Most effective way to read through the AAFP Journal Articles?

[Doctor4Life1769]

I hear the AFP articles are the best study method for the ITE. From looking at the list via topics (and their gazillion articles for each topic/sub-topic) - does anyone have a brilliant and efficient method of going through them to do well on the exam?

First Aid for FM puts me to sleep.

Thanks

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[VA Hopeful Dr]

I hear the AFP articles are the best study method for the ITE. From looking at the list via topics (and their gazillion articles for each topic/sub-topic) - does anyone have a brilliant and efficient method of going through them to do well on the exam?

First Aid for FM puts me to sleep.

Thanks

2 approaches. 1. Skip that and do the AAFP website's free board review questions and look up previous ITEs (your program should have, if not I think the ABFM website has them available. 2. Read the journals chronologically backwards starting December 2014. I was always told that the previous 5 years of journals is where most of the questions come from. My old PD used to write questions for the ITE.

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

2 approaches. 1. Skip that and do the AAFP website's free board review questions and look up previous ITEs (your program should have, if not I think the ABFM website has them available. 2. Read the journals chronologically backwards starting December 2014. I was always told that the previous 5 years of journals is where most of the questions come from. My old PD used to write questions for the ITE.

Thanks for the reply. I'm a transfer into the specialty as a 2nd year, so I wasn't able to fully prep for the exam. I do have old tests, but I had gone through some of the free questions and did not feel that was extremely helpful. I had to rely on a lot of old knowledge from intern year 3 years ago (which, inevitably, wasn't as solid as when I was an intern) and scored a 360 (I read somewhere passing was 380 on the actual 2014 written boards?). I totally switched answers from right to wrong so I likely could have done better had I not done that.

I browsed through the articles casually, and found that a lot of the articles have a summary paragraph at the beginning and is typically in bold font -- would you say that the intro paragraph is the key read, or should I suck it up and read through the whole 5-7 pages? I also recently bought Core Review, which I heard was good, but it turns out is a bunch of "cases" - I'll try my best to go through them as well, hopefully within a month and with diligent review maybe I can turn it around.

I'll go through the last 5 years, but of course, I specifically recall a question and the topic was discussed in a 2001 article. lol

 

[VA Hopeful Dr]

Thanks for the reply. I'm a transfer into the specialty as a 2nd year, so I wasn't able to fully prep for the exam. I do have old tests, but I had gone through some of the free questions and did not feel that was extremely helpful. I had to rely on a lot of old knowledge from intern year 3 years ago (which, inevitably, wasn't as solid as when I was an intern) and scored a 360 (I read somewhere passing was 380 on the actual 2014 written boards?). I totally switched answers from right to wrong so I likely could have done better had I not done that.

I browsed through the articles casually, and found that a lot of the articles have a summary paragraph at the beginning and is typically in bold font -- would you say that the intro paragraph is the key read, or should I suck it up and read through the whole 5-7 pages? I also recently bought Core Review, which I heard was good, but it turns out is a bunch of "cases" - I'll try my best to go through them as well, hopefully within a month and with diligent review maybe I can turn it around.

I thought I remembered you started in anesthesia... but no matter.

The biggest thing with old tests is they should help you see where you need to do more reading. I'd bet your inpatient is pretty solid but maybe weak in peds or OB - the old tests should make that more clear.

That's pretty much how I read AFP now, read the summary paragraph and if any part of it is new to me, the diagnostic criteria are fuzzy, or I'm not 100% sure why something is the way it is then I go and read the whole article. Not ideal, but works OK if pressed for time.

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

I thought I remembered you started in anesthesia... but no matter.

The biggest thing with old tests is they should help you see where you need to do more reading. I'd bet your inpatient is pretty solid but maybe weak in peds or OB - the old tests should make that more clear.

That's pretty much how I read AFP now, read the summary paragraph and if any part of it is new to me, the diagnostic criteria are fuzzy, or I'm not 100% sure why something is the way it is then I go and read the whole article. Not ideal, but works OK if pressed for time.

Yeah, I didn't do great with OB/GYN, peds, some random sports med tidbits. Sounds good, I'm just going through the topic page that extensively covers everything and will browse through articles based on the topic so I don't miss anything significant. Good to know on the summary covering the gist of the article. I've been reading those and taking notes on the paragraph, then open through any tables that are important (i.e. types of imaging, vaccines, etc). So... many... articles... but I like reading through them better than First Aid. They at least keep me engaged.

