With fall approaching, you’re now in the home stretch of exam preparation. Whether you’ve been studying for a year or a month, it’s now time for a critical shift in your review plan. Here are 5 tips to help you strut into your exam with confidence:
- Practice with Q&As. There is no better preparation for your exam than answering board-style questions. You will not only familiarize yourself with what to expect on exam day, but you’ll also practice retrieving information from your memory—practice that will make knowledge and facts more easily accessible. It’s important to self-correct after a Q&A session, ideally after you have finished a series of questions, rather than immediately after each question. Once you view the correct answer, also check why your incorrect answer was wrong.
- Review with flashcards. Flashcards are great for both previewing a topic and self-testing on the go. Return to cards you answer incorrectly, but be sure to also review cards that you answer right, at least once more before your exam. Self-testing is the single most powerful study tool in your arsenal, so make the most of it in these final weeks.
- Use Core material as reference only. At this stage, use the MedStudy Core, audio, or videos for self-correction or clarification only. Now is not the time to read, listen, or watch at length. Once you have referenced a topic enough for understanding, return to self-testing with flash cards and Q&As.
- Use “spaced repetition.” Identify your knowledge gaps, but also review material you know well. We recommend an evidence-based technique called “spaced repetition,” which allows you just enough time to “forget” the material a little, so that the act of “remembering” solidifies your access to it. Simply self-test more frequently on less familiar material (perhaps once every day or two), and less frequently on material you know well (perhaps once every week or so).
- Take frequent breaks and prioritize sleep. Even though it’s tempting to cram, resist the urge. You are much more likely to process and retain information if you take frequent breaks while studying and sleep well. A good example is to stand and stretch for at least 15 minutes every 40–50 minutes that you focus on the material. Studies also show that sleep contributes to the consolidation of your learning, so don’t discount its importance. If you find yourself bogging down and getting fewer and fewer questions right, it’s time to focus on something else for a while.
We believe in you! We’re confident that if you use these techniques consistently in your final weeks, you’ll improve your recall of the important facts and information you need on exam day.
