On Track

Since my last entry I've been trying to stick to the typical advice of studying every day, if only for 15 minutes, just to stay on track. On many levels, I feel like I needed a break after completing a difficult and demanding program. This should be a breeze, right? I have just one more test to take. Studying for the boards is a lot different than studying for a final. I feel like I am trying to do less memorizing and more taking in and recalling as much information as I can so that I can answer 125 questions and pass. Also I don't have a fixed deadline. I get to choose my test date, which I don't even have official approval for. I have a time frame in mind, and once I start working I would like to be board certified as soon as possible so that I can start seeing patients. 

This all being said, I feel like I am still in vacation mode. I am actually on vacation visiting my college friend and feeling like I want to give myself a good solid break before working full time (who knows when my next vacation will be!). BUT, I am sticking to studying every day, and that is keeping me motivated and connected to my goal of passing the boards.

I have been sticking to the Fitzgerald review books (the published guide and the workbook from the prep class I took). So far so good. I am on the tail end of reviewing peds which does require some memorizing. This part is challenging for me because I need to keep the milestones in my head (when kids can sit up with support, on their own, crawl, walk, etc). I am pretty sure there will be at least 1 question on this and I want to get this right. Also peds has not been my forte and an area where I have not had a strong clinical placement (mine was at a CVS minute clinic where I saw kids with ear infections) so I didn't get a strong well-child experience. My goal for this (to be honest) is to know this stuff for the boards and move on. I don't plan on, don't feel trained or comfortable taking care of small children. So, I am tackling my weakest subject first, then moving on.

I think maternity will be my next topic, probably starting tomorrow.