By: Mike Montenare
SUNY 2012
Taking the Boards Part I can be a daunting task. However, if you prepare for it in an efficient and intelligent manner, not only will you pass the exam, but you might even be surprised at how well you did. Here are some strategies that I have personally used which, if followed, will ensure your success:
1) Get a review book! It doesn’t matter if it’s KMK or Berkley, but you should own one. Personally, I used KMK and found it more than sufficient. It’s not too in-depth, but it doesn’t ignore important information either. The level of information is just perfect and it organizes it similar to the exam. Plus, it offers great mnemonics! For example, how do remember what medications to take without food? The answer is “PAT an empty stomach” – penicillin, azithromycin, and tetracycline. This comes right out of the KMK and there are many more like this.
2) Do NOT disregard lower yield sections! These are areas that have traditionally been “less emphasized” on the Boards, such as Ocular Embryology or Ocular Motility. Many students skip these sections to focus on the higher yield sections like Anatomy. Their reasoning is sound: Why study a smaller section that has 5 to 10 questions when I could be studying a larger section that has 50 to 100 questions? But, in my opinion, that’s a mistake. Although a small section like Ocular Embryology will have only a few questions, there are many of these small sections on the Boards. And those questions add up! In addition, by the very fact that they are small in size, you can easily memorize every thing you need to know. So don’t ignore these “low yield” areas. That’s throwing away a lot of easy questions!
3) Save optics and other math questions for last: When it comes to optics and other problem-solving questions, you’re better off saving it for last. I began studying this material about one week before actual test day. The reason is because problem solving is not the same thing as memorizing – you actually need to work through these problems and understand how to solve them. And what you did several months ago (early on in your studies) will definitely be forgotten by test day. So, save the optics for last and it will be fresh in your mind.
4) Make your best educated guess for the Multiple-Answer Questions: These questions are designed to make you think! You’ll be able to get 3 out of the 4 answers, but inevitably you’ll have a tough time deducing the fourth. So, don’t be alarmed. Circle the answers you know are correct, eliminate the ones you know are incorrect, and make your best educated guess on the last. Trust yourself! If it makes sense to you, it’s probably the correct answer.
5) Don’t freak out! The amount of material you have to review seems overwhelming at first, but it’s definitely doable. Rather than focusing on every section at once, study one section at a time. When I was studying a particular topic, I hid everything else. “Out of sight, out of mind!” This made me feel less overwhelmed and I was motivated to keep pressing forward. As time went on, I eventually covered everything, and you will too! It takes about three months, which I believe was the average amount of time my classmates studied.
I hope this article gives you sound, practical advice on how best to prepare for the Boards. Everybody is different, and what may work for one person may not work for you. However, as long as you study hard and do it in an efficient manner, everything will pay off. And then you’re a fourth year!
By: Mike Montenare
SUNY 2012
