Study skills

Your board exam is coming up. You are probably contemplating mountains of study material and trying not to have a meltdown. Your instinct might be to rely on coffee, cramming, and prayer, and you would not be alone. Do not trust that instinct. Multiple cognitive psychology studies2,3,6,7,10,14 show that cramming is not ideal for long-term read more…

I recently found out that I passed my PANCE exam on the first attempt! Studying for the PANCE exam doesn’t begin one month or even six months in advance. It begins the day you start PA school. Everything you learn in didactic classes and during clinical year is all preparation for the PANCE exam. When read more…

It’s finally time for your family medicine rotation and you could not be more excited. Although you’re not interested in primary care, you just completed your surgery rotation and are in desperate in need of sleep. A month of outpatient nine to five clinic visits doing well-child visits and reassuring patients that they don’t need antibiotics to treat a viral cold sounds like a piece of cake.

I am hosting a free 1-hour live video discussion on study strategies for your PANCE. The event is limited to the first 25 PA students who sign up. The goal is to leave the event with tactical and actionable material to prepare for your PANCE.

Q. Do you have a specific pretest breakfast? No. Q. Do you have any night-before-the-exam routines? Quit studying at least a few hours before I plan to sleep. Q. What do you bring for lunch during your exam? Peanut butter sandwich, Mountain Dew Q. Do you have any strategies that you employ during the exam (e.g. Answer particular read more…

I think it’s exceedingly important to learn your personal test-taking style. There isn’t one right way to do this. One person’s methods may not work for you. I think the trick is to be honest with yourself about what works and what doesn’t, to not feel pressured to use a specific method that doesn’t feel comfortable, and to constantly reassess what is working and what isn’t. You can’t be afraid to change directions and consider something different. A major exam is a marathon, not a sprint.

“Everything about preparing for a test and doing it is all about volume. The more times you see material the more you will remember it. No matter who you are. The more you familiarize yourself with the test environment the more natural it will be and the less you will be affected by test day jitters. No matter who you are. These are things anybody can do.”