Phase 3B revision tips
By Aagash Vadera
Coming to the end of your course and you are no doubt a seasoned exam goer by now. Here is some advice for that final push:
1. Revise the 3b topics proportionately: anaesthetics can be pharmacology dense, A and E is keen on emergency scenarios, GP can encompass a lot of public health. As of 2015, the SBA consists of 60 'bank' questions plus 60 with the following breakdown:
Cardio, Respiratory, GI, Neuro - 10-12 questions each
Paeds, OBGYN, Public health, Legal/ethics - 6-8 questions each
Haem, ENT etc - 2-4 questions each (From Eddie Hampton's lecture)
2. Maximise your learning environment. You may prefer the silent study rooms of the IC, or sitting with a laptop in your living room, or at your bedroom desk, whatever it might be, find what works best for you!
3. Build yourself a study plan, and stick to it! With almost 5 years of medicine behind you, revising for these exams can be a daunting challenge. Breaking down the topics into manageable chunks can help with this and keep you motivated as you attempt to tackle a certain amount each day.
4. Learn for understanding. We are much more likely to retain information if we can form deeper connections between facts and disparate figures. Teaching others is one of the best ways to ensure you have sufficiently learnt a topic. Self assessment and self directed feedback is also important to review your learning styles.
1. Revise the 3b topics proportionately: anaesthetics can be pharmacology dense, A and E is keen on emergency scenarios, GP can encompass a lot of public health. As of 2015, the SBA consists of 60 'bank' questions plus 60 with the following breakdown:
Cardio, Respiratory, GI, Neuro - 10-12 questions each
Paeds, OBGYN, Public health, Legal/ethics - 6-8 questions each
Haem, ENT etc - 2-4 questions each (From Eddie Hampton's lecture)
2. Maximise your learning environment. You may prefer the silent study rooms of the IC, or sitting with a laptop in your living room, or at your bedroom desk, whatever it might be, find what works best for you!
3. Build yourself a study plan, and stick to it! With almost 5 years of medicine behind you, revising for these exams can be a daunting challenge. Breaking down the topics into manageable chunks can help with this and keep you motivated as you attempt to tackle a certain amount each day.
4. Learn for understanding. We are much more likely to retain information if we can form deeper connections between facts and disparate figures. Teaching others is one of the best ways to ensure you have sufficiently learnt a topic. Self assessment and self directed feedback is also important to review your learning styles.