Specialties

Learning how to manage student loans, invest, and budget is likely at the bottom of your to-do list while balancing your responsibilities as a resident. It’s true that many young doctors are so preoccupied with getting through training that they don’t take the time to learn basic personal finance—however, progression through medical training is inextricably read more…

As a follow-up to my last post, How a Commitment to Lifelong Learning Will Make You a Better Physician, here are four ways to put lifelong learning into practice throughout your career as a physician. As you reflect on your career and medical education/training, you may simply view it as a series of exams, interspersed read more…

Planning to take the Pediatric Hospital Medicine certification exam in 2024? Here’s what to know, including when to apply for the exam, what’s covered, and how to prepare. When is the exam offered? Every 2 years—the next examination will be offered on November 19–20, 2024. When can I register? Regular: February 5, 2024–April 1, 2024 read more…

Trying to decide between taking the PANRE vs PANRE-LA when it comes to PA recertification? You’re not alone—since the first cohort of the PANRE-LA launched in 2023, plenty of PAs approaching recertification are on the fence about which exam is right for them. To help in your decision, we asked our team of PAs who read more…

I spend a lot of my life inside the cardiac operating room. It’s a high-stakes arena with up to nine medical staff assuming different roles for the care of the patient: anesthesiologist, nurse anesthetist, perfusionist, circulating nurse, scrub technician, first assistant, cardiologist, and device rep, not to mention any medical students in training. As you read more…

Performing well on your end-of-rotation (EOR) exams is essential. Unsurprisingly, those who consistently perform well on their end-of-rotation exams are more likely to do well on their PANCE and ultimately feel more confident in their first year of practice (and beyond)! To set you up for success as a new PA, we’ll talk about some read more…

In April 2019, the NCCPA announced that PANCE pass rate had dropped from 98% to 93% after the release of the newest PANCE Blueprint. After trending upward to 95% in 2020, the PANCE pass rate has been declining every year since, with NCCPA reporting that the PANCE pass rate was down to 92% in 2023 read more…

You’ve embarked on the journey to becoming a certified physician assistant (PA), a thrilling adventure that culminates in taking the ultimate test, the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE). It’s the last hurdle that remains before you capture the coveted prize of becoming a certified PA.  Luckily, there’s something that’ll help you navigate the final read more…

Certificates of Added Qualifications (CAQs) for physician assistants were developed in 2011, in the hope of providing added distinction for PAs in specialty areas.  If you’re thinking about getting a CAQ, you probably have some questions about them. In this post, we’ll take a look at some basic information when it comes to getting a read more…

If you’re approaching your PA certification or recertification exam, you may be looking into your options for a review course. Maybe you’ve been considering the live PANCE/PANRE review course from Rosh Review and Blueprint Test Prep, and still have some questions before signing up! As a follow-up to our previous post, “Introducing the Newest Live read more…

Any resident will tell you that the first six months of your intern year aren’t about learning medicine, but getting organized and learning how to be efficient. Of course, those things can be hard to achieve. Fortunately, there are lots of easy apps and tech that’ll enable you to streamline and automate your day so read more…

If you sat for the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) certification exam and received a failing score, the experience can be discouraging and challenging to process.  Still, it’s important to remember that setbacks are inevitable parts of everyone’s medical career—you’re not alone! In fact, according to ABIM, 13% of first-time test-takers failed the exam read more…

Congratulations, you did it! You finally took the PANCE. You hit submit and have left the testing center. Now, after months of studying and preparing, two questions inevitably arise: When will I get my score? And what should I do while I’m waiting?  In this blog, we’ll answer both questions for you! Let’s begin by read more…

In the field of medicine, diversity isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a critical factor in providing comprehensive and patient-centered care. This blog post aims to shed light on the intricacies of diversity in pediatrics specifically, and discuss strategies to improve representation and inclusivity in the pediatric field, ensuring every child receives the best care possible. The read more…

There’s no such thing as becoming too familiar with the format of the specific American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) certification exam you’ll be taking in September. By getting to know the overall format of your exam and the breakdown of each section, you’ll be ahead of the game when it comes to exam read more…

So you can see the light at the end of the tunnel and you’re ready to become a general or child & adolescent psychiatrist. All you have to do now is take steps toward the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) initial certification. Although that may sound like a challenging process, thousands of psychiatrists read more…

Production pressure—the “overt or covert pressures and incentives on personnel to place production, not safety, as their primary priority”—is one of the highest threats to your level of patient care. As an anesthesiologist, here are three nonnegotiables I prioritize in the OR, no matter the external pressures. It was one of those lessons early in read more…

The average working day of a physician isn’t an easy one. Faced with long shifts and myriad clinical responsibilities, it’s all too easy to neglect your own body’s needs in the service of your profession. But that doesn’t have to be the case! With a new year (and a nice dose of motivation) now in read more…

The American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Certification Exam is offered once per year over a two-week period of time. The assessment evaluates the ability of test takers to diagnose and manage both common and rare conditions under the broad umbrella of internal medicine. As you begin to prepare for the exam, it’s important to read more…

When I first started studying for the ABOG written exam, I felt overwhelmed and nervous. So much of residency is about surviving, learning essential skills, and getting through each week or month while acquiring so much knowledge in the hospital, OR, and clinic. However, this firsthand clinical experience typically isn’t enough to pass or do read more…