Residents Get a Boost in Board Review

Last weekend, the Bean Conference Room was stocked with breakfast burritos, open laptops, and more than a few knit brows. Residents spent a couple days in intense focus, learning what to expect on the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) examinations, which most of them will take at the end of this summer.

Though many residency programs offer some structured assistance in helping residents prepare, the Internal Medicine Residency Program at Iowa is rare in that it treats the boards as an “all hands, on deck” moment. Faculty members from each tested subspecialty are scheduled in one- to two-hour blocks from Friday evening through Sunday evening. All third-year residents are required to attend, while first- and second-year residents are encouraged to do so.

Everyone who attends finds it worth their time. In informal conversations, residents stated that it reduces anxiety just to hear what kinds of questions they can expect to see, taking some of the mystery away. But the subject-specific material presented is also a solid refresher, directing them toward particular aspects to pay attention to. Afterward, each presenter’s slides are also made available for later review.

The weekend study session is one reason among many that graduates of this program have a near-perfect pass rate on the ABIM exams for the last several years. And although Board Review Weekend may not be the first aspect of the residency that gets mentioned to applicants, by the time residents near the end of their program, it is one that many are grateful for.

Congratulations to Chief Resident Dr. Josiah Zubairu for organizing and directing these study sessions. Special thanks to these faculty members who donated an hour or two of their time to help residents prepare.

Pulmonary (2 parts) – Dr. Charles Rappaport
Hematology – Dr. Grerk Sutamtewagul
Oncology – Dr. Rohan Garje
Gastroenterology – Dr. Miriam Naveed
Hepatobiliary – Dr. Arvind Murali
Rheumatology (2 parts) – Dr. Manish Suneja
Endocrinology (2 parts) – Dr. Brian O’Neill
Dermatology – Dr. John Selby
Infectious Disease (2 parts) – Dr. Ilonka Molano
Nephrology (2 parts) – Dr. Manish Suneja
General Internal Medicine (2 parts) – Dr. Gwen Beck