Taking boards for onc what’s the best resource?

[MotoMD]

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Hi I’m taking my onc boards, what’s the best material to use. I was going to do Md Anderson or George Washington and then ASCO sep and heme onc question bank. Thanks

 

[gutonc]

Hi I’m taking my onc boards, what’s the best material to use. I was going to do Md Anderson or George Washington and then ASCO sep and heme onc question bank. Thanks

That's probably 2 resources too many.

You already know how you study best for these tests. You've taken and passed at least 4 of them already (Steps + IM Boards). What type of resource worked for you before? Are you a lecture person? The MDACC or GW courses are probably a good choice. Are you someone who likes to read and then test yourself? ASCO SEP is the standard at this point. Are you a Q-bank person? The ASCO questions and HOQB are great.

I have described my initial board cert study strategy here before but it's been awhile, so I'll repeat it. I used the ASCO-SEP Q-Bank.

I made a 30 question pre-test for every section (breast, GI, heme mal, etc) and did that cold. If I got 90% or better, I basically set that topic aside, figuring I could safely pass those types of questions without any more studying.

If I got <70%, I stopped and read the entire book section on that topic (this was >10 years ago, so it was an actual book...I'm also old enough to have taken Step 1 with a #2 pencil, but that's a story for another day) and then took a 50 question post-test.

For topics that I got between 70-90%, I went back after finishing the reading/post-test topics and did another 50 question (or half of the total questions) test. At that point, I set the number at 80%. Better than that and I was done, worse than that and I read the chapter in SEP. After all that was done, I just took random, all topic tests that were the same # as in each section of the exam in a timed fashion. By the time I was done I was scoring in the low 80% range which seemed good enough to pass.

I also used HOQB once I finished all the SEP questions but just ground through questions in whatever time I had available.

Overall, I didn't actually spend all that much time studying for it. I'd guess something on the order of 20-30 hours over the course of 3 months.

 

[GrassrootMaltan]

That's probably 2 resources too many.

You already know how you study best for these tests. You've taken and passed at least 4 of them already (Steps + IM Boards). What type of resource worked for you before? Are you a lecture person? The MDACC or GW courses are probably a good choice. Are you someone who likes to read and then test yourself? ASCO SEP is the standard at this point. Are you a Q-bank person? The ASCO questions and HOQB are great.

I have described my initial board cert study strategy here before but it's been awhile, so I'll repeat it. I used the ASCO-SEP Q-Bank.

I made a 30 question pre-test for every section (breast, GI, heme mal, etc) and did that cold. If I got 90% or better, I basically set that topic aside, figuring I could safely pass those types of questions without any more studying.

If I got <70%, I stopped and read the entire book section on that topic (this was >10 years ago, so it was an actual book...I'm also old enough to have taken Step 1 with a #2 pencil, but that's a story for another day) and then took a 50 question post-test.

For topics that I got between 70-90%, I went back after finishing the reading/post-test topics and did another 50 question (or half of the total questions) test. At that point, I set the number at 80%. Better than that and I was done, worse than that and I read the chapter in SEP. After all that was done, I just took random, all topic tests that were the same # as in each section of the exam in a timed fashion. By the time I was done I was scoring in the low 80% range which seemed good enough to pass.

I also used HOQB once I finished all the SEP questions but just ground through questions in whatever time I had available.

Overall, I didn't actually spend all that much time studying for it. I'd guess something on the order of 20-30 hours over the course of 3 months.

Great strategy, thanks for taking the time to explain. Do you continue doing HOQ now to keep yourself up to date? Wondering what an early/mid-career community oncologist can do to efficiently keep herself updated.

 

[gutonc]

Great strategy, thanks for taking the time to explain. Do you continue doing HOQ now to keep yourself up to date? Wondering what an early/mid-career community oncologist can do to efficiently keep herself updated.

No. I am doing ABIM LKA so I basically do a mini-exam every quarter.

I otherwise keep up by reading. Lots and lots of reading.

