Astute Physician

The ophthalmology board exams are challenging, but with a little preparation, one can pass them on the first attempt. As residents, we hear a lot about the board exams. As a matter of fact, we take a practice version of the written exam each year during our residency. The OKAP (Ophthalmology Knowledge and Assessment Program) was designed as a self-assessment tool to help us identify areas where our knowledge base is strong, but also to point out the areas that need additional work. If you are taking this exam each year and have performed well, you should also perform well on the written board exam. Unfortunately, everyone doesn’t perform well on this exam and that is why I am sharing my preparation insights. After three years of residency and one year of fellowship, I discovered a preparation plan that worked well for me and may work well for you.

Becoming board-certified takes hard work.  It takes many hours of studying, despite having to work full-time as a resident, fellow, or as a board-eligible physician.  There are many books and courses that guarantee success, but the only method that truly assures success is burying your head in the books day in and day out. In a way, passing the boards is like losing weight. It takes discipline, hard-work, and repetition. Astute Physician continues to provide high-quality, peer-created board review plans to put you on the right path and help you achieve your goals. Currently, we have review plans for ophthalmology (OKAP/Written Board Exam) and psychiatry (Written/Oral Board Exam).

Astute Physician is interested in helping ALL physicians obtain success. This includes graduates of medical schools outside the United States. In this article, we ask the question, “How can a foreign medical graduate (FMG) increase their chance of obtaining a residency position in the United States?” To answer this question, we sought an accomplished FMG who successfully obtained a U.S. residency. In our search, we found Felipe Fernandez, M.D., a young physician from Medellin, Colombia. The following list includes Dr. Fernandez’s Top 10 Insights for Foreign Medical Graduates Trying to Obtaining a U.S. Residency: