Medical school is not a walk in the park. From the incomprehensible medical terminologies to the heavy workload, students who are looking to pursue a career in obstetrics and gynecology (OB-GYN) need to understand that medical school is nothing like the ordinary undergraduate program. It requires more dedication, skills, and hours of study to ensure success.
In this article, we are going to highlight various tips to help OB-GYN students pass the ABOG qualifying exam and receive their board certification.
Let us delve into specifics
- Join group discussions
Joining group discussions in medical school is one of the best ways to improve your knowledge. Here, several students come together and share their knowledge on a particular subject.
Group discussions have a lot of benefits. First and foremost, it helps a student to better understand the topics of discussion. Second, the different opinions offered by the group members provide more information about a specific topic. Last but not least, it allows a student to know both their strengths and weaknesses. That way, they can work on improving their areas of study.
- Read topics ahead of time
There is a myriad of topics covered during the duration of your OB-GYN studies in medical school. Lecturers will go through the topics as required and will rarely give each student special attention unless a student takes the initiative.
To ensure you are at par with the curriculum and understand everything, be attentive and note down the topics the lecturer is going to teach the following lesson. With such information, you can go and research these topics before the next class. That way, you have a rough idea of what the lecturer is discussing, and will not be among those staring blankly with no clue of the day’s topic.
- Class participation is a must
Class participation is a crucial aspect of medical school and a great determinant as to whether or not you pass your exams. You need to be attentive, stay focused, and take notes.
What benefit will it have if you went for lectures but spent the better part of the lesson scrolling your phone? Phones are a major distraction and should always be off. You should also strive to answer questions to check your knowledge. If there is an area that the lecturer has covered and you have not fully grasped everything, asking questions is vital.
- Know your specialty
Fortunately, OB-GYNs have a wide range of specialties to choose from. You can either choose to be a maternal-fetal medicine specialist, reproductive endocrinologist, gynecologic oncologist, or a female pelvic specialist. Knowing your specialty earlier on helps you focus more on the relevant learning topics, which goes a long way in ensuring your success in medical school.
- Focus on other non-medical related skills
Being a great OB-GYN not only relies on being book-smart, passing all examinations, and being board accredited. You need to have traits such as patience, trustworthiness, good communication skills, and compassion. Without these traits, you will have problems relating to your patients, which is detrimental not only to the patient’s life but also to your career.
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