How to Get the Most from Group Study for Board Exams

Preparing for your board exam can be done alone or with a partner or group. (From now on, I’ll write ‘group’ when referring to group or single partner.) Studying in a group has several pros and cons, which I cover in this article. Depending on the learner, either the pros or the cons of group study can predominate. Thus, group study is not for everyone. For those for whom group study is a net positive, it can be the main or sole study approach or, instead, it can supplement solo study, which remains the foundation.

Pros of Studying with a Partner or Group

• Increases motivation and accountability
• Often leads to greater amount spent on preparation and material reviewed
• Offers camaraderie during a challenging undertaking
• Provides an opportunity to get explanations of concepts one does not understand
• Allows taking turns ‘testing’ each other on facts and concepts
• Offers division of labor of looking up needed information
• Provides an opportunity for each member to share their personal effective study techniques, mnemonics, and especially relevant study resources
• Can lead to new or deepening friendships

Cons of Studying with a Partner or Group

• Time may be lost to chatting and avoiding ‘getting down to work’
• Discussions may be more distracting from deeper focus on mastering the material
• Many core preparation approaches are best done alone, like completing practice tests and listening to lectures
• Can give a false sense of ‘preparing’ or of ‘being prepared’ when, in fact, not much work is done, or mastery achieved

If you have not yet started preparing or only engaged in solo study, reading the pros and cons of group study may already have given you an idea of whether it is for you. If it has not, you can try it as an empiric trial and keep an open mind.

Regarding the effectiveness of group study, I know plenty of people who swear by it. I, on the other hand, have never engaged in it and have no plans to in the future. Why? Because group study would take time away from my habitual study approaches. I learn best by reading (and listening to, to some extent) well-organized material. This allows me to deeply focus on the facts and concepts laid out and to engage in ‘active’ learning. Active learning, in contradistinction to passive learning, entails interrogating the material, for example questioning the similarities and differences in [pathology, diagnostic criteria, clinical presentation, work-up results, and treatment] between related Disorders A and B. But, of course, the study approach to works for me should in no way affect the approach that works for you.

If you are already engaging in group study or are planning to, here are some steps to consider to get the most out of the experience and to increase the likelihood that the group will function effectively from the start and maintain that effectiveness over time. (Not uncommonly, groups start strong and then lose effectiveness and consistency over time.)

Suggested Dos

• Develop group meeting Rules of Engagement (that address the points below)
• Establish a regularly scheduled meeting time
• Each member commits to attending the meeting each time (other than when emergencies or prescheduled overriding events intervene)
• Agree to a meeting agenda/approach ahead of time
• Periodically review effectiveness of the group’s meeting and study approaches and adjust as needed
• Between meetings, specific lecture viewings, practice test completion, and/or readings are assigned

Suggested Don’ts

• Spend an inordinate time socializing
• Decide each time what to do during the meeting (by not having a meeting agenda)
• Attend haphazardly. This expresses a lack of commitment and will undermine commitment and motivation of the other members

Now, let me share some ideas on what you do in the meeting. Most meetings have more than one ‘job’ they need to accomplish and, as a result, have parts or move through stages.

Possible Meeting Agenda/Tasks

• Review members’ progress since last meeting
• Bring up questions, conundrums, material not understood
• During the meeting watch a lecture together, or break off, view it separately, then reconvene to discuss it
• Review new material
• Present a series of practice MCQs and review responses together – address any problems members have on individual questions
• Develop a plan for the next meeting
• Assign group members to review topic for next meeting and summarize their findings for the group

Thanks and please email me with your thoughts. It would help colleagues preparing for their exams if they knew what clinicians found useful and, equally important, not useful in board study. Please include the exam you were or are preparing for. I will publish your contribution anonymously (unless you want me to credit you). Thank you!

Jack Krasuski, MD