Hi, I want to write about my experience to help people for next year. I did not pass last year -- 8th percentile with 67% of questions correct -- but studied well this year and reached the 85th percentile with 85% correct and passed easily. I did not have much time to study last year, and did perhaps 200-300 MKSAP questions total. I thought I'd get by even though in service scores were not spectacular, maybe 30-50th percentile range. I read a couple posts last year that helped me. I copy / paste them below. My method success was do MKSAP 2x through, take notes on all questions not obvious to me (created about 800 notes). First time thru maybe 60-65% correct. 2nd time 85%+. Did some sections last time thru and 90%+. Read board basics 2-3x - would have liked to do that more. Best book. Started studying in February. But key was to do ACP board review in Seattle. Doug Pauw teaches class and he is expert. Teaching boards x 25 yrs. Wrote/edited boards basics. Their materials held the topics to many (random) questions. Learn a lot from that which helps me in practice too. If you could only do 1 thing, go to that class. But only doing 1 thing is not enough if you did not pass. Accept that and work hard, or harder and differently than you did this year. I felt ****ty as well last year -- terrible actually -- but realize that you got this far and you can get through this too. I actually thought I did bad on the test this year. It is not easy, but ended doing well. All questions seem disguised or second order questions, so you need to have the basic info locked down. MKSAP and boards basics many times thru, with active notetaking and reviewing can do that. Good luck to all.
--------
A lot of people have been writing about failing the ABIM. I am one of those people who failed, studied, and passed the test this year. I wanted to share my experience in the hopes that this helps those who failed the exam. The first time, I took the test, I scored in the bottom decile. The second time around, I got the seventh decile. I was proud of this improvement. I worked as a full-time hospitalist during that year and was still able to accomplish this. So here are my tips and pointers.
1. Take your own pulse. Immediately after the test I was devastated. I questioned by own abilities and wondered how this might affect my career. This thinking is self-defeating and unhelpful. This test does NOT measure your abilities as a physician or your worth as a person. It is important to realize that the best doctors are hard-working, detail-oriented and compassionate towards their patients. The ability to recall the SAAG cutoffs rarely will affect life and death. However, your commitment to patient care and work ethic might. Also, it is very unlikely that this will affect your career. My group requires certification for partnership, but failing the test doesn't get you fired! Most groups have some policy in place (e.g., pass within three years of joining, etc). Right now, people can search and see that you're not certified, but once you pass the test, there will be no way for people to know about this. Your career will move on.
2. But do take an honest self-assessment. While this test is not a measure of physician excellence, it does measure SOMETHING. As others have pointed out, it is a relatively small number of questions that differentiates passing and non-passing scores. A small increase in medical knowledge can make the difference. In most cases, I think the test reveals that there was not enough learning and reviewing during residency. A brief cram session is inadequate if the basic knowledge is not there. In my case, I also had to face the fact that I was probably suffering from burnout and depression. While I don't think all shortcomings should be attributed to depression (a common habit in medicine programs), it is important to evaluate yourself for any symptoms of depression.
3. Realize that the ABIM is very different from the USMLE. Word recognition won't work! In the USMLE, questions can often be answered on recognition alone. If you recognize the condition, you can often answer the question easily. By contrast, the ABIM is testing confusing points or how to narrow a broad differential diagnosis. Knowing what they're testing can help you figure out the right answer.
4. Consider a review class. I took the Chicago ACP class. While expensive, it was very helpful preparation and review. They are good at showing you what points are tested. They can help you pick up easy points (e.g., derm pictures, peripheral smears, etc). Also, miserly loves company.
5. You need to use MKSAP. Some writers have recommended questions, questions, questions. I agree ... up to a point. If you failed the ABIM, there is a clear knowledge deficit (I'm not trying to offend; I'm just being honest). There is some information you need to know. I read each subject textbook twice and reviewed Board Basics multiple times. Highlight your underlines and underline your highlights.
6. Questions, Questions, Questions! I recommend using the computer version or MKSAP questions and creating multi-subject tests. Keep doing them until all questions are easy (>90% correct). When this is done, do some Med Study questions. Med Study tends to focus on tricky or easily-missed subjects. I recommend them in the weeks before the test to pick up some easy questions.