 

[hushhush88]

The HOQ question bank by Dr. Garg + ASCO SEP question bank were helpful. Supplemented with MD Anderson board review videos and NCCN guidelines prn.

Might be too many resources but it somehow worked for me. I took the boards last year.

 

[GrassrootMaltan]

No. I am doing ABIM LKA so I basically do a mini-exam every quarter.

I otherwise keep up by reading. Lots and lots of reading.

Thanks. What do you read? One source or many? How do you find the time to do this as a busy community oncologist? No podcasts or conferences?

 

[gutonc]

Thanks. What do you read? One source or many? How do you find the time to do this as a busy community oncologist? No podcasts or conferences?

All the sources. I get a few digests daily (ASCO Evening Post, ASCO Communications), the weekly NEJM, JCO and "This Week In Oncology at JAMA" compendium. And then I read about patients.

It's not like I'm sitting down and reading through entire journals. I pick and choose based on what's relevant to me and my patients at the moment.

And if you can point me to a good, useful, oncology podcast (and **** off with that "Oncology Brothers" nonsense), I'm all ears.

 

[GrassrootMaltan]

All the sources. I get a few digests daily (ASCO Evening Post, ASCO Communications), the weekly NEJM, JCO and "This Week In Oncology at JAMA" compendium. And then I read about patients.

It's not like I'm sitting down and reading through entire journals. I pick and choose based on what's relevant to me and my patients at the moment.

And if you can point me to a good, useful, oncology podcast (and **** off with that "Oncology Brothers" nonsense), I'm all ears.

Thank you. Several podcasts: ASCO Guidelines, Education, and Daily News, Research To Practice, PeerView Oncology, VJHemOnc, Fellow on Call, TwoOncDocs, and yes Oncology Brothers. Do you not like their format or content? I find them decently helpful.

 

[MotoMD]

That's probably 2 resources too many.

You already know how you study best for these tests. You've taken and passed at least 4 of them already (Steps + IM Boards). What type of resource worked for you before? Are you a lecture person? The MDACC or GW courses are probably a good choice. Are you someone who likes to read and then test yourself? ASCO SEP is the standard at this point. Are you a Q-bank person? The ASCO questions and HOQB are great.

I have described my initial board cert study strategy here before but it's been awhile, so I'll repeat it. I used the ASCO-SEP Q-Bank.

I made a 30 question pre-test for every section (breast, GI, heme mal, etc) and did that cold. If I got 90% or better, I basically set that topic aside, figuring I could safely pass those types of questions without any more studying.

If I got <70%, I stopped and read the entire book section on that topic (this was >10 years ago, so it was an actual book...I'm also old enough to have taken Step 1 with a #2 pencil, but that's a story for another day) and then took a 50 question post-test.

For topics that I got between 70-90%, I went back after finishing the reading/post-test topics and did another 50 question (or half of the total questions) test. At that point, I set the number at 80%. Better than that and I was done, worse than that and I read the chapter in SEP. After all that was done, I just took random, all topic tests that were the same # as in each section of the exam in a timed fashion. By the time I was done I was scoring in the low 80% range which seemed good enough to pass.

I also used HOQB once I finished all the SEP questions but just ground through questions in whatever time I had available.

Overall, I didn't actually spend all that much time studying for it. I'd guess something on the order of 20-30 hours over the course of 3 months.

thank you! just saw this that was helpful. I have always done best with question banks and supplementing with videos. its difficult for me to reach entire chapters I did it once already while in fellowship but yea can't this time.

 

[MotoMD]

The HOQ question bank by Dr. Garg + ASCO SEP question bank were helpful. Supplemented with MD Anderson board review videos and NCCN guidelines prn.

Might be too many resources but it somehow worked for me. I took the boards last year.

I think this is what I'm going to do and have been doing, questions and videos work best for me

 

[DrMaytag]

Hi I’m taking my onc boards, what’s the best material to use. I was going to do Md Anderson or George Washington and then ASCO sep and heme onc question bank. Thanks

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