patients yet. Take a stab at entering the data online . . . just use your common sense.

Test Taking Technique:
Looking for a good book to read while you’re enjoying those lazy, hazy days of summer? Why not start your Oral Exam prep out on the right foot? As with any monumental task, begin with the end in mind. Dr. Das’ book, Pass Your Oral OB/GYN Board Exam will guide you through every step.

 For ABOG 2022 WRITTEN Exam Candidates

The exam is a year away. Start saving your pennies. Brace yourself – the privilege to sit for this exam will cost about $1500. The application and exam fee will be due by October 18th.  If this is your first time to take the exam and you have historically performed at least average on your CREOG in-service-training exam, then you can sit back and enjoy the summer. For most of you, it’s a hectic time anyway, with everyone moving up in rank. If this is at least your second attempt, spend July minding your mind. Why did you fail? If you passed your USMLE on your first attempt and did OK on CREOG in-service training exams, then you probably need a better focus on exam topics. Unique to ABC, our Test Topics Manual was designed to organize and streamline your studying,

For AOBOG 2022 WRITTEN Exam Candidates

The exam is less than a year away or April 30 - May 7, 2022. What’s the hurry? Time to kick back and soak in the summer rays, right? Right, as long as you’ve consistently scored > 200 on your CREOG in-service-training exam. If at any time during your residency you scored < 200 on your CREOG in-service-training exam or you failed your board exam, you need to take some time off to recharge your batteries. However, you need to start strategizing on a study plan. Wouldn’t it make the most sense to cover those high yield exam topics? Our course syllabus covers 90% of exam topics. If you attend the November 17-21, you will walk away with the priceless list. Additionally, our Test Taking Skills Online Course can help you identify error patterns and how to fix them!

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:  You should be halfway through with your 2nd quarter articles by now. Of course, you can extend or drag out all the articles all the way up until the December deadline, but WHY?  Part III: Secure Written Exam: If you have averaged > 86% on your article questions, you are exempt from taking the written exam. You can check your status on your homepage.
If you are not exempt, and you are in MOC Year 6, you must pass a written exam by December 15. We have a number of 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 one of our five-day review courses being held September 15-19 and November 17-21. 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 an additional 1200+ questions, plus a narrative explanation for each answer along with references. You can also purchase individual manuals in print form based upon your exam selectives. Check out our online Q Banks that consist of a series of 50 multiple choice single best answer questions. These are a great addition to help give you more practice. We must be doing something right, as so far 100% of those attending the course have passed since ABOG started this mandatory process!

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 

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 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 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 with loads of clinical pearls, too.

Royal Canadian College 2022 Exam Candidates 

The exam is a year away with the Written exam scheduled for March 21-22, 2022 at regional centers. Then on May 31, 2022, you will sit for the OSCE practical exam in Ottawa.  Start saving your money as your application fee will cost about $4415. The application and exam fee will be due in January. 

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