 

[KnuxNole]

2 approaches. 1. Skip that and do the AAFP website's free board review questions and look up previous ITEs (your program should have, if not I think the ABFM website has them available. 2. Read the journals chronologically backwards starting December 2014. I was always told that the previous 5 years of journals is where most of the questions come from. My old PD used to write questions for the ITE.

Are the questions free? I can't get access to them when I'm logged in on the site, it has the key symbol on it...wanted to get started since I am in the 200 club for the ITE stuff.

 

[VA Hopeful Dr]

Are the questions free? I can't get access to them when I'm logged in on the site, it has the key symbol on it...wanted to get started since I am in the 200 club for the ITE stuff.

They should be free if you're an AAFP member, and I thought all residents were. I saw the key symbol as well but just clicked the link and it took me in no problem.

 

[KnuxNole]

Hmm...then maybe I'm doing something wrong. I made an account, but it won't let me in. BUT, I think the idiot in me figured it out, I needed resident membership. I THINK my program made me an account, I have to find out, haha. I logged in with my hospital's e-mail with an account I made last month, but I assume that's the "free" membership.

 

[VA Hopeful Dr]

Yeah, I didn't do great with OB/GYN, peds, some random sports med tidbits. Sounds good, I'm just going through the topic page that extensively covers everything and will browse through articles based on the topic so I don't miss anything significant. Good to know on the summary covering the gist of the article. I've been reading those and taking notes on the paragraph, then open through any tables that are important (i.e. types of imaging, vaccines, etc). So... many... articles... but I like reading through them better than First Aid. They at least keep me engaged.

Traditionally, sports med has the highest % of questions on the ITE compared to anything else. Learn that one well, its usually good for about 13% of the test.

Something for both of y'all to consider is an AAFP board review course. I did the online one with mp3s (listened on my way to work and back every day). Good lecturers, fairly condensed, and high yield.

http://www.aafp.org/cme/cme-topic/all/bd-review-selfstudy.html

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

Are the questions free? I can't get access to them when I'm logged in on the site, it has the key symbol on it...wanted to get started since I am in the 200 club for the ITE stuff.

You must use your account as created by your program.

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

Traditionally, sports med has the highest % of questions on the ITE compared to anything else. Learn that one well, its usually good for about 13% of the test.

Something for both of y'all to consider is an AAFP board review course. I did the online one with mp3s (listened on my way to work and back every day). Good lecturers, fairly condensed, and high yield.

http://www.aafp.org/cme/cme-topic/all/bd-review-selfstudy.html

Thanks for the tip.

I may go ahead and just start on my weak topics first and then go back and later do everything else.

I'll check out the AAFP board review. I received a card from the mail with regards to a board prep course, i think something machine. Thoughts on that?

I think it's cool AAFP comes out with their own stuff, because the ABA did not.

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

Are the questions free? I can't get access to them when I'm logged in on the site, it has the key symbol on it...wanted to get started since I am in the 200 club for the ITE stuff.

What year are you?

 

[KnuxNole]

What year are you?

Second year, that exam scared me cause I didn't study for it, and realized how low I got...I feel like I don't know anything, which worries me a LOT! :/

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

Second year, that exam scared me cause I didn't study for it, and realized how low I got...I feel like I don't know anything, which worries me a LOT! :/

I don't know much about what the scores mean. However, I was told 441 was average and from what I read on an official site, 380 was passing for the actual written boards. My assumption from various sources I have read is 440 or higher meant 99% chance of passing. So, I'm not too concerned. I just have to go about studying in an efficient and effective way.

 

[VA Hopeful Dr]

I don't know much about what the scores mean. However, I was told 441 was average and from what I read on an official site, 380 was passing for the actual written boards. My assumption from various sources I have read is 440 or higher meant 99% chance of passing. So, I'm not too concerned. I just have to go about studying in an efficient and effective way.

You've basically got the gist of it. Statistically speaking, if you're pulling a 380 on the ITE you stand a good chance of passing the spring boards. That's all the test is really used for, to judge if you're on track to become board certified. As long as your scores improved from year to year and your 3rd year scores are decent, its usually not an issue.

 

[KnuxNole]

Ahh, that is reassuring. I was initally scared for getting >100 points below my PGY average, but with marked improvement, hopefully I'll be able to tackle this beast :O

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

Ahh, that is reassuring. I was initally scared for getting >100 points below my PGY average, but with marked improvement, hopefully I'll be able to tackle this beast :O

No problem, Knux.
Thanks VA for the confirmation.