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Board Prep Study Workflow

A structured approach to using this curriculum for board exam preparation.

The 4-Step Study Cycle

graph LR
    A[1. Learn<br>High-Yield Pearls] --> B[2. Reinforce<br>Flashcards]
    B --> C[3. Test<br>Questions]
    C --> D[4. Apply<br>Cases]
    D --> A

Step 1: Learn - High-Yield Pearls

Start here for each topic

  • Read the High-Yield Pearls for quick facts
  • Each pearl is a single, testable concept
  • Takes 5-10 minutes to review all pearls for a topic

Step 2: Reinforce - Flashcards

Lock in the knowledge

  • Use Flashcards for spaced repetition
  • Export to Anki for optimal scheduling
  • Daily reviews of 10-20 cards
  • Focus on cards you get wrong

Step 3: Test - Self-Assessment

Identify gaps

  • Take Practice Questions under timed conditions
  • 90 seconds per question
  • Review explanations for ALL questions (even correct ones)
  • Track weak areas

Step 4: Apply - Clinical Cases

Connect to real scenarios

  • Work through Clinical Cases
  • Apply knowledge to complex presentations
  • Practice clinical reasoning

Topic-to-Resource Mapping

Topic Pearls Flashcards Questions Cases
Kawasaki Disease #1 Deck Acquired Disease Case 4
Heart Failure #2 Deck CHD Set Case 10
HCM #3-4 Deck Cardiomyopathy Case 2, Case 11
Hypertension #5 Deck Prevention -
Arrhythmias #6-8 Deck EP Set Case 5
Pulmonary HTN #9 Deck PH Questions -
IE Prophylaxis #10 Deck Prevention Case 20
MIS-C/COVID #11 Deck Acquired Disease -
Myocarditis #12 Deck Acquired Disease -
Rheumatic Fever #13 Deck Acquired Disease -
Channelopathies #14-17 Deck EP Set Case 8
Sports Cardiology #18-19 Deck Sports/Syncope Case 2, Case 11
Resuscitation #20 Deck - Case 9
Aortopathy #21 Deck CHD Set Case 13
Neurodevelopment #22 Deck CHD Set -
Cardiomyopathy #23 General Deck Cardiomyopathy -
Fetal Echo - Deck Imaging Case 19
Syncope #24 Deck Sports/Syncope Case 2
Lipid Screening #25 Deck Prevention -
Genetic Syndromes #26 Deck CHD Set -
CCHD Screening #27 Deck CHD Set Case 7
ACHD #28 Deck CHD Set -
Fontan #29 Deck Fontan Questions Case 10
PDA Preterms #30 Deck CHD Set Case 17
Neuromuscular #31 Deck Cardiomyopathy Case 14
Pericarditis #32 Deck Acquired Disease -
AAOCA #33 Deck CHD Set -
Transplantation #34 Deck CHD Set Case 16
Turner Syndrome #35 Deck CHD Set -
TTE/Echo #36 Deck Imaging -
Catheterization #37 Deck Imaging -
Innocent Murmurs - Deck CHD Set Case 1
Chest Pain - Deck CHD Set Case 6
ECG Basics - Deck Imaging Case 11
Cardiac H&P - Deck CHD Set Case 1
Acyanotic CHD - Deck CHD Set Case 1, Case 15
Cyanotic CHD - Deck CHD Set Case 3, Case 9
Vascular Rings - Deck CHD Set Case 12
RHD #38 Deck Acquired Disease -

1-Week Intensive Review

Day Morning (45 min) Evening (30 min)
1 Pearls 1-10, Kawasaki + HCM flashcards 10 Acquired Disease Qs
2 Pearls 11-20, Arrhythmia flashcards 10 EP Questions
3 Pearls 21-30, CHD flashcards 10 CHD Questions
4 Pearls 31-38, remaining flashcards 10 Imaging Questions
5 Weak area review + cases Rapid Review Questions
6 All flashcards (rapid fire) High-Yield Questions
7 Comprehensive Board Questions Review missed Qs

4-Week Rotation Integration

See 4-Week Learning Path for daily schedule.

Tracking Your Progress

Question Performance Log

Date Question Set Score Weak Topics
/10
/10
/10

Flashcard Mastery

  • [ ] Kawasaki (25 cards)
  • [ ] HCM (20 cards)
  • [ ] Channelopathies (30 cards)
  • [ ] Arrhythmias (25 cards)
  • [ ] PH (20 cards)
  • [ ] Fontan (20 cards)
  • [ ] (continue for all decks...)

Common Pitfalls

  1. Skipping flashcard reviews - Spaced repetition only works with consistency
  2. Not reading explanations - Even correct answers teach you something
  3. Passive reading - Active recall beats re-reading every time
  4. Ignoring weak areas - The topics you avoid are the ones you need most
  5. Cramming - Distributed practice >> massed practice