Doctor B. said:
I just sent of my application and paid the painful application fee and now my thoughts have turned to studying for boards. So, I thought I'd start a thread for those preparing for path boards or those who have already taken boards to post their thoughts and strategies for board prep. Thanks in advance!
Ah, path boards. Great memories...NOT. Anyway, my general thoughts about the AP/CP exam (and subspecialty exams as well--they'll all pretty much the same). No matter what anyone tells you, this is the truth. The boards are hard. They try to trick you. They want you to fail.
My tips for passing:
1. There are no shortcuts. The way to pass is to put in the time studying. Period. Sounds easy enough, but it requires months and months of hardcore, dedicated, intense study. Don't buy the hype that some try to dish out, like, "All I did was read Robbins and I passed". Bullcrap. Everyone who has passed this exam studied their asses off. Its not like USMLE where you can kind of study for a few weeks and still pass it. This is different.
2. The AP boards love to test you on common lesions presented in uncommon locations. For example, they may give you a slide of a melanoma in-situ, from a biopsy taken from the larynx. They want you to think, "well, that looks like melanoma, but it can't be if its from the larynx." It can be and it is. Don't be distracted by the anatomic location. They loooove doing this.
3. The ABP is obsessed with testes and ovaries. Know lesions involving these organs cold.
4. The CP exam is a bear. They always show lots of micro and heme pictures, and that is strightforward enough. They put in a couple of blood bank panels. Maye three. Not enough to make a real difference. They do over-represent molecular path. Tons of it and very complicated. Basically, I read McClatchy cover to cover, read Koneman for micro, the AABB standards book, and hoped I'd have a good day guessing (fortunately, I did).
Thats about it. Don't be intimidated. Just know and repect the mountain in front of you that you must now climb.
Good luck.