Passing the Pediatric Boards After Failing ! Make it Happen October 2024

Are you dreading the exam  ?  Are you procrastinating ?    Let's face it, taking the Pediatric boards again has to fill you with dread.  You did all you could to pass the exam the first time and didn't.  Now you have to do the same thing all over again, with the dread of knowing you might not pass again.  Well that is all true, except you should not " do it all over again".  You will need to do something different this time around. 

If at First you Don't Succeed ! Try ! Try ! Something New ! 

Whatever you did the first time around didn't work. Therefore you need to tweak your approach in order to improve your chances of passing the 2nd time around.  Now is the time to begin the process.  You have plenty of time between now and October to prepare !  The following are 5 steps you can take so that Passing the Pediatric Boards is within easy reach ! 

Step 1: Strike while the Iron's Cold 

We all know the expression " strike while the iron is hot " . That would mean you should begin your studying when you feel motivated. Yeah ! Like that is going to happen !    There are always  activities that are more fun that reviewing Inborn Errors of Metabolism and serum ammonia levels ! 

Step 2 :  Go Your Own Way? 

Identify how you learn ! We all learn differently!  You must of had some success in school or you would not be reading this blog and sitting for the American Board of Pediatrics exam in the first place. Think back to those days and how you learned best. Ask yourself the following questions: 

Do I learn best alone or in a group? 

Am I visual learner who needs to see text and infographics ? 

Am I an audio learner who needs to hear something in a lecture to learn best? 

Does it depend on the material , ie. Cardiology I need to see illustrations but Endocrinology is something i learn best in a lecture setting ? 

Step 3 : Study to the Test 

Forget about reading and learning for general pediatric clinical knowledge. You are learning and studying so that you can decode the questions and identify exactly what is being tested in each question ! 

 Are you the type of person who needs to filter out all distractions or do you prefer to study surrounded by other people? Thinking about this will help you when you turn over your new leap in 2023.

Step 4: Textbooks are as wasteful as Texting.

Let’s talk about Nelson’s Pediatric Textbook. It’s a great clinical reference, sure—but if you’re thinking of memorizing it cover to cover for the boards, let me save you some time: don’t bother. I’m not even sure if it’ll help much clinically, to be honest. Clinical skills and exam skills—they’re not the same animal, but they both need one key thing: pattern recognition. And that’s not something you’re gonna pick up flipping through Nelson’s or any other giant textbook.

And hey, the same goes for Rudolph’s Pediatric Textbook. Reading that monster cover to cover is about as useful as watching "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" on repeat. Actually, come to think of it, the reindeer might be more helpful—it’ll give your brain a break and make you feel like a kid again. Maybe even reset your mind a bit before you dive back into the grind for the October 2024 exam.

Now, I get it. I really do. I’ve been there, feeling like the exam was this impossible mountain, and having to take it again felt like getting shoved back to the starting line—demoralizing, humiliating, the whole nine yards. I had to brush off the snow, find a new approach, and, yeah, admit that neither Rudolph the textbook nor Rudolph the reindeer was going to guide me through. I needed my own guiding light, my own path to success, and it took a little stumbling, but I found it. And you will too.

Step 5 Guiding the New Slate Tonight.

Alright, so you didn’t pass the boards the first time—been there, done that, and got the T-shirt. But here’s the thing: you’ve got to keep your eye on the horizon. Don’t get sidetracked by every little fun detour along the way. This isn’t about what’s happening down on the ground; it’s about what’s up ahead. That eye in the sky? That’s your new slate, your new sleigh, pulling you straight toward your North Pole: passing those Pediatric Boards. The distractions? Let ‘em go. You’ve got a new path to carve out, and you’re heading straight for the prize.