Specialties

Starting residency is an exciting time! During this time, some specialties may require you to do a modified intern year before continuing to your “advanced” residency. This specifically applies to applicants going into anesthesiology, dermatology, ophthalmology, neurology, physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R), radiation oncology, radiology including interventional radiology (IR), and in some cases, urology and read more…

According to the Maslach Burnout Inventory, there are three specific components in assessing burnout: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a lack of a sense of personal accomplishment. About 40% of medical students, residents, and attending physicians experience these symptoms of burnout. Considering the prevalence of burnout among medical professionals, how do you avoid burning out in read more…

Burnout is an enormous topic that has never been more relevant to the general public, let alone the health care field. Prepandemic, there was more stigma attached to mental health in health care settings. But now, over two years into the pandemic, burnout seems ubiquitous and an assumed aspect of many workplaces. You may catch read more…

Starting residency can be daunting. It’s a transformative experience that will transition you from a medical student to a practicing physician. It will be busy, and at times tiring, but you’ll learn so much and should view this as your opportunity to learn how to be a stellar doctor. Your program leadership—the faculty you work read more…

Call shifts are a hallmark of residency and an important hurdle to conquer prior to becoming an attending. If you’re approaching your first call shift soon, you’ve probably racked your brain wondering: how do I survive a 24-hour shift? Caring for hospitalized patients, making important medical decisions, and answering questions from nurses, patients, and families read more…

Maybe you settled for a specialty you’re less excited about or entered a nonspecialized field with a plan to specialize in the future. Or, you thought your specialty would be the perfect fit at first, only to learn it wasn’t at all what you expected. No matter how you got here, one thing is for read more…

Deciding to become a nurse practitioner may be one of the more significant decisions in your life. Your career options are diverse and there is no limit to the future need for your services. Still, you’ll have more milestone decisions to make on the path to your dream career. One of these decisions will be read more…

Imagine you’re a new MS3 just starting out on clinical rotations. You’d like to eventually pursue a career in surgery, but your first clerkship happens to be in psychiatry. You go through the motions of the rotation, taking detailed histories and obtaining collateral from your patients. Generally, you perform well and receive solid evaluations from read more…

Taking the PANCE is a big day in every PA’s life. It’s the day you’ve been working toward for years, and you want to make sure it’s a successful one. Most of the buzz about the PANCE focuses on exam content and coverage, with little mention of scheduling logistics. As the final checkpoint to becoming read more…

Once you learn you’re going to be a parent, nurseries and car seats are not the only preparations to consider. As I type this and quickly scan my baby monitor to make sure my own bundle of joy is still asleep, I can’t help but remember the worry I experienced when preparing for maternity leave read more…

I recently returned from a medical education conference and spoke to many residents and attendings who were preparing to take their certification or board exam. One question I was repeatedly asked was: “What is your pass rate?” This seems like a reasonable question, right? But it drives me crazy. Not because someone is curious about statistics, but because some companies actually publish “pass rates.” Companies that publish pass rates are misleading you. It is that simple.

Standardized tests have always been a part of the application process for becoming a physician assistant, and the GRE was the only test around when I was going through applications. While the MCAT is sometimes accepted, it often isn’t a preferred requirement by programs, but the PA-CAT is a similar knowledge-based test focusing on the read more…

As of June 1, 2021, ABEM has opened applications for the new Focused Practice Designation (FPD) in Advanced EM. A trusted option for those preparing for the Advanced EM Ultrasonography (AEMUS) Examination now exists: the Advanced Ultrasound Qbank, designed by three leaders and advocates in emergency medicine. The Qbank is the vision of Dr. Resa read more…

I recently returned from a medical education conference and spoke to many residents and attendings who were preparing to take their certification or board exam. One question I was repeatedly asked was: “What is your pass rate?” This seems like a reasonable question, right? But it drives me crazy. Not because someone is curious about statistics, but because some companies actually publish “pass rates.” Companies that publish pass rates are misleading you. It is that simple.

Do you wish you could read ECGs like a cardiologist? Do you want to know more than just millimeter cutoffs when it comes to the ECG in acute coronary occlusion? While you may have relied on flashcards and textbooks in the past, now there’s an online resource that will change the way you learn to read more…

As of June 1, 2021, ABEM has opened applications for the new Focused Practice Designation (FPD) in Advanced EM Ultrasonography (AEMUS). This new FPD recognizes EM physicians who have comprehensive knowledge of AEMUS, beyond the basic skills. Originally published August 2021 / Updated November 2024 Who is eligible for the AEMUS FPD? Only ABEM-certified physicians.  read more…

“Which exam are you going to take?” As you prepare to earn your FNP or AGNP/AGPCNP certification, your colleagues have probably asked this question. But how should you decide between the ANCC vs. AANP certification exam? And once you’ve decided, how should you prepare (and where can you find AANP and ANCC practice questions)? While read more…

You’ve decided to apply to PA school—congratulations! You’re about to embark on an exciting (and busy) couple of years on your way to becoming a PA-C. As PA school application numbers have grown, administrators have started to use the Physician Assistant College Admission Test (PA-CAT) by Exam Master to help determine applicant knowledge and assist read more…

Researching ENP certification exam details and the best exam review methods can be overwhelming—especially when you’re balancing patient care, your personal life, and now preparing for your NP certification. Rather than doing the time-intensive searching yourself, you’ll find the answers to common questions here. This post will help clarify what types of exam review options read more…

This article covers two easy strategies to help increase your score and likelihood of passing the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Certification Exam. These two techniques are useful, easy to implement, and only require a little of your time. The first strategy is to identify what you don‘t know. read more…