ABFAS study schedule while in residency...

[blessed.pod]

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Hi guys. I'm taking the ABFAS exam in September. How are yall studying in between rotations? For me I'm doing majority of my studying on the weekends . And during the week I'm able to get come question and cases in in between managing inpatient and clinic.

Thankfully we are usually done with work 3/4pmish daily. My resources for studying are BW and just fact checking things on Google.

Thanks

 

[DYK343]

Hi guys. I'm taking the ABFAS exam in September. How are yall studying in between rotations? For me I'm doing majority of my studying on the weekends . And during the week I'm able to get come question and cases in in between managing inpatient and clinic.

Thankfully we are usually done with work 3/4pmish daily. My resources for studying are BW and just fact checking things on Google.

Thanks

Its been a long time for me. Exam changes. But I would recommend reading ACFAS journal. The exam was more conceptual and multiple answers that could be right - but had to choose the best based on literature. There was not very much memorize and dump on the exam I took. More problem solving.

It could be totally different by now. But thats how i would aprach it.

 

[Feli]

If you paid attention in school, go to a decent residency, and read regularly (JFAS, FAI, core texts, etc), you're likely to have no problem.

If your residency has little/no academics and board prep, you'll need to read that much more on your own. It helps to read the Acfas consensus papers and attend the ASC if you can.

BWizards is useful for getting accustomed to the CBPS format and choices. You want to do them all, maybe a couple times over before the exam.

 

[Flip-flop-flerpity]

As someone in an unfortunate graduating class who had to pay for and take both the old part 1 cbps and new cbps the only thing I walked out wishing I had reviewed was bone tumors. Its always bone tumors

 

[air bud]

As someone in an unfortunate graduating class who had to pay for and take both the old part 1 cbps and new cbps the only thing I walked out wishing I had reviewed was bone tumors. Its always bone tumors

Well good news for you once you start taking ABFAS Lead tests ..... The answer is still always bone tumors. You want to know how many bone tumors I've seen in my career?

 

[Retrograde_Nail]

Order of importance…

Do well in school. Bad students fail the boards. Good students who learned the material Pass. Bad students who crammed and memorized stuff or cheated will not pass.

Focus on your rotations. Learn as much as you can

Pay for board wizards and learn how to take the test.

Read the PI manual top to bottom

 

[Aresnebula]

Read the PI manual top to bottom

Shall I prioritize reading that over McGlamry?

 

[heybrother]

Shall I prioritize reading that over McGlamry?

I don't think its a stretch to say this - historically a lot of the people who wrote the PI manual were probably people who wrote ABFAS questions because there are a lot of old practice questions I've seen through time that clearly came straight out of the PI Manual.

 

[Feli]

Shall I prioritize reading that over McGlamry?

Not sure if that's a real question, but PI manual can be read in a day or two... McGlamry takes months.


That's like asking if you should read the Cliff Notes on Julius Caesar... or the Julius Caesar play book itself.

PI manual is just a of highest yield stuff. McGlamry (or other F&A text) are more all the common details and procedures for each pathology or injury. You want to read both for various things (except the new Lapidus chapter in McG, which is a blatant cash grab nonsense).

You want to read, re-read, highlight, quiz on PI manual as it's geared toward board prep high-yield stuff.
Other stuff is more to read as you're able or if you have upcoming cases (read triple or scope chapter in Myerson and McGlam if you have a case upcoming, Lapidus and hammertoes chapters/sections in Chang/Easley/Myerson/Couglin books as those are common procedures, etc). If you're at a good program - or just have good seniors - you probably have a book club and journal club and etc already going.

 

[Aresnebula]

Not sure if that's a real question, but PI manual can be read in a day or two... McGlamry takes months.


That's like asking if you should read the Cliff Notes on Julius Caesar... or the Julius Caesar play book itself.

PI manual is just a of highest yield stuff. McGlamry (or other F&A text) are more all the common details and procedures for each pathology or injury. You want to read both for various things (except the new Lapidus chapter in McG, which is a blatant cash grab nonsense).

You want to read, re-read, highlight, quiz on PI manual as it's geared toward board prep high-yield stuff.
Other stuff is more to read as you're able or if you have upcoming cases (read triple or scope chapter in Myerson and McGlam if you have a case upcoming, Lapidus and hammertoes chapters/sections in Chang/Easley/Myerson/Couglin books as those are common procedures, etc). If you're at a good program - or just have good seniors - you probably have a book club and journal club and etc already going.

Definitely was a real question but that's what my previous seniors told me to do 😆 but like you said, I won't be able to go through McGlamry by September at all. Is it the PI manual updated enough to reflect recent questions? Some of their concepts on ankle fusion, TAR, seem pretty antiquated.

 

[RollingstonePod]

Take it from someone who has written questions, reviewed questions, served on nearly every committee in the organization, and is currently a case reviewer and was an oral examiner: If your residency is performing an adequate number of cases and your attendings are actively questioning you—pushing you to think critically and seek answers—you really shouldn’t need to "study" in the traditional sense.

My advice? Focus on reading the most recent Clinics articles—Foot & Ankle Clinics, Clinics in Podiatric Medicine and Surgery—particularly on core topics like flatfoot, cavus foot, F&A trauma, and others. The questions aren’t tricky or designed to trip you up; they simply test whether you have the clinical knowledge.

 

[Aresnebula]

What were you guys scoring on Board Wizards didactics prior to the exam?

 

[Hybrocure]

. The questions aren’t tricky or designed to trip you up; they simply test whether you have the clinical knowledge.

“Which answer below is the most not false?”

 

[RollingstonePod]

[QUOTE="Hybrocure, post:[“Which answer below is the most not false?”[/QUOTE]

Which of the following responses does NOT lead to ABFAS board certification?

A) I have nothing to do with a cast
B) I have nothing to do with a splint
C) I believe in practicing no trauma, no drama
D) All of the above

Questions with a negative connotation are always clearly noted in bold text

 

[Aresnebula]

If I fail foot didactics and pass CBPS or vice versa, do I need to repeat the whole foot section or just the part I failed?

 

[Weirdy]

If I fail foot didactics and pass CBPS or vice versa, do I need to repeat the whole foot section or just the part I failed?

Just the part you failed