BOARDS!

[animas]

At the minimum, what should one study to prepare for the boards?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[MacDonaldTriad]

Read Kaufman’s Neurology for psychiatrists. Then read Kaufman’s Neurology for psychiatrists. If you have any more energy, Kaplan and Sadock or the APA text of Psych. Most failures are neurology.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

Read Kaufman’s Neurology for psychiatrists. Then read Kaufman’s Neurology for psychiatrists. If you have any more energy, Kaplan and Sadock or the APA text of Psych. Most failures are neurology.

I've got to say that's a lot of reading. I'm working through Kaufman and am not quite sure I could tackle it twice (at least with enough attention to detail).

OP, there's a sticky up above specifically addressing board prep. It seems like a good number of people just studied full-time the week before the test. I'm not personally opting for that, but we'll see how that goes. I join you in your confusion, though.

 

[MacDonaldTriad]

I’m very much in agreement that my suggested reading list is poor for last minute cramming. On the other hand, if you are a PGY-II or PGY-III, my suggestion is a good goal to get started. I see a lot of over interest in very specific topic focused study. Don’t read journals to the exclusion of a text. Once you have canvased the wall, you can add decorative touches. Cram courses cost a lot and add little to what is available to you. Cram courses are a good substitute for procrastinators who expect that their programs should have force feed this all along by threat of failure. Residents who go to two weekend intensive learning vigils do pass more often than those that don’t. But they cost a lot when you don’t have a lot of money to burn. Medical school gives you a series of hoops to jump at frequent intervals. Specialty boards do not, but they have a hoop. Don’t become complacent after working hard for so long.
If you have worked so hard for so long without studying or doing well on the in service exam, Kaplan may be a good way to bind anxiety and it might work. Good luck everyone.