Preparing for the ABOto Qualifying Exam is a daunting task. It is both overwhelming and impossible to master every testable topic. In many respects, the exam is very similar to the ABOto In-Training Exam in that it is unpredictable! After successfully taking four In-Training Exams and the Qualifying Exam, one thought was always constant following each exam: “Even if I had studied for an extra YEAR, I never would have read about that.” Though an anxiety provoking thought, it is this very thought that is most desirable following any of these exams. As long as you master the “hot” topics and spend extra time on topics in which you are weakest, the obscure material (the “that” if you will) becomes less important and less harmful to your score.
Top 10 hottest topics that ABOto tests on:
- Functional rhinoplasty (particularly nasal valve)
- Cosmetic rhinoplasty (particularly nasal tip)
- Flow-volume loops and how to correlate them to head & neck pathology
- Polysomnography interpretation and sleep medicine in general
- Allergy skin testing interpretation
- Occular manifestations and treatment of Graves disease
- Melanoma (cutaneous and mucosal)
- Management of acute and chronic facial nerve paralysis
- Congenital hearing loss syndromes and branchial cleft cyst tracts
- Knowing when to reassure patients!
If you want additional practice on these topics, sign up for the Board Vitals ABOto Question Bank.