7. You need a plan. This will vary from person to person, but you need a plan. In my case, I work as a 7-on-7-off hospitalist. Studying during rounding weeks was almost impossible. So I focused on my off-days. I made sure that I spent a solid 2 hours every off day reading and doing questions. I have a family, so in my case, this meant going to a cafe so I could focus exclusively on my studying without distractions. Make sure you have time off from work in the weeks running into the test. I had a little under three weeks off, which seemed about right.
8. Don't forget to take care of yourself. When my studying was complete, I made sure to spend time with my family. I watched a little TV. I went to the gym. You can't let this take over your life.
9. Attitude matters. Don't be bitter or angry. If you can accept that this test has at least some meaning, then your studying will be much more enjoyable. If your belief is that the test is BS and the ABIM screwed you over, you will be miserable studying. And most likely, you'll fail the test again. If, however, you can accept that this information may be relevant and there is something for you to learn, the process will be much better. Tell yourself, "I may see this someday and this information may actually help my patient."
I hope this helps. Good luck to all of you
---------
sorry to create a new thread on the 2010 abim, but i thought this would be the best way for this info to be seen......
To be honest, i still do not have my official score as of yet, but when i took this years abim, i left feeling like i aced it.....now that it appears this was one of the harder versions of the ABIM, i would like to share with everyone who failed, how i prepared......
I actually graduated in 2009, but chose not to take the test right away since: 1) i was burned out, 2) i started my first job as a hospitalist 6 weeks before my scheduled exam in 2009.....therefore i ended up cancelling the test fearing that i would not pass......
fast forward to 2010, and i scheduled my test for aug 26th. I began my serious prep for this exam in june 2010. The first two challenges i faced was that i was working full time and my wife was due with our first child in early september......
I put in on avg, 2hrs a night during the weekdays, and about 4-6hrs a day on the weekend.
The main text i used was ACPS BOARD BASCICS 2. I cannot emphasize how important this text is. The normal mksap text is way too much info and med study to be honest is way to dense(and also has alot of board irrelevant material)
Board bascis 2 was awesome. very conscise, easy to read(you can read through it completely in about 3 days) and most importantly was the most board relevant text out there.
Also for questions i used all of mksap 14(which was not the lastest version). I would do all the questions, and then right notes on each question in a note book. I would then re-read the chapter(for example on heme-onc) in board basics, then re-read my notes, then repeat taking the mksap questions. i would do this until i was knew all the testable facts in each subject. of course you eventually "memorize" the anwsers, but what this does is that you memorize a testable fact.
I ended up reading board basics 2 from cover to cover over about 5 times. and did the all of mksap questions several times as well.
as i got closer to to the test date, i had a very old acp Question CD( i think from 2005), and i would use these questions(since they were brand new to me) to gauge how well i was doing. i was scoring above 80% on avg. i only took these questions once.
As many posts hint at, when i took the abim, the first 2 blocks were very easy and the afternoon blocks became increasingly harder...however as i left the test center, i felt very confident i passed. at least with the first 2 blocks, i felt i only missed 2-3 questions on avg in those blocks....
Trust me i have never been a good standardized test taker. i did very avg on all three step exams to be honest...i was shocked at how easy the whole test felt...also was shocked that alot people were saying it was hard(this of course made me very scared....any time i think i do good, i usually fail.)
I really think what made me pass was the text i choose(board basics 2) and going over constantly the mksap questions. I personally think medstudy is even a waste of your precious study time.....i mean u could spend a week memorizing all the stuff contained in there charts and none of it showed up on the abims....
also what helped me big time was making a very easy algorithm about cardiac murmurs... there is a good 5-10 questions on this stuff, and if u memorize a simple algorithm it becomes very easy...
i hope this post was not to long winded. but i wrote in sincere hope that whoever failed this year, can use the above info to beat the **** out of the test next year.....
i may post my algorithm, and other pneumonics that helped me along the way later....
if i leave you with anything, it is get board basics 2.
----------
!
