{"id":7953,"date":"2019-11-25T11:30:29","date_gmt":"2019-11-25T16:30:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.roshreview.com\/?p=7953"},"modified":"2023-01-04T03:01:12","modified_gmt":"2023-01-04T03:01:12","slug":"3-study-principles-for-crushing-the-ob-gyn-shelf-exam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.roshreview.com\/blog\/3-study-principles-for-crushing-the-ob-gyn-shelf-exam\/","title":{"rendered":"The Best Resources I Used for the OB\/GYN Shelf Exam"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Crushing the OB\/GYN shelf exam is equally about HOW you study as it is WHAT you study. The latter is far easier to communicate, but I hope to convey an overall ethos regarding the best approach to studying medicine.<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
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First, a note on how<\/strong>. Have you ever heard the expression \u201cthe best diet is the one you do\u201d? That idea couldn\u2019t be more true regarding studying\u00a0for a board review<\/a>. Whether it\u2019s studying for the internal medicine board review<\/a>, or studying for the SPEX exam<\/a>, whichever study plan actually gets you studying<\/strong> is the plan to choose. I believe that giving yourself small victories early on reinforces your study behavior and creates a habit that is a little easier to perform each day. Big picture, you are trying to get through a large volume of material and do so efficiently.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having designated time off<\/strong> is important, but it is also necessary to make your time off productive. For example, designating an \u201coff day\u201d from OB\/GYN Qbank<\/a> questions gives you that day to look forward to. But if you happen to knock out a few flashcards or read a page on UpToDate, then you will be even more pleased with yourself for going above and beyond. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lastly, sleep<\/strong> is critical. With all of the fascinating phenomena that occur during sleep, evidence consistently shows that the primary function of sleep is memory consolidation. What is the shelf exam if not a test of your ability to recall a memory? You are a human being, and there is no way around the biological hacks that will work on you. Prioritize your sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Now for the what<\/strong>. I followed 3 general principles\u2014these should guide your approach to the specific content:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. The holy trinity of shelf exams is physiology<\/strong>, pathophysiology<\/strong>, and pharmacology<\/strong>. Focus your studies in these areas.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. The menstrual cycle <\/strong>is essential\u2014know it backwards and forwards.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. The more Qbank questions<\/strong> you do, the better you will perform.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Using those principles as a guide, here’s how I studied and what resources I used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Schedule (dependent on 4- vs 6-week-long rotation)<\/h6>\n\n\n\n

    OB\/GYN and family medicine tend to be a more time-consuming clerkship than others such as an ENP<\/a>, so prioritizing a little time to study outside of the clinic\/OR will be incredibly helpful for any NBME self-assessments or NBME subject exams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n