Study groups, if utilized properly, are particularly effective because they allow you to learn
from your colleagues and other exam takers. Oftentimes, people will form study groups with
their colleagues (ideally limited to 3-4 people) at their residency program. Tactics to use in
ABIM study groups may include:
Focus on a new Internal Medicine category by week. For example, focus one week on
cardiology and the next on pulmonary and critical care. The exam can be broken into
a dozen or so categories (see the ABIM exam blueprint). The majority of the
subspecialty questions on the Internal Medicine board exam will focus on cardiology,
gastroenterology, and pulmonary care. However, do not neglect the other areas as the
ABIM wants to ensure that internists have a broad base of medical knowledge.
Test each other with Internal Medicine questions you have written yourself. We are firm
believers in the philosophy that the best way to learn is to teach. If you help others
learn, your knowledge of medical concepts will be greatly strengthened.
We recognize that joining a study group is often not feasible – especially for those no longer
in residency programs where everyone is preparing the boards. Fortunately, we live in a digital
age where being part of a study group is much easier. You can connect with colleagues
through Skype, Google Hangout or a number of other channels. One of our favorite
approaches is to remain informed and learn through the power of social media – in particular
Twitter. In a previous post, we highlighted excellent Twitter handles to follow for ABIM exam
review as you prepare for certification. Follow @Knowmedge for twice daily questions and our
weekly #ABIMTweetShow hour-long sessions on Sundays. If Twitter is not your cup of tea,
you can also connect with colleagues through the Knowmedge ABIM community on Google+.
Regardless of what approach you decide, studying alongside others preparing for the same
exam is a great motivational tool for success.
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5. Get a question bank that fits your personal needs
What is the value of an Internal Medicine question bank? This is a discussion near and dear
to our heart, of course. Question banks have become a popular tool because they bring
together a lot of material in a question format and help create a test taking environment. There
are a lot of question banks to choose from – so what should you look for in an ABIM qbank?
High quality ABIM-style questions in a format similar to the exam: The exam is
mostly filled with clinical vignettes and has straightforward questions as well. At a
minimum, your ABIM exam question bank should have both of these types of questions.
Quantity is important – but the quality of the questions and explanations is much more
important.
Detailed explanations that review why the incorrect choices were wrong: A
question bank that does not provide you detailed explanations is probably not worth the
money and time spent. As you review questions, you will inevitably get some wrong –
your choice of ABIM question bank should detail why your choice is incorrect and the
reasoning behind the correct choice.
Ability to track your personal performance: Your choice of ABIM qbank should be
able to tell you your performance overall and by category. Most – not all – question
banks provide you a dashboard broken down by category. The Knowmedge question
bank has gone an additional step to break the categories into subcategories as seen
on the ABIM exam blueprint. This allows you to review your strengths and weaknesses
at a granular level. Knowing you are weak at cardiovascular disease is great – knowing
you are weak at arrhythmia questions is more valuable.
Add-ons – Notes, Lab values, Highlighting: Depending on how you study, these may
be valuable features.
ABIM exam questions straight talk:
No question bank – not MKSAP, not Knowmedge, not any – knows what will be
on the actual ABIM exam. Based on the ABIM Blueprint, you can make assumptions
on what are the most high-yield areas to study. The point of a question bank is not to
give you the exact questions that will be on the exam – it is to hopefully teach you
concepts you may see on the exam and how to reason through what you don’t know
immediately.
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High-quality ABIM exam review questions can be found in many places –
question banks are not the only place. There are study guides, books, and even free
sources. So don’t simply base your decision on question bank on the questions. In
addition to the quality of the questions, what truly differentiates one ABIM exam
question bank from another is whether it will truly help you build a broad base of
knowledge and help you retain information for the exam. If you are not comfortable
reading a bunch of text – it won’t matter how great the questions are. If you are not an
audio-visual learner, the MedStudy or Knowmedge videos won’t do anything for you
(As clarity, the Knowmedge qbank contains text and audio-visual explanations for this
exact reason). If you are an “old-fashioned” learner that prefers printouts –
USMLEWorld is definitely not for you – those who have used them are well aware their
software will block you from taking print screens or copying of their content. In short…
don’t follow the herd – each one of us learns differently and you need to pick the best
method for you.
6. Consider whether a review course is right for you
There are pros and cons to taking a review course for your ABIM exam prep. The pros are
that it gives you a serious dose of review in a short period of time. It gets you focused if you
weren’t focused and some courses are absolutely excellent – we know some internists are
ardent supporters of some of the professors that teach these courses.
The cons of a review course are that they are expensive (Often over $1,000 plus hotel stay)
and can be inconvenient to travel to and from. Regardless of whether you attend a review
course or not, it cannot replace the pre and post-course study time that is needed. It is
complementary to study time and does not replace it.
7. Review our suggested ABIM test taking strategies
The ABIM exam questions are not intended to trick you – they are intended to challenge your
knowledge and ability to bring together your understanding of many different concepts and
topics. Below are some of the tactics you can use as you are practicing questions and/or taking
the actual ABIM exam:
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1. For clinical vignettes, read the question (last line) first and then go back and read the
scenario. This way you’ll know what to look for as you are reading the scenario.
2. Try to answer the question even before seeing the answer choices.
3. Pay attention for keywords that can clue you in on an etiology or physical exam.
4. Watch for key demographic information – Geography, ethnicity, gender, age,
occupation.
5. The ABIM test is not intended to be tricky but we are all human so we miss keywords
sometimes – such as “least likely” – pay attention to these.
6. If you are challenged by a longer clinical vignette, note the key items and develop your
own scenario – this may trigger an answer.
7. Most internists we’ve spoken with say time is generally not an issue – but be aware
that it is a timed exam and that you have approximately two minutes per question.
We cannot stress enough the mantra “study early and study often.” The exam is challenging
but it can be conquered with diligence and proper preparation.
8. Understand and be prepared for ABIM test day
Be prepared and confident. No matter how you have chosen to study, on test day –
confidence is critical!
Get a good night’s rest – last minute cramming and staying up late is only going to
stress you out more.
Get there early – don’t risk getting caught in traffic. It’s much better to be a little early
than be aggravated in traffic.
Take an extra layer of clothing. The last thing you want to do is be uncomfortable and
cold because someone decided to turn on the air conditioner too high.
Test day is long! Be mentally prepared for it. From registration to the optional survey at
the end, the day will be 8-10 hours long (depending on whether you are certifying for
the first time or taking the maintenance of certification exam).
Keep some power snacks with you to take during break time.
Review the ABIM exam day schedule so you know exactly what to expect.
That’s a basic overview of how to study for and pass the ABIM board exam. As mentioned,
there is no secret sauce or method to this – you simply need to have a broad base of
knowledge. There is no substitute for studying early and studying often! If you are preparing
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for the ABIM Boards, we wish you well – we’re here to help so let us know if you have any
questions! Happy studying!
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Bonus: How to study for the Internal Medicine Shelf Exam
By: Dr. Ravi Bhatia
The NBME Internal Medicine Shelf Exam is challenging especially from the standpoint that it
occurs during your internal medicine clerkship – a period that you are likely spending a lot of
time at the hospital. This means whatever precious time you have to study, it needs to be
focused on high-yield exam preparation. While there is no one way to study for the NBME
Internal Medicine Shelf Exam, here we present some of the best practices we’ve picked up
over time. As is the case with any board exam, the best tried and true overall method is to
“study early and study often.”
1. Take a sneak peek at the shelf exam outline even before your rotation starts, if you