Written Board Review: Courses

Higher Yield, Less Time, Lower Cost

Overview of Written Board Prep

Dr. Argy's goal is to help you achieve your highest possible level of exam preparation and performance.

Introduction: The General Surgery Qualifying Examination is designed to measure high-level process thinking and decision making in a written environment where multiple answers may be correct, but only one is the "best" answer.

• The well prepared candidate must be comfortable and facile integrating sophisticated skills in three areas: 1) proper preparation, 2) well-organized and prioritized reasoning, and 3) enhanced test-taking skills to maximize the likelihood of selecting the correct answer. Dr. Argy teaches all three.
  
  
• Get your highest level of preparation by aligning your approach to the goals of the Qualifying Examination, and by reading and practicing with proven techniques that produce significant improvements in acquisition, retention and manipulation of information integrated with exam-taking skills.
  
  
• Questions on the Qualifying Examination are hypothetical clinical scenarios, in both common and uncommon topics, that test retention and utilization of information to solve problems.
  
  
• Few people realize that studying for the writtens is not optimally achieved with the usual methods of blunt memorization used by most candidates. Dr. Argy integrates a detailed analysis of your reading style and test-taking mindset as part of the core of his instruction. Effective reading skills geared to the written exam are not innate, nor are they taught in residency. These skills are as sophisticated as learning a new surgical procedure, and are most quickly acquired with Dr. Argy's experienced guidance. Not only will you learn how to read more quickly and effectively, you'll also learn how to increase retention and utilization of that information to solve questions like those asked on the written exam

General Principles of Written Board Review

Optimization of preparation is best achieved with attention to these components:

• 1) Understanding the exam's structure: questions are written in ways to achieve exam objectives. When you understand the structure of questions and answers, you can gear your preparation to achieve those objectives.
• 2) Understanding your own baseline study skills: study skills can be enhanced for greater yield. You need an analysis to understand your baseline, so you can reinforce effective behaviors and correct inefficient ones.
• 3) Understanding your baseline test-taking skills: there are a number of variables that maximize the likelihood of picking the correct answer to any question. You need to have an analysis of your baseline approach in order to build on strengths and address weaknesses.
• 4) Acquisition and utilization of content: Dr. Argy has created advanced teaching methods based on proven neuroscientific methods, and tapers them to your needs. These methods maximize the efficiency of preparation, and increase retention and manipulation of information.
• 5) Timing of preparation: Timing of preparation is a critical aspect of success. For candidates preparing for the first time, I suggest preparation start 2-3 months before the next exam. For candidates with prior exam experience, preparation with Odyssey should start 4-6 months in advance of the next exam to give the candidate time to prepare effectively without being rushed.
• 6) Principles of effective and efficient reading: both for recall and processing questions, is not optimally achieved with the usual methods of blunt memorization used by most candidates.

Dr. Argy's experienced guidance dramatically improves the effectiveness of study time, retention and processing of information, and test-taking abilities to help you achieve your optimal exam performance.

• you take a sample exam with an individualized assessment of your approach to reading and answering exam questions.
• you learn how the written exam really works, including criteria for creating questions, so you know how to critically analyze any question that is asked of you.
• you get an overview assessment of your strengths and weaknesses.
• a specific plan is developed for you to study and practice, to build your strengths and correct your weaknesses.
• you learn the principles of effective studying, geared to optimize your yield.
• you learn how to understand what you read, rather than simply trying to memorize a textbook, to increase retention of information.
• you learn how to manipulate information, not just regurgitate it, to answer exam questions.
• ongoing Crescendo preparation by Video Teleconference is available, and recommended, to build and hone your skills further.
• if you have prior exam experience, the Tutorial allows you to discover what went wrong the first time(s), and turns the prior exam(s) into a learning experience.

• you benefit from Dr. Argy's 23+ years of teaching experience to over 4,800 surgeons.
• you do an intensive one day course. No spending $1,000 dollars or more on hotels and meals, no missing a week of work (and potential income) as you would in other massive courses.
• you are either alone (Private Tutorial) or in a Shared Tutorial with a total of no more than 6 participants. No getting lost in the crowd of 150-250 participants.
• you have an accomplished instructor with 30 years of overall teaching experience who is a dedicated instructor, not a junior surgeon who shows up to "teach" for a weekend
• Dr. Argy gears his teaching specifically to the written exam, and its goals, rather than giving canned lectures off the shelf
• in a Private Tutorial you alone get Dr. Argy's undivided, personal attention, focused entirely on your needs
• in a Shared Tutorial (you with one or more others) you get individualized attention in a very small group, and Dr. Argy leverages the benefits of collaborative learning. (The maximum size of the Shared Tutorial is 6 candidates to optimize learning.)