Should You Hire a Medical Board Exam Tutor?

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A common question among residents is, “Should I hire a medical board exam tutor?” And it’s easy to see why—boards are notoriously difficult! I personally started preparing eight months in advance, and if that sounds extreme, my story actually isn’t all that unusual. Many residents worry about passing, and go the extra mile to make sure they’re adequately prepared.

Of course, hiring a tutor is one of the best ways to make sure you’re ready. But the question is, do you really need to get a tutor? Well, as you’ll see, there are certain situations in which it does make sense. The following article will discuss some key indicators that hiring a board tutor is the way to go.

4 Signs You Would Benefit From a Medical Board Exam Tutor

1. You’ve failed a board exam before.

If you have a history of board failures during medical school (especially if you’ve failed multiple board exams) you should find a medical board exam tutor and start working with them as soon as possible. They can help you understand that test failure is often multifactorial.

Things like test anxiety, difficulty applying knowledge, ineffective test-taking strategies, procrastination, and under-preparation can all contribute to a failed board exam. None of these issues will change overnight, but rather over a longer period of close work with a tutor and mentor.

2. Your program has low board pass rates and you have low ITE scores.

If your program has low board pass rates, I would 1) start studying as early as you can and 2) seek out a tutor if you also have low ITE scores.

The program’s pass rates are a good indicator of the education residents are getting. So if they’re consistently low and you’re also in a high risk category (like having low ITE scores or a personal history of board failure), you may want to consider working with a medical board exam tutor. They can help you identify your strengths and any areas of weakness!

3. You have test anxiety.

If you have a history of anxiety leading up to tests or if anxiety has impacted your test performance in the past, you should certainly consider working with a tutor.

A tutor can identify how anxiety is impacting your performance. This can be through poor time management, not reading carefully, not applying knowledge appropriately, changing answers at the last minute, etc.

Furthermore, they can help you focus on mental health, getting treatment for it if necessary, nutrition, and exercise. All this will do wonders for your preparation and enhance your exam performance.

4. You procrastinate in a way that impacts your performance.

If you tend to procrastinate and it’s deleterious to your performance, you should consider working with a medical board exam tutor. They can provide you with a personalized study schedule and be a source of support and mentorship. A tutor can be a cheerleader, encouraging you to remain motivated until test day. Having someone to check in with you and see how you’re doing can make all the difference.

Final Thoughts

Remember: many residents have been in your shoes before, and they’ve gone into exam day confident because they found a tutor to work with! Now after passing the boards, they’re living the specialist life they worked so hard to achieve.

Whether you decide to get a medical board exam tutor or not, all the best as you prepare for your exam. Good luck, and be sure to reach out if you have any questions about finding a board tutor. We can help!

For more (free!) tips to help you through residency and beyond, check out these other posts on the Rosh Review blog:

Rosh Review is a board review company providing Qbanks that boost your confidence for your boards and beyond. Gain access to board-style practice questions, detailed explanations, beautiful medical images, and more with a Rosh Review free trial to the Qbank of your choice!

By Sonia Pothraj, MD

Sonia is a board certified general pediatrician and pediatric urgent care physician. She is a passionate tutor and mentor. She has tutored doctors for the General Pediatrics Board Certifying Exam starting in January 2023.

She received the merit-based Rice Trustee Distinguished Scholarship to attend Rice University where she graduated in three years with numerous grants and the Spanish and Portuguese Cervantes Award for outstanding seniors. Sonia was an SAT tutor and college and medical school admissions counselor for a private company for four years, where she enjoyed guiding students. Over 95% of her students received admission to their top choice schools. Sonia received her MD from Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School where she graduated with numerous clinical honors distinctions as well as nominations for Gold Humanism Honor Society and house officer.

Sonia graduated pediatrics residency from Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. She received nominations for resident of the month as a senior resident by the Divisions of Hospitalist Medicine, the Chief of the Division of Emergency Medicine, the Medical Student Clerkship Director, and the class of interns she supervised for her professionalism, leadership skills, and teaching. She also received the David H. Carver Teaching Award upon her residency graduation. In her current role as a general pediatrician, she precepts medical students from Touro College of Middletown and New York Medical College and has a teaching role at New York Medical College. As a pediatric urgent care physician, she also sees patients in a fast-paced setting, and stabilizes acutely ill children. Finally, she volunteers with Breakthrough Collaborative, a program for gifted, underserved students where she mentors pre-med students and keeps in touch with old students she taught years ago as well.