As I prepare for the PANCE, I have increased the frequency for which I do practice questions on Rosh Review and Kaplan.  I have been taking timed practice tests to ensure I am keeping an appropriate speed to ensure I don’t run out of time on the day of the test.

My grade increased from the didactic PACKRAT to the clinical PACKRAT but am not at a place where I would sit down for the exam tomorrow as I have not really put in a solid study effort.  For the most part, I’ve done very well on the EOR exams and I think that is likely because I didn’t stress out and get anxious about them (as I do with basically every other test).

Right now, where my biggest concern falls is the ‘luck of the draw’ in the questions that I get in any given question set.  As I’m completing practice sets on ROSH Review, the scores are still fluctuating more than I’d like to see. I believe these scores fluctuate based upon whether or not I’m interested in the topic.  If I am comfortable with the topic, I generally do better on the questions; however, I want to get to a place where the fluctuation resolves and I am more consistent with each practice set I complete. With more questions I have exposure to, the more I will be able to detect a pattern or understand what the question is asking using key trigger words and pathognomonic phrases.  With each of the tests I take, I am thoroughly reviewing the answers (both correct and incorrect) because this information has been helpful for me in answering other questions I’ve come across and I feel these key take aways help to provide short memory tools for remembering essential information.

My goal is to take the PANCE in the latter two weeks of January, pending availability and how I am doing on the practice tests once I begin active studying and the plan laid out below.

My plan moving forward is as follows –

• Create an Excel file that will contain notes I take as I review each practice test I take in addition to supplementation from Pance Prep Pearls and other reputable sources to provide any additional / helpful context.  I will break this file up into sections (Cardio, Respiratory, Hematology, OBGYN, etc), which will make it easy to review but also easy to search if I am trying to recall a fact I typed previously. Continue completing ROSH Review questions weekly and reviewing the answers immediately preceding the timed session.
• Continue completing the Kaplan PANCE Question of the Day, which I receive via email.  These questions have been challenging but the discussions are very helpful and I’ve already applied what I’ve read in several scenarios.
  • Based on feedback from friends in the field, I am considering purchasing the Kaplan question bank as I’ve heard that it is helpful in addition to the ROSH questions we have through York
• I will be taking a 3 day intensive review course for the PANCE Board Review course to jump start my studying in early December.  The conferences hosts students and professionals from 7AM-5PM over three days and reviews cardiology, pharmacology, pulmonary systems, gastroenterology, ophthalmology, ENT, Endocrinology, Orthopedics, Rheumatology, Neurology, Psychiatry, Nephrology, ID, OBGYN, hematology and Emergency Medicine.
  • I will also use the resource materials I receive from the conference to study (and add to my excel document) as needed to ensure I am well-rounded and inclusive in my studying.

